By Hyo-Jin Paik
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BEIJING, China – Within the past week, Chinese intellectuals and a government news agency posted two similar media declarations on the Internet.  Both declarations stated the need for more open media, acceptance of new media technologies, and interaction between journalists and audiences.

However, the “Internet Human Rights Declaration” drafted by 15 Chinese intellectuals stipulating ten specific items, including freedom of speech online, disappeared from online viewing soon after its first appearance.

Within two days, the Declaration had been blocked from viewing, and searches of the document on the web, including on China’s biggest search engine called Baidu.com, ended in failure.  This is contrary to President Hu Jintao’s promise at the World Media Summit for more media freedom and protection.

Bei Feng, journalist and one of the drafters of the Declaration, said Chinese government’s increasing severity with Internet censorship is what prompted the drafting of the Declaration. 

Ling Cangzhou, another journalist and drafter of the document said the Declaration’s purpose is to “bring the Chinese people’s attention to the current state of the internet and to stimulate thought on free speech and free media.”  Ling added that the Declaration was drafted within the scope of China’s constitution. 

Contrarily, others feel that China has made progress in protecting free speech online.  For example, criticism of the government can now be found on the web as 300 million Internet users of China have newly but firmly established a culture of “Internet activism” where grievances towards the government are expressed online.  Nevertheless, Chinese officials do maintain a tight control over the Internet, and they do block or filter certain sensitive keywords.

Although China has an iron grip over its web users, online freedom of speech is being encouraged by the authorities because it helps the officials gain a first-hand understanding of the current public sentiment. 

Ironically, there has also been a new movement where Chinese bloggers, despite worries that this could give the authorities the leverage for stricter Internet censorship, are asking for greater government intervention online against those who spread false information online to protect individual’s rights.
For more information, please see:

Asia Times – China torn over Internet freedoms – 8 October 2009

Global Voices Advocacy – China’s Internet: Two Media Declarations – 15 October 2009

Guardian – So, Comrade, tell me: why did you censor my website? – 6 October 2009

By Alok Bhatt
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – The U.N. recently released statements containing its sharpest lambast of the Sri Lankan refugee camps.  With the monsoon season looming over Sri Lanka, the U.N. and international human rights groups worry that the heavy rains and possible flooding will render the camps rife with water-borne disease and devastation. 

Conditions in the camps have long been criticized by the international community, as the Sri Lankan government has failed to provide adequate food, clothing, and shelter to displaced persons.  Annual summer rains foreshadowed the potential catastrophe of maintaining congested camps during the monsoon season; August rains destroyed housing structures and collapsed imperative delivery routes for supply vehicles.  Unable to cook and keep dry, the Tamil minority members endured dilemmas which would worsen during the monsoon season.       

Over 300,000 Sri Lankan nationals have been held in temporary government-run camps since the state military’s defeat of the Tamil Tigers this spring.  While the government’s victory effectively ended the civil war that plagued the island nation, human rights groups have asserted myriad issues concerning the treatment of citizens in the aftermath.  The Sri Lankan government made numerous promises of improving camp conditions and liberating displaced persons, but few of their planned initiatives ever came to fruition.
 
(Photograph courtesy of AFP)

 

Besides monitoring and pressure from the U.N., displaced refugees voiced requests to resettle from the camps.  However the government’s liberation process has been lethargic at best.  Furthermore, tensions between the Tamil minority and camp workers have lead to situations in which military-men abused and otherwise mistreated displaced persons.  Additionally, the government’s screening process to identify and remove Tamil Tigers among the camp dwellers has extensively prolonged the Tamil minority’s detainment period.  

 

The Sri Lankan government assured the U.N. that its camp facilities were prepared to endure the torrential rains and flooding of the monsoon season.  The government claimed that it will install proper drainage to mitigate the effect of the rains.  However, given the government’s history of hollow promises concerning vacating and the betterment of its interment camps, there is no reason to believe any further measures will be taken.  Also, the U.K. announced that it would cease all but life-saving assistance funds after the floods subside.  Without additional funding, the Sri Lankan camps may endure more declines in conditions and facilities, as well as longer internment.  

‘

For more information, please see:

Al-Jazeera – Sri Lanka defends internment camps – 12 October 2009

American Free Press – UN ratchets up criticism of Sri Lankan Camps – 29 September 2009 

BBC News – UK to cut Sri Lanka camp funding – 6 October 2009

By Michael E. Sanchez
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia  MANILA, Philippines– An appeal to the UN for funds to help the millions of Indonesians hit by the floods and storms in the Philippines has raised only a quarter of the total which they were looking for.

John Holmes, the UN’s emergency relief coordinator stated that in its relief appeal for $74m has only garnered $19m so far.  The region has been hit by back to back typhoons in about a weeks time which has lead to landslides and widespread flooding, resulting in over 650 deaths and many left homeless.  

Predicting the situation may be dire, Mr. Holmes said the UN may need to increase the size of its emergency appeal.  Weeks after Typhoon Ketsana hit on September 26 and Parma hit on October 3, many villages are still flooded with water, increasing the risk of diseases spreading.  Mr. Holmes stated that “Water has been standing already now for three weeks, and is still waist, or chest-deep in places…The longer the water is there and is stagnant, the greater the risk diseases which come from water- malaria, dengue fever, diarrhea, skin infections, leptospirosis.”  The Philippine government has estimated that about six million people have been affected by these Typhoons.  The numbers of homeless as a result are in the hundreds of thousands.

The government has estimated the cost of the damage could be at least $350m, with expectations that losses to agriculture and fisheries will be much more.  The UN estimates that the flooding has destroyed crops including rice worth an estimated $117m, which will lead to food shortages in the country unless aid is received.

The ‘Right to Adequate Food’ is derived from the United Nation’s International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.  The right to adequate food is an inherent human right for all, to have regular and permanent access, either directly or by financial means to adequate and sufficient food.  Unless additional aid to the Philippines is sent by the UN this right to adequate food will not be realized.  

For more information, please see:

Media with Conscience- UN IN PHILIPPINES FLOOD AID APPEAL– 07 October 2009

BBC News- Toll Rises in Philippine Flooding  – 10 October 2009

BBC News- UN Philippines Fund ‘Falls short’ -13 October 2009

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations-The Right to Food

By Hyo-Jin Paik
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BEIJING, China– In a speech at a meeting of global media leaders, the World Media Summit, President Hu Jintao promised that China would protect the rights of international news agencies reporting in China.

Along with China’s economic boom, news coverage on China also grew significantly over the years.  China has improved the reporting environment for foreign press in the past six years by loosening the tight control the communist government had over reporters, but Chinese officials continue to censor certain sensitive topics, including coverage of human rights.

Chinese government has stringent control over their media, and journalists are severely restricted as to what they can and cannot report.  All media in China are also owned by the government.

Although the Chinese government eliminated their policy of requiring journalists to obtain permission to travel to cities outside of Beijing or Shanghai, journalists still complain of assault and detainment when traveling in smaller towns and the countryside.  Furthermore, access to government ministers is near impossible, and public officials are often reluctant to go on record.

However, President Hu said, “[China] will continue to make government affairs public, enhance information distribution, safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of foreign news organizations and reporters, and facilitate foreign media coverage in China….”

News Corporation Executive Rupert Murdoch, one of the attendees of the Summit, criticized the Chinese media market for being too “sheltered.”  He urged for more openness saying, “China will ultimately decide its own fate, but unless the digital doors open, opportunities will be lost and potential will not be realized.” 

Murdoch also pointed out that China’s state-run media has hindered growth and development of China’s media industry.  He added that the Chinese government should also address copyright piracy so that Chinese media companies can generate more profits.

This Summit was attended by 300 media representatives from 80 different countries.  Some rights groups have criticized China for hosting this meeting since China has a history of censorship and limiting reporting opportunities for foreign journalists.
For more information, please see:

AP – China pledges to protect foreign media – 9 October 2009

Irish Times – Chinese leader supports rights of media groups – 10 October 2009

WSJ – Murdoch Urges China to Open Up to Media – 8 October 2009

By Megan E. Dodge
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

LUCKNOW, India- A report released on October 7, “No Tally of the Anguish: Accountability in Maternal Health Care in India,” reveals that tens of thousands of women and girls in India are dying during pregnancy, childbirth, and the weeks that follow. Human rights activists are concerned with this finding which suggests that government programs that guarantee free obstetric health care are unsuccessful in their efforts.

Family mourns death of adolesent girl who died after giving birth. Courtesy of Care2.

The research for the report was conducted between November 2008 and August 2009 by the Human Rights Watch included field research and interviews with victims, families, medical experts, officials and human rights activists in Uttar Pradesh (located in Northern India) and surrounding areas. Researchers reviewed government surveys and reports by local and international nongovernmental organizations. The area was selected because it has one of the highest maternal mortality ratios in India, though government surveys show it is not alone in struggling with these problems, including recordation errors such as statistics indicating the number of women actually dying from pregnancy related complications.

The report includes breakdowns that show how specific cases were failures and the result that occurred. For instance, Kavita K. is tracked in the report and indicates that she developed post-partum complications, that the local community health center was unable to treat her. Testimony from her father, Suraj S. was also included, in which he states that the family tried to bring her to three different governmental hospitals, but none wanted to admit her. The fourth hospital took Kavita in as a patient, but an hour after treatment she died.

While India has created programs such as, the National Rural Health Mission, to improve rural health, with a specific focus on maternal health, the report illustrates the shortcomings and gaps in these governmental sponsored programs. The “concrete service guarantees,” including free care before and during childbirth, in-patient hospital services, comprehensive emergency obstetric care, referral in case of complications, and postnatal care clearly is not reaching the tens of thousands of Indian women and girls still dying from these and related child birthing complications. One of the biggest criticisms is accountability.