By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch Managing Editor

KASHMIR, India/Pakistan – Massive flash flooding in Kashmir, a disputed region in the Himalayans’s administered by India and Pakistan, as well as in adjoining regions in northern and eastern Pakistan have killed more than 450 people so far. Omar Abdullah, chief minister of India’s Jammu and Kashmir state, said the current flooding is the worst to hit Kashmir in decades. “This is an unprecedented situation and we are doing the best we can under the circumstances. Please don’t panic, we will reach you, I promise,” Abdullah said on Twitter. Six days of rain in at the Indian administered region of Kashmir have caused the worst flooding the region has seen in more than 60 years decades.

Both countries’ militaries have rushed to rescue stranded flood victims. Although rain slackened over the weekend, thousands of people remain trapped in their homes. Many residents of the region expressed anger at the lack of warning and government preparedness for the disaster, even knowing that these massive flood events have become an annual phenomenon. Modi flew to Kashmir on Sunday to survey the region, calling it a “national disaster,” and promised about $200 million for relief efforts and compensation for the flood victims.

The flooding has left hundreds of villages in the region submerged in dangerous floodwaters, displacing thousands of local residents. The natural disaster has promoted the Indian and Pakistani governments to temporarily improve their relations, which have become tenser in recent months following new rounds of border fire and disagreements that led India to pull out of high-level bilateral talks

“It is a matter of great distress that the retreating monsoon rains have played havoc in many parts of our two countries,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a letter to his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif. “In this hour of need, I offer any assistance that you may need in the relief efforts that will be undertaken by the government of Pakistan. Our resources are at your disposal.” Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry responded saying: “We also feel the pain of the people of Indian Kashmir and are ready to help in whatever way possible to mitigate the suffering of the people affected by the floods.”

Despite these friendly communications, it’s unlikely that either country will do much to collaborate in the relief effort as tensions remain high in the region. India and Pakistan have been bitterly divided over the administration of the Kashmir region since the Line of Control was drawn following the 1947 war between the two states. India and Pakistan have fought reportedly along the de facto boundary separating Indian- and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir which has become one of the most heavily militarized borders in the world.

Violence broke out once again along the Line of Control on Wednesday as about two dozen Indian soldiers fought militants even as flood rescue operations were under way elsewhere in the region. “Three militants were shot dead by the Indian troops in Kashmir after a 10-hour-long gun battle,” Indian Defense Ministry spokesman Sitanshu Kar said.

Environmentalists in New Delhi have expressed concerns that the death toll and devastation in Kashmir was alarming and the government should acknowledged that massive flooding in the region is getting worse as a result of climate change. “The Kashmir floods are a grim reminder that climate change is now hitting India harder,” Chandra Bhusan, head of climate change team at the Centre for Science and Environment said. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have said that this year’s monsoon rains had killed more than 1,000 people in India alone.

For more information please see:

India Today – LIVE updates on Jammu and Kashmir floods: Over 1,10,000 people rescued so far, many still await help – 11 September 2014

Al Jazeera – Thousands still stranded in flood-hit Kashmir – 10 September 2014

BBC News – Kashmir flood relief operation ‘too slow’ – 10 September 2014

Reuters – Tempers flare as mass flood evacuations begin in Kashmir – 10 September 2014

BBC News – Kashmir flood relief operation a major challenge – 9 September 2014

Bloomberg – Modi’s Kashmir Flood Relief May Earn Him Muslim Goodwill – 9 September 2014

 

By Hojin Choi

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

HONG KONG, China – College students in Hong Kong will boycott classes for a week. This strike seeks  to push Beijing to meet demands for democracy in Hong Kong.

According to the Hong Kong Federation of Students,  college students in Hong Kong decided to boycott their classes for a week beginning September 22^nd. This was planned in reaction to the Chinese government’s decision regarding the Hong Kong election next year. The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) ruled out the open nomination for the election of a Chief Executive in Hong Kong. This position is largely considered to be the actual leader of Hong Kong’s administration. Instead, it will allow only 1-2 candidates who are pro-Beijing and no other pro-democracy figures.

Besides the college students, other citizen-wide protests have already been implemented. Some Pro-democracy organizations have planned an “Occupy Central” campaign as a way of protesting Beijing’s decision. The organizers of Occupy Central announced that they would mobilize 10,000 activists to paralyze the center of Hong Kong’s financial district.

“If the NPC makes such a drastic decision at this stage, there is no point for further dialogue. Why wait, then,” said one of the organizers of the campaign.

Reportedly, at least 11 higher education institutions pledged to join the boycott, including government-funded institutions such as Hong Kong University, Shue Yan University, Chu Hai College, and Hang Seng Management College. The Federation of Students is seeking other citizens’ participation including, younger students.

For example, another students’ group called “Scholarism” is planning to strike too. Scholarism formed three years ago to petition for more nationalistic curriculum in schools. The core members of the group consisted of high school students in Hong Kong. In addition to the class boycott, Scholarism holds “Citizen Classrooms” at a church where they lecture about political reform and civil obedience issues to high school students.

“Hong Kong people should fight for our own universal suffrage and democracy. Our candidates should not be decided by Beijing. We must have equal rights to vote and to be elected. Beijing’s decision does not meet this requirement,” said Chen, a 17-year-old student.

The students seem to be experiencing pressure at home regarding their activities. Lu, another 17-year-old student, said “Although I joined the civil disobedience, my family and friends have got a lot of pressure. Personally, I hope my family can understand my decision.”

Another student, Zhang, reported that his parents allowed him to join the protest, on condition that he avoid activities that disrupt his studies or could be deemed illegal. “I want to fight for democracy . . . If we don’t fight for it now, our future generations may not have the chance to enjoy a truly fair and democratic universal suffrage,” Zhang said.

Hong Kong was a British colony, but returned to China in 1997. The Chinese communist government announced that the political independency of Hong Kong would be guided by the principle of “one country, two systems.” However, some activists in Hong Kong criticize that the Chinese government is trying to extend its power over Hong Kong by affecting the territory’s democracy.

The Chinese government warned against any foreign interference with this issue. The government considers the people in Hong Kong to be in collusion with outside forces. Bejing said it will not tolerate the use of Hong Kong “as a bridgehead to subvert and infiltrate the mainland” of China.

For more information, please see:

Aljazeera – China rebukes ‘foreign meddling’ in Hong Kong – 30 August 2014

BBC – China rules out open Hong Kong chief executive poll – 31 August 2014

South China Morning Post – Thousands of students plan week-long classroom boycott in push for democracy – 1 September 2014

The Standard – Student chiefs on move for mass class boycotts  – 2 September 2014

Voice of America – Hong Kong Students Discuss Class Boycott – 4 September 2014

The Wall Street Journal – Hong Kong Students to Boycott Classes If Democracy Demands Aren’t Met – 21 August 2014

By Hojin Choi

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

GENEVA, Switzerland – One person commits suicide every 40 seconds in the world according to the World Health Organization (WHO) Report. Among regions, Asian countries have the top suicide rate compared to others. The U.S. remained as the average level. The report is based on the statistical information gathered in 2012.

The WHO estimated that at least 800,000 people kill themselves each year. The most suicide-prone countries were Guyana (44.2 per 100,000) followed by North Korea (38.5), South Korea (28.9), and Sri Lanka (28.8). These countries’ rates were nearly 40 times higher than the countries with the lowest rate. The average rate of the 174 WHO member countries was 11.4. The suicide rate also seems to be affected by the wealth of the countries. Nearly 75.5 percent of the total suicides were committed by low and middle income countries.

The South China Morning Post reported that the Korean peninsula is “one of the most suicidal regions in the world.” The article explains that South Korea’s suicide rate began climbing after the economic crisis of the 1990s. South Korea’s suicide problem is well documented; it has kept the highest rate for the last 10 years among the member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD). A main factor is the extreme stress on the public caused by high competition spread over the society. Statistics Korea, a government branch, reported that the leading cause of death of Korea’s youngest generations, groups ranging from 10s, 20s, and 30s, was suicide rather than traffic accidents and diseases.

The WHO supposed that the main cause of the high suicide rate in North Korea is poverty and stress of living in a restrictive environment. Sandra Fahy, professor of Sophia University in Tokyo, reported that North Korea’s penal system also likely intensifies the suicide problem. In North Korea, criminals’ punishment can be extended to three generations of their family, and it often happens that entire families kill themselves to avoid the collective punishment.

Japan’s suicide rate was 18^th in the world, but 4^th among the high income countries following South Korea, Lithuania, and Russia. Japan had 29,442 suicides in 2012. India has the highest rate in south east asian countries. India’s rate was 21.1 per 100,000, meaning approximately 258,075 people killed themselves in 2012 alone.

The WHO called for government action to address the suicide issue. Even though the number of suicides in the world has slightly fallen from 883,000 in 2000, the recent report warns, “For each adult who died of suicide, there were likely to be more than 20 others who made one or more suicide attempts.” In other words, the Report’s statistics show the number of people who ‘succeeded’ to suicide, not including those who attempted but failed. Moreover, the Report emphasized that each suicide has a continuing ripple effect. One suicide can induce others to commit suicide or economically affect the lives of surviving families.

 

For more information, please see:

South China Morning Post – Two Koreas top of global suicide charts, for different reasons – 6 September 2014

The Guardian – North Korea’s suicide rate among worst in world, says WHO report – 4 September 2014

Daily Mail – The suicide map of the world – 4 September 2014

The Guardian – Suicide kills one person worldwide every 40 seconds, WHO report finds – 4 September 2014

The Japan News – Japan suicide rate ranked 4th among high-income countries, WHO report says – 5 September 2014

Bernama – India Tops Suicide Rate In Southern, Eastern Asia In 2012: WHO – 5 September 2014

By Hojin Choi

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

TOKYO, Japan – A never ending war has stirred controversy again. Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, sent cabinet ministers to Yasukuni Shrine to mourn the dead, a notorious temple where convicted “Class A” war criminals are included. PM Abe himself did not visit the shrine, but sent ritual offering instead.

Friday, August 15^th, marked the 69^th anniversary of the end of World War II. About eighty Japanese lawmakers and two cabinet ministers visited Yasukuni angering neighboring victim countries of the war, such as South Korea and China. Yoshitaka Shindo, Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, was one of them, and he was not worried about diplomatic tensions that would be caused by his visit. “Many valuable lives perished in the war. I came here to pray so that something like this will never happen again,” he said.

Yasukuni Shrine lists the names, origins, and birthdates of the dead, approximately 2.5 million including soldiers and civilians. Japanese politicians regularly visit Yasukuni not only to mourn the dead, but also to attract the attention of Japan’s conservative voters. Every year, diplomatic disputes arise among the far-east Asian countries because 1,000 convicted war criminals are buried together in Yasukuni including fourteen “Class A” war criminals. Japanese right-wing voters argue that the visits are merely a non-political way to pay respects to the dead. South Korea and China consider them as glorifying Japan’s militarism at the time of the war.

Some world media outlets have focused on the fact that PM Abe did not visit the temple and proposed that his absence was a diplomatic gesture to the neighboring countries. The Washington Post delivered an article under the title, “Japan’s Abe avoids Yasukuni Shrine in hopes of meeting with China’s Xi Jinping.” A German media outfit, Deutsche Welle, had an interview with Shihoko Goto, an analyst of the Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars, who stated that Abe’s decision not to visit Yasukuni was “a step in the right direction.” According to Goto, his decision “doesn’t mean he won’t consider visiting the controversial shrine again someday in the future.”

The tension between these countries was heated even after the anniversary day as a Japanese media outlet, Asahi Shimbun, revealed on August 27^th that PM Abe sent a written message to the war criminals earlier this year. Abe wrote a message for a ceremony honoring the war criminals, stating that they “sacrificed their souls to become the foundation of the fatherland.”

A South Korean Foreign Minister spokesperson denounced Abe’s message at a recent press briefing, saying “the Prime Minister’s recent words and behavior is to negate the postwar order and make us suspect reflections and apology Japan has shown over the war of aggression and colonial rule in the past.”

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Qin Gang said “the Japanese government needs to sincerely reflect on its history of aggression and make a clean break with militarism that provides an important foundation for Japan to rebuild and develop relations with its Asian neighbors after the war.”

 

For more information please see:

BBC – Japanese ministers in Yasukuni shrine visit – 15 August 2014

The Boston Globe – Asia’s never-ending war – 20 August 2014

Deutsche Welle – Fraught with controversy – Japan’s Yasukuni Shrine

The Telegraph – Yasukuni Shrine: the 14 ‘Class A’ war criminals honoured by Japan

The New York Times – Japan’s Premier Supported Ceremony for War Criminals – 27 August 2014

Global Post – S. Korea denounces Abe for message to war-related memorial service – 28 August 2014

The Guardian – China criticises Japan after Shinzo Abe honours war criminals as martyrs – 28 August 2014

By Hojin Choi
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – It took 35 years to make them face justice. An international tribunal sentenced two former leaders of the brutal Cambodian regime, Khmer Rouge, to life in prison. They were found guilty of crimes against humanity, forced transfers, forced disappearances, and attacks against human dignity.

Khmer Rouge, a radical regime of the Communist Party, governed Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. The regime attempted to create an agrarian utopia and abolished religions, schools, and currency to achieve this goal. During the period, the government forced an exodus of millions of its citizens out of towns and cities causing the deaths of nearly 2 million. The leading causes of death included starvation, overwork, and executions. This event, now known as the “Killing Fields,” is detailed by the famous film with the same title.

The two defendants were once in core positions of Khmer Rouge. Khieu Samphan, 83, was the Head of State. Nuon Chea, 88, was the chief ideologist of the regime. Both were the top-level leaders who are now considered accountable for the crimes.

The United Nations supported organizing the international tribunal, and the Cambodians and U.N. formed the court in 2006, known as the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC). The ECCC consisted of both Cambodian and international jurists. However, the effectiveness of the ECCC has been criticized for its slow progress as well as the high cost. Before the conviction of Samphan and Chea, it had convicted only one defendant, Kaing Guek Eav, the director of a notorious prison where about 14,000 inmates died. Kaing Guek Eav was also sentenced to life imprisonment. The ECCC has spent $200 million so far.

Amnesty International, the human rights organization, reported the verdict as “an important step towards justice.”

Outside the court room, many survivors and aggrieved families gathered together and cried when the verdict was announced. “It’s important for the young population to learn this lesson so that we can prevent such atrocity from occurring anywhere, not just in Cambodia,” Survivor Youk Chang said. He also said it was “a little too late for many.”

Reportedly, the defendants lawyers are seeking to appeal while the defendants are in detention. Further investigations and trials will continue on Khmer Rouge genocide cases. However, it does not appear as though the ECCC has all the relevant individuals and documents.  For the most part, these resources are too old to be acquired.

Other cases involving Khmer Rouge leaders will remain unresolved. Ieng Sary, the former Foreign Minister of Khmer Rouge, died in 2013 while the case was being prepared. His wife Ieng Thirith, the former Social Affairs Minister, was dismissed from the case due to her health condition. The top leader of Khmer Rouge, Pol Pot, died from a heart attack shortly after being arrested in 1998.

 

For more information, please see;

USA Today – Cambodia tribunal convicts Khmer Rouge leaders – 8 August 2014

BBC – Top Khmer Rouge leaders guilty of crimes against humanity – 7 August 2014

The Phnom Penh Post – ‘I will not go to the court, even if they come to arrest me’ – 9 August 2014

International Business Times – Top Khmer Rouge Leaders Sentenced To Life In Prison For Crimes Against Humanity – 7 August 2014