News

EU Calls for International Fact-Finding Mission to Myanmar

By: Nicole Hoerold
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia 

NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar – The European Union called on the United Nations to send an international fact-finding operation to Myanmar on March 16. The EU recommends that the UN investigate allegations of torture, rape, and extrajudicial killings by the military against the Rohingya Muslim minority.

A Rohingya refugee cries at Leda Unregistered Refugee Camp in Teknaf, Bangladesh on February 15, 2017. Photo courtesy of Reuters.

In October 2016, Myanmar’s military began a security operation after Rohingya insurgents attacked border police, killing nine. Since last October, 75,000 people have fled the Rakhine state to Bangladesh in fear of persecution by Myanmar forces.

The EU draft resolution strengthened the language of an earlier draft which had failed to include a demand for an international probe into the alleged human rights atrocities. If the Council were adopted, it would “dispatch urgently” a mission “with a view to ensure full accountability for perpetrators and justice for victims.” The recommendations to the Myanmar government are meant to help improve the welfare of the people living in the Rakhine state.

Both the UN and international human rights organization Amnesty International believe that the actions of Myanmar forces in the Rakhine state constitute crimes against humanity. According to the organizations, the Myanmar government lacks the independence and impartiality necessary for a thorough investigation of the alleged criminal behavior and subsequent justice for the victims. They hope that an international investigation will be enough to return accountability to the region and protect the welfare of all of Myanmar’s residents.

For more information, please see:

Straits Times – EU calls for international probe of Rohingya abuses in Myanmar – 16 March, 2017

Amnesty International – Myanmar: Act now on Rakhine Commission report – 17 March, 2017 

Asian Correspondent – Burma: Rights group urges prompt action over Rakhine state report – 17 March, 2017

Human Rights Watch – US: Call on Burma to Cease Persecution of Rohingya – 17 March, 2017 

Deutsche Welle – EU calls for UN fact-finding mission to Myanmar to probe rights abuses – 16 March, 2017 

Lagos Settlement Destroyed Despite Court Order

By Samantha Netzband 

Impunity Watch, Africa Desk Reporter 

LAGOS, Nigeria– A fishing community was demolished on March 17th, despite a court order not to do so. Residents of the Nigerian town of  Otodo-Gbame are in turmoil after a settlement was destroyed despite a court order that halted eviction of the settlement.  300,000 people are facing eviction across Nigeria in order to pave the way for development projects.

Residents after the demolition of the settlement. (Photo Courtesy of Al Jazeera)

Residents are in shock after the demolition, claiming that they received no notice from the government about the demolition of the settlement.  Amnesty International has condemned the forced evictions that are happening in order to clear the settlement.  In a statement Amnesty International said residents “are being forcibly evicted and their homes destroyed by bulldozers as security services used tear gas and live bullets to clear the area.”  Amnesty International is also calling on the state to provide emergency services to the residents that have been displaced by the demolition.  “The Lagos State Government should ensure that the families who have been rendered homeless this morning are given emergency relief including adequate shelter, water, food and any medical care they may require,” Amnesty International Nigerian Researcher Morayo Adebayo said.

30,000 people were already evicted by last November as Nigeria began to make way for development projects. Nigeria’s High Court in January ruled that the demolition of the settlement should be stopped so many residents remained in the area and also decided to rebuild their homes if they had already been demolished.  Many human rights advocates are calling for the evictions and demolitions to be stopped.  Advocates are saying that the destruction of property without the consent of the residents is a gross human rights violation.

For more information, please see: 

Al Jazeera – Police displace thousands in Nigeria’s Otodo-Gbame slum – 17 March 2017

BBC Africa – Lagos Settlement Demolished Despite Court Order – 17 March 2017

Channels Television – Residents Cry Out Over Demolition of Settlement in Lagos – 18 March 2017

Premium Times – Lagos govt ignores court order, commences fresh demolition of Otodo-Gbame, residents say – 17 March 2017

 

United States Revised Travel Ban Challenged in Federal Court

By Sarah Lafen
Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, North America

 

WASHINGTON D.C., United States — On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang heard two hours of arguments challenging and supporting President Trump’s revised executive order banning travel from six Muslim-majority countries.  The revised order will suspend the U.S. refugee program for 120 days, prohibit the issuance of visas to those from Yemen, Sudan, Syria, Libya, Somalia and Iran for 90 days, and decrease the number of refugees allowed to enter the U.S. in 2017 from 110,00 to 50,000.

Attorneys for the ACLU, National Immigration Law Center and members of the International Refugee Assistance Project speak outside of the U.S. District Court in Maryland court on Wednesday (Photo Courtesy of The Guardian)

Refugee rights organizations brought suit in federal court in Maryland claiming that the revised travel ban illegally targets a religious group.  Among others, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) asked Chuang to halt the order entirely, and argued that it represents a “pretext to discriminate against Muslims.”  Justin Cox, lawyer for the National Immigration Law Center, told Chuang that those affected feel the order targets Islam and condemns their religion.

The U.S. government responded to the claims made by refugee groups by saying that all references to religion have been eliminated from the revised order.  The government encouraged Chuang to focus on the exact wording of the order, and urged that the words indicate the ban is aimed at preventing terrorism.

The government also argues that people from the countries targeted by the travel ban “warrant additional scrutiny in connection with [the] immigration policies because the conditions in these countries present heightened threats.”  However, analysts at the Department of Homeland Security have indicated that citizenship is an “unlikely indicator” of ties to terrorism.

The hearing concluded without a ruling.  Chuang told court attendees that he “appreciated[d] everyone’s advocacy” and will issue a ruling as soon as possible.  According to ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt, Chuang pressed both the advocacy groups and the government about their respective claims.  Chuang asked the government why he should not consider all of President Trump’s comments regarding Muslim immigration, and asked the refugee rights groups whether President Trump is forbidden from limiting immigration from anywhere in the world just because of comments he made during his campaign.  Gelernt also said that Chuang asked whether a nationwide ban or a limited halt would be the appropriate remedy.

Hawaii’s challenge to the revised executive order will soon be heard in federal court, and Washington is also requesting a hearing in federal court to challenge the ban.

 

For more information, please see:

The Guardian — Hawaii Judge to Issue Ruling on Revised Trump Travel Ban Before it Takes Effect — 15 March 2017

Independent — Donald Trump’s Revised ‘Muslim Travel Ban’ Under Scrutiny by US Federal Courts Day Before Introduction — 15 March 2017

USA Today — Clock Ticks as Trump’s Revised Travel Ban Faces Multiple Court Challenges — 15 March 2017

The Washington Post — Federal Judge in Hawaii Freezes President Trump’s New Executive Order — 15 March 2017

Humam Quader Chowdhury Released After 7 Months in Secretive Detention

By: Nicole Hoerold
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

DHAKA, Bangladesh – Humam Quader Chowdhury was released on March 2, 2017 near his family home in Dhaka. Chowdhury was taken by unmarked men on August 4, 2016 and allegedly held in secret detention by Bangladeshi authorities. Chowdhury is one of two other men who were taken in separate incidents last August, though the others have yet to be released.

Bangladesh security officers stand in front of the central jail in Dhaka in 2013. Photo courtesy of Reuters.

All three men are sons of prominent opposition politicians, who were tried and convicted by the International Crimes Tribunal meant to prosecute war crimes as a result of Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence. The men have been denied access to lawyers and communications with their families.

In early March, the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances called on the Bangladesh government to reveal the whereabouts of the men. Though Chowdhury’s release is a step in the right direction, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have both voiced concerns regarding the welfare of those remaining in captivity and urge the government to either charge or release the detainees. The government denies any responsibility, though family members of the victims cite several sources confirming a connection between the takings and Bangladeshi security forces.

Humam Quader Chowdhury cannot remember where he was held, family members have reported. Human rights organizations warn of the government’s practices, as these are not the first allegations of government sponsored disappearances. The international community is keeping an eye on the status of the other two detainees.

For more information, please see:

Human Rights Watch – Bangladesh: Man Released From Long Secret Detention – 2 March, 2017

Amnesty International – Bangladesh: Man Released From Long Secret Detention – 2 March 2017

Dhaka Tribune – Hummam Quader cannot remember anything about abduction – 3 March, 2017

Aljazeera – UN demands Dhaka action on enforced disappearances – 24 February, 2017

Hungary Tightens Asylum Laws

By Sarah Lafen

Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Europe

BUDAPEST, Hungary — On Tuesday, Hungary’s parliament voted to detain all asylum seekers within the country over the age of 14. Expected to take effect later this month, the new law will mandate authorities to detain all asylum seekers who are currently in guarded and enclosed migrant camps. Hungary previously detained all asylum-seekers, however suspended the practice in 2013 after pressure from the United Nations refugee agency and the European Court of Human Rights.

A Hungarian Police Officer stands guard at a makeshift migrant camp on the border between Serbia and Hungary (Photo Courtesy of The Washington Post)

Asylum seekers will be detained until their applications are reviewed, which is a process that usually takes months to complete. The process will be termed “assigned residency,” however is considered by many to constitute detention. The new law will apply to newly-arrived asylum seekers as well as those who are currently in the country waiting for their applications to be processed.

Human rights advocates called the new law a “reckless breach of international law.” According to Cecile Pouilly, spokeswoman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the new law means that “every asylum seeker, including children, will be detained in shipping containers surrounded by high razor wire fence at the border for extended periods of time.” The UNHCR predicts that the new legislation will “have a terrible physical and psychological impact on women, children and men who have already greatly suffered.”

Human rights groups protested the new asylum law, including Amnesty International Hungary and the Hungarian Association for Migrants and the Migrant Solidarity Group for Hungary. These groups insist that the law would “serve the government’s xenophobic and discriminatory political propaganda purposes.”

Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, justified the measure in saying it will help secure the European Union’s borders from migrants. Orban also believes the law act as a deterrent against migration, which he called the “Trojan horse of Terrorism.” Orban noted that the “flood of migration has slowed down but has not stopped” and that Hungary’s laws “apply to everyone” including “migrants who want to cross Hungary’s border illegally.” According to Orban, the laws which are applicable to everyone “is the reality, which cannot be overruled by charming human rights nonsense.”

Other nations restrict the movement of migrants for security reasons, however Hungary would be the only European nation with such restrictive measures.   The new law can still be vetoed by the Hungarian president, but is not expected to happen.

 

For more information, please see:

USA Today — Hungary Will Detain Asylum Seekers in Shipping Containers — 8 March 2017

The Washington Post — Hungary Votes to ‘Detain’ All Asylum Seekers in Camps — 8 March 2017

Hungary Today — Hungary Parliament Tightens Asylum Law to Throw Migrants Back to the Other Side of the Border – Updated — 7 March 2017

The New York Times — Hungary Approves Detention of Asylum Seekers in Guarded Camps — 7 March 2017