A Voice for the Voiceless

Chinese official sentenced to death for corruption

Cao Wenzhuang, a former pharmaceutical registration department director at the State Food and Drug Administration in China, has been sentenced to death by the Beijing No. 1 Intermediate Court.  Mr. Cao is accused of accepting over $300,000 in bribes from two pharmaceutical companies who were seeking approval to sell their products. 

Mr. Cao’s sentence comes less than two months after this same court sentenced the head of the State Food and Drug Administration, Zheng Xiaoyu, to death.  Mr. Zheng was sentenced to death in May for taking over $800,000 in bribes to approve substandard medicines, including an antibiotic blamed for at least ten deaths.

Although the sentence may appear harsh, Mr. Cao’s sentence comes with a two-year reprieve, a lighter penalty that may allow him to serve his time as life in prison.  These actions by the Chinese government is also a sign that China is determined to crack down on fraud, corruption, and counterfeiting in the country.  Four other senior food and drug officials were also sentenced to long prison terms.  This comes at a time when China is under increasing international criticism over the quality and safety of its products.

Concerns began when China exported pet food contaminated with an industrial chemical.  Soon after, there were recalls of Chinese toothpaste, blocked imports of some Chinese seafood.

For more information, please see:
–http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/06/world/asia/06cnd-china.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
–http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=385&sid=1177730

Security forces surround Pakistan mosque

In Islamabad, Pakistan, hundreds of militant student are inside Lal Masjid (Red Mosque), surrounded by 12,000 Pakistani troops, defying a government order to surrender.  The mosque attempted to set up a Taliban-style justice system.

Security forces began their assault on Lal Masjid this week, despite fears that action would inflame people across the country, especially in the pro-Taliban tribal areas on the border with Afghanistan.

At least 24 people have died, including militants, security officers and bystanders. Tanks fired shells at the mosque, destroying its front wall. Circling helicopters received heavy fire from within the mosque. The mosque’s chief was arrested and more than 1,000 of his followers surrendered.  Security agents caught him trying to leave the mosque wearing a burqa (head-to-toe women’s gown).

About eight explosions were followed by some gunfire, which was followed by an announcement from security force loudspeakers outside the mosque, calling on the students to surrender, a witness said.

The events followed clashes at the mosque between security forces and the militants, who have been in conflict with the government for months. At least nine people have been killed.

An estimated 1,000 students are still in the building, about half of them female students.

For more information, please see:

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/IG06Df03.html

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/35ec0ee2-2a49-11dc-9208-000b5df10621,_i_rssPage=5d866f00-6714-11da-a650-0000779e2340.html

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/286205/1/.html

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/286163/1/.html

Young Child Kidnapped in Niger Delta

By Meryl White
Impunity Watch, Africa

On Thursday July 5th, Margaret Hill, the three year old daughter of an expatriate worker was kidnapped by gun men in the Niger Delta. Hill was seized on her way to school in Port Harcout. Her kidnapping follows that of five oil workers who were captured on Wednesday. Hill is the third child to be kidnapped by Nigerian militants in the past three weeks, as militants have been targeting children of wealthy oil workers and Nigerian state legislators. The first two children that were captured were set free unharmed after ransom payments were paid on their behalf.

UK’s Foreign Office has called for the “immediate safe release” of young Hill. A spokesman for the office stated, “We do not know who took her. We are in contact with her parents and are providing assistance. High Commission officials are in contact with the Nigerian authorities.”

The kidnappers contacted Mrs. Hill and allowed her to speak to her baby. Mrs Hill reported that the kidnappers arranged a meeting in a town in Bayelsa State in the Niger Delta region to allow for her husband to swap positions with the baby. The kidnappers gave the Hills three hours to arrive or young Hill would be killed. However, the police have not been able to identify the perpetrators or find the place of meeting.

Presently, The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend), which is the region’s most prominent military group has offered to help find the girl. The group wrote in an email sent to the Associated Press that “We will join in the hunt for the monsters who carried out this abduction and mete out adequate punishment for this crime – We abhor all forms of violence against women and children.” Moreover, according to Mrs. Hill, the gun men have demanded money and talks will ensue in order to secure the release of the young child.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Threat to Kill Missing UK Girl – 06 July 2007

CNN – Girl’s Kidnapper’s Demand Money – 06 July 2007

BBC – Three Year Old Seized in Nigeria – 05 July 2007

BBC’s Alan Johnston released in Gaza

On July 4, Alan Johnston was released after spending 16 weeks in captivity.  His car was found in Gaza on March 12.  Prior to being kidnapped, he spent three years as the BBC’s permanent correspondent in Gaza.  For 114 days, Johnston was held captive by the Army of Islam, led by the Doghmush clan.  The group demanded the release of Muslim prisoners in British custody in exchange for Johnston’s freedom.

According to Johnston, he was held in four different locations, two for only a short period of time.  While Johnston was kept in chains and taunted by his captors, he reported that he was not physically harmed until the last half hour of his ordeal.  He was able to track global demonstrations for his release by listening to the radio and these demonstrations were a source of comfort for him.

Also, Johnston stated that Hamas played a large role in his release.  Prior to Hamas’s takeover of Gaza, his kidnappers were calm.  However after Hamas gained control of Gaza his kidnappers became increasingly nervous.  While the Army of Islam had associated with Hamas in the past, Hamas neither encouraged nor condoned the group’s kidnapping of Johnston.  After Hamas gained control of Gaza, its goal was to restore the laws and wanted to secure the release of Johnston.

After Hamas gained control of Gaza, it immediately called for Johnston’s release.  Hamas’s military wing was deployed to the areas where the Dugmush clan’s presence was strong.   However, instead of using pure military force and engaging the Army of Islam in direct conflict, Hamas cut of water and electricity and detained at least five members of the Army of Islam.  While details of his release is still unclear, it is known that Johnston was escorted from a building and driven directly to the house of Ismail Haniya, the recently fired Palestinian Prime Minister.  Later, he arrived at the British Consulate in Jerusalem, where he gave a press conference and rested before returning Britain.

For their role in securing Johnston’s release, Hamas may experience an improved international reception.  Since 2005, when they won a majority in the Palestinian parliament, the Quartet (the US, UN, EU, and Russia) and other western countries refused to work with Hamas.  However, shortly after news of Johnston’s release reached the UK, twenty British MPs signed a motion, calling for greater engagement with Hamas.  The motion recognized that Hamas played a pivotal role in Johnston’s release and that showed that they should be included in reconciliation efforts.  It remains too soon to gauge whether Hamas will be treated differently by the UK or by the members of the Quartet.

 

For more information please see:
Al Jazeera:  “Johnston case ‘exposes hypocrisy’” 5 July 2007. 

BBC:  “MP urging engagement with Hamas”  5 July 2007. 

Christian Science Monitor:  “Hamas acts to show it’s in charge”  5 July 2007. 

Haaretz: “Hamas delivers proof, at last”  5 July 2007. 

London Times:  “‘I literally dreamt of being free, and always woke up in that room’”  5 July 2007. 

BBC:  “Hamas role in Johnston’s release”  4 July 2007. 

BBC:  “Timeline Alan Johnston abduction”  4 July 2007. 

BBC:  “BBC’s Alan Johnston is released”  4 July 2007. 

BBC:  “Hamas seeks to gain from release”  4 July 2007.

BBC:  “Hamas arrests over BBC reporter”  2 July 2007. 

The Jerusalem Post:  “Johnston released from 4 month captivity”  4 July 2007. 

The Jerusalem Post:  “Hamas hopes for legitimacy after Johnston’s release”  4 July 2007.

New York Times:  “No fast gain for Hamas after release of journalist”  4 July 2007.

New York Times:  “BBC journalist freed in Gaza”  4 July 2007.

Somalia: Search for Peace

By Myriam Clerge
Impunity Watch, Africa

After a month stranded in the borders, Kenya has finally decided to open its border to Somalia so that almost 140 UN aid truck may cross. However the WFP’s Somali spokesperson, Warsame, said that the trucks have not moved and they have been unable to receive official confirmation of Kenya’s decision.

In the meantime, acute malnutrition continues to rise in Gedo region, which borders Kenya. An estimated one million people in Somalia are in need of assistance according to the UN.

The UN was forced to use the Kenyan overland route after ships and crewmen were kidnapped and held at ransom at sea. Ethiopia has been plagued with violence since 1991 when it last had a government. Kenya closed it borders in January when Ethiopian soldiers began battling Islamists.

On Tuesday Somali gunmen shot a senior government official in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia and the most violent and heavily armed cities in the country. Just last month a district commissioner was also murdered. Almost every day a government official comes under attack despite mass arrests and curfews.

The government blames the string of suicide bombing and roadside explosion on members of the ousted Islamist movement.

The key to ending the conflict is solving the differences between religious and clan groups. However, that may prove to be an unattainable task. Simply inviting the nation’s largest clan, the Hawiye, took two hours on Monday without resolution.

A reconciliation conference is scheduled for July 15. However, neither government official nor Hawiye clan leaders are expected to attend. The major grievance of the Hawiye is the presence of foreign, Ethiopian, troops in the country. However the withdrawal of such troops is essentially government suicide. Neither Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf, the United Nations, nor Western diplomats see this as an option. The last time a new government was created from scratch, there was anarchy and violence for two year. Anarchy could possibly empower Islamists sympathetic to Al-Qaida.

Some feel that a bad government is better than none at all.

For more information please see:

BBC – Aid Trucks Allowed in to Somalia – 02 July 2007

Yahoo – Gunmen Slay Somali Official, Blast Kills Teen – 03, July 2007

Yahoo – Somali Elders Search for Peace – 02 July 2007