PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – Co-investigating Khmer Rouge Tribunal judges will inspect the Tuol Sleng Torture Center and the killing fields outside as part of their investigations actions. Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch, will lead them through the sites and describe his past actions for the judges. He oversaw the torture center during the Khmer Rouge Regime and is alleged to be responsible for nearly 16,000 deaths.

During the Khmer Rouge regime, over 16,000 persons were sent to the Tuol Sleng Torture Center where they were tortured and then executed in the nearby killing fields. Only a handful is known to survive. The killing fields nearby are littered with numerous mass graves. Thus far, Kaing Guek Eav has not denied allegations against him. The investigations will be closed to the public; however, there is some suspicion that some of the regime’s victims will be present.

For more information, please see:

The Earthtimes – Khmer Rouge Court Judges to Inspect Cambodian Genocide Sites – 22 February 2008

Radio News Netherlands – Cambodia Tribunal to Visit KRouge Torture Centre – 22 February 2008

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka- In the midst of new fighting between the Sri Lankan government and rebel groups, the United Nations Security Council’s working group on children is meeting today to review the situation of children in the country.  United States based group Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the United Nations to sanction both the rebels and the government for using or condoning the use of child soldiers.

The HRW press release states that the rebel groups, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Karuna group (a faction that split from the LTTE in 2004), use child soldiers in blatant violation of international law.  According to the release, the Sri Lankan government should also be held responsible because it fails to investigate cases of child recruitment and abduction.  There are also allegations that the government’s security forces have assisted in child abductions.

In October 2007, the rebel groups signed an agreement to release all of their child soldiers by the end of 2007, however UNICEF reported that at least 196 children were working under the rebels as of the end of January 2008.

According to Jo Becker, child rights advocate at HRW, “the Security Council should punish [the rebels’] brazen violations with concrete action.”

For more information, please see:

Human Rights Watch – UN: Sanction LTTE, Karuna Group for Child Soldiers – 21 February 2008

International Herald Tribune – Rights group lashes rebels, government over child soldiers as fighting rages in Sri Lanka – 21 February 2008

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan- On Thursday, Pakistan’s two main opposition parties announced that they had formed a coalition government.  After winning the majority of parliamentary seats in Monday’s election (see Impunity Watch briefhere), the parties agreed to put aside their differences and agree upon “a common agenda.”

It is expected that the coalition opposition government will put further pressure on President Pervez Musharraf.  The parties have already agreed thatMusharraf should immediately reinstate the chief justice he fired in November, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

Pakistan People’s Party leader, Asif Zardari, said that the parties had “a lot of ground to cover” but “in principle [they] have agreed to stay together.”

For more information, please see:

BBC News – Pakistan parties agree to coalition – 21 February 2008

By Kristy Tridhavee
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Asia

BANGKOK, Thailand – Thailand’s Prime Minster Samak Sundaravej vowed to relaunch the country’s war on drugs despite its past connections to more than 2,500 extrajudicial killings. Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej stated, “We will pursue a suppression campaign rigorously. There will be consequences [to drug use].” The Prime Minister said the government would not be deterred by allegations that extrajudicial killings were being committed by the police. Interior Minster Chalerm Yubamrung, a former police captain, supported the Prime Minister when he said that he would adopt Thaksin’s approach in his anti-drug campaign even if “thousands of people have to die. When we implement a policy that may bring 3,000 to 4,000 bodies, we will do it.”

Soon after Thailand’s announcement, human rights groups warned that the country may be heading down a similar path as the anti-drug campaign launched by ousted Prime Minster Thaksin Shinawatra in 2003. During the original campaign, there were allegations that police were forced to create lists of suspects to be targeted, and police officers included innocent persons on them. Human rights groups also alleged that nearly 2,500 extrajudicial killing occurred during the first “war on drugs.” The Thai government, however, blames most of the deaths on inter-gang warfare.

The Thai government responded to claims of innocent deaths and extrajudicial killings. Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej denied that innocent persons had died. He asked reporters, “If they were innocent, why were they killed?” Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej also denied that numerous persons were killed by police. He said, “I have no doubt that 2,500 people were killed. It could even be 5,000, but what can the government do when they are killing each other? If police killed someone, then we would call that an extra-judicial killing. There are only 59 such cases, and the police are standing trial for those deaths.”

The Thai government recently arrested anti-drug police for their actions during the original war on drugs. In late January, the government arrested Captain Nat Chonnithiwanit and seven other members of the 41st Border Patrol Police unit for criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, forced intrusion, threatening others with weapons, detaining others, and abducting minors under the age of 15. Thus far, 61 complaints have been filed with the Justice Ministry, alleging that the 41^st Border Patrol Police have abducted and tortured them to extract confessions. Victims alleged that they have been electrocuted, suffocated with plastic bags, and severely beaten.

Despite the arrests and the complaints, Human Rights Watch [HRW] questions the Thailand government’s commitment to prosecuting police officers accused of extrajudicial killings. The Royal Police has praised Captain Nat Chonnithiwanit for several years for his service as a role model. Also, Police General Seriphisut Temiyavej, national police commissioner-general, has recently threatened to take legal action against anyone who makes false complaints against police officers. Police General Seriphisut Temiyavej also stated that he does not believe that extrajudicial killings are more than 50 or 60.

Brad Adams, Asia director at HRW, responded to the recent statements by the Police General, “Thailand’s national police commissioner-general should be encouraging victims to come forward, not threatening them with legal action. Seriphisut’s threats against victims of police abuse further fuel this vicious cycle of abuses and impunity.”

For more information, please see,

Bangkok Post – PM Prepares to Revive War on Drugs – 22 February 2008

HRW – Thailand: Prosecute Anti-Drug Police Identified in Abuses – 7 February 2008

Reuters – Thai PM Vows Rigorous War on Drugs Despite Outcry – 22 February 2008

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – Jacques Verges, the lawyer for Khieu Samphan, has said that his client will no longer cooperate with the Khmer Rouge Tribunalbecause thousands of pages of evidence had yet to be translated to French. Jacques Verges stated that without the translation, he is unable to effectively defend his client. The court documents are in English only thus far.

Tribunal co-investigating judge Marcel Lemonde told AFP that other suspects have invoked their right to “remain silent at every stage of the proceedings.” However, Marcel Lemonde said that it would not delay the court’s investigation into the crimes. In an email, he said, “We have to organize the investigation differently, that’s it.”

Jacques Verges has been nicknamed “devil’s advocate” because of his past work defending the world’s most notorious criminals. During his legal career, he has defended Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie and Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, also known as Carlos the Jackal.

For more information, please see:

AFP – Khmer Rouge Leader Halts Cambodian Genocide Court Cooperation: Report – 20 February 2008