By Christine Khamis

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

 

BEIJING, China –

Chinese rights activist Zhang Liumao died last week in a police detention center in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province. Police have given no information about Mr. Zhang’s death and his family has been prevented from seeing his body.

Mr. Zhang was detained during a police raid in August for “picking quarrels and stirring up trouble”. His family believes that he was detained in connection with a literary magazine that had been circulating in Guangzhou. Mr. Zhang’s sister, Zhang Weichu, told Radio Free Asia that the police department stated that he had been detained for opposing the Communist Party.

Mr. Zhang was not allowed to meet with his lawyers during his detainment, and his family never received a formal arrest warrant or any information on his detainment. Chinese law mandates that a person must be either officially arrested or freed within 37 days.

When informed of his death, Mr. Zhang’s family and their lawyers traveled to No. 3 Detention Center, where he had been held, for an explanation of his death. They requested to meet with the detention center’s prosecutor, but their request was denied. When Mr. Zhang’s family asked for his personal belongings, detention center staff told them that it was against the rules to return the items and that they would place them in storage instead.

Mr. Zhang’s family has requested a document detailing the causes of his death and has also requested access to surveillance videos of the center and his body. Mr. Zhang’s body was taken to a funeral parlor when he died, and his family has not been allowed to view it. His family has refused permission for the cremation until they have more information about the circumstances of his death.

Mr. Zhang’s family and hundreds of supporters have demanded that authorities give an explanation for his death and allow them to see his body. An online petition in support of those demands had over 200 signatures on Friday.

While China’s Rules on the Handling of Deaths in Detention Centers require authorities to investigate deaths of detainees, Mr. Zhang’s death is not the first to occur under unexplained circumstances. Last year, Beijing activist Cao Shunli died after months in detention. Similarly, the esteemed Tibetan monk Tenzin Delek Rinpoche died earlier this year after many years in prison. Both had been known to be ill, but their deaths remain unexplained.

Mr. Zhang’s death comes as the United Nations Committee Against Torture prepares to evaluate China’s implementation of the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment on November 17-18.

 

For more information, please see:

The New York Times – Backers of Detained Chinese Activist Demand Explanation for His Death – 6 November 2015

Asia News – Guangdong activist dies in prison before trial: no explanation given to the family – 5 November 2015

Human Rights Watch – Dispatches: An Activist’s Death in Custody in China – 5 November 2015

Radio Free Asia – Family Demands Information After Chinese Activist Dies in Police Custody – 4 November 2015

 

 

By Christine Khamis

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

 

SEOUL, South Korea –

South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met on Monday for their first formal summit since they both took office. South Korean and Japanese leaders have not held a summit in three years.

President Park and Prime Minister Abe met briefly for a bilateral talk meant to help alleviate tensions between the countries, which have been ongoing since Japan’s 35 year long colonization of Korea from 1910 to 1945.

A major point of contention between President Park and Prime Minister Abe during the summit was the issue of “comfort women”, who were Korean women forced into prostitution at Japanese military brothels throughout Japan’s colonization of Korea and its involvement in World War II. During the summit, President Park and Prime Minister Abe agreed to continue talks to resolve their differences on the issue of the comfort women and strengthen diplomatic ties between their countries.

President Park has referred to the issue of the comfort women as a major stumbling block to friendly relations between the South Korea and Japan and has stated that coming to an agreement on the issue is essential to creating better ties between the countries. She had previously rejected proposals to have summits with Japan because she believed that Japan had failed to make proper restitution for its actions during its colonial rule over South Korea.

Japan says that the issue of comfort women was settled in 1965 during a normalization agreement, under which Japan paid $800 million in grants and loans to Korea to make reparation for its abuses during its colonization, and in 1993 when the country issued a formal apology to Korea. Prime Minister Abe, however, told reporters after the summit that he had agreed with President Park that it was important for South Korea and Japan to resolve the issue of the comfort women as soon as possible and that the two countries “should not leave obstacles for future generations.”

The first meeting between the two leaders since they each took office represents a diplomatic breakthrough between South Korea and Japan. The United States has pushed in recent years for South Korea and Japan to improve their ties in light of China’s growing assertiveness and North Korea’s development of its nuclear arms program. Both South Korea and Japan are military allies of the United States, and the bulk of the United States’ military presence in the Asia-Pacific is concentrated in the two countries.

President Park and Prime Minister Abe’s meeting came a day after leaders from Japan, South Korea, and China met at a summit for the first time since 2012 to discuss progress toward increased economic and regional cooperation among themselves. In a joint statement after the summit, the three countries agreed to work together on improving trade and security ties as North Asia’s three largest economies.

 

For more information, please see:

 Al Jazeera – S Korea and Japan Leaders Meet for First Time in Years – 2 November 2015

South China Morning Post – South Korea and Japan Break Diplomatic Freeze as Park and Abe Meet for Rare Summit in Seoul – 2 November 2015

The New York Times – Leaders of South Korea and Japan Meet in Effort to Mend Ties – 1 November 2015

U.S. News & World Report – Leaders of South Korea, Japan, and China Set for Summit Meant to Repair Terrible Ties – 1 November 2015

 

 

By Christine Khamis

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

 

KABUL, Afghanistan—

A woman accused of adultery was stoned to death in central Afghanistan last week. The woman, named Rokhshana, was buried in a hole with only her head exposed. Men then surrounded her and threw stones at her until she died. Onlookers filmed the killing and a video portraying the stoning was subsequently released online. The Tolo news agency, a news source focusing on Afghanistan, has reported that the stoning occurred about a week ago in the village of Ghalmeen, a Taliban-controlled area in the Ghor province.

Rokhshana received her punishment for her elopement with a man, who received only a lashing for his own crime of adultery. The governor of Ghor province, Seema Joyenda, told a news agency that Rokhshana had been married off by her family against her will. Ms. Joyenda, who has staff members from Ghalmeen, stated that Rokhshana’s family tried to marry her off several years ago and that the young woman ran away to Iran. Her family brought her back from Iran and forced her to marry another man. Rokhshana then eloped with another man and was brought back after two days, leading to her adultery charge and stoning.

Ms. Joyenda has reported that the Taliban leader of Ghalmeen ordered Rokhshana’s stoning and other officials have stated that Rokhshana was stoned by a group of men comprised of Taliban, local religious leaders, and warlords.

Activists in Kabul, however, believe that the Taliban was not involved in the stoning and that local tribal leaders committed Rokhshana’s killing. Wazhma Frogh, a founder of the Research Institute for Women, Peace and Security in Afghanistan, has stated that her contacts in Ghor province told her that local officials are responsible for Rokhshana’s stoning. Tribal leaders in Afghanistan have been known to blame the Taliban for their own atrocities.

Ms. Joyenda is one of only two female governors in Afghanistan. She has been criticized for permitting local authorities in Ghor province to violate women’s rights.

Stoning is officially banned in Afghanistan, but its government considered a proposal to reintroduce the punishment in 2013. The government, led at that point by President Hamid Karzai, backed down from the proposal due to objections from the international community.

Women throughout Afghanistan consistently face persecution. In March, another woman was beaten and set on fire in Kabul after she was falsely accused of burning a copy of the Koran. Her murder led to protests in Afghanistan and drew an outcry from the international community about the treatment of women in the country.

A report by the U.N. Assistance Mission in April stated that “the prevalence of violence against women and harmful practices continues to be of serious concern”. Amnesty International has also released a report detailing the persecution of women’s rights activists at the hands of Taliban members, tribal warlords, and government officials.

  

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Afghan Woman Stoned to Death for ‘Adultery’ – 4 November 2015

CNN – Woman Stoned to Death in Afghanistan Over Accusation of Adultery – 4 November 2015

BBC — Afghan Woman Accused of Adultery is Stoned to Death – 3 November 2015

The Guardian – Afghan Woman Stoned to Death for Alleged Adultery – 3 November 2015

 

By Christine Khamis

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

 

BEIJING, China –

China’s Communist Party has officially brought an end to its one-child policy and couples in China will now be permitted to have two children instead. Communist Party leaders announced the change on Thursday after the conclusion of a Central Committee summit.

The Central Committee, which is a policy-making government body, met this week to approve proposals for China’s five-year development plan set to be implemented in 2016. Xinhua, China’s state run news agency, issued a communiqué of the Central Committee meeting. In the communiqué, Xinhua reported that the Committee intends to counter the problems of its rapidly aging population and shrinking labor force by allowing couples to have two children instead of one.

The one-child policy was originally enacted in 1979 under Deng Xiaoping, leader of the Communist party at the time. In order to slow the population growth rate, China’s government implemented campaigns to ensure that couples that violated the policy would be punished. Over the years, punishments for couples who had more than one child ranged from fines and loss of employment to forced abortions and female infanticide.

The one-child policy succeeded in preventing an estimated 400 million births. The policy was implemented in urban areas, but those in rural areas had more leeway and often were allowed to have another child if their first child was female. Couples that were part of ethnic minorities in China were excluded from the policy.

The one-child policy has been eased to some extent in recent years. In 2013, the Communist Party approved a policy allowing couples to have two children if one spouse was an only child. Many couples who were eligible to have two children under the policy declined the opportunity due to concerns over the cost and difficulty of raising the child. Only about 12% of eligible couples applied with China’s government to have a second child.

China has a rapidly aging population and shrinking labor force in part because of its one-child policy. In 2014, China’s population reached around 1.37 billion, with one tenth aged 65 or over. Currently, an estimated 30% of China’s population is over age 50. The new policy is meant to help counter China’s labor force shortage and stimulate the economy with consumer spending.

The Chinese public’s reaction to the end of the one-child policy has been mixed. Many citizens interviewed by news sources stated that they were either reluctant to have another child or that they did not want a second child due to economic and social concerns. Others celebrated the change and expressed their intention to have another child.

Some human rights groups and critics say that China’s ending of the one-child policy does not go far enough. Groups like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have expressed concerns over China’s continued regulation of women and couples’ rights to have children.

The Central Committee’s communiqué also stated that China’s leadership will focus on the country’s growth by extending social security programs to more of the population, reinforcing environmental protection measures, eliminating poverty, and improving access to education.

 

For more information, please see:

BBC – China to End One-Child Policy and Allow Two – 29 October 2015

The Guardian – China Ends One-Child Policy After 35 Years – 29 October 2015

New York Times – China to End One-Child Policy, Allowing Families Two Children – 29 October 2015

Voice of America – In China, Mixed Reaction to Two-Child Policy Shift – 29 October 2015

 

 

 

By Christine Khamis

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

 

DHAKA, Bangladesh—

Assailants threw homemade bombs into a crowd gathered for Ashura, a Shiite Muslim holiday, on Saturday. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks, but the Bangladeshi government has since rejected their claim.

The assailants threw a set of homemade bombs into a crowd of around 20,000 Shiites as they gathered at Hussaini Dalan, a historical Shiite landmark, for a procession through Dhaka’s old quarter. One person was killed and over one hundred people were injured in the blasts. Despite the bombing, thousands continued the procession.

Police recovered two other undetonated bombs from the scene of the attack. They have detained two suspects in connection with the bombings.

Bangladeshi authorities believe that the Islamic State had no involvement in the bombings. The spokesman for the Dhaka police, Muntashirul Islam, stated that the police had linked any militant group to the bombings.

Bangladesh’s prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, states that international terrorist groups cannot function in Bangladesh. Ms. Hasina believes that the violence comes from opposition like Jamaat-e-Islami and the Bangladeshi National Party. Officials from the Awami League, Ms. Hasina’s political party, support her belief and state that the Islamic State does not exist in Bangladesh. Ms. Hasina  and the Awami League believe that the Dhaka bombing was carried out to incite panic among citizens.

However, according to SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks radical Islamic propaganda and other information, the Islamic State has taken responsibility for the bombings. SITE Intelligence Group reported that a social media statement released by the Islamic State said that “soldiers of the Caliphate in Bangladesh” detonated the bombs in a temple of “polytheists in the city of Dhaka, during the holding of their polytheist rituals.” The statement has not been independently confirmed.

Tensions have been running high in Bangladesh for weeks in the wake of reports of impending terrorist attacks. The United States government and some other foreign governments recently  reported that they had gathered intelligence indicating that a terrorist group linked to the Islamic State was planning to attack foreigners in Bangladesh. Some foreign embassies have even issued warnings to their citizens residing in Bangladesh against walking outside or attending gatherings.

The bombings are the third round of violent acts for which the Islamic State has taken credit in the past month. During that time, two foreigners, an Italian man and a Japanese man, were shot and killed in Bangladesh.

The Ashura procession, in which Shia Muslims mourn the martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, has occurred annually for over four centuries without violence. The bombings were the first time that Shiite Muslims, a minority group, were targeted in Bangladesh. Shiites have historically not been discriminated against and attacks against them are rare.

 

For more information, please see:

The Indian Express – Bangladesh Rejects Islamic State Claim of Attack on Shiites – 25 October 2015

BBC – Dhaka Blasts: One Dead in Attack on Shia Ashura Ritual – 24 October 2015

The Guardian – One Killed and Scores Wounded in Attack at Shia Site in Bangladesh Capital – 24 October 2015

International Business Time – Bangladesh Bomb Attack: ISIS Claims Responsibility for Blasts That Killed 1, Injured Over 100 in Dhaka – 24 October 2015

New York Times – ISIS Claims Responsibility for Attack in Bangladesh – 24 October 2015