Claims of Bhopal Site Leaking Toxins Denied

 

By M.E. Dodge
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BHOPAL, India – Officials in India continue to dismiss claims that a plant in Bhopal which formerly manufactured Union Carbide pesticide still leaks and emits dangerous toxins into drinking water.

According to a report published by the British-based charity the Bhopal Medical Appeal (BMA) and the Sambhavna Clinic in Bhopal, there is a showing, and evidence to support, that “there are still high levels of toxic chemicals in the drinking water supply in 15 communities near the old Union Carbide pesticide plant.” In addition, the report goes on to say that the water “in and around the Union Carbide factory site in Bhopal still contains extremely unsafe levels of carbon tetrachloride,” and further states that there are also “other persistent organic pollutants, solvents, nickel and other heavy metals.”  

In response, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, of Madhya Pradesh, engaged in an interview with BBC World News. During the interview the Chief Minister told BBC that contrary to the claims in the report, the plant and surrounding areas are safe. Moreover, Chief Minister, Mr. Chouhan, insisted that clean water was supplied by tanker to those communities without piped water.  However, many residents said that supplies were infrequent and insufficient, forcing them to continue relying on contaminated ground water. 

Counter to, Sarang decision the Chief Minister and other official maintain that “there is nothing hazardous to human life… people should not be worried. We have secured the site.”   

According to findings by Sathyu Sarangi, leader of the Sambhavna Clinic, the problem arises from areas known as solar evaporation ponds, which he claimed polluter, Union Carbide, used before the disaster as dumping grounds for toxic effluent. Sarangi went on to state that the report shows “that there are many toxins still in the ground that have never been cleaned up. Additionally, “each time it rains, the rain washes those toxins into the ground water, which many people still draw to drink.”

For more information, please see:

BBC World News – Officials dismiss claims Bhopal site is leaking toxins – Demeber 5, 2009

Business Weekly – India: Anger Grows Over Bhopal – December 4, 1009 

Daily Times – Govt backtracks on Bhopal gas ‘show’ – December 5, 2009

Ecuador’s Indigenous Protest Water Privatization

By Sovereign Hager

Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

QUITO, Ecuador-The Confederation of Ecuadoran Indigenous Nationalities (CONAIE) are expressing opposition to a new water law by protesting and blocking roadways. The movement argues that the Hydraulic Resources Law allows for the development of mining projects in areas occupied by springs that are major sources of water. Leaders also argue that the law ensures water provisions for mining companies but not for indigenous and campesino communities and does not attend to the issue of contamination of waterways.

Under the new plan, all water systems in Ecuador will be brought under centralized state authority, thus ending a system of community control over water resources. Ecological Action, a non profit organization, found that the law “contains elements of privatization for both water and land usage in as much as those resources become the sole property of the benefiting industry or business for other uses.” This is because the law allows for water resources to be acquired in the purchase of land and permits the owner to use the water however he or she sees fit.

Forty-five percent of water resources have been privatized through legal concessions, but one percent of those using water resources consume sixty-four percent of the water available and eighty-six percent of Ecuadorians consume just thirteen percent of the country’s water. Critics argue that the new law “does nothing in regard to these points and the National Development Plan favors the mining companies and flower growers.” There are no sanctions in the law for contamination or water quality control.

Indigenous communities have played a large role in the construction of water system networks, constructing irrigation canals and consumer water systems. They view the new “sole authority” provision as a direct threat to their water council system.

Responses to protests resulted in the death of a bilingual professor, who was shot by police when he joined a group of 500 that blocked a bridge over the Upano River. Protesters argue that it was a “trap” because the leaders were called to a dialogue “in order to distract the leadership and the local media.”

Currently, CONAIE has suspended protest actions because the government has opened a negotiation period. The government and indigenous leaders agreed to six points during their most recent negotiation. This included, permanent duologue between the parties, government consideration of the CONAIE water initiative, and the government will receive a mining law proposal from the indigenous movement.

Other grassroots movements continue to stage road blocks and to shut down markets. There is disagreement among grassroots organizations on what is the best strategy. While the CONAIE and Euarunari have called off protests, the Shuar and Achuar people of the southern Amazon continue to demonstrate against mining. One indigenous lawmaker remarked, “the dialogue doesn’t go anywhere. I don’t believe in them anymore.”

For more information, please see:

AP-Indian Political Awakening Stirs Latin America-2 November 2009

Daily Press-Bolivia the Standard-Bearer as Latin American Natives Fight to Protect Lands, Culture-2 November 2009

Latin American Press-Indigenous Movement Continues to Weaken-23 October 2009

Accused of Interfering With Fiji’s Affairs, Australia and New Zealand Diplomats Expelled

By Eileen Gould
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji – Fiji’s military-run government has accused diplomats from Australia and New Zealand of meddling in its internal affairs and has ordered them to leave the country.

Fijian army chief Commodore Frank Bainimarama, who seized control of the government in a 2006 coup, believes that Canberra and Wellington were “engaged in a dishonest and untruthful strategy to undermine our judiciary, our independent institutions and our economy.”

The Fiji Foreign Affairs Minister issued a directive to Australia and New Zealand to recall their diplomats within twenty-four hours.

Australia and New Zealand, the most vocal countries in terms of criticisms of Fiji, have threatened to extend the travel ban imposed on all senior government officials to these judges.

Their interference stems from Fiji’s attempts to recruit Sri Lankan judges, who would replace those members of the judiciary who were fired last April because they declared Bainimarama’s government illegal.

Fiji’s chief justice Anthony Gates stated that its neighbors’ actions are unprecedented, especially in light of the fact that the judges did not violate any laws, either internationally or domestically.

Bainimarama further stated that Australia and New Zealand have “fail[ed] to understand that [he is] creating a country that will be based on equal and common citizenry, a country of modern laws, a country which will have true democracy.”

According to Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Bainimarama’s actions have forced them to take a “hardline approach to [this] regime” in order to prevent the “coup culture” from spreading to other nations in the Pacific region.

The Foreign Affairs Minister of New Zealand claims that the travel ban has been effective because it “incentivizes people not to be a part of the regime”.

The relationship amongst the three nations has been in decline since 2006, with New Zealand and Australia cutting defense ties and imposing travel bans on Bainimarama and the senior military officials.

Tensions have become increasingly intense in Fiji as Bainimarama has censored the media and extended military rule until 2014.

The Commodore refuses to hold elections for another five years, hoping to change the electoral system before holding a ballot.   He hopes to eliminate the racism and corruption that has plagued the country.

Under the current electoral system, individuals in some constituencies may only cast votes for those candidates within their ethnic communities.

Fiji’s population is ethnically diverse.  Tensions among various ethnic groups have resulted in three of the four coups which have occurred in the past twenty-two years.

In September, the Commonwealth of Nations, comprised of 53 states, suspended Fiji’s membership after the government refused to hold elections in 2010.  Further, the Commonwealth cut off aid and barred Fiji from participating in the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

Fiji has also been denied membership in the Pacific Islands Forum, a group of sixteen nations, including New Zealand and Australia.

The EU similarly extended the trade sanctions on Fiji in an attempt to force the government to address human rights abuses and restore democracy.

For more information, please see:
Bloomberg – Australia, New Zealand Expels Fiji’s Top Envoys as Row Escalates – 04 November 2009

Voice of America – Fiji’s Diplomatic Tussle with Australia, New Zealand Escalates – 04 November 2009

RTT News – Fiji Expels New Zealand, Australia Envoys – 03 November 2009

Free Press Activists Arrested in Moscow

By David Sophrin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

MOSCOW, Russia – Approximately 50 people were arrested Saturday at a protest in Moscow.  The protest, which took place in Triumfalnaya Square in the center of the capital, focused on the efforts of the Kremlin since current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin rose to power in 2000 to suppress independent media sources and nongovernmental human rights organizations.  The protest was a part of Strategy 31, which has been a national effort to pressure the government to recognize and uphold the freedom of assembly rights guaranteed in paragraph 31 of the Russian Constitution.

Hundreds of city police and Interior Minister officers surrounded the approximately 100 protesters and 100 journalists who were in attendance.  The leaders of the rally disputed those numbers, claiming that 70 people had been detained and more than 500 people had been in attendance.  Among those in attendance was the United Civil Front and the National Bolshevik Party.  The protest had not received the required authorization, the government citing a prior planned ‘military celebration’ in the same square.

Among the protesters was Lyudmila Alexeyeva, a well known human rights activists in Russia.   Alexeyeva exclaimed that she had come “to defend the constitution.”  She also stated that “the idea to organize the demonstrations on the 31st of the month here in the capital is to attempt to make a tradition of peaceful gatherings to allow citizens the chance to defend the Russian constitution.”  Eduard Limonov, the National Bolshevik Party leader, was also present.

Another protester declared that he “[wanted] Russia to be free, not to rot in a policeman’s nightmare.”

A pro-Kremlin youth group, known as Rossiya Molodoya, were also at the rally.  Leaflets and flares were used by this organization in an attempt to instigate the human rights protesters.  Soon after their actions, the police who were already surrounded the human rights protesters in the square stepped in and arrested the activists.  They were taken to nearby police stations.

For more information, please see:

HUFFINGTON POST – Human Rights Protesters Arrested in Moscow for Demanding Freedom of Assembly – 3 November 2009

ITAR-TASS – Unauthorized rally thwarted in Moscow, 50 people detained – 1 November 2009

PRESSTV – 50 human rights protesters arrested in Russia – 1 November 2009

THE OTHER RUSSIA – 70 Oppositionists Detained in Moscow Rally – 1 November 2009

REUTERS – Russian police detain 50 at human rights protest – 31 October 2009

RUSSIA TODAY – Opposition leaders detained in Moscow while trying to rally – 31 October 2009

Iraqi Security Forces Held Over Baghdad Bombing

By Bobby Rajabi
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

BAGHDAD, Iraq – On October 29 Iraq arrested over sixty security officials for their connection to a twin suicide bombing in central Baghdad. Among those arrested were Iraqi soldiers and members of the police force.

An Iraqi military spokesperson confirmed that eleven army officers along with fifty security officials were arrested for involvement. Among those individuals were thirteen senior officials. The bombing killed one hundred fifty five people and injured over five hundred. The attack was the worst in Iraq in over two years.

The men arrested will be investigated to see if they had any involvement in the attacks themselves or if they failed to do their jobs. Iraq frequently arrests security personnel after an attack of this magnitude, but the current situation marks the first time where it has been referred to as the official policy of the Iraqi government.

The bombings that struck two government buildings have lead to a wave of public anger aimed at Iraqi security officials. The BBC’s Gabriel Gatehouse explains that the investigation gives credence to the individuals who believe that security forces are susceptible to infiltration by insurgents or are simply unable to handle the job of protecting Iraq.

The arrests come at a time in Iraq where there are questions whether the government has the ability to protect its citizens. Increasing the concerns is January’s election and the coming removal of United States troops in 2011. The Iraqi government has blamed the attacks on al-Qaeda and Saddam Hussein’s Baath party.

Iraq’s foreign minister, Hoshiyar Zebari, called for a United Nations investigation into the bombings. He urged the UN to investigate the bombings for external inference and accused Syria of providing a safe haven for the bombers. Syrian leaders in Damascus have denied this. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that he will be sending an envoy to Iraq to consult on the countries “security and sovereignty.”

Mr. Zebari also asserted that the security aims of the country must be met for the planned US withdrawal to proceed. He explained that “the Americans cannot just wash their hands to say ‘we are no longer engaged or interested because we have our own timetable’.”

For more information, please see:

AFP – Dozens of Security Force Members Held Over Baghdad Bombs – 29 October 2009

Al Jazeera – Officers Held Over Baghdad Blasts – 29 October 2009

AP – Iraq Arrests Security Officials Over Baghdad Blast – 29 October 2009

BBC – Police Arrested Over Iraq Bombing – 29 October 2009

Reuters – Iraq Arrests Senior Officers, Vows More Over Blasts – 29 October 2009