A Voice for the Voiceless

Developments on the Khmer Rouge Trial

By Pei Hu
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – The Khmer Rouge trial has been delayed until next year. The delay results from new charges being brought against Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch, one of the defendants on trial. “The chance to have a trial for Duch could be in 2009, early next year,” said a tribunal spokesman.

The United States has also pledged $1.8 million dollars to help the efforts of the tribunal.  This is the first donation from the United States because of worries of corruption since the establishment of the tribunal.

The Extraordinary Chambers in Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) was established by both the United Nations and the Cambodian government in 2001 to investigate and try surviving Khmer Rouge officials. ECCC uses both Cambodian and International law.

In May 2008, the ECCC banned communication amongst defendants during pre-trial. The Pre-Trial Chamber approved the “strict separation between the detainees,” taking away “the right to communicate among themselves.” However, this past Thursday the ECCC overturned the segregation order. The Pre-Trial Chamber found “that there can be no reason related to investigation purposes justifying that contacts between [defendants] be restricted.”

The Khmer Rouge tribunal has been an international effort to bring to justice the 1.7 million people that perished under the brutal Khmer Rouge regime from 1975-1979.

Currently, five key Khmer Rouge officers are on trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Pol Pot, the dictator of the Khmer Rouge regime died in 1998 without ever being brought to justice.

For more information, please see:

Boston Globe – Cambodia’s Genocide Trial Delayed Until Next Year – 2 October 2008

Jurist – ECCC Ends Ban On Communication Among Defendants in Pretrial Detention – 2 October 2008

New York Times – Cambodia: U.S. Pledges Funds to Khmer Rouge Tribunal– 17 September 2008

Tagicakibau Suggests UN Training is Being Used to Perpetuate Coup Culture

By Ryan L. Maness
Senior Desk Officer, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji – As a United Nations delegation toured Fiji this week, interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama called upon the delegation to allow a greater role in the UN’s international peacekeeping efforts for Fiji’s peacekeeping soldiers.  Bainimarama said that Fiji’s forces had a “proud track record” for their involvement with UN peacekeeping.

However, Pacific Concerns Resource Centre has cautioned the UN to not grant Bainimarama’s request.  Organization spokesperson Ema Tagicakibau, said that the training  and confidence that Fiji’s forces have received from the UN have been employed in Fiji to allow the military to stage coups.  Referring to repeated allegations of police and military misconduct, the spokeswoman said, “”After all, a military force that terrorises and violates the rights of its own people and intervenes in political and democratic governance, has no business cleaning up the affairs of other nations.”

“The credibility of the UN will be at stake if it turns a blind eye to the fact that these professional peacekeepers are the very ones breaking the peace at home,”   Tagicakibau said.

For more information, please see:

FijiVillage – Reconsider Peacekeeping Role- PCRC – 01 October 2008

Fiji Times – UN told of coup cycle, peacekeeping link – 01 October 2008

Tagicakibau Suggests UN Training is Being Used to Perpetuate Coup Culture

By Ryan L. Maness
Senior Desk Officer, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji – As a United Nations delegation toured Fiji this week, interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama called upon the delegation to allow a greater role in the UN’s international peacekeeping efforts for Fiji’s peacekeeping soldiers.  Bainimarama said that Fiji’s forces had a “proud track record” for their involvement with UN peacekeeping.

However, Pacific Concerns Resource Centre has cautioned the UN to not grant Bainimarama’s request.  Organization spokesperson Ema Tagicakibau, said that the training  and confidence that Fiji’s forces have received from the UN have been employed in Fiji to allow the military to stage coups.  Referring to repeated allegations of police and military misconduct, the spokeswoman said, “”After all, a military force that terrorises and violates the rights of its own people and intervenes in political and democratic governance, has no business cleaning up the affairs of other nations.”

“The credibility of the UN will be at stake if it turns a blind eye to the fact that these professional peacekeepers are the very ones breaking the peace at home,”   Tagicakibau said.

For more information, please see:

FijiVillage – Reconsider Peacekeeping Role- PCRC – 01 October 2008

Fiji Times – UN told of coup cycle, peacekeeping link – 01 October 2008

EU: Concern for Religious Minorities

By Yasmine S. Hakimian
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

BRUSSELS, Belgium – On September 26, the European Union declared its concern for religious minorities in Iran. The declaration released by the Presidency of the EU urges the Iranian government to reconsider its plan to debate a draft bill on apostasy. Apostasy occurs when one abandons their religious faith.

There has been a decrease in the freedom of religion and specifically the freedom to worship. Since April 2008, the circumstances of religious minorities have worsened and many Iranian converts to Christianity and Bahai have been arrested. Mahmoud Mohammad Matin-Azad, (53 years old) and Arash Ahmad-Ali Basirat (40 years old), two Christian converts have been detained for apostasy since May 15.

Many reports indicate that those belonging to the Christian, Baha’i, Sufi and Sunni minorities in Iran are continuously living in persecution. The minorities have dealt with confiscation of property, profanation of their prayer spaces, imprisonment and numerous acts of violence, some of which life threatening.

The Iranian parliament may soon draft a law making apostasy a crime punishable by death. If passed, the law will infringe the freedom of religion. As a result, Iranian’s will be stripped of their right to change religion or have no religion. Such a law violates Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Iran freely ratified.

There will be drastic consequences for thousands of religious minorities living in Iran if the Iranian parliament passes the law. The law would put converts’ lives in grave danger. The law would further threaten the lives of those Iranians who have been arrested for their religious beliefs and held without trial for months.

The apostasy bill, named the Islamic Penal Code, was approved at a first stage vote by the Iranian parliament on September 9. A total of 196 votes were for, seven against, and two abstentions for the bill. The bill will be sent back to the Legislative Commission for amendments and brought before the Iranian parliament for a further vote.

The European Union is asking Iran to forego the law and release the imprisoned converts. The EU urges Iran to put an end to violence and discrimination against religious minorities and allow them to fully exercise their freedom of religion or belief.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide, a Christian human rights group, is strongly supporting the EU in its declaration to Iran. Tina Lambert, CSW’s advocacy director, stated “the international community must continue to urge the Iranian government to release all those detained on the basis of their religious affiliation and respect their obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”

For more information, please see:

Christian Today – Christian Group Welcomes EU’s Strong Stance on Iran Apostasy Bill – 2 October 2008

Assyrian International News Agency – EU Urges Iran to Drop Draft Apostasy Bill and Release Christian Converts – 1 October 2008

Iran Human Rights – EU Presidency is Very Concerned about the Situation of Religious Minorities in Iran – 30 September 2008

Associated Press – EU Worried About Freedom of Religion in Iran – 26 September 2008

Reporters Shot in Bangkok Due to Work on Local Corruption

By Pei Hu
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BANGKOK, Thailand – Jaruek Rangcharoen, a journalist who reported on government corruption was shot last week. Rangcharoen was a regional reporter for the Bangkok-based newspaper, Matichon. Police reported that Rangcharoen was shot several times in the head when he was on his way home from a local market. The Thai Journalists Association (TJA) believes the murder of Rangcharoen was an attempt at silencing the media.

Rangcharoen was reporting on the corruption of local government officials in the central province of Suphanburi. Previously, the governor of Suphanburi has said that Rangcharoen’s articles have brought him in direct opposition with local politicians and businessmen.

Media safety has been a problem in Thailand. In 2005, Santi Lammaninin, a Thai journalist was shot dead near a beach resort. Police said that Lammaninin’s murder was possibly linked to his journalist work.

In August, another Matichon reporter, Athiwat Chainurat, was shot dead in his home. Like Rangcharoen, Chainurat was reporting on local corruption of high-ranking officials. Police suspected Chainurat’s murder was related to news reports written by the victim, which caused conflicts with a high-ranking government officer in the district. The perpetrator for Chainurat’s case has not been found yet.

Due to the danger to journalists in Bangkok, the Press Freedom Association has said, “The current political crisis should not be used as an excuse for allowing impunity to take hold in cases of crimes of violence against the press. Otherwise Thailand could end up in the same tragic situation as the Philippines, where many journalists are murdered each year.”

In addition, Reporters without Borders commented that they “urge the police chief and other competent authorities to move quickly to ensure that both the perpetrators and the masterminds are brought to justice.”

For more information, please see:

APF – Thailand: Journalist Shot Dead Near Beach Resort – 2 November 2005

Bangkok Post – Matichon Reporter Shot Dead at Home – 3 August 2008

Reporters without Borders – Another Provincial Correspondent of Bangkok Daily Gunned Down – 30 September 2008