By M.E. Dodge
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BHOPAL, India – Officials in India continue to dismiss claims that a plant in Bhopal which formerly manufactured Union Carbide pesticide still leaks and emits dangerous toxins into drinking water.

According to a report published by the British-based charity the Bhopal Medical Appeal (BMA) and the Sambhavna Clinic in Bhopal, there is a showing, and evidence to support, that “there are still high levels of toxic chemicals in the drinking water supply in 15 communities near the old Union Carbide pesticide plant.” In addition, the report goes on to say that the water “in and around the Union Carbide factory site in Bhopal still contains extremely unsafe levels of carbon tetrachloride,” and further states that there are also “other persistent organic pollutants, solvents, nickel and other heavy metals.”  

In response, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, of Madhya Pradesh, engaged in an interview with BBC World News. During the interview the Chief Minister told BBC that contrary to the claims in the report, the plant and surrounding areas are safe. Moreover, Chief Minister, Mr. Chouhan, insisted that clean water was supplied by tanker to those communities without piped water.  However, many residents said that supplies were infrequent and insufficient, forcing them to continue relying on contaminated ground water. 

Counter to, Sarang decision the Chief Minister and other official maintain that “there is nothing hazardous to human life… people should not be worried. We have secured the site.”   

According to findings by Sathyu Sarangi, leader of the Sambhavna Clinic, the problem arises from areas known as solar evaporation ponds, which he claimed polluter, Union Carbide, used before the disaster as dumping grounds for toxic effluent. Sarangi went on to state that the report shows “that there are many toxins still in the ground that have never been cleaned up. Additionally, “each time it rains, the rain washes those toxins into the ground water, which many people still draw to drink.”

For more information, please see:

BBC World News – Officials dismiss claims Bhopal site is leaking toxins – Demeber 5, 2009

Business Weekly – India: Anger Grows Over Bhopal – December 4, 1009 

Daily Times – Govt backtracks on Bhopal gas ‘show’ – December 5, 2009

By Alok Bhatt
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

COLOMBO,Sri Lanka – General Sarath Foneseka, one of the recognized masterminds behind the Sri Lankan government’s final, victorious campaign against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam, left Oklahoma city today on a civilian visit to his daughters.  Upon hearing of the general’s arrival into the country, authorities in the United States Department of Homeland Security formulated plans to interview the general.  The discussion had the purpose of trying to substantiate allegations of war crimes the Sri Lankan military and government committed throughout the quarter-century civil war against the Tamil Tiger insurgency.  However, the General left Oklahoma City without any disturbance by U.S. authorities.  

General Fonseka played an integral role in the Sri Lankan government’s spring defeat of the Tamil Tigers.  Although the ultimate attack on the insurgency purportedly aimed cease the bloody violence reigning over Sri Lanka for over twenty-five years, reports of crimes against humanity arose in reports submitted to the U.S. congress.  The reports concentrated on heinous acts perpetrated in the final months of fighting ultimately leading to the Tamil Tigers’ defeat in May. 

The report actually asserted that both separatists and Sri Lankan government forces committed atrocities against human rights.  The Sri Lankan government, however, was accused of confining droves of citizens in schools, hospitals, and other large public structures located in designated no-fire zones.  Furthermore, human rights groups alleged that the Sri Lankan government engaged in indiscriminate bombing over Tamil territories, resulting in the deaths of thousands of civilian nationals. 

Between the inhumane acts of the government and separatists, it has been calculated that between 7,000 and 20,000 civilians had been killed over the final months of fighting. Despite the severity of the allegations and the imperative information General Fonseka could divulge concerning heinous practices in war, the Sri Lankan government swiftly pronounced its disfavor towards the idea of an interview.

 The Sri Lankan government seemed particularly leery of the possibility that U.S. authorities would inquire about Sri Lankan Secretary of Defense Gotabaya Rajapaksa.  The brother of the Sri Lankan president and a U.S. citizen himself, Rajapaksa is acknowledged as another significant figure in the Sri Lankan military’s defeat over the Tamil Tigers.  The Sri Lankan government also denies the merits of the allegations of human rights offenses. 

Without any words from the Sri Lankan government, the only corroborated information on Sri Lanka’s war practices is the lofty, tragic death toll for the bloody civil war.
For more information, please see:

Al-Jazeera – U.S. to ‘question’ S Lanka army chief – 04 November 2009

Guardian – U.S. to question Sri Lanka army chief war crimes allegations – 02 Novermber 2009

Lanka Journal – Sri Lanka’s top general leaves U.S. unquestioned – 04 November 2009

By M.E. Dodge
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

SEOUL, South Korea –   A report issued on October 21 by Amnesty International reveals the country’s social concern over racism and discrimination.

The report showed that there is a widespread racist sentiment against migrant workers, who mostly are from poor Asian countries. In compiling its research, the human rights organization cited sexual abuse, racial slurs, inadequate safety training and the mandatory disclosure of H.I.V. status, a requirement not imposed on South Koreans in the same jobs. The report also found in citing local news media and rights advocates, that following last year’s financial downturn, “incidents of xenophobia are on the rise.”

South Korea is noted as a country that has been repeatedly invaded by neighboring countries, and as a result, the people of South Korea have grown to adopt racial outlooks that have been colored by “pure-blood” nationalism as well as traditional patriarchal mores, according to Seol Dong-hoon, a sociologist at Chonbuk National University. There are even reports that North Korean authorities force women to have abortions who return home pregnant after going to China to find food, as stated by defectors and human rights groups.

The report goes on to assess how globalization for many South Koreans, has largely meant increasing exports or going abroad to study, and that now that it is also bringing an influx of foreigners into a society where 42 percent of respondents (in a 2008 survey) said they had never once spoken with a foreigner.

There is evidence though, that action is being taken to remedy this perverse level of racism. On July 10, Bonogit Hussain, a 29-year-old Indian man, and Hahn Ji-seon, a female Korean friend, were riding a bus near Seoul when another passenger made racial and sexist comments toward them. Customarily, this interaction was not unfamiliar, however, this time the media in the South Korean media broadcasted the incident, and subsequently, prosecutors sprang into action. The passenger was found, identified, arrested, and charged with contempt. This is noteworthy, because for the first time, such charges had been applied to an alleged racist offense.

As a result of this case, which is pending in court, rival South Korean political parties have begun drafting legislation that for the first time would provide a detailed definition of discrimination by race and ethnicity and impose criminal penalties.

 

For more information, please see:

EIN World News Report – South Korea Racism & Xenophobia News – November 2, 2009

New York Times – South Koreans Struggle With Race  – November 2, 2009  

The Hankyoreh – Foreigners cite nationalism, discrimination as barriers to life in Korea – April 23, 2009

By Hyo-Jin Paik
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

TAIPEI, Taiwan – 20,000 people from Taiwan’s gay and lesbian community took the streets of Taipei Saturday demanding that the government better safeguard gay rights and their lifestyle choices.  The marchers, shouting the slogan “Love Out Loud,” specifically asked for equal rights and recognition of same sex marriages.

This was Taiwan’s seventh annual Gay Pride Parade and attracted supporters from neighboring Asian countries like Hong Kong and Japan. 

Tung Chu-chu, the chief organizer of the march, said, “We urge the government to better protect gay human rights including same-sex unions so we can have the same legal rights as heterosexual couples.” 

Another participant, Nancy Chen, added, “I hope the government will not only legalise same-sex unions but also allow us to adopt children.”  Chen said, “Even though Taiwan is becoming more open-minded towards gays, many still think that gay people can have romantic relationships but not something as serious as starting families.”

Gay rights activists in Taipei.  Courtesy of MSN.

A Taiwanese professor Ho Chuen-juei said this parade is not only to raise the voices of the gay, lesbian and transgender community, but also to fight prejudice and discrimination.

Taiwan is actually one of the most tolerant Asian countries regarding homosexuality.  Taiwan is said to have the most vibrant gay community in Asia, and its parade is the largest among the Chinese-speaking communities.

Furthermore, in 2003, Taipei’s mayor began subsidizing the annual Gay Carnival.  However, the funding for the Carnival as decreased over the years, in addition to some recent cases of suppression of homosexuals.  Also in 2003, Taiwan became the first Asian country to draft a bill legalizing same-sex marriage, but the bill still has not yet been passed.

Tung criticized the Taiwanese government for not passing the anti-discrimination legislation saying, “We love the people around us, but sometimes the society and the government don’t love us, or even see us…The government made us lots of empty promises, but so far they haven’t come through.”

Despite the government’s inaction, the organizers of the parade remain hopeful and plan to expand the parade to other parts of Taiwan next year.

For more information, please see:

AFP – Thousands march in Taipei for gay marriage – 31 October 2009

GMA News – Taiwan’s gays march for enactment of anti-discrimination measure – 31 October 2009

Taipei Times – Gay pride throngs Taipei streets – 1 November 2009

The Times of India – 20,000 march in Taipei for gay rights – 31 October 2009

By Michael E. Sanchez
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia     

 

Jakarta, Indonesia- Indonesia has stated the 78 Sri Lankan asylum seekers stranded in a boat off the coast of Sumatra must either cooperate with authorities over identity checks or risk expulsion.

The Sri Lankans were caught in Indonesian water on 18 October while attempting to reach Australia.  Both nations agreed to a deal last week which would see the asylum seekers moved to an Indonesian detention center.  The Sri Lankans, ethnic Tamils who are on board the Australian vessel “Oceanic Viking” have refused to be moved to Riau Island, an immigration detention center in Tanjungpinang, said an Indonesian diplomat. “The Sri Lanka immigrants insist on going to Australia instead,” said Sujatmiko, the foreign ministry’s diplomatic security director.

The asylum seekers numbering 68 men, five women and five children, were detained by Australian customs ship Oceanic Viking, 240 miles from Padang in waters near Enggano Island.

Teuku Faizahsyah, Indonesia’s foreign ministry spokesperson told the BBC that Indonesia will only be able to host the asylum seekers until they have been clearly identified.  The asylum seekers have so far resisted any efforts to get off the ship.  Faizahsyah says that if the stand-off continues, Indonesia will have no choice but to expel the Sri Lankans.

Indonesia could not force them to move to the Riau Islands’ immigration detention center because it would violate international law.  The refugees initially rejected health check-up by an Indonesian medical team but finally gave up after being persuaded by members of the Indonesian foreign affairs ministry’s team.

“Today the Oceanic Viking ship is still in water around 12 miles off the Bintan District coast,” said Sujatmiko.  The permission by the Indonesian government allowing the ship to moor near Cempedak Isle expires next Friday.  Sujatmiko denied a report saying that Indonesia had received US$50 million as compensation for accepting Sri Lankan immigrants, stating the government was willing to accept the asylum seekers because of humanitarian reasons.

The deal has been seen as a prelude to a wider-ranging agreement between the two nations expected to be signed in November.  The agreement would see Australia hand over cash to Indonesia, in exchange for Jakarta ensuring that Australia-bound ships with asylum seekers on board are intercepted.  The agreement has been criticized by some in Indonesia who say it is only a way for Australia to outsource its problems to their country.

For more information, please see:

BBC News- Indonesia ‘Might Expel’ Refugees  – 29 October 2009

Antara News- Sri Lanka Refugees to Budge From Australian Ship – 28 October 2009

Sri Lanka Watch- Australia Refuses to Accept SL Asylum Seekers  – 30 October 2009