By Shayne R. Burnham
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

KABUL, Afghanistan – On Wednesday, a U.S. air strike hit the remote village of Wech Baghtu, located in the southern province of Kandahar, Afghanistan.  The bombing resulted in the killing of 37 people, all civilians who were attending a wedding party.  Of those killed, 23 were women and 10 were children.  As Senator Barack Obama was newly elected as successor to President Bush, President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan called upon him to stop civilian casualties.  He stated, “Our demand is that there will be no civilian casualties in Afghanistan.  We cannot fight against terrorism with airstrikes.  This is my first demand of the new president of the United States–to put an end to civilian airstrikes.”

A relative of the bride, Abdul Jalil, witnessed the bombing.  Jalil said that there was U.S. and Taliban fighting approximately one-half mile from his home.  Shortly thereafter, a fighter aircraft bombed the housing complex where the wedding would take place.  Subsequently U.S. troops came to the scene of the bombing and questioned villagers in search of militants.

Approximately 4,000 people have died this year, almost a third of them are civilians.  NATO and the U.S. claim that mistakes happen and even more people die as a result of Taliban terrorist activity.  U.S. forces spokesman Commander Jeff Bender stated, “If innocent people were killed in this operation, we apologize and express our condolences to the families and the people of Afghanistan.”

The increasing civilian death toll has caused tension among President Karzai and the U.S. and NATO, particularly the August bombing that occurred in the Shah Wali Kot district.  President Karzai has called for a review of reports of civilian casualties.

Senator Obama has said during his campaign that he would launch attacks against terrorist sites located in Pakistan if Pakistan cannot and will not act against them.

For more information, please see:

Associated Press – Karzai ‘Demands’ Obama End Civilian Deaths After Latest Incident – 5 November 2008

Fox News – 33 Killed in Alleged U.S. Strike in Afghanistan – 5 November 2008

Reuters – U.S. Strike Kills Wedding Party Goers:  Afghan Officials – 5 November 2008

By Pei Hu
Impunity Watch, Asia

SHAH ALAM, Malaysia – On November 7th, a Malaysian court ordered the release of Raja Petra Kamaruddin, also known as “RPK”, an influential anti-government blogger for the widely read, Malaysia Today. In September, RPK was arrested for allegedly publishing material that ridiculed Islam and government authorities on his widely read website. Under the Internal Security Act (ISA), the Malaysian government allowed the arrest and detention of citizens without explanation. RPK was held without trial for eight weeks.

Due to intense international pressure, the high court in Shah Alam ruled that the Interior Minister, Syed Hamid Albar, had exceeded his authority to order RPK’s detention. According to Reporters Without Borders, the Malaysian Court has not reviewed an ISA case since 1987. “We are pleased to learn that the judge who ordered his immediate release said the government had failed to give sufficient grounds for holding him,” Reporters Without Borders said.

The Press Freedom Organization added, “This is an important day for free expression in Malaysia and for RPK, who will able to rejoin his family even if the authorities are clearly still keeping him under surveillance. The ISA is now undoubtedly a major obstacle to free expression for journalists, bloggers, and activists in Malaysia.”

However, RPK still faces charges of sedition relating to his reports linking Deputy Prime Minister, Najib Razak, to the murder of a Mongolian woman. Najib is expected to succeed the incumbent Prime Minister, Abdullah Badawi.

Malaysia Today published a statement on RPK’s release and said, “The release of Raja Petra Kamarudin from ISA detention is a victory for the people of Malaysia.” The statement also criticizes the ISA, “Many others still languish in prison under the draconian ISA, including members of Hindraf and individuals allegedly involved with radical groups such as Jemaa Islamiyah.  They all deserve the right of judicial review.”

“We have to fight all-out and get the ISA abolished,” RPK told reporters upon his release.
For more information, please see:

BBC –Malaysia Blogger’s Joy at Release – 7 November 2008

Malaysia Today – Press Statement – The Release of Raja Petra Kamarudin – 8 November 2008

RSF – Leading Blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin Finally Released – 7 November 2008

By Pei Hu
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

DHAKA, Bangladesh – Noor Ahmed of the daily Sylhet Protidin was tortured several times by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) while being held in custody last year. Ahmed was arrested at the same time as two other journalists, Sajol Daash and Apurbo Sharma. All were arrested for the same charges.

RAB arrested Ahmed in April 2007, blindfolding him and throwing him into the back of a truck. Upon his release on bail in September 2007, Ahmed told local rights groups that he was tortured and threatened because he was investigating allegations that the police chief of RAB was taking bribes in the northeastern city of Sylhet. Ahmed thought his arrest was intended to intimidate other journalists out of publishing similar reports.

Ahmed told rights groups that he was subject to mental and physical torture while in RAB custody where he was beaten on the leg by a stick for 20 minutes and then beaten again when he denied involvement on an extortion case. RAB also threatened Ahmed with the possibility of imprisonment again if he did not close down his newspaper when he returned to journalism after he was released. After being tortured for a night, Ahmed was forced to sign a paper which he was unable to read.

Ahmed’s case is similar to Tasneem Khalil and Jahangir Alam Akash, who were also arrested and tortured by RAB in 2007. RAB is a Bangladesh security force established in 2004 to combat specialized crime, Islamic militants, and Maoist rebels. Human rights groups have accused RAB of hundreds of extrajudicial killings.

International human rights group, Reporters Without Borders, said “It is appalling that local officials, including those responsible for law and order, can attack journalists with complete impunity,” and demanded justice on the perpetrators that tortured and intimidated Ahmed.

For more information, please see:

APF – Media Watchdog Demands Bangladesh Torture Probe – 11 October 2008

RSF – Government Challenged Over Torture of Editor in Sylhet – 10 October 2008

UNHCR – Government Challenged Over Torture of Editor in Sylhet– 10 October 2008

By Ariel Lin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BEIJING, China – China plans to issue its first national action plan to protect human rights, said the State Council Information Office.  The action plan would cover aspects such as improving government function, expanding democracy, strengthening the rule of law, improving people’s livelihood, protecting rights of women, children and ethnic minorities and boosting public awareness of human rights, said a statement of the office.

According to the statement, the office and Foreign Ministry, joined by more than 50 departments, public associations and non-governmental organizations, including the country’s legislature, top political advisory body, Supreme Court, Supreme Procuratorate and the National Development and Reform Commission will draft the action plan.  More than 10 human rights experts from key universities and academic institutions would form a group to advise the panel, the statement said.  Once the plan was done, it would guide China in the development of human rights.

However, the government did not release the timetable of drafting and when the plan would be implemented.  The government issued its first white paper on human rights in 1991, officially adopting the concept of “human rights” in its political strategy.  Since then, it has issued 40 such documents, but never a State action plan in human rights. Dong Yunhu, vice-president and secretary-general of the China Society for Human Rights Studies, said: “As the first of its kind, the plan will have a major impact on development of human rights.”

The Chinese government faces constant criticism from international rights groups for censorship and jailing peaceful dissidents and protesters, as well as rising demands from increasingly assertive citizens.

For more information, please see:

China Daily – Govt to draft plan on human rights – 5 November 2008

Reuters – China to issue human rights plan: official – 4 November 2008

XinHua – China to outline first national action plan to protect human rights – 4 November 2008

By Kristy Tridhavee
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Asia

TOKYO, Japan – The Defense Minister of Japan dismissed the Air Force Chief of Staff, General Toshio Tamogami, after he wrote an essay asserting Japan was not an aggressor in WWII.

In his essay, which had the theme of “true views of modern history,” Tamogami wrote: “Even now, there are many people who think that our country’s ‘aggression’ caused unbearable suffering to the countries of Asia during the Greater East Asia War.  But we need to realize that many Asian countries take a positive view of the Greater East Asia War. It is certainly a false accusation to say that our country was an aggressor nation.”

Tamogami went on to say that Japan’s military action in China in the early 1900’s was based on treaties, and that the Korean peninsula had been “prosperous and safe” under Japan’s 1910-1945 colonial rule.  He also contended that Japan was drawn into the war by President Franklin D Roosevelt because Roosevelt had been manipulated by the Comintern, an international communist organization founded in Moscow. Tamogami wrote, “Roosevelt had become president on his public pledge not to go to war, so in order to start a war between the United States and Japan, it had to appear that Japan took the first shot,” he wrote.

In a news conference, Yasukazu Hamada, the Defense Minister, said, “It is inappropriate for him to remain in this position and I will swiftly dismiss him.  What he said was inappropriate for an air chief of staff.”  He should not remain in the job.” The quick dismissal is seen as an attempt to stop critical remarks from China, South Korea, and other Asian nations that have reacted angrily to past denials of Japan’s wartime past.

In the 1990’s, Japan officially apologized for its wartime past and acknowledged its aggression in Asia.  Recently, however, national politicians belonging to the right wing of the Liberal Democratic Party began a campaign to revise Japan’s wartime history.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Japan Air Force Chief Faces Sack – 31 October 2008

Japan Times – ASDF Chief Justifies the War, is Axed – 1 November 2008

The New York Times – Japan Fires General Who Said U.S. ‘Trap’ Led to Pearl Harbor Attack – 31 October 2008