South Asia Theater

Sri Lanka: 245,000 still languish in camps

Six months after the end of Sri Lanka's civil war some 245,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) remain in camps, where aid donors are increasingly concerned over harsh conditions. A UN official warned Sri Lanka that international donors are less likely to provide funding if authorities continue to restrict IDPs' freedom of movement. Neil Buhne, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sri Lanka, said "donor fatigue is really in respect to continuing these closed camps."

India: Naxalites broach ceasefire after show of power

Just a day after India's Home Minister P. Chidambaram declared that Naxalite violence will not disrupt the Oct. 13 elections in Maharashtra state, the guerillas struck Gadchiroli district Oct. 8, killing 17 police officers. A 300-strong band of Naxals attacked a 40-man patrol of police and commandos of the elite anti-Naxal force C-60, just a kilometer from the Lahiri police station. A pitched battle ensued for four hours.

Pakistan high court suspends hearing on Mumbai terror suspect

Pakistan's Supreme Court adjourned a hearing Aug. 3 on whether to re-arrest Hafiz Saeed, founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, the group said to have been behind last year's Mumbai attacks. Detained after the attacks, Saeed was released in June because of lack of evidence. The government appealed the release, but the hearing on the appeal was adjourned because the attorney general was not prepared for the case. No new date was set. (Reuters, Aug. 4) Meanwhile, two men and a woman convicted of the 2003 Mumbai attacks will be executed by hanging, an Indian court ruled Aug. 6. Indian investigators linked those attacks as well to Lashkar-e-Taiba. (NYT, Aug. 6)

Pakistan's Supreme Court declares emergency rule unconstitutional

The Supreme Court of Pakistan July 31 declared that former president Pervez Musharraf violated the constitution when he declared emergency rule in November 2007. The court also found that Musharraf's removal of many members of the judiciary, including current Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry, and subsequent appointment of Abdul Hameed Dogar as chief justice were unconstitutional. Judges appointed in consultation with Dogar were removed from office.

Nepal: child soldiers demobilized

Under UN auspices, Nepal has started freeing an estimated 3,000 child soldiers from camps holding former Maoist guerilla fighters. Demobilization of the child soldiers, and their transfer to rehabilitation programs, is a key part of Nepal's peace process. The UN welcomed the move as a "significant milestone" for the Himalayan nation. Maoist guerillas ended a 10-year insurgency in November 2006, signing a peace deal that brought them into the government. They won the most votes in 2008 elections, but left the government earlier this year in a row over their leader's attempt to fire the army chief. Some 24,000 former fighters have been confined to UN-monitored camps since the peace deal. Of these, the UN has identified about 3,000 as being under the age of 18. (BBC News, July 17)

More protests in Kashmir

Thousands of protesters marched on an army base in Indian-controlled Kashmir, following the apparent murder of a young woman. Protesters say that the young student from the Kupwara district died after being assaulted by a member of India's Territorial Army. A general strike over the incident has brought the Kashmir Valley to a standstill. A soldier has been charged in the killing. The death is the tenth in recent weeks to be blamed on the security forces. (BBC News, July 10)

Suicide blast kills Pakistani troops in Kashmir

At least two soldiers were killed and three others wounded by a suicide blast in Pakistan-administered Kashmir June 26. The bomber targeted soldiers in Shaukat Lines, a military area in Muzaffarabad, the regional capital. He was described as about 18 years of age. Pakistani Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud reportedly claimed responsibility. It was the first such attack in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. (BBC News, June 26)

Kashmir: police fire on protesters

Security forces fired on protesters in Indian-controlled Kashmir June 8, wounding at least seven in the worst clash since unrest broke out last week over the deaths of two young women. The protesters say the women, a 17-year-old and her 22-year-old sister, were raped and killed by Indian soldiers. The police, who are investigating the killings but have not charged anyone, released forensic reports confirming that both of the women had been raped. Thousands protested in the streets of Shopian, the women's hometown, before police fired tear gas shells and live ammunition at the crowd. Angry demonstrations—and a general strike that has closed businesses and schools—have spread across Kashmir since the women's bodies were found May 30. (AP, June 8)

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