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

 

By Christine Khamis

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

 

MANILA, Philippines –

Two Chinese diplomats were shot to death in a restaurant in Cebu, a central city in the Philippines, on Wednesday. Another Chinese diplomat was wounded after he was shot in the neck by the same shooter. Two of their colleagues are suspects in the shootings.

Li Qingliang and his wife, Guo Jing, both employees at Cebu’s Chinese Consulate, have been identified as the suspects in the shooting. Police found a .45-caliber pistol left behind by the suspects at the restaurant. Police have not yet determined Mr. Li and Ms. Guo’s motive for the shootings. Mr. Li and Ms. Guo fled from the restaurant but were later arrested at Cebu’s consular office.

According to Colonel Romeo Santander, Superintendent of Cebu Police City Intelligence Branch, Li Hui and Sun Shen, employees of the Chinese Consulate, were shot while dining with their colleagues.

Ms. Li was a finance officer for the Chinese Consulate and Mr. Sun was the Consul General’s deputy. The Consul General, Song Ronghua, was also shot and wounded. He is currently in stable condition.

Colonel Santander said that video footage of the shootings shows an argument breaking out among the people seated at the table. Mr. Li then shot Ms. Li, Mr. Sun, and Consul General Song.

The Philippine Foreign Ministry has stated that both Mr. Li and Ms. Guo have diplomatic immunity pursuant to the Vienna Convention, as they are accredited Chinese diplomats. The Ministry’s spokesman, Charles Jose, says that both will handed over to China and will be subject to China’s legal process. China’s ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the case will be handled according to applicable international treaties and bilateral consular agreements.

China and the Philippines have disputed over territorial claims in the South China Sea. Consul General Song recently took office and has been working to help China improve ties with the Philippines. Local reports say that Consul General Song stated that the two countries had “no excuses to quarrel” at a conference that took place last month.

 

For more information, please see:

CNN – Two Chinese Diplomats Accused of Killing Colleagues in the Philippines – 22 October 2015

BBC – Chinese Diplomats Shot Dead in Philippines Restaurant Attack – 21 October 2015

The New York Times – 2 Chinese Diplomats Shot to Death in Philippines – 21 October 2015

Voice of America – 2 Chinese Diplomats Killed in Philippines Shooting – 21 October 2015

The Wall Street Journal – Two Chinese Diplomats Killed by Gunman in Philippines – 21 October 2015

By Christine Khamis

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

 

KATHMANDU, Nepal –

Human Rights Watch has released a report on the human rights violations that occurred during protests this year in the Terai region of Nepal. The report calls for Nepali authorities to investigate the abuses and to bring those responsible for the abuses to justice.

The Human Rights Watch report, entitled “‘Like We Are Not Nepali’: Protest and Police Crackdown in the Terai Region of Nepal”, highlights Human Rights Watch’s investigation into the killings of 25 people, including 16 civilians and 9 police officers.

At least 45 people were killed during protests from August to September 2015. Among the atrocities committed were extrajudicial killings of protesters by police, killings of children, and the killings of police officers at the hands of protesters.

While investigating abuses in Nepal, Human Rights Watch visited five districts in Nepal and recorded eyewitness accounts of police abuses and violence by protesters. Human Rights Watch did not find any evidence indicating that any of those killed were posing a threat at the time of their deaths.

Police abuses included invading homes to beat occupants, beating innocent bystanders, killing non-violent protesters, using racial insults, and making death threats against civilians. Two eyewitnesses saw a police officer open fire into a hospital. In another eyewitness account, a 14 year-old protestor was shot in the face by police while an officer stood on his legs. Doctors’ reports from the examination of his body corroborated the account of how the boy died.

Section 8, article 58(3) of Nepal’s Armed Police Force regulation allows police officers to use “necessary or final force in order to defend self, maintain law and order, and to arrest the attacker” if they are attacked or obstructed from their duties. Nepal’s Home Ministry denies that police have used excessive and unnecessary force and states that the Human Rights Report was prepared in a biased manner.

Protesters have also grown violent. In one instance, protesters in Tikapur, a city in western Nepal, beat eight police officers to death with spears and sticks spiked with nails.

There are ongoing protests in Nepal led by ethnic groups, primarily the Tharus and Madhesis, who are unhappy with Nepal’s new constitution. After years of political stalemate, Nepal’s political parties agreed on a constitution, which was ratified in September 2015. Ethnic minority groups such as the Tharus and Madhesis then began to protest against the constitution because they believe that it abrogates previous agreements made with their communities and delineated federal provinces that do not afford them adequate representation as citizens.

Power in Nepal is concentrated in the Pahadi, a group populating the Himalayas and the surrounding areas. The Madhesis and Tharus make up about a third of Nepal’s population, and they generally possess less wealth and education that the Pahadis.

Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli became Nepal’s new prime minister on October 12, replacing Sushil Koirala. Brad Adams, the Asia director for Human Rights Watch, has stated that “Nepal’s new leadership should take immediate steps to stem the tide of abuse that has overtaken Nepal…the government needs to order investigations, and publicly call on all security forces to desist from any excessive use of force.”

 

For more information, please see:

Human Rights Watch – ‘Like We Are Not Nepali’: Protest and Police Crackdown in the Terai Region of Nepal – 16 October 2015

Human Rights Watch – Nepal: Investigate Deaths During Terai Protests – 16 October 2015

The New York Times – Report on Nepal Protests Details Grisly Violence – 16 October 2015

Voice of America – HRW: Nepal Must Investigate Constitution Protests Killings – 16 October 2015