HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH Update July 1997 UNITED KINGDOM PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY UK/NORTHERN IRELAND IRAN SOUTHERN AFRICA INDONESIA   UNITED KINGDOM Racist Violence: Nowhere to Turn The U.K. has one of the highest levels of racially-motivated violence and harassment in Western Europe, and the problem is getting worse, according to HRW's report Racist Violence in the United Kingdom. A 1991 British Crime Survey indicates that at least 18 percent of all crimes against ethnic minorities were racially motivated. The problem is compounded by reports of lax police investigations into crimes reported by ethnic minorities, and, worse still, reports of racially motivated police brutality. This combination of hostile and ineffective policing leaves many ethnic minorities frightened, with no place to turn to for protection. HRW welcomes the New Labour Party campaign commitment to create a new offense of "racial harassment" and a new crime of "racially motivated violence," as a step toward a measurable standard for the U.K.'s record of protection of racial minorities. HRW adds its own detailed recommendations, including: establishing a systematized approach for monitoring racist violence; strengthening police accountability and replacing the current standard of proof for police misconduct—"beyond a reasonable doubt"—with a sliding scale system of higher standards for serious incidents and lower standards for lesser infractions; stepping up efforts to recruit minority officers; and improving police relations with community groups.   PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY Palestinian Justice Minister Condones Extra-judicial Killings The Palestinian Authority's Minister of Justice, Freih Abu Medein, announced the introduction of the death penalty against persons who sell Palestinian land to Israelis. He went on to tell Agence France Presse that during the intifada, "People who sold land to Israelis were shot as traitors," suggesting that these killings serve as a precedent for the newly-declared governmental policy. Following the murder of Farid Bashiti, a Palestinian land dealer, Mr. Abu Medein reportedly said, "As I have said before, expect the unexpected for these matters because nobody from this moment will accept any traitor who sells his land to Israelis." In a letter to President Yasir Arafat, HRW urged Mr. Arafat to publicly repudiate Mr. Abu Medein's statements that appear to encourage extra-judicial executions by Palestinian security forces and citizens, to retract the announcement that the death penalty will apply to persons who sell land to Israelis, and to condemn the killing of Mr. Bashiti and order a thorough investigation. HRW opposes the use of the death penalty in all circumstances, because of its inherent cruelty and irreversibility. International human rights law clearly favors its abolition and a recent U.N. report said that there had been a "considerable shift toward the abolition of the death penalty." While HRW understands the gravity of the issue of land sales, Palestinian opposition to them should be consistent with international human rights standards, including the right to life. The Palestinian authority has jurisdiction under international standards to regulate or proscribe land sales in its territory, so long as this regulation is not founded on patently discriminatory grounds of race or religion.   UK/NORTHERN IRELAND Failures in Policing Underlie Widespread Human Rights Abuses in Northern Ireland Police misconduct and a general lack of accountability have led to persistent allegations of abuse against the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), Northern Ireland's police force. To Serve Without Favor: Policing, Human Rights, and Accountability in Northern Ireland details the policing of 1996 marches by Protestant fraternal orders through Catholic neighborhoods, that resulted in the violence and the eventual breakdown in the rule of law. Excessive use of force by police against protesters and indiscriminate use of plastic bullets caused hundreds of severe injuries. In anticipation of the 1997 marching season, HRW calls for a ban on plastic bullets, a "zero tolerance" policy by the U.K. government for the excessive use of force by police, and greater public accountability for the RUC. HRW criticizes the "security dependent" RUC for abandoning normal policing in many areas of Northern Ireland in pursuit of "terrorists." Paramilitary organizations on both sides of the conflict (republican and loyalist) have stepped into this policing vacuum, meting out harsh "punishments"—crippling shootings, brutal assaults, and "expulsion" orders—on members of their own communities. HRW also cites allegations of collusion between members of the RUC and loyalist paramilitary groups, and calls on the U.K. government to respond. The report was widely covered in the Belfast and London press. HRW offers detailed recommendations to the new Labour government which has pledged to expand individual rights and to reform policing in a constructive meeting with government officials.   IRAN Surprise Election Victory Despite Repressive Atmosphere Mohammad Khatani's unexpected success in the Iranian presidential elections occurred in a surprising turnaround at the polls in the last 96 hours of the campaign. Although there was a real contest over who would succeed President Rafsanjani, the Council of Guardians of the Islamic Republic had in some cases prevented non-clerical parties from addressing public gatherings, and closed down opposition newspapers and magazines. Vigilante groups, tolerated and possibly condoned by the government, broke up opposition meetings and intimidated voters. HRW's report, Leaving Human Rights Behind: The Context of the Presidential Elections, describes the repressive atmosphere which prevailed in Iran. While the presidential elections in Iran were neither free nor fair but HRW applauds the fact that Iranians were able to make a clear statement at the polls.   SOUTHERN AFRICA Steps Toward Ban on Antipersonnel Landmines The momentum in southern Africa toward a region-wide ban on the use, production, stockpiling and trade in antipersonnel landmines was in evidence at the May landmines conference in Johannesburg. The region is infested with some twenty million mines, and they continue to be laid in Angola and Mozambique. In 1996 landmines were available in Angola, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia in exchange for food or second-hand clothing. Southern Africa is the most heavily mined region of the world and its people suffer the most. HRW's Still Killing: Landmines in Southern Africa is the most comprehensive book ever on the impact of landmines in the region. HRW has helped organize an international campaign calling for a total ban on landmines. In southern Africa so far, many of the governments have publicly called for a ban and South Africa and Mozambique have officially banned use. Signing of an international treaty banning antipersonnel mines is scheduled to take place in Canada in December 1997, and HRW urges are the governments of southern Africa to take part in the preparatory meetings. South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi and Swaziland have already committed to signing the comprehensive ban treaty in December.   INDONESIA Rigged Electoral System and Widespread Violence Mar Elections Once again the right of Indonesians have been denied a government based on the will of the people has been violated, and the ruling party GOLKAR has safeguarded its power once again. There are only two legal opposition parties (the maximum allowed in addition to the ruling party): the Muslim-dominated United Development Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI). The government has repeatedly intervened to ensure pliant party heads are in place, even though last year's government ouster of PDI chair Megawati Soekarnoputri led to the July riots in Jakarta. For the elections, the General Election Institute, an arm of the government, rejected all candidates thought to be sympathetic to Megawati Soekarnoputri. Anger and resentment against the government has erupted in violence across the country, as opposition supporters and GOLKAR supporters have clashed. HRW condemns GOLKAR's iron control of the election process, including the manipulation of the media in a ten-day pre-election indoctrination session for newspaper editors and the official monopoly on the broadcast media. GOLKAR systematically violates the rights of free association and expression. The Human Rights Watch Update is published by IOMA as a public service. For editorial inquiries, contact Liz Reynoso at reynose@hrw.org.