By Michael E. Sanchez
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

Burma– Around the various jails in Burma, about 120 political prisoners have been released, as part of the Burmese military regime’s amnesty granted to 7,114 prisoners, on humanitarian grounds.  However, many of the detainees have given reports of torture that they experienced during interrogation. The physical and mental injuries caused during this time period were either not adequately or not treated at all during their time in prison, causing some of them lifelong damage. 

Ko Myo Yan Naung Thein, a technical institute student, was assaulted and taken from a March during September 2007.  While in Sittwe Prison, Thein reportedly suffered injuries to his nerves during torture under interrogation and did not get adequate treatment. He said “I was blind folded and was taken somewhere.  As soon as I reached the interrogation centre, they all started kicking me.” He is now unable to walk.  

Ko Moe Kyaw Thu, a former student leader had been imprisoned since 1992.  In an interview with Radio Free Asia (RFA) he said that after his arrest he was taken to Rangoon where a military intelligence unit hooded and repeatedly assaulted him, denied him water and refused access to restrooms. Thu stated “ I was kept in a closed dark room. Sometimes, the prison authorities slapped and tortured me without asking any questions.  But sometimes they questioned me the whole night without giving me any food.”  In addition he also stated that he was often tied and given electric shocks.

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has stated that cases of ill-treatment in the prisons across Burma are wide-spread but the situation has worsened since 2005 when the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)’s prison visits were halted.  Between 1999 and 2005, the ICRC carried out regular visits to detainees in prisons and labor camps, but suspended it because of the government’s failure to respect its internationally-recognized conditions.

The AHRC is calling for the ICRC prison visits to be implemented, noting there is no reason for the government of Burma to object to the visits since the agency is bound by confidentiality and the visits cost nothing to the government.

For information, please see:

Asian Human Rights Commission- Burma: Released prisoners tell stories of torture; ICRC role needed– 24 September 2009

Mizzima- ICRC should revisit Burmese Jails: AHRC– 25 September 2009

Human Right Watch- Burma: Surge in Political Prisoners– 16 September 2009

By Hyo-Jin Paik
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

TAIPEI, Taiwan – In efforts to push forward “a second round of democratic reforms” and further strengthen the country’s democracy, Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou urged civil servants to be mindful of protecting human rights in the course of their duties.

Speaking at a Ministry of Justice’s training program implementing the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, conventions both of which were ratified by the legislature back in March, President Ma asked the government employees how they would feel if their rights were violated. 

President Ma Ying-jeou.  Courtesy of AP. 

He said, “When your rights are being protected, you may not notice it, but if your rights are being infringed upon, you would definitely feel it.” 

President Ma also added, “Not only should civil servants familiarize themselves with the two conventions, they should always keep in mind that current rules and orders do not violate the two conventions.  To put it bluntly, most civil servants have no idea about what human rights are.”

At this workshop, President Ma told the civil servants that he has high expectations that public servants “contribute to enhancing the quality of Taiwan’s democracy.”

Since taking office in May 2008, President Ma has forbidden illegal wiretapping and government interference with media coverage, but he said these measures are not enough to safeguard people’s rights and reduce human rights violations.

Former U.S. President George W. Bush once praised Taiwan as a “beacon of democracy” in Asia, but President Ma remarked that while Taiwan has made progress, sufficiency of Taiwan’s democratization is questionable.

He asked, “[D]o we have a good enough understanding of democracy?  Is our judicial system independent enough?  Do we offer complete human rights protection?  Is our system of law enforcement mature enough?  There is room for improvement…to enrich our knowledge of democracy.”

The Ministry of Justice is planning to review the current laws of Taiwan ahead of World Human Rights Day in December.

For more information, please see:

China Post – President calls civil servants’ attention to human rights protection – 17 September 2009

Radio Taiwan International – Ma to push for “second round of democratic reforms” – 17 September 2009

Taipei Times – Ma calls on civil servants to be mindful of human rights – 18 September 2009

By Alok Bhatt
 Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

KOHAT, Pakistan – An immense suicide-blast in the northwestern town of Kohat took the lives of over 30 civilians and wounded 80 others.  The explosion ravaged an urban market area in a predominantly Shia region located approximately 40 miles south of Peshawar.  Victims and witnesses believed the attack to have been perpetrated by an extremist Sunni group.  Sectarian tensions between Sunnis and Shias have historically afflicted northwestern Pakistan since al-Qaida and other extremist Muslim groups occupied its surrounding areas.  This recent attack represents only one of many indiscriminate assaults on Shia civilians.  Just one day prior, a bomb detonated in a Kohat bazaar left six wounded, but fortunately caused no fatalities.  An August 30th bombing in the Swat Valley region of northwest Pakistan killed 14 police recruits.  The repeated attacks upon northwest Pakistan demonstrate the extremist Sunni objective to eradicate the Shia Muslim minority.  The geographic proximity of northwest Pakistan to Afghanistan makes the region especially susceptible to insurgencies by Taliban forces and other militant extremist organizations.  

Beside the loss of life and severe injury to survivors, the suicide-attack caused catastrophic damage to Shia-owned kiosks, restaurants, the Hikmat Ali Hotel, and a number of vehicles along the market road.  Witnesses recalled seeing a bearded man drive into the market in a van then detonate his cargo of explosives, destroying himself and the immediate area.  The impact of the blast collapsed the roofs of surrounding buildings, trapping many victims beneath heavy dust and rubble.  Onlookers came to the aid of those pinned under the wreckage until machinery arrived on the scene to lift and clear the debris.  Media footage showed survivors emerging from the target zone covered in blood and bandages.

 

 

A lesser-known Sunni extremist group called Lashkar-e-Jhangvi al-Almi claimed responsibility for the Korat bomb attacks.  It declared the blast an act of vengeance for their religious leader, Maulana M. Amin, who was killed in June.  

The Pakistan military has been engaging in military offensives against extremist groups in northwest Pakistan since April.  While the strikes have been proving effective against militant groups, officials admit the frustration and difficulty of trying to eliminate suicide-bomb attacks.  However, with the aid of U.S. military strikes, Pakistan’s armed forces will continues to beat back insurgent attacks to avoid attacks in urban areas.   

 For more information, please see:

Al-Jazeera – Deadly blast in Pakistan market – 18 September 2009

BBC News – Carnage in Pakistan Market Attack – 18 September 2009

MSNBC – At least 29 die as blast hits Pakistan hotel – 18 September 2009

By Megan E. Dodge
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

ARUNACHAL PRADESH, India – What was previously an area of tension has become an even more hotly contested subject as protesters, civilians, and diplomats alike assert claims over Arunachal Pradesh. Most recently, the Dalai Lama’s trip to Arunachal Pradesh, scheduled for mid-November, has sparked major controversy after China opposed the visit.

In the past few weeks as the date of the Dalai Lama’s trip nears, Delhi newspapers and television have been filled with stories about the People’s Liberation Army crossing the Himalayas to inscribe Chinese characters onto rocks, helicopter raids to drop food on hapless farmers, and exchange fire with Indian soldiers. Unfriendly relations between China and Indian began in June over the territory. On one side China asserts ownership over Arunachal Pradesh, while on the other side India claims the region as its own. The reaction was ignited by India’s announcement that it would be sending 60,000 troops to bolster tens of thousands of soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh.

In India, the Kashmir state government, apparently, said its territory was being taken “inch by inch” through such military incursions. The mountainous state of Arunachal Pradesh shares a 1,030-kilometer undivided border with China. Foreign ministries in both countries, however, seem to be playing down the reports, though there are still concerns that if the situation is left unchecked, things could spiral out of control.

Chinese troops overran Indian positions in the Himalayas in 1962 before retreating. Since then, both sides have tried to engage in discussions to resolve the territorial problem. After more than a dozen rounds of such talks, virtually no progress has been made as China continues to claim India’s Arunachal Pradesh, and also occupy a portion of territory in Kashmir which India regards as its own.

Despite the tension, excitement among the people persists as the date of the Dalai Lama’s visit to the mountainous state approaches. Reacting to China’s objection, India’s Foreign Minister S. M. Krishna said Wednesday: “Arunachal Pradesh is a part of India, and the Dalai Lama is free to go anywhere in India.”

China is concerned that a visit to Arunachal Pradesh could now draw further attention to China’s treatment of Tibetan activists and the Dalai Lama’s calls for cultural and religious freedoms and autonomy. Bhaskar Roy, a New Delhi-based China expert said, “[T]he timing of his trip is significant. It comes while the debate over his visit to Taiwan is still hot.”

For more information, please see:

Washington Post –China opposes Dalai Lama trip to disputed India state – September 11, 2009

Yahoo! News – After Taiwan, Dalai Lama to visit Arunachal Pradesh – September 11, 2009

 The Guardian – Himalayan conflict centres on Tibet – September 17, 2009

MSNBC World News – Buddhist monks pray for safe Dalai Lama visit – September 17, 2009

By Hyo-Jin Paik
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

SEOUL, South Korea– Although South Korea ousted a military dictatorship and embraced democracy more than two decades ago, reports have surfaced that since South Korean President Lee Myung-bak took office in February 2008, the country’s state of democracy has been backsliding.

Since his inauguration, President Lee has removed officials who hold liberal views from state-affiliated news outlets.  This move has actually brought the head of the International Federation of Journalists to come to Seoul and ask for guarantees to press freedom.

Clark Sorensen, a Korea expert at University of Washington, said, “[I]t does seem…that some old patterns from predemocratic past have resurfaced.” 

Amnesty International’s Norma Kang Muico also expressed concern saying, “[T]here have been no prosecutions of riot police, despite ample evidence…of human rights violations committed by some police officials.”

Moreover, thousands of teachers face punishment by the government for participating in civic movements calling for protection of democratic freedoms.  89 members of the Korean Teachers’ and Education Workers’ Union (KTU) are under criminal investigation for organizing a petition, the contents of which included the deteriorating state of South Korean democracy.

Im Byung-koo, a member of KTU, said, “As people who have to teach children [about recent events], we thought, ‘It’s time for us to speak about democracy.’”

However, the Seoul Central Prosecutor’s Office raided KTU offices and seized computer servers and documents, including documents that were not included in the search warrant.  KTU announced that they will “fight to protect the freedom of opinion and expression and will defend the values of democracy.”

Im faces termination from his employment for signing the petitions and is barred from teaching for three years.  South Korean Ministry of Education justified their punishment of the teachers saying that civil servants and teachers’ unions are barred from group political activity.

Some critics, including Lance Compa of Cornell University, claim South Korea is violating International Labor Organization laws.  Compa said, “[The] law can prevent political proselytizing in the classroom by teachers, but cannot restrict their participation in political affairs in society at large.”
For more information, please see:

Christian Science Monitor – Is South Korea backsliding on its democracy movement – 13 September 2009

Korean Teachers & Education Workers’ Union – KTU headquarters raided by prosecutors and riot police – 3 July 2009

Oh My News – Prosecutors: Indicting the Teachers or Not? – 9 September 2009