All eyes on Pakistan's Afghan refugees

In this issue, I'm concerned about care, or the lack of it, for so many people in Peru and in Pakistan. Last week, the Peruvian Congress decided that some crimes do have an expiration date (the president still needs to sign it off), likely putting an end to many trials, and Pakistan has begun deporting vulnerable Afghan refugees (even those who have been there for decades). There's some good news, like Japan finally admitted that their forced sterilization law was unconstitutional (it went on for decades!) and scientists found the world's oldest art in a random cave in Indonesia. You'll also learn about how an Islamic festival became part of Trinidadian culture, what happened to Zambia's football team in 1993 and why it's still traumatizing for a lot of Zambians, and what Chinese asylum seekers in the U.S. are going through to get there. And so much more!

Peru is about to stop prosecuting crimes committed before 2002

What happened:
AP reports that the Peruvian Congress voted 15--12 to pass a law that puts a time limit on prosecuting crimes against humanity committed before July 2002.

Why this matters:
Human rights groups are worried that this new law will stop ongoing investigations into serious abuses committed before 2002. This law could affect 550 victims and 600 cases, putting an end to many trials. Despite some notable prosecutions, there are ongoing concerns about impunity. Some perpetrators have avoided justice due to legal loopholes, political interference, or insufficient evidence. This planned statute of limitations could further hinder and undermine justice for victims.

Did you know?
During the fighting between security forces and the Maoist Shining Path rebel group from 1980 to 2000, an estimated 70,000 people killed. Most victims were Indigenous people. The Shining Path was found to be responsible for about 54% of the deaths and disappearances reported to the commission.

Tell me more:
The right-wing populist Fuerza Popular (FP) party, led by Keiko Fujimori, pushed for this law. She's the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, who was released from prison last year after serving 16 years for human rights abuses during the 1990s. Some say this law could directly help Alberto Fujimori, who faces other charges for the murder of six people in 1992. Reuters writes that FP lawmakers argue the bill aims to help about 800 military personnel being investigated for crimes against humanity. They believe many of these elderly military and police officers are unjustly imprisoned or prosecuted.

Good to know:
There's been prosecutions on "both sides" (it's not really a 'both sides' kind of conflict, but this is a relatively short newsletter and our beloved Internet can help you make sense of what really went down). Earlier this year, AP reported that Vladimiro Montesinos, a former Peruvian intelligence chief and close aide of Fujimori, was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison for his role in a 1992 massacre. Key leaders of the Shining Path, including its founder Abimael Guzmán, writes BBC News, have also been captured and tried. Guzmán was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2006 for terrorism and related charges.

What now?
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has asked Peru to block this law, but President Dina Boluarte's government quickly rejected this request, calling it interference. The law needs the president's signature to take effect, and Boluarte is expected to sign it soon.

Pakistan is deporting more than 800,000 Afghan refugees

What happened:
Al Jazeera reports that Pakistan is about to kick off the second round of a very controversial plan: they're sending undocumented Afghan refugees back home.

Refresher:
Back in late 2023, Pakistan decided it didn't want Afghans around. This wasn't just a one-time thing, either; the new government kept the ball rolling after February's elections. Last November, they already forced about 541,000 to leave. Things quieted down a bit, but from May to June this year, the numbers doubled to about 10,000 people per week. Last month, Afghanistan's Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation reported the return of approximately 115,000 migrants from Pakistan and Iran. Now, Pakistan is gearing up for phase two of their "repatriation" effort.

Why this matters:
Amnesty International and other human rights groups are really worried. They say sending refugees back to Afghanistan could put them at serious risk. This goes against international laws, like the principle of non-refoulement, which means you can't force refugees to go back to a place where they might face persecution or harm.

• Good to know: Pakistan isn't part of the 1951 UN convention that protects refugees' rights. They also don't have domestic laws or procedures to protect refugees or determine their status.

Tell me more:
In total, Pakistani authorities plan to expel more than 800,000 Afghans. If these folks don't go on their own, they could be arrested and deported. According to a report on Reliefweb.int, most of these refugees don't have proper documents: 91% are undocumented, with many being seniors, widowed women, or people with chronic illnesses. Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder reported from the Khazana refugee camp in Peshawar, where about 1,300 Afghan families live. The refugees are begging for more time so they can leave with some dignity. Hyder mentioned that their homes are being raided at night and that they're leaving in miserable conditions. Many young adults are returning to a country they barely know, having grown up in Pakistan.

• Details: nd quotes two Afghan refugees in Pakistan. Take Abdul, for instance. His dad fled to Pakistan decades ago, and now Abdul, at 23, with a baby in tow, is hastily packing up to leave. He feels more Pakistani than Afghan, but has no choice. Then there's Assadullah, who left Afghanistan in 1979 and had to leave Pakistan after 44 years. He's facing harassment and non-acceptance of valid papers. He says that, even though prospects in Afghanistan look grim, it's better than the treatment they're getting in Pakistan.

Why is Pakistan doing this?
Before all this started, Pakistan said it had nearly 4.4 million Afghan refugees, with 1.73...