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By Shwan Zulal:
It is more than a month since the protests in the Kurdistan Region were quelled by security forces. Since then the military presence has eased off in the towns and cities but a larger-than-usual military presence can still be felt on the outskirts of the cities. The protests flared up in February, spurred on by the Arab spring. Many Kurds took to the streets demanding better government and an end to chronic corruption. The protesters were greeted with bullets when they started throwing stones at the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) office in Sulaymani. After this, the protesters’ demands grew more radical, with calls for the fall of the current Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
Once the protests started, many human right violations took place, ranging from shooting protesters to attacking activists, arresting journalists, terrorising them and intimidating opposition parties. Recently Human Right Watch (HRW) published a damming report condemning the Kurdish Government’s human rights violations and comparing their antics to the previous Iraqi regime.
The KRG responded to this letter and many promises were made but then an arrest warrant was issued for the editor of Lvin magazine and Ahmed Mira was arrested. This was due to the pending libel case which both incumbent parties, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), had lodged against him
Lvin is a privately-owned magazine and it seeks funding from different sources. It published a report accusing the incumbent parties of plotting to assassinate the leaders of the three opposition groups in the Kurdistan Region – Gorran, Komal and Yakgrtu. Since then, the editor-in-chief has received death threats and been issued with many different proceedings against him and his paper.
The magazine claims that it is protecting its source. However, the plaintiffs claim the story has been fabricated and has no basis because it is motivated by politics. The allegation of an assassination plot is a grave one and it gives the government the right to object and sue in a civil court, but this does not mean that they can harass and imprison the journalist who instigated the story.
In a scathing second letter, replying to HRW, the KRG has accused the organisation of putting out misleading information about the Lvin magazine and its independence. The government may have a point when discussing the Kurdish media in general, but they have themselves to blame for creating a culture in which every political party or personality has its own propaganda machine in the form of newspapers, TV and other media outlets. Until the incumbent parties take a lead on this issue and tackle cronyism in the Kurdish media, the problems will not go away.
While concentrating on a few technicalities of the HRW report, the KRG fails to see the bigger picture and understand the enormity of these allegations and facts. HRW is not in the business of smearing people and scoring points. They are merely documenting human rights violations and bringing these to the government’s attention. The KRG does not need to reply to HRW with so many letters They simply need to show that they have changed through their future conduct.
With all due respect, have you read the HRW report?
How can you be Kurdish and care about your people, and side with those that equate a political power struggle between PUK and Gorran to Anfal, genocide and the killing and disappearance of hundreds of thousands of Kurds?
The wording used in the HRW is disgusting. In Syria, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, you would not be able to write your article.
A free press does not mean a license to lie and this is what any and every government should do.
Those that want the Kurdish progress to fail were delighted with the report.
The sad thing about your bias, is that nowhere in your article have you mentioned that Mira was released hours after his arrest.
How many journalists and bloggers have disappeared?
It is sad when Kurds write articles such as the one you have written above.
You wrote ‘Lvin is a privately-owned magazine and it seeks funding from different sources’
Different sources? Who? Why? What is the purpose behind it?
I hope that you start contributing to try and better Kurdish society.
In the US and UK they built democracy over centuries, sooo much needs to be changed and reformed but if you want it to be done asap, you are in for a surprise because the culture is what needs to change, and that will take a long time Kak Shwan
You nailed it on he head Mr Osman, the culture is the main problem and you are inadvertently making the point by accusing the writer of wanting KRG to fail. You are concentrating on trivial technicalities of the argument, rather than seeing the bigger picture.
it is cultural that people like you who obviously support the government think we should wait until the next Anfal happens then speakout against the Kurdish Government. This is what need to be changed.
PUK and KDP have shot unarmed people and an 11 year-old child. If people do not speak out about abuse now, when do you think they should?
The same old argument about being a new democracy, shooting unarmed citizens and gagging journalist is never OK, whether infant Government or established democracy.
I hope people open their eyes and see that HR abuses are never acceptable. KRG need to accept criticism and try to better itself, and not try to find excuses.
I agree with KAK Shwan because if it is not for people like him telling the story as it is, PUK and KDP would think that Kurdish people owes them and can do what they like.
No one is greater than Kurdistan and anyone who wants to be paid back for good deeds they have done proves that they did not struggle for Kurdistan but for personal gains.
KRG have blood in their hands and not even one person has been arrested. That’s why I do not understand why people defend PUK and KDP.
Rebaz,
Telling the story as it is?
Zulal leaves out important facts in all his articles in order to skew the reader to believe his side of the story.
It is fine, as its up to you to think Kurdistan today is the same as the time of the Anfal. HRW has NOT been here on the ground.
what about ICRC? UN? Have you read their reports?
Oh I forget, they have people actually in Kurdistan 🙂 So they don’t count.
Hawar you are burying your head in the sand. 10 people dead and over 500 injuries and you are telling me about the UN and giving me smiling faces. Have nothing else to say to you.
Rebaz, 9 martyrs died as a result of the actions of whom exactly?
I am telling you that it is shameful of this writer to compare Saddam’s time to Kurdistan today.
That is like spitting on the memories of all of our martyrs, and its my right to take offence in it.
If you are equating the death of nine people with a whole genocidal campaign to annihilate Kurds from Iraq, then I am sorry, you will never have my sympathy.
Constructive criticism must be allowed to ring a bell to KRG of its deficiencies. If citizens know something about government’s hypocrisies, backed with solid evidence, they must publish ‘em and let Kurdish citizens know about it, as well.
However, our intentions need to be amendment and amelioration.
I cannot think of any sincere Kurdish citizen who deliberately implies to taint, undermine or see the downfall of KRG.
Encore, we cannot and won’t be able to clap with a single hand. Everyone must chip in and contribute.
thanks for your article.mr shwan your view is 100% right,these two monarchies must go in kurdistan soon or later,they can not shut down the freedom of speech for ever,the young generation will topple them soon inshallah.