Thursday 17 January 2019

The Uyghur Situation in Xinjiang

The Uyghur Situation in Xinjiang:
A Form of “Cultural Genocide”

Dr. Mozammel Haque

“We must talk about the crisis Xinjiang in terms of possible “crimes against humanity” and – if not genocide, certainly a form of “cultural genocide.” It involves the elimination of culture, and a campaign of ‘Sinicisation’.” said Benedict Rogers, a member of the advisory board of the International Coalition to End Organ Trafficking in China (ETAC), and a trustee of the Phan Foundation and the Chin Human Rights Foundation, at an event “Understanding the Uyghur Situation in Xinjiang” at the Houses of Parliament.

Henry Jackson Society organised the event “Understanding the Uyghur Situation in Xinjiang” on 10th of January 2019, at the Houses of Parliament. Lord Hannay of Chiswick hosted as well as chaired the discussion in which Benedict Rogers, Rossie Blau, Dr. Enver Tohti and Rahima Mahmut discussed the Uyghur situation in Xinjiang.

While writing the report of the event, instead of the way the proceedings took place, I would go from the basic facts of the Uyghur community in Xinjiang, then what is happening with them in the region, what is their problems and then what the UK government is doing and what the international community should or could do? These are the questions I would like to deal with through the presentations and lectures delivered by the learned speakers and natives of Xinjiang.



Rossie Blau on Uyghur Community in Xinjiang
First of all, let me speak first about the basic facts of Xinjiang. Rossie Blau, editor of 1843, The Economist’s Lifestyle and Culture magazine, gave some facts. She said, “Xinjiang – means new frontier, new borderland began to fall under control of what we now call China in the mid-18th Century [[Kashgar, big, mainly Uighur city in Western Xinjiang, is far closer to Kabul and Islamabad than it is to Beijing]].

“This region is mainly populated by ethnic Uyghurs, whose culture and Muslim faith set them apart from much of the rest of China. Also Kazakhs and other ethnic minorities. In 1949, when Chinese Communist Party (CCP) came to power,” said Blau.

The population of Xinjiang was 22 million out of which Uyghur was 10 million, 45%; Han population of Xinjiang was 4% but today Han are 42%. That huge migration encouraged or at times forced by the Chinese Communist Party, said Blau and added, “For decades the region has been racked by a low-level insurgency by a small number of Uyghurs against growing Han influence.  Huge ramping up of repression in past decade in 2009 around 200 people died in ethnic clashes in Urumqi, the region’s capital. Security has since been ramped up.”


What is happening?
Rossie Blau who was based in Beijing from 2014-17 as China Correspondent for The Economist, reported from across the country on everything from politics and foreign policy to society, culture and ethnicity. She said:“Ordinary manifestations of Islamic faith criminalised, such as *rules came into effect that banned “abnormal” beards; *women wearing face veils or full-body coverings reported to police; *can’t give names that “exaggerate religious fervour”; *leaked list of banned names includes Muhammad and *under 18s can’t go to mosques or be taught the Koran at home.” 

2) Huge Ramping of Security
She also mentioned about the huge ramping of security. She said, “huge displays of paramilitary troops; *Extraordinary level of surveillance – security cameras, extremely intrusive; *Increased spending on security hardware and personnel in Xinjiang; *vehicles in parts of Xinjiang to install a satellite navigation system so people “can be tracked wherever they go;” *residents have had to go to health checks and reports of giant DNA basis. In recent months we’ve had reports of up to 1 million Uyghurs, and some Kazakhs, being held in camps - some go for the day; many go for months and some seem to go for years.”

What is desired End Result?
China wants to make everyone like Han Chinese 
Blau said, “What the Chinese government wants is to turn Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang into population who act like Han Chinese, speak Mandarin, and have very few vestiges of any other culture or influence; Playing the long game – and this is where an autocracy is so different from a democracy. Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is a dynasty, not going anywhere any time soon. And so it sits and waits this out, and then it will have pacified a population.” 

She also mentioned, “Teach Uyghurs in Mandarin even if that means they are less well educated; Remove any chance to read the Koran or teach your children; Turn mosques into tourist attractions; Mullahs into tour guides, as monks increasing are in temples in Inner Mongolia, and Tibet; and Reduce links between Uyghurs and the outside world, just as those in Inner Mongolia were effectively completely cut off from Mongolia, families separated etc.”

Dr. Enver Tohti
Dr. Enver Tohti is a human rights activist and public speaker on the atrocities carried out against the Uyghur. Tohti’s former role as a surgeon brought him in contact with the horrifying crime of organ harvesting. He said, “Massive detention and arbitrary killing are no longer a myth, but it is the fact now. The number of cases, the number of detainees no longer has a meaning, because, one is more than enough. With puzzled eyes closely looking at the CCP’s action one could not comprehend it. One will question that did not the CCP’s thinktankers are educated? Did not they know what they are doing has been tried by Hitler?”

To understand it, Dr. Tohti decided to look back to their history, and there is the answer. He said, “The Manchurians, they have made whole China, apart from the language, look like Manchurians! They have dress like them. And here we are that Xinjiang is the place that Sinisization has gone badly wrong! So they found that they can not bear that the so called barbarians are still pretty much alive, because:
You heart, my skin must be different! 非我族類,其心必異!

“Therefore, eliminating the barbarians is the ultimate duty of the CCP! So, I was puzzled, but not surprised! They have realised that their action is under western surveillance of satellites, so they come up the idea to remove, transfer prisoner at nights, so your satellites cannot take pictures any more,” mentioned Dr. Tohti and added, “The redistribution of the prisoners across the country has, however, a hidden agenda, that is that in case of Chinese regime collapse that the Uyghur who is believed to have power to rebel will not have enough manpower to form a meaningful resistance.”

“An insider source said that the destinations of those prisoners are the major organ transplant centres of China. This explains how the CCP able to find an organ in as short as 4 hours. Just imagine a Chinese fish restaurant, there is a water tank full of fish, and you can choose the one you want,” mentioned Dr. Tohti.

In this connection, Dr. Tohti reminded the background of the Uyghur community and their nature. He said, “Sandwiched by the super powers during the history, and as the last keeper of Nestorian Christianity, that the Uyghurs have always been the victims of the power struggle in the region and had never thought to conquer any other nation but always maintained peace with the neighbour. Because there was peace in 1940s, when there were 5 million Uyghur and only 100,000 Han Chinese. Therefore, the truth should be told, and the reconciliation has to be made.”

Rahima Mahmut - An Eyewitness
Account of what is happening
Rahima Mahmut, a Uyghur singer born in Ghulja, in the north of what was Eastern Turkestan, brought up in a large religious family; educated in Mandarin and studied at the Dalian University of Technology from 1987 to 1992. She participated in the famous 1989 Democracy movement. On returning from the University she worked in the Petrochemical Industry in Dushanzi (Maytagh in Uyghur), one of the largest Petrochemical plant in Eastern Turkistan where she found only 10% of the workforce were from ethnic minorities.

Rahima was speaking and telling her own account of what she has seen during her student life and professional life. She said, “I witnessed widespread discrimination against Uyghur people in every aspect of their daily life, especially in the opportunities for promotion, and jobs. This was a common phenomenon throughout Eastern Turkistan. On February the 5th 1997, people in my Home Town of Ghulja took to the streets protesting against the governments discriminating policies against Uyghur people, demanding religious and cultural freedom, and equality. As usual, the government crushed the peaceful demonstrators with military force where hundreds were killed, thousands were arrested which was followed by mass executions.”


Rahima also mentioned, “I was on my winter vacation visiting my mother and family with my two-year-old son, I witnessed how the military and police terrorised the whole city, searching homes and arresting innocent people. It was heart-breaking to witness the helplessness and despair felt by my people. Many of my relatives and family friends were arrested and later sentenced to a long prison term.” 

Rahima came to the UK in 2000 to study and have lived here ever since. She said, “For the last 18 years, I was unable to return to see my family and my beloved homeland because of my involvements in speaking out against the Human Rights violations imposed on my people by the Chinese government.  And my last contact with my brother was in January 2017 and I was told not to contact them anymore. Up till today, I don’t know how they are, if they are safe or interned in re-education camps. I have tried to find information indirectly, but it has not been possible. Whoever I approach is terrified to get involved as the political environment is so terrifying.” 

Rahima came to know from her brother “news about the mass detention of people and the placing them into so-called re-education camps started to emerge. The gruesome details of how people were targeted and criminalized in the claim of cracking down on religious extremism, which in fact apply to all ordinary practicing Muslims.”

She also mentioned, “People were targeted because they are related to the activists living abroad, or have travelled outside China, or studied in foreign countries, or have relatives living in other countries, or have been on a religious pilgrimage to Makkah without state authorisation, also who display their faith in their appearance and clothing, and have been known to listen to religious sermons in the past, or have been detained or served prison sentence in the past.”

Rahima described the chilling and horrendous situation of those possibly up to 3 million people who are held and detained in so-called re-education camps or prisons. She said, “We believe that there are possibly up to 3 million people are held in the camps. They have been detained in so-called re-education camps or prison, their accounts about the torture is chilling and horrendous. One person who was released only two month ago revealed that there are people kept in detention for over a year before being moved to a so-called re-education camp. He said that the place of detention was a nightmare. During his time of detention of over three months, he was tortured daily, 60 people were crowded into a 60 square meter cell.”

“When asked why he was arrested, he stated he didn’t know, and he believed that because he is Uyghur,” Rahima said after interviewing some people who were detained and added, “The horrific details which he described affected me so deeply that I was unable to sleep for two nights. What we are reading in the papers is only the tip of the iceberg, as there are many more horrendous crimes against humanity taking place at this very moment.”

Rahima also said, “This is just an insight to what is happening to the people held in detention and camps, and people who are outside of these establishment are not free of intimidation either, as they have no freedom of speech, language, dress, eat, drink, and religion. The entire way of Uyghur cultural heritage and tradition has been taken away from them, including their funeral rights.”

Benedict Rogers on
Human Rights Crisis in Xinjiang
Benedict Rogers, one of the speakers, is a British human rights activist and writer based in London. His work focuses on Asia, specialising particularly in Burma, North Korea, China and Indonesia, but has also covered the Maldives, East Timor and Pakistan. He is the East Asia Team Leader at the international human rights organization CSW.  He is the co-founder and deputy chairman of the Conservative Party’s human rights commission, and authored its 2016 report on China, The Darkest Moment: The crackdown on human rights in China 2013-2016, its report on forced organ harvesting in China and its forthcoming report on China’s Confucius Institutes. He has written three books which focus on Burma and co-authored two others on Christian human rights obligations.

Mr. Rogers provided an overview of the appalling human rights crisis in Xinjiang, China. He said, “On Tuesday, the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee was told by a panel of China experts that “grave human rights violations” on a “vast scale” were being perpetrated in the worst human rights crisis in China since the era of Chairman Mao. Credible reports suggest that at least one million, some estimate as many as three million, people are detained without charge in political re-education camps in Xinjiang, for acts as basic as having a Whatsapp function on their mobile phones, having relatives living abroad, accessing religious materials online, having visited particular countries, engaging in religious activities – or sometimes no reason is given at all. They have no access to legal counsel, no mechanism for appeal, and the family are not told where the detainee is held or when they will be released. Detainees in these camps are held in dangerously unsanitary and overcrowded conditions, where torture, beatings, sleep deprivation and solitary confinement are common.”

He also mentioned, “In October 2018, CSW published a report based on interviews with witnesses and family members of victims and publicly available material including: government notices for recruitment for construction workers and procurement for construction of the camps; Chinese state media commentary; eyewitness testimony from former re-education camp employees, detainees and visitors; academic research; international media and Google Maps images. Major human rights organisations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Uyghur Human Rights Project have published detailed reports.”

What was the UK’s response?
Mr. Benedict Rogers mentioned about what has been the UK’s response so far, and what more could it do? He said, “The Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has told Parliament that the UK views the situation “with a lot of concern”, and he has pledged to raise it “in all appropriate forums”. British diplomats visited Xinjiang in August and they confirmed the report about the existence of re-education camps as “broadly accurate”. The British ambassador to China signed on to a letter by 15 western ambassadors, spearheaded by Canada, to Chen Quanguo, Xinjiang’s Communist Party leader. The Foreign Secretary has raised it with the Chinese Foreign Minister.”


Rogers continued, “And in China’s Universal Periodic Review at the United Nations, the UK issued a specific recommendation calling on China to implement the recommendations of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and allow the UN to monitor the implementation. The Committee itself has described Xinjiang as: “something that resembled a massive internment camp shrouded in secrecy, a “no rights zone”, while members of the Xinjiang Uyghur minority, along with others who were identified as Muslim, were being treated as enemies of the State based on nothing more than their ethno-religious identity.”

What more the UK should or could do?
Benedict Rogers welcome all of these steps. But the question now is what more should or could the UK do? He said, “Firstly, I believe the UK could be more public in its condemnation. The situation has reached a level which merits public statements. Silence or perceived silence is not acceptable in response to a crisis of this kind.”

He also said, “Secondly, I would urge the UK to work with others in the international community to establish an independent, international, impartial and comprehensive UN-led investigation and to work towards the establishment of a mechanism for accountability.”

Thirdly, Rogers said, “at a domestic level, the UK Home Office should ensure that no individual who would be at risk of arbitrary detention and other abuses in Xinjiang is forcibly returned to China from the UK.”

Benedict Rogers said, “I would also urge members of both Houses of Parliament to seek a debate in both Houses on the situation in Xinjiang. There have been parliamentary questions, oral and written, but we believe it is now time for a full debate, in both Houses.”

Concluding Remarks of Rogers
Rogers concluded his speech with three final points and then the words of a survivor of the camps. He said, “First, I want to highlight concerns around DNA testing of Uyghurs and others, which has been reported recently, and the forcible transportation of Uyghurs from Xinjiang to other parts of the country, including Heilongjiang. The concern here is two-fold – first that the DNA testing could be used for biometric surveillance, and/or that it could be used in connection with forced organ harvesting – an abuse that is currently being investigated by the independent China Tribunal[1] chaired by Sir Geoffrey Nice QC, who prosecuted Slobodan Milosevic, and which has issued an interim judgement concluding that this practice has been committed “beyond doubt” on a significant scale.”

“Second, we must talk about the crisis Xinjiang in terms of possible “crimes against humanity” and – if not genocide, certainly a form of “cultural genocide”. It involves the elimination of culture, and a campaign of ‘Sinicisation’.” said Rogers and added, “China’s state media, as quoted by the New York Times, has stated that the goal in Xinjiang is to “break their lineage, break their roots, break their connections and break their origins”. As the Washington Post put it: “It’s hard to read that as anything other than a declaration of genocidal intent.””

Rogers also said, “Finally, it is very important to see this in the context of Xi Jinping’s wider crackdown on human rights throughout China. While it is absolutely right to focus on Xinjiang right now, the crisis there must be seen alongside the crackdown on Christians – involving the destruction of crosses, closure of churches and imprisonment of pastors – as well as the continuing repression in Tibet, the campaign against Falun Gong, the pressure on freedom of expression, the crackdown on human rights lawyers and the erosion of freedoms and autonomy in Hong Kong.”


Benedict Rogers closed his speech with the words of Mihrigul Tursun, who told the United States Congress at a hearing last year that:
“I was taken to a cell, which was built underground with no windows. There was an iron gate and the door opened through a computerized lock system. There was a small hole in the ceiling for ventilation and we were never taken outside for fresh air. There was a toilet bowl in the corner out in the open without toilet papers. There were cameras on all four sides so the officials could see every corner of the room, including the toilet area, and they could hear every noise we make. There was one light that was always on.

“I knew most of the women in my cell. They were my neighbors, young daughters of my former teachers, and doctors, including a doctor, who had been educated in the UK and treated me in the past. They were mostly well-educated professionals such as teachers and doctors. There were around 60 people kept in a 430 square feet cell so at nights, 10 to 15 women would stand up while the rest of us would sleep on sideways so we could fit, and then we would rotate every 2 hours….

“We had 7 days to memorize the rules of the concentration camp and 14 days to memorize all the lines in a book that hails the Communist ideology. Those women whose voice were weak or cannot sing the songs in Chinese, or remember the specific rules of the camp were denied food or beaten up…

“They forced us to take some unknown pills and drink some kind of white liquid. The pill caused us to lose consciousness and reduced our cognition level. The white liquid caused loss of menstruation in some women and extreme bleeding in others and even death. I was also forced to take some unknown drugs. They checked my mouth with their fingers to make sure I swallowed them. I felt less conscious and lethargic, and lost appetite after taking these drugs.

“I clearly remember the torture I experienced in the tiger chair the second time I was incarcerated. I was taken to a special room with an electrical chair. It was the interrogation room that had one light and one chair. There were belts and whips hanging on the wall. I was placed in a high chair that clicked to lock my arms and legs in place and tightened when they press a button. My head was shaved beforehand for the maximum impact. The authorities put a helmet-like thing on my head. Each time I was electrocuted, my whole body would shake violently and I could feel the pain in my veins. I thought I would rather die than go through this torture and begged them to kill me.”[2]

“The time for action is long overdue,” Benedict Rogers concluded his speech after quoting the long words of Mihrigul Tursun and said the time for action is long overdue.






Tuesday 18 December 2018

Ambassador Cheikh Niang Speaks at PRC Parliamentary Event

H.E. Ambassador Cheikh Niang speaks
at PRC Parliamentary Event

Dr. Mozammel Haque

H.E. Ambassador Cheikh Niang, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Senegal to the United Nations and the Chair of the UN Committee for the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, attended and gave a lecture at the Parliamentary event on “70 years since UN Resolution 194”. This event was organised by Palestinian Return Centre (PRC) at the Houses of Parliament, Committee Room 11, on Tuesday, 12th of December 2018. The event was hosted and chaired by Labour MP Ruth Cadbury.

H.E. Ambassador Cheikh Niang
Followings are the full speech of His Excellency Ambassador Cheikh Niang which was delivered at the PRC event held at the Houses of Parliament on 12 December 2018.

Ambassador Cheikh Niang said: The UN Committee for the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People was established by the UN General Assembly in 1975 with a mandate to promote the realization by the Palestinian people of their right to self-determination, national independence and sovereignty, and the right of the Palestinian refugees to return. Our mandate is based on international law, UN resolutions.  The Committee has strongly supported the objective of two States - Israel and Palestine - living side by side within secure and recognised borders, as affirmed in Security Council resolution 1397 (2002), the Arab Peace Initiative of the same year, and the 2003 Quartet Roadmap.  I must add that a number of General Assembly and Security Council resolutions reiterate the two State solutions as the only viable way forward. 
        
The UN Committee plays an advocacy role in different manners. Firstly, by convening conferences in various regions of the world.  This year we have organized an international conference on Jerusalem in Morocco and a forum in New York in May to commemorate 70 years of the Nakba. Most recently, on 28 and 29 November, we marked the annual International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People through a special meeting of the Committee, in which the UN Secretary-General participated.  Secondly, the UN Committee carries out delegation visits to different Member States. In 2019, a Committee delegation visited Panama and Uganda to mobilize support for the rights of the Palestinian People and promote diplomatic recognition of the State of Palestine (in Panama).  Thirdly, the UN Committee disseminates information through its website and publications on the question of Palestine and its UNISPAL repository is the largest online repository on the question of Palestine with documents from all sources. Lastly, we also support capacity-building for Palestinian officials, funding and organizing training that would enable the State of Palestine to become sovereign in terms of governance and development.
·                         
This year marks 70 years since the Nakba – the forced displacement of Palestinians in 1948 during the first Arab-Israeli war. The UN Committee regrets that this displacement continues to this day.
·                         
Just yesterday (10 December), we celebrated 70 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. And yet, this very year, we mark 70 years of the Nakba – the event that heralded the displacement of the Palestinian people. We cannot ignore the paradox of celebrating human rights while millions of Palestinians continue to be deprived of them.
·                         
The situation in the Gaza Strip is a man-made humanitarian disaster; this summer’s protests at the Gaza border fence show the levels of frustration and desperation among the people in the Gaza after a decade of blockade.  We are deeply troubled by the number of people killed during those demonstrations and second the call of the Secretary-General for an independent investigation into those killings.
·                         
The UN Committee for the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People promotes the two-State solution; therefore, our activities are not directed against Israel but aimed at reaching a just and lasting peace, including ending the occupation and all violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.  Indeed, there are many Israelis who participate in the Committee events, and Israel is always invited to our conferences, along all other Member States of the UN.
·                         
UN General Assembly Resolution 181 provided for the formation of two States. The UK has repeatedly endorsed this resolution. In February 2018, the Chargé d’Affaires at the UK Permanent Mission to the UN told the Security Council: “The United Kingdom’s position on an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement has not changed. It should be based on the lines as they stood on June 4, 1967 with equal land swaps to reflect the national, security, and religious interests of the Jewish and Palestinian peoples. Jerusalem should be the shared capital of the Israeli and Palestinian states, and its status must be determined through a final status agreement. A just, fair, agreed and realistic settlement for refugees is needed that is demographically compatible with the principle of two states for two peoples.”
·                          
We welcome this reiteration of the UK’s position. In that spirit, as the UK has recognized one of them, Israel, we urge the UK to also move forward towards the speedy recognition of the State of Palestine. The House of Commons would have to play a critical role in this effort. We look forward to the support of the Labour Friends of Palestine in this regard.
·                        
The UN Committee has a long track record of cooperation with Parliamentarians. We believe that solidarity of Parliamentarians worldwide is a manifestation of the support of citizens of all countries to the Palestinian people. The International Parliamentary Union and the African Parliamentary Union are valuable partners of the Committee. 
·                      
   Parliamentarians provide a link between voters and Governments. You also pass laws which implement international law obligations and approve aid budgets. 
·                         
Parliamentarians have been leading the way on the recognition of the State of Palestine.  The UN Committee believes that by recognizing the State of Palestine, the UK along all other 139 countries that have already taken such a step, would be contributing to peace in the Middle East and would be reaffirming adherence to international law and UN resolutions which have called for the two-State solution for over 70 years now. 
·                        
We would like to also urge you to facilitate the provision of regular and predictable funding for the UN Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) that is critical to providing humanitarian assistance to millions of Palestinian refugees in the region.




Lord Ahmed Asks Questions on Rohingya Refugees

Lord Ahmed of Rotherham Asks Questions
on Rohingya Refugees At the House of Lords

Dr. Mozammel Haque

I am fortunate enough on Monday, the 17th of December 2018 that I attend the Lords’ Chamber as guest of Lord Nazir Ahmed of Rotherham and listened to the two issues, one question was asked by Lord Ahmed on Rohingya refugees and another question was asked by Baroness Tonge on the businesses on the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Followings are the question and reply on Rohingya refugees at the House of Lords chamber on 17 December, 2018;

Situation of Rohingya Refugees
and their safe return
Lord Ahmed of Rotherham (Non-Afl) asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the situation of Rohingya refugees and the likelihood of their safe return to Burma.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative Party) replied, “My Lords, conditions in the camps in Bangladesh have improved but remain difficult for the Rohingya community. The United Kingdom has provided £129 million of assistance since August 2017. We welcome Bangladesh’s continuing generosity in hosting the Rohingya community and its commitment to the principle of voluntariness on repatriations. I agree with the UN Refugee Agency’s assessment that conditions are not in place for safe and sustainable returns, and I assure the noble Lord that the UK will continue to press for independent monitoring by all UN agencies.”

Indictment of Burmese generals
and civilian leaders for genocide
Lord Ahmed (Non-Afl) : Lord Ahmed (Non-Afl) said, “My Lords, I thank the Minister for his reply. Will he join me in thanking the Department for International Development for providing support to the most oppressed people in the world? Is he aware that last Thursday the US House of Representatives passed a non-binding resolution, by 394 votes to one, identifying crimes against the Rohingya in Myanmar as genocide? Will Her Majesty’s Government support the indictment of the Burmese generals and civilian leaders responsible for this genocide in the International Criminal Court?”

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon replied, “My Lords, on the earlier point, I thank the noble Lord for his remarks. It is true that we can all be proud of the role that the Department for International Development has played over many years on behalf of those people who are suffering the worst crises, including humanitarian crises and the ethnic cleansing that we have seen of the Rohingya community in Burma. On the issue of Congress, I am aware of that vote—but, as the noble Lord will know, it is a long-standing position that we regard attributing genocide as an issue for judicial authorities. However, the United Kingdom is playing a key role in gathering evidence to ensure that the perpetrators of these crimes can be brought to justice.”

Resolution in the Security Council calling
for a global arms embargo on the Burmese Army
Lord Alton of Liverpool (CB) joined in this debate and said, “My Lords, 700,000 Rohingya have now fled to Bangladesh and there are reports of villages being burned and horrific human rights violations including the burning of homes, schools and mosques; the deliberate burning of people to death inside their homes; mass rape; torture; execution without trial; the blocking of aid; and similar offences being conducted against the Shan and the Kachin as well. So is the noble Lord, Lord Ahmed, not right to call for this, regardless of the vote in the American Congress, to be referred to the International Criminal Court? Why is the United Kingdom not laying a resolution before the Security Council calling for a global arms embargo on the Burmese Army, with targeted sanctions against Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and calling for Daw Suu, Aung San Suu Kyi, to speak out forcefully against these horrific offences?”

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon replied to the above questions, “My Lords, the noble Lord has raised various issues. First, he is quite right to point out that, as your Lordships’ House may be aware, there has not yet been a UN resolution. However, I assure him that we are speaking to all international partners, including those on the Security Council, to find a way forward on this. He will be aware that there are particular perspectives, most notably from the Chinese, which would, in our view, result in any ICC referral being blocked. We believe in the institution of the International Criminal Court and in its reforms, but any referral to it should carry full support. Looking at what has been debated and agreed in the Security Council over the last 12 months; thus far we have kept unanimity. That remains a primary objective, but I assure the noble Lord that we keep in mind the issue of all persecuted minorities—in Kachin and Shan provinces as well. We will ensure that evidence is collected and the perpetrators ultimately brought to justice in a local or international court.”

Two issues to be resolved – Citizenship and
referral to the International Criminal Court
Lord Dholakia (Liberal Democrat) joined in this debate and said, “My Lords, there seems to be no prospect of the safe return of Rohingya refugees to Burma. This will remain so until we accept the full findings and recommendations of the United Nations fact-finding mission. Why are we so reluctant to do so? Does the Minister accept that two issues need to be resolved? The first and central issue is citizenship being denied to Rohingya refugees. Their citizenship is objected to by Aung San Suu Kyi, who should know better. The second is the attempt to secure referral to the International Criminal Court, which has so far stalled. Surely we cannot accept refugees being returned to Burma until those who have perpetrated such vile crimes against them are brought to justice.”

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon replied: “I totally agree with the noble Lord. On the issue of the fact-finding mission, he will know that we were one of the co-sponsors of that resolution in March 2017, and we agree with many of the mission’s findings. On the issue of safe return, I assure the noble Lord that there was talk of an agreement having been reached between Burma and Bangladesh in November this year for returns to start. However, we are very clear that they cannot start until certain conditions are met. First and foremost, they must be voluntary. The safety and security of the refugees is paramount. We have raised that, and I met with the Information Minister of Bangladesh on Thursday and again gained that very reassurance.”

Rohingya refugees be given
entry to the United Kingdom?
 Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne (Conservative) joined in the debate and asked: “Does the Minister agree that, given the extreme unlikelihood of all the world’s 62 million refugees and IDPs being able to return home, once the United Kingdom has left the European Union we will be in a far better position to decide who to have here? I ask particularly that some of the Rohingya refugees, as well as some others globally, should be given entry into the United Kingdom once we are in in a better position to make our own decisions.”

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon replied: “My Lords, the history of the United Kingdom as a place which grants support to refugees from all over the world predates our membership of the European Union and will remain after Brexit. I pride myself on being in the Government of a country which over the years has stood up in support of refugees, internationally and in the UK. This continues today and will continue tomorrow.”

Safety and Security return of refugees?
The Lord Bishop of Winchester joined in the debate and asked: “My Lords, the diocese of Winchester has had a link with Burma/Myanmar since the late 19th century. This gateway state to Asia is therefore of great interest to the praying Christians of the diocese. Will the Minister confirm what action Her Majesty’s Government have taken to ensure the guaranteed security of existing internally displaced persons in Rakhine state and of any refugees who voluntarily return to Myanmar?”

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon replied: “The right reverend Prelate raises an important issue about ensuring the security and safety of those who are in Burma. We continue to raise this directly with the civilian and military authorities. He will be aware that one of the first visits that the Foreign Secretary made on his appointment was to Burma to raise the very concerns that the right reverend Prelate highlighted. On the safe return of refugees, I made it clear in answer to the previous question that the United Kingdom stands by the Rohingya community and supports their needs in Bangladesh. They should not return until we can guarantee their safety and security—and, above all, their return should be voluntary.”


Tuesday 27 November 2018

2018 is a Milestone Year for Burma Task Force

2018 is a Milestone Year –
Says Burma Task Force (BTF)

Dr. Mozammel Haque

Among the terrible and horrific atrocities happenings to Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar, there are some hopes and green light at the end of the tunnel. Burma Task Force (BTF) is one of the few campaigns devoted to raising awareness and advocating full time to stop the genocide against the Rohingya Muslims.

As the year of 2018 is nearing to close, it is necessary to try to understand the situation of Rohingya Muslims. Burma Task Force has given the latest updates of their activities and achievements.  According to Burma Task Force (BTF): As we close in on the last leg of 2018,  it is worth noting what your help for Rohingyas has achieved.  2018 has been a milestone year for Burma Task Force that has seen many breakthroughs. Alhamdu lillah, thanks to Muslims working together we have achieved many things this year.”

“Some of them include:

* US contributed $360 million to Rohingya refugees, increasing it from $30 million
* Canada's declaration of "genocide" marked the first country out of 196 countries to officially determine that it is as genocide.
* Canada also gave $80 million and committed $100 million for each of the next 3 years.
* Canada, thanks to your efforts, also took away the honorary citizenship of Suu Kyi
* The U.S. State Department released its most scientifically rigorous report on the Rohingya genocide.
* Visits of 100+ advocates to 60 Senators and representatives on the Rohingya lobby day
* An interfaith delegation of Christians, Buddhist, Jews and Muslims to the Rohingya camps and creation of the Faith Coalition
* Working with a human rights barrister with 10 year experience at the International Criminal Court, Burma Task Force filed on behalf of the Rohingya victims of Tula Toli at the ICC.
* Breakthrough relationship with Evangelical Christians to support Rohingya positions working with Fox TV & Christian Broadcasting Corporation
* The genocide must be stopped. Rohingyas must not be forced into the genocide zone of Burma. Full sanctions on Burma worked in the past. They will work again,” the press report mentioned.




Wednesday 1 August 2018

Egypt - Five Years of Oppression and Persecution

Egypt: Five Years of Oppression and Persecution

Dr. Mozammel Haque

Seven years after the Egyptian Revolution the country is going through one of the worst human rights crisis in its history. President Sisi government has consistently since the inception of power used torture, arbitrary detention and enforcement as tools of repression. The government has also targeted thousands of activists, detained journalists, prosecuted human rights lawyers and defenders. All of these is indicative of the loss of the vary values that underpin the independent revolution seven years ago, Robert Andrews, Researcher at the Arab Organisation for Human Rights, said in his introduction in a meetin held recently in London.

Arab Organisation for Human Rights organised a meeting entitled Egypt: Five Years of Oppression and Persecution was held at Friends House, London, on Thursday, 12 July 2018.  Among the speakers were Dr. Suha Al-Sheikh, Human Rights Activists, Dr. Melek Saral, Marie Curie Research Fellow at the SOAS School of Law, Katherine O’Byrne a good practitioner specialising in international law human rights public law and jurisdiction and Hannah Philipp. Hannah Phillips is working at the Arab Organisation for Human Rights as Researcher. This meeting was called up to draw attention and awareness to challenges to the country and so open debate how to remedy the challenges.

Dr. Suha Ali Sheikh
Dr. Suha Ali Sheikh is a human rights activist and a member of the Egyptian Revolutionary Council. Dr Suha said, “Since Sisi seized power in a military coup on July 3, 2013, Egypt has been transformed from a stagnant middle-of-the-road autocracy into one of the most repressive states on earth. Needless to say, the street protests and youth activism that filled Tahrir Square during the 2011 uprisings are long gone. Tens of thousands of political opponents, dissidents and labour organizers are incarcerated en masse in an archipelago of prisons, army barracks, and black sites.”


Dr. Suha also mentioned, “Every year hundreds of Egyptians are simply disappeared by the security services — many of them to be extra-judicially executed. Egypt is one of the worst jailers of journalists in the world, censorship is at its highest level and there is barely any political opposition left.”

Egyptian courts are now passing more death sentences than those recorded in some other countries. Dr. Suha mentioned, “In 2014, more than 1000 individuals were sentenced to death in one case. In March 2017, the public prosecutor sought the death penalty for 739 people, including the Egyptian photographer Shawkan, in a single case, relating to the violent dispersal of the rabaa Square in August 2013. The final judgment of the case is still awaited.”

Dr. Suha also mentioned, “Activists and human rights defenders who draw attention to any of this become a target for the State. Egyptian rights activists say they are facing the worst assault in their history. They are personally surveilled, intimidated, imprisoned, and attacked at every opportunity.” She also gave a list which demonstrated how the activists and human rights defenders were detained, imprisoned and targeted. She also mentioned Mohamed Sadeq, a HR lawyer, was detained and forcibly disappeared for 90 days and is still in prison. She also mentioned another human rights activist Dr. Ahmed Abdul Sattar Amasha.

Dr. Suha mentioned, “Egypt’s main agency for the treatment of torture victims, the Nadeem Center for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture established as far back as 1993, was shut down by the police in February 2017.  Nadeem’s work was considered a threat by the state partly because the records the Center kept make clear the level of torture and abuse being meted by the state against its citizens and also highlight numerous cases killed in confrontations with the security services that have been in fact reported missing weeks or even months beforehand. Aida Seif Aldawla and other founders have been banned from travel.”

“In addition, Judicial authorities issued travel bans to at least 15 rights activists in connection with investigations related to what is known as “Case Number 173,” which targets civil society organisations on charges related to securing unauthorised funding from abroad. This 2011 NGO trial, or Case 173 was reopened in March 2016. Despite the Cassation Court’s decision for a retrial on April 5th this year, the travel bans and asset freezes remain in place,” Dr Suha mentioned.
Dr. Suha also said, “IN reality, the Sisi regime doesn’t make it easy for its international allies; bankrolling and propping up a government that has already killed more people than Pinochet ever did, and that storms the Journalists Syndicate on World Press Freedom Day, inevitably draws questions.”  

“Activists within Western societies may ensure that human rights get mentioned during foreign policy discussions,” she said.

Dr. Suha also pointed out, “It is true that criticism of the regime has become slightly more vocal as of late. For example, The European Union (EU) on May 30th) expressed concern about recent arrests of political and rights activists in Egypt and called it a worrying development," but the effect of these comments is limited by Western governments’ strategic support for the regime and its interests in counter-terrorism, investment, and migration.”
..
Dr. Suha said from this platform, “We call on the International community to raise its voice against the HR violations in Egypt. We believe that Western acquiescence appears to have emboldened the Egyptian government in its campaign to silence dissent and crush independent civil society in the harshest possible form”

“The Egyptian authorities must put an end to the attacks on journalists, human rights associations and other critics and stop all repressive measures on freedom of expression. We also demand a moratorium on the death sentences and the opening up of Egyptian prisons to inspection from international organisations such as the Red Cross,”she demanded.

Dr. Suha also called upon the “European Parliament Human rights subcommittee to visit Egypt in order to ensure that Egypt is committed to the implementation of their human rights commitments. This visit was welcomed by Ali Abdel Al, the head of Egypt current Parliament in June 2018 on his last visit Brussels.”

Dr. Melek Saral
Dr. Melek Saral, Marie Curie Research Fellow at the SOAS School of Law, gave a presentation on the human rights situation in Egypt after the July 2013 military Coup in Egypt. Dr. Melek said, “The mass demonstrations that began on 25 January 2011 raised hopes for a democratic transition and for the improvement of human rights situation in Egypt. However Egypt’s’ two-year attempt to a transition has been stopped after the July 2013 military coup. Since the removal of Egypt’s first democratically elected president, severe human rights violations including arbitrary detention, extra judiciary killings, enforced disappearances and torture have become daily news in Egypt as the reports from international organisations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International state.”


Dr. Melek also mentioned, “We can speak from institutionalised human rights violations in Egypt, as these violations are embedded in the procedures, policies and objectives of the Sisi’s military rule. Sisi’s government is facilitating unprecedented human rights violations to create a state of fear and to ensure complete control over the Egyptians.  Several laws which have been issued by decree since the military ouster of President Morsi, such as Protest Law issued on November 24, 2013, the Military Courts Law issued on October 27, 2014 and Counterterrorism Law issued on August 15, 2015 have led to gross human rights violations in the country. There is no judicial redress, no accountability grounded in an independent judiciary and country’s’ independent media and civil society are silenced by the military government.”

“Thus, Egyptians have no mechanisms to bring an end to human rights violations and protect themselves from these violations. Perpetrators of these widespread, pervasive and consistent human rights violations enjoy impunity, as judicial redress is not possible. More worryingly institutions which should have provide protection for Egyptian citizens against human rights violations are facilitating severe human rights violations in Egypt. UN Report of the Committee against Torture 2017 concludes that torture is a systematic practice in Egypt and states “Torture is perpetrated by police officers, military officers, National Security officers and prison guards. However, prosecutors, judges and prison officials also facilitate torture by failing to curb practices of torture, arbitrary detention and ill-treatment or to act on complaints,” she mentioned.

Dr. Melek called upon the international community to put pressure on Sisi’s military government. She said, “International community should put pressure on Sisi military government to bring an end to the widespread, pervasive and consistent human rights violations in Egypt. However, as the Human Rights Watch Country Reports 2018 points out “Egypt’s international allies continue to support Egypt’s government and rarely offer public criticism.”

Hannah Phillips Researcher
Hannah Phillips who is working at the Arab Organisation for Human rights as a researcher briefly gave an overall view of what happened in the last five years and present a discourse on the Sisi’s usual torture, repression and human rights violations. She presents some of the statistics from the last five years increase of violence and repression which constitute vast human rights abuses. She said, “As we know back in January 2011 actually through the April 6 movement and others demonstrating for democracy and again state violence mobilised hundreds and thousands of civilians in demonstration across Cairo and other places. The country put down President Mubarak for the hopes that were raised by Revolution slowly dissolved into chaos and actually aspirations were extinguished within a couple of years. With Sisi, the then Defence Minister and Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces then seized power in July 2013 and began harsh crackdown on those started the revolution as well as those who sought any reform get from power.”


“Sisi’s crackdown had unfolded one of the most expulsive overhaul of the legal system in the legal history. After declaring state of emergency in 2013 he issued a series of Presidential degrees granting him unprecedented power to silence his critics; forged counter terrorism laws has expanded the definition of terrorism,” she said.

Hannah Phillips said, “Since Sisi came into power, the Egyptian regime has shut down more than 20 media outlets, satellite channels and newspapers in order to completely eliminate freedom of opinion and expression. Furthermore many journalists, left and rights, have been prohibited from writing and publishing their works, articles. Ten journalists have been killed and more than 200 journalist remained arrested and many remained detained. Therefore, since the revolution freedom of speech have been severely restricted.”

Hannah Phillips also mentioned, “In five years since Sisi came to power, over 3000 Egyptians have been killed and more than 2000 have been detained in peaceful demonstrations and all those 3000 or more deaths many of those have been killed at the hands of the security forces during peaceful gatherings. Meanwhile, 700 of them have been marginalised in detention centres and many have been killed as a result of torture by security forces as well as medical negligence in detention facilities and also as a result of overcrowding and poor conditions.”


Speaking about the situation in Sinai peninsula in the same period under review, she said, “In five years, we have seen 10,000 people have been arrested and according to the military operation in Sinai during the period of monitoring the number of civilian deaths amounts to over 4000 including 3000 people who, army said, were killed as a result of security clashes and the rest were killed randomly without any investigation being opened into any of these cases. There has also been vast destruction of civilian properties during this clashes with the security forces that have left to the forced displacement of many civilians. These are vast numbers which clearly demonstrate the lack of freedom to protest and constitute mass human rights abuses under international law of human rights and criminal process.”