amnesty international

July 2013 News Update – South America Region

July 22, 2013 by zarganar

Going back a couple of decades, the group was an active participant in a Regional Action Network involving Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay – although 90% of the work centred on Brazil. This has gradually evolved into the South America Region and we get periodic updates and actions from the hard working voluntary coordinators. We thought you may find it useful if we shared the updates to give you a feel for some of the ways Amnesty currently works and the campigning that is being done. At the end of the report is a link to an Urgent Action and sample letter:-

Paraguay

In early July AIUK coordinators and staff at the International Secretariat were able to brief the new UK Ambassador to Paraguay, Jeremy Hobbs, before he departed to take up his post. The Embassy closed in 2005 and is just now reopening. We were able to brief the Ambassador on the human rights situation in Paraguay and, in particular, the two case files of indigenous communities removed from their lands, Yakye Axa and Sawhowyamaxa.

Venezuela

On 14 June Judge Alfiuni was released from detention. In December 2009 she released banker Eligio Cedeño in accordance with Venezuelan law and was herself arrested the following day. Amnesty International has consistently denounced her detention as undue political interference and arbitrary in nature, in contravention of the independence of the magistrates and judges. The conditions imposed on her release are harsh: she may not leave the country, speak to the press or communicate on social networks.

Colombia

In theory, paramilitarism ended with the demobilisation process. However, groups continue to operate with impunity. Since our last update a paramilitary plan to kill human rights activists has been exposed. Members of the National Movement of Victims of State Crimes in Sucre (MOVICE) have been threatened and attacked by paramilitaries. These and other organised crimes have been planned from within prison. On 3rd June the police commander of the Department of Sucre in northern Colombia received an e-mail saying paramilitaries (believed to be the bloque Héroes de los Montes de María) were intending to kill human rights defender Juan David Díaz, his wife and another person. His father Eudaldo was killed after he denounced links between paramilitaries, local politicians and the Armed Forces in February 2003. [Read more…]

Art Exhibition Update

June 25, 2013 by zarganar

There never seems an ideal time to do this as things are moving at a huge pace. But we’ve finally hit the Bournemouth Echo – twice!! – so it must be happening. Thanks to Genevieve Talon for her persistence, as there was a good article on Monday. This followed a short piece the previous week – as in the photo below.

bournemouth echo 20th june 2013 – but click link above for larger piece

If you are new to the whole concept of an Art Exhibition, firstly check out the Art page. Following our successful music event in 2011 we decided to follow up with something else that would attract the interest and attention of the wider public – not just Amnesty followers. An Art Exhibition appeared an ideal medium, as the theme of human rights would also given opportunity to create discussion and debate around Amnesty Internationals work.

Over the past 8 months a small sub-committee has got the project off the ground. From our initial enquires it became clear that the event couldn’t happen in 2013, as most venues were already booked. But we have now lined up venues such as Christchurch Priory, Red House museum, St Peters Church and the Lighthouse in Poole – with negotiations continuing with others. The main exhibition looks set for Spring 2014 (the Lighthouse may well be Autumn – wait for updates!).

Energy has also been spent contacting 6th Form College Art Tutors and professional and amateur artists and art groups. We have distributed our leaflet far and wide. We have started to get enquiries about how to submit entries. Its happening! [Read more…]

Nine Teenagers Forcibly Returned to North Korea

June 24, 2013 by zarganar

This is a change of style – setting letter writing as blog posts rather than just adding to one long Letters page. This should prove easier to keep relevant and link to via facebook and the newsletter. Let us know what you think.

North Korea may have faded from the news these past months, but sadly threats to its citizens goes on. North Koreans are prohibited from travelling abroad without state permission and recent crackdowns have made it increasingly difficult to cross the border into China and escape via another country such as Laos or Thailand. China returns all ‘undocumented’ North Koreans if caught. Laos typically detains undocumented North Koreans found in Laos, but used to allow them to travel on to South Korea.

Unfortunately authorities in Laos have recently returned nine teenagers who had crossed illegally into their country via China. By placing these young teenagers back in the grasps of the North Korean authorities, they are now likely to be sent to one of the infamous gulag style prison camps and detained under atrocious conditions. Amnesty is seriously concerned for their safety.

The teenagers, aged between 14 and 19, are now at serious risk of being tortured, detained in prison, sent to forced labour camps or even executed. Under International Law, no one should be sent back to a country where they are at risk of human rights violations, such as torture or execution. Those who escape North Korea should be entitled to international protection because of such risks. The South Korean government even appealed to the Chinese and Laos authorities to send them to South Korea instead.

There is an Urgent Action that we worked on as a group this month (June 2013). UA North Korea

There is a draft letter you can either copy or utilise youself to send of a letter asap.north korea letter

Please write before 12 July to Kim Jong-Un, Supreme Commander of the Korean People’s Army, care of:

Ambassador of the Permanent Mission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to the Office of the United Nations in New York
Mr Sin Son-ho
Permanent Mission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in New York
820 Second Ave, 13th Floor
New York, NY 10017, USA
Fax: +1 212 972 3154
Email: dpr.korea@verizon.net
Salutation: Dear Ambassador

There is another address you can write to within the Urgent Action form

Spring Quiz 2013

April 24, 2013 by zarganar

On Saturday 13th April we held another Quiz Night in Christchurch at ye Olde George Inn.

David and Rosemary Brown both created and set the questions, and kept proceedings in order. The evening raised nearly £150, and proved very enjoyable.

We were the last event in the Barn at Ye Olde George prior to a major revamp – or as it says on their Facebook page “a complete Make Over that would make Gok proud”. I’m sure that means something to some people! But considering we pay for the privilage of using the Barn (our Autumn Quiz venues have been free), it really was in need of some care and attention.

We look forward to seeing the new barn next spring – so long as there is no price rise. David and Rosemary have offered to continue to host our spring quiz, but we need some new talent for the Autumn. We have the venue – the Britannia Inn, Lower Parkstone – but need both a Quiz Setter and Quiz Master. If you would be interested in helping with either (or both) roles, please get in touch. But many thanks again to David and Rosemary for another great quiz in Christchurch.

Sir Jackie Stewart criticises calls to cancel F1 race

April 19, 2013 by zarganar

So its all right then! Sir Jackie has his finger on the pulse and has given us the all clear. Sir Jackie – believes anyone calling for the Bahrain Grand Prix to be cancelled due to unrest in the Gulf state are “out of order”. Its worth remebering that this time last year there was far more of a noise to cancel the Bahrain Grand Prix – so have things improved?

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Rather than rely on Sir Jackie, lets hear from Amnesty International Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui:-

“The authorities are trying to use the Grand Prix as a platform to show progress, with claims that the human rights situation has improved, whilst stepping up repression in order to ensure nothing disturbs their public image.

Instead of responding to the uprising of February 2011, the last two years have seen continued killings, arbitrary arrests and alleged torture in Bahrain. We are seeing nothing but crackdowns and token gestures to clean up the country’s image. Families wait for justice for their killed relatives, opposition leaders languish in jail, and children are detained and tried under the anti-terrorism law.

The Bahraini government says the country is engaged in human rights reform. The onus is on them to demonstrate it. They should immediately release all prisoners of conscience, let demonstrators exercise their rights peacefully and allow unrestricted access to NGOs and journalists to monitor the situation around the Grand Prix.”

Amnesty International produced a full briefing on Bahrain this February. lets remeber a few facts:-

At least 72 people have been killed since protests broke out in February 2011.

Amnesty has adopted 20 individuals as prisoners of conscience – 14 have been in prison since they were arrested in 2011 and the rest were imprisoned in 2012.

At least 80 children are held in adult prisons in Bahrain for participating in protests.

Thirteen imprisoned opposition leaders, activists and prisoners of conscience lost their final court appeal this year and stand convicted of terrorism charges due to their role in the 2011 uprisings.

Quoting directly from the briefing

“Amnesty International considers all these individuals to be prisoners of conscience, held solely for having exercised their legitimate rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly. Unless immediate steps are taken to ensure accountability and the release of prisoners of conscience, recent institutional reforms and the national dialogue will be empty
exercises. It is vital that the Bahraini government immediately and unconditionally releases all prisoners of conscience, and upholds the rights to freedom of expression, association and
assembly.
Amnesty International reiterates its call on the government to:
Immediately and unconditionally release all prisoners of conscience held solely for peacefully exercising their legitimate rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly;
lift restrictions on freedom of expression, association and assembly; and ensure that officials responsible for human rights violations, including the killings of protesters and the torture of detainees, are brought to justice.”

So, whilst it is highly unlikely that the Bahrain grand Prix will be cancelled, please remember that some of its people are prisoner of conscience – they still need your support.