Ethiopians Unsettled by Increase in Food Prices

By Carolyn Abdenour
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – Earlier this month, the Ethiopian government removed price controls that have been in place since January of this year. The price controls were initially implemented to stabilize the price of food staples such as meat, bread, and cooking oils. Now that the controls have been removed, food prices are soaring, and many Ethiopians feel the government’s actions are causing turmoil.

Residents of the Horn of Africa desperately needing food rations. (Photo courtesy of BBC).
Residents of the Horn of Africa desperately needing food rations. (Photo courtesy of BBC).

During the six months the price controls were in place, the government did not observe significant changes in the price of food. However, since they were lifted, the meat market has collapsed, with the price of meat increasing $2 per kilogram in the last few weeks.

Other goods’ prices have increased similarly. Chickpea flour was $0.65 per kilogram and is now $1.60 per kilogram. Coffee, Ethiopia’s most important crop, is now too expensive for most of its citizens to purchase. An Ethiopian taxi driver reported “[My] family can no longer honor a basic Ethiopian courtesy by serving [coffee] to guests”.

The Ethiopian government blames these increasing food prices on the international market. However, the International Monetary Fund (“IMF”) counters the government’s claim by asserting that the government is over-borrowing and printing too much currency, explaining in May that Ethiopia’s money supply has expanded by 35 percent. The IMF claims this increased money supply is causing the spiraling food prices.

To combat the rising food prices, Ethiopians are boycotting meat and have created a text message campaign to voice their concerns. A local meat seller said “the campaign has affected [my] customer base but [I] can’t afford to reduce prices”. He further explained that under the price controls, he made a marginal profit. Once the price controls were lifted, he had to double his prices to remain in business.

Complicating the issue further, the government has sold land to Saudi Arabia and China for rice production. The government maintains that the land they sold to foreign investors is not being effectively used, and its sale will help Ethiopian communities. Hailemariam Desalegn, Ethiopia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, made assurances that only three percent of the arable land was being sold to other countries for food production, that the land is low-land that farmers do not want to plow, and that it is malaria ridden. However, BBC reported “local people used the land for agriculture, hunting and for gathering fruit in times of famine.”

In response to the increased food prices, Murray State University economist and native Ethiopian Seid Hassa said “the measure was taken without any careful study about the causes of rampant inflation, and the ruling party took the measures to distract public anger and potential unrest”.

For more information, please see:
Ezega – Ethiopia: Government Lifts Price Caps, Food Prices Zoom – 22 June 2011
Washington Post – Ethiopia food prices spike after govt lifts price caps, making food unaffordable for many – 21 June 2011
Bloomberg – Ethiopian Annual Inflation Rate Increased to 34.7% in May on Food Prices – 13 June 2011
BBC – Ethiopia weighs benefits of foreign ‘land grabs’ – 10 June 2011

Chinese activist released from prison amidst suspicion of unlawful detention

By: Jessica Ties
Impunity Watch, Asia

BEIJING, China – Chinese artist and critic Ai Weiwei, who is well-known for his frequent condemnation of the Chinese Communist Party, was detained on April 3 after being seized by police at the Beijing airport while attempting to board a plane to Hong Kong. After his arrest, he was taken to a Beijing police “safehouse” on allegations of committing “economic crimes”. Four of his associates were also detained.

Ai Weiwei was detained for 80 days despite never being formally charged with a crime (Photo Courtesy of New York Times).
Ai Weiwei was detained for 80 days despite never being formally charged with a crime (Photo Courtesy of The New York Times).

Following his arrest, information began to surface that Mr. Ai had been arrested for tax evasion after a company controlled by him, Beijing Fake Cultural Development Ltd., was believed to have evaded taxes and destroyed accounting documents. Reportedly, Mr. Ai was released only after he confessed to the crimes and repeatedly assured officials that he would repay the back taxes.

The Wall Street Journal described this case as “…no ordinary tax case but a politically motivated investigation designed to silence an increasingly popular critic”. Mr. Ai was not formally arrested, indicted, charged, convicted or sentenced for any crime before being detained for 80 days.

Prior to his detention, Mr. Ai was known for frequently utilizing Twitter and other public mediums to express his views on the Chinese government. After arriving home; however, Ai Weiwei gave a brief statement to reporters outside of his home explaining that he could not talk about the incident and to understand his inability to comment due to the conditions of his parole. As another requirement of his parole, Mr. Ai is required to remain in Beijing for one year unless he is given special permission from the government to leave and must report to police whenever he is asked.

The release of Mr. Ai has prompted increased internet censorship in an attempt to conceal any information about the popular critics arrest and detention. For example, a strictly censored Chinese blog, Sina Weibo, has banned words with any relation to Mr. Ai such as “release”, “the fat guy” and “AWW”.

While Mr. Ai’s cousin was released on Thursday, the other three associates remain unaccounted for. Mr. Ai is just a single activist in over 130 that have been detained in a government crackdown on dissent that began in February as a reaction to the government’s fear that uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa would influence revolution in China. Amnesty International is asking that the Chinese government’s decision to release Ai Weiwei not “diminish the international outcry about other activists detained…”

For more information, please see:

China Digital Times – Ai Weiwei Released on Bail; Xu Zhiyong Reportedly Detained – 24 June 2011

The Independent – Ai Weiwei Cousin Freed but Associates Still Missing – 24 June 2011

CNN – Ai Weiwei’s Release Accentuated by Web Censorship, Terse State-Media – 23 June 2011

NY Times – Now Free, a Chinese Dissident Muzzles Himself –  23 June 2011

Wall Street Journal –   China’s Shame Over Ai Weiwei – 23 June 2011

Amnesty International – Chinese Government Attempts to Deflect Criticism With Ai Weiwei Release – 22 June 2011

Radical Cleric Receives 15 year sentence from Indonesian Court

By Brianne Yantz
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

JAKARTA, Indonesia – Radical Islamic cleric, Abu Bakar Bashir, was sentenced last Thursday for his support of a terror training camp uncovered in 2010 in the Aceh province of northern Sumatra.  Although prosecutors sought life imprisonment, the court handed down a sentence of fifteen years.

Radical cleric Abu Bakar Bashir voicing his opposition to the guilty verdict. (Photo courtesy of The Jakarta Globe).
Radical cleric Abu Bakar Bashir voicing his opposition to the guilty verdict. (Photo courtesy of The Jakarta Globe)

While Bashir, now 72, was found guilty of inciting terrorism, he was acquitted on the charge of funding terrorist activities.  According to The Washington Post, the judges believed the evidence was not substantial enough to establish that Bashir knew the money he had raised went towards purchasing guns for the training camp.

Still, Bashir has refused to accept the ruling. The Jakarta Globe reported that immediately after the verdict was read Bashir declared “this verdict is unfair because this is based on laws that are made by infidels, not based on sharia.  It is haram (forbidden) for me to accept the ruling.” His lawyers immediately stated that an appeal would be filed.

This is the third time in the past eight years that Bashir has been charged with activities connected to terrorism; the first two attempts to convict were ultimately unsuccessful.  In 2005, Bashir had been convicted of conspiracy over the 2002 Bali bomb attacks, which killed over 200 people. Yet after serving only 26 months, Bashir’s conviction was overturned.

Anti-terror police detained Bashir, who has been arrested repeatedly over the years, in August 2010 for his connection to the training camp. The training camp brought together radical militants from several jihadi groups.  It was believed they were planning a violent overthrow of the government and the mass murder of moderate Muslims and non-Muslim peoples. Although Bashir denied his involvement with the camp, he stated that it was legal under the laws of Islam.

According to the BBC News report, Bashir has repeatedly stated that the allegations against him were “engineered by America.” For years both the United States and Australia have been urging the Indonesian authorities to take a harder stance against Bashir.  However, the Indonesian authorities were hesitant to do so for fear of antagonizing Islamic radicals.  Last Thursday’s ruling indicates a new determination to tackle the extremist movement within Indonesia.

More than 3,000-armed police were sent to the courthouse where hundreds of Bashir’s supporters were gathered after authorities were alerted to bomb scares and threats of violence.  Although supporters cried foul when the guilty sentence was handed down, the crowd dispersed peacefully.

Bashir has been a part of the radical Islamic movement in Indonesia for over four decades.  He has been jailed and released on numerous occasions.

For more information, please see:

BBC News – Indonesia jails cleric Abu Bakar Ba’asyir for 15 years – June 16, 2011

The Jakarta Globe – Bashir Sentenced to 15 Years – June 16, 2011

NY Times – Indonesia Sentences Radical Cleric to 15 Years – June 16, 2011

Radio New Zealand – Indonesian militant cleric Abu Bakar Bashir has been found guilty of terrorism charges and jailed for 15 years – June 16, 2011

The Washington Post – Spiritual leader of Bali bombers gets 15 years on terror charge linked to new militant camp – June 16, 2011

OTP Weekly Briefing Issue #92: OTP Public Notice–Victims Of Violence Committed Since The 2010 Presidential Election In Côte D’ivoire Have 30 Days To Make Representations To Icc On The Opening Of An Investigation By The Prosecutor

OTP Weekly Briefing_15-20 June 2011 #92

QADHAFI REGIME PLACES LANDMINES AMIDST ESCALATION, CIVILIANS CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE

by Adom M. Cooper
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TRIPOLI, Libya–After a visit to the Nafusa Mountains, Human Rights Watch officials claim that the Libyan government forces have placed more than 150 antipersonnel landmines in at least one location. Nafusa Mountains, which lie to the south of Tripoli, have been the site of rebel advances against the government’s troops.

Children in Tripoli wander the remains of a house struck by an errant NATO missile.(Photo Courtesy of NYT)
Children in Tripoli wander the remains of a house struck by an errant NATO missile. (Photo Courtesy of the New York Times)

Human Rights Watch reported on six total locations in Libya where regime forces had lain five different types of landmines. Steve Goose, arms director for the advocacy group, shared these sentiments concerning the landmines:

“These antipersonnel landmines pose a huge threat to civilians. More than 150 countries have banned landmines, but Libya continues to defy this global trend. We hope the rebels will respect their promise not to use landmines and will destroy all mines in their possession. The use of antipersonnel mines in the Libya conflict is endangering civilians and will continue to do so after the fighting has stopped.”

The type of landmines found in the Nafusa Mountains are a Brazilian-manufactured antipersonnel mine, known as the T-AB-1. These mines were placed about 10 miles north of the town of Zintan in a location called Khusha, apparently to defend government positions resting further north. The T-AB-1 has a low metal content and is very difficult to detect once placed, especially by civilians who may just be passing through the mountains.

When the Libyan government placed these landmines has yet to be confirmed. Rebels discovered the mines around 1 June 2011 and removed 169 of them, with Human Rights Watch inspecting the disassembled mines.

Civilians in the Nafusa Mountains have reported that they have been driven from their homes, their livestock killed, and their wells poisoned by the regime. Unfortunately, civilians have not just been feeling the heat from the Qadhafi regime. On 18 June 2011, NATO mistakenly destroyed a house in the Libyan capital, killing several residents, and acknowledged responsibility for the deaths. This marked this first time that NATO has admitted to causing multiple civilian casualties.

Italy’s foreign minister, Franco Frattini, expressed these thoughts about the NATO strike that took Libyan civilian lives.

“NATO is endangering its credibility; we cannot risk killing civilians. We cannot continue our shortcomings in the way we communicate with the public, which does not keep up with the daily propaganda of Qadhafi.”

It is blatantly evident that the ongoing conflict in Libya is costing its civilians their homes, access to basic resources, and even their lives. While NATO attempts to get control of the situation through its bombings, the civilians of Libya seem to be the only ones paying the price. It is a classic case of escalation: Qadhafi attacks his own population; NATO bombs to get Qadhafi’s attention; Qadhafi regime places landmines.

But those primarily affected have absolutely nothing to do with the escalating. They are simply trying to live their lives in peace.

For more information, please see:

The Guardian-Libya: Gaddafi regime accused of laying landmines-21 June 2011

Human Rights Watch-Libya: Government Using Landmines in Nafusa Mountains-21 June 2011

News24-Army laying mines near Tripoli-21 June 2011

Al-Jazeera-Libyan civilian deaths ‘sap NATO credibility’-20 June 2011

New York Times-NATO Admits Missile Hit a Civilian Home in Tripoli-19 June 2011