Sanctions Against Burma Ease Up After It Releases More Prisoners

By Karen Diep
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar – Yesterday, Myanmar released about 60 political prisoners in new amnesty a day after the Myanmar government claimed it would pardon hundreds of inmates.  According to BBC News, Myanmar has released more than 500 prisoners, including a number of political detainees and foreigners.

Two recently released political prisoners. (Photo Courtesy of Time)

“We’re optimistic that these are the remaining political prisoners,” said Naing Naing, a member of Aung San Suu Kyi’s opposition National League of for Democracy (NLD).  However, human rights advocates are skeptical and cautioned that the exact number of political prisoners is unknown.

“While another prisoner amnesty is welcome in principle, like everyone else we’re left waiting to see the list before we assess how many political prisoners are included, what it means and how significant it is,” shared Phil Robertson, Human Rights Watch’s Deputy Director for the Asia Division.

“The problem is there is a lack of transparency from the Burma government about who is a political prisoner, where they are, and how many are left,” continued Mr. Robertson.

According to France 24, the exact number of political detainees still imprisoned varies but opposition groups have estimated 300 activists.

This act by the Myanmar government seems to be an attempt for the United States (U.S.) to further alleviate sanctions ahead of President Thein Sein’s visit to the United Nations (U.N.) General Assembly in New York City this September.

“I think political prisoners are bargaining chips for Thein Sein’s policies,” said Bo Kyi, the Joint Secretary of the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.

According to Boston News, after fifty years of military rule, the Myanmar government’s linchpin in policy reform is political prisoners’ freedom.

On Monday, the European Union (EU) advised preferential trade status for Myanmar.  According to the Wall Street Journal, Myanmar authorities are optimistic the U.S. will continue to ease its sanctions when President Thein Sein visits New York City.  Moreover, U.S. officials are currently contemplating how and when to ease a ban on Myanmar made-products.

For further information, please see:

Boston News – Myanmar is called insincere on political prisoners – 18 September 2012

France News – Burma releases political prisoners in new amnesty – 18 September 2012

BBC News – Burma releases 500 prisoners in amnesty – 17 September 2012

Wall Street Journal – Myanmar Releases Prisoners as Suu Kyi Visits U.S. – 17 September 2012

Palestinian Detainees’ Lives at Stake in Hunger Strike

By Ali Al-Bassam
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

JERUSALEM, Israel — The International Red Cross issued a warning last Friday that three Palestinian hunger strikers were at risk of death in an Israeli jail.  The three men, Samer Al-Barq, Hassan Safadi, and  Ayman Sharawna, began their hunger strikes on May 22, June 21 and July 5, respectively, to demand better conditions of Israeli prisons, and an end to arbitrary administrative detention and long-term isolation.

Relatives of Al-Barq, Safadi, and Sharawna call for their release during a protest in Gaza City. (Photo courtesy of Ma’an News)

“These people are going to die unless the detaining authorities find a prompt solution,” the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross delegation in Israel and the occupied territories, Juan Pedro Schaerer, said in a statement.

Al-Barq originally began his hunger strike on April 15, when he took part in a mass hunger strike with approximately 2,000 other Palestinian prisoners to protest prison conditions.  He ended his hunger strike on May 14, and resumed it again on May 21 after Israel issued new administrative detention orders.  Al-Barq has been on a hunger strike for 120 days, and due to his current condition he is unable to walk.  He was moved from his prison cell to a civilian hospital last Sunday, but details on his current condition are not available.

Like Al-Barq, both Safadi and Sharawna have suffered physical ailments because of their hunger strikes.

Safadi has been on a hunger strike for 86 days.  Fares Ziad, a lawyer for a prisoner rights group called Addameer, says that Safadi  has been suffering from heart contractions and chronic pain in his kidneys and joints.  Ziad says that Israel has detained Safadi multiple times since the 1990’s without ever raising charges against him.

Sharawna, whose hunger strike has lasted 76 days, was released from prison in 2011 when Israel swapped prisoners with Hamas, yet he was arrested once again by Israeli forces last January without ever being charged.  He has lost 86 percent of the vision in his right eye and was vomiting blood as of last week.

Meanwhile, Zakaria Zubeidi, who was arrested by the Palestinian Authority on May 13, has refused food in protest of his detention without charges or trial.  He told his lawyer that Palestinian authorities had tortured him and denied him access to both a lawyer and his family for an extended period.  Palestinian interrogators claim that Zubeidi knew the location of guns that were used by Palestinian armed groups when they fired shots into the home of the governor of Jenin, in the northern West Bank.

Zubeidi began his hunger strike on September 9, when a judge extended his detention for eight days.  He began accepting fluids after September 11 when he started suffering from kidney problems related to the strike.  Zubeidi said he would resume a total hunger strike until death after the court extended his detention to give the prosecution additional time to build their case.

For further information, please see:

Al Resalah — Fears for Palestinian Hunger Strikers’ Lives — 19 September 2012

Al Jazeera — Palestinian Hunger Strikers ‘Close to Death’ — 18 September 2012

Human Rights Watch — Israel/Palestinian Authority: Charge or Free Palestinian Detainees — 18 September 2012

Ma’an News Agency — Red Cross Warns Hunger Strikers Risk Death — 14 September 2012

Ghanaian Supreme Court Judge Elected as New President of African Court on Human and People’s Rights

By Ryan Aliman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

DODOMA, Tanzania – On Tuesday, September 18, the African Court on Human and People’s Rights (AfCHPR) elected Justice Sophia A. B. Akuffo from Ghana as its new President for a two-year term.

Justice Sophia A. B. Akuffo replaces Justice Gérard Niyungeko as new President of African Court. (Photo Courtesy of AfCHPR)

Justice Akuffo succeeds Justice Gérard Niyungeko from Burundi who served as the first President of the AfCHPR from 2006 to 2008 and was re-elected for the 2010 to 2012 term.

Justice Sophia Akuffo’s election as President was held during the AfCHPR’s 26th ordinary session. She joined the AfCHPR as a Judge in 2006 and was re-elected in 2008 for a six-year term. The same year she was re-elected as AfCHPR Judge, she was also elected as Vice-President of the Pan-African Court for a two-year term. As soon as her term as Pan-African Court Vice-President ended, she was elected to the same position again in September 2010.

A Judge of the Supreme Court of Ghana, Justice Sophia A. B. Akuffo is an active member of several legal organizations in Africa, including the Advisory Committee of the Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute.

The President of the AfCHPR is elected among serving Judges of the Court for a two-year term. This term is renewable only once based on the Protocol establishing the African Court and the Rules of the Court.

With regard to the position AfCHPR vice-president, the vacancy has yet to be filled. According to Jean Pierre Uwanone, the AfCHPR spokesperson, the election of the vice-president will be announced at a later date this year.

Justice Sophia Akuffo’s election comes a day after the AfCHPR swore in two newly elected judges who were elected by the 19th Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union. These two judges, namely Judges El Hadji Guissé and Ben Kioko, were elected on 16 July 2012 for a six year term each. Earlier during the Judges’ swearing-in ceremony, the AfCHPR dedicated a minute of silence in memory of the late Ugandan Justice Joseph Nyamihana Mulenga who passed away last month. The AfCHPR has not named Justice Nyamihana’s replacement yet.

The AfCHPR, an Arusha-based court, was established by African countries to ensure the protection of human and peoples’ rights in the continent. It is a judicial body that aims to complement and reinforce the functions of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

To date, only 26 African states have ratified the AfCHPR Protocol which include Algeria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Ivory Coast, Comoros, Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Lesotho, Mali, Malawi, Mozambique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Nigeria, Niger, Rwanda, South Africa, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia and Uganda.

 

For further information, please see:

All Africa – African Court Elects New President – 19 September 2012

Leadership – African Court Elects New President – 19 September 2012

African Court on Human and People’s Rights – Justice Sophia A. B. Akuffo Is Elected President of the Court – 18 September 2012

IPP Media – Two new judges elected to Africa Human Rights court – 14 September 2012

African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights – Opening Statement of the Vice-President of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Hon. Sophia Ab Akuffo – 28 April 2011

Peruvian Counter-Insurgency Leaves One Child Dead

By Brendan Oliver Bergh
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

LIMA, Peru – Clashes between the Peruvian Army and the militant remnants of the Senedero Luminoso (also known as the “Shining Path”) left a child dead in the street from gunfire.

In campaign. Counterterrorism operations in Vraem have risen against the camps where they feed and roost terrorists.
Counter-Insurgency troops in VRAEM. (Photo Courtesy of La Republica)

A clash in Valley of the Rio Ene, Apurimac and Mantarao (VRAEM), by counter-insurgency forces and rebels left an 8 year old dead in the province of Junín, Peru. On the morning of September 8th, Army and police personnel descended into the small town of Ranrapata, Peru. Dubbed ‘Operation Mantara’ it’s stated premise was to “dismantle a terrorist camp and not to attack civilians.”

While officially a success, the operation was meant to “identify and destroy a feeding center,” which had been sheltering “supplies and members of Sendero Luminoso.” These centers were reportedly used to indoctrinate children and plan armed attacks in the VRAEM and surrounding areas. Specifically the police were attempting to capture the alleged narco-terrorist known as “Pucañahui” who commanded around 20 rebels.

Details of the operation are hazy. Authorities in Lima initially said the operation resulted in the rescue of three children who were being held by the insurgents and the arrest of two women. One of the women arrested may have been Aquila Paucarcaja Vega, who was either the mother or stepmother of the dead child. The child, Zoraida Case, was hit by a bullet in the back after crossfire between agents against the guerrillas. No one is sure what happened to Zorida Case after she was shot. Some witnesses say they saw her body being dumped in the ravine, while others say she was dragged out of the streets and dropped in the bushes.

The Minister of the Interior Wilfried Pedraza told Congress “The government deeply regrets (the death of the child), whose situation and circumstances are under investigation, but in any case is the Shining Path, the terrorist group, which should respond.” The family of the victim believe law enforcement officials were the ones firing the projectile.

The rebels have reportedly joined forces with drug cartels and producers of illegal coca for the manufacturing of cocaine. They use snipers to attack military bases in the VRAEM and ambush patrols. The guerrilla force has been largely dormant since the turn of the century but has escalated its efforts in recent years. A “truth commission” in 2000, appointed by then-President Alejandro Toledo, blamed the Shining Path for most of  nearly 70,000 deaths in the politically motivated violence during the 1980-2000 period.

For further information, please see:

The Correo – Girl Is Depressed In The Evening VRAEM No Government Presence – 16 September 2012

The Primera – Zoraida Remains Buried Amid Cries For Justice – 16 September 2012

Fox News Latino – Peru President Vows Probe Of Child’s Death In Army Operation – 14 September 2012

RPP Noticias – Sendero Luminoso Must Answer For Death Of Girl In Vraem – 13 September 2012

The Epoch Times – Peru Confronts Its Violent Past – 3 September 2012

Ecuador Arms Traffickers Shut Down

By Margaret Janelle R. Hutchinson
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

QUITO, Ecuador – By moving small quantities of firearms, utilizing safe houses, and employing hundreds of routes, Ecuadorian arms traffickers have long been able to evade capture and supply weapons to the Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and other guerilla groups in Colombia.

Ecuadorian anti arms-trafficking operatives have made 39 busts since summer of 2010, confiscating weapons, ammunition, explosives, etc. (Photo Courtesy El Comercio)

In July, Ecuador and Colombia completed a bi-national training course to combat illicit trafficking in firearms, ammunition and explosives in the border area between the two nations; Ecuador has made notable progress in the past few months.

Ecuadorean police announced yesterday that they have identified the main routes used by arms traffickers in the country. The routes stretch across the country, with most weapons entering via the southern border with Peru.

This success is due, in part, to the capture last month of Edilson Castro Lopez, alias “Chicanero” or “Jairo,” in the province of Pichincha.  Chicanero was responsible for coordinating shipments of weapons to the FARC western command under the command “Pacho Chino” and “Sargent Easter.”

The investigation since Chicanero’s capture has revealed over 175 underground passages from Peru into Ecuador.  Once in Ecuador, guns, explosives, and ammunition are moved overland in small numbers using personal vehicles or other non-conspicuous methods.  Along the route to Colombia, the arms are stored in safe houses.

In September alone, four raids have been conducted at safe houses along known trafficking routes.  Each raid has revealed quantities of ammunition, a few weapons, and gun parts.

It appears that the week-long training involving employees of the Ministry of National Defense of Ecuador, the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Security Coordinator, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Prosecutor of armed forces of Ecuador, Colombia’s Armed Forces, National Police of Ecuador, and Customs had an appreciable impact on Ecuador’s actions.

During the course, research techniques were developed in the tracing of SALW (small arms light weapons) illegal material.  Technical aspects regarding the identification of firearms and ammunition, national and international legal frameworks on the matter and judicial handling of evidence were all covered.  Host organizations addressed a number of cross-cutting issues related to the use of force, the impact of armed violence on children/girls and women, and the protection of women and children.

The training was promoted by the Government of the Republic of Ecuador, in collaboration with the Program for Development and Peace for the Northern Border, of the United Nations Program for Development (UNDP) and the Regional Centre for Peace, United Nations, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC).

For further information, please see:

El Comercio – El tráfico de armas vulnera las fronteras norte y sur de Ecuador – 17 September 2012

InSight Crime – Mapping Gun Smuggling Routes in Ecuador – 17 September 2012

El Tiempo – Traficante de las FARC controlaba 175 pasos ilegales en frontera – 6 August 2012

ONU – PNUD y UNLIREC Asisten a Ecuador y Colombia Para Fortaclecer sus Cpacidades en la Lucha Contra el Tráfico Ilícito de Armas de Fuego en Zonas Fronterizas – 7 July 2012