Transportation Strike in Bolivia Leads to Clashes

By Ellis Cortez
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

SUCRE, Bolivia – A transport workers strike caused chaos in the Bolivian city of El Alto on Tueday during a protest against the local government’s plans to regulate the transport system. The demonstrators, who are also demanding higher wages, blocked a main avenue in the city.

Bus drivers block an avenue during a previous transport workers’ strike in La Paz in 2012. (Photo Courtesy of AP)

Riot police arrived on the scene and fired tear gas in an attempt to disperse the protesters. Local media reported 58 bus drivers were arrested for damaging passing vehicles that would not support the protesters.

Bolivian Police were able to clear the roads after protesters set fire to tires in the middle of the road. Approximately 1,200 police officers guarded the highways that lead to the city’s main airports.

The protesters, who run a network of privately owned minibuses, stated that the strike would continue indefinitely if local authorities do not back down on their plans to modernize public transport systems.

A leader of a drivers’ union in El Alto, Marcos Tito Cabrera, said bus drivers have been charging the same fare for the past few decades. “Since the creation of such vehicles (minibuses) for the last 30 or 40 years we have been operating by charging only one Bolivian (peso) as passage. This government in eight years has raised the wages of workers four times, perhaps we are not part of the state but we are also the people,” Cabrera said.

The local government is implementing four modern transport systems in the metropolitan area of two million residents, which the drivers fear will affect their own services in the cities.

An exclusive bus system with special routes is planned, along with a multimillion-dollar cable car system that will link the two mountain cities of La Paz and El Alto. The system will change the way Bolivians transport around the city. The cable car and bus system will aim to offer a faster service than existing modes of city transportation, authorities say.

For more information please see:

Al Jazeera — Bolivian transport strike causes chaos – 4 June 2014

The Washington Post – Clashes in Bolivia over transportation regulations – 4 June 2014

AOL News – Clashes in Bolivia  – 3 June 2014

Boston.com – Clashes in Bolivia – 3 June 2014

Sri Lankan Government Rejects Devolution of Power That Would Ease Tensions with Tamil Minority

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch Managing Editor

SRI JAYAWARDENEPURA KOTTE, Sri Lanka – On Wednesday the government of Sri Lanka once again rejected a policy devolving police powers to the nation’s providence as requested by India’s new government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and required by the Sri Lankan Constitution as a means of easing tensions with the state’s Tamil minority.

Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa (in white) takes part in a War Victory parade in Matara May 18, 2014 celebrating the end of the Sri Lankan Civil War. Rajapaksa has been criticized by the international community for his government’s failure to investigate alleged war crimes committed during the country’s 26 year civil war. (Photo courtesy of Refuters)

Sri Lanka reached an agreement with the Indian government in 1987 to devolve powers, including power over policing and land, to regional governments as a means to improve relations between the Tamil minority and Sinhalese majority in Sri Lanka. “Police power is important for provinces to maintain law and order,” Primus Siraiva, a northern Provincial Councillor, said. “Otherwise, there could be lawlessness in provinces and the Provincial Council won’t be able to control it.”

Sri Lankan External Affairs Minister G.L Peiris told Parliament that President Mahinda Rajapaksa did not have an in depth discussion on constitutional issues during his meetings Modi. Last week during a meeting between Modi and Rajapaksa, the Indian prime minister stressed the need for the complete implementation of the 13th amendment of the Sri Lankan constipation which was intended to grant more political recognition to the Tamil people, even recognizing Tamil as an official state language.

The Sri Lankan government design to keep policing powers out of the hands of local authorities, including the Tamil minority, is a sign that tensions between the government and Tamil population remain high five years after the end of the Sri Lankan Civil War which ended in 2009.

The Sri Lankan Civil war, which raged on for more than a quarter century left more than 100,000 people dead and thousands more, mainly front the minority Tamil population in the North, are still missing. During the Civil war Tamil rebels fought for a homeland in the country’s northern region. Ethnic Tamils have faced discrimination in Sri Lanka for decades; while many Tamils are indigenous to the island many more were brought to the island by British Colonists to work on tea farms and were seen by members of the Sinhalese population as foreigners who had taken Sinhalese land.

Last month President Rajapaksa, who is under international pressure to investigate war crimes in the battle after the United Nations approved an international probe into the war crimes allegedly committed by both Sri Lankan state forces and members of the Tamil Tigers during the conflict. Members of Minority ethnic Tamils said they had been banned from commemorating the deaths of their relatives five years ago in the final battle of the war with Sri Lanka’s military, a charge denied by the army.

For more information please see:

Al Jazeera – Sri Lanka Says No to Devolution of Powers – 5 June 2014

Reuters – Sri Lanka Again Rejects Devolving Police Powers to Ease Tension With Tamils – 4 June 2014

Reuters – Tamils Say Barred From Commemorating War Dead, Sri Lanka Denies – 18 May 2014

BBC News – Sri Lanka Blocks Tamil Memorials amid War Parade – 18 May 2014

Government of Sri Lanka – Thirtieth Amendment to the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka – 14 November 1987

President Obama Visits Europe in an Attempt to Bolster Eastern Europe’s Support for and Confidence in the West

By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

WARSAW, Poland – President Barack Obama visited Poland today, the first of three European countries he will be visiting to show a sign of support and belief in security in the region. While there, President Obama promised help to the warring region.

Pro-Russian fighters attack a district control border headquarters in Luhansk. (Photo Courtesy of The New York Times)

Problems in Eastern Ukraine have worsened since the election of new Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. Violence in Slovyansk continued to climb as Ukraine’s military entered the city and pushed through a new offensive against the pro-Russian rebels. Locals even reported hearing Ukrainian combat jets and helicopter gunships… and heavy artillery barrages…” At least one government helicopter has already been shot down since President Poroshenko’s election on May 25, 2014.

On Monday, the rebels also pushed forth a new offensive, attacking border guards base on the outskirts of Luhansk; both sides are reporting casualties.

Russia’s continued heavy military presence along the western border of Russia, in addition to the recent and current events that unfolded in Ukraine, have led nearby nations to worry about their future during or after the Ukraine conflict comes to an end. While in Europe, President Obama will stop in a few European countries in order to encourage and show US-backed support for the Eastern European nations.

While in Poland, President Obama called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to pull Russian troops off of Russia’s western border, encourage pro-Russian rebels to stop fighting, and back Ukraine’s recent presidential election.

In addition to verbal support and symbolic support, President Obama also swore to support Europe in other means, both financial and militaristic. He asked Congress to fund $1 billion to support security of NATO allies. President Obama also stated that he would be sending more military personnel to central and eastern parts of Europe. The US, however, still chooses not to supply weapons to western Ukraine.

While in Europe, President Obama will be meeting with French President Francois Hollande, while Russian President Putin will also be meeting with French President Hollande and also German Chancellor Angela Merkel, all in hopes that some peace agreement can be made.

As the body count continues to pile up, now with over 180 deaths according to Ukraine’s acting chief prosecutor, Oleh Makhnitskiy, nearby former-soviet nations like Moldova and Belarus are certainly feeling the heavy shadow of Russia extending over Eastern Europe. President Obama’s requested aid to NATO and the scheduled meetings between national leaders in Europe this week may prove to be positive steps towards stabilizing Europe.

For more information, please see:

CNN – Obama urges Putin to make choice over Ukraine 3 June 2014

Time – Ukraine Military Launches Offensive Against Rebels 3 June 2014

USA Today – U.S. Reaffirms: No Weapons Will go to Ukraine 3 June 2014

Washington Post – In Ukrainian Presidential Election, Chocolate Tycoon Poroshenko Claims Victory 25 May 2014

South Sudan’s Rebels out of Control

By: Danielle L. Cowan (Gwozdz)
Senior Desk Operator, Africa

JUBA, South Sudan – Former South Sudan Vice President and leader of South Sudan rebels Riek Machar stated that he is “not completely in control” of his rebel forces. The rebels have recently been accused of atrocities during a brutal six-month conflict.

SDO Article 3 Picture
President Kiir (Left) and Former Vice President Riek Machar (Right) (photo courtesy of Reuters)

 

Machar further stated that he would “be lying” if he stated he was in control of the rebels. However, he also hoped that he will soon be in control of them because he hopes to train them, which is why they are disciplining them.

President Salva Kiir’s forces have been battling Machar’s rebel forces since December 15th. This fighting broke out in the capital of Juba.

The President is accused of starting the war by launching an eradication of his rivals. However, the President accuses Machar of attempting an overthrow.

Machar admits his forces have been patched together.

Machar told AFP that his rebels became an army when they were forced out of Juba. “It took us time to regroup them into a viable force under control and command.”

“We also have volunteer fighters; civilians who have their own guns who joined the war.”

In January, Machar and Kiir’s sides both agreed to a ceasefire. They also agreed to this earlier in the month. The truces, unfortunately, have not held.

This civil war has forced 1.3 million people to flee their homes and thousands have been killed.

The UN bases also are sheltering about 75,000 people in fear of ethnic violence.

Machar has stressed that he is “committed to peace” and that this was a “senseless war.” Peace talks are rescheduled to continue in Ethiopia this week.

This conflict began as a rivalry between Machar and Kiir. This conflict has divided the army and community along ethnic lines

Both sides have been accused of atrocities and revenge killings on civilians. The UN has called on both leaders to punish those responsible.

For more information, please visit:
Aljazeera – S Sudan’s Machar unable to control rebels – 1 June 2014
Africa News Desk – S Sudan’s Machar unable to control rebels – 1 June 2014
Business News – S Sudan’s Machar unable to control rebels – 1 June 2014
Got News Wire – S Sudan’s Machar unable to control rebels – 1 June 2014