FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 15, 2006
AHRC-OL-047-2006
An Open Letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions by the Asian Human Rights Commission
Philip Alston
Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions
Attn: Lydie Ventre
Room 3-016
c/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: + 41 22 917 9006
Dear Professor Alston
BANGLADESH: Please intervene to end Bangladesh’s unremittent killing contest
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is writing to you to seek your urgent intervention to bring an end to the contest of killings that has in the last two years steadily grown between the regular police and special anti-crime paramilitary units in Bangladesh, which is causing both fear and outrage throughout the country.
It may have come to your attention that in recent weeks the AHRC has addressed the UN Human Rights Council, High Commissioner for Human Rights and other UN independent experts on a number of critical concerns over human rights in Bangladesh, including the prevalence of deaths in custody and killings in “crossfires” there (AHRC-OL-40-2006).
As you will be aware, the current contest of killing in Bangladesh was precipitated in 2002 by “Operation Clean Heart” in which large numbers of persons were killed due to a policy of violent actions against alleged criminals. This operation was followed by a general amnesty law for killers, torturers and other abusers of human rights in the police force, which your office rightly condemned as contrary to international law. This was in turn followed by the establishment of the Rapid Action Battalions, which are combined police-military units that are dispatched around the country with the ostensible purpose of arresting crime and the actual purpose of causing terror.
The police and the new units are now engaged in a competition to see who can outdo the other in its anti-crime credentials by killing or threatening to kill as many people as possible. Deaths are explained away as caused by “crossfires”, suicides, heart attacks or otherwise. Iman Ali, for instance, was allegedly shot dead by Rapid Action Battalion personnel on 9 March 2006 after he was arrested when he was leaving a court hearing against him. The paramilitary unit claimed, as usual, that the man died in an exchange of shooting between them and a group of assailants connected with the victim. However witnesses say that it was a blatant murder. Sajedur Rahman Sajid was a victim of the police. He somehow managed to hang himself on 21 May 2006–in the Gaibandha police version–from a bar only four feet off the ground: less than his own height. He was purportedly found with an illegal weapon but the real reason for his arrest is believed to have been that he was seeing the daughter of a local politician against her father’s wishes.
The AHRC appreciates the earlier expressions of concern that the office of the Special Rapporteur has made regarding the indemnity law for the 2003 bloodshed, and following of some specific cases referred for its attention. However, in view of the alarming number of reports of killings now frequently reaching us from Bangladesh and the apparent policy of its government to encourage unrestrained extrajudicial killings and impunity for the perpetrators we feel that it is time for you to play a greater role.
The Asian Human Rights Commission therefore requests that you act with regards to Bangladesh as follows. First, demand that the government repeal the 2003 law indemnifying murders and other abuses by the security forces during Operation Clean Heart. Secondly, demand that it disband the Rapid Action Battalions and special crime units under the police which are largely responsible for the escalation in killings since 2003. Thirdly, make a visit to Bangladesh at the nearest opportunity to assess the situation yourself. Fourthly, raise your concerns over the persistent extrajudicial executions in Bangladesh in available international bodies, in order to raise global awareness about the atrocious situation of human rights there and the need for change.
The AHRC is of the opinion that to the present time the amount of attention directed by the international human rights community on gross violations of human rights in Bangladesh has been extremely limited. By the same token, a relatively small amount of work on the part of you and other UN rights experts and agencies will contribute greatly to saving the lives and limbs of countless persons in that country. We sincerely believe that you will be as concerned as we are about the situation there and will be enthusiastic to take the necessary steps to make a difference.
We look forward to your involvement and stand ready to assist at any time and by whatever means at our disposal.
Yours sincerely
Basil Fernando
Executive Director
Asian Human Rights Commission, Hong Kong
