The Skeptic الشكاك

452 Children Sold to Be Soldiers

Human Rights Watch released a detailed, 135-page report on the use of child soldiers in Burma today. Full report here. Washington Post coverage here. Testimonies excerpted in the press release here:

“They filled the forms and asked my age, and when I said 16, I was slapped and he said, ‘You are 18. Answer 18.’ He asked me again and I said, ‘But that’s my true age.’ The sergeant asked, ‘Then why did you enlist in the army?’ I said, ‘Against my will. I was captured.’ He said, ‘Okay, keep your mouth shut then,’ and he filled in the form. I just wanted to go back home and I told them, but they refused. I said, ‘Then please just let me make one phone call,’ but they refused that too.”
—Maung Zaw Oo, describing the second time he was forced into the army, in 2005

“The officers are corrupt and the battalions have to get recruits, so there’s a business. The battalions bribe the recruiting officers to get recruits for them. These are mostly underage recruits, but the recruiting officers fill out the forms for them and say they’re 18.”
—Than Myint Oo, forcibly recruited twice as a child

“I can’t remember how old I was the first time in fighting. About 13. That time we walked into a Karenni ambush, and four of our soldiers died. I was afraid because I was very young so I tried to run back, but [the] captain shouted, ‘Don’t run back! If you run back I’ll shoot you myself!’”
—Aung Zaw, describing his first exposure to combat

“Some really want to join, but others are conscripted. Each village tract has to send 10 people each time. … People have to take turns sending a recruit, so some parents send boys under 18. They need to fulfill this obligation. If they don’t fulfill it, the DKBA can make lots of trouble for them. They don’t accept crazy or sick people, but if you’re normal you have to go whether you’re under 18 or over 18. They don’t care how old you are.”
—Junior officer with the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA)

“It is necessary for us to always refute the accusations [about the forcible recruitment of child soldiers] systematically … [and] always project before the international community the correct efforts being made by the committee and refute baseless accusations.”
—Adjutant General Thein Sein, in his concluding speech to the Committee for the Prevention of Military Recruitment of Underage Children, 2005

451 Joint Letter to Arab League on Darfur

An impressive coalition of Arab and international human rights organizations have sent the following letter to the Arab League on Darfur:

To the League of Arab States

Your Excellency,

We are writing to you in advance of your attendance at the meeting of the League of Arab States due to take place in Khartoum on 30-31 October 2007. We are encouraged by this initiative to discuss the crisis in Darfur, which is clearly of global concern.

We understand that the conference is dedicated to discussion of the provision of humanitarian assistance in Darfur, and post-conflict reconstruction and development. In considering this, it is vital that the conference consider the human rights issues that are directly endangering the provision of humanitarian assistance, and which contribute to the continuation of the crisis. If these issues are not addressed, there can be no hope of lasting peace and security, which are vital prerequisites to effective reconstruction and development.

We urge you to consider the following points and take the specific steps outlined below in order to make a real difference in the lives of the people of Darfur.

Specifically, we recommend that the governments of the League of Arab States:

• Ensure that AMIS and UNAMID have adequate personnel, equipment, technical expertise, and other resources, noting that improved security in Darfur will be contingent upon their rapid response capabilities and patrolling activities.

• Call on all parties immediately to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law including:

1. Ending attacks on civilians and the unlawful use on aircraft of UN and AMIS colors or markings,
2. Ending support to abusive militia/Janjaweed and initiating militia/Janjaweed disarmament programs,
3. Ending impunity and promoting accountability through full cooperation with the International Criminal Court, and undertaking legal reforms and other steps to strengthen Sudan’s justice system,
4. Facilitating the expeditious deployment of AMIS and UNAMID and ensuring they can carry out their mandate unhindered, including having freedom of movement throughout Darfur.

Attacks on Civilians

After almost 5 years of conflict in Darfur, more than 2 million people are living in camps and temporary shelters, having been forced to flee their homes and unable to return. In many areas people continue to be displaced by renewed fighting and direct attacks on villages and towns. [Continues after break…] More…

450 Torture in Iraqi Prisons

Iraqi human rights organization Justice for Prisoners has accused the Iraqi government of torturing detainees, including children.

In other news from Iraq, Mosul Dam is in danger of collapsing and unleashing a 20m wave on Mosul. The 2004 tsunami that left roughly 200,000 people dead registered waves as high as 24m.

448 Jail Sentence for Opposition Party Leader

A court in Assiut today convicted Mahmud Abaza, leader of the opposition al-Wafd Party, to a month in prison on charges of criminal libel. Anwar al-Hawari, the editor of al-Wafd, and the paper’s Assiut correspondent, Yunis Darwish, also got one month in jail in connection with a story alleging prominent businessmen illegally annexed land held by the Ministry of Religious Endowments. All three were convicted in absentia, and are free, pending appeal.

Eleven Egyptian journalists have received jail sentences since September.

447 Slave, United States, 19th Century

Public domain photograph, Library of Congress.

445 Egypt After Mubarak

Five articles on the perennial question at Bitterlemons.org. My own thoughts here.

444 Syrian Blogger ‘Kidnapped’

Update: Sami reports that Rokana Hamour called, that she is fine, and that security interrogated her for three hours about a comment left on her blog.

Sami Ben Gharbia reports that six men pried Syrian blogger Roukana Mouti` Hamour away from her three children and shoved her into a car yesterday. A security officer had summoned her for an interview a few days prior.

Two other men, Karim `Arbaji and Tarek Biasi, remain in incommunicado detention in Syria, apparently for their online activities. On September 23, the Supreme State Security Court sentenced Ali Zein al-`Abideen Mej`an to two years in prison for “undertaking acts or writing or speeches unauthorized by the government … that spoil its ties with a foreign state” because he posted comments online attacking Saudi Arabia. Blogger.com blogs reportedly remain blocked in Syria.

443 Hilmi Salim Accused of Kufr?

Angry Arab reports that a committee at Al-Azhar has just accused poet Hilmi Salim of “kufr and zandaqah.” Hilmi Salim of Al-Ahrar Party fame? Hilmi Salim who edited a book of essays entitled Ghazali-ists vs. Rushdi-ists, Debates on Renewing Religious Discourse? (The book included contributions from participants at a 2003 seminar organized by the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies and resulted in The Paris Declaration on Renewing Religious Discourse.) I’m phoning around trying to get more information. Salim’s phone is busy.

Update: Confirmed. Hilmi is fine. He will eventually see a prosecutor, as these charges carry criminal penalties under article 98 of the Penal Code.

442 Punishment

Noted:

• Turkey has placed 100,000 troops on its border with Iraq. A week after the PKK rebels killed 12 Turkish soldiers before retreating into northern Iraq, Turkey today said its forces had repulsed a PKK rebel attack. Yesterday, Turkish planes reportedly bombed another Kurdish village (they’d bombed another one Oct. 10).
• Israel is threatening to cut power to Gaza. Israel has sealed Gaza’s borders, allowing only humanitarian foodstuffs and medicines in (but, sometimes fatally, not allowing emergency medical evacuations out). The price of basic goods has skyrocketed.
• While Secretary Rice talked about weapons smuggling from Sinai to Gaza, China and Egypt moved a step closer.
• Here in Egypt, student elections at `Ain Shams University have been marred by violence and thuggery again this year, al-Misri al-Youm reports. This was the scene last year around this time:

441 Syrian ‘Reactor Site’ Redux

ISIS has published the photos that were the subject of that WaPo article yesterday and has sent around a brief report. Press release after the break. Full report here. Update: new satellite photos show the structure has been removed.

As an interesting addendum, The Guardian reports today that Palestinians are using satellite imagery from Google Earth to plan attacks against Israel.

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