R2P Dispatch June 2021 Authors/Auteurs: Fernanda Bernardo, Rebeca Ancer, Angela Liu, Georgia Sayers, Grace Vollers, Leena Badri, Lougein Metwally, Paranjay Sahanii, Samantha Quadros, Sumayyah Shah, Saarah Khan, Sarah Weiner, Victoria Liu, Keah Sharma, Francisca Carvalho, Anna Ivanova, Chris Han, Leo Viscomi, Andrea Sanchez June 2021 Table of Contents Arabic Division 2 Yemen Chinese Division 12 Tibet English Division 24 Xinjiang French Division 39 Latin America Russian Division 56 Myanmar Spanish Division 70 Indigenous Rights Bibliography 89 Disclaimer: Any views or opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Canadian Centre for the Responsibility to Protect. Dégagement de responsabilités: les opinions exprimées dans les articles suivants sont celles des auteurs. Elles ne sont pas représentatives des opinions du Canadian Centre for the Responsibility to Protect. Canadian Centre for the Responsibility to Protect | 1 June 2021 Yemen Highlights: A Yemeni man sprays water on his wife’s grave who died after she contracted Covid-19. Hospitals in Sanaa refused to hospitalize her due to fears that the virus would spread throughout their hospitals. © Getty Images. ﻓﯿﺮوس ﻛﻮروﻧﺎ: اﺗﮭﺎﻣﺎت ﻟﻠﺤﻮﺛﯿﯿﻦ ﺑـﺘﻘﻮﯾﺾ ﺟﮭﻮد ﺗﻮﻓﯿﺮ اﻟﻠﻘﺎﺣﺎت ﻓﻲ اﻟﻤﻨﺎطﻖ اﻟﺨﺎﺿﻌﺔ ﻟﺴﯿﻄﺮﺗﮭﻢ" ﺷﻤﺎﻟﻲ“ .1 Coronavirus: Houthis have been accused of undermining vaccination“) ”,اﻟﯿﻤﻦ efforts in Yemeni areas under their control”). BBC Arabic. With Coronavirus vaccines becoming increasingly accessible, many governments have sought them out with the purpose of immunizing their populations. Despite this fact, some human rights activists are now accusing Houthis of undermining efforts to vaccinate the Yemeni population. According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Houthis have failed to cooperate with the World Health Organization and the Yemeni government to vaccinate Yemeni citizens in Houthi-controlled territories. Furthermore, HRW has also claimed that the Houthis misled the public about the threat of the coronavirus and spread large amounts of misinformation on the topic. The Houthis' attempts to completely ignore the existence of the Coronavirus pandemic has ultimately put many lives at risk. In recent years, the Yemeni crisis has become considered the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. As such, Covid-19 vaccines are essential for the Yemeni people as the pandemic has likely exacerbated an already dire situation. It is unclear why the Houthis have chosen to withhold vaccines from citizens living in Houthi-controlled territories. However, this act could be interpreted as a crime against humanity if the Houthis withheld Covid-19 Canadian Centre for the Responsibility to Protect | 2 June 2021 vaccines to purposefully cause widespread suffering to the Yemeni population.1 Still, regardless of whether this act may be considered a crime against humanity or not, it has potentially cost many Yemeni lives and seriously harmed these populations. Marib in the aftermath of a fuel station bombing. ©AFP via Getty Images. The“) ”,ﺳﻔﺎرة أﻣﺮﯾﻜﺎ ﻓﻲ اﻟﯿﻤﻦ ﺗﻌﻠﻖ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺗﻘﺎرﯾﺮ ﺿﺮب اﻟﺤﻮﺛﻲ ﻣﺤﻄﺔ وﻗﻮد ﺑﺼﺎروخ ﺑﺎﻟﯿﺴﺘﻲ ﻓﻲ ﻣﺄرب“ .2 U.S. embassy in Yemen commented on the Houthi bombing of a fuel station in Marib with ballistic missiles.”). CNN Arabic. As part of the war occurring over the Yemeni city of Marib, the Houthis bombed a Maribi fuel station using ballistic missiles. This attack was conducted with a lack of concern for the lives of the civilians working within this fuel station, many of whom died. Additionally, when ambulances began to arrive at the scene, the Houthis used a drone to attack the ambulance crew; thus, leading to more civilian casualties. These attacks ultimately led to the death of twenty-one individuals, two of whom were children. It appears as though the Houthis of Yemen have a pattern of targeting civilians during military attacks. This is particularly concerning as the Houthis have control over a significant portion of Yemeni territory and thus hold a lot of power and influence within the country. If proven to have purposefully conducted widespread attacks against civilian populations, the Houthis will have committed a crime against humanity under international law.2 Under the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) principle, the international system can respond to these 1 International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect RtoP Toolkit on the Responsibility to Protect. (New York: International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect, n.d.), 16. 2 International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect RtoP Toolkit on the Responsibility to Protect. (New York: International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect, n.d.), 16. Canadian Centre for the Responsibility to Protect | 3 June 2021 crimes with military action or other coercive measures.3 Ultimately, this attack in Marib represents only one of many military attacks in Yemen that have seriously put the lives of civilians at risk. U.S. State“) ”,اﻟﺨﺎرﺟﯿﺔ اﻷﻣﺮﯾﻜﯿﺔ: اﻟﺤﻮﺛﯿﻮن ﯾﺘﺤﻤﻠﻮن ﻣﺴﺆوﻟﯿﺔ ﻛﺒﯿﺮة ﻋﻦ اﻷزﻣﺔ اﻟﻤﺴﺘﻤﺮة ﻓﻲ اﻟﯿﻤﻦ“ .3 Department: The Houthis bear much of the responsibility for the continuation of the Yemeni crisis”). CNN Arabic. According to a report by CNN, the U.S. has taken a strong stance against the Houthis in Yemen and blamed them for much of the continuing violence in the country. Although the U.S. ambassador recognized that there are many problematic parties working within Yemen, he asserted that work towards a ceasefire has largely been stalled by the Houthis. Instead of working along with other parties towards a ceasefire, the Houthis have continued to attack Marib and have consequently isolated themselves internationally. Ultimately, this report highlights that work towards any ceasefire in Yemen remains difficult as many political groups in the country are unwilling to cooperate. 3 International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect RtoP Toolkit on the Responsibility to Protect. (New York: International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect, n.d.), 16. Canadian Centre for the Responsibility to Protect | 4 June 2021 The Transitional Council’s security forces patrolling the city of Aden. ©Reuters. The“) ”,اﻻﺗﺤﺎد اﻟﺪوﻟﻲ ﻟﻠﺼﺤﻔﯿﯿﻦ ﯾﺪﯾﻦ اﻗﺘﺤﺎم ﻣﺴﻠﺤﻲ اﻟﻤﺠﻠﺲ اﻻﻧﺘﻘﺎﻟﻲ ﻣﻘﺎ ّر إﻋﻼﻣﯿﺔ ﻓﻲ ﻋﺪن“ .4 International Federation of Journalists condemned the Transitional Council’s armed storming of the media headquarters in Aden”). Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera’s news report alleges that a secessionist political organization called the Transitional Council has conducted an armed storming of media headquarters in the city of Aden. Through the storming of media headquarters and other media buildings in Aden, the Transitional Council has essentially seized control of the largest media organizations in the city. The International Federation of Journalists has condemned these actions and urged the Transitional Council to leave the media out of military conflict. Furthermore, these actions represent a serious threat to freedom of speech in Yemen and have also put many civilians in danger. Thus, the Transitional council should be condemned internationally for their actions. Canadian Centre for the Responsibility to Protect | 5 June 2021 From previous clashes in Marib between government forces and Houthi militias. ©Reuters. The Yemeni“) ”,اﻟﺤﻜﻮﻣﺔ اﻟﯿﻤﻨﯿﺔ ﺗﺪﻋﻮ اﻟﻤﺠﺘﻤﻊ اﻟﺪوﻟﻲ ﻻﺗﺨﺎذ ﻣﻮﻗﻒ ﻣﻦ ھﺠﻤﺎت اﻟﺤﻮﺛﯿﯿﻦ“ .5 government urged the international community to take a stance against Houthi attacks.”). Al Jazeera. The Yemeni government has urged the international community to take a strong stance against the Houthis. According to the Yemeni Minister of Information, the Houthis should internationally be classified as a terrorist group that has committed crimes against humanity against the Yemeni people. As evidence, the Minister listed the many times that the Houthis used ballistic missiles and aerial bombing in Marib to target civilians. Moreover, the Yemeni government claims that the Houthis have specifically used ballistic missiles and aerial bombing as part of their war strategy to maximize civilian casualties in Marib. Diplomatic efforts to end the war have intensified in recent months, yet the Houthis continue to attack Marib and the Yemeni people continue to experience the worst humanitarian crisis globally. Canadian Centre for the Responsibility to Protect | 6 June 2021 The aftermath in Ma’rib. ©Getty Images. Eight Killed and 27“ ,وﺳﺎﺋﻞ إﻋﻼم ﯾﻤﻨﯿﺔ: ﻣﻘﺘﻞ 8 و ُﺟﺮح 27 ﻓﻲ ﻗﺼﻒ ﻟﻠﺤﻮﺛﯿﯿﻦ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﺪﯾﻨﺔ ﻣﺄرب .6 Wounded in Houthi Shelling on the City of Ma'rib”). CNN Arabic. The article from CNN describes the recent shelling on the city of Ma’arib which has resulted in the casualty of twenty-seven civilians, and the death of eight. The city of Ma’arib has been subject to excessive bombardment between the Yemeni military and the Houthi insurgency. Yemeni media sources went on to detail how a mosque and residential neighborhood were also targeted during the shellings. The article states that members of the medical staff were also among the targets, and that more than four ambulances were destroyed as a result. Healthcare workers have stated that they expect the number of casualties and deaths to rise in the coming days. Yemeni President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi released a statement, in which he stated that the frequent bombing of Ma’arib continues to harm innocent lives and destroy the state’s infrastructure and social fabric. He emphasized that such action will not establish real peace between the warring parties. This attack comes after a similar bombing which targeted a fuel station