Asia

‘Yellow Shirt’ Protest Leader Shot in Thailand

Pei Hu
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BANGKOK, Thailand – Sondhi Limthongkul, the founder of Thailand’s “yellow shirt” protest movement was shot and wounded in an assassination attempt. The attacked occurred just days after the Thai military began a crack down on rioting protesters from the “red shirt” protesters.

The attack happened just hours before the government met for a special Cabinet meeting to discuss the recent violence due to political turmoil and measures undertaken to boost Thailand’s economy.

Sondhi is a media tycoon who owns the pro-government TV channel ASTV. Bangkok police spokesman, Suporn Pansua said Sondhi was on his way to work before dawn when at least two men in a pick-up truck ambushed his car and opened fire with an M-16 and AK-47 machine guns.

The tires and vehicle was sprayed with bullets, 84 bullet shells were found on the road near the attack in Western Bangkok. Suporn said, “Considering the nature of the attack and the weapons used, we believe it was carried out by people with expertise… We believe the attack was meant to take lives.” The driver and another passenger were seriously wounded.

Sondhi supports the current government, People’s Alliance for Democracy. Sondhi was responsible for the protests movements that shut down the airport last year to oppose the previous government. Chaiwan Charoenchoktawee, Vajira Hospital director, said that Sondhi is in stable condition after the surgery that removed a bullet from his skull.

The yellow shirts immediately labeled Sondhi’s attack as politically motivated, a claim that is under investigation by the police. Red shirt protesters have expressed anger that several of their leaders were arrested while Sondhi and his alliance were never prosecuted over the airport seizures last year.

After the attack, security moved quickly to protect Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. The Prime Minister had imposed a state of emergency in Bangkok since Sunday. Before this week’s riots, Abhisit’s vehicle was attacked twice by red shirt protesters. Abhisits told the media that he had decided “not to revoke the emergency degree… We have to make sure peace and order truly returns.”  For the 6th day in a row, the Thai capital remains under emergency rule.

For more information, please see:

AP – Gunmen attack Thai ‘yellow shirt’ protest leader – 17 April 2009

BBC – Thai ‘yellow shirt’ leader shot – 17 April 2009

LA Times – Thailand extends state of emergency – 17 April 2009

Vietnam Bans News Articles that Criticize China

By Pei Hu
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

HANOI, Vietnam – A Vietnamese newspaper was shut down for 3 months over controversial articles over a territorial dispute between Vietnam and China. State media, the Thanh Nien (Young People) reported that the Ministry of Information and Communication in Vietnam shutdown the biweekly Du Lich (Tourism) for “serious violations” of Vietnam’s press law.

During the Vietnamese New Year, Du Lich ran its Lunar New Year edition, which published a series of articles supporting anti-Chinese protesters, praising them for their “pure patriotism.”

Vietnam and China have fought wars over the disputed territory of the Spratly Islands in the three archipelagos in the South China Sea. The islands are largely uninhabited and the surrounding waters have rich natural resources such as oil, natural gases, and fishing. Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei have all claim sovereignty over the Spratlys.

China had announced to create a symbolic administrative region called Sansha to manage the disputed territory. In late 2007, thousands of university students held demonstrations in front of the Chinese diplomatic mission in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Authorities in Vietnam accused Du Lich of publishing false information that incites violence and hatred among nations. However, the report did not specify the information at issue.

Vietnam wants to maintain friendly relations with China even though the government opposes its policy. The Spratly Islands dispute invoked nationalism in Vietnam. Thousands of protestors took the streets to protest China’s policy. However, Vietnam’s communist government generally prohibits public protests of any kind.

Communist Vietnam maintains tight control over its local media. The shutdown of the newspaper took effect Tuesday and the ministry also ordered the newspaper to reshuffle its leadership. Vietnam authorities and the ministry were not available for comment on Thursday.

Nguyen Trung Dan told the BBC that the newspaper only reflected “the people’s wishes.” Dan said, “Being a Vietnamese, I did not think twice when I approved those articles. Isn’t it a good thing to encourage patriotism among the public?”

AP – Vietnam suspends newspaper over China reporting– 16 April 2009

BBC – Vietnam paper banned over China‎ – 15 April 2009
Scotsman – Authorities shut down paper – 16 April 2009

Japanese Court Dismisses War Reparation Claims Brought by Chinese

By Ariel Lin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

TOKYO, Japan – A Japanese high court turned down two damages suit filed by Chinese nationals.  According to Kyodo News reported, one case is brought by eight Chinese who were forced to work as laborers at a copper mine in Japan during World War II.  The other lawsuit filed by a Chinese woman who was forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese army.

The Chinese plaintiffs in both cases were seeking apologies and financial damages from the Japanese government for the acts of slavery during World War II.   The suit, filed by eight plaintiffs in 2004, sought US$1.9 million dollars from Japan’s government and Mitsubishi Materials.  Six out of the eight plaintiffs have died and were represented by relatives.  Plaintiffs’ statement states they were among 241 Chinese were forced to work under harsh conditions at the copper mine while no wages were paid.

The other suit was filed by an eighty-three-year-old Chinese woman, Chen Jinyu, on behalf of all Chinese sex slaves for Japanese soldiers in World War II.  Chen arrived in Japan to attend the second trial at the Japanese High Court, but she left with disappointments.

Japanese High Court Presiding Judge, Watanabe Hitoshi, says that the 1972 Japan-China Joint Communique does not give the individual right to claim war reparations from Japanese government.  China renounced any attempts to seek war compensation from Japan in the agreement. However, the Japanese court did recognize the female plaintiffs were suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder because of the wrongful conducts and brutal behaviors by Japanese troops.  The plaintiffs pledged to appeal to the Japanese Supreme Court.

For more information, please see:

Market Watch – Lawsuit from WWII sex slaves dismissed – 27 March 2009

StraitTimes – Court rejects WWII claim – 27 March 2009

XinHua – Japanese high court turns down lawsuit by Chinese forced laborers during WWII – 37 March 2009

XinHua – Tokyo court rejects damages suit filed by WWII Chinese sex slaves – 27 March 2009

China’s Human Rights Action Plan

By Ariel Lin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BEIJING, China – China issued a human rights action plan, promising to improve the protection of civil liberties.  “China has a long road ahead in its efforts to improve its human-rights situation,” the plan acknowledges.  The two-year plan promised broader access to social security, health care and education.  It also calls for measures to discourage forced confessions by torture and the mistreatment of detainees.  Furthermore, the death penalty will be “strictly controlled and prudently applied,” the plan states, and that defendants will be entitled fair trials.  According to the document, the plan’s drafters asked for input from Chinese government ministries, domestic colleges and nongovernmental human-rights organizations.

China’s action is welcomed by many International rights groups.  A research manager for the Dui Hua Foundation, Joshua Rosenzweig says, “the plan was notable because it seemed to have more input from academics, activists and other elements of civil society than the government’s previous human rights reports.”  He also said issuing a plan with benchmarks, instead of a report summing up past progress, was also an “important step.”

The deputy program director for Asia and the Pacific at Amnesty International, Roseann Rife, said the plan is a step forward for the Chinese government.  She thinks it is also good there are some concrete benchmarks with 2010 as a deadline.  Nevertheless, she indicated, there are very serious abuses omitted from the plan such as abuses for people who challenge the authorities in China.  She says the plan is more like a “right of urban and rural residents to a basic standard of living.”

However, some groups think the plan is too vague and dodged key issues such as curbs on freedom of speech and of religion.  Phelim Kine, a researcher for Human Rights Watch, called the plan “a grab bag of policy prescriptions and existing laws and regulations and commitments to human rights which are already out there.” He said the plan failed to address real issues, including illegal detentions and curbs on freedom of religion and speech.

For more information, please see:

AFP – China pledges to improve human rights – 14 April 2009

AP – China releases first human rights action plan – 14 April 2009

New York Times – China Releases Human Rights Plan – 14 April 2009

Reuters – China sets human rights agenda for sensitive year – 13 April 2009

Wall Street Journal – Beijing Issues Plan to Improve Rights – 14 April 2009

Thai Protesters Stops Asian Summit

By Pei Hu
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BANGKOK, Thailand – On April 11th 2009, the anti-government protesters have effectively blocked leaders from meeting at the Association of South East Nations (ASEAN) summit at the seaside resort of Pattaya. The Thai government has declared a state of emergency after the 10-nation ASEAN summit was abruptly canceled.

Leaders from Australia, China, Japan, India, South Korea, and New Zealand were supposed to attend the meeting. However, despite increased security forces placed by the Thai government due to widespread demonstrations in Bangkok, protesters breached security forces by breaking through glass doors.

Moments before the protesters breached security, Panitan Wattanayagorn said he was confident that the meeting would proceed, “The ASEAN summit was slightly delayed this morning due to certain safety reasons in certain locations. Not in the hotel, not in the meeting places but in the surrounding areas far away from the meeting places… Although at the meeting places there are some demonstrations but the authorities and the agencies in-charge are able to put the situation under control.”

Thailand is the current leader of the ASEAN regional economic bloc and the cancellation of the ASEAN summit was an embarrassment for the new Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva. Last December, a similar summit was also postponed due to Thailand’s political turmoil.

Last year the protesters occupied government buildings and closed down major airports, putting an effective block to the country’s tourism industry. The new government has been informing to the public and the international community that the country’s political uncertainty was a thing of the past.

Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary General, who was scheduled to attend the meeting, said in a statement he regretted the postponement of the ASEAN summit but hoped for a return to normalcy and to settle the differences through peaceful means.
The summit was to discuss the region’s economic concerns including trade, food and security.  Regional leaders were also expected to sign an ASEAN investment pact with China and discuss security on the Korean Peninsula.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Thai protests cancel Asian summit– 11 April 2009

Reuters – Asian summit effectively cancelled – 11 April 2009

VOA – Protests Force Thailand to Cancel ASEAN Summit – 11 April 2009