Gulmina Bilal writes on gender and policing in Pakistan, examining the history of women serving in the Pakistani police, touching upon the debate about whether separate police stations are required for women. As one can imagine, the general perception of women choosing policing as a career and its implications on family and society at large is a source of discussion in the country. The article also touches upon some of the problems that plague policing in Pakistan in general, such as archaic legislation, a low police-population ratio, and the fact that there are only about 3,500 women officers in a total force of 400,000! The message is clear. Regionally, we must all advocate for gender-sensitive police reforms.:

Another issue we all consistently find ourselves revisiting in South Asia is the call for greater police accountability. Two articles address this in this edition of NIPSA. Devika Prasad writes on the UK’s new system of electing a police and crime commissioner (PCC) to provide oversight of local police forces. This new system is worrisome as the author points out – because it means the present local Police Authorities which are multi-member bodies providing external oversight of the police as opposed to a single elected individual. Her article analyses the drawbacks of such a shift and then poses the important question of whether such a shift would work in the South Asian context, where we can probably all agree there is a dire need for accountability stemming from strengthened external independent oversight.

Taking the discussion on this issue further, this edition also includes a short write up on a recent national level roundtable hosted by Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative held in Delhi. This unique roundtable brought together for the first time police leadership, chairpersons and members of police oversight bodies in India, and civil society. Discussions were centered on how to strengthen and build the capacity of these bodies, known as Police Complaints Authorities (PCAs). Presently, there are eight such Authorities set up on the ground level. A set of Model Rules were introduced to help these bodies operate in a uniform manner and meet their mandate as effectively as possible. Input was sought from the various stakeholders. The ultimate goal was to ensure these Rules were adapted by each Authority, and recommendations made to governments on how to fortify and support these bodies in order to reduce misconduct and increase police accountability.

Speaking of accountability, the manner in which the Sri Lankan government is fighting accountability recently is unacceptable. It has made it clear that it will not abide by the UNHRC resolution that criticized its human rights record. The government will only implement those recommendations of its own probing panel. CHRI Director Maja Daruwala writes on the subject, emphasizing that while the resolution itself is a step towards justice in many ways, there is much left to be done on the part of the international community before justice is in fact realised in the country.

The Maldives too has undergone significant developments since the beginning of the year with the resignation of the first democratically elected President, Mohamed Nasheed, on 7 February 2010. The resignation followed weeks of protest after Nasheed ordered the army to detain a top criminal court judge on corruption charges. In the protests that ensued, the police role has come into question with serious charges of atrocities committed by several officers on rampage. While these are being investigated by the new government, Devyani Srivastava raises questions about its implications for the police reform process in the country.

Lastly, though our readership is growing steadily, we call upon you once again to take steps to expand our network and get more involved. We are always looking for articles and would like to engage in debate. Please do feel free to contact us at diya@humanrightsinitiative.org ordevyani@humanrightsinitiative.org for further questions, comments, and suggestions.
I look forward to our next edition!

Sincerely,

Devyani Srivastava and Diya Nag

CLICK HERE: http://www.nipsa.in/newsletter/2012-2/introduction/

I watched the live feed. 24 voted for, 15 against, 8 abstained. All the protests and rhetoric reduced to watching a room full of delegates from all over the world deciding on whether this piece of paper should be passed or not.

The resolution actually just called for the implementation of our own LLRC report, which I am told is surprisingly unbiased. It also says that Navi-Pillai will be watching us in case we don’t do it, quick-sharpish.

This has been the hot topic in the news, with speculation rife as to who would vote for and against. The biggest ruckus erupted after India hinted it might vote for the resolution. Some people think Sri Lanka lost to Bangladesh (or at the very least, willed them to do so) in the Asia Cup, on purpose, just so that India would have to go home. Facebook was just filled with people jumping for joy over this little, petty victory.

I find it sad that cricket is getting entangled with politics. It’s just wrong, and makes us no better than the Indians who stone player’s houses when they lose a game. I hate the Indian cricket team just as much as any other ardent Sri Lankan fan, but that doesn’t mean I want us to lose a game just to spite them.

Apart from that, my feelings are really mixed about this resolution. On the one hand, I think it’s rich that all these countries and especially the US are sitting there in judgment on what we have done right and wrong. The US have committed their own violations during war, remember Vietnam? Or what about Guantanamo Bay? Besides, if you’re going to sit in judgment on one, you should do so with all other countries as well. Yet at least one or two delegates pointed out how selective the resolutions were, usually based on a strategic interest no doubt.

But apart from that, I can’t help but wonder if Sri Lanka would focus so much on reconciliation if there was absolutely no international pressure. I mean, the ‘national question’ has been bandied about in Parliament by the Opposition like a handy ping pong ball and receives about as much notice on the Government side. I’m not just idly saying this, I have literally called up the Government spokesman only to be met with ‘Ummm… These things take time.’

This isn’t to say that there hasn’t been any development in the North and East. But the people there are still afraid of the military, although there are many reports saying that the militarisation of the region is grossly exaggerated. The police are mostly Sinhalese, yes, but there has been some attempt to recruit Tamils as well. I’ve been to the North on work and most of the people want only to get on with their lives. They just want to forget. It’s the diaspora who are shouting and shouting about violations and rights. These people talk of no electricity and walking to school with resigned smiles. They have a quiet strength. They have lost mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers. They have lost everything but the shirts on their backs. And they survived.

This is a delicate issue. It’s not something that can be solved overnight. Like with de-mining. I used to call up the experts and ask, “Why is it taking so long?” Then I went, and realised just what a painstaking process it is. Mending people’s hearts, exorcising the demons brought by the war is just such a delicate operation. And it takes time. But how much time? What if time passes and passes and the Parliament explodes with all the hot air?

I’m not saying there isn’t an attempt towards healing. A friend has blogged about a Brigadier’s tales- lifting old men who wanted to die in the water to safety, providing reassurance. There were good people who did good things, ignoring race and religion. But there was also death, and rape. There were civilians killed, when the Government said there was none, not one civilian killed. And continued to say so, for years, even though that didn’t make any sense and simply could not be true. There were hundreds of thousands of people living in the conflict zone. People died. Now, at least, they are acknowledging this. But is that enough?

Tamil politicians talk big about devolution of power and a separate state. That doesn’t seem to be what the people want. They want peace, and healing, and electricity, and a house. War is not black and white.

Basically, after this rigmarole, it seems to me that each side has its own bias and will keep arguing and arguing endlessly. There is no right and wrong here. And discussing this in my head is proving fruitless. As a blogger said, the resolution means nothing on the ground, but a lot in the hot air. Is it helping or hurting? Who knows?

I’ll be heading North next week. Let’s see what the people have to say.

Why does the United Nations remains silent on its own report on Israeli war crimes   on dehumanized and starving Palestinians in Gaza? Where are United States and its UNHCR resolution on Israeli war crimes?

These are questions no one dare ask. Raising such questions means paying heavy price- be it UNHRC Commissioner Navi Pillay, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon or even US President Barack Obama-as former US President Bill Clinton paid his price in the form of Monica Lewinsky scandal when he confronted the Jews during his so called peace talks between Palestinians and Israel.

Jurist Richard Goldstone: (third from left) and his team.

Under such circumstance no one wanted to confront the mafia style Jewish lobbies which rule the US, Britain, France and other European countries. Perhaps this is the reason why President Obama asked UN Secretary General Ban ki Moon to ignore the report to please his Jewish masters.

On 27 December 2008, Israel, using its most sophisticated and destructive fighter planes and weapons supplied by US, started its genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, which was turned into a slaughterhouse.

During the 22 days of its carnage Israel killed 1,334  Palestinians-  one-third of them children ,injured 5,450 injured including children, displaced 100,000 , made homeless 50,000 , destroyed 4,100 residential homes and buildings   ,  damaged 17,000 building  (  accounting for 14 percent of all buildings in Gaza),destroyed 29  educational institutions including the American International School, destroyed or damaged 92 mosques, destroyed 1,500  shops, factories and other commercial facilities, 20 ambulances, ruined 35-60% of agricultural land and caused an estimated damage of  $1.9 billion  .

The destruction was suspended only in time for President elect Barack Obama to take his oaths as the new President of the United States.

The UN prepared two reports on Israeli war crimes on Gaza between December 27th 2008 to January 18th 2009.First one was by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay while the second was by South African jurist Richard Goldstone who presented his report in mid September 2009.

In her report  UNHRC Commissioner Navi Pillay, lambasting the “nearly total impunity” for the violations, stated that” there is significant evidence that Israeli forces violated international law and human rights in their invasion of Gaza compounded by the blockade that the population of Gaza endured  which continues”.

These violations included arbitrary detention, torture and ill-treatment, extrajudicial execution, forced eviction and home demolition, settlement expansion and related violence and restrictions on freedom of movement and expression.”While these violations are of deep concern in their own right, the nearly total impunity that persists for such violations (regardless of the responsible duty bearer) is of grave concern, and constitutes a root cause for their persistence,” Navi Pillay   said.

These observations were reiterated by yet another UN Fact-Finding Mission report which concluded that Israel committed “war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity”. The members of the Fact Finding Mission included Justice Richard Goldstone, Head of Mission; former judge of the Constitutional Court of South Africa; former Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.

The report, called Goldstone report   concluded that the Israeli military strikes was directed at the people of Gaza as a whole, in furtherance of an overall and continuing policy aimed at punishing the Gaza population, and in a deliberate policy of disproportionate force aimed at the civilian population. The destruction of food supply installations, water sanitation systems, concrete factories and residential houses was the result of a deliberate and systematic policy which has made the daily process of living, and dignified living, more difficult for the civilian population.

According to the report “Israel deprived Palestinians in the Gaza Strip of their means of subsistence, employment, housing and water, denied their freedom of movement and their right to leave and enter their own country, and limited their rights to access a court of law and an effective remedy. All these acts could lead a competent court to find that the crime of persecution, a crime against humanity, has been committed”.

The Mission recommended that the UN Security Council require Israel to report to it, within six months, on investigations and prosecutions it should carry out with regard to the violations identified in its Report. If   within six months there are no good faith independent proceedings conforming to international standards in place, the Council should refer the situation to the International Criminal Court ,ICC, Prosecutor.

However, to the shock of the international community, the United States which preaches human rights to the world while committing worst type of crimes against humanity rejected the UN Missions’ report to please the Jewish state. Susan E. Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, rejected the Fact Finding Mission’s proposal to compel Israel and Hamas that controls the Gaza Strip, to conduct credible investigations into war crimes or face possible prosecution by an international prosecutor.

Another report stated that the Obama administration will not allow the Goldstone report to reach the International Criminal Court and was ready to use the U.S. veto at the U.N. Security Council to block such a move .They also made clear to the Palestinian Authority that Washington was not pleased with its petition to bring the report’s allegations against Israel to the ICC.

Summing up the situation courageous Israeli journalist Gideon  said in the Israeli daily   in Haaretz:” it was an unrestrained assault, another Sabra -Chatilla- on a besieged, totally unprotected civilian population which showed almost no signs of resistance during this operation”.

It’s not so easy to dismiss these findings. For one thing, the report is carefully documented and comprehensive, and is based on field visits, public hearings, almost 200 individual interviews, photos, videos, satellite imagery and a review of more than 300 other reports. For another, its head, Goldstone, is one of the most respected and experienced international jurists. In fact Goldstone himself Jewish and, according to his daughter, is a “Zionist, loves Israel and serves on the Board of Governors of Hebrew University, “I know that if he thought what he did would not somehow be for the sake of peace for everyone in Israel or that it would have hindered such efforts, he would not have accepted the job.”

In yet another article under the title “Israel-Increasingly becoming an international pariah” Juan Cole wrote” Amnesty International   endorsed and defended the conclusions of the report, and Human Rights Watch also been a supporter of Justice Goldstone. Even the British House of Lords debate on this issue displayed a determination that there be no double standard and that Israel be held accountable for any crimes it committed– likewise Hamas.   

On September 25, 2009 the Human Rights Watch urged the European Union to endorse the Goldstone report and “promote an international order where no state is above the law” and asked them to support a resolution at the U.N. Human Rights Council endorsing the Goldstone report “in its totality.”

 While the international community was trying to bring Israel to book in a   disgraceful move typical of Palestine Authority Mahmoud Abbas helped Israel bury its crimes in Gaza and sold the  suffering and helpless Palestinians whom he claim to represent. In this regard Ali Abunimah, had this to state in the Electronic Intifada, on 2 October 2009;

The Abbas delegation to the United Nations in Geneva (officially representing the moribund Palestine Liberation Organization) sunk to the lowest ebb when it abandoned a resolution requesting the Human Rights Council to forward Judge Richard Goldstone’s report on war crimes in Gaza to the UN Security Council for further action. Although the PA acted under US pressure, there are strong indications that the commercial interests of Palestinian and Gulf businessmen closely linked to Abbas also played a part.

The PA’s betrayal of the Palestinian people over the Goldstone report, as well as its continued “security coordination” with Israel to suppress resistance and political activity in the West Bank, should banish all doubt that it is an active arm of the Israeli occupation doing tangible and escalating harm to the Palestinian people and their just cause.

As a result Goldstone report is gathering dust today in UN shelves and no one talks about war crimes of Israel which is preparing for its next bloodbath in Iran. Since their advent in Palestine in the early 1930s Zionist Jews committed massacres and genocides on Palestinians starting from Deir Yassin to Gaza carnage.   The UN has passed numerous resolutions accusing Israel of war crimes. All these resolutions were vetoed by US.

Up to date no action taken , leave alone a UNHRC resolution  , to deal with Israel –an entity established in the plundered Palestinians lands by means of violence, lawlessness, deceit  and destruction. Instead, the shameful state of affairs is such that Israeli President Shimon Peres and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, both soaked in Palestinian blood, lectured the gullible Americans last week of the need to destroy Iran under their design to rule the Middle East and the world.

This is international justice?  Peace will remain a mirage so long Zionist, US and European war mongers remain at the helm deciding the destiny of the world.