Asia

Afghan Girls Fear for their Lives in Attending School

By Shayne R. Burnham
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

KABUL, Afghanistan – Violence has been occurring against Afghan female students to prevent them from going to school.  Men and even young boys intimidate girls through the use of harassment, sexual assault, murder and acid attacks.  They have even gone so far as burning school buildings and killing teachers.  Not surprisingly, this violence has had a severe effect on school attendance.

“A lot of my classmates and other female students don’t care for school anymore because they fear the boys’ harassment and kidnappings,” said Maryam Mansoor, an 18 year old female student who quit school.

Maryam’s father urged her to quit school in concern for her safety.  “The security situation is worsening every day.”  He continues, “I am not against my girls completing their education, but their safety is more important.  I don’t want them to study outside anymore.”

According to Reuters, the degree of violence varies according to geography.  In rural areas, “the Taliban have burned down schools, killed female students and teachers and attacked schoolgirls by throwing acid in their faces.”  On the other hand, in Kabul, schoolgirls suffer from abuse, sexual harassment and kidnappings.

Under Taliban rule, females were prohibited from going to school and work and were not able to leave their house unless accompanied by a male relative.

Since the Taliban was removed from power in 2001, the Afghan government has tried to improve access to education for all.  As a result, about 6.2 million Afghans are currently in school, two million of which are girls, compared with less than one million males while the Taliban was in power.

According to the Ministry of Education, spokesman Asif Nang reported that “in the past eight months, around 138 students and teachers have lost their lives and another 172 have been wounded in criminal and terror attacks.”  Moreover, “about 651 schools have become inactive mostly due to insecurity and another 122 school buildings have been blown up or burned down.”

The Ministry of Education requests that “Afghan and foreign forces including elders to get involved and take extra measures in providing security for all students and teachers.”

For more information, please see:

Associated Press – Afghan Girls Return to School After Acid Attacks – 24 January 2009

CNN – Afghan Girls Maimed Vow to go to School – 23 January 2009

Reuters – Harassment Forces Afghan Girls Out of School – 28 January 2009

Bangladesh to Prosecute War Criminals

By Pei Hu
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

DHAKA, Bangladesh – The United States government welcomed the Bangladesh government’s proposal to hold a war crimes tribunal.  The tribunal will prosecute war crimes committed during the 1971 war for independence from Pakistan.

United States Ambassador in Dhaka, James F. Moriarty said, “The trials of war criminals are being held in different countries and Bangladesh has to decide on the matter after taking experiences from those countries.”

On January 29, the Bangladesh parliament unanimously adopted a resolution seeking trial of war criminals involved in the liberation war. The resolution was in-line with an election pledge by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who took power this January.

Just one day later, the interior minister Sahara Khatun announced that Bangladesh has imposed travel restrictions on people suspected of war crimes, as the new government prepared to put them on trial. “My ministry has already ordered concerned authorities to guard all points so that no war criminal can flee the country,” Khatun told reporters.

During the 1971 war for independence, around 3 million people were killed, 200,000 women were violated and millions were displaced at the hands of the Pakistani army and local collaborators. Hence, the war criminals include people who opposed the war of independence against Pakistan and helped the Pakistani army in acts of genocide.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Hasina’s father, was the Bangladesh’s first president.  Rahman launched a move for trying the war criminals, but it stalled after he was killed in a 1975 army coup.

Many accuse the Jamaat-e-Islami, the country’s biggest religion-based political party, of collaborating with the Pakistani army during the liberation war. However, the Jamaat denies these charges.

For more information, please see:

Daily Star – 4-Party Stance on War Crime Tribunal – 31 January 2009

Reuters – Bangladesh Bans Travel by Suspected War Criminals – 30 January 2009

Sindh Today – US Welcomes Bangladesh Proposal to Prosecute War Criminals –31 January 2009

Philippines Considers General Jovito Palparan for Dangerous Drug Board

By Pei Hu
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

MANILA, Philippines – International human rights group, Human Rights Watch, said the Philippine government should investigate retried General Jovito Palparan for widespread human rights abuses under his command rather than appoint him to a post on the Dangerous Drug Board.

Philippine Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita told the media that Palparan was being considered for the position on the Dangerous Drug Board.  The Dangerous Drug Board is a governmental agency composed of top officials from justice, health, foreign affairs, the National Bureau of Investigation and the National Police. The Dangerous Drug Board meets to formulate policies and strategies on drug prevention and control.

During a news conference Ermita told the press, “If [Palparan] was able to generate good information and intelligence from among the New People Army, I think he can also do the same thing among drug traffickers and drug pushers.” The New People Army of the Communist Part of the Philippines has been involved in a rebellion against the Filipino government since 1969.

In a 2006 the Filipino government established the Melo Commission, a government effort to investigate extrajudicial killings of journalists. Leftist activists and clergy members identified Palparan as the “prime suspect behind the extrajudicial killings” in the report. The Melo Commission concluded that “There is certainly evidence pointing the finger of suspicion at some elements and personalities in the armed forces, in particular General Palparan, as responsible for an undetermined number of killings, by allowing, tolerating, and even encouraging the killings.”

Palparan was the military commander for the Central Luzon under President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Since 2001, hundreds of left-wing political parties, human rights activists, journalists, and clergy persons in the Philippines have been killed or have gone missing. After Arroyo announced the “all-out war” against the New People Army, the extrajudicial killings and abductions increased.

Due to recent international pressure, the killings and violence have decreased; however, no soldiers have been convicted for involvement in extrajudicial killing since Arroyo took office in 2001. Palparan denies any allegations from human rights groups but has made several comments that alluded to the unjustified killings.  He said that they were “being attributed to me, but I did not kill them. I just inspired [the triggermen]. We are not admitting responsibility here, what I’m saying is that these are necessary incidents.”

Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch said, “Considering the serious abuses committed under his command, Palparan and his legacy would be a liability, not an asset, to any government institution that cares about its reputation for upholding human rights.” Person added, “Appointing Palparan to a senior state post would send a strong message that the government rewards, not punishes, those who encourage the killing of perceived adversaries …Unless the Philippines wants a dirty ‘war on drugs’ riddled with killings, it should not take such a dangerous move.”

For more information, please see:

GMA News – US Envoy Calls for Prosecution of Rights Violators – 27 January 2009

Human Rights Watch –Philippines: Investigate Ex-General for Rights Abuses – 3 February 2009

Inquirer – Rights Group: Probe Palparan for Abuses – 4 February 2009

Chinese Court Postpones A Trial of Earthquake Critic

By Ariel Lin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BEIJING, China – A Chinese court delayed a trial of a rights activist in the nation’s southwest.  Huang Qi often openly criticized the Communist Party’s restrictions on political rights.  He was charged with “illegal possession of state secrets” after he gave help to parents of children killed in Sichuan earthquake.  According to Huang’s wife, Zeng Lin, the Sichuan authorities detained Huang last June and a court told her that Huang would be tried on Moday. “They didn’t say what specifically he was accused of and they have not allowed him or the lawyers to see any documents or evidence,” Zeng said.

After the Sichuan earthquake, Sichuan authorities tried to stop citizen protests, ban media coverage of allegations of shoddy school construction and offered money to grieving parents. According to Zeng, her husband documented the scene at the collapsed schools and delivered food and other rescue equipment to the epicenter.  He also posted the appeals and complaints of parents on his Web site at http://www.64tianwang.com.  “Besides that, he did nothing. And the reports he posted online were also covered by other media,” she added.

Zeng said Huang had lost weight, but she is not allowed to send him medicine.  According to Huang’s lawyer, Mo Shaoping, public security officials told him if he promised not to continue human rights work after his release, they would let him go at once. But Huang refused.

Illegal possession of state secrets can bring jail terms of up to 3 years in China. Lawyers and even judges are not allowed to see the documents in question or challenge their classification, said Nicholas Bequelin, a China researcher for Human Rights Watch.  Huang’s attorney, Mo also said, “There’s no real avenue to challenge the validity of whatever authorities classify as a state secret.”

Earlier Monday, Mo said that he first learned of the sudden announcement of the trial date via Zeng, and he had called the court to complain that the lack of forewarning was highly irregular.  Mo also accused the court of “intentionally creating difficulties.” According to Mo, rules demand that lawyers be informed of a trial date at least three days in advance.

For more information, please see:

New York Times – Chinese Rights Advocate Faces Trial – 02 February 2009

Reuters – China to try earthquake critic on secrets charge – 02 February 2009

Washington Post – Chinese dissident’s trial postponed, lawyer says – 032 February 2009

Washington Post – China Postpones Trial for Activist – 02 February 2009

Sri Lankan Newspaper Editor Killed

By Shayne R. Burnham
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – Newspaper editor Upali Tennakoon and his wife were stabbed by four men on motorcycles on while driving to work in Colombo.

Tennakoon is editor for the Rivira, a weekly newspaper that is said to be neither pro-government nor pro-rebel.

The hospital treated Tennakoon and his wife for lacerations to the face and hands.  They are currently in stable condition.  After treatment, Tennakoon’s wife described the attack.  “They smashed the windscreen and began to attack us.”  She further stated, “I clung hard to them when they began to hit us with sticks and stab us.”

Reporters Without Borders stated, “We firmly condemn this latest attack on a newspaper editor, which highlights the severity of the crisis that journalists are currently experiencing in Sri Lanka.”  They continue, “The government must conduct an investigation in order to identify those responsible and their motives.”

President Rajapaksa reportedly ordered an investigation into the matter.  Media minister Anura Yapa said, “We totally condemn this type of attack, and we will do everything possible to find the culprits.”

Meanwhile, five journalists have fled the country and gone into hiding and a website stopped reporting due to threats of violence.  The five journalists are known to be Upul Joseph Fernando and Rathnapala Gamage, political reporters with Lankadeepa; Iqbal Athas of the Sunday Times and Anuruddha Lokuhappuarachchi, a photographer for Reuters.

The Press Freedom Organization stated, “It is deplorable that no concrete measures were taken to protect the news media after newspaper editor Lasantha Wickrematunga’s murder two weeks ago.  As a result of the climate of fear, the most independent journalists are fleeing the island, and the most outspoken media, such as the news website Lankadissent, are closing.”

In a report by Amnesty International in November, at least 10 media employees had been killed in Sri Lanka since 2006.

For more information, please see:

Associated Press – Sri Lankan Editor, Wife Wounded in Knife Attack – 23 January 20009

BBC – Fresh Media Attack in Sri Lanka – 23 January 2009

Reporters Without Borders – Newspaper Editor Injured in Stabbing Attack, Other Journalists Forced to Flee Island – 23 January 2009