House to Vote on Health Care Tomorrow

By Stephen Kopko

Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

WASHINGTON D.C., United States-Since the Senate passed their version of legislation reforming the health care system of the United States, President Obama has received a great deal of criticism.  Both leaders in Congress and the general public have been critical of health care reform for being too costly.  Despite setbacks, the House of Representatives is set to vote again on a health care reform bill this Sunday. The House will vote on the legislation through the reconciliation process.

Reform of the United States health care system has been a controversial issue for a number of years.  Previously, President Bill Clinton tried to reform the system in the early 1990’s but was unsuccessful.  President Obama promised to reform the health care system while running for President last year.  With the vote on the legislation expected to happen tomorrow, President Obama is on the verge of fulfilling his promise. 

Approximately forty-five million people in the United States do not have health insurance.  According to the proposed legislation, the reconciliation bill will help to provide coverage to an estimated thirty-two million Americans.  The cost of expanding coverage is approximately nine-hundred and forty billion dollars spread over a ten year period.  The proposed reform bill will provide subsidies to low and middle class families that cannot afford health insurance currently. It prohibits health insurance companies from denying coverage to people who have pre-existing conditions.  In order to encourage people to purchase health insurance, those people who do not have health insurance would pay a penalty each year.  The bill would also expand Medicaid, the government run health insurance program designed for those in poverty. 

As the vote on the reconciliation bill nears, President Obama has been rallying support for the legislation all over the country.  President Obama stated; “In just a few days, a century-long struggle will culminate in a historic vote.”  He further stated that “the time for reform is now.” 

The vote on the reform legislation is expected to be on party lines.  Congressional Republicans have greatly criticized the reconciliation bill.  Their main concern with the proposed legislation is that it amounts to a government takeover of an entire industry.  They also believe that the bill would cost more to middle class families by raising premiums.

For more information, please see:

CNN-House Rules Committee setting guidelines for health care vote-20 March 2010

MSNBC-9 major changes in the new health care bill-19 March 2010

NY Times-Proposed Changes in the Final Health Care Bill-19 March 2010

Chinese Authorities Support the Detention of Lead Poison Victims for Months

By M.E. Dodge
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

JIAHE, China – Police stopped a bus carrying 53 villagers suffering from lead poisoning. The citizens were traveling to get medical care when the officials blocked the bus.

In September 2009, police in Jiahe, Hunan province, prevented a vehicle occupied by parents and children who were contaminated by illegal emissions of heavy metals from a rural smelting factory. The factory in Jiahe was operated by Tenda Corporation, a company that had been ejected from other, wealthier areas because of its dismal pollution record. The regional government in Jiahe allowed the factory to operate despite warnings from the local environmental department that the plant was breaking toxic emission regulations. Jiahe is one of China’s poorest counties and needed the funding that Tenda Corporation offered. The cost, however, was the health of local citizens.

The officials not only stopped and questioned the vehicle filled with sick passengers, the police detained two of them for six months, mistakenly believing the villagers were planning to protest. The local government responsible for stopped the sick passengers was unapologetic for causing the tremendous delay.

According to Ou Shudong, the chairman of the local People’s Congress, “The villagers’ intentions were unclear. Even if they were going for a medical examination, they should have informed the government.” Beijing News cited a Jiahe county report as saying the punishment of a few people “served the purpose of public education for the majority.”

Other government officials tried to justify the event and the prolonged detention by responding to an investigation of the incident, “We may have blocked the wrong visit, but they should not have been on that road,” stated Li Ying, deputy secretary of Jiahe county political and legislative committee.

This type of occurrence is not unheard of, as it reveals the feudal control that local officials exercise over citizens in much of rural China. It also exemplifies the widespread strategy of stifling dissent by making an example of suspected insurgents, a tactic known as “killing a chicken to scare the monkeys.”

Recent testing results since the September detention confirmed that the passengers were in fact in dire need of health care, and were not attempting to protest. The latest results, received on 24 February 2010, revealed that 250 of the 397 children in the village had excess levels of lead in their blood. The victims included four of the five children of Liao Mingxiu, one of those still in police detention. Further investigative reports state that local people complained of health problems and unusually outrageous behavior and poor performance in school among children, but local petitions to the authorities were ignored for more than three years.

Nevertheless, Chinese authorities still defend the six-month detention of lead poisoning victims, claiming it was a punishment necessary for “public education.”

For more information, please see:

Tibetan Review –Mistaken punishment justified as education for majority – 19 March 2010

The Sydney Morning Herald – Poisoning victims used as an example – 19 March 2010

The Guardian –China defends detention of lead poisoning victims who sought medical help – 16 March 2010

Vanuatu Man Dies in Custody, Report Criticizes VMF


By Eileen Gould
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

PORT VILA, Vanuatu – A recent report by Vanuatu’s Coroner, in connection with the death of a man being held in police custody, recommended that the government make changes to the Vanuatu Mobile Force, the nation’s police paramilitary unit.

A man recently died while being held by the VMF. As a result, the Vanuatu Coroner, Justice Nevin Dawson, issued a report, which included comments criticizing the VMF.  Dawson described the paramilitary unit as elitist and having a ‘culture of violence and no respect for the law’.

The report said that the Force uses intimidation tactics to get to its opponents.  Dawson recommended that the government control this police unit more.

Government officials claim that his has been a major issue in Vanuatu for many years and were happy to see this issue being addressed.

Ralph Regenvanu, a MP for the government, said, “[t]he fact that there are elements within our Police Force and Vanuatu Mobile Force who have no respect for human rights, they think they are above the law.  This has been mainly with regard to brutality against young people, against detainees.  The way they deal with or do not deal with domestic violence.”

He further commented that although this is the way the VMF has been for many years, the situation hasn’t improved due to continued funding efforts from Australia.

Vanuatu’s government demands that this funding must be cut off since it has done nothing to reverse the trend of violence in Vanuatu.

Academics predict that if the death of this man is not investigated properly, the culture of violence will become worse.

Dr. Andrew Ladley, an adjunct professor at Wellington’s Victoria University, has worked on constitutional and electoral issues in the Pacific region.  He believes that this police force will continue to behave improperly and that Vanuatu could in fact experience a crisis.

Politicians responsible for taking action in light of this incident recognize the fact that the VMF uses intimidation tactics.  Ladley said, “[t]his is potentially a very big crisis looming for Vanuatu, if it isn’t tackled properly”.

For more information please see:
Radio New Zealand International – Australia urged to stop funding Vanuatu’s VMF – 19 March 2010

Radio New Zealand International – Vanuatu MP welcomes report which slams police culture and attitudes – 18 March 2010

Radio New Zealand International – Vanuatu govt moving delicately over Coroner’s report for fear of a coup says MP – 18 March 2010

Radio New Zealand International – VMF actions could spark Vanuatu crisis, warns academic – 17 March 2010

Death Penalty Sparks Debate in Taiwan

By Hyo-Jin Paik
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

TAIPEI, Taiwan – Capital punishment has stirred up a debate in Taiwan, leading to the resignation of the country’s justice minister and a letter from Amnesty International to the country’s president.

Taiwan has not carried out executions in the past four years and just last week, Taiwan’s Justice Minister Wang Ching-feng affirmed that no executions would take place during her term.

However, her comment drew heavy criticism from the Taiwanese public, which resulted in her speedy resignation.

Like many of its neighbors, Taiwan has not abolished the capital punishment system and reserves death penalty for serious crimes, e.g., aggravated murder, kidnapping and robbery.

Furthermore, opinions polls show that there is a widespread public approval of capital punishment and that sentiment has not diminished over the years.  In an interview conducted by United Daily News last week, 74% of the interviewees in Taiwan said they support capital punishment. 

Conversely, Taipei Bar Association’s Human Protection Committee is working to end capital punishment. 

Hsueh Chin-feng who heads the Committee said, “We have a long way to go before Taiwan formally abolishes the death penalty.  Wang’s resignation has dealt a further blow to the cause of ending capital punishment. . . .”

Amnesty International also sent a letter to Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou urging him to end death penalty and set an example for other Asian countries to follow.

The letter said, “We [Amnesty International] look to Taiwan as a leader in the region on progress toward abolition. . . The lives of the 44 inmates on death row must not be comprised . . . Taiwan should . . . abolish capital punishment in row or practice.”

One of the death row inmates, Su Chien-ho, was initially sentenced to death back in 1995.  Su spent most of his adult life on death row for murder.  He went through series of trials, and another retrial has been ordered by Taiwan’s Supreme Court.

Rights activists argue that Su’s situation exemplifies a flawed death row case.  Other activists have expressed concern over the risk of executing the innocent.

In another public opinion poll, only 35% of Taiwan’s public said that they view life imprisonment as an acceptable replacement of capital punishment.

For more information, please see:

Taipei Times – Capital punishment debate stirs up Taiwan – 20 March 2010

Taiwan News – Death penalty row risks Taiwan’s image – 19 March 2010

Taiwan Today – Amnesty International urges Ma to end death penalty – 19 March 2010

Gay Men Arrested for Protesting Military Policy

By Stephen Kopko

Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

WASHINGTON D.C., United States – Another chapter was added to the struggle over the ongoing effort to repeal the United States military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy yesterday. The policy bars United States homosexual soldiers from serving openly while on duty. Lieutenant Daniel Choi and Captain Jim Pietrangelo were arrested in front of the White House after chaining themselves to the White House fence in protest of the policy.

Both Lt. Choi and Capt. Pietrangelo are openly gay soldiers serving in the United States Army.  As a leader in the fight to overturn the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy, Lt. Choi has become an outspoken activist for a quick repeal of the law.  Lt. Choi is a 2003 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point.  He also is a veteran of the Iraq war.  Lt. Choi is one of the few Army soldiers who is an Arab languages expert.  During an appearance on a newscast he stated that he was gay.  This occurred while Lt. Choi was serving in the New York National Guard. His announcement led the Army to begin discharge proceedings against him.  Pietrangelo is a former captain in the United States Army.  Capt. Pietrangelo also is in a fight with the Army over discharge proceedings based on his homosexuality.

To heighten their protest of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, Lt. Choi and Capt. Pietrangelo rallied with other opponents of the policy in front of the White House.  Dressed military fatigues, Lt. Choi and Capt. Pietrangelo decided to chain themselves to the fence surrounding the law of the White House.  Police gave them three warnings to stop protesting and to unchain themselves from the fence before they were arrested.  They were charged with failing to obey a lawful order.  The protestors did not have a permit for their demonstration.

Over the last few months, Congress and President Obama have begun to reassess the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.  The policy’s repeal is supported by President Obama and some leaders in the military.  Other military leaders support the idea of repeal but believe that the repeal process should be slow and deliberate.  Lt. Choi previously stated that the repeal process is moving too slow and favors a quick repeal.  Lt. Choi stated, “but we learned this week that the president is still not fully committed” to ending the policy.

For more information, please see:

Newsweek – Lt. Dan Choi to See Judge Today, One Day After Handcuffing Himself to White House Gate – 19 March 2010

Washington Post – Two gay men arrested in White House protest – 19 March 2010

CBS – Lt. Dan Choi Arrested at White House During Gay Rights Rally – 18 March 2010

NY Daily News – NYer Dan Choi, Iraq war vet, held after chaining himself to White House to protest policy on gays – 18 March 2010