News

President Obama Tentatively Endorses Diplomatic Approach with Syria

by Michael YoakumImpunity Watch Reporter, North America

WASHINGTON, D.C., United States – President Obama, in a prime time speech Tuesday, called upon Congress and the American public to give him time to pursue diplomatic options for disarming the Bashar al-Assad government of its chemical weapons.  The President tentatively endorsed an agreement by which Assad will surrender his chemical weapon stockpiles to the United Nations for disposal.

President Obama spoke for fifteen minutes on why deterring the use of chemical weapons is important to national security. (Photo courtesy of ABC News)

President Obama used most of his time persuading the American public that allowing unchecked use of chemical weapons would embolden Iran and make it easier for terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda to gain access to chemical weapons. The President also answered questions from the American public about the scope of military action expected if the diplomatic measures should fail.

The President’s call for a diplomatic solution marked the third strategy in two weeks for dealing with allegations that the Assad government was behind the August 21 sarin gas attack in Damascus.

On August 31, President Obama seemed certain of the need to make targeted cruise missile strikes against Syrian chemical weapons depots.  However, the President surprised the American public and his own national security team over the Labor Day weekend by asking Congress to authorize military force in Syria.

This latest strategy came to fruition on September 9 when Secretary of State, speaking off the cuff, offered the Assad government a way to avert military action.  “[Assad] could turn over every single bit of his chemical weapons to the international community in the next week,” Kerry said, adding “All of it.  Turn it over.  Without delay and allow a full and total accounting for that.”

While Kerry dismissed the idea that Assad would acquiesce to such a plan, Russia took steps towards putting that plan into action.  Since that plan was offered, Assad has admitted to possessing stockpiles of chemical weapons and expressed his desire for Syria to join the Chemical Weapons Convention, a UN resolution banning the use of chemical weapons in war.

For more information, please see:

CNN – Syria speech: What’s next on Obama’s to-do list – 11 September 2013

NBC News – Uncertain path forward after Obama makes his case – 11 September 2013

The Guardian – Syria crisis: Obama leans to diplomacy on chemical weapons impasse – 11 September 2013

The New York Times – Planned as Call to Act, Obama’s Speech Became a Plea for Time – 11 September 2013

ABC News – Obama Blends Threat of Attack, Hope of Diplomacy – 10 September 2013

International Prosecutor Quits Cambodia War Crimes Tribunal

By: Danielle L. Gwozdz
Impunity Watch News Reporter, Africa

PHNOM, PENH – The international prosecutor of Khmer Rouge’s tribunal has quit. The prosecutor Andrew Cayley resigned as the court prepares closing arguments in its first mini-trial of two surviving Khmer Rouge leaders.  Cayley was appointed the position in December 2009.

International Prosecutor Andrew Cayley (photo courtesy of VOA)

Britain’s Cayley stated that he resigned this post due to personal reasons. He told the VOA that it was no surprise that he would be resigning this year. However, he did not elaborate on the subject and told VOA that this would not affect the ongoing prosecutions under his authority.

Cayley’s resignation is to be effective on September 16.

This departure comes at a crucial time in the court’s prosecution of two surviving Khmer Rouge leaders: Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan.

It is believed that these two leaders are responsible for the deaths of two million people between 1975 and 1979. Nuon Chea was Pol Pot’s deputy, and Khieu Samphan was head of state.

Both leaders are now in their 80’s for this trial, and their leader Pol Pot died in 1998.

The trial before the court is said to be so complex that the court divided it into a number of smaller trials. The first of these mini-trials concluded in July and since then the prosecution, defense, and the lawyers for the civil parties have been preparing their closing statements.

The prosecution, defense, and lawyers are scheduled to file their submissions at the end of September, and the court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in October. A judgment is expected next year.

Although this trial is complex, Cayley states that the process was on track as far as the prosecution was concerned.

“What I’ve done in the past month – which I undertook to the UN to do – is I’ve put in place measures basically that the case will continue to a proper conclusion,” said Cayley. “Our written submissions are almost complete and will be ready to be filed on the 26th of September. So yes, it’s not an ideal situation, but certainly the office is well prepared for my departure. And the office is not just about me – it’s about a whole team of people working together, and me departing is not going to affect the quality of the work.”

This under-funded tribunal has been plagued by numerous problems since its creation in 2006.

Recently, about 200 Cambodian employees at the court walked off the job last week to demand months of back wages. The Cambodian side of court, which lacks $3million in funding, has also dealt with allegations of mismanagement and corruption.

This strike could delay the court’s efforts to hear closing submissions in October.

The UN’s role is to fund the international side. However, in recent weeks the UN’s secretary General Ban Ki-moon warned that the court could collapse. He asked the countries to donate $3million needed to keep the national side running until the end of the year.

“Looking at my national colleagues, it’s not just critical for the functioning of the court; it’s actually critical to their lives,” said Cayley. “These are people who haven’t been paid for several months, and they have families that need to be supported. That’s why I think it needs to be resolved as quickly as possible.”

Cayley’s replacement is U.S. lawyer Nicholas Koumjian, who has worked previously at the Special Court for Sierra Leone and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Koumjian is scheduled to arrive in Cambodia next month.

For further information, please visit:

Voice of America (VOA) – Key Prosecutor Quits UN-Backed Cambodia War Crimes Tribunal – 9 September 2013
TheInnoPlexION – Key Prosecutor Quits UN-Backed Cambodia War Crimes Tribunal – 9 September 2013
GlobalSecurity.org – Key Prosecutor Quits UN-Backed Cambodia War Crimes Tribunal – 9 September 2013
Pakistan.com – Key Prosecutor Quits UN-Backed War Crimes Tribunal – 9 September 2013
SILObreaker – Key Prosecutor Quits UN-Backed War Crimes Tribunal – 9 September 2013
ViralNewsChart – Key Prosecutor Quits UN-Backed War Crimes Tribunal – 9 September 2013
KKYBA.org – Key Prosecutor Quits UN-Backed Cambodia War Crimes Tribunal – 9 September 2013

Syrian Refugees Relocating to Germany in First Wave of Temporary Resettlement Program

by Tony Iozzo
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

GENEVA –  The United Nations announced on Tuesday that over 100 Syrian refugees were being relocated to Germany this week, in the first step of a plan to relocate nearly 12,000 Syrians this year.

The first wave of refugees will leave Lebanon on Wednesday. (Photo courtesy of World Bulletin)

107 Syrians will be the first among a group of 5,000 Syrians to be relocated to Germany by the end of this year in what the U.N. is deeming a temporary humanitarian admissions program, according to Melissa Fleming, the spokeswoman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.

This first wave of refugees being relocated to Germany are identified as particularly vulnerable, and includes “women and girls at risk, people with serious medical conditions, survivors of torture or others with special needs,” according to Fleming.

“This is a lifesaving tool for most of them,” Fleming stated.

Neighboring countries such as Turkey, Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon have taken in most of the Syrian refugees so far, as 2 million Syrians have fled. The refugees are faced with makeshift conditions in these countries, however, and the U.N. is calling on additional western countries to contribute.

The U.N. has only managed to find homes for roughly 7,000 refugees in twelve western countries in the current plan, despite the goal of reaching 12,000. Other countries that have agreed to accept Syrian refugees include Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Under this program, Germany’s relocation plan is currently the largest. The country has announced that it will extend two-year residence permits which allow the Syrian refugees to work, and the permits could potentially be lengthened if the Syrian conflict remains unsettled.

This first group of 107 Syrians are departing from Lebanon on Wednesday, and will travel to the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees where they will be greeted before being transported to an accommodation center for two weeks. At the center, the Syrians will receive basic language training, and receive an orientation on the schooling and healthcare system of Germany. After the two-week orientation, the Syrians will finally depart to their temporary homes across Germany.

For more information, please see:

Fox News – Syrian Refugees Temporarily Resettling in Germany Under Biggest Relocation Program – 10 September 2013

New York Times – Germany to Accept Syrian Refugees – 10 September 2013

World Bulletin – Germany to be Temporary Home of 107 More Syrians – 10 September 2013

Deutsche Welle – Syrian Refugees Heading for Germany – 9 September 2013

 

 

Asia-Pacific Study Reveals That One in Four Asian Men Have Committed a Rape

By Brian Lanciault

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

ASIA– Nearly 24% of men surveyed in a U.N. report looking at violence against women in parts of Asia have admitted to committing at least one rape. Some ten thousand men from six countries took part in the survey.

A women demonstrates holding a sign demanding justice for a Delhi gang-rape victim. (Photo courtesy of The Hindu)

Researchers interviewed more than 10,000 men at nine sites in Bangladesh, China, Cambodia,Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Sri Lanka in a first of its kind, multi-country survey on the prevalence of rape. Of those who admitted rape, just under half said they had done so more than once.

The prevalence of rape varied between countries.

In Papua New Guinea, more than six out of 10 men surveyed admitted forcing a woman to have sex. It was least common in areas of Bangladesh, where it was just under one in 10 and Sri Lanka where it was just over one in 10. In Cambodia, China and Indonesia it ranged from one in five to almost half of all men surveyed.

The men in the survey were questioned by trained male interviewers, and were left alone to record the answers to the most sensitive questions. The word “rape” was not used. Men were asked indirect questions such as, “Have you ever forced a woman who was not your wife or girlfriend at the time to have sex?” The results averaged around 11% of the men surveyed. When the question was altered to account for forcible intercourse with a wife or girlfriend, the average rose to 24%.

Nearly three quarters of those who committed rape said they did so for reasons of “sexual entitlement”. Report author Dr Emma Fulu said: “They believed they had the right to have sex with the woman regardless of consent.”

“The second most common motivation reported was to rape as a form of entertainment, so for fun or because they were bored,” Fulu reported. Some indicated using rape as a form of punishment or because they were angry. According to Fulu, “the least common motivation was alcohol.”

Men who had suffered violence as children, especially childhood sexual abuse were more likely to have committed rape.

“These data justifiably create global outrage, accentuated by horrific recent high-profile cases, including the brutal gang rape of a student in New Delhi,” said Dr. Michele Decker from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.

More than half of non-partner rape perpetrators first did so as adolescents, which affirms that young people are a crucial target population for prevention of rape.

“The challenge now is to turn evidence into action, to create a safer future for the next generation of women and girls,” said Dr. Decker.

For more information, please see:

Hindustan Times — Asia-Pacific study points to a seething crisis of rape — 10 September 2013

The Hindu — ‘One in four men across Asia admit to having committed rape’ — 10 September 2013

BBC — Almost a quarter of men ‘admit to rape in parts of Asia’ — 9 September 2013

Bloomberg — One in Four Men Surveyed in Asian Study Say They Raped — 10 September 2013

 

At Least 60 Killed in Central African Republic Clashes

By: Dan Krupinsky
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

BANGUI, Central African Republic – As violence continues to plague the Central African Republic, officials announced early in the week that fighters believed to be loyal to ousted President Francois Bozize killed dozens of people and displaced tens of thousands over the weekend.

CAR has been unstable since independence in 1960 (Courtesy: BBC)

The fighting was in the western region of the country, an area that has been the site of several massacres in the past few month, allegedly carried out by the Seleka coalition of fighters, who ousted Bozize in March. Since that time, Seleka leader Michel Djotodia was sworn in as president, vowing to return the country to democracy by organizing elections within a year and a half.

“The international community should keep a watchful eye on what is happening in this country, as we have just made a policy shift to pave the way for elections,” said presidential spokesman Guy Simplice Kodegue.

Kodegue put the death toll at 60, some estimates say that as many as 73 people were killed. According to the official government statement, a column of army soliders, with the support of Seleka fighters, were dispatched to the western region from Bangui to stop the assailants, who are accused of abusing civilians in the town of Bossangoa, which is located near Bozize’s home village.

According to Orongaye Rigobert, a community leader in Bossangoa, the pro-Bozize fighters had destroyed bridges used to access the town from Bangui in a bid to halt the army’s advance.

The clashes caused about 80 percent of the town’s population, some 30,000 people, to flee into the forest.

The latest fighting comes on the heels of a UN warning that the country is on the brink of collapse.

Another spokesman for the government accused Bozize of coordinating the most recent attacks, asking the international community for assistance in halting the violence and restoring order.

“It is an attempt by Bozize and his supporters to take power,” said Crepin Mboli-Goumba. “Six towns have been taken. This shows Seleka does not control the situation so we call on the international community to mobilize (peacekeepers) so they can intervene.”

According to recent estimates by UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos, who recently visited the country, about one third of the country’s 4.6 million people need assistance with food, shelter, healthcare or water.

Since coming to power, Seleka fighters have been accused by aid workers of looting the healthcare system, as well as civilians.

If the accusations are true, it would be the first large-scale operation launched by the former President’s forces since his overthrow in March.

 

For further information, please see:

All Africa – New Fighting Reported As Security Continues to Deteriorate – 10 September 2013

BBC – Central African Republic says scores killed in new clashes – 9 September 2013

Reuters – Death toll rises in battles in Central African Republic – 9 September 2013

Washington Post – Official: 60 killed in attacks in home region of deposed Central African Republic leader – 9 September 2013