The case for engaging with the Taliban – Southasia Weekly #28
This week at Himal
Afghan refugees in Delhi tell stories of food during a writing workshop, reconstructing the homes they left behind and the new home they are building in India, Taran Khan writes.
Makepeace Sitlhou reports on refugees who have fled their homes in Myanmar to border towns in Thailand and India as the battle between Myanmar’s military and anti-junta groups intensifies. They face harassment, imprisonment and the real threat of deportation.
Salman Rafi Sheikh writes about how the global isolation of the Taliban has contributed to a proliferation of terror groups endangering Afghanistan and the world. Given this and the need to provide aid to Afghanistan’s starving population, conditional engagement with the Taliban may be the only way forward.
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This week in Southasia
Kolkata rape-murder case revives conversations around sexual violence in India
A national task force to recommend safety protocols for healthcare workers will be established in the wake of the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata that has seen widespread protests. On 22 August, the West Bengal government removed 4 top officials at R G Kar hospital, where the murder occurred, in response to protesters' demands. The Supreme Court hearing has raised serious questions about the delay in registering the unnatural death and securing the crime scene, with the Central Bureau of Investigation claiming that it had been ‘altered.’ While these updates dominate the headlines, the release of a redacted version of the long awaited Hema Committee report on 19 August flew under the radar. The report revealed reports that Malayalam women actors had been subjected to sexual harassment, including soliciting sexual bribes. The Hema Committee report was commissioned after a leading Malayalam actress was abducted and assaulted in 2017, but the release of the report was delayed as successive Kerala Chief Ministers claimed that to do so would violate individual privacy.
These incidents have revived discussion around the prevalence of sexual harassment and violence in India. In 2022, the National Crime Records Bureau reported 445,256 cases of crimes against women (including cruelty, abduction, assault with intent to outrage modesty and rape). But many such incidents are not reported, while India’s government has also fallen short in enforcing the law around sexual violence and harassment. The recent headlines underscore that India continues to fall short on accountability for sexual violence.
Elsewhere in Southasia 📡
Flooding conditions worsen across six districts in Bangladesh from rising river levels and heavy rainfall, leaving 1.8 million people stranded. India denies reports linking Bangladesh flooding from Tripura Dam opening, which sits on the Gumti River that flows through the two countries.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi set to visit Ukraine to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 23 August, weeks after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin aiming to balance ties with Russia and Western allies
Taliban bans UN human rights rapporteur Richard Bennett from entering Afghanistan, accusing him of spreading false information. Bennett says the ban sends a concerning message about the Taliban’s engagement with the international community on human rights.
Unidentified gunmen open fire on a school van in Pakistan’s Attock District, killing two children, injuring five children and the driver. Police are probing the motive behind the attack.
Former detainees released from Bangladesh’s infamous Aynaghar prisons speak about torture, inhuman conditions. Their testimony indicates these facilities are run by Directorate General of Forces Intelligence under the defence ministry
Pakistani journalist arrested in Lahore for spreading misinformation about chief suspect in Southport stabbing, journalist says he copied news from social media post
Sri Lanka’s ex-president Maithripala Sirisena settles full compensation for 2019 Easter bombing victims, in response to Supreme Court order for negligence in preventing the attack despite warnings
Foreign investment in Myanmar has dropped significantly since 2021 coup, with investors citing political instability, rising inflation, lack of raw materials and worker shortages, but new report reveals Singapore-based company Emerging Towns and Cities continues to fund junta regime despite allegations of war crimes
Rights groups flag continued issues with Nepal’s recently passed transitional justice law, which while improved from previous drafts, could still shield those responsible for wartime crimes from prosecution
Climate forecasts reveal Bhutan will experience a drastic increase the number of flash floods, landslides and seasonal droughts thanks to climate change
Only in Southasia
This week, the Indian Express made a most unfortunate error while reporting on Japan’s Foreign Minister, Yoko Kamikawa’s visit to India. In an article, Kamikawa stressed that India and Japan had major roles to play in maintaining peace and security. But all most readers caught was the byline at the top - Yoko Kamikaze. Rather than celebrating regional ties, a hapless subeditor might just have kicked off World War III. Thankfully, Indian Express hastily issued a correction the next day, much to readers amusement.
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From the archive
25 August marks seven years since Myanmar’s military junta launched a widespread and systematic attack on Rohingya villages in Rakhine state, which included extrajudicial killings, sexual assault and property damage, euphemistically termed as ‘clearance operations’. In light of this, Michael Caster’s article laying out Rohingya statelessness and the steady erosion of their rights is worth revisiting. Caster argues that it will take more than political transition to truly address the plight of the Rohingya. The piece is also relevant given escalating attacks in Rakhine state that bear an eerie similarity to the 2017 violence.