Press Release: Bahrain Activists Return from Korea Seeking to Ban Tear Gas Exports

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Mar 28, 2014 Bahrain
[Logo of Bahrain Watch. Image from bahrainwatch.org] [Logo of Bahrain Watch. Image from bahrainwatch.org]

Press Release: Bahrain Activists Return from Korea Seeking to Ban Tear Gas Exports

By : Jadaliyya Reports

[The following press release was issued by Bahrain Watch on 26 March 2014]

A Bahrain Watch delegation has returned from a weeklong visit to Seoul, at the invitation of South Korean civil society activists.  The purpose of the trip was to educate the government and public about ongoing human rights violations and misuse of tear gas in Bahrain, in support of a draft legislative amendment to block arms sales to human rights violators.  The amendment, sponsored by MPs Kim Hyun and Jang Hana, would block sales like last year’s bid by Dae Kwang Chemical Corporation to export 3 million tear gas canisters to Bahrain.  That proposed sale was successfully halted after the government denied an export license, under pressure from the grassroots #StopTheShipment campaign.  Korean arms control law does not have human rights controls, and the agency that licenses exports has set specific targets to increase foreign arms sales.

The delegation, comprising Ala’a Shehabi, Bill Marczak, and Nazgol Kafai, met the MPs sponsoring the bill, and spoke at a press event and debate at the National Assembly of South Korea, the country’s legislature. The delegation also met with members of the media, as well as officials from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), and the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA).

In meetings with officials, the delegation was told that South Korea did not export any tear gas to Bahrain in 2013 or 2014, and that several government agencies are moving towards an agreement to block future exports to the country.

Meetings with Officials

The delegation presented the cases of Sayed Hashim Sayed Saeed and Ali Jawad al-Shaikh, killed by direct shooting of tear gas, to the National Assembly, government officials, and the media.  The delegation emphasized that Dae Kwang Chemical Corporation, which also exported 1.5 million canisters of tear gas to Bahrain in 2011 and 2012, should be investigated and held responsible for the deaths caused by selling its weapons to a known human rights abuser.

Officials from KNPA and the Ministry of Defense expressed regret for tear gas deaths in Bahrain, noting that Korean students Kim Ju-Yul and Lee Han-yeol were killed by similar methods in 1960 and 1987.  Both deaths were pivotal moments in Korean democracy protests, which ultimately achieved elections and democratic reforms.  Since 1998, Korea has had a policy of not using tear gas against its own citizens.

An official from KNPA further stated that several agencies were taking steps towards an agreement to ban tear gas exports to Bahrain: “I want to provide assurance and confirmation that [officials from KNPA, DAPA, MoFA, Ministry of Industry and Trade, and Ministry of Defence] are almost fully in agreement over forbidding the export of tear gas for human rights violations.”  He also expressed regret for tear gas deaths in Bahrain, and said of the deaths: “the Korean government is not indifferent to what is taking place in Bahrain and I believe that the Korean government will take responsibility going forward.”

South Korean civil society activist Seungho park of Weapon Zero, who met officials together with the Bahrain Watch delegation, said afterwards: “Our meetings further highlighted the need for amending the arms control law as current law provides absolutely no human rights criteria in authorizing arms export to countries where there is a substantial risk that arms could be used for serious violations of human rights.  This is why massive exports of tear gas products to Bahrain were approved even when there was clear evidence that tear gas had caused at least 39 deaths in Bahrain.  To prevent further exports of arms to countries where the arms would be used for internal repression, it is vital that the National Assembly passes the amendment bill in the near future.”

Solidifying Transnational Solidarity

Solidarity from Korean civil society activists was crucial to the success of the #StopTheShipment campaign. Korean activists supported the effort through protestsoutside DAPA and MoFA, several online actions, and repeated inquiries to the government.  Bahrain Watch looks forward to continuing to stand in solidarity with its Korean friends in their effort to ensure that Korea never again arms human rights violators.

The delegation’s visit ended with a public event titled “Tear Gas in Bahrain and the Arab Spring.” More than 50 people packed into Space Noah to participate in the interactive discussion about the situation in Bahrain, and the role of Korea.

The campaign received extensive media coverage, including articles in Korea’s main progressive newspaper, The Hankyoreh, Seoul Shinmun, and Korea JoongAng Daily.

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Jadaliyya Reports By :
Jadaliyya Reports

The Terrorism Law in Bahrain: A Tool to Silence Dissidents

[The following report was published by the Bahrain Center for Human Rights 13 March 2014]

The Terrorism Law in Bahrain: A Tool to Silence Dissidents

Introduction

In 2011, the grassroots movement that started in Bahrain demanding democracy, rights and freedoms was met with large scale brute violence by the government. Extreme measures were taken against pro-democracy protesters, and thousands were arrested, systematically tortured and given lengthy prison sentences. The government of Bahrain began to more liberally apply its vaguely defined terrorism law to go after its citizens. Hundreds of individuals, including opposition figures, human rights defenders, peaceful protesters and even children, have found themselves on trial facing terrorism charges for simply exercising their basic human rights. The counter terrorism law known as “Protecting Society from Terrorism Acts” of 2006 is the main law used by the government, where penalties under this law are harsh and could include life in prison or even the death penalty.

The “Anti-Terrorism Law” has been internationally criticized for its failure to comply with international legal standards. The law is vague and lacks precision which allows the government to liberally apply it in prosecuting its critics and generally limiting basic freedoms such as the freedom of expression, assembly and association.

In 2013 alone, 328 defendants were tried for alleged terrorism crimes in 38 separate cases. According to a review by the BCHR, the majority of these cases lacked adequate evidence, and convictions were based mainly, or entirely, on the defendants’ confessions obtained under reported torture or secret sources that are never revealed. In a sample of twenty cases, the sentences handed down for the 231 defendants totaled more than 2500 years in pris- on. At the end of 2013, eighteen cases were still before court, in which more than 90 defendants were awaiting a final verdict. Throughout the whole year of 2013, there was an average of one terrorism case every ten days, which is an alarmingly high number for a country with a population as small as Bahrain’s.

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights is gravely concerned about the authorities’ use of the terror- ism law as a tool to crackdown on pro-democracy protesters and silence the opposition; for those who are deemed to be a ‘threat to public security’ are denied their right to due process, and ultimately justice. This law raises concerns mainly in regards to the violations of human rights committed in its application. There are also serious concerns that arise from the pattern observed by the BCHR in these cases, which clearly shows the targeting of a specific religious sect and political orientation.

[Click here to read the full report]