Chinese Dissent’s Family Escape China

By Ariel Lin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BEIJING, China – The family of Gao Zhisheng, one of China’s most prominent dissidents, fled China last week. Gao Zhisheng’s wife paid human smugglers nearly $6,000 to smuggle her and two children over the border.  After an exhausting journey, they ended in Thailand.  The US government granted refugee status to the family, and they are now in Los Angeles.

Gao Zhisheng’s wife, Geng He said their life is unbearable in China.  The family live under constant surveillance, and two children are not allowed t go to school.  Their 15-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son had been deeply traumatized.  The15-year-old daughter tried to commit suicide and talked about it.  “She cut her arms with a knife and slashed an artery. It bled a lot. She still has scars today,” she says.

Geng He did not say goodbye to her husband, who was not at home in Beijing during the time.  She wrote a note to him, “I’ve taken the children so they can get schooling.”  With the help of a network of people, Geng He and two children managed to get to the southwestern border province of Yunnan in early January.  Then, she paid the traffickers to smuggle her and the children across the border by motorcycle. They moved mostly at night, along winding mountain roads.

“From a wife’s perspective, I really wish that I could stay and take care of him,” Geng said tearfully. “But I had no choice. For the children’s good, I had to take them away with me.”

As to for Gao Zhisheng’s safety, sources say he was interrogated three times after his family fled. He was escort away by police on February 4, and he has not been seen since then.

A Chinese law expert at New York University, Jerome Cohen, says Gao Zhisheng’s case shows a new trend of “prison at home” in China.  He urged International Community to pressure the Chinese authorities to release Gao immediately.  “In light of the terrible, obscene tortures to which he was previously subjected, I think there’s a reasonable question as to whether he’s alive, and I think the Chinese authorities ought to be called upon to produce him,” he says.

For more information, please see:

AP – Dissident lawyer’s family flees China to US asylum – 13 March 2009

AFP – Chinese rights leader’s family ‘defects to US’ – 13 March 2009

NPR – Family Of Chinese Activist Lawyer Escapes To U.S. – 16 March 2009

Radio Free Asia – Chinese Dissident’s Family Defects – 12 March 2009

Reuters – China dissident’s family flee to U.S. – 13 March 2009

UN, Commonwealth Names Chair of Fiji’s Presidential Political Dialogue Forum

By Hayley J. Campbell
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji – Former Papua New Guinea Prime Minister, Sir Rabbie Namaliu, will reportedly chair Fiji’s upcoming President’s Political Dialogue Forum.

The Presidential Political Dialogue Forum will hopefully provide an opportunity for Non-Governmental Organizations as well as civil society groups to meet and discuss Fiji’s political future.

Since the 2006 military coup of Fiji’s federal government, the interim government has promised to relinquish power and hold democratic elections. Interim Prime Minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, originally promised to hold those elections by March 2009, but now states he will not meet his own deadline.

During a multi party political meeting on Friday, the United Nations and Commonwealth reportedly endorsed Mr. Namaliu as the Forum’s chair and also named mediators to assist him.

The UN, Commonwealth’s named mediators have caused some friction among two political parties in Fiji.

Fred Caine, from the General Voters Party, says that because the named assistants are not from the Pacific region, they will not properly understand the political situation in Fiji. In addition, Mr. Caine supports finishing the Forum within 6 months and immediately holding elections without first implementing reforms.

Meanwhile, Ropate Sivo, from the Conservative Alliance Matanitu Vanua, warns the people of Fiji to not allow the UN and Commonwealth to trick them. Mr. Sivo proposed that the Melanesian Spearhead Group should facilitate the Forum instead of the UN/Commonwealth’s named assistants.

For more information, please see:
Fiji Daily Post – ‘More than political’ – 16 March 2009

Radio New Zealand International – Senior PNG figure could chair Fiji’s Presidential Dialogue Forum – 15 March 2009

Commission on the Status of Women Pushes to Adopt Mission of CEDAW

By Sarah E. Treptow
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji – The Pacific Islands region, with a population of about 9 million people, presents a range of complex issues for development and gender-equality efforts, including deep social attitudes that limit women’s ability to receive education and career performance equivalent to men’s ability. The Commission on the Status of Women had a panel of presentations from several island nations who spoke of the need to have “gender-responsive programs” that grasp women’s immediate interests and implement relevant strategies for improving conditions across Pacific Island society.  A number of the presenters discussed the need to fully implement and meet the objectives of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).  CEDAW has been ratified by 185 countries but has not yet become a binding global standard for women’s equality.  The treaty has also not yet been brought before the US Senate for ratification.

Ofa ki-Levuka-Guttenbeil-Likiliki, of the Tonga National Center for Women and Children, explained the slow evolution of women’s equality in her country.  In 1975 only 1% of parliament ministers were women and in 2005 Tonga elections had 5 female candidates, the most ever.  In 2008 no women entered Parliament, and only one woman currently serves as MP.

Kairangi Samuela, of the Cook Islands Women’s Counseling Center, explained how cultural standards are used as an excuse for not advancing women’s rights further.  She added that Pacific Island society is now more in need of women in public life than before and would benefit from taking advantage of individual talents of women who may be unable to access positions of leadership or decision-making.

The rising risk of HIV/AIDS to the Pacific Island nations was also discussed and linked to women’s rights and economic independence.  Women who are bound to the home and restricted from accumulating property are less able to take preventative action to avoid becoming infected.  The risk of infection has increased as sex workers from larger Asian nations have moved into the Pacific.

During his address to the UN Commission on the Status of Women, the Honorable Willy Telavi, Tuvalu’s Minister of Home Affairs listed some factors contributing to discriminated against women in the Pacific, “the use of custom, culture and tradition as justifications for discriminatory and violent treatment; early and forced marriage, especially in Melanesia; limited access to education; teenage pregnancy and the consequent impacts on health and education; and social acceptance of violent punishment of children.”

For more information, please see:
Islands Business – Commission on the Status of Women Reviews “Pacific Realities” – 16 March 2009

United Nations Development Programme – Translating CEDAW Into Law: Opening Remarks – 07 March 2009

U.S. Continues to Withhold Money from Nicaragua

15 March 2009

U.S. Continues to Withhold Money from Nicaragua

By Karla E General
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

MANAGUA, Nicaragua – United States Ambassador Robert Callahan has warned Nicaragua’s Sandinista government that it will freeze $62 million in development aid until the controversy surrounding the disputed municipal elections held in Nicaragua last November is resolved. Callahan has provided a three month window for the Sandinista government to redress grievances of the alleged unfair election.

The ruling Sandinista party governed by President Daniel Ortega claimed an overwhelming victory in November’s elections. Opponents and international human rights groups have criticized the Sandinista Party of conducting fraudulent elections to secure an outcome in their favor. For instance, Ethics and Transparency, an electoral watchdog group, claims that the election was riddled with “systemic fraud.” The group found that more than ten articles of Nicaragua’s Electoral Code were violated in the electoral process. According to Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) acting Chief Executive Officer Rodney Bent, the $62 million in development aid, which is to come from the MCC, will likely be withheld because “[t]he government of Nicaragua has failed to reaffirm its commitment to democratic principles and practices since its suspension in December.”

Ortega has accused the U.S. of “taking bread” from the poor of Nicaragua by holding back the MCC aid. He attests that the election was fair and refuses to negotiate the mayorships won by his Sandinista party.

The MCC will meet in June to make its final determination of whether to award the $62 million for infrastructure and landtitling programs.

For more information, please see:

Associated Press – Nicaragua Blasts U.S.’s Decision to Hold Back Aid – 14 March 2009

Miami Herald – U.S. Warns Nicaragua Over Disputed Elections – 14 March 2009

Tico Times – U.S. Maintains Aid Suspension to Nicaragua – 12 March 2009

U.S. Continues to Withhold Money from Nicaragua

15 March 2009

U.S. Continues to Withhold Money from Nicaragua

By Karla E General
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

MANAGUA, Nicaragua – United States Ambassador Robert Callahan has warned Nicaragua’s Sandinista government that it will freeze $62 million in development aid until the controversy surrounding the disputed municipal elections held in Nicaragua last November is resolved. Callahan has provided a three month window for the Sandinista government to redress grievances of the alleged unfair election.

The ruling Sandinista party governed by President Daniel Ortega claimed an overwhelming victory in November’s elections. Opponents and international human rights groups have criticized the Sandinista Party of conducting fraudulent elections to secure an outcome in their favor. For instance, Ethics and Transparency, an electoral watchdog group, claims that the election was riddled with “systemic fraud.” The group found that more than ten articles of Nicaragua’s Electoral Code were violated in the electoral process. According to Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) acting Chief Executive Officer Rodney Bent, the $62 million in development aid, which is to come from the MCC, will likely be withheld because “[t]he government of Nicaragua has failed to reaffirm its commitment to democratic principles and practices since its suspension in December.”

Ortega has accused the U.S. of “taking bread” from the poor of Nicaragua by holding back the MCC aid. He attests that the election was fair and refuses to negotiate the mayorships won by his Sandinista party.

The MCC will meet in June to make its final determination of whether to award the $62 million for infrastructure and landtitling programs.

For more information, please see:

Associated Press – Nicaragua Blasts U.S.’s Decision to Hold Back Aid – 14 March 2009

Miami Herald – U.S. Warns Nicaragua Over Disputed Elections – 14 March 2009

Tico Times – U.S. Maintains Aid Suspension to Nicaragua – 12 March 2009