By: Nicole Hoerold
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

SEPANG DISTRICT, Malaysia – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s half brother, Kim Jong Nam, was killed on February 13 in a Malaysian airport. Surveillance footage shows two young women smearing a substance in the estranged brother’s face, which led to his immediate death. Officials have now identified the substance as VX nerve agent, a chemical nerve gas derived from organophosphate pesticides.

VX nerve agent is internationally recognized as an illegal chemical weapon, and stockpiles have been largely destroyed throughout the globe since the enforcement of the Chemical Weapons Convention in 1997. The chemical agent inhibits the functioning of glands and muscles by blocking an important enzyme which allows the muscles to relax. Only a few milligrams are enough to kill someone in minutes’ time.

The two women who facilitated the attack told officials that they were approached by foreign men and were paid $90 to smear what they thought was a harmless substance in the man’s face. Many believe that the attack was carried out on behalf of Kim Jung Un himself, who has apparently felt threatened by his half brother. The fact that the murder was carried out using a highly toxic and illegal substance encourages the belief that the North Korean government is responsible.

If this is the case, the incident raises new concerns about North Korea’s stockpile of chemical weapons, in addition to long-term concerns regarding the state’s nuclear weapons program.

For more information, please see:

CNN – VX nerve agent used to kill Kim Jong Nam, police say – 24 February, 2017

NY Times – Woman Held in Death of North Korean Leader’s Kin Says She Was Duped – 25 February, 2017

NY Times – In Kim Jong-nam’s Death, North Korea Lets Loose a Weapon of Mass Destruction – 24 February, 2017

NY Times – What Is VX Nerve Agent? A Deadly Weapon, Rarely Seen – 24 February, 2017

Washington Post – Kim Jong Un’s half brother was killed by VX nerve agent, Malaysian police say – 23 February, 2017

Chicago Tribune – Kim Jong Un’s brother was killed by banned chemical nerve agent, police say – 24 February, 2017

By: Nicole Hoerold
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

MANILA, Philippines– A retired Philippine police officer has confessed to leading a death squad on the direct orders of Rodrigo Duterte, before he became president. The retired police officer, Arthur Lascañas, spoke at a news conference on February 20. Mr. Lascañas alleges that President Duterte had personally ordered extrajudicial killings during his time as mayor of Davao. Mr. Lascañas is the second person to speak out against President Duterte. Last year, Edgar Matobato made similar claims to have received orders from Durterte to commit extrajudicial killings during his time as mayor.

These accusations come only weeks after President Duterte was accused of sponsoring extrajudicial killings in his own state-sponsored war on drugs. In early 2017, Amnesty International warned that the Philippine police are “systematically planning” such killings against criminals and drug suspects.

The recent accusations against Duterte claim that the former mayor established groups of hit-men to find and kill small-time drug dealers and petty criminals. Mr. Lascañas explained that members of these groups were paid between $400 and $1,000 for the killings, a price dependent on the status of the individuals murdered. Mr. Lascañas said that the groups received allowances for these efforts directly from Duterte’s office as mayor. Eventually, the groups were encouraged to kill not only drug offenders and criminals, but any individual critical of Duterte’s rule.

Mr. Lascañas confirmed earlier statements by Mr. Matobato which claimed that Duterte called for the murder of Jun Pala, who was gunned down near his home in 2003. Jun Pala was a radio commentator who was famously critical of Duterte during his time as mayor of Davao.

Philippine Senator Leila de Lima, a staunch critic of Duterte, urged the country’s Cabinet to declare their president unfit to rule, describing him as a “sociopathic serial killer”. De Lima is now facing arrest on charges that she was involved in the drug trade, accusations which she says were master-minded as a result of her leading an investigation of the recent allegations against Duterte during his time as mayor.

For more information, please see:

New York Times – Ex-Officer in Philippines Says He Led Death Squad at Duterte’s Behest – 20 February, 2017

Reuters – Philippine senator urges Cabinet to stop ‘sociopathic serial killer’ Duterte – 21 February, 2017

Japan Times – Ex-cop says Duterte, while Davao mayor, paid him and others to kill crime suspects – 20 February, 2017

CNN – Former Davao Death Squad leader: Duterte ordered bombings – 20 February, 2017

By: Nicole Hoerold
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia 

TOKYO, Japan- Japan is receiving criticism after its government released documentation of having accepted only 28 refugees in 2016. This number is especially staggering given the total number of asylum applications received by Japan last year. 10,901 people sought asylum in Japan in 2016, up 44 percent from 2015, when the country accepted 27 individuals. In 2016, alongside the 28 refugees, Japan accepted another 97 applicants for “humanitarian reasons”, though they are not officially recognized by the government as asylum seekers.

Human Rights Watch called Japan’s efforts in granting asylum “abysmal”, urging the country to accept more applicants and further their human rights interests. The low acceptance rate of refugees is negligible in contrast to Europe’s influx in the past two years. Though refugee advocates and human rights organizations are criticizing Japan for their reluctance to welcome more refugees, the country has made efforts contribute to the cause.

Between January and September 2016, Japan was the fourth largest donor to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, contributing $165 billion. Japan has also said it will accept 150 Syrian students and their families under a scholarship program. Critics, however, urge that Japan’s current contributions are not enough in a world where forced migration has become so prevalent.

Immigration is a controversial topic in Japan. The country prides itself on cultural and ethnic homogeneity. Despite the Japan’s aging workforce and shrinking population, it has refused to accept a large influx of unskilled workers. Though forced migration continues, Japan has yet to take a clear political stance on its intentions regarding the issue.

For more information, please see:

Reuters – Japan took in just 28 refugees in 2016, despite record applications – 9 February, 2017

Open Democracy – Japan must learn to see refugees not as ‘useful’ subjects, but human beings – 15 February, 2017

The Japan Times – Record 10,910 refugee applicants face abysmal odds of acceptance in Japan – 10 February, 2017 

New Daily – Why Japan accepts a staggeringly low number of refugees – 16 February, 2017

By: Nicole Hoerold
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

PYONGYANG, North Korea — North Korea has been drawing renewed criticism for its child labor practices. On February 13, 2016, Human Rights Watch called on the North Korean government to immediately stop exploiting children for labor. The organization made a submission to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child calling attention to the forced labor of school-aged children. The organization collected its information from recently escaped citizens of North Korea and from North Koreans who maintain ties to individuals remaining in the state.

The submission indicates that children are forced to work in areas of farming, rock breaking, collecting scrap metals, and other strenuous types of work. Though North Korea claims it abolished child labor over 70 years ago, sources who spoke to Human Rights Watch clarified that the government continues to recruit individuals into forced labor.

Sources told Human Rights Watch that the North Korean government uses coercive means to recruit child laborers, depicting the work as employment opportunities in “patriotic labor” to show “socialist loyalty”. Individuals who refuse to participate are often discriminated against and receive physical punishments, according to the organization’s sources.

Human rights activists encourage intervention, noting that North Korean children have no other protections and rely on the UN and foreign governments to speak out on the matter. Left unchecked, UN Security Council members warn that millions of North Korean children will be discriminated against, threatening their educational opportunities and overall well-being.

Though the UN Security Council has discussed North Korean human rights violations for the third year in a row, there is not much the organization can do to facilitate real change in the rogue state.

For more information, please see:

New York Post – N. Korea’s child slavery problem is even worse than imagined – 9 February, 2017

International Business Times – North Korea’s Kim Jong Un Exploits Poor People: Children Forced To Work At Expensive Ski Resort For Elite – 27 January, 2017

Human Rights Watch – North Korea: End Rampant Forced Child Labor – 13 February, 2017

Human Rights Watch – Human Rights Watch Submission on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to the Committee on the Rights of the Child – 13 February, 2017

Human Rights Watch – UN: North Korea Exploiting Children – 8 February, 2017

By: Nicole Hoerold
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

MANILA, Philippines- In July 2016, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte launched a “war” on the drug trade, authorizing police to crackdown and even open fire when threatened by suspects. More than 7,000 people have died since the launch of the anti-drug campaign.

In early 2017, Amnesty International accused the Philippine police of “systematically planning” extrajudicial killings and of being unnecessarily brutal in achieving its goals. The organization released a report this year in which it outlines the actions of President Duterte and his police force. The report even suggests that the killings could constitute crimes against humanity.

Eyewitnesses and families of the deceased have confirmed some unregulated and haphazard actions by the police. Amnesty International has documented several cases where witnesses described alleged drug offenders shouting their surrender at police, often on their knees or other compliant positions. It is reported that police still gunned them down.

Other organizations, including Human Rights Watch, are also concerned about the humanitarian offenses. Human Rights Watch recently called for the United Nations to lead an independent international investigation into the alleged unlawful killings by the Philippine police.

Not a single officer is known to have been prosecuted for extrajudicial killings or related crimes. President Duterte has not addressed any of these concerns. On January 29, Durterte stated in a news conference that he intends to continue his war on drugs until the last day of his term. Experts are concerned that this is an indication that the abuses will continue indefinitely.

On January 30, 2016, National Police Director-General Ronald dela Rosa declared a pause on the operation. The break is meant for “internal cleansing” following the alleged brutal killing of a South Korean businessman by the Philippine’s anti-drug police. Interestingly, nearly 100 Philippine police officers have been released by the department since the start of the year because they were found to be using drugs themselves.

It is unclear what is to come, but officials have made no indication to roll back on its attempts at cleansing the nation of its drugs and drug users.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Amnesty: Philippine police ‘planned’ drug war killings – 1 February, 2017

Amnesty International Report – “If you are poor, you are killed” – 2017

Human Rights Watch – Philippines: Police ‘Drug War’ Killings Need Independent Probe – 30 January, 2017

The Wire – Philippines Dismisses Nearly 100 Policemen For Drug Abuse – 12 February, 2017