A Voice for the Voiceless

Price Cut Worsens Zimbabwe’s Economy

By Myriam Clerge
Impunity Watch, Africa

Two weeks ago, Zimbabwe’s Industry Minister Obert Mpofu ordered businesses to cut the prices of certain commodities in half. In an effort to curb the country’s inflation rate, now well beyond 5000 %, Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mbeka threatened to seize and nationalize companies if they were found to be profiteering. However, many businesses defied the government imposed price cut.

On Saturday, the crackdown began on defiant businesses.Since Monday, 1,328 shop owners and business managers have been arrested. Among those arrested were two directors of Zimbabwe’s main food distributor and fast food chain.

Earlier economists warned that the price cut would only lead to empty shelves and the closure of more businesses. That premonition has come true. The sudden drop in prices led to stampedes, bulk purchases and panic buying of staple commodities. Unable to replace food sold at below cost prices, bread, meat and fuel have run dry.

Buses, ordered to reduce fares by three-fourths, are simply abandoning routes. Businesses, incurring significant losses, are expected to make huge lay-off since workers are failing to go to work.

In just two weeks, the economy is coming to a standstill and many blame the President.

The effects of food shortages hit the country’s main university in Harare, the University of Zimbabwe. Thousands of students were evicted, this past weekend, when they protested against a decision to deny them food for not paying their fees.

Students were ordered to pay an extra one million dollars (4,000 US dollars), for an extended semester after a strike by lecturers shortened the semester. According to Benjamin Nyandoro, the spokesman for the Zimbabwe’s National Student Union, many of those evicted lived on campus because they had no friends or family in the area. Now they have no choice but to sleep in the streets.

For more information please see:

BBC – Mass Zimbabwe Arrest Over Prices – 09 July 2007

Yahoo – Price Cut Paralyzing Zimbabwe Economy – 09 July 2007

Yahoo – 1,300 Arrested in Zimbabwe Prices Crackdown –  09 July 2007

Yahoo – Zimbabwe University Evicts Students Following Food Riots – 09 July 2007

Fatwa issued against Liberal Saudi Muslims

In June, an Islamic leader issued a fatwa against liberal Muslims.  Sheik Saleh al-Fozan said, “Calling oneself a liberal Muslim is a contradiction in terms … one should repent before God for such ideas in order to be a real Muslim.”  (Reuters)  The edict has caused liberal Muslims to fear attacks from Islamic militants. 

A fatwa is a religious edict issued by an Islamic cleric.  Typically, a fatwa is used to express disapproval against someone whose actions contradict the issuing cleric’s interpretation of Sharia law.  Sometimes violence follows the issuing of a fatwa.  This happens when militant followers enforce the fatwa by killing the target of the edict.  For example, in 1989 a fatwa was issued against Salman Rushdie. Although, he has survived the fatwa by going underground for many years, some of his book Satanic Verses translators were killed, as well as his Norwegian publisher. Also, 37 people died while his Turkish translator was targeted.

For this reason the Liberal Muslims are fearful that violence will ensue from this fatwa. “Even if his (Fozan) intention is not calling for violence, the implication is violence,” replied Turki al-Hamad.  (Reuters)  Hamad is a novelist targeted by Saudi Islamists because of his desire to expand the freedom of the individual. 

Saudi conservative Muslims are conflicting with liberal Muslims on whether the influence of the clerics should be limited.  The liberals also desire to limit the Saudi royal family’s power through implementing parliamentary elections.  The discord between the factions of Islam could cause violence amongst the factions.  If this happens it is likely that the Saudi government would have to intercede and the Royal Family would seize the opportunity to cement its power.  If the discord does not lead to open violence, it could create the necessary tension to limit the influence of radical militant clerics. 

Reuters. Saudi fatwa against liberals raise fears of violence. 8 July 2007.
Fars News Agency. Enemies seek to Sow Religious Discord among Muslims. 7 July 2007.
CNN. Iran dissacociates itself from Rushdie death sentence. 24 September 1998.

Over six million Afghans face food insecurity

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 6.5 million people face food insecurity in Afghanistan.

In 2006, some areas of Afghanistan faced a food crisis when demand for food surpassed supply, FAO reported.

Floods and torrential rainfall have caused extensive damage to agriculture and livestock.

Acute malnutrition (severe weight loss) affects about 5 to 10 percent of children under five, according to the Afghan government and the UN. Acute malnutrition affects mostly children under two, and is often caused by diarrhea and other hygienic problems.

Afghanistan feeds a majority of its population through an underdeveloped agriculture system. Afghanistan is about 90 percent self-sufficient in cereal production, but it has a long way to go to properly feed its growing population, aid officials say.

Afghanistan needs to preserve its natural resources improve water and irrigation management, diversify agricultural production, expand its fruit and vegetable production, improve livestock production and help households diversify their sources of income, the FAO said.

For more information, please see:

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/18a420db2b7c1a2d8fd9a19acd3cef9f.htm

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=73131

http://afghandevnews.wordpress.com/2007/07/05/hundreds-of-families-displaced-by-floods-livelihoods-lost/

Indonesia police killing Papua province civilians

In Papua providence, Indonesian police beat and killed civilians and raped women during operations against separatists, according to a Human Rights Watch report.

Human Rights Watch interviewed alleged victims and witness, all of whom spoke anonymously due to fears of reprisal.

The report cited investigations of eight alleged killings by police and military since 2005, and several beatings. Human Rights Watch also reported two cases of rape.

Papua became part off Indonesia in 1969 after a U.N.-sponsored ballot, which has since been dismissed as a sham.

A separatist insurgency started in the majority Christian region in Muslim-majority Indonesia. Tens of thousands have died because of military action by Indonesian forces.

About 100 Papuans demonstrated outside the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta to demand an independence referendum.

Human Rights Watch said the abuse deepened mistrust of the national government and risked fueling separatist tensions in the region.

Human Rights Watch urged the government to open Papua to independent observers, and to allow independent and transparent investigations of rights abuses.

For more information, please see:

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/05/asia/AS-GEN-Indonesia-Papua-Human-Rights.php

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/JAK225319.htm

http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailgeneral.asp?fileid=20070705160128&irec=19

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/286636/1/.html

Charles Taylor Trial Update

By Impunity Watch Africa

Charles Taylor, the former Liberian president on trial at The Hague for war crimes committed in Sierra Leone, finally broke his boycott of the court Tuesday.  At Tuesday’s hearing Taylor plead not guilty to a slightly amended charge and the court explained their reasoning behind delaying the trial yet again until August 20.   Taylor has caused delays and problems with the trial since the opening statements in June when he failed to show up and instead sent a letter to the judge firing his lawyer and failing to recognize the court’s authority.   The most recent delay was due to the fact that Taylor had not yet been appointed a new attorney.

A court official on Friday released the details of the money Taylor will receive for his defense.  Taylor will receive a package worth $100,000 per month.  This package includes $70,000 per month for the legal team.  He will also get a senior investigator and office space in The Hague, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.  This package is almost three times higher than any other case at the special court and twice as high as any at the Yugoslavia tribunal.   Taylor is entitled to receive the funds because the court has ruled that he is indigent, despite the fact that United Nations experts suggest he has millions of dollars hidden in bank accounts throughout the world.

Taylor has repeatedly requested that a top-UK attorney known as a Queen’s Counsel represent him. Stephen Kay, a leading British barrister who represented Slobodan Milosevic at the International Criminal Court for the former Yugoslavia until Milosevic’s death in March 2006, has been in talks with the Special Court for Sierra Leone to take over Taylor’s defense.

Meanwhile, the Sierra Leone Court Monitoring Group (SLCMP) issued a statement Tuesday that the Special Court violated a United Nations Security Council Resolution after the Court failed to broadcast the hearing.  Resolution 1688 requires the Court to make the trial accessible to the people of West Africa, including Sierra Leone, through a video link.   SLCMP stated that Tuesday’s hearing was for yet another delay, which further delayed justice for the people who suffered during the civil war.  Those people deserve to hear the proceedings, so that they can understand the workings of the judicial court and know what is going on.   Head of Press and Public Affairs at the Special Court responded that the failure to broadcast is not due to a desire to violate the Resolution nor a lack of seriousness by the Court, but rather a technical problem that is beyond their making.  He promised that the issued will be solved by the time the proceedings begin in earnest in August.

For more information, please see:

Independent – War Crimes Trial Gives Taylor More Legal Funds – 07 July 2007

Institute for War and Peace – Milosevic Lawyer in Talks Over Taylor Defense – 06 July 2007

International Herald Tribune – Court grants Taylor More Money for Defense in Sierra Leone War Crimes Trial – 06 July 2007

AllAfrica – Special Court Violates UN Resolution – 05 July 2007