As the Arab League’s Mission In Syria Continues, One Monitor Quits and Labels It a ‘Farce’

By Adom M. Cooper
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

DAMASCUS, Syria–In the midst of the Arab League’s mission to discover what exactly is happening inside Syria since the protests began, one monitor decided to call it quits after what he witnessed. Anwar Malek, an Algerian member of the monitoring team, has called the Arab League’s mission to the country a ‘farce.’

 

Arab League observers attend a mass prayer for individuals were killed during the violence. (Photo Courtesy of the AP)

Malek stated that he resigned due to what he saw and that the mission itself was falling apart. He also stated that security forces did not withdraw their tanks from the streets, but rather hid them and chose to redeploy them after the observers had gone. He shared these sentiments with an Al-Jazeera correspondent.

“What I saw was a humanitarian disaster. The regime is not just committing one war crime, but a series of crimes against its people. The snipers are everywhere shooting civilians. People are being kidnapped. Prisoners are being tortured and none were released. The mission was a farce and the observers have been fooled. The regime orchestrated it and fabricated most of what we saw to stop the Arab League from taking action against the regime.”

Meanwhile, President Bashar al-Assad addressed a rather large gathering of his followers and supports in the Syrian capital, Damascus. In his second speech in as many days, al-Assad stated again his accusations that the “homeland was reeling under the brunt of conspiracy.”

“You are standing against a desecration of our identity, and you are confirming your steadfastness and support for the armed forces, whose martyrs are falling every single day so you can live in safety.We will triumph over this conspiracy. It is dying; it’s the end of their plot.”

The United Nations has declared that more than 5,000 civilians have lost their lives since the protests began against al-Assad in March 2011. Conversely, al-Assad has declared that “terrorists” have killed some 2,000 members of his security forces.

A senior UN official informed the UN Security Council on Tuesday 10 January 2012 that Syria had accelerated its killing of pro-democracy demonstrators and protesters after the Arab League monitors had arrived. Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the UN, delivering the following statement concerning the increased death of civilians since the Arab League monitors began their observance.

“The under-secretary-general noted that in the days since the Arab League monitoring mission has been on the ground, an estimated additional 400 people have bee killed, an average of 40 a day, a rate much higher than was the case before their deployment. That is a clear indication that the government of Syria, rather than using the opportunity to end the violence and fulfill all of its commitments to the Arab League, is instead stepping up the violence. The Arab League has failed for six decades to take a position in the Arab interest.”

The Arab League condemned an attack on Monday 9 January 2012 in which 11 of its monitors were hurt by demonstrators and protesters in the province of Latakia. The monitors were upset, saying that Syria breached its obligation to protect them. al-Assad’s regime claimed that it was continuing to provide security for the observers and also condemned any act that would obstruct their mission’s work. The Arab League released the following statement concerning the attacks on its monitors.

“Failing to provide adequate protection in Latakia and other areas where the mission is deployed is considered a serious violation by the government of its commitments.”

Malek further expressed his disgust what the situation, stating that the government was not assisting the observers with their requests. He also stated that those who were supposedly freed and were shown on television, were actually people who had been randomly grabbed off the street.

“The regime didn’t meet any of our requests, in fact they were trying to deceive us and steer us away from what was really happening, towards insignificant events. The people were detained for four or five days in tough conditions and later released as if they had been real prisoners.”

“Around some of the buildings, there were even army officers in front of the building, while snipers were on the roof. Some on our team preferred to maintain good relations with the regime and denied that there were snipers. From time to time, we would see a person killed by a sniper. I have seen it with my own eyes. I could not shed my humanity in such situations and claim independence and objectivity.”

One can only wonder what the civilians on the ground are really going through if one of the Arab League’s monitors, sent to help their situation, felt so repulsed by what he saw that he had to resign. The civilians of Syria need all the attention that they can get so the violence against them ceases. But as long as the violence rages on, the voices for freedom will continue to be silenced.

 

 

For more information, please see: 

Ahram – UN Says Syria Killings Rise After Monitors Arrive – 11 January 2012

Al-Jazeera – Arab Observer Calls Syria Mission a ‘Farce’ – 11 January 2012

BBC – Ex-Arab League Monitor Labels Syria Mission a ‘Farce’ – 11 January 2012

CNN – Al-Assad Revs Up Pro-Regime Rally – 11 January 2012

The Guardian – Arab League Official Attacks Syria Mission as ‘Farce’ – 11 January 2012

Reuters – Arab Monitor Quits Syria Mission in Disgust – 11 January 2012


FBI Expands its Definition of Rape

By Brittney Hodnik
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

WASHINGTON, United States – For the first time in 80 years, the FBI has amended its definition of “rape” under federal law.  After years of push from both women’s rights groups and gay advocacy groups, Attorney General Eric Holder finally announced the new definition.  The FBI expanded the definition tremendously from the antiquated 1929 version.

Robert Mueller, Director of the FBI, officially announced the change for the definition of rape last week. (Image courtesy of FBI Files)

The previous definition of rape was “the carnal knowledge of a female, forcibly and against her will.”  Over the years, this definition did not protect men who found themselves victims of rape, nor did it protect other forms of sexual assault against women.

The new definition, which expands rape to include men and non-vaginal penetration, reads as follows: “The penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or the anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.”

Every year, the FBI compiles data about crime in the United States in its Uniform Crime Report (UCR).  Previously, thousands of rapes against men and women alike were not included in the data because the acts did not fit the narrow definition of rape that many police departments use. 

For example, the current prosecution of Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky would not have been included in the UCR, even though he is being investigated for the rape of 10 young boys.  Additionally, in 2010, the Chicago Police Department reported about 1,400 sexual assaults, but none of them were included in the UCR.  According to The Huffington Post, the sexual assaults did not fit the government’s definition of rape so they were not included in the report.

“If you can’t measure it accurately, you can’t monitor it and you can’t direct appropriate resources to deal with the problem,” said Carol Tracy, executive director of the Women’s Law Project, according to USA Today.

Although every state has its own definition of rape, the FBI is hopeful that the change in the federal standard will cause the states to follow suit, according to The Daily Activist.

The change comes from advocacy by Vice President Joseph Biden, according to The Seattle Times.  In 2010, the FBI reported an estimated 84,767 rapes and it anticipates that the number will increase.  FBI Director Robert Mueller said that the previous definition was “unworkable” and “not fully applicable to the types of crimes that it should cover,” according to The Huffington Post.  The new definition will take a couple of years to be fully implemented.

For more information, please visit:

The Daily Activist — Human Rights: FBI Redefines Rape After 80 Years — 9 Jan. 2012

The Seattle Times — Rape Redefined for FBI to Include Male Victims — 9 Jan. 2012

USA Today — FBI Changes Definition of Rape to Include Men — 6 Jan. 2012

The Huffington Post — FBI Director Robert Mueller: Agency Will Update Definition of Rape — 15 Dec. 2011

French Legislature To Mull Ban On Armenian Genocide Denial

By Terance Walsh
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

PARIS, France – The upper house of France’s parliament is preparing to vote on a measure that would criminalize the denial of the Armenian genocide.  The proposed law has drawn the ire of Turkey as well as free speech proponents.

French Senate, where bill banning denial of Armenian Genocide will be debated (Photo courtesy of Azatutyun.am)

The law would prescribe a maximum one-year prison sentence and a € 45,000 penalty to those who would violate it.  This penalty is equal to the law that criminalized the denial of the Holocaust.  French government minister Patrick Ollier reasoned that “There is no reason to punish the denial of one genocide but not the other.  This is a simple coordination of punishment.”

According to Armenia the Armenian genocide took place in 1915 when 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks.  France officially recognized the Armenian genocide by passing a law in 2011.  Turkey objects to the description of genocide and comparison to the Holocaust, reasoning that there was substantial loss of life on both sides.

French President Nicholas Sarkozy, whose signature is necessary to ratify the bill, has thrown his support behind the bill.

Some French Members of Parliament stand in opposition to the bill.  Foreign Minister Alain Juppe slammed the bill, calling it “a futile and counterproductive bill, which will have serious consequences on bilateral ties with Turkey.”  French Senator Nathalie Goulet has declared that she will “go on a crusade” against the proposed anti-denial law.

The National Assembly, France’s lower house approved the bill last month.  The passage of the law prompted Turkey to recall its ambassador and suspend all contracts and military cooperation with France.  Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogam slammed the bill, calling it “politics based on racism, discrimination and xenophobia” and accused France of committing genocide in Algeria and being complicit to genocide in Rwanda.

The French law has also come under fire for its assault on free speech.  William Bauer of Policymic argued against the sensibility of denying genocide, but added “the act of genocide denial, written or verbal, must never be made an illegal, criminal act.”

Protests of about two dozen people of Turkish descent have taken place in front of the French embassy in New York City on January 5th to oppose the ratification of the bill.  Protestors want an open and fair discussion to find out what truly happened in 1915.  “The Turkish government [are] always asking Armenia [to] open the books, let’s discuss on both sides,” protestor Mae Somnez said. “But they never open the books…we never can discuss archives and what is the truth.

Supporters of the bill cite the protection of the dignity of those who perished as reason enough to restrict speech.  An appeal signed by famous singer Charles Aznavour, director Robert Guédiguian, lawyer Serge Klarsfeld, philosophers Bernard-Henri Lévy, Michel Onfray, and Turkish writer Erol Özkoray was published in Le Journal du Dimanche.

“As Elie Wiesel has written, the denial of the genocide is killing its victims for the second time. We welcome the adoption of the bill on racism, discrimination and denial by the French National Assembly on December 22.

Our target is the ban of denial on state level that the Turkish authorities bring up to France. In order the text to become a law, we call the French President, the government and the leading parties to confirm their gesture and let the Senate ratify the bill.”

The Senate will debate the bill on January 10th.  This will be followed by discussion by the Constitutional Court sometime between January 23rd and January 30th.  If the bill passes it will go to President Sarkozy’s desk where he will have the opportunity to sign the bill into law.  The bill poses the difficult balance between allowing freedom to discuss controversial issues and reverence for horrific events in human history.

For more information please see:

Hurriyet Daily News — French Senator To Launch ‘Crusade’ On Genocide Law — 6 January 2012

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty — France Said To Speed Up Vote On Armenian Genocide Bill — 6 January 2012

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty —  Protest Held In NYC Over France’s Armenian Genocide Legislation — 6 January 2012

Azatutyun — French Senate To Vote On Armenian Genocide Bill — 5 January 2012

Euractiv — Turkey Pressues France To Stop Armenian Genocide Bill — 5 January 2012

PanARMENIAN — Sarkozy Approves Genocide Bill — 5 January 2012

Policymic — France’s Armenian Genocide Bill An Assault On Free Speech — 4 January 2012

NEWS.am — Aznavour, Philosophers, Turkish Writer Call French Senate To Ratify Bill Penalizing Armenian Genocide — 2 January 2012

Chile Accused Of Whitewashing Pinochet’s Dictatorship

By Paula Buzzi
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

SANTIAGO, Chile — President Sebastian Pinera has been accused of attempting to “whitewash history” by his left wing opposition parties after the National Education Council formally announced its decision last week to refer to General Augusto Pinochet’s controversial rule as a “regime” rather than a “dictatorship” in school textbooks. The council had approved of this change in December during a special session but it became known to the general public only on Wednesday after an El Dinamo report.

General Augusto Pinochet ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990 where over 3,000 members of the opposition were killed. (Photo Courtesy of BBC).

Education Minister Harald Beyer defended the change on Wednesday stating that the decision to change the way textbooks refer to Pinochet’s rule was not politically motivated, but rather was  based on the fact that “regime” is a more general term used around the world that would be better understood by children in the first through sixth grades.

“This has nothing to do with partisans or detractors. It is about using the same expression used in schools around the world, a more general term such as military regime,” Beyer stated. He added that he personally has no problem acknowledging Pinochet’s regime as a dictatorship.

Left-wing opposition parties, however, are outraged by the decision. During Pinochet’s rule from 1973 to 1990, over 3,000 members of the opposition were killed or disappeared and around 37,000 were tortured or illegally held. President Pinera’s majority in parliament  relies in part on the backing of Pinochet’s former political base, the right-wing Independent Democratic Union.

According to the director of the Museum of Memory, Ricardo Bordsky Baudet, the term “Military regime” is a euphemism which hides something relevant. Deputy RN party president, Manuel Jose Ossandon believes history should be left to the historians. “If my father had been detained and disappeared, this change would be an insult to me,” he stated.

Senator Isabel Allende, whose father had been detained and murdered, believes the change is unacceptable. “It goes against all common sense, because the whole world knows that for 17 years what we had in Chile was a ferocious dictatorship with the most serious violations of human rights,” she said. Allende’s father, President Salvador Allende, was killed in 1973 when he was overthrown by Pinochet’s regime.

Former President Eduardo Frei also believes the change is a mistake. “History cannot be changed by a decree or a law. There is only one history and it is clear: it was a dictatorship, full stop.”

 

For further information, please see:

The Washington Post – Chile Replaces ‘Military Dictatorship’ With ‘Regime’ in Official Textbooks – 04 January 2011

BBC News – Pinochet “Dictatorship” Textbook Row Erupts in Chile – 05 January 2012

Herald Sun – Chile Downgrades Pinochet Era to a ‘Regime’ Rather Than a Dictatorship – 05 January 2012

The Financial Times – Chile Axes ‘Dictatorship’ From School Books – 05 January 2012

The Telegraph – Chile Accused of Airbrushing Augusto Pinochet History – 05 January 2012

 

 

 

Clash in China Turns Deadly

By: Jessica Ties
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BEIJING, China –A confrontation between Chinese authorities and a group of Uighurs fleeing China resulted in at least seven deaths and the detention of children as young as seven years old.

A clash between Uighurs and Chinese authorities took place in Xinjiang where a large number of Uighurs live (Photo Courtesy of PBS).

According to the chief of one of the Mukula village hamlets, Memet Eziz Hapiz, two of those killed and at least two of those detained were from his hamlet.

Hapiz states that “[a]ll of them were firm in their beliefs. That is why they were unhappy and unsatisfied with the country’s religious policy.”

Minever Ehmet, Mukula village chief, told Radio Free Asia that two of the seven individuals killed were women and “their bodies are being held by the county Public Security Bureau.”

Minever Ehmet also stated that “the four captives are children aged seven to seventeen years of age. One child is an elementary school student in second grade. They are being interrogated by the county.”

When asked about the condition of the seven year old child, the village chief responded that he was “still alive” giving the impression that the child may have been seriously injured in the clash.

According to accounts by government authorities, the police attempted to block the “traitors”, who they accused of being terrorists, from crossing the border into an “enemy” country and opened fire when the Uighurs resisted arrest.

Although the police were civil, an argument eventually ensued and resulted in the stabbing of a police officer who grabbed the wife of one of the individuals.

Despite the official account, doubts have been raised about the legitimacy of official statements regarding events in Xinjiang.

For example, in 2008 officials claimed that two Uighur men were responsible for killing sixteen paramilitary officers by using machetes, explosives and trucks. Witnesses, however, claimed that it appeared that government actors had been the aggressors.

The Uighurs, which are the Turkish speaking and Muslim population in China, have often been accused of being the source of terrorism due to their resentment of Chinese rule and the control the government exercises over their religion and culture.


For more information, please see:

China Daily – Seven Kidnappers Killed, Police Officer Dies – 30 December 2011

New York Times – Reports Describe Deadly Clash in Restive China Region – 30 December 2011

Radio Free Asia – Women Killed, Children Captured in Standoff – 30 December 2011