UPDATE: Papua Human Rights Lawyer Charged

JAKARTA, Indonesia – Sabar Iwanggin, a lawyer working for the human rights organization Elsham, was arrested in October for forwarding a text message that read, “The president has an agenda of wiping out Papuans by poisoning food and hiring members of the army as doctors, restaurant workers, and motorcycle taxi drivers to kill Papuans.”  (Please see the Impunity Watch report on his arrest here.)  Iwanggin was formally charged this week with insulting the president.

Iwanggin will be transferred to a community prison is Abepura to await trial.

Elsham co-worker Paula Makabori said that Iwanggin is being unfairly singled out for a text message that was received and forwarded by thousands of others.  She told Radio New Zealand International, “Why don’t those thousands of other people be put into the jails together with Sabar?  Because they all received the same SMS and for writing to their friends and families because of their concern about human rights in West Papua and the deteriorating situation over there.”

For more information, please see:

Radio New Zealand International – Papua human rights campaigner charged over SMS messages – 12 December 2007

Iraq: 25 Killed in Triple Car Bombing and Mass Grave Found

By Vivek Thiagarajan
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East

BAGHDAD, Iraq- On Wednesday three bombs went off simultaneously killing 25 people and wounding 135 others.  Although  initial reports that were released had stated that 45 people were killed, the death count was lowered.

Prime Minister Al Maliki remarked that the bombings were “desperate attempt” to take away from the success that has been ongoing by the Iraqi security forces.  (Gulf Daily News)

Although no group has yet claimed the attack, car bombs are weapon of choice for Al-Qaida and Sunni extremists.  These groups have been forced out of Baghdad and so should not pose a substantial threat to southern Iraq’s stability.

In contrast, there are rumors that the local Shiite militias are linked to Iran.  If they are backed by Iran and are seeking to assert their influence on the region it could be a threat to the Iraqi Security forces.  Especially since British troops have planned on pulling troops from the region by the end of the year.

However, the bombing should not affect the transfer.  An Iraqi official stated that “(The bombing) has nothing to do with Basra.  The handover will go on ahead on December 16.  The quality of the forces in Basra is excellent.”  (Gulf Times)

A bombing also occurred in the Kurdish dominated Town of Khanaquin killing four and injuring twelve.  Three police were among those who were injured.

Also Wednesday, a mass grave containing 16 bodies was unearthed.  All 16 corpses were men.  Twelve of the men were decapitated and the other four were mutilated.  Al-Qaida is reported to have killed and mutilated the men.

For more information, please see:

CNN- Troops discover mass grave in Iraq- 13 December 2007

AP- Iraqi City Mourns After Deadly Bombing- 13 December 2007

Gulf Daily News- Market blasts kill 40 in Iraq- 13 December 2007

Washington Post- Triple Car Bombing Kills 46 in S. Iraq- 13 December 2007

Los Angeles Times- As one Iraqi city reels, others are hit- 13 December 2007

Congo Groups Recruiting Child Soldiers

By Elizabeth Costner
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Africa

KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo – A UN mission in the DRC reported yesterday that hundreds of under-aged boys and girls are being forcibly recruited by rival armed groups and sent to the front lines of the escalating conflict in the North Kivu province in the far eastern part of the country.   “Many testimonies gathered recently confirmed that after being forcibly recruited, children receive military training and are sent to the front line for fighting, while others are used for logistical tasks or as sexual slaves.”

The UN mission, known as MONUC, has identified two groups, one of which is led by the renegade General Laurent Nkunda, as the main groups responsible for the recruitment.  The groups are known to be deliberately canvassing and searching schools and camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) looking for children.  This has led to the closure of a number of schools and families that have tried to resist the recruitment have faced retaliation. 

Since 2004 the UN has rescued an estimated 8,500 child soldiers, however it is believed that many of these children have been re-recruited in the last few months or have been used as sex slaves.  MONUC pledged to increase its efforts to protect children and to prevent their forced recruitment, and called on the rebel groups to abort the process.

The UN has been increasingly worried about the humanitarian situation inside North Kivu, where tens of thousands of people are on the move due to increased fighting.  An estimated 800,000 Congolese are now internally displaced within the province with 170,000 of those in the last four months alone.

The security situation in North Kivu has made it difficult for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other aid agencies to reach many areas of the province, which borders Rwanda and Uganda.  More than 4,500 MONUC troops have been deployed to help protect Goma and the key town of Sake.

For more information, please see:

UN News Centre – DR Congo: UN mission says recruitment of child soldiers is surging – 14 December 2007

AP – UN: Congo Groups Recruiting Children – 14 December 2007

The Age (Australia) – More needs to be done for child soldiers, says UN official – 14 December 2007

BRIEF: Amnesty Reports on Zimbabwe Police Abuse

HARARE, Zimbabwe – According to researchers of Amnesty International, the frequency and severity of beatings and torture of political opponents has increased since a mediation process began. South African President Thabo Mbeki has been facilitating the mediation between the government and opposition leaders, on behalf of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), in hopes of resolving their issues.

The report was released after the researchers returned from Zimbabwe earlier this week. According to the organization, several identified police units have been responsible for the ongoing violence against human rights and opposition groups, mainly the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). The report is a summary and analysis of evidence and accounts from a range of sources including victims, doctors and lawyers.

According to the report, the Zimbabwe police would quickly stop all demonstrations by human rights groups. Once in police custody, members of those groups would be assaulted and denied access to lawyers or medical care.

The demonstrations are mainly in response to the government’s failure to address the economic and humanitarian crisis. The official inflation rate as of October was 14,000% and basic commodities are scarce. Furthermore, several groups have made allegations of human rights violations including the MDC and the Women in Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA).

For more information please see:

AllAfrica.com- Zimbabwe: Amnesty Reports Increased Police Torture of Innocent Civilians – 14 December 2007

Yahoo News (AFP) – Zimbabwe Police Still Beating, Torturing Opponents: Amnesty – 13 December 2007

Amnesty International- Zimbabwe: Police Still Torture While Political Solution to Crisis Being Sought  – 14 December 2007

BRIEF: PNG to Establish Human Rights Commission

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea – Papua New Guinea is prepared to establish a human rights commission.  The final option paper was presented this week, and has the support of Chief Ombudsman Ila Geno and Secretary for Community Development Joseph Klapat.

Klapat said, “The human rights commission formation is an important proposal for the government because it underpins not only the protection of human rights but the promotion of democracy, realising Papua New Guineans’ international human rights obligation together with education and infrastructure developments in PNG.”

Also this week, the PNG group Kup Women for Peace took the Pacific Human Rights award for its “outstanding peace work during conflict”, reports the Post-Courier.

For more information, please see:

Islands Business (The National) – PNG set to establish Human Rights Commission – 14 December 2007

Post-Courier – UN urges respect for rights – 12 December 2007

Pacific Magazine – PNG Group Wins Regional Human Rights Award – 11 December 2007