Asia

E-Waste: Out Of Sight Out Of Mind and Into China’s Environment

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Managing Editor, Impunity Watch

BEIJING, China – Every year the newest high-tech “must haves” hit the stores. From tablets to smartphones these devices are updated constantly. Manufacturers add new features, often barley changing the design or functions of the device itself, to make the new product more desirable and the model design somehow obsolete. Consumers come in droves to buy the newest smart-devices in developed countries often never seeing what will happen to their discarded devices when they trade in the old for the new. The undesired electronics are called E-waste. The process of recycling E-waste in developing countries like china is extremely hazardous, putting workers, local residents and the environment at risk in towns where E-waste recycling is being carried out.

Women work in a Guiyu warehouse stripping remote controls of their circuit boards. (Photo courtesy of The Khaleej times)

The town of Guiyu in China is perhaps the E-waste capital of the world. Mountains of discarded electronics, from remote controls and stereos to televisions sets and telephones, fill warehouses and spill out into alleyways. Workers strip the plastic devices of their circuitry to attempt to recycle the devices or retrieve the precious metals like gold and copper found within to resell. The industry comes at a high environmental cost for the community and the surrounding environment. Workers who burn circuit boards and plastic to attempt to retrieve precious metals suffer from a high degree of exposure to dangerous chemicals and heavy metals. Heavy metal contamination has turned the air and water toxic, and children have high lead levels in their blood, according to a study published in August by researchers at Shantou University Medical College. Plastic often ends up flooding the local watershed, polluting the water and destroying local ecosystems.

Over the past few decades, most of the e-waste entering Guiyu came from outside of china, often coming from developed countries in Europe and North America. However, in recent years western counties have been making a greater effort to recycle their own electronic waste. However, the Chinese domestic supply of e-waste is surging and much of it will continue to end up in Guiyu.

According to the United Nations University’s Solving the E-waste Problem (StEP) Initiative China currently generates 6.1 million metric tonnes of e-waste a year, compared with 7.2 million for the United States and 48.8 million worldwide. E-waste production in the United States has increased by 13% over the past five years while China’s has nearly doubled, at that rate China will surpass the Unlisted States as the biggest producer of e-waste as early as 2017.

“Before, the waste was shipped from other parts of the world coming into China — that used to be the biggest source and the biggest problem,” said Ma Jun, director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, one of China’s foremost environmental NGOs. “But now, China has become a consuming power of its own,” Ma said. “We have I think 1.1 billion cell phones used, and the life of our gadgets has become shorter and shorter.” “I think the wave is coming,” he continued. “It’s going to be a bigger problem.”

The environmental and health concerns of e-waste processing largely go ignored by the Chinese government and the industry remains poorly regulated. “From the government’s perspective, e-waste gathering and processing is important for the local economy,” said Lai Yun, a Greenpeace researcher. “Research has shown that 80 percent of households are involved in this work. So, if they don’t expand this industry, these residents will need some other kind of employment.” An estimated 80,000 of 130,000 residents Guiyu work in the poorly regulated industry.

“People think this cannot be allowed to go on,” said Leo Chen, 28, a financial worker who grew up in the town of Guiyu. While he said the situation is better today than a decade ago, the long-lasting impacts of environmental degradation remain. “In my memory, in front of my house, there was a river. It was green, and the water was very nice and clear,” he said. “Now, it’s black.”

For more information please see:

Salon – Fast, Cheap And Out Of Control: How Hyper-Consumerism Drivezs Us Mad – 2 November 2014
Business Insider – E-Waste Inferno Burning Brighter In China’s Recycling Capital – 28 October 2014
The Japan Times – Chinese Capital Of Recycling Electronic Waste Is Booming, But At A Cost To The Environment And Locals’ Health – 28 October 2014
Khaleej Times – E-Waste Inferno Burning Brighter In China’s Recycling Capital – 28 October 2014

Christian Pakistani Woman Sentenced to Death Appeals the Case to the Highest Court

By Hojin Choi

Impunity Watch Reporter

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Asia Bibi, a Christian Pakistani woman, is taking her blasphemy case to the highest court of Pakistan. She was sentenced to death in 2010 for allegedly making derogatory expressions about the name of the Prophet Mohammed while having an argument with her Muslim co-workers. An intermediate level court rejected her appeal and upheld the decision.

Bibi is a mother of five and a resident of Punjab province in Pakistan. In 2009, she had an argument with her fellow workers. According to her, the workers refused to drink water in a bucket because she was not Muslim and because she had touched the bucket of water. She was arrested and accused under the blasphemy law which can impose death or life imprisonment according to Pakistan’s penal code. She had been jailed more than a year and sentenced to hang. In 2010, the Lahore High Court upheld the decision.

Bibi’s attorney, Naeem Shakir, told CNN that “there is no concrete evidence against Asia Bibi, and the courts are only relying on the statement of those two women, [the fellow workers.]” The attorney expected the Supreme Court’s relief for Bibi.

Daughters of Asia Bibi standing in front of their house with a photo of the mother (Reuters)

The blasphemy law has been the center of a huge controversy domestically and internationally in the wake of Bibi’s case. In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI officially requested Bibi’s release. A group of human rights activists filed a petition to the U.N. Human Rights Council for her. Human Rights Watch pointed out that the law largely targets religious minorities in Pakistan and it is often manipulated to interfere with personal disputes. In fact, Bibi has been insisting that her fellow workers falsely incriminated her based on lies because they simply did not like her.

Amnesty International described her case as “a grave injustice.” The spokesperson said that she “should never have been convicted in the first place.” Amnesty International’s Deputy Asia Pacific Director, David Griffiths, added “those who speak out against the laws face terrible reprisals. However, the blasphemy laws violate international law and must be repealed or reformed immediately . . .”

There have been additional victims related to Bibi’s case. Shabaz Bhatti, who was Pakistan’s Minister of Minority Affairs, had investigated Bibi’s case and concluded that her charges were based on personal and religious enmity followed by a recommendation to release her. Bhatti also held a position against the blasphemy law. In 2011, she was assassinated by the Taliban as “a message to all of those who are against Pakistan’s blasphemy law.” Salman Taseer, the governor of Punjab province where Bibi is from, was killed by gun-shots from one of his own security guards. Accordingly, Taseer had opposed the blasphemy law and supported Bibi’s release.

Shakir, Bibi’s attorney, also expressed concerns about his own safety. During her trial, there were dozens of people who were against Bibi, and he did “feel threatened” even in the court.

Protesters demanding release of Asia Bibi (Reuters)

Spokesperson of Pakistan’s Presidential Office, Farahnaz Ispahani, delivered an opinion that Pakistan remains committed to protecting religious minorities. “Pakistan is a nation of many faiths and religions, and all Pakistanis, no matter what their religion, are equal under the law,” he said. He added that the president will issue a pardon “if necessary” after carefully examining the Bibi’s case. However, two prominent Muslim leaders of Pakistan threatened to call nationwide protests if the president pardons Bibi, “if the president pardons [her], we will raise our voices across the country until he is forced to take his decision back.”

For more information please see:

CNN – Pakistan president urged not to pardon Christian woman – 24 November 2010

CNN – Condemned Christian woman to take blasphemy case to top Pakistani court – 20 October 2014

Amnesty International – Pakistan: Upholding blasphemy death sentence against Christian woman ‘a grave injustice’ – 16 October 2014

Newsweek – Christian Pakistani Women Sentenced to Death Will Take Case to Highest Court – 23 October 2014

Philippines: The Last Country without Legal Divorce

By Hojin Choi

Impunity Watch Reporter

MANILA, Philippines – If people have a legal right to be together, they should be allowed to be legally separated. However, there is one country left in the world that has not yet granted a lawful right of divorce. In Philippines, legalization of divorce is still a controversial issue, and a recently filed bill ignited the nation’s dispute once more.

Divorce is not a new concept in Philippines, but the procedure for obtaining one is too restrictive for average individuals to proceed with. Filipino Congresswoman Luzviminda Ilagan is the representative of the Gabriella Women’s Party and a co-author of the divorce bill. The proposed bill “would be the empowerment of women, particularly the poor,” she said. The purpose of the bill is to promote efficiency within the divorce process by making it quicker and cheaper. It is expected to reduce 30-40% of the current costs of legal separation or annulment.

Congresswoman Luzviminda Ilagan, the co-author of the divorce bill, says the bill will improve rights of low-income women in Philippines (AKP Images)

In Philippines, 28% of its total population is classified as “extremely poor.” These people live off less than $1.25 a day. About 40% of the population survives on a meager $2 each day. Therefore, as people need at least $4,000 to end their marriage legally, most people of low-income have no means to get divorced.

Paolo Yap, a graphic designer in Manila, told the Washington Post that he needed $6,700 to hire a lawyer for counseling in his divorce issues, and he eventually dismissed the lawyer because there would be additional costs, at least twice as much. “You know, it’s only about [$2,000 – $3,000] to hire a hit man to kill your spouse” in Philippines, he added as a joke.

Another barrier to the divorce process is the nation’s religious background. Divorce had been legal in Philippines until the enactment of the 1949 Civil Code. Professor Solita Monsod, from the University of the Philippines, explained that the legal prohibition was based on religious grounds. “It is because of a very powerful and conservative church hierarchy, and the dominance of very conservative segments of the Catholic laity,” he said.

The Catholic Church in Philippines officially denounced the bill. “We are opposed to legislation which would enable the state to break the marriage bond so that the couple can each remarry,” said Bishop Teodoro C. Bacani Jr. He also expressed a unique view toward domestic abuse cases. When there is a violent husband who abuses his wife and when divorce is legally allowed, then the man “is free to marry another woman and continue the abuse.” He argued that people could choose to be separated instead of getting a legal divorce.

The law of Philippines is more generous to people who observe other religions in terms of divorce. For example, the law allows legal divorce to Muslims, who constitute 11% of the population.

A number of news media outlets pointed out problems relating to Filipino workers abroad. The Philippines government encourages people to work overseas and forces them to live apart from their family. 70% of those workers are female. Therefore, the women in Philippines, especially who have low or no income, are more vulnerable in the current legal system.

Even though the bill has support in the Congress, it also faces strong opposition. Congressman Elpidio Barzaga Jr. insisted that a strong family makes a strong society, and the strong society will lead to a strong nation.

“We can have this only if there are laws that solidify and strengthen it,” Barzaga announced in opposition to the bill. He also added that “marriage is not merely a personal contract between husband and wife, it is a social institution which public policy cherishes and protects.”

For more information please see:

The Washington Post – World’s last legal ban on divorce doesn’t keep Philippines couples together – 10 October 2014

CNN – The fight to make divorce legal in the Philippines – 6 October 2014

North Korean Leader Reappears after Long Public Absence

By Hojin Choi

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

PYONGYANG, North Korea – The North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, appeared in public view having an “on-site guidance trip” according to a North Korea’s state-run media, the Korean Central News Agency. In photos, Mr. Kim was walking with a cane, which gives credence to the theory that he had been suffering from leg pains and had surgery recently.

Mr. Kim, known to be 30, had been absent from the public since September 3, and there had been much speculation about his status. First, he was thought to have health problems as a few foreign doctors had been witnessed entering North Korea. Moreover, Mr. Kim was seen limping in early July on North Korean television. A few months later, a state-run television mentioned his health status, noting that he “was not feeling well.” According to statements of the former personal doctor of Mr. Kim’s grandfather, he inherited a number of health problems from his ancestors, such as psychological problems and obesity.

The young dictator of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, reappeared with a cane after long public absence. (Getty Images)

Another rumor indicated he lost power over the North Korean Communist Party and the military hierarchy. During 2014 Incheon Asian Game, which was recently held in South Korea, three core members of the North’s politics and military surprisingly visited the South together. They are ranked in the governmental hierarchy as numbers 2 to 4, and it was the first time after the Korean War that these high-ranking officials visited the South at the same time.

According to the news agency, Mr. Kim took a trip to the new residential complex and “inspected” it. He also visited the Natural Energy Institute of the State Academy of Sciences. Reportedly, Vice Marshal Hwang Pyong-so, the 2nd ranking official in the North, accompanied Mr. Kim during the trip. Mr. Kim’s wife and sister were also walking closely with him.

The Washington Post analyzed Mr. Kim as comparatively “more open” than his grandfather and father, the preceding leaders of North Korea. John Delury, an expert on North Korea at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, said that “there is a pattern here of being more forthcoming, a little less cryptic.” There had been rumors whether Mr. Kim had successfully taken over the power from his father because he was too young and inexperienced, but “by appearing in public, Kim wanted to show the world he still rules the state,” said Koh Yoo-hwan, a professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University in Seoul.

Nothing has been clearly proven about the political stability of the new regime, but it remains the world’s most isolated and authoritative country under the young leader.

For more information please see:

The New York Times – North Korea’s Kim Jong-un Reappears in Public, North’s Media Reports – 13 October 2014

NBC News – North Korea’s Kim Jong Un Ends Long Public Absence – 14 October 2014

The Washington Post – As Kim Jong Un returns, North Korea becomes slightly more open – 14 October 2014

CNN – North Korea says leader has reappeared – 14 October 2014

Bloomberg – North Korea Shows Kim With Cane in 1st Sighting in Weeks – 13 October 2014

Korean “Digital Refugees”: Controversy over Privacy and Surveillance

By Hojin Choi

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

SEOUL, South Korea – On October 13, Lee Sirgoo, the co-CEO of a South Korean company “Daum Kakao,” held a press conference in Seoul, South Korea. He bowed in apology and said that “we stopped accepting prosecution warrants to monitor our users’ private conversations from October 7, and hereby announce that we will continue to do so.” He said that the company will make privacy the top priority of its business when there is discord between privacy and law and added that “if our decision is a violation of the law, I, as the head of Daum Kakao, will bear any responsibilities.” What’s happening in Korea?

Lee Sirgoo, the co-CEO of Daum Kakao, apologizing to the public at a press conference in Seoul, South Korea. (Yonhap)

The Daum Kakao is a company that operates Kakao Talk messenger application. The Kakao Talk is a dominant application in South Korea with 35 million users out of 50 million of the country’s total population. Most cell phone users now communicate with each other through Kakao Talk rather than mere text messaging, and the term “Ka Talk” has already become synonymous with “sending message via phone.”

The controversial issue arose when the South Korean president, Park Geun-hye, announced in late September that she was cracking down on the spread of baseless and insulting rumors about the president’s personal life. She complained that such rumors in SNS and on websites are socially divisive and destructive.

South Korean Prosecutor’s Office reacted to the president’s anger immediately. Within two days of the president’s comments, the office held a meeting with social media companies, such as Daum Kakao, Naver, and Nate, and also with other government offices like the Ministry of Security and Public Administration, police departments, and the Korea Communications Commission. As a result, the office officially announced that they will “preemptively respond” to spreading false information over the web by “constant monitoring” the SNS and messenger services. About seven days later, the office launched a special team for the task under the Prosecutors’ Office.

The public erupted into a fury and obvious anxiety. Even worse, a newspaper allegedly introduced a case in which the Daum Kakao recently handed to the Prosecutor’s Office the information of three thousand people’s messages and profiles in relation to an investigation on only one person. The company and the office both denied the article, but the company admitted that the Prosecutor’s Office and the nation’s information bureau regularly request information (conversations between users) through warrants.

The president of South Korea, Park Geun-hye, was recently suffered from rumors on websites and SNS about her personal life. (Reuters)

Based on a long history of distrust of governmental authority since the nation’s military dictatorship, the public started leaving the Kakao Talk and seeking for a “digital asylum.” So far, over 400,000 users have deserted the service, and, within a week, 1.5 million Koreans newly joined a German messenger application, Telegram. This application has no server in Korea and its functions are focused on privacy security. Accordingly, the app encrypts conversations between users and also has a function that automatically deletes the messages a moment after users read them. Now, the forerunner company of Daum Kakao, Daum Communications, is also suffering in the stock market as well as losing its users. The stock fell by over 20% in just three days.

Considering these side effects, the company made the decision not to obey law enforcement by ignoring warrants and compliance requests. The co-CEO of Daum Kakao, Lee Sirgoo, announced regrets that “Daum Kakao failed to understand such anxiety of users of Kakao Talk, bringing the issue to the current state.” He also announced further efforts to regain users’ trust by promoting privacy protections. The company will form an “Information Protection Advisory Committee” composed of outside professionals and modify its message-storage policy, such as reducing from 7 to 2-3 days of keeping users’ conversations in its server and encrypting them.

For more information please see:

YONHAP NEWS – Daum Kakao apologizes over security controversy – 13 October 2014

The Wall Street Journal – Maker of Korean Chat App to Ignore Legal Demands for Users’ Messages – 13 October 2014

Gadgets – Korea’s Kakao Talk Vows to Protect User Privacy – 13 October 2014

BBC – Why South Koreans are fleeing the country’s biggest social network – 9 October 2014

BBC – akao Talk says ‘no’ to South Korean government demands – 14 October 2014

Malaymail – Privacy before law, vows South Korea’s Kakao Talk – 14 October 2014