By Alok Bhatt
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia 

BAKHAKEL, Pakistan – A suicide-bomb attack in Bakakhel, a town within Pakistan’s North West Province Frontier (NWPF), left four Taliban detractors dead and wounded a passing woman.  The attack represents the latest of multiple suicide-bombings which have recently been ravaging the Bannu district of northwest Pakistan.  A suicide-bomb attack on Saturday took the lives of eleven civilians in the Bannu district, and a similar attack in a Peshawar bazaar killed thirteen more non-militant Pakistani nationals on the same day.  While past violence was perpetrated by smaller militant organizations, Taliban fighters claimed responsibility for the death of the tribesmen.     

A police official reported that the assassin crashed a car carrying explosives into the vehicle of Pashtun tribesman Abdul Hakeem.  The bomber and Hakeem were killed instantly, along with three of Hakeem’s fellow tribesmen who served as his protectors.  Hakeem was an avid proponent of anti-Taliban measures, and recently issued a decree against suicide-bomb attacks.   Among his anti-Taliban exploits, Hakeem played an instrumental role in allowing Pakistani forces to cross into the Taliban stronghold in North Waziristan.  The chief of police of the Bannu district stated that this indictment likely incensed Taliban militants to target the tribesmen.   As an influential Islamic cleric and vocal critic of the Taliban, Hakeem signified the will of peoples who have long been suppressed by the Taliban’s militant strikes on the northwestern region of Pakistan.  

 

 

It seems the Taliban has been systematically assassinating prominent local leaders to silence the voice of discontented Pakistani civilians.  On September 24, Taliban fighters shot dead four tribesmen who advocated government-run countermeasures against the Taliban.  These targeted attacks mark a sharp deviation from the indiscriminate bombings which have been occurring in Pakistan’s NWPF.  By removing community leaders with the resolve to voice the grievances of the populous, it appears that Taliban militants aim to undermine civilian objections to their methods of gaining control over the area.  Pakistan’s state military has stated on numerous occasions its resolve to beat back insurgencies and attacks by the Taliban and similar, smaller organizations.  However, without the support of dedicated and sympathetic community organizers, such as tribal elders, the weary civilians of Pakistan’s NWFP lose the vessels for their freedom cries.  
 

 

For more information, please see:

Al-Jazeera – Tribesmen killed in Pakistan attack – 28 September 2009

CNN – Pro-government elders killed in Pakistan attack – 24 September 2009

France 24 – Car-bomb attack kills anti-Taliban tribesmen – 28 September 2009

By Hyo-Jin Paik
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

SEOUL, South Korea– After one month of detention for accidently entering North Korean waters when their satellite navigation malfunctioned, four South Korean fishermen were released and have returned home. 

Freed South Korean Fishermen (Source: AP)

Fishermen and their boats from both North and South Korea are often accused of straying into each other’s maritime border, because the two countries disagree on the exact location of the demarcation line.

The four fishermen, who were detained since July 30, 2009, were handed over to the South Korean Coast Guard at the two Koreas’ shared eastern maritime border on Saturday.  Park Kwang-sun, captain of the detained boat, said upon his arrival back to South Korea, “I am sorry to the public for causing concern, but I am deeply grateful for the support that secured our quick return.”  South Korean citizens have been holding protests demanding the fishermen’s return.  Park’s wife also thanked the South Korean government for her husband’s safe return.

A North Korea expert Kim Young-hyun of Seoul’s Dongguk University said, “The release turned on the green light for the overall improvement of inter-Korean ties.” 

Relations between the two Koreas have been strained for the past year.  However, the release of the detained fishermen is being considered as a conciliatory move on the part of North Korea, in addition to a sign that tensions are being eased between North and South Korea.

Furthermore, the two Korea’s have agreed to resume family reunions of those who have been separated since the end of the Korean War in 1953.  The last family reunion was held in 2007.

For more information, please see:

BBC – N Korea frees S Korea fishermen – 29 August 2009

MSNBC – North Korea frees four South Korean fishermen – 29 August 2009

NYT – North Korea Releases Fishermen – 29 August 2009

VOA – North Korea Releases 4 Detained South Korean Fishermen – 29 August 2009

By Hyo-Jin Paik
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BEIJING, China – About two-thirds of all transplant organs in China are provided by executed prisoners.  However, this will soon change as the Chinese government is launching a voluntary organ donor program so as to stop harvesting organs from black market sellers and executed prisoners. 

In China, at least one million people are in need of organ transplants annually, but only about 10,000 actually receive organ transplants.   Such scarcity of available organs has led to corruption and a thriving black market for trafficked organs despite the fact that Chinese officials passed a law in 2007 banning organ trafficking. 

By creating an organ donation system, Vice Minister of Health Hugan Jiefu hopes that such program “will benefit patients regardless of social status and wealth.”

Furthermore, human rights groups have criticized the lack of transparency in China’s organ donation program and have been extremely concerned with the use of body parts from executed prisoners.  A Chinese newspaper, citing anonymous sources, reported that more than 65% of organ donations came from executed prisoners. 

China executes the most number of prisoners than any other nation (Source: AFP)

Nicholas Bequelin at Human Rights Watch said, “If you’re a prisoner and you’re about to be executed, you do not have a real choice, especially in a system…(that) is completely untransparent and notorious for abuses against prisoners, as the Chinese system is.”

Minister Huang has stated that prisoners were “definitely not a proper source for organ transplants.”  Therefore, the new organ donation scheme is to reduce reliance of organ donation from death row prisoners and to combat the illegal trafficking of organs.

This new organ donation program will initially start pilot programs in ten provinces and cities where financial aid will be provided to donors’ families before being instituted nationwide.  Since 2003, only 130 people in mainland China have signed up to become organ donors
 

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera – China launches organ donor scheme – 27 August 2009

BBC – China admits death row organ use – 26 August 2009

NYT – China Announces a System for Voluntary Organ Donors – 26 August 2009

USA Today – China sets up national organ bank to reduce dependence on prison donors – 27 August 2009

By Hyo-Jin Paik
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia– Caning of a Malaysian model and mother of two, Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, who would have been the first women in Southeast Asia to be caned for drinking beer in public, has been delayed.  Malaysia’s Islamic court postponed the caning until after Ramadan saying that the punishment was too harsh.

Kartika was arrested by Islamic morality police in December 2007 for drinking beer at a beach resort.  60% of Malaysia’s population of 27 million are Muslims, and they are prohibited from drinking alcohol.  If found guilty of violating this Islamic law, such offense is punishable by up to three years in prison and caning. 

Malaysia also has a dual-track justice system where Islamic courts operate alongside civil courts.  Malays are subject to Islamic laws while Chinese and Indian minorities are not.  Further, caning is used as a supplementary punishment for about 40 crimes in Malaysia, but caning is not a punishment for drinking alcohol in public in Malaysia’s civil courts.

Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno (Source: AFP)

Had the sentence been carried out, Kartika would have received six strokes with a rattan cane in addition to a $1,400 fine.

This case and Kartika’s plight has drawn widespread international attention regarding the use of Islamic laws in addition to raising questions as to whether radical Islam was starting to grow in a traditionally moderate Muslim country.

However, Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil of Women, Family and Community Development, who was once concerned that Kartika’s sentence “projected a ‘cruel image’ of Malaysia,” said, “I am impressed with, and commend, the chief judge’s wisdom for making the order of revision.” 

Malaysia’s prime minister is urging Kartika to appeal since she is unique in that she has chosen to go through with her sentence.  However, she has told reporters that she will not file an appeal.  Her family is refusing to comment. 
 

For more information, please see:

AP – Malaysian court puts caning of woman on hold – 25 August 2009

BBC – Malaysia to review caning woman – 25 August 2009

CNN – Malaysia postpones woman’s caning – 25 August 2009

By Michael E Sanchez
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

Manipur, India–  Another allegation of police violence has arisen after the family members of an NGO activist accused the police of third violent treatment.

Jiten Yumnam, an activist of the All Manipur United Clubs Organization (AMUCO) and a member of the Asia Pacific Indigenous Youth Network (APIYN) were arrested by the Manipur Police at the Imphal Airport on Monday.  Yumnam was on his way to a United Nations meeting on climate change being held in Bangkok when state police charged him with supporting and aiding insurgency in the northeastern region.  Kiran Mala, his wife said “We don’t even know why he has been arrested.”

NGO members and family member of Yumnam allege that the police inflicted third degree torture on Yumnam by subjecting him to electric shocks to his private parts, which left him impaired.  These allegations of torture have been denied by the police. Superintendent of police of West Imphal L. Keilun has denied the allegation, stating “There is no evidence of such an attack.  If there is proof then strict action will be taken.  But I don’t think that the police can do such things.”

This however is not an isolated event where the police have overstepped their boundaries, in July police shot and killed a young man, Chungkham Sanjit and a pregnant passer-by Rubina Devi.  Police claimed that Sanjit was killed in a genuine encounter and Devi was killed by Sanjit.  Photos of the encounter published by a Dehli based magazine show that Sanjit was dragged inside a pharmacy and killed in cold blood.  Dr. Sukendu Debbarma, Convener in a press note stated that the Manipur government, has tried to subdue voices of protest against the killing of Sanjit instead of acting against its Commandos quickly and decisively.

The North East People’s Initiatives has condemned the arrest of Yumnam, demanding his immediate and unconditional release.  They have also demanded an “immediate disbanding” of the Manipur Police Commandos, stating they “have been given impunity in all crimes they have committed against the people of Manipur.” 

For information, please see:

Times Now- Manipur protests over ‘fake encounter’– 4 August 2009

The Morung Express- Demand for unconditional release of Jiten Yumnam– 19 September 2009

Asian New International- Another Allegation of police torture surfaces in Manipur-20 September 2009

Times Now- Another police brutality in Imphal– 20 Septmeber 2009