A Voice for the Voiceless

Violence Against Chinese Businesses Continues in PNG

By Hayley J. Campbell
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Oceania

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea – For the third straight day, protesters in Papua New Guinea have attacked and pillaged Chinese run businesses.

On Wednesday, Chinese-owned stores were targeted in the capital city of Port Moresby. Protesters attacked more stores yesterday in Lae. On Friday morning, police intervened, sending tear gas out into the crowd to stop the riot.

The violence has led many Chinese-owned stores and nationals to hire extra police and guards to protect their shops. The Chinese embassy went so far as to encourage Chinese-owned businesses to close their businesses while the violence continues.

Local resentment of Chinese-owned businesses has grown as an increasing number of Chinese immigrants move to Papua New Guinea to start their businesses.

One unnamed youth told PNG newspaper, The National, “Who is allowing these Asians to come into our country and own small businesses which should be owned by Papua New Guineans?” He added, “They are ripping us off and investing their money in their country.”

The turmoil started after 100 anti-Chinese protesters turned a demonstration into a violent brawl. The demonstrators began looting Chinese businesses, but the police did little to stop the protest.

Port Moresby police chief, Fred Yakasa, claims that the police were not responsible for the protest. Mr. Yakasa says that the violence was due to “hooligans” and not the protesters generally.

“There is nothing to worry about, as we will continue our patrols and increase presence on the streets,” Mr. Yakasa said.

Meanwhile, in Lae, hundreds of protesters attacked Chinese nationals and Chinese-owned stores, resulting in one unconfirmed death and many serious injuries.

For more information, please see:
Radio New Zealand International – More violence in Papua New Guinea directed at Chinese businesses – 15 May 2009

The Age – Looting, attacks target Chinese in PNG -15 May 2009

ABC News – Violent stoushes close PNG mine – May 11 2009

New Zealand Group and Australian PM Criticize Fiji Media Regulations

By Sarah E. Treptow
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji – The Commonwealth Press Union’s media freedom committee has passed a resolution criticizing the interim regime’s indefinite extension of censorship in Fiji.

The committee represents major media organizations in New Zealand.  Tim Pankhurst, the committee chairman, says they are aware Fiji’s interim regime is unlikely to take notice of the resolution.  Mr. Pankhurst says the committee felt it was important to condemn the actions and to stand with the journalists in Fiji who are working under the emergency regulations.

Mr. Pankhurst believes it is important to raise awareness of the regulations in Fiji to New Zealanders.

“We decided on the motion of deploring because we felt the best role that we can serve right now is to make New Zealanders aware that what’s happening continually in Fiji is not some kind of happy little coup in paradise.  Real freedoms that we take for granted are being denied and abused there,” Pankhurst said.

He also urged New Zealanders to consider what is happening in Fiji when making travel and business decisions.

Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has sent an opinion editorial to Fiji’s media outlets explaining why the country’s military backed regime has been suspended from the the Pacific Islands Forum.  In the piece, Mr. Rudd said Interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama’s actions have damaged Fiji’s international standing and the reputation of its military.  The piece was provided to local media outlets this past week and has not appeared in any of Fiji’s media outlets.

The Executive Director of Fijian Civil Society Group, the Citizen’s Constitutional Forum, Reverend Aquile Yabaki, says Rudd’s statement should be available to everyone, “It’s a statement from the Australian Prime Minister.  We need to hear it.  We want to hear it.”

For more information, please see:
Pacific Islands Report – Australian PM Sends Opinion Piece to Fiji Media – 15 May 2009

Radio New Zealand International – Commonwealth Press Union passes resolution deploring Fiji censorship – 15 May 2009

Radio New Zealand International – Commonwealth Press Union says resolution unlikely to move Fiji’s interim govt – 15 May 2009

Hearing to Investigate Kyrgyz Defendants’ Allegations of Torture

By Shayne R. Burnham
Impunity Watch, Reporter

KYRGYZSTAN – A hearing took place at Kyrgyzstan’s Supreme Court to investigate allegations of torture on Thursday.  Thirty-two defendants were arrested in October for protesting the government’s decision to prohibit the Muslim celebration of Eid al-Fitr.  The police arrested them, claiming they were Islamic “extremists.”  The defendants stood trial in the Osh Province a month later.  Many claimed they were tortured while in police custody.

“The prosecutor’s office should have started an investigation into the torture allegations a long time ago,” said Holly Cartner, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Torture is a common problem in Kyrgyzstan, and the Supreme Court hearing is a chance for the authorities to make clear that the abusers can no longer get away with it.”

The Osh Province Court found the defendants guilty of charges including incitement to cause or participate in mass unrest, separatism, attempted overthrow of the constitutional order, and spreading ethnic or religious strife.  They were sentenced between nine and twenty years in prison.

The Kyrgyz Human Rights Council requested ombudsman Tursunbek Akun to conduct an independent investigation. “The gross violation of the basic right to a free trial, the mass repression of ordinary citizens, torture, and blackmail by the law-enforcement agencies could undermine confidence in the state and trigger anger against its representatives and increase radicalism in the region,” the council said.

On February 20, 2009, the ombudsman declared his intention to have the rulings reviewed.  “Torture was widely used to get testimony. There were just four actual supporters of the Khizb ut-Takhrir party (among the accused) and the rest were placed in the same category. I plan to draw public attention to this,” he said.

According to Human Rights Watch, “law enforcement officials poured hot and cold water on them, beat them on the soles of their feet, and semi-suffocated them using plastic bags or gas masks. Detainees also had to stand in their underwear in a cold room with their feet in water for up to three days, were not allowed to use sanitary facilities, and did not receive needed medical treatment.”

Human rights organizations view the Supreme Court hearing as an opportunity to further investigate the torture allegations to ensure justice.

For more information, please see:

Central Asian Online – Kyrgyzstan Ombudsman Seeks Further Investigation of Nookat Events – 02 February 2009

Human Rights Watch – Kyrgyzstan: Investigate Torture Allegations – 13 May 2009

Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty – Kyrgyz High Court Hearing Appeal by Religious Extremists – 15 May 2009

Regulations on Fiji Media Will Continue Says Interim Government

By Hayley J. Campbell
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji – Government censorship of the media in Fiji will continue, says Permanent Secretary for Information, Lieutenant Colonel Neumi Leweni.

Mr. Leweni says the regulations will remain in place until journalists learn to follow directives from the Ministry of Information. According to regulations, journalists must first submit any reports on the government to the Ministry of Information for review.

Fiji’s interim government installed these regulations on April 10th, following the subrogation of the Constitution and the dismissal of all judicial members. Mr. Leweni says news outlets cannot expect to return to their old style of reporting prior to April 10th.

Mr. Leweni also says that the regulations have yielded “good” results, and if he were in charge, he would extend that censorship for another five years.

But such regulations have already caused one Fiji based news outlet to temporarily relocate. PACNEWS, operated by two local journalists, Makereta Komai and Pita Ligaiula, says deciding to leave Fiji was not easy.

“We would want to be in Fiji as it is in the center of the Pacific but our work as an independent news agency is becoming increasingly more difficult,” said Joseph Ealadona, the board chair of the Pacific Islands News Association news service.

He blames the media for these regulations, saying that harsher control would not be necessary if the media was not always so critical of the government. Mr Leweni claims that journalists have been irresponsible and “sensationalized” government actions.

The interim government has officially extended the regulations 30 days after May 10th.

For more information, please see:
Radio New Zealand International – Censorship of Fiji media could continue indefinitely, says regime – 13 May 2009

Fiji Times Online – Pacific news service to leave Fiji – 13 May 2009

Atrocities continue in Sri Lanka

By Oscar J. Barbosa
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Asia

COLOMBO – Sri Lanka, Ban Ki Moon, United Nations Secretary-General, called for an immediate ceasefire between the Sri Lankan Government and the revel Tamil forces.  The calling is due to an indiscriminate shelling of the Tamil coastal strip, where the Tamil Tigers have taken as the last stronghold. The region is inhabited by thousands of civilians cut in the crossfire, dying by the hundreds.

A temporal medical facility was attacked with a mortar bomb destroying the only functioning medical facility in the war zone. Due to the attack, 49 patients and bystanders were killed and 50 others were wounded.  The facility had also been attacked on May 2nd, when 64 civilians died.

The figures compiled by the United Nations showed that nearly 6,500 civilians had been killed over the last three months. The casualties’ calculations cannot be verified due to the government position of restricting doctors, aid workers, or foreigners into the war zone.  It is clear that at least 50,000 remain trapped in hell-like conditions.

As the fighting continues, there is an unclear global position in regards to the civil unrest.  Foreign ministers from Britain and France have flown to Sri Lanka to urge restraint and a halt to the bombings. Additionally, the Temils living in London, Toronto and in Tamil Nadu (India), have outspoken and lead demonstrations to demand an international intervention. The UN Security Council failed to take on the issue due to Russia, China, Japan and Vietnam’s block arguing that the fighting was an internal matter.

Priyanth Nallaratnam, a Tamil living in Toronto and participant of the protests said that:  “If the Prime Minister keeps on ignoring this, his ignorance of the community’s plight is just going to fuel the people even more, […] the Prime Minister [should] call for a ceasefire, expel the Sri Lankan ambassador, impose sanctions, send food aid and maybe deploy peacekeepers, among a long list of desired actions.”

Japan has also been pressured by Human Rights Watch, International Crisis Group, Amnesty International, and Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect. The four human rights groups urged Japan to support a formal action on the situation as a member of the UN.

The communication of the Human Rights groups, sent to the Japanese prime minister said that ” Japan, a powerful player on the humanitarian stage and the largest international donor to Sri Lanka, has an important role to play in saving countless civilian lives.” The letter also said that Japan had an important role to play to implement aid policies that ensure sustainable peace, human rights and development in Sri Lanka.

It is uncertain whether or not the international community will take action amidst intensive fighting with high collateral civilian casualties.

For more information, please see:

Zeenews – Human Rights groups ask Japan to flex muscle on Lanka – 12 May 2009
Posted Toronto – Tamils warn of more traffic chaos in new protest tomorrow – 12 May 2009
Times Online – Slaughter in Sri Lanka – 12 May 2009
The Independent – Forty-nine killed after hospital attacked in Sri Lanka – 12 May 2009