Asia

North Korea Resumes Reunions for Families Separated During Korean Civil War

By Brian Lanciault

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

PYONGYANG, North Korea– North Korea has agreed to South Korea’s proposal to resume reuniting families that were separated during the Korean Civil War (1950-53). Observers take this as a sign of encouragement that the otherwise bitter and flaring relationship between North and South is beginning to cool down.

A hugely emotional affair, family reunions are set to resume after North Korea finally accepted the South’s proposal. (Photo courtesy of BBC)

The reunions are expected to take place on September 19, during the elaborate Chuseok harvest festival, according to reports released on Sunday by KCNA, a major North Korean news agency.

North Korea set off months of unsettling tensions with a long-range rocket launch in December followed by an underground nuclear test in February. The North’s menacing rhetoric against the United States and South Korea hit its apex between March and April amid U.S.-South Korean military drills in the region, and a vote by the U.N. Security Council  to impose even tougher sanctions on the Pyongyang regime, in hopes to quell the swelling tide of nuclear threats.

The KCNA reported that both North and the South, following an agreement to reopen the Kaesong Industrial Zone, will soon discuss the possibility of resuming cross-border tours at Mount Kumgang.

The Kaesong Industrial Zone, a massive complex, located in the North but shared by the two nations, has been closed since April. Kim Jong Un’s regime began blocking South Koreans from entering the manufacturing complex, which sits on the North’s side of the heavily fortified border and houses the operations of more than 120 South Korean companies. Pyongyang then removed the more than 50,000 North Koreans working in the zone’s factories, saying it was temporarily suspending activity in the area. The decision to halt operations surprised some observers, since Kaesong has long been considered an important source of hard currency for Pyongyang.

Mount Kumgang is a North Korean resort where a South Korean tourist was shot by a North Korean soldier in 2008 after allegedly walking into an off-limits area. The reunion will take place at the resort.

“The Kaesong Industrial Zone and the tours to Mt. Kumgang resort are valuable works common to the nation which should not be delayed as they are symbols of reconciliation, unity, reunification and prosperity,” the KCNA reported.

The tragedy of divided families dates to the 1950-1953 Korean War, when the Cold War’s division of the peninsula into two nations became a permanent state of affairs. Amid fighting, millions became refugees — either fleeing violence or fearing political repercussions from either side. In the winter of 1950, some 650,000 refugees left North Korea as U.N. forces retreated after a surprise Chinese offensive.

There is no direct contact between the two Koreas, but a few families in the South have managed to establish voice and written contact, albeit in secrecy, with their relatives in the North in recent years. Most such communications are a result of North Korea’s border with China, which has become easier to overcome, not to mention the prominence of illegal cell phones that have penetrated the otherwise insulated state.

The first family reunions took place following a landmark summit between the two Koreas in 2000. Since that time, 17,100 people representing 3,500 families have been reunited on more than 18 separate occasions.

The meetings are bittersweet, as the chances of any of the divided family members meeting again are slim. The last such reunion took place in 2010.

According to a report at the time, approximately 80,000 South Koreans registered  to join one of the few reunions, but 40,000 people are believed to have since passed away or given up hope, according to the South’s Ministry of Unification. Figures from north of the demilitarized zone remain unknown.

For more information, please see:

BBC — North Korea Agrees to Family Reunions with South — 18 August 2013

Reuters — North Korea accepts South’s proposal to resume war-torn family reunions — 18 August 2013

Bloomberg — North Korea Agrees to Reunion Talks After Gaeseong Accord — 18 August 2013

Deutsche Welle — North Korea agrees to resumption of family reunions — 18 August 2013

CNN — North Korea agrees to family reunions with the South, report says — 18 August 2013

Sentences Handed Down After Chinese Unrest

By Kevin M. Mathewson
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

XINJIANG, China — Two men have been sentenced to death and three more jailed spawning from an incident occurring on April 23 in a town in Kashgar prefecture. The incident left 21 people dead, of which 15 were security personnel.

There are differing accounts of what sparked the violence.

The Intermediate People’s Court in Xinjiang’s Kashgar prefecture sentenced Musa Hesen and Rehmen Hupur, both Muslim, to death for crimes including murder and being part of a “terrorist group”.  In total, 19 suspects have been arrested and additional trials are expected.

Death sentences in China are automatically reviewed by the country’s highest court before being carried out.

The violence was initiated when three officials noticed suspicious behavior at a house. Residents of the house seized the officials and other police who arrived on scene, many of whom burned to death when the house was set on fire.

China said the attack was planned by a “violent terrorist group”.  However, other accounts dispute this attributing the confrontation to ethnic tensions. Activists accuse China of over-exaggerating the terrorist threat to justify heavy handed rules.

Authorities said those arrested had watched videos advocating religious extremism and terrorism, made explosives and knives, and banners for terrorist attacks.

“Upholding laws during our fight against terrorism helps people at home and abroad get a clearer understanding about terrorist threats in Xinjiang.” said Li Wei, an expert on anti-terrorism at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.

In recent years Xinjiang has been plagued with outbreaks of violence. Tensions have continued to rise between the State and Uighurs; the largely Muslim, Turkic-speaking ethnic group that makes up almost half the population.

Many Uighurs complain of religious and cultural repression by Chinese Authorities.  Yet,China says it treats minorities fairly and spends billions of dollars on improving living standards in minority areas.

In other recent unrest, in June of last year 35 people were killed in Turpan, and in July 2009 ethnic violence in Urumqi left almost 200 people dead and 1,700 injured.

For further information, please see:

The Guardian – Xinjiang violence: two get death penalty – 12 August 2013

China Digital Times – Court Sentences Five in Xinjiang Violence – 12 August 2013

The Australian – China sentences two to death over unrest – 13 August 2013

BBC News – Xinjiang violence: Two sentenced to death in China – 13 August 2013

Sri Lankan Mosque Attacked by Buddhist Mob

By Brian Lanciault

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — A mob of Buddhists attacked a mosque last night in Sri Lanka’s capital, injuring 12. This is the latest in a string of attacks against the minority Muslim community in the region.

Security forces deployed in mass to quell the violent eruption in the aftermath of the mosque attack. (Photo courtesy of AP)

A mob of Buddhists, who are mainly ethnic Sinhalese in Sri Lanka, threw stones at the three-story mosque and nearby houses in Colombo during evening prayers on Saturday. Hundreds of Muslim residents took to the streets, to prevent further attacks in their community.

“Support the police to maintain the law and order,” Inspector General of Police N.K. Ilangakoon told state media. There has been mounting violence against Muslims in Sri Lanka since last year, closely mirroring events in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, which has seen its own surge of attacks by members of the majority community against Muslims. In Myanmar, extremist Buddhist monks have been at the forefront of these violent campaigns against Muslims.

In Sri Lanka, the group Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), or the “Buddhist power force”, has been trying to win over Buddhists with their anti-Muslim platform. A spokesman for the BBS, Dilantha Vithanage, denied any involvement by his organisation in the latest mosque attack.

Buddhists make up about 70 percent of Sri Lanka’s 20.3 million population, while Muslims make up just 9 percent. The mosque damaged in the attack was only built a month ago after hardline Buddhists forced a nearby mosque to close.

The U.S. Embassy in Colombo said the incident was particularly troubling in light of a number of recent attacks against the Muslim community in Sri Lanka. “Targeting any place of worship should never be permitted and we urge calm from all sides. We call for prosecution of perpetrators in this attack and an end to religious-based violence,” the embassy said in its official statement. N M Ameen, president of Sri Lanka’s Muslim Council, said more than 20 mosques have been attacked since last year.

In a distinct incident, a hand grenade was thrown at a Buddhist temple in the Jaffna peninsula, on the northern tip of the island. There were no injuries reported. Jaffna is largely made of ethnic minority Tamil people, most of whom are Hindu and Christian. The area was fiercely contested in a 26-year war between government forces and Tamil separatists that ended in 2009. The longstanding unrest has left the entire region a powder keg for religious and ethnic tensions.

For more information, please see:

Reuters — Buddhist mob attacks Sri Lankan mosque, 12 injured — 11 August 2013

BBC — Sri Lanka Buddhist mob attacks Colombo mosque — 11 August 2013

Al Jazeera — Colombo mosque attack stirs tensions — 11 August 2013

Hindustan Times — Buddhist mob attacks Colombo mosque, 12 injured — 11 August 2013

Taiwan Protest Over Military Death

By Kevin M. Mathewson
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Tens of thousands of people have rallied in Taiwan’s capital, Taipei, to protest against the treatment of Hung Chung-chiu, a 24 year old army conscript.

Protesters say they are not convinced the investigation is sincere.

Hung had been held in solitary confinement for bringing a mobile phone with a built in camera onto his military base. He was subjected to strenuous punishment, including exercising in the hot sun, resulting in organ failure brought on by heatstroke.

Hung’s family said he was refused water during his punishment and had previously filed complaints of abuse against his superiors.

Eighteen army officers, including a major-general have been charged in connection with the case. The country’s defense minister has also resigned. The 18 officers were indicted on charges ranging from abuse leading to death and involuntary manslaughter to imposing illegal punishment on a subordinate and offences against personal liberty.

Hung’s death has spawned outrage across Taiwan and further damaged the reputation of an already fragile army.  Taiwan’s army is currently struggling to find volunteers as it tries to phase out conscription. All Taiwanese men aged between 18 and 36 are required to complete one year’s military service.

Protesters, many dressed in white to symbolize truth, covered the streets of Taipei saying they believed the investigation into Hung’s death was corrupt.

“I am mourning for Hung Chung-chiu and I want the truth. I hope there won’t be any more abuse and death like his in the military.” protester Jenny Tan said.

“The Cabinet has requested the Defense Ministry and the Justice Ministry to spare no effort to investigate the case and review the current system to prevent any unhumanitarian (sic) actions and abuse of power.” premier Jiang Yi-Huah said.

President Ma Ying-Jeou has publicly apologized for Hung’s death and promised justice for his family.

“As the president and the leader of the country’s three armed forces, I hereby guarantee that Hung Chung-chiu will not have died in vain and such tragedy will not happen again.” President Ying-Jeou told Hung’s father Hung Chi-tuan.

However, a day after protests, President Ying-Jeou was mobbed by hundreds of mourners as he attended Hung’s funeral protected by security guards.

For further information, please see:

BBC News – Taiwan protest over Hung Chung-chiu death – 3 August 2013

The Japan Times – Thousands in Taiwan protest conscript’s death – 3 August 2013

FOXNews.com – Mass protest in Taiwan over young conscript’s death – 3 August 2013

Yahoo! News – Taiwan president mobbed by mourners at conscript’s funeral – 4 August 2013

Attack on Indian Consulate in Afghanistan Leaves 12 Dead

By Brian Lanciault

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

NEW DELHI, India– Insurgents attacked an Indian consulate in Afghanistan’s eastern capital Jalalbabad on Saturday morning. Twelve people were killed, reinforcing growing fear that a regional struggle will soon erupt as foreign troops pull out of the country.

Outside the site of a suicide attack that tore through the Indian consulate at Jalalbabad, Afghanistan. (Photo courtesy of Reuters)

Twenty-three were wounded after checkpoint guards stopped three men in a car as they approached the consulate in Jalalbabad. Two of the men jumped out of the car and opened fire on the guards, while the third detonated multiple explosives. No Indian officials were killed, though the blast badly damaged a mosque and dozens of homes and small shops nearby according to a statement issued by the office of the governor of Nangarhar province, Gul Agha Sherzai.

India condemned the attack and, without naming any country or group, blamed outside forces.

“This attack has once again highlighted that the main threat to Afghanistan’s security and stability stems from terrorism and the terror machine that continues to operate from beyond its borders,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

Arch-rivals India and Pakistan have long vied for power and influence in Afghanistan. Many see the struggle intensifying as more international forces are pulled out of the region by the end of next year. Afghans fear that the absence of NATO-led foreign forces could lead to another round of bloody external interference and turmoil in the impoverished and violence-racked country.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, seen as close to India, is strongly opposed to the Taliban, who some say is supported by elements of the Pakistani state, in particular its powerful intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The Taliban, which openly promotes armed opposition to Karzai’s Western-backed government, denied responsibility for Saturday’s attack on the Indian consulate close to Pakistan’s border. Nevertheless, Afghan sources identified the three attackers as “Pakistani nationals”.

Attacks on the Indian embassy in Kabul -two during 2008 and 2009 that killed more than 50 people together – led to accusations by Karzai that Pakistan was attempting to obliterate India-Afghanistan relations. He gave no evidence for his assertion, and Pakistan denied its truth.

Victim’s of Saturday’s attack included eight children, and several women. Many people had gathered outside of the consulate to apply for visas when the attack occurred. An additional 23 people were injured; however, Afghan reports have dubbed the attack a “failure”.

 

For more information, please see:

Reuters — Attack on Indian mission in Afghanistan raises specter of regional struggle — 3 August 2013

BBC — Afghan attack targets Indian Mission — 3 August 2013

Indian Express — Blast at Indian consulate in Afghanistan kills 12 — 4 August 2013

Bloomberg — Suicide Attack on India Consulate in Afghanistan as Ties Deepen — 4 August 2013

The Guardian — Indian consulate in Afghanistan attacked by suicide bombers — 3 August 2013