By Pei Hu
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BANGKOK, Thailand – More than 70 people were injured as Thai soldiers and protesters clash at a major road junction near the landmark Victory Monument in Bangkok.  The Thai army began removing anti-government protesters blocking the centre of the capital. Alastair Leithead, BBC’s correspondent in Thailand, reported that the capital is tense with a stand-off between the troops and the protesters.

Earlier, the Thai army opened fire and shot tear gas at the crowd while the protesters threw stones and petrol bombs at the military. Today’s incident is the first major clash after weeks of mass protests.

Thai Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva declared a state of emergency after protesters stopped a major Asian summit in Pattaya.

The collapse of the summit severely embarrassed Vejjajjva and he vowed to restore order. Groups of more than five people are banned and media can be censored during a state of emergency. During a press conference, Vejjajjva asked for public co-operation to end the crisis, “In the next three to four days, the government will keep working to return peace and order to the country,” he said. Vejjajjva also added, “I can confirm that the government and security agencies are still unified.”

The protesters mostly back ousted Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra. Shinawatra, who is in self-imposed exile abroad, has called for a ‘revolution’ against the current government. “Now that they have tanks on the streets, it is time for the people to come out in revolution … And when it is necessary, I will come back to the country” he said in a message shown on giant screens near the prime minister’s office.

According to witnesses, the Associate Press news agency says “The soldiers fired hundreds of rounds from their M-16 automatic rifles as they advanced, though it was unclear whether they were firing at, or over, the protesters.”

Col Sunsern Kaewkumnerd, a military spokesperson, said about 400 soldiers had moved against some 300 protesters. Kaewkumnerd accused the protesters of using cars to run over soldiers as well as throwing tear gas and smoke bombs as the soldiers first. In response, Kaewkumnerd said the Thai army first fired a warning shot into the air. However, after the situation did not improve, the soldiers then fired live rounds. “We will start with soft measures and proceed to harder ones … We will avoid loss of life as instructed by the government.”

For more information, please see:

AFP – Thai soldiers spray gunfire, tear gas at protest– 12 April 2009

BBC – Thai troops crack down on protest – 13 April 2009

New York Times – Protesters in Thailand Challenge Premier– 12 April 2009

New York TImes – Picture of Protester

By Shayne R. Burnham
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

MANILA, Philippines – Human Rights Watch calls upon the government of the Philippines to investigate and hold accountable members of the “Death Squad” for extrajudicial killings in Davao City on the southeastern island of Mindanao.

Supplementing this announcement is a 103 page report, “You Can Die Any Time: Death Squad Killings in Mindanao.”  This report reveals the involvement of local officials in targeted killings of drug dealers, petty criminals and street children.  Human Rights Watch investigated 28 cases and interviewed more than 50 people including victims’ families, witnesses, local and government officials, and journalists.

Human Rights Watch identified a pattern of the killings that took place.  Typically, two or three Death Squad members arrive on unmarked motorcycles.  They wear baggy shirts in order to conceal their weapons, usually a knife or .45 caliber handgun.  They wear baseball caps, doing little to cover their faces.  They attack at any time, frequently during the day.  They do not fear witnesses, often threatening them that they would be next if they talked to the police.  Notably, when an attack occurs, the police arrive late, so that perpetrators have a chance to escape.  Police are also known to fail to collect obvious evidence and to follow up in their investigations.

Local officials generally have a list of persons who are engaging in criminal activities.  Local level officials warn the people that if they do not stop, they will be killed.

Most members are former communist New Army insurgents or those who were formerly on the “list” to avoid getting killed.  They are then trained by police officers who provide them with weapons and information about their victims.

“The hundreds of targeted killings in Davao City in recent years are clearly not random events but the result of planned hits by a ‘death squad’ that involves police officers and local officials,” said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch.  “The police consistently fail to bring the perpetrators to justice, while the local government cheers from the sidelines.”

Director General, Jesus Verzosa, chief of the Philippine National Police, denies any involvement in the death squads.  He said, “We acknowledge that human rights organizations documenting the series of alleged vigilante killings in Davao city are well-intentioned, but we completely disagree with their pronouncements that these cases were state-sponsored.  He added that charges, “should be backed by evidence so taht appropriate cases may be pursued and filed before the courts of law.”

Mayor of Davao City, Rodrigo Duterte, defends the existence of death squads, stating that their presence serves as a deterrent to crime and ensures that the community is safe.

The Philippine government, under the leadership of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, has been accused of inaction and even supporting targeted killings.  President Arroyo had appointed Duterte as her consultant on peace and order in 2003.

“Arroyo has been taking security advice from someone who openly advocates murder to bring peace and prosperity,” said Roth.  “But this needs to stop.  The Arroyo government should send a clear message to local officials and the police that the killings of petty criminals, drug users, and street children will not be tolerated.”

For more information, please see:

GMANews.TV – HRW Report: How Davao City’s Squad Killers Get Away with Murder – 7 April 2009

Human Rights Watch – Philippines: Dismantle ‘Davao Death Squad’ – 6 April 2009

Inquirer Mindanao – Prove It, PNP Chief Dares Rights Groups – 8 April 2009

By Pei Hu
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

DHAKA, Bangladesh – On April 9^th, 2009 the Bangladeshi government announced that it would create a war crimes tribunal within two weeks to try war crimes committed from the bloody 1971 liberation struggle.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was elected last year, had promised to jump start the tribunal as soon as possible.

The Bangladeshi Law Minister Shafig Ahmed, told the media that the government was in the final stages of putting together the defendant list. “We have begun the process by deciding to appoint the investigating agency, prosecutors, investigation officers and form tribunals in two weeks,” Ahmed said.

The United Nation (UN) promised to aid the tribunal. Last Wednesday, the UN said that some of its top war crimes experts would advise Bangladesh on how to try the defendants accused of murder and rape. Renata Lok Dessallien, head of the United Nations in Bangladesh, told AFP “We have suggested the names of some top international experts who have experience in how war crimes tribunals operate across the globe.”

Dessallien also said the UN would look into whether Bangladeshi law complies with international war crimes law. Dessallien added, “This is the first time Bangladesh is conducting war crimes tribunals and it is important it understands how other countries have held them. There are some countries where mistakes were made and we don’t want Bangladesh to repeat those mistakes.”

“The UN will advise us so that we don’t make any mistakes and so that the process is transparent and does not create any questions” Ahmed said.

The tribunal was welcomed by human rights NGOs like Amnesty International.

During the 1971 war for liberation, Bangladesh was then West Pakistan and fought against East Pakistan to become an independent country. The alleged war criminals sided with West Pakistan and committed murder, rape, and arson. About three million people were killed during the war.

A private investigation that investigated the conflict listed 1,775 people responsible for the atrocities. The private group blamed top Pakistani generals and local Islamists that allied with Pakistan for the atrocities.

For more information, please see:

AFP – Bangladesh war crimes tribunals in two weeks – 9 April 2009

AFP – UN to help Bangladesh war crimes trial planning – 8 April 2009

BBC – Bangladesh to announce war probe – 7 April 2009