FARC Vows to Step Up Violence in 2011

By R. Renee Yaworsky
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

Canos New Years video was released on Friday. (Photo courtesy of Colombia Reports)
Cano's New Year's video was released on Friday. (Photo courtesy of Colombia Reports)

BOGOTA, Colombia—The top-ranking leader of the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) has announced that the paramilitary group will become more persistent in the year ahead, increasing its activities.  The FARC is known for guerrilla-style violence throughout Colombia, and many Colombians live in fear of the organization’s notorious operations.

Alfonso Cano, the FARC’s number one man, released a New Year’s video on Friday containing statements about the group’s activities.  The video was uploaded on YouTube and also the website of a Swedish news agency called Anncol.  Anncol has been known as a conduit for FARC messages in the past.

Cano’s video included an ominous promise:  “In 2011, we’ll redouble our activities in every sense, [drawing on] our convictions, the care that comes with experience and the valor of all our fallen fighters.”  In the 12-minute long video, Cano went on to ask legislators to focus on laws that would return land stolen from farmers by paramilitaries and pay reparations to those who have suffered under Colombia’s numerous internal clashes.  Cano is seen in front of the camera reading his words off an out-of-date Macbook Pro laptop.  The FARC leader opined that if issues like these were taken “seriously” by lawmakers, it would be a step towards “solving the conflict” that has been rampant in Colombia.

Cano inherited the top position in 2008 when the FARC’s founder, Manuel “Sureshot” Marulanda, died of natural causes.  In Friday’s video, Cano vowed to “fight for a political solution to the conflict,” but that until such a solution is found, the FARC will “develop the guerrilla war.”

Already in the new year, the FARC is thought to have been responsible for three attacks in Neiva, the capital of Huila province.  At least one person has been injured in these events; homes have sustained damages and electricity has been suspended in some areas.

On Friday, members of the FARC descended on San Vicente del Caguan, a town in the south of the country, planning to capture and occupy a police station.  Five guerrillas, three soldiers and one bystander, an 11-year-old girl, died in the incident.

The FARC has been waging war against the Colombian government since 1964 and includes between 7,000 and 11,000 paramilitary soldiers in its ranks.  At least 19 soldiers and police officers are currently being held hostage by the FARC.

For more information, please see:

Latin American Herald Tribune-Colombia’s FARC to Step Up Activities in 2011-8 January 2011

Colombia Reports-FARC to ‘redouble actions’ in 2011-8 January 2011

AFP-Colombia rebel attack leaves nine dead-7 January 2011

Two Tongan candidates question November election results

By Joseph Juhn
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga – After the historic November 2010 general elections in Tonga, which marked a transition away from the 165-year rule of the monarchy, two unsuccessful candidates are alleging fraud in the election results.

According to the Tongan Supreme Court, a candidate of the Vava’u 14 constituency, Siale Fifita alleges that the winner overspent the permitted amount on the campaign, carried out election propaganda beyond the cut-off date and used bribery.

According to Mr Tuita, supreme court registrar, says a businessman, Siosaia Moehau who was just four votes behind the winner of the Tongatapu 6 constituency is convinced he won the seat as he thinks there were a number of irregularities.

“Some of the grounds stated are: voting twice, which is false impersonation; another one was lack of police control; and the other grounds is voting after declaration of the ballots; and the last but not least is voting after 4pm, that was when the voting was supposed to have ceased.”

In November 2010, general elections under a new electoral law were held in Tonga, which determined the composition of the 2010 Tongan Legislative Assembly – a first popularly-elected parliament. For the first time in the nation’s history, a party formed by a pro-democracy movement emerged as the biggest winner in the election.

Four years prior to the election, anger over government’s forced political reforms led to riots in the Capital, Nuku’alofa. During the riots, gangs targeted businesses run by ethnic Chinese people. Hundreds were injured and eight people were killed as much of the town was burned down. Tonga suffers high unemployment and a quarter of its population live below the poverty line.

The November election drew 89% of the 42,000 registered voters to cast ballots, according to election officials. King George Tupou V called the election “the greatest and most historic day of our kingdom”.

Amid expectations and concerns for this new democratic nation, this election petitions came to light.

However, the Supervisor of Elections in Tonga, Pita Vuki, says it is common for one or two unsuccessful candidates to file petitions after an election as the Electoral Act permits.

“It’s quite normal for any candidates to file a petition if they feel there was something wrong in the conduct of elections or any behavior of any other candidates.”

For more information, please see:

Radio New Zealand – Tonga Supreme Court receives election petitions – 10 January 2011

BBC News – Strong showing for Tonga democrats in election – 26 November 2010

Radio New Zealand – Two failed Tongan candidates question election results – 10 January 2011

POPULAR RESORT ROCKED BY MURDERS: 15 HEADLESS BODIES FOUND IN ACAPULCO

By Erica Laster                                                                                                                      Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

ACAPULCO, Mexico – Acapulco, a popular resort city in Mexico, has been able to boast a number of tourists in previous years.  However, a statement by Guerrero State Public Security office has confirmed the discovery of 15 headless bodies on a highway next to a popular shopping center in the city.   Police were alerted to their presence after following a trail of burning vehicles to the corpses.  The victims ranged in age from 25-30 and were all male.

An Acapulco Police Officer confronts armed gunman in attack on Saturday, January 8. Photo courtesy of CNN.
An Acapulco Police Officer confronts armed gunman in attack on Saturday, January 8. Photo courtesy of CNN.

Authorities believe the slayings to be drug related after discovering a number of hand written notes with the bodies.  Handwritten signs bore the signatures of “El Chapo’s People.”  Director of Investigative Police for Guerrero State, Fernando Monreal Levya confirmed the belief that this is a reference used by the Sinaloa Cartel, headed by Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.

Saturday’s discovery is the largest decapitation group found in recent years.

Violence has increased in the resort city of Acapulco in recent years due to the high prevalence of drug trafficking. 

This past Saturday, two police officers and ten civilians were also killed in the city.  The police officers were a casualty of an armed attack on a police post in the Emiliano Zapata district of Acapulco.  Six of those civilians were discovered shot with their feet and hands bound inside of a local taxi.  The body of a town mayor was also discovered in northern Mexico on Saturday.

“We are coordinating with federal forces and local police to reinforce security in Acapulco and investigating to try to establish the motive and perpetrators of these incidents,” stated Director Monreal.  Over 30,196 people have lost their lives in drug related violence since 2006 offensive began against Mexican cartels to stem the flow of drugs and murders.

Associated Press – 27 Deaths, Including 14 Decapitated, Rock Acapulco – 9 January 2011

New York Times –Bodies Found Beheaded In Assaults In Acapulco, Mexico – 8 January 2011

CBS News – 14 Headless Bodies Found In Mexico Resort City – 8 January 2011

CNN – 15 Headless Bodies Found In Acapulco – 8 January 2011

Crackdown On Opposition In Belarus Continues

By Christina Berger
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

MINSK, Belarus – Following the crackdown after the December 2010 elections in Belarus, reported here, an EU human rights watchdog was recently expelled from Belarus.  Additionally, a local human rights organization’s office was raided by police and the director detained, in addition to police raids of several activists’ homes.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has maintained an office in Minsk since 1998 in order to provide assistance to the government in Belarus in developing civil society and the economy.  A positive report by the OSCE on the conduct of the election was to be an essential factor in determining whether Belarus will receive EU financial aid.  However, the OSCE called the recent elections “flawed” and accused the government of fraud, in addition to criticizing the police crackdown on opposition supporters following the election.

Last week, many believe as a result of the election criticism, the OSCE was asked to leave Belarus.  Andrei Savinykh, Belarusian foreign ministry spokesman, said in a statement that “an evaluation of the results achieved by the OSCE mission in Minsk shows that the mission has fulfilled its mandate.”

This contention, however, has been strongly denied.  The chairman of the OSCE, Audronius Azubalis, responded by saying, “[i]ts mandate has not been completed,” and  “[t]here is an important job for the O.S.C.E. to continue in Belarus.”

On Wednesday, police raided the office of the Belarus Helsinki Committee, which is according to the Associated Press “an independent group whose name refers to the principles of the 1975 Helsinki Accords that were the precursor of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.”  The police seized computers from the Helsinki Committee office and detained the director, Oleg Gulak.

The Belarussian police on Thursday conducted raids on the homes of several political activists.  They seized computers, phones, cameras, memory cards, and printed material such as organization member lists.

These events are all part of a continuing crackdown that followed election day, when almost 700 opposition supporters were arrested following mass demonstrations which were broken up by a violent police shutdown.  Most of the people arrested faced 5 to 15 days in jail, followed by firing from their work or expulsion from school.  The opposition presidential candidates that have been charged face up to 15 years in jail.

This comes after many within European circles had hoped the election in Belarus would be conducted in concert with EU ideas of freedom and democracy, and had been prepared to reward such actions.  As Reuters phrased it, “Brussels had dangled the prospect of financial aid if the election demonstrated at least a veneer of democracy.”

A closer Belarussian relationship with the EU seems unlikely now.  As Guido Westerwelle, German Foreign Minister,  said in a statement, “[t]he decision to shut down the OSCE office is a further setback for the rule of law and human rights in Belarus.  With its authoritarian course, the government in Minsk is leading the country further away from European freedom values.”

For more information, please see:

RADIO FREE EUROPE – Activists In Belarus Fear School Expulsions, Firings – 7 Jan. 2011

NAVINY – New KGB raids over post-election protest – 6 Jan. 2011

NEW YORK TIMES – Belarus: Police Raid Rights Group Office – 5 Jan. 2011

AP – Belarusian human rights group reports police raid – 5 Jan. 2011

NEW YORK TIMES – Belarus Ejects European Watchdog Agency – 1 Jan. 2011

REUTERS – Belarus throws out EU watchdog after election – 1 Jan. 2011

BBC – Belarus closes down OSCE office after poll criticism – 31 Dec. 2010

Political Unrest in Northern Tanzania

By Daniel M. Austin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

Mr. Willibrod Slaa, Secretary General of the Chadema Party. (Photo courtesy of BBC).
Mr. Willibrod Slaa, Secretary General of the Chadema Party. (Photo courtesy of Reuters).

ARUSHA, Tanzania – On Thursday, January 6, Tanzanian security forces shot and killed two anti-government protesters at a political rally in the northern city of Arusha. Along with killing two protesters, security forces also arrested nearly fifty people including ten prominent anti-government leaders who belonged to the Chadema party, one of the nation’s main opposition groups.  The leaders were taken to a police station, charged with unlawful assembly and then released after making bail. 

The arrests came after members of the Chadema party began an unauthorized march protesting the most recent mayoral election in Arusha. Security forces had permitted the Chadema party to hold a meeting in the city; however, when the meeting turned into a protest march, the police stepped in and prevented the march from continuing. During the police intervention several leaders of the Chadema party were arrested and detained. Reacting to the arrest of their party leaders, several marchers attempted to storm the police station where their leaders were held. In the process, security forces shot into the gathering crowd, killing two people. Eventually security forces regained control of the police station and sealed off the area. The rest of the city was unaffected by this incident and continues to operate normally.

The clashes that took place in Arusha stem from political strife between the ruling CCM party and the Chadema party.  The Chadema party, which has a strong presence in Arusha, believes the mayoral election was rigged to favor Tanzania’s ruling CCM party.

Among the opposition leaders arrested were Chadema Chairman Freeman Mbowe and Secretary General of the Chadema party Willibrod Slaa. Mr.Slaa,  the leader of the Chadema party, had made an unsuccessful run for president of Tanzania in 2010. He ran against the sitting president Mr. Jakaya Kikwete, a member of the CCM party. The election, which was held on October 31, was plagued by low voter turnout, corruption, and numerous allegations of voter fraud.  After his victory, Mr. Kikwete promised to curb the power of opposition groups like the Chadema party.  Coincidentally the arrest of Mr. Slaa occurred several days after he made comments calling for Mr. Kikwete to step down because of a scandal involving energy contracts.

For more information, please see:

 AFP — Police kill least two at Tanzania protest – 7 January 2011

The Citizen – 2 Killed, Dozens hurt in Chadema protests – 6 January 2011

BBC Africa — Tanzania police kill two in Arusha at Chadema protest – 6 January 2011

Reuters – Tanzanian police kill two rioters, seize leaders -6 January 2011