By Christine Khamis

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

HONG KONG, China —

Electoral reform allowing for a direct election of Hong Kong’s next chief executive is unlikely to be passed into law in a vote by Hong Kong lawmakers this week.

Hong Kong’s Legislative Council is expected to vote on the reform by the end of the week. The reform will become law if two-thirds of the Hong Kong Legislative Council approves it, but pro-democracy legislators have vowed to veto the reform. Pro-democracy legislators make up about one-third of the Legislative Council.

The reform, while a step forward in the realization of Hong Kong’s drive for a more democratic electoral system, only allows for a certain number of pre-approved, pro-Beijing candidates to participate in the election for Hong Kong’s next leader.

The current chief executive in Hong Kong, Leung Chun-ying, supports the reform proposals and has stated that Hong Kong should pass the election reforms into law and then work to improve on the new electoral system.

The Chinese government has pledged to establish direct elections of Hong Kong’s chief executive by 2017. Currently, a 1,200 member committee comprised primarily of pro-Beijing individuals chooses Hong Kong’s chief executive.

Hong Kong is a former British colony that was returned to China in 1997 through an agreement between Great Britain and China. When China gained sovereignty over Hong Kong, it was under a “One Country, Two Systems” model that gave Hong Kong a separate legal system and freedoms of speech and press. As part of the “One Country, Two Systems” model, Great Britain and China agreed that Hong Kong would have a significant amount of autonomy for 50 years and that an electoral system supporting free election of leaders would eventually be developed.

Pro-democracy advocates argue that the proposals fall short of the democratic system that was promised when Hong Kong once again became part of China. Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, called the Basic Law, was established in 1997. The Basic Law calls for Hong Kong’s electoral process to evolve into a system in which voters elect a new chief executive from among other candidates selected by a committee with broad representation.

The National People’s Congress, the national legislature of the People’s Republic of China, set a timeline for the transition to democratic election of the chief executive in 2007. The National People’s Congress must, however, approve any changes to the Basic Law, including those concerning Hong Kong’s electoral system.

Supporters of the proposals say that the proposals are an improvement to the current system because Hong Kong’s citizens will be able to choose between multiple candidates. The chief executive position will have more legitimacy and will have to be elected by a majority of the voters.

When the reform proposals were first presented last year, Hong Kong broke out into mass protests. Pro-democracy activists occupied the streets in an effort to get authorities to approve open nominations of chief executive candidates, but were unsuccessful.

According to a poll conducted by a group of Hong Kong universities from June 11 through June 15, adults in Hong Kong favor the election reform proposal by a narrow margin.

Pro-democracy groups in China have stated that they will protest if the election reform proposals are passed.

 

For more information, please see: 

CNN – Is Hong Kong’s Fight for Democracy in its Final Round? – 17 June 2015

New York Times – Hong Kong Lawmakers Begin Debate Over Election Plan – 17 June 2015

Reuters – Hong Kong Debates Election Reform Plan With Veto Likely – 17 June 2015

BBC – Hong Kong’s Democracy Debate – 16 June 2015

New York Times – Hong Kong Election Plan Appears Unlikely to Win Lawmakers’ Approval – 16 June 2015

 

 

By Christine Khamis

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia 

 

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan– 

Pakistani officials disclosed last Friday that eight out of 10 men accused of conspiring in the attack of activist Malala Yousafzai have been acquitted and released.

Ms. Yousafzai was shot in the head and neck in October 2012 while traveling to school in the northwestern Swat Valley region of Pakistan. Prior to the shooting, Ms. Yousafzai continued to attend school despite the ongoing threat of fundamentalists opposed to the education of girls. She also had been anonymously blogging for the BBC about the realities of living in the Swat region and about the importance of education for girls.

Ms. Yousafzai survived the shooting and went on to become internationally known as an advocate for the education of girls. She was also the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in December.

Ms. Yousafzai is now 17 years old and lives in Birmingham, England with her family. She and her family are unable to return to Pakistan because of continuing threats from the Taliban.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for Ms. Yousafzai’s shooting. Pakistani officials believe that Pakistani Taliban leader Maulana Fazlullah is one of the main suspects behind the attack, along with Mr. Fazlullah’s spokesman and two other men. The suspects are believed to be hiding out in Afghanistan.

The 10 men accused of conspiring in Ms. Yousafzai’s shooting were put on trial at a military-run internment center in Swat, Pakistan. In April, a Pakistani prosecutor told journalists that all 10 men had confessed to the attack on Ms. Yousafzai and police stated that the men were convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

On Friday, the court that tried the 10 men issued its written judgment. The judgment revealed that only two of the men had been convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Pakistan’s deputy police chief Azad Khan has stated that the eight men were released because there was not enough evidence to convict them. Mr. Khan also said that the secrecy surrounding the trial led to the mistaken reports claiming that all 10 men had been convicted. Public prosecutor Sayed Naeem, who stated in April that all 10 men had been convicted, said on Friday that reporters misquoted him at the time. Mr. Naeem also stated that he has already filed an appeal of the acquittal of the eight men.

The release of the eight men exemplifies the challenges that Pakistan’s judicial system faces. Courts in Pakistan often try Islamist militants in secret trials to maintain the safety of judges, police, and witnesses. There are poor evidentiary standards used in such trials as well as a well-documented practice of getting suspects to confess through the use of torture.

 

For more information, please see:

PBS – Men Who Planned Attack Against Malala Go Free in Pakistan – 6 June 2015

Associated Press – Pakistan Police Say 8 Men in Malala Attack Were Acquitted – 5 June 2015

CNN – Pakistan: 2 Convicted, 8 Acquitted in Connection to Malala Yousafzai Attack – 5 June 2015

New York Times – Pakistan Says Court Has Freed 8 of 10 Accused in Attack on Malala Yousafzai – 5 June 2015

Reuters – Pakistan Court Frees Eight Men Charged With Attack on Schoolgirl Malala – 5 June 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Christine Khamis

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

 

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—

Gunmen dressed as Pakistani security forces stopped two buses in Mastung on Friday night and shot at least 22 ethnic Pashtuns. The buses were traveling from Quetta to Karachi. It is unclear why the Pashtuns were targeted by the gunmen.

Around 15-20 gunmen checked passengers’ identity cards on the buses, looking for Pashtuns. Officials say that some Pashtun passengers were shot while on the bus, while others were lined up outside of the buses and shot there.

About 35 of the passengers were kidnapped by the attackers, according to Sarfaraz Bugti, the home minister of Baluchistan. The bodies of 22 passengers were later found a short distance away from the highway where the buses were stopped.

Hundreds of troops have been carrying out a search for the attackers across the Mastung District. Officials state that at least five victims of the attack have been rescued.

Mastung is located in southwestern Pakistan and is about 40 miles from Quetta, the provincial capital of the conflict-ridden Baluchistan Province in Pakistan.

Baluchistan is home to both ethnic Baluch and Pashtuns. Attacks by Baluch separatists on Pashtuns are rare and risk upsetting relations between the two groups. There have been no other attacks in which Pashtuns were killed after having their identity cards checked.

While no group has taken responsibility for the killings yet, there have been similar attacks carried out by Baluch separatists. The Baluch separatists have maintained a low-level insurgency since the mid- 2000s, calling for greater autonomy and a greater share of the natural resources in Baluchistan, which is rich in oil and minerals. The separatists have a long history of conflicting with Pakistani security forces.

There is also a great deal of violence carried out by Islamist militants against security forces and Shi’ite Muslims, who are a religious minority in Baluchistan. Earlier in May, a group of militants killed at least 43 bus passengers, who were from Pakistan’s Shi’ite community.

A Pashtun lawmaker from Baluchistan, wishing to maintain his anonymity out of fear for his safety, has stated that the attack was meant to disrupt plans for an economic corridor allowing China easier sea access with the help of a network of rail, road, and pipeline infrastructure. The project was announced while Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Pakistan in April. China has pledged $46 billion to Pakistan to help fund the economic corridor.

Pakistani officials believe that India supports terrorism in Pakistan and that India is backing the separatist movement in Baluchistan. India has denied having any involvement in the movement.

On Saturday, hundreds of Pashtun protestors held a sit-in outside outside the Governor’s house in Quetta and demanded that the killers be punished. Businesses in Quetta also closed in protest of the killings. The relatives of 16 of the victims joined the protestors and laid out the victims’ bodies in front of the Governor’s house. The sit-in ended peacefully after the protestors met with Abdul Malik Baluch, Baluchistan’s top elected official.

 

For more information, please see:

BBC – Pakistan Bus Raids: Balochistan Gunmen Kill at Least 19 – 29 May 2015

Wall Street Journal – Gunmen Kill 20 in Pakistan Bus Attack – 29 May 2015

New York Times – Hundreds Protest After Gunmen Target Ethnic Pashtuns in Southern Pakistan – 30 May 2015

Reuters – Gunmen Kill 22 Bus Passengers in Pakistan Attack – 30 May 2015

U.S. News and World Report via Associated Press – After Pakistan Bus Attacks Kill 22, Worries That Baluchistan Insurgency Growing More Violent – 30 May 2015

 

By Christine Khamis

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia 

 

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia

Joshua Wong, an 18-year-old democracy activist from Hong Kong, was barred from entering Malaysia on Tuesday. Mr. Wong was scheduled to speak at forums overseen by Malaysian youth activist groups, including the Malaysia Youth and Student Democratic Movement. The forums commemorate the 26^th anniversary of the crackdown on Tiananmen Square protestors in Beijing in June 1989.

Mr. Wong is the leader of Scholarism, a student activist organization in Hong Kong. In the scheduled forums, Mr. Wong was going to speak about the democratic movement in China. Specifically, he was going to speak about his experiences as one of the leaders of the Umbrella Movement, a student-led protest in Hong King last year during which tens of thousands of activists gathered and demanded free elections of leaders. Chinese officials ultimately used force to break up the gathering and refused to give in to the protestors’ demands.

Mr. Wong was sent back to Hong Kong on Tuesday and stated that he was told by Malaysian immigration officers that a government order banned his entry into the country. A Hong-Kong immigration department spokesman said that the Hong Kong government had no control over the entry of its residents to other countries.

Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Malaysian minister of home affairs, said he did not know that Mr. Wong was denied from entering Malaysia and that he would speak with the director-general of immigration about the issue, according to Malaysiakini, a Malaysian news website.

In a statement made by Mustafa Ibrahim, director-general of the Malaysian Immigration Department, it was stated that Mr. Wong was on the list of people barred from entering Malaysia. The statement did not give a reason as to why Mr. Wong was on the list.

Organizers of the forums at which Mr. Wong was scheduled to speak have demanded an answer to why he was barred from entering Malaysia. Critics are calling the denial of Mr. Wong’s entry an act of political censorship by the Malaysian government.

Eric Paulson, co-founder of the Malaysian civil rights organization Lawyers for Liberty, has stated that the Malaysian government was attempting to contain the influence that Mr. Wong may have had on Malaysian youth. Youth in Malaysia are discontent with widespread corruption and increases in the cost of living and have participated in street protests this year.

The Malaysian Working Group on the 26^th Anniversary of June 4 said that the forums commemorating the 26^th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown will still be held. Mr. Wong stated that he intended to try to address those attending the forums in Malaysia through videoconference.

 

For more information, please see: 

BBC – Hong Kong Activist Joshua Wong Refused Entry to Malaysia – 26 May 2015

The New York Times – Malaysia Denies Entry to Joshua Wong, Hong Kong Democracy Activist – 26 May 2015

Voice of America – Hong Kong Democracy Activist Denied Entry to Malaysia – 26 May 2015

The Wall Street Journal – Hong Kong Student Activist Joshua Wong Barred From Malaysia – 26 May 2015

 

 

 

 

 

By Christine Khamis

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

 

ANDAMAN SEA AND MALACCA STRAIT, Off the Coastlines of Thailand and Malaysia–

Thousands of migrants are stranded in boats in the Andaman Sea off the coast of Thailand and in the Malacca Strait near the coast of Malaysia. The migrants have been unable to find asylum after fleeing from oppression and economic troubles in Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Many of the migrants are Muslim Rohingya from Myanmar. There are over one million Rohingya in Myanmar and more than 100,000 have fled from persecution in recent years. The Rohingya are a minority in Myanmar and have faced systematic discrimination by Myanmar’s government. They are also subject to attacks by radical Buddhists. Anti-Muslim views are common among the people of Myanmar, many of whom are Buddhist.

In Myanmar, the Rohingya are not entitled to rights of citizenship, freedom of travel or access to education. Myanmar’s military government has stated that the Rohingya are Bengali migrants whose presence is an unwelcome reminder of colonialism in Myanmar. Bengladash’s government disagrees that the Rohingya are Bengalis and has made attempts to close its borders to the Rohingya migrants.

The other migrants traveling with the Rohingya are fleeing from economic hardship in Bangladesh. Legal migration is time consuming and expensive, so many of those migrating from Bangladesh have used the same trafficking routes and boats as the Rohingya.

Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia have all turned boats of refugees away at their shores, leaving the migrants with no option but to go back onto the open sea.

Malaysia turned away one such boat full of migrants on Wednesday. Malaysia has a shortage of unskilled labor, making it a prime destination for fleeing migrants. Malaysia has already admitted tens of thousands of Rohingya, but those who arrive through people trafficking routes are treated like illegal immigrants and are placed in slums. They are treated with discrimination and their only employment options are dangerous and low-paying jobs.

Although Malaysia has admitted a number of Rohingya, the recent surge in migrants reaching Malaysian and Indonesian shores has caused both countries to state that they will not accept any more migrants unless they are in extreme peril. A Malaysian official has stated that the rush of migrants is unwelcome and that the Malaysian government will not allow any illegal entries into Malaysia.

Malaysian Deputy Home Minister Wan Junaidi Jaafar has voiced concern that if Malaysia continues to admit the fleeing migrants, then hundreds of thousands more migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh will come to Malaysia.

A boat carrying an estimated 660 migrants arrived in Indonesia, a Muslim country, on Friday morning. Yet another boat was sighted in the Malacca Strait by the Indonesian Navy on Friday morning and was turned away before it could come ashore. Indonesia’s government has stated that illegal immigrants will not be admitted.

Another boat, carrying hundreds of migrants, reached the shore of Thailand on Thursday after journalists found it in the Andaman Sea of the Thailand shore. The boat’s crew had abandoned the boat without a working motor, leaving the passengers stranded without food and water. Although there are differing accounts of how many people aboard the ship have died, passengers have stated that 10 people on board the ship had died and were then thrown overboard, The Thai government repaired the boat’s engine and provided the passengers with supplies and enough fuel for 33 hours.

Thai authorities claimed that the passengers on board the ship wanted to continue their journey to Malaysia instead of getting out in Thailand. The boat had, however, already been turned away from Malaysia on Wednesday. A Thai reporter witnessed the boat’s parting and stated that some of the migrants aboard did not seem to want to leave. She stated that women on the ship were crying as the ship pulled away from the Thai coast.

While the Thai government has stated that its navy will give humanitarian aid to migrants, they do not want the migrants to settle down permanently in Thailand.

United Nations human rights chief Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein has stressed Myanmar’s responsibility for the migrants’ fleeing because of its discrimination against the Muslim Rohingya. He has stated that until discrimination against the Rohingya is addressed, the migration of the Rohingya refugees will continue.

 

For more information, please see:

CNN – We Will Send Rohingya Back, Says Malaysia, Amid Calls to Rescue Migrants – 15 May 2015

The New York Times – Boat With Hundreds of Migrants From Myanmar Heads Farther Out to Sea – 15 May 2015

BBC – ‘Ten Deaths’ on Stranded Myanmar Migrant Boat – 14 May 2015

The New York Times – How Myanmar and Its Neighbors Are Responding to the Rohingya Crisis – 14 May 2015