American and NATO forces in Afghanistan have killed at least 203 civilians so far this year.

In the past ten days, airstrikes and artillery fire targeting Taliban insurgents have killed more than 90 civilians.

Separate figures from the U.N. and Afghan and international aid groups show that the numbers of civilians killed by international forces is about equal to those killed by insurgents.

Accurate civilian death tolls are hard to come by because militants often wear civilian clothing and seek shelter in homes. Also it is not unusual for Afghans to have weapons in their homes.

The Associated Press count of civilian casualties is based on reports from Afghan and foreign officials and witnesses through Saturday, June 23. Of the 399 civilian deaths this year, 18 civilians were killed in crossfire between Taliban militants and foreign forces.

Earlier Saturday, a rocket hit a house in Pakistani territory killing nine civilians — during a battle in which NATO and American forces killed 60 suspected Taliban.

Other fighting on Saturday left some 20 militants and one coalition soldier dead.

For more information, please see:

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C06%5C21%5Cstory_21-6-2007_pg4_15

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070619/ap_on_re_as/afghanistan

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1636551,00.html

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/05/13/africa/taliban.php

Peruvian ex- president Alberto Fujimori has been asked to consider running for office in Japan. He is now in Chile under house arrest, and faces extradition to because of human rights violations charges.

The Japanese People’s New Party urged Fujimori to run in July elections for the upper house of Japan’s Diet.

Fujimori was president of Peru from 1990 to 2000 and is a dual citizen of Japan and Peru. He lived in exile in Tokyo for five years, so he is technically eligible to run.

However, he is wanted by Peruvian prosecutors on several charges: ordering the murders of 25 people in 1991 and 1992, ordering the abduction and torture of opponents, and embezzling government funds. Critics say that he crushed civil liberties, rigged elections and abused human rights. If Fujimori is elected to parliament in Japan, that could affect his trial in Peru.

Fujimori resigned from office in November 2000.  He stayed in Japan until November 2005, until he flew to Chile and was arrested.

For more information, please see:

http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200706190598.html

http://www.livinginperu.com/news/4095

http://www.guardian.co.uk/japan/story/0,,2106439,00.html

A report by an advocacy group entitled “No medal for the Olympics on labour rights” claims four firms making official Olympic merchandise for the 2008 Beijing Olympics were exploiting workers.  Playfair, an alliance of world trade unions, found abuses at factories including child labor, forced overtime, and low wages.  Additionally, it is alleged workers are being instructed to lie about wages, poor health, and safety conditions to inspectors. 

Three of the four firms have denied these accusations.  Interviews with workers of the three firms support the firms’ denial of labor abuse.  The fourth, however, Lekit Stationery has admitted children 12 and 13 years of age were employed by one of its sub-contractors, Leter Stationery.  They say the children were employed during the school holidays last winter and did not work on official Olympic merchandise.  Lekit also insists it was not aware of its sub-contractor’s employment of children.

Lekit had originally denied these allegations, but the company only found out when Dongguan officials released the findings of an initial investigation into the issue.

The International Olympic Committee said it supports ethical practices.  Additionally, they say more stringent regulations must be made so the 2012 London Olympics will not be tarnished by similar accusations.  The speed of the Dongguan investigation shows, however, China’s desire to avoid bad publicity in the time before the 2008 Olympics.

For more information, please see:

–Olympic firms ‘abusing workers’

–Olympic firm admits child labour

–Chinese Olympic firms deny abuse

Special tribunal investigators cleared the last major delay of trials of former Khmer Rouge leaders. Cambodian and international judges for the United Nations-backed special court agreed on rules for the judicial process, paving the way for Khmer Rouge leaders to be held accountable for the atrocities committed during their rule. The announcement ends six months of debate.

Foreign lawyers will be allowed to represent defendants and victims may file complaints to the courts as long as they do so as a group. Cambodian judges will hold the majority but will need one supporting vote from a foreign counterpart to prevail in any decision.

The prosecution will refer their first cases to the investigating judges, who will determine whether there is sufficient evidence against Khmer Rouge leaders to bring them to full trial. The process is expected to start within a few weeks and last three years.

In 2004, after years of negotiations with UN representatives, Cambodia agreed to try a handful of Khmer Rouge leaders who were considered to be most responsible for the atrocities.

But since its establishment almost a year ago, the court has been stalled by bitter disputes between the Cambodian and foreign judges over many procedural issues, including court etiquette and registration fees for foreign defense lawyers.

The investigating judges will begin the judicial process as soon as they receive their first case from prosecutors.

 

For more information, please see:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/499fdcce-1a14-11dc-99c5-000b5df10621,_i_rssPage=7f5f6b12-2f66-11da-8b51-00000e2511c8.html

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/06/13/khmer.trial.ap/index.html

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/281933/1/.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6747143.stm

China has rescued 31 people forced to work for a year as slaves, according to China Shanxi News.  A brickworks, run by the son of a local Communist Party official, supplied them only bread and water. They received no pay.  The factory is near Linfen in the inland province of Shanxi, China.

Eight of the workers now can only remember their names. One slave was beaten to death with a hammer for not working hard enough. All of the survivors have bruises, wounds and burns, having been made to carry uncooled bricks and walk barefoot in the kiln.

They were guarded by dogs and “thugs” at the factory. The boss was allowed to get away with the bad treatment because of his political connections. The workers are still living at the brickworks while the local government tries to get their wages.

 Millions of migrant workers from poor rural areas have flocked to urban areas to find work. They often work for as little as $2 a day or less.

 Many of these laborers work without formal contracts. They have little legal recourse in case of disputes.

 For more information, please see:

http://www.einnews.com/china/newsfeed-shanxi

www.edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/06/08/china.workers.reut/index.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6733045.stm