BEIJING, China –Dr. Gunther von Hagens, who invented the process to preserve human bodies with a liquid plastic, has revealed that he no longer accepts bodies from China because he suspected they had been executed prisoners. After examining the bodies, he detected suspicious injuries and instead cremated the bodies. According to Dr. Gunther von Hagens, there is a black market providing bodies to Chinese companies that later export them oversees. A spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said it was investigating the allegations.

For more information, please see:

ABC News – Exclusive: Secret Trade in Chinese Bodies – 14 February 2008

By Kristy Tridhavee
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

DHAKA, Bangladesh – Tasneem Khalil, a journalist with Human Rights Watch (HRW), CNN, and The Daily Star, has accused theBangladesh military of torturing him in retaliation for his media activity. In May 2007, the Directorate General Forces of Intelligence arrested Tasneem Khalil in his home and transferred him to a torture cell.

Tasneem Khalil recently shared his experience in the Bangladesh torture cell. In his report to HRW, Tasneem Khalil wrote, “…all of them started hitting the table with hands and sticks and started shouting at me. ‘How dare you write against our brothers in RAB? You are a burden on society. You are an immoral, unethical insect, an anti-state criminal.’ Someone came around the table and started punching me on my head again.”

After hours of beatings, Tasneem Khalil agreed to write a confession. When his blindfold was taken off, he saw for the first time the room he was being held in. He reported: “The room I was in was a torture cell. It was a small room with no windows, one doorway with a wooden door, and a second grill, like in a prison. The room was soundproofed with a wooden wall covered with small holes, like in an old recording studio. There were two CCTV cameras in the corners attached to the ceiling. There was a fan. I was sitting in front of a table and three batons were on the table, along with some stationery. One was a wooden baton, about a meter long. The other two were covered with black plastic. Poking out of the end of these two were metal wires which appeared to fill the plastic covers. … Then I glanced behind me and I saw what looked like a metal bed frame. It was the same size as a normal single bed, but it was placed on a platform with steps up to it. The bed had straps fitted at the top and bottom, presumably for tying people on to it. There was a wheel to change the angle of the bed to lift it up or down. There were spikes at the top of the bed. Right beside that there were ropes fitted to the ceilings with rubber loops for wrists to go through.”

Tasneem Khalil was released after 22 hours in captivity. International and national authorities pressed the Bangladesh interim government to free him. Tasneem Khalil then went into hiding for a month before international authorities again pressed Bangladesh leaders to allow him to leave for asylum in Sweden.

Bangladesh is currently under an interim government authorized by a reform agenda. Since January 2007, the interim government has campaigned to eliminate corruption and abuse of political power. However, in the name of reform, the government has used torture and executions to extract information and punish critics of the army’s role as de facto rulers.

HRW urged the country to make human rights a priority. Brad Adams, Asia Director of HRW, said, “While few would dispute that corruption, organized crime, politicization of the bureaucracy and political violence had to be addressed in Bangladesh, the interim government must realize that reform cannot be built on midnight knocks on the door and torture. A peaceful democratic society requires respect for basic rights.”

HRW also has questioned the motivation and purposes of the Bangladesh interim government. Brad Adams furthered stated, “The security forces have been arbitrarily detaining and torturing people, but there have been no serious attempts at holding those responsible for these criminal acts to account. Why hasn’t the government made the protection of Bangladeshis from this scourge a priority? Are they reformers, or do they just say they are reformers?”

For more information, please see:

HRW – The Torture of Tasneem Khalil: How the Bangladesh Government Abuses its Powers under a State of Emergency

HRW – Bangladesh: Tortured Journalist Describes Surviving Military Beatings –14 February 2008

News Report India – Military Torture of Bangladesh Journalist Alleged – 14 February 2008

Reuters India– Bangladeshi Tells of 22 Hours of Torture – 14 February 2008

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia – Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi dissolved the country’s Parliament to instigate early elections.  According to Malaysian law, elections must be held within 60 days of parliament being dissolved.  However, it is typical that the election commission calls for an election long before the 60 day deadline.

The move for early elections has sparked criticism from Anwar Ibrahim.  Anwar Ibraham, former deputy primer and member of the Democratic Action Party, notes that the timing of the early election precludes him from taking part.  He is unable to stand for office until March under an ban imposed when he was jailed in 1998.

Experts foresee that the elections will be quite controversial because of the recent ethnic tensions between Indians and the Malay majority, rising food prices, and allegations of corruption in judiciary.

For more information, please see:

International Herald Tribune – Malaysia to Hold Early General Elections Amid Anger over Prices, Ethnic Tensions – 13 February 2008

BEIJING, China – In a statement released on Tuesday, film director Steven Spielberg announced his withdrawal as artistic adviser for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Mr. Spielberg accused China of not doing enough to resolve the crisis in Darfur, saying “I have made repeated efforts to encourage the Chinese government to use its unique influence to bring safety and stability to the Darfur region of Sudan. Although some progress has been made [the situation] continues to worsen and the violence continues to accelerate.”

At least 200,000 people have been killed and two million forced from their homes in the five-year conflict.

Actress Mia Farrow, who has campaigned against what she calls the “Genocide Olympics,” praised Mr. Spielberg’s decision, hoping it would influence others to drop out of the Olympic Games.

In response, the Chinese Embassy in Washington called Mr. Spielberg and Ms. Farrow’s actions unfair for linking the Games to Darfur. They said the event should not be politicized.

Although human rights groups have applauded Mr. Spielberg’s decision, some are unhappy with the focus on Darfur alone. Richard Just of The New Republic said Mr. Spielberg made it seem “as if Darfur were the only reason one might think twice about serving as a propagandist for the Beijing Olympics.”

For more information, please see:

Reuters – Olympics – EU rights champion backs Spielberg over Games – 13 February 2008

The New York Times – Mia Farrow Gains Ground in Campaign Against Beijing Games – 13 February 2008

BBC News – Spielberg in Darfur snub to China – 13 February 2008

DAEGU, South Korea – As part of an effort to reform its legal system, a nine-member jury trial was held on Tuesday for the first time in South Korea’s legal history.

The new juries will only be used in certain criminal cases. Its findings are non-binding, however, and judges will retain the final say in verdicts and sentences.

South Korea’s judicial system is considered by many to be outdated, a remnant of its former authoritarian rule. The system is undergoing gradual changes since the National Assembly agreed last May to introduce changes including giving testimony and evidence greater weight.

Following the trial, the court president said the innovation was “a significant step to not only improve human rights, but also to win the public’s trust.”

For more information, please see:

The Korea Times – Nation’s First Trial by Jury Held at Daegu District Court – 12 February 2008

BBC – S Korea holds first trial by jury 12 February 2008

Economic Times – South Korea launches jury system – 12 February 2008