Obama’s Election: A Democratic Model for Fiji?

By Hayley J. Campbell
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji – Despite more than 10,000 miles in between, Fiji’s party leaders are regarding the U.S. presidential election as a model for the kind of democracy Fiji hopes to reestablish through its elections.

Some South Pacific leaders believe Mr. Obama’s election will result in better relations between America and South Pacific nations. Other leaders are uncertain as to whether Mr. Obama’s administration will have any significant affect on the South Pacific region.

But in the midst of Fiji’s political turmoil, many Fijian party leaders are viewing Mr. Obama’s election as inspirational and as a possible democratic model to emulate.

In 2006, the Interim Prime Minister,Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama, led a military takeover of Fiji’s Federal Government. In October, the High Court in Fiji ruled that the 2006 coup was legitimate. Fiji’s ousted Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase, has challenged that decision, calling it a “miscarriage of justice.”

In response to the U.S. election, Mr. Qarase offered congratulations to Mr. Obama. In particular, Mr. Qarase believes that this American presidential election projects a strong message of democracy to not only Fiji, but to countries around the world.

In fact, throughout the South Pacific, nations have risen in support of the American presidential election. American Samoa’s Democratic Congressman, Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin, has said Mr. Obama’s election marks the most significant U.S. election in the last hundred years. Mr. Faleomavaega believes Mr. Obama’s election is not only important for U.S. States, but also for U.S. Pacific territories. During an interview, Mr. Faleomavaega specifically spoke of the racial ramifications of Mr. Obama’s selection:

“. . . the character of the man (are what matter)… which is what Dr Martin Luther King Jr had dreamed about some sixty years ago, that one day his children would not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. And I have to say to the American people, I’m just so proud to see that they made the judgement on the character of the man and not because of his race,” Mr. Faleomavaega said.

In Indonesia, students from Mr. Obama’s old elementary school danced with excitement in the rain after hearing the news. President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, has congratulated Barrack Obama, saying that Indonesia has a “special affection” for him. Mr. Obama lived with his American mother and Indonesian stepfather from the age of 6 to 10. The Indonesian President believes Mr. Obama will have special insight into Indonesia’s culture as well as its problems.

But Fiji leaders believe that Mr. Obama’s election holds a special significance for them as they struggle to rebuild a democracy.

“For Fiji, there is a clear message out of Obama’s victory, the people of Fiji want democracy and an early election. We want leaders chosen by the people, we don’t want leaders forced on us.” Mr. Qarase added, “SDL’s hope is that Obama’s victory will encourage the interim regime to hold elections as early as possible in 2009,” Mr. Qarase said.

Fiji’s United People’s Party, led by Mick Beddoes, says that Mr. Obama’s election gives hope that, “one day we in Fiji will elect the smartest person as prime minister, which gives me hope that one day we will see a member from the minority community in Fiji elected by the majority Fijians and Indians to be prime minister of Fiji.”

While most party leaders believe the U.S. election will affect the South Pacific, other commentators are skeptical. Fiji business tycoon, Hari Punja, says Mr. Obama’s election will have a “negligible” impact at most on Fiji. Mr. Punja attributes this to the U.S. Democratic party’s tendency to address domestic concerns over global ones.

“. . . in the past America has been very benevolent and may not be as benevolent as from now on. Because America will say we will do what is good for us rather than what was good for the world,” Mr. Punja said.

But Fiji People’s Party general secretary, Charan Jeath Singh, says the impact of the U.S. election is more symbolic and hopeful.

“In a nutshell, it gives us a strong message on how we should operate. We must respect democracy and the Government should be allowed to run its full term,” Mr. Singh said.

While many leaders are pushing for Bainimarama to hold democratic elections as soon as possible, no date has been set.

For more information, please see:
Fiji Times – Reactions to Obama’s victory – 06 November 2008

Fiji Times – No impact, says Punja – 06 November 2008

International Business Times – Reaction to Obama elected 1st black US president – 05 November 2008

Radio New Zealand International – American Samoa congressman hails Obama victory – 05 November 2008

Newspaper Editor Tortured in Bangladesh

By Pei Hu
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

DHAKA, Bangladesh – Noor Ahmed of the daily Sylhet Protidin was tortured several times by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) while being held in custody last year. Ahmed was arrested at the same time as two other journalists, Sajol Daash and Apurbo Sharma. All were arrested for the same charges.

RAB arrested Ahmed in April 2007, blindfolding him and throwing him into the back of a truck. Upon his release on bail in September 2007, Ahmed told local rights groups that he was tortured and threatened because he was investigating allegations that the police chief of RAB was taking bribes in the northeastern city of Sylhet. Ahmed thought his arrest was intended to intimidate other journalists out of publishing similar reports.

Ahmed told rights groups that he was subject to mental and physical torture while in RAB custody where he was beaten on the leg by a stick for 20 minutes and then beaten again when he denied involvement on an extortion case. RAB also threatened Ahmed with the possibility of imprisonment again if he did not close down his newspaper when he returned to journalism after he was released. After being tortured for a night, Ahmed was forced to sign a paper which he was unable to read.

Ahmed’s case is similar to Tasneem Khalil and Jahangir Alam Akash, who were also arrested and tortured by RAB in 2007. RAB is a Bangladesh security force established in 2004 to combat specialized crime, Islamic militants, and Maoist rebels. Human rights groups have accused RAB of hundreds of extrajudicial killings.

International human rights group, Reporters Without Borders, said “It is appalling that local officials, including those responsible for law and order, can attack journalists with complete impunity,” and demanded justice on the perpetrators that tortured and intimidated Ahmed.

For more information, please see:

APF – Media Watchdog Demands Bangladesh Torture Probe – 11 October 2008

RSF – Government Challenged Over Torture of Editor in Sylhet – 10 October 2008

UNHCR – Government Challenged Over Torture of Editor in Sylhet– 10 October 2008

China’s First Human Rights Action Plan

By Ariel Lin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BEIJING, China – China plans to issue its first national action plan to protect human rights, said the State Council Information Office.  The action plan would cover aspects such as improving government function, expanding democracy, strengthening the rule of law, improving people’s livelihood, protecting rights of women, children and ethnic minorities and boosting public awareness of human rights, said a statement of the office.

According to the statement, the office and Foreign Ministry, joined by more than 50 departments, public associations and non-governmental organizations, including the country’s legislature, top political advisory body, Supreme Court, Supreme Procuratorate and the National Development and Reform Commission will draft the action plan.  More than 10 human rights experts from key universities and academic institutions would form a group to advise the panel, the statement said.  Once the plan was done, it would guide China in the development of human rights.

However, the government did not release the timetable of drafting and when the plan would be implemented.  The government issued its first white paper on human rights in 1991, officially adopting the concept of “human rights” in its political strategy.  Since then, it has issued 40 such documents, but never a State action plan in human rights. Dong Yunhu, vice-president and secretary-general of the China Society for Human Rights Studies, said: “As the first of its kind, the plan will have a major impact on development of human rights.”

The Chinese government faces constant criticism from international rights groups for censorship and jailing peaceful dissidents and protesters, as well as rising demands from increasingly assertive citizens.

For more information, please see:

China Daily – Govt to draft plan on human rights – 5 November 2008

Reuters – China to issue human rights plan: official – 4 November 2008

XinHua – China to outline first national action plan to protect human rights – 4 November 2008

Japan Fires Air Force Chief Over WWII Comments

By Kristy Tridhavee
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Asia

TOKYO, Japan – The Defense Minister of Japan dismissed the Air Force Chief of Staff, General Toshio Tamogami, after he wrote an essay asserting Japan was not an aggressor in WWII.

In his essay, which had the theme of “true views of modern history,” Tamogami wrote: “Even now, there are many people who think that our country’s ‘aggression’ caused unbearable suffering to the countries of Asia during the Greater East Asia War.  But we need to realize that many Asian countries take a positive view of the Greater East Asia War. It is certainly a false accusation to say that our country was an aggressor nation.”

Tamogami went on to say that Japan’s military action in China in the early 1900’s was based on treaties, and that the Korean peninsula had been “prosperous and safe” under Japan’s 1910-1945 colonial rule.  He also contended that Japan was drawn into the war by President Franklin D Roosevelt because Roosevelt had been manipulated by the Comintern, an international communist organization founded in Moscow. Tamogami wrote, “Roosevelt had become president on his public pledge not to go to war, so in order to start a war between the United States and Japan, it had to appear that Japan took the first shot,” he wrote.

In a news conference, Yasukazu Hamada, the Defense Minister, said, “It is inappropriate for him to remain in this position and I will swiftly dismiss him.  What he said was inappropriate for an air chief of staff.”  He should not remain in the job.” The quick dismissal is seen as an attempt to stop critical remarks from China, South Korea, and other Asian nations that have reacted angrily to past denials of Japan’s wartime past.

In the 1990’s, Japan officially apologized for its wartime past and acknowledged its aggression in Asia.  Recently, however, national politicians belonging to the right wing of the Liberal Democratic Party began a campaign to revise Japan’s wartime history.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Japan Air Force Chief Faces Sack – 31 October 2008

Japan Times – ASDF Chief Justifies the War, is Axed – 1 November 2008

The New York Times – Japan Fires General Who Said U.S. ‘Trap’ Led to Pearl Harbor Attack – 31 October 2008

Two Defense Lawyers Sentenced to Jail in Myanmar

By Ariel Lin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

YANGONG, Myanmar – Two defense lawyers have been sentenced for six months at the Northern District Court in Myanmar’s former capital of Rangoon. Nyi Nyi Htwe and Ko Saw Kyaw Kyaw Min represented 11 Kemmendine Township National League for Democracy (NLD) members that are being held in prison.

The NLD members were accused of demonstrating against the military regime, and calling for the release of detained opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.  Nyi Nyi Htwe was taken into custody Oct. 29 at a teashop near the Hlaing Thayar courthouse, witnesses said.  Ko Saw Kyaw Kyaw Min is now in hiding.  The Hlaing Thayar judge has charged them under Mynamar Criminal Act 128.

Saw Kyaw Kyaw Min and Nyi Nyi Htwe appeared in court Oct. 23 with their clients.  At that hearing, three of the youths called Information Minister Gen. Kyaw  Hsan as a witness, Saw Kyaw Kyaw Min said, speaking from an undisclosed location.  The judge told the lawyers to control their clients, but Nyi Nyi Htwe replied that he was required to represent his clients’ wishes.

In an interview with Democratic Voice of Burma, Nyi Nyi Htwe says that the charges were deliberately oppressing political activists and those lawyers who are working for political activists.  “As a lawyer who handles political cases, I feel this is deliberate pressure,” Nyi Nyi Htwe said.  “I already knew that my legal licence was not secure and that we could end up in jail at any time,” he added.

Similar pressure is being directed at other defense lawyers representing clients in political cases.  Khin Maung Shein said he was also threatened by a judge to take care when recently attending a political case at a Sanchaung Township court hearing.  “The Sanchaung Township court judge threatened me yesterday, saying I could be sentenced to a prison term for interruption of judicial proceedings and told me to take care in handling the case,” he explained.

For more information, please see:

Democratic Voice of Burma – Lawyer and activists jailed for six months – 3 November 2008

Radio Free Asia – Burma Jails Lawyers for Contempt – 30 October, 2008

Voice of America – US Group Says Burma Detained Opposition Activists’ Lawyer– 29 October 2008