There are several quite interesting articles on the reactions of various groups to the sentencing of Fujimori in Peru from the BBC and IPS.
Secondly, I'd like to draw attention to a moving photo essay about the Rio Negro massacre in Guatemala, and its commemoration (Upside Down World).
And finally, British MPs and trade union representatives from Britain and North America have accused Colombia's Alvaro Uribe of crimes against humanity. It's hardly surprising that they were horrified - they just visited the most dangerous place in the world to be a trade unionist. I doubt that their strong words will make any immediate difference, but every little helps.
Friday, 10 April 2009
Wednesday, 8 April 2009
Peru: Annual Report on Human Rights (3)
Following on from posts (1) and (2).
The situation of human rights and the judicial system in Peru since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (CVR):
- There is a lack of a coherent system for witness protection.
- There are a number of cases of human rights abuses pending, including 47 recommended by the CVR, 12 investigated by the Defensoria del Pueblo, 159 which were part of an agreement between the Peruvian state and Interamerican Commission on Human Rights, and some others. For the majority of these, little concrete progress has been made. Only 13% have ended with a conviction - an average of just two a year.
- Investigations by the public prosecutor are described as a "filter" which impedes the justice process.
- In 2008, there were repeated calls from certain interest groups, including politicians, denouncing the supposed persecution of the security forces by human rights organisations, using the criminal justice system. In fact, the opposite is true: although the CVR documented tens of thousands of victims murdered by state forces, just 280 police and members of the armed forces have been tried or are in the process of being investigated. Of these, until now just 21 police officers and 7 soldiers have been convicted (p.178).
- The Ministries of Defence and the Interior have obstructed some investigations by refusing to hand over evidence, such as archival lists of personnel stationed in areas which saw particularly serious cases of human rights.
- In particular, women have great difficulty in achieving any justice for sexual crimes committed against them during the conflict.
- Some factors in the state are once again proposing an amnesty for the members of the security forces involved in atrocities.
- Successes in 2008 included sentences for those reponsible for the massacre at La Cantuta.
This diagram is taken from p. 196.
The situation of human rights and the judicial system in Peru since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (CVR):
- There is a lack of a coherent system for witness protection.
- There are a number of cases of human rights abuses pending, including 47 recommended by the CVR, 12 investigated by the Defensoria del Pueblo, 159 which were part of an agreement between the Peruvian state and Interamerican Commission on Human Rights, and some others. For the majority of these, little concrete progress has been made. Only 13% have ended with a conviction - an average of just two a year.
- Investigations by the public prosecutor are described as a "filter" which impedes the justice process.
- In 2008, there were repeated calls from certain interest groups, including politicians, denouncing the supposed persecution of the security forces by human rights organisations, using the criminal justice system. In fact, the opposite is true: although the CVR documented tens of thousands of victims murdered by state forces, just 280 police and members of the armed forces have been tried or are in the process of being investigated. Of these, until now just 21 police officers and 7 soldiers have been convicted (p.178).
- The Ministries of Defence and the Interior have obstructed some investigations by refusing to hand over evidence, such as archival lists of personnel stationed in areas which saw particularly serious cases of human rights.
- In particular, women have great difficulty in achieving any justice for sexual crimes committed against them during the conflict.
- Some factors in the state are once again proposing an amnesty for the members of the security forces involved in atrocities.
- Successes in 2008 included sentences for those reponsible for the massacre at La Cantuta.
This diagram is taken from p. 196.
Tuesday, 7 April 2009
News Round-Up
And, in other news (yes, other things are happening in the world apart from Fujimori's sentence):
There are apparently more bodies in the Putis area which have not yet been exhumed. In addition, the major has complained that the community is still lacking basic facilities such as medical posts and schools.
Plus,
Manu Chao could have got into hot water after describing the actions of the Mexican state in Atenco as 'state terrorism'.
There are apparently more bodies in the Putis area which have not yet been exhumed. In addition, the major has complained that the community is still lacking basic facilities such as medical posts and schools.
Plus,
Manu Chao could have got into hot water after describing the actions of the Mexican state in Atenco as 'state terrorism'.
Chao was referring to the events of May 2006, particularly a demonstration by Atenco flower-sellers against a commercial development. Mexican police intervened, sparking riots. Over 200 people were injured, two killed and 27 women sexually assaulted in the ensuing conflict, according to Mexico's National Human Rights Committee.The problem is,
Article 33 of the Mexican constitution states that "foreigners cannot in any manner interfere in internal political affairs" and the government carries "the executive power to force them to leave national territory".However, he seems to have got away with it.
Peru: Fujimori Media Round-Up
Obviously this is one of those occasions when everyone has exactly the same information and the media need to look for those funny little facts or new angles.
El Comercio reveals that the sentence contains 8390 paragraphs, 1258 footnotes and is typed in Century font, size 11. Well, thanks for that! The dedicated Spanish speakers among you can, however, read the whole thing on the website of the Peruvian Supreme Court.
Much more usefully, Associated Press presents us with key dates in Fujimori's rise and fall.
Reuters is describing Fujimori as "the first time a democratically elected Latin American president was found guilty in his own country of rights abuses". The Fujimori trial follows in the distinguished footsteps of the trial of the junta in Argentina, but they, of course, were not democratically elected.
The Washington Post has a rather nice slideshow of Fujimori opponents and supporters outside the court.
El Comercio reveals that the sentence contains 8390 paragraphs, 1258 footnotes and is typed in Century font, size 11. Well, thanks for that! The dedicated Spanish speakers among you can, however, read the whole thing on the website of the Peruvian Supreme Court.
Much more usefully, Associated Press presents us with key dates in Fujimori's rise and fall.
Reuters is describing Fujimori as "the first time a democratically elected Latin American president was found guilty in his own country of rights abuses". The Fujimori trial follows in the distinguished footsteps of the trial of the junta in Argentina, but they, of course, were not democratically elected.
The Washington Post has a rather nice slideshow of Fujimori opponents and supporters outside the court.
Peru: FUJIMORI GUILTY
You'll have heard it already: Fujimori has been found guilty and sentenced to 25 years. Guilty of the Barrios Altos massacre, guilty of the heinous crimes at La Cantuta.
A former head of state brought to justice in his own country for severe human rights abuses is, as the Amnesty International spokesperson commented with a certain understatement, "something you don't see every day". It was a long trial, and there is already talk of an appeal; nevertheless, it's an important day for Peru and a crucial blow to impunity. International observers have described the trial as exemplary in its fairness and attention to due process, so let there be no talk of a kangaroo court. I'm not surprised at the verdict, but I am deeply satisfied.
A few small points: La Republica reports that in Ayacucho, relatives of the disappeared celebrated and cried with happiness upon hearing the verdict. They also note that if he should serve his full sentence, taking into account the time he has spent on remand, he should be released on 10 February 2032. He would be 93.
Fujimori gets lengthy jail term (BBC)
All the mainstream news sources are running stories on this. Spanish speakers could also follow the blog of the Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos, as well as the Peruvian press.
Sunday, 5 April 2009
Peru: Annual Report on Human Rights (2)
Part (1) is here. From the report of the CNDDHH, chapter 2, the following important points:
1) Attempts on life by presumed state agents:
- in 2008, there were at least 42 deaths by presumed state agents, considerably more than in each of the previous 6 years.
The deaths were caused as followed (p.36):
Counterinsurgency measures by the armed forces: 7 (17.1%)
Routine control by the national police: 3 (7.3%)
Evictions by the national police: 3 (7.3%)
Social cleansing by the national police: 20 (48.8%)
Protests by the national police: 8 (19.5%)
Total: 41 (100%)
93% of these were adult males. 83% were caused by the police (in violent evictions, through repression of protests, and so on) and the remainder by the armed forces (p45).
2) At the same time, at least 25 people were killed by 'subversive agents' - basically Shining Path remnants. This is almost twice as many as in the previous year. 81.5% of victims were members of the security forces (p.47).
3) The Defensoria del Pueblo is aware of 80 cases of torture in 2008, of which 68 were committed by the police and the remainder by the armed forces (p. 65). Some of these have taken place within military establishments or penitentiary units. Most of those tortured by the armed forces were conscripts on their military service. From a torture point of view, a police station is one of the most dangerous places to be in Peru.
4) There has been an increase in the number of arbitrary detentions and deprivations of liberty as part of the government's criminalisation of protest. Community leaders are the most vulnerable to this sort of abuse.
5) There has been a general increase in attacks on freedom of expression and the press. These attacks include death threats, physical assaults, cutting off means of communication, blackmail, and others. They number at least 100 in 2008 (p.92). The perpetrators were sometimes unknown but apparently included members of the security forces as well as local officials, businesspersons, and others.
1) Attempts on life by presumed state agents:
- in 2008, there were at least 42 deaths by presumed state agents, considerably more than in each of the previous 6 years.
The deaths were caused as followed (p.36):
Counterinsurgency measures by the armed forces: 7 (17.1%)
Routine control by the national police: 3 (7.3%)
Evictions by the national police: 3 (7.3%)
Social cleansing by the national police: 20 (48.8%)
Protests by the national police: 8 (19.5%)
Total: 41 (100%)
93% of these were adult males. 83% were caused by the police (in violent evictions, through repression of protests, and so on) and the remainder by the armed forces (p45).
2) At the same time, at least 25 people were killed by 'subversive agents' - basically Shining Path remnants. This is almost twice as many as in the previous year. 81.5% of victims were members of the security forces (p.47).
3) The Defensoria del Pueblo is aware of 80 cases of torture in 2008, of which 68 were committed by the police and the remainder by the armed forces (p. 65). Some of these have taken place within military establishments or penitentiary units. Most of those tortured by the armed forces were conscripts on their military service. From a torture point of view, a police station is one of the most dangerous places to be in Peru.
4) There has been an increase in the number of arbitrary detentions and deprivations of liberty as part of the government's criminalisation of protest. Community leaders are the most vulnerable to this sort of abuse.
5) There has been a general increase in attacks on freedom of expression and the press. These attacks include death threats, physical assaults, cutting off means of communication, blackmail, and others. They number at least 100 in 2008 (p.92). The perpetrators were sometimes unknown but apparently included members of the security forces as well as local officials, businesspersons, and others.
Peru: Annual Report on Human Rights (1)
The Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos (CNDDHH) has presented its annual report on the state of human rights in Peru. You can access the whole thing (in various PDFs) here (in Spanish). Now, it's nearly 300 pages long so I haven't read it all, nor can I translate it all, but let me present a few points from the initial summary which are relevant to this blog.
- The opening paragraph of the report is pretty damning, describing 2003 as a year of 'limited advances' in human rights (p.19).
- It presents the Garcia administration as aggressively promoting big business, criminalising social protest, and viewing human rights as 'obstacles' to development.
- The situation of the most basic human rights (to life, liberty, integrity) worsened in 2008.
- The recommendations of the CVR/TRC have still not been acted on. There was limited or no progress in these areas in 2008. Worse, there have proposals for military amnesty by those who believe that the armed forces are being 'persecuted' in the courts. This despite the fact that just 15 members of the security forces have been sentenced for human rights abuses. No one has been sentenced at all for sexual violence during the conflict.
- On the positive front, Peru has signed an international moratorium on the use of the death penalty.
- The continuing trial of Fujimori was the most positive and visible aspect of the human rights scene in Peru in 2008.
Here's a colour-coded image of the human rights arena in Peru (p. 27, sorry it's not higher quality):
This post has been taken from the initial chapter which summarises the contents of the report. I want to focus on particular areas in a few future posts, as time allows.
- The opening paragraph of the report is pretty damning, describing 2003 as a year of 'limited advances' in human rights (p.19).
- It presents the Garcia administration as aggressively promoting big business, criminalising social protest, and viewing human rights as 'obstacles' to development.
- The situation of the most basic human rights (to life, liberty, integrity) worsened in 2008.
- The recommendations of the CVR/TRC have still not been acted on. There was limited or no progress in these areas in 2008. Worse, there have proposals for military amnesty by those who believe that the armed forces are being 'persecuted' in the courts. This despite the fact that just 15 members of the security forces have been sentenced for human rights abuses. No one has been sentenced at all for sexual violence during the conflict.
- On the positive front, Peru has signed an international moratorium on the use of the death penalty.
- The continuing trial of Fujimori was the most positive and visible aspect of the human rights scene in Peru in 2008.
Here's a colour-coded image of the human rights arena in Peru (p. 27, sorry it's not higher quality):
This post has been taken from the initial chapter which summarises the contents of the report. I want to focus on particular areas in a few future posts, as time allows.
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