By Alishba I. Kassim
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

ALIGARH, India – Nearly 100 human skulls were found in a dried up pond in the Northern Indian city of Aligarh. The remains belonged to people whose bodies the police were unable to identify.

The discovery was made by children playing in the pond after it had dried up. The children located several skulls, after which police officials were notified. Police officials recovered approximately 98 more skulls alongside other bones and human remains. The bodies appear to have been there for at least a decade.

Local officials commented that the bodies most likely belonged to victims of road accidents, inconclusive shootings, and the like, and the police disposed off the bodies in the pond in order to avoid having to organize cremations. Aligarh city police chief, Maan Singh Chauhan, said he suspected this had been going on for two decades and many junior-rank officials could be responsible.

Several human rights groups in India are appalled at this recent discovery and have accused the police of being callous. A senior official of the Uttar Pradesh State Human Rights Organization, Asish Shukla, said “even dead bodies deserve honorable cremation after post mortem…It seems the dead bodies were just thrown in the pond, denying them the respect they deserve.”

In a region that is known to house rampant human rights violations where even the living are often accorded no respect, it comes as no surprise that the dead are treated the same.

For more information, please see:

CNN – 100 Skulls Found in Indian Pond – 25 May 2009

AOL News – Skulls Found in India – 25 May 2009

ABC News – 100 Human Skulls Found in India – 25 May 2009

By Hyo-Jin Paik
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BEIJING, China– China’s Ministry of Public Security arrested Zhang Weizhu, one of the most wanted criminals for human trafficking in China.  Zhang is the third suspect to be arrested after the Chinese police launched a nationwide campaign against human trafficking in April.

Despite the efforts by the Chinese police, the parents of kidnapped children claim that the government efforts are not enough to curb this growing social problem.  The parents are prevented by the police and neighborhood security committees from staging protests to bring attention to the problem.  A parent of a missing child with the surname Mo said, “On the day we planned to hold the protest, the police kept watch at the bus terminal and intercepted us.”

Parents who try to report their missing children to the authorities are often met with refusal by the police, and the local media has failed to publicize information regarding the abducted children.  A mother with the surname Deng said, “The TV station demanded a note from the police station proving that our child was really missing.”  She added, “But the police station said this was a big criminal case and…cannot be publicized.  They said it would have a bad effect on society.”

Young Chinese girl in Anhui Province (Source: AFP)

Nevertheless, Zhang Xinfeng, the Vice-Minister of Public Security, released a statement urging all authorities to continue their efforts in cracking down on the human trafficking rings and to compile a DNA database to identify the missing children.

There is apparently a huge market for children in China, and both boys and girls are being trafficked.  260 children were freed after the Chinese police solved 312 child trafficking cases since the campaign started in April, and there is a reward of 50,000 yuan ($7,326.55) for information leading to the arrest of the suspects on the top 10 most wanted list.
For more information, please see:

China View – China arrests most-wanted suspect in human trafficking cases – 22 May 2009

People’s Daily Online – Vice police chief vows to strike against human trafficking – 15 May 2009

Radio Free Asia – China Vows Action on Trafficking – 21 May 2009

Shanghai Daily – Police net third trafficker – 22 May 2009

By Alishba I. Kassim
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

PESHAWAR, Pakistan– The fierce battle against the Taliban in Pakistan has taken to the streets. As the Pakistani military advances towards Mingora; the stronghold of the Taliban in Swat, the number of civilian casualties has exponentially increased. Civilians on ground and international agencies blame the Taliban and the army equally.

In response to the Pakistani military’s advancement, the Taliban have heavily mined Mingora and prevented many civilians from fleeing. The UN based Human Rights Watch said that the Taliban were using innocent civilians as “human shields” to deter attack. Human Rights Watch further reported that the Pakistani army itself was not taking precautionary measures when conducting aerial and artillery attacks which has resulted in even more civilian casualties.

Defense and political analyst, Talat Masood, reported that the Pakistani army was engaged in a frontal combat; something even the US troops did not engage in extensively in Afghanistan. As a result of this fight, the enemy is vulnerable and in close firing range from the army.

The civilians are just as close.

For more information, please see:

AFP – Pakistani Troops Fight the Taliban on the Streets – 18 May 2009
Daily KOS –A FailSafe Plan to Reduce Civillian Casualties – 21 May 2009
South Asia News – Pakistanis Angered over Civillian Deaths – 19 May 2009

By Alishba I. Kassim
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

SWAT VALLEY, Pakistan – Almost 1.5 million people have registered for international assistance, fighting began in the Swat Valley region in Pakistan about three weeks ago. The total number of displaced people stands at about 2 million with the numbers steadily rising. The UNHCR spokesperson said that “it’s been a long time since there has been a displacement this big.”

The Swat Valley in Pakistan used to be a popular tourist attraction, but recently came under the strong control of the Taliban who imposed Sharia law in the region, and began advancing towards the capital. In response the Pakistani army launched an aerial attack, and have since then moved forward with a ground offensive, targeted at driving the militants out of the region.

The fighting has caused a mass refugee exodus, and has resulted in heavy civilian casualties.

Currently 1.30 million people are living in camps, while almost 1.04 million people are still without any shelter. Although the government of Pakistan in conjunction with the UNHCR is working hard to provide relief to the displaced citizens, the numbers are constantly rising and the situation is becoming dire as observed by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres. “It’s like trying to catch something that’s moving ahead of us because the number of people on the move every day is so big and the response is never enough.”

Emergency aid and relief is being sent over to Pakistan, but more will be needed in order to sustain the fight against the Taliban. The growing needs of the displaced people are steadily increasing in a crisis many compare to the Rwandan genocide.

For more information, please see:

Guardian – Swat Valley Refugee Crisis – 19 May 2009

CBS News – Pakistan Refugee Influx – 18 May 2009

DAWN News – UNHCR Warns of Humanitarian Crisis – 16 May 2009