World

For the first time, North Korean authorities have publicly acknowledged the existence of labor camps within North Korea. The admission came Tuesday, seemingly in response to critical UN reports published earlier this year.

North Korean foreign ministry official Choe Myong Nam, who is in charge of UN affairs and human rights issues, qualified that North Korea had “no prison camps” or “things like that,” but he briefly commented on “reform through labor” camps.

“Both in law and practice, we do have reform through labor detention camps–no, detention centers–where people are improved through their mentality and look on their wrongdoings,” said Choe.

North Korea is currently meeting with the EU in top-level meetings about rights issues, and North Korean officials have spoken of a willingness to engage the European Union in dialogue including on matters of human rights.

“We are expecting end of this year to open political dialogue between the two sides,” said North Korea’s deputy UN ambassador Ri Tong Il. Human rights discussion is expected to follow the opening of political dialogue.

North Korea has announced certain provisions, however. Among the stipulation is that the human rights dialogue will not be used as a “tool for interference” in North Korea.

The UN responded favorably to the North Korean expression of interest.

“While the North Korean human rights record remains abysmal,” said the executive director of the Washington-based Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, Greg Scarlatoiu, “it is very important that senior North Korean officials are now speaking about human rights, and expressing even pro forma interest in dialogue.”

By Sid Douglas

With Sweden’s recent announcement that the Nordic nation will recognize the state of Palestine, the first European nation has joined the majority of the world in supporting the two-state solution.

“The conflict between Israel can only be solved with a two-state solution, negotiated in accordance with international law,” said Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven during his inaugural address to Parliament.

“A two-state solution requires mutual recognition and a will to peaceful co-existence. Sweden will therefore recognize the state of Palestine.”

The move was welcomed by the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, who called the Swedish recognition “courageous.”

“We salute the announcement by the Swedish prime minister,” stated Saeb Erekat, the “chief negotiator” for the PA.

Over 130 countries officially recognize Palestine. The majority of the world by number of people and by land area recognizes Palestine.

Among the most prominent opponenets of recognition are the US, Canada, Australia, Japan and Europe.

The number is up from around 90 countries that recognized Palestine in 1988, before the Palestinian National Countcil unilaterally declared independence based on a two-state solution.

Although no other European nations recognize Palestine, some of the European Union’s 28 member nations do: Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Romania and Slovakia all recognize the state of Palestine.

The UK is set to consider recognition this year. The UK will vote on Palestine after the parliament’s summer recess ends Oct. 13.

By James Haleavy

After the Taliban released a statement days ago claiming to have captured the Registan district of southern Kandahar, after routing Afghan forces and raising the “white flag of Islam” over the territory, the Afghan government has denied the Taliban claims, stating that they still controlled the area and insisting that they moved the district center not because the Taliban had overrun their forces but because it was difficult for people to reach it.

Pajhwok Afghan reported, “Authorities rejected the assertion as exaggerated.” The news network reported that the Registan district remained under the government’s control, and that Afghan officials insisted that the district center was moved for “administrative reasons.”

The Taliban had released a statement Oct. 2 that said that the organization had routed Afghan forces in Registan, forced them to flee after killing and wounding dozens, and “liberating the district center, unfurling the sublime white flag of Islam over it and bringing the entire district under their complete control.”

 and al Qaeda-loyal group Junood al Fida was involved in the fighting, and also claimed on Twitter to have taken the Registan district, citing the “Commander of the faithful,” Mullah Omar, to whom Junood al Fida is pledged subject, as well as the late Osama bin Laden.

“Glad tidings O Ummah–the den of Shaykh Osamah will fall to the lions of the #Islamic_Emirates–by the will of Allah!” The accompanying hashtags are #Kandahar and #Afghanistan,” read one Tweet by the group.

Other Tweets showed photos of the fighting and a base the group claimed to have assaulted.

By James Haleavy

Source: Long War Journal

Several unexpected trends were reported by international migrations specialist Elena Sadovskaya, who is based at the Moscow Institute for Economic Forecasting, regarding immigration patterns between China and neighboring Kazakhstan. Among those findings were that many less Chinese are working in Kazakhstan than commonly thought, and that many of those migrants counted as Chinese are in fact other ethnicities.

“Chinese migration to Kazakhstan is not especially ‘Chinese,’” Sadovskaya stated. “[It includes] not only ethnic Chinese [Hans] but also Kazakhs, Uyghurs, Dungans, Uzbeks, Koreans and even [ethnic] Russians.”

Sadovskaya’s analysis was reported in the current issue of Karavan, a Kazakhstan weekly.

Different ethnic groups dominate different parts of the migratory flows in and out of Kazakhstan, Sadovskaya reported.

Most immigrants to Kazakhstan that are counted as Chinese are actually non-Han ethnic groups from the restless Chinese-controlled land of Xinjiang, and include ethnic Kazakhs.

Most migrants coming to Kazakhstan for work, however, are Han Chinese. Around 6,000 to 7,000 Han relocate to Kazakhstan per year for work, and form about one quarter of Kazakhstan’s guest workers. This finding has been remarked as surprising because of a widespread belief that Han workers in Kazakhstan are a much larger group.

Although most job-seekers coming to Kazakhstan are Han, those coming for business include Hans, Dungans, Uyghurs and Kazakhs, and those seeking permanent resident are primarily ethnic Kazakhs, known as “Oralmany,” who are returning to their homeland from a period of residence in China.

Sadovskaya pointed out that a large number of these returning Oralmans have not become Kazakhstan citizens–only about half of those who return from China have done so. The reasons for this range, Sadovskaya said, from partiality to Oralmany government benefits to language barriers.

Within Kazakhstan, recent polls have shown that locals are increasingly hostile towards Chinese immigrants. Those expressing some hostility toward Chinese immigrants rose from 18 percent in 2007 to 33 percent in 2012.

Immigrants to China from Kazakhstan, on the other hand, are largely students to are relocating to study at Chinese higher learning institutions. About 10,000 Kazakhstani students are studying in China in the current academic year–eight to 10 times the number of Chinese studying in Kazakhstan.

The two nations mirror each other’s deficits, Sadovskaya commented. Official corruption in Kazakhstan has led to a large number of illegal immigrants, while poor education in Kazakhstan has led to Kazakhs moving to China to study.

“It is possible to call Chinese migration a mirror image of the problems which exist in Kazakhstan,” said Sadovskaya.

By James Haleavy

The White House, which had maintained a neutral stance regarding attempts by Hong Kong citizens to regain universal suffrage in the face of Chinese national oppression, changed its position Monday and supported democracy in Hong Kong.

“The United States supports universal suffrage in Hong Kong in accordance with the Basic Law and we support the aspirations of the Hong Kong people,” said White House spokesman Josh Earnest in a press briefing, Monday.

“We believe that the basic legitimacy of the chief executive in Hong Kong will be greatly enhanced if the Basic Law’s ultimate aim of selection of the chief executive by universal suffrage is fulfilled,” said Earnest.

“We have consistently made our position known to Beijing, and will continue to do so.”

“We do not take sides in the discussion of Hong Kong’s political development, nor do we support any particular individuals or groups involved in it. We encourage all sides to refrain from actions that would further escalate tensions, to exercise restraint, and to express views on the SAR’s political future in a peaceful manner.”

The US government had faced criticism in recent weeks for an apparent lack of action regarding the events in China.

Tens of thousands of Hong Kong citizens have been demonstrating for their right to universal suffrage over the past week, after the Chinese government decided it would only allow political candidates to run for the 2017 elections in Hong Kong who met the approval of the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China (CPC).

By Day Blakely Donaldson

Amnesty International has received the 50th ratification to its Arms Trade Treaty, and the treaty will now become law. The law will be the first of its kind, and will prohibit sales of conventional weapons and munitions to nations when there is knowledge that the weapons could be used to commit human rights abuses.

War crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are among the rights abuses that will constitute grounds for prohibition of arms sales to a country.

In addition, the law will require that states must conduct objective assessments to avoid risks of human rights abuses.

The Arms Trade Treaty began as an idea in 1993. It was hoped that such an idea might stop human rights abuses by stopping the weapons from reaching people who use those weapons to commit abuses.

Read more: Arms Trade Treaty Almost Accomplished, Amnesty Urges 

Currently, sales in conventional arms amounts to nearly USD$100 billion per year. This amount is steadily rising. Over half of the UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) 193 member states make and supply conventional weapons, and the five UN security Council (UNSC) members are the world’s largest arms traders.

Currently, there is no international control of the trade.

It is estimated that approximately 500,000 people are killed annually with firearms. A large percentage of this figure are those killed in battlefields.

In the past year, conflicts in many areas–most notably South Sudan, Israel, Syria, Iraq, Libya and Ukraine–have already claimed many thousands of lives.

The largest importers of arms are India, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates. Large amounts of arms are also purchase by several other Asian and Middle Eastern countries.

Amnesty International needed 50 ratifications of the Arms Trade Treaty in order for the treaty to become legally binding. The 50th ratification happened Thursday. The ATT enters into force 90 days after its 50 ratification, so the treaty will be international law December 25, 2014.

“This week we have reached the magic 50 ratifications so the treaty will soon become international law,” wrote Amnesty International’s arms expert Brian Wood.

Argentina, the Bahamas, Czech Republic, Portugal, Saint Lucia, Senegal and Uruguay were the most recent states to ratify.

The treaty is legally binding for all nations that have ratified. Ratification included incorporation of the treaty rules into national laws and submitting official paperwork to the UN consenting to abide by treaty rules.

Many UN members have not yet signed the treaty, however, including top arms exporters China, Israel, Canada and Russia.

Amnesty has pointed out that China is involved in ongoing irresponsible arms transfers, including supplying conflict zones such as Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Libya and Zimbabwe. China also sells to countries with poor human rights records such as  Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Guinea, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Libya, Myanmar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

France likewise supplies Singapore, UAE, Greece, Middle Eastern, North African and other Francophone countries. France cooperates with Russia on defense and naval equipment. France in the past has supplied conflict zones such as Libya, Israel, Egypt, Chad and Syria. These conflicts were supplied between 2005 and 2009, and France has shown itself generally supportive of strict arms trade transfer criteria.

Russia is believed by Amnesty to be the largest arms supplier of Syria. Russia also supplied Sudan, and is preparing to supply Egypt. Russia also supplies India, Algeria, Myanmar, Venezuela, and many African states.

The UK is believed to have supplied arms to Sri Lanka, Libya Bahrain and Yemen, which may have been used to commit human rights violations. It has, however, supplied Iraq, Israel, Sri Lanka, Bahrain, Egypt and Yemen with weapons that may have been used to commit human rights abuses.

The United States–the world’s largest arms trader–supplies 170 countries with arms. The US has respected UN arms embargo’s, as well as restricted arms trade on its own to Myanmar, Chad, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and South Sudan.

By Day Blakely Donaldson

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Amnesty International

[BRIEF] Tibetan student Lhamo Tashi self immolated outside of a police office in Tsoe city, Kanlho TAP–the first self immolation in Tibet since April. Tashi is the seventh self immolation in Tibet this year, and is the 138th self immolation in and around Tibet since 2009, when the wave of Tibetan self immolations began in protest of Chinese rule over Tibet.

Tashi self immolated at midnight, September 17.

The news was reported Saturday by Jigme Ugen, president of the Tibetan National Congress.

Security police informed the family of Tashi of his death. The family reside in Drukdo village, Amchok township, Kanlho Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.

Family members traveled to Tsoe to request the body of Tashi, but were told that the body had already been cremated. Some ashes were given to the family.

It is not currently known whether Tashi left a testament or said anything during his self immolation.

Tashi, 22, was a student in Tsoe.

By Day Blakely Donaldson

In Sao Paulo, Brazil, a paramilitary police officer shot dead a street vendor when the vendor attempted to grab a can of pepper spray held by the officer. The officer was in the process of arresting another man on the sidewalk with three other officers when the incident occurred.

The vendor tried to grab the can from the officers hand, and in the process of grabbing the can, pepper spray was released from the can. The officer fired his pistol at the vendor, who ran approximately 20 feet before falling dead in a pool of blood.

The vendor, Carlos Augusto Muniz Braga, was lamented by his wife.

“Why does the government deploy police unprepared to deal with the people–and how will I now take care of my three children?” said Claudia Silva Lopez.

Also among the bereaved are three children, aged 4, 9 and 12 years.

Claudia Lopez was not allowed to view her husband’s body.

Carlos Lopez was not working at the time of the incident. Reportedly, he was just passing through on his way to pick up one of his children from school when he noticed the three officers arresting another vendor.

The officer has since been arrested, according to the mayor of the city.

Brazil is known for having a high incidence of death during arrest. In comparison with the United States, where 1 in 32,000 arrestees are killed by police, Brazil has a rate of 1 in 229.

The number is considered to be higher still, however, as many people go missing unaccounted for. In 2013, over 5000 people went missing in Rio de Janeiro.

By James Haleavy

Citing “irrefutable evidence” obtained by the Russian Investigative Committee, Russian authorities have launched a criminal case against Ukraine for its use of prohibited means and methods of warfare.

“We have witness testimony provided by Ukrainian refugees and intend to file a motion that the witnesses be recognized as the injured parties in this case,” stated a representative from Trunov, Aviar and Partners law firm, Igor Trunov.

“I appealed to the Investigation Committee with the application and the answer came to me that the case is initiated,” said Trunov.

The Russian firm is alleging that Ukraine used prohibited means and methods of warfare in Donetsk and Luhansk. The law in question is Article 356 of the Russian Criminal Code, which deals with prohibition in warfare.

“The case was initiated by the crime under Part 1 of Article 356 of the Criminal Code upon application by unidentified servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, armed members of the National Guard of Ukraine and militants of the right sector and regards prohibited means and methods of war in the breakaway Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics,” said Trunov.

Russian authorities are basing the case on Ukraine’s alleged use of phosphorous bombs in its campaign against the pro-Russian separatist movement in eastern Ukraine.

“During an inquiry into the alleged use of prohibited means and weapons of war, the Main Investigative Department of the Russian Investigative Committee discovered irrefutable evidence of prohibited weapons being used against civilians,” said the official spokesman of the Investigative Committee, Vladimir Markin, last month when the report was completed.

The Investigative Committee found that, based on chemical analysis of soil samples taken from areas where eyewitnesses reported shelling from Ukraine, there was evidence of combustion byproducts of H-17 incendiary liquid commonly used in the production of landmines and air bombs.

“People in the affected areas will suffer horribly and will often die an awful death. If not, they experience severe psychological trauma,” said Markin.

Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have repeatedly accused Ukraine of using phosphorous bombs.

Additionally, Trunov is alleging that Ukraine used weapons against its civilian population and civil objects in violation of the Geneva Convention. Trunov based these claims on a commission formed by the Russia Red Cross to investigate for instances of war crimes in Ukraine.
Trunov stated that these crimes must be investigate by the International Criminal Court (ICC)

State Duma lawmaker Roman Khudyakov has asked the Investigative Committee to provide its evidence for the case.

Trunov said that in the near future he intends to ask the UN Security Council and to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court at The Hague to address the case.

In Sweden, the far-right Swedish Democrats party, often called fascist and racist for its nationalist and anti-immigration policies–as well as for public scandals such as racist comments posted online and photos of swastika-wearing candidates–has become the third largest party in the nation. Thousands demonstrated against the outcome of the vote in Stockholm.

“We want to organize immediately,” said Jazz Munteanu, an organizer of the protests. “I would not want be home on the couch, sad over election results–that we have fascists and racists who have come into our parliament.”

More than 3,000 people congregated at the Stockholm’s main square in response to Munteanu’s call.

The Swedish Democrats party now occupies 49 seats of Sweden’s 349-seat parliament.

In 2010, the party made it to parliament with 5.7 percent of the vote, or 20 seats.

A leader of the Swedish Democrats party, Jimmy Ståhl, responded to the demonstration.

“We have had an election in a democratic spirit,” said Ståhl, “so I think it’s really strange that you cannot accept the rules of democracy.”

“As I see it, we have one of the best migration policies–to call us racists is just ridiculous.”

In the election, 13 percent of Swedes voted in favor of the Swedish Democrats, despite several pre-election scandals, including the stepping down of one candidate after a photo was publicized of her wearing a swastika armband, and another candidate received public criticism after posting racist and anti-immigrant comments on the internet.

The rising number of voters who supported the Swedish Democrats also did so despite news that the young leader of the party, Jimmie Akesson, gambled the equivalent of approximately US$70,000 online.

Immigration is becoming an increasingly hot issue in Sweden. Sweden currently grants automatic residence to all refugees fleeing the Syrian conflict. This year, approximately 80,000 people are expected to apply for asylum.

Analysts believe Sweden’s rising support for the Swedish Democrats stems from the party’s stance on immigration.

“Islamism is the Nazism and communism of our time. It has to be met with disgust and much stronger resistance than has so far been the case,” said Akesson in August on the issue of increasing Mulsim immigration.

Akesson has been vocal about his criticisms of what he has called “mass immigration.” He has stated that the labour market and school system are particularly affected by immigration.

The party is nationalist, but has stated that it maintains a zero tolerance policy towards racism.

Elsewhere in Europe, nationalist parties are also gaining popularity, such as France’s National Front, which moved into the political mainstream recently.

[Brief] In Moscow, a group of teenage students organized and carried out a demonstration that included Ukrainian colors and peace symbols.

The children were reportedly responding to comments made earlier by the school’s head mistress, who had responded to an American Eagle t-shirt worn to school by one 7th grade student by saying that the shirt was American propaganda.

The students organized a demonstration in which they came to school wearing Ukraine’s blue and yellow and painted their arms and faces with peace symbols.

The student demonstration was posted to Facebook by a mother of one of the students, Maria Kniazena, who wrote of the action, “I can certainly tell you that I am proud of the children in the class. They have their own opinions, and are not afraid to voice them.”

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