Regressica
08-06-2007, 10:03
Evidence mounts of Bangladesh mass torture
By South Asia correspondent Peter Lloyd
An ABC investigation has uncovered evidence linking Bangladesh's military-backed Government with mass arrests, illegal detention, torture and at least 100 murders since January. The horrific revelations come as Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer prepares to unveil a one-third increase in foreign aid to Bangladesh.
Since January, soldiers have been calling the shots in Bangladesh, one of the world's youngest and poorest countries. Troops took to the streets after democracy was suspended and the military imposed draconian emergency rule.
Media restrictions are now tight and openly filming soldiers is banned. The Army said it took control to clean up a culture of corruption in politics and it has rounded up dozens of prominent people, but the ABC has discovered evidence of something far more sinister behind the scenes.
Human rights groups contend that the military has arrested as many as 200,000 people since the crackdown began. There is no way to fully account for their whereabouts but the belief is that most of them are still in military custody.
Some have emerged with shocking accounts of abuse, torture and murder. Soldiers picked up Protap Jambil on the way home from a wedding. He says he was beaten for more than four hours.
"They tied my two hands and feet and eight or nine of them caned me," he said.
"I was in tremendous pain - I couldn't move, I couldn't walk, I needed four people to carry me."
Mr Jambil says he was forced to lie while up to eight soldiers took turns beating him with bamboo rods.
"I kept praying to God and his son, Jesus. I thought that I would die," he said.
He was not alone. His brother-in-law was also arrested and tortured, but he did not survive.
"At first they tied both of his hands and feet, then they tortured the soles of his feet and all over his body," Mr Jambil said.
"They unzipped his pants and attached pliers to his penis and to all of his fingers and toes.
"They put candle wax on the wounds and then they put hot water mixed with dried chilli and salt and poured it all over his body and through his nose and ears."
Attempts by human rights groups to document abuse cases have been met with threats and intimidation, but some refuse to be silenced.
Human rights group Odhikar says the security forces have killed at least 100 people since January at a rate of almost one per day.
Spokesman Farhad Mazhar says those who do emerge from military custody tell a disturbingly similar story.
"People have been picked up without any kind of evidence and then they've been tortured," he said. "People complain that their nails have been taken out. They've been tortured very badly."
Rest of the article (http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200706/s1945599.htm)
Original report transcript the article is based on (http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2007/s1945484.htm) - links to the right to watch the video of the report
Did anybody know about this? I recall a Pakistani friend telling me last year that it wasn't all roses but nothing like this. Can anybody shed some like on General Moeen and how he has come to power? Wiki has nothing and Google is proving difficult.
Obviously there are some much worse HR offenders but I am surprised at the extent of this.
By South Asia correspondent Peter Lloyd
An ABC investigation has uncovered evidence linking Bangladesh's military-backed Government with mass arrests, illegal detention, torture and at least 100 murders since January. The horrific revelations come as Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer prepares to unveil a one-third increase in foreign aid to Bangladesh.
Since January, soldiers have been calling the shots in Bangladesh, one of the world's youngest and poorest countries. Troops took to the streets after democracy was suspended and the military imposed draconian emergency rule.
Media restrictions are now tight and openly filming soldiers is banned. The Army said it took control to clean up a culture of corruption in politics and it has rounded up dozens of prominent people, but the ABC has discovered evidence of something far more sinister behind the scenes.
Human rights groups contend that the military has arrested as many as 200,000 people since the crackdown began. There is no way to fully account for their whereabouts but the belief is that most of them are still in military custody.
Some have emerged with shocking accounts of abuse, torture and murder. Soldiers picked up Protap Jambil on the way home from a wedding. He says he was beaten for more than four hours.
"They tied my two hands and feet and eight or nine of them caned me," he said.
"I was in tremendous pain - I couldn't move, I couldn't walk, I needed four people to carry me."
Mr Jambil says he was forced to lie while up to eight soldiers took turns beating him with bamboo rods.
"I kept praying to God and his son, Jesus. I thought that I would die," he said.
He was not alone. His brother-in-law was also arrested and tortured, but he did not survive.
"At first they tied both of his hands and feet, then they tortured the soles of his feet and all over his body," Mr Jambil said.
"They unzipped his pants and attached pliers to his penis and to all of his fingers and toes.
"They put candle wax on the wounds and then they put hot water mixed with dried chilli and salt and poured it all over his body and through his nose and ears."
Attempts by human rights groups to document abuse cases have been met with threats and intimidation, but some refuse to be silenced.
Human rights group Odhikar says the security forces have killed at least 100 people since January at a rate of almost one per day.
Spokesman Farhad Mazhar says those who do emerge from military custody tell a disturbingly similar story.
"People have been picked up without any kind of evidence and then they've been tortured," he said. "People complain that their nails have been taken out. They've been tortured very badly."
Rest of the article (http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200706/s1945599.htm)
Original report transcript the article is based on (http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2007/s1945484.htm) - links to the right to watch the video of the report
Did anybody know about this? I recall a Pakistani friend telling me last year that it wasn't all roses but nothing like this. Can anybody shed some like on General Moeen and how he has come to power? Wiki has nothing and Google is proving difficult.
Obviously there are some much worse HR offenders but I am surprised at the extent of this.