30 November 2007

don't kid yourself with fox news - arrests continue in myanmar...

the myanmar government continues to detain monks and dissidents, despite the assurance by prime minister thein sein to the u.n. special representative ibrahim gambari in early november that no more arrests would be carried out...

two months after the violent crackdown on peaceful demonstrators in myanmar, the systematic suppression of freedom of expression and association continues unabated...this runs counter to the government’s repeated claims of a return to normalcy in the country...

however, there is the question of what 'normalcy' can mean in the context of myanmar?

for the military government, it may mean a return to systematic and widespread human rights violations away from media attention...the international community must no longer tolerate this situation...

i am deeply disappointed by the fact that these arrests are still taking place despite the government's claims to the contrary...

just last week, the myanmar government attended asean's 40th anniversary summit, where it signed the organization's new charter committing it to the "promotion and protection of human rights"...

up to 700 people arrested during and since the september protests remain behind bars, while 1,150 political prisoners held prior to the protests have not been released...detainees have been poorly treated - and in some cases tortured - while others have been sentenced to lengthy jail terms after unfair trials...

myanmar has still not accounted for those killed during the demonstrations, or for those subjected to enforced disappearance...the authorities have not carried out independent, impartial investigations into deaths in custody, or even attempted to bring those responsible for unlawful killings and other violations to justice...

in stark contrast, they have stated that legal action will be taken against the 91 individuals they acknowledge are in custody for participation in the protests - citing “conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism”...

amnesty international is urgently calling on the government of myanmar to stop making further arrests and to release all those detained or imprisoned merely for the peaceful exercise of their rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association, including both long-term and recent prisoners of conscience...

among those arrested:

4 November U Gambira, head of the All-Burma Monks Alliance and a leader of the September protests, was arrested and reportedly charged with treason. Two of his family members, previously detained as 'hostages' in an attempt to force him out of hiding, have been kept in detention;

13 November The government arrested Su Su Nway, a member of the youth wing of the main opposition National League for Democracy party. Fellow youth activist Bo Bo Win Hlaing was arrested with her while putting up anti-government posters;

14 November At least three people were arrested in Yangon for passing out anti-government pamphlets;

15 November Authorities raided a monastery in western Rakhine State and arrested monk U Than Rama, wanted for his involvement in the September protests. He was reportedly beaten during the raid and his whereabouts remain unknown;

20 November Myint Naing, a senior member of the National League for Democracy, was detained;

20 November Ethnic Arakanese leader U Tin Ohn was detained and his whereabouts remain unknown;

20 / 21 November Other ethnic leaders, including Arakanese Cin Sian Thang and U Aye Thar Aung, Naing Ngwe Thein from the Mon National Democracy Front, and Kachin political leader U Hkun Htoo, were rounded up but released after questioning;

24 November Eight members of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) were arrested. It is believed that this was due to KIO's refusal to accede to the government's demand that they publicly renounce the recent statement by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

26 November Aung Zaw Oo, a member of the Human Rights Defenders and Promoters group, was arrested in Yangon, seemingly for his involvement in planning events for International Human Rights Day on 10 December;

27 November Three people were arrested in a tea shop in Yangon. They were: Win Maw, lead guitarist in the popular Shwe Thansin band. He was previously in prison from 1997 to 2003 for writing songs in support of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi; Myat San, a former long-term political prisoner and a member of the Tri-Colour Students Group; and Aung Aung, who is a friend of the two men...

peace out <3

29 November 2007

cnn to honor human rights "david" who stands up to the goliath chevron in ecuador...

pablo fajardo, the lead lawyer defending indigenous communities in ecuador against chevron corporation, for environmental destruction connected to texaco (now owned by chevron), will be honored by cnn as one of three individuals selected for extraordinary achievement in the fight for justice and human rights...

learn more about amnesty international's campaign to hold chevron accountable in ecuador...

here's a vanity fair article about fajardo - enjoy -- and watch december 6 at 9:00 p.m. eastern for a global telecast on cnn honoring fajardo and two other human rights defenders!

peace out <3

Jungle Law

In 1972, crude oil began to flow from Texaco's wells in the area around Lago Agrio ("sour lake"), in the Ecuadorean Amazon. Born that same year, Pablo Fajardo is now the lead attorney in an epic lawsuit—among the largest environmental suits in history—against Chevron, which acquired Texaco in 2001. Reporting on an emotional battle in a makeshift jungle courtroom, the author investigates how many hundreds of square miles of surrounding rain forest became a toxic-waste dump.

by William Langewiesche
May 2007

In a forsaken little town in the Ecuadorean Amazon, an overgrown oil camp called Lago Agrio, the giant Chevron Corporation has been maneuvered into a makeshift courtroom and is being sued to answer for conditions in 1,700 square miles of rain forest said by environmentalists to be one of the world's most contaminated industrial sites. The pollution consists of huge quantities of crude oil and associated wastes, mixed in with the toxic compounds used for drilling operations—a noxious soup that for decades was dumped into leaky pits, or directly into the Amazonian watershed. The company that did much of this work was Texaco—an outfit with a swashbuckling reputation worldwide. It signed a contract with Ecuador in 1964, began full-scale production in 1972, and pulled out 20 years later. In 2001, Texaco was swallowed whole by Chevron, which by integrating its operations nearly doubled in size. The lawsuit against it in Lago Agrio was filed in 2003, though the legal antecedents go back much further. Having dragged on for four years, the suit may continue for half again as long. Chevron is represented by high-priced firms of experienced lawyers in Quito and Washington, D.C., whose collective fees run to millions of dollars annually. Its antagonists are 30,000 Amazonian settlers and indigenous people, who call themselves Los Afectados—the Affected Ones. These plaintiffs are represented by a low-budget but serious team of North American and Ecuadorean attorneys, who are backed by a Philadelphia law firm that is known for class-action securities litigation and has gambled that this case, though risky, can actually be won.

Chevron objects vociferously, and presents itself as the victim here. Its attorneys have repeatedly claimed that the company is being extorted for "two juicy checks," one to be divided among the plaintiffs and the other to enrich their North American lawyers. The North American lawyers are indeed working on a contingency basis, but unapologetically so, and for a percentage significantly lower than the norm in high-risk cases; they would like to be well compensated for their efforts, but as much, they say, to encourage other lawyers to bring similar suits elsewhere in the world as to pad their personal bank accounts. The most active among them is a New York–based Harvard Law School graduate named Steven Donziger, who has invested 14 years in the case and would certainly be more secure had he pursued a conventional career involving the preservation of wealth. He counterclaims that Chevron's lawyers are the real mercenaries here. It is a philosophical quarrel that will never be resolved.

As for the plaintiffs themselves, under Ecuadorean law they are not suing individually, and personally may never see a dime. They have sued to seek compensation for past damages and to force Chevron to clean up the residual mess that continues, they believe, to taint the soil and water today. It is unclear how a cleanup would proceed and to what extent it could succeed, but over decades the cost might run to $6 billion or more—making this potentially the largest environmental lawsuit ever to be fought. And fight is the word. The case has become emotional for both sides, with few signs of willingness to compromise. Worldwide the oil industry is watching. Lago Agrio is a forsaken little town where something rather large is going down.

This is not, however, a U.S.-style legal drama. The Lago Agrio court follows Ecuadorean procedures, which minimize oral arguments and rely heavily on submitted documents to get at the truth. So far the proceedings have generated close to 200,000 pages. There is no jury to sway. There is a single presiding judge, drawn from a pool of three on a rotating basis for a two-year term of unusual pressure. Currently the judge is a rotund middle-aged man, a reader of Dostoyevsky and a convert to Islam. He must be the only Muslim in town. He told me it is not easy to be a judge there. Five years ago he was ambushed and machine-gunned while driving his car. His companion was killed, but he himself escaped. The attackers were hired killers, of whom Lago Agrio has an ample supply. Colombia's largest cocaine-production area lies just over the border a few miles to the north, and is peopled not only by narco-traffickers but also by leftist guerrillas and right-wing paramilitary groups. The police in Lago Agrio make a show sometimes of directing traffic. They did not investigate the attack, the judge believes, because they feared retribution. The judge accepted this without complaint, as if he had learned to believe in fate. Lago Agrio means "sour lake." He told me that the only safe choice there is to run away. Chevron would probably agree. It denies that the judge is fair, denies that the plaintiffs have legitimate complaints, denies that their soil and water samples are meaningful, denies that the methods the company used to extract oil in the past were substandard, denies that it contaminated the forest, denies that the forest is contaminated, denies that there is a link between the drinking water and high rates of cancer, leukemia, birth defects, and skin disease, denies that unusual health problems have been demonstrated—and, for added measure, denies that it bears responsibility for any environmental damage that might after all be found to exist. If Chevron can convince the court of the validity of even a few of those points, it will win the case and leave town.

Given the resources that Chevron has brought to bear, it seemed for a while that this indeed would happen—and for various reasons it may yet. But over the past two years there has been a change that, metaphorically, looks something like an inversion of Tiananmen Square, in which a lone man stands resolutely in front of a maneuvering tank, not to hold it off but to keep it from escaping. In Lago Agrio that lone man is a mestizo named Pablo Fajardo, aged 34, who was born into extreme poverty and toiled for years as a manual laborer in the forest and oil fields, yet managed by force of intellect to complete his secondary education in night school, and through a correspondence course to earn a degree in law. He became a lawyer only three years ago, in 2004, yet has assumed the lead in the suit against Chevron in this, his very first trial. Chevron is represented by lawyers from Ecuador's ruling class, an oligarchy whose women fondly sing "Y Viva España" at Quito garden parties. They may have assumed that they could run Fajardo over. No one makes that assumption now.

In Lago Agrio the men wear hats against the equatorial sky. The women carry umbrellas for the shade they provide. Even the Indians complain about the heat. On a sweltering morning, I went to Fajardo's threadbare quarters in a small house that serves primarily as a file room and office, but that has a space for sleeping, and a crude kitchen and bathroom, usually without running water. Fajardo was sitting at his desk studying a document in preparation for a scheduled argument before the judge. He wore an open-necked short-sleeved shirt, slacks, and street shoes. He was the only person in Lago Agrio who was not sweating. In this story, where so much is disputed, it is an observable fact that Fajardo never sweats, and furthermore that when he moves through the jungle in his tidy-lawyer clothes he does not get dirty or wet. I sat across the desk from him and asked if at first he had been intimidated by the case.

for the full 11 page story click here...

28 November 2007

violence against school girls is an obstacle to their right to an education...

watch this slideshow about making schools safe for girls in full screen...

all girls have the right to an education...this right is essential not only for girls to grow and learn, but also so that they are able to be independent and make their own choices in their lives...

schools are not just places to learn and realize potential - some are also places of fear and violence...some girls face violence at school at the hands of teachers, school staff or other students...

violence stops girls going to school...girls must be able to pursue their education in an environment which is:
  • safe
  • respectful
  • non-discriminatory

for the 16 days of activism against gender based violence (november 25 - december 10) amnesty international is launching a campaign to stop violence against girls in schools...join forces in the global call for violence-free schools for girls...we have the power to make schools safe for girls!

act now for violence-free schools for girls...

peace out <3

27 November 2007

there ought to be an immediate halt to pending demolition of 3,000 units of new orleans public housing...

just one day before families across the u.s. gathered for thanksgiving more than 40 human rights organizations together decried the scheduled demolition of 3,000 public housing units in new orleans...while so many of us are thankful for the places in which we are blessed to gather new orleans is set to destroy solid brick, structurally sound housing in a city sorely lacking such resources..

these 40-odd groups have issued a letter to u.s. representative maxine waters, urging her continued leadership on behalf of public housing residents by finalizing dates for nationwide congressional hearings...the letter, part of a national campaign for passage of the gulf coast housing recovery act, was also sent to louisiana senator david vitter and u.s. department of housing and urban development secretary alphonso jackson...

said jared feuer, southern regional director of amnesty international usa:
"To demolish affordable housing without sufficient remaining low-income housing stock is not only irresponsible, but a violation of international human rights standards."
in their letter, the organizations note the bleak situation facing public housing across the nation, most prominently represented by the imminent demolition of 3,000 public housing units in new orleans despite conflicting expert findings that the units are sound...in preparation for demolition, contractors have begun emptying apartments and discarding the personal property of residents without their knowledge or consent, including photographs, letters and social security cards...

added catherine albisa, executive director of the national economic & social rights initiative (nesri):
"Every moment we fail to act is another unit demolished, another grandmother evicted, or another child who finds him or herself doing homework in a shelter. Our nation and human rights principles have long recognized the right to housing, and we call on our public leaders to take on this potent issue."
according to international human rights standards, governments must provide specific safeguards with respect to housing for those who have been internally displaced by disasters such as hurricane katrina...the united nations guiding principles on internal displacement mandate that host governments facilitate the voluntary return of the displaced to their homes or places of habitual residence in safety and with dignity...

peace out <3

26 November 2007

prison rape exposes increasing abuse of women in brazil...

"Women in Brazil are the hidden victims of a crumbling detention system that exposes them to rape and other ill treatment"
Tim Cahill, Amnesty International’s researcher on Brazil

this statement came as reports emerged of the case of a young woman in the state of pará -- northern brazil -- who was left in a police cell with 20 men for a month and repeatedly sexually abused...said cahill:

“We receive extensive reports of women in detention who suffer sexual abuse, torture, substandard healthcare and inhuman conditions, showing that this case is far from isolated but continues to be hidden from the public.”
even though women in brazil make up a small percentage of the overall prison population, their numbers in detention are rising...there is a desperate need for the government to address their needs, which are rarely if ever met...

this case also highlights concerns around the treatment of juveniles illegally held with adults around brazil...continued cahill:

“At a time when some authorities and the media are consistently calling for a reduction of the age of criminal responsibility, this case shows how far Brazil is from ensuring the necessary minimum protections for its youth.”
while thanks to amnesty international i realize that the federal and state authorities have responded rapidly to this case, many others go unreported or uninvestigated...it is essential that the authorities act in all such cases - not only those which receive extensive national and international media coverage...

let's join together with amnesty international as it calls on state governor ana julia carepa and on the federal authorities to:
• investigate the allegations and bring those responsible to justice, ensuring that the victim and her family receive effective protection
• urgently review the whole of the detention system to ensure women are not exposed to human rights abuses and that juveniles are not illegally held with adults

peace out <3

25 November 2007

a continuing call to suspend taser use following canadien killing of polish immigrant...

after watching this video showing the last moments of a man who died after being stunned by police at vancouver international airport last month and hopefully you'll join me in a call on the canadian authorities to suspend use of tasers...



the video footage released this week shows polish immigrant robert dziekanski being restrained after he became agitated in the airport arrivals area...the video shows him being stunned more than once, including while he was restrained on the floor by police officers...according to an eye witness, an officer also used his knee to pin dziekanski's neck and head against the ground...another officer is seen striking him several times with a baton...minutes later, a medical emergency team pronounced him dead at the scene...

the case reinforces amnesty international's concerns about the safety of electro-shock weapons as well as police use of excessive force...amnesty international has documented 16 other cases in recent years where individuals have died in canada after being stunned with police tasers...nearly all were subjected to multiple shocks as well as other force...in the overwhelming majority of cases those who died were unarmed and did not appear to present a serious threat when they were subdued by police...

international standards require that police should use force only as a last resort, in proportion to the threat posed and in a manner designed to minimize pain and injury...in robert dziekanski's case, amnesty international is concerned that police appeared to have flouted such standards by resorting almost immediately to the use of tasers, without exhausting non-violent means. ..amnesty international is also concerned by the overall levels of force deployed, including what may have been a dangerous restraint hold...

amnesty international said there remained serious questions about the health risks involved in electro-shock weapons...the potential dangers of being subjected to multiple shocks were highlighted in a report commissioned by the canadian association of chiefs of police, which warned in 2005 that "police officers need to be aware of the adverse effects of multiple, consecutive cycles" of electro-shock weapons...

here's what an eyewitness videographer reports:



in the usa more than 280 people have died after being shocked by police tasers...although coroners have attributed most such deaths to other causes, the taser was found to have been a cause or possible contributory factor in more than 30 of the deaths...

in a report issued earlier this year, amnesty international called on the canadian authorities to suspend their use of tasers pending a rigorous, independent inquiry into their use and effects...departments which continue to use them should strictly limit their use to situations where offices would otherwise be justified in using deadly force, when no lesser means were available...

for more information, please check out amnesty international's report: canada: inappropriate and excessive use of tasers...

peace out <3

23 November 2007

1 step forward 2 steps back: new arrests of journalists overshadow pakistan releases...

pakistan is continuing to arrest journalists and others across the country, contrasting with government announcements that thousands of protesters have been released from the country's jails...

while the world's media highlighted the reports that 3,400 people are to be set free after the recent clampdown on peaceful anti-government protests, police in karachi on tuesday baton-charged and arrested over 100 protesting journalists...these arrests undermine general musharraf's claims that media freedoms are being restored...

police arrested the journalists as they protested against a ban on geo tv and other media restrictions...after protesting outside the karachi press club, the journalists proceeded to the office of the governor of sindh province in an attempt to meet with officials...police halted the march and baton-charged the group...those arrested include more than five women journalists...

early reports suggest that these detainees are being released, but they and other journalists across pakistan remain at risk of further intimidation, detention and possible ill-treatment...since the imposition of emergency law on 3 november, a pattern has emerged of a "revolving door" of arrests and releases of those attempting to peacefully protest against emergency rule...

pakistan's free media was one first groups impacted by the imposition of emergency rule on 3 nvember...all independent tv channels, including international channels transmitted by cable, were blocked hours before the emergency came into force...whilst restrictions on international news channels have been lifted, independent channels transmitting from pakistan remain blocked...

in addition, existing laws regulating the media were amended to tighten restrictions on freedom of speech, with breaches attracting prison sentences and heavy fines...

further harassment and arrests of journalists remain likely...on 17 november, the editor of the islamabad urdu-language daily newspaper tulu was arrested by the plainclothes police from his office...during his detention he was blindfolded, taken to an unidentified location and questioned about his writings...he was informed that he had been arrested on the orders of senior government officials...he was released on 19 november...

read more:

peace out <3

22 November 2007

and our stop violence against women state coodinator chimes in with her experience...


yesterday i posted the musings and reflections of one of our local chapter members from her experiences at the southern regional conference of amnesty international in miami about 5 weeks ago...these are the thoughts of one of our other sisters...

peace out <3

Hi all,

I was asked to share my thoughts and experiences from the regional conference in Miami so if you don’t mind I’ll share those here on the listserv. I attended three workshops: Islamophobia; LGBT Rights; and Violence against Native American Women. All were great ways to gain some general background info on these issues.

Since my main focus is the Stop Violence Against Women Campaign (SVAW), the workshop on Native American women was of particular interest to me (this was actually the only workshop for the SVAW campaign). The workshop started out with a point about the degree to which most Americans are ignorant of Native American issues. The participants got a short lesson on some aspects of Native American culture and history, both of which are intertwined with the issues facing Native American women today. There is such a delicate balance between preserving tribal customs and culture and prosecuting perpetrators of serious crimes such as murder and rape that has really led to a confusing mix of state, federal and tribal law that makes the current issue pretty complex. In the workshop, a Native American women spoke about her experience with rape on the reservation she was from. The perpetrator of the rape was never punished, and the mishandling of her case was horrendous (the native police discarded the physical evidence against the man so that it essentially came down to her word vs. his and she dropped the charges in frustration). This is the main ordeal facing Native women now—perpetrators of sexual and physical violence against Native American women simply are not being brought to justice, and Native American women are understandably mistrustful of the legal system so that most crimes are not even reported. One of the actions suggested in the workshop was letter writing to congress to urge a bill that will require publicly accessible records of the rates of rape on reservations, the rates of prosecution of these rapes, and the reasons behind decisions not to prosecute such claims.

The workshop gave me a good groundwork of Native American issues. It certainly is a complex state of affairs, but I really want to make it one of the priorities this upcoming year for the SVAW campaign. The conference was a great way to get some ideas on how to do this—letter writing and also just getting the info out there to the general public.

Overall, I had a great experience at the conference. It always boosts my motivation to see others who are passionate about human rights, especially when much of the time it seems like an uphill battle. The conference reminded me that even small differences add up and that Amnesty has great human and educational resources to really funnel our work into big strides for the human rights campaign.

Diba

21 November 2007

the international part of amnesty lives and breathes right here in nashvegas!

recently five of us from nashville attended the southern regional conference of amnesty international held at the university of miami...this is a journal posting that one of those people, rosa from espana, shared with group member and now i'm sharing it with the world...

peace out <3

Thanks Diba for sharing your experience. Going to the regional conference was a wonderful experience for me also. I don’t want to take much more of your time so let me just point four things that made a big impact on me.

Meeting the staff of the Southern Regional Office of Amnesty International

They really are amazing. They had thought of every small detail. Always with a smile and willing to help and even making us laugh… but also making sure that resources were not wasted. Just by meeting them those few days I could see how much of their lives they put into fighting for human rights. Definitely we have to be very proud and happy to have them…

Meeting other people that make the protection of human rights something important in their lives. Writing letters at home, signing online petitions or organizing events here in Nashville, we might feel that we are just a few caring about human rights. But I could see at the conference that we definitely are not alone. We are quite a lot!

So every time I sign a letter or a petition, it is easier to imagine now other people around the country and around the world doing the same things and more…

The workshops I went were: “You, me, Amnesty, Diversity”, “Islamophobia and the War on Terror”, “Death Penalty 101”, “Investing in Human Rights in Sudan” and “AI Policy Discussion”. I learned a lot in all of them. Please ask me if you have any specific questions about them.

I particularly liked the one about Death Penalty. We discussed arguments that people use to support death penalty. Sometimes it is hard to argue against these arguments, but I feel much more prepared after the workshop. For instance, I did not know that death penalty is much more costly than life without parole, and that the length of the death penalty process makes the families of the victims suffer a lot also.

It was wonderful to spend time with the people of our group in Nashville. I hope that more of you can come next year to Memphis!!!

There are many things that we can do this year: human rights party in December, screenings of movies, tabling at events, get more people to join us, write-a-thon, …

And of course, stop death penalty in Tennessee! Trust me, Rosanne (our State Death Penalty Abolition Coordinator) is able of this and much more :-), so let’s be there for what she ever she needs.

Rosa

20 November 2007

let's share a moment of thanksgiving as human rights activists...



you have read the postings and taken some actions based on what we've shared and so now it's time i tell you something directly -- thank you for your passion and commitment to creating a better world...

the past year was filled with important victories and heart-breaking setbacks in the struggle for human rights...but one thing is clear - working with you, members and volunteer leaders of amnesty international like me will never relent in the face of cruel human rights abuses...

take a minute to celebrate and reflect with us --- watch a video of amnesty's memorable moments of 2007!

along with activists in over 20 countries, you campaigned to pressure burma's brutal regime to halt the violence against unarmed monks...you responded overwhelmingly to urge world leaders to end the atrocities in darfur...and you were outspoken in condemning torture in all its forms...take a look at how your support makes a difference!

amnesty members and supporters like you and i are saving lives and inspiring change around the globe...please accept all our thanks this holiday season for your ongoing commitment to defending human rights...

safe travels and peace out <3

19 November 2007

darfur now -- see the movie, speak out, act now...

darfur now is a story of hope in the midst of one of humanity's darkest hours - a call to action for people everywhere to end the catastrophe unfolding in darfur, sudan...in this documentary, the struggles and achievements of six different individuals from inside darfur and around the world bring to light the tragedy in sudan and show how the actions of one person can make a difference to millions...

watch the trailer below, take your friends and family to see the movie, and help spread the word using the resources on this page...we can all make a difference for darfur - NOW!!!

18 November 2007

it doesn't take rendition to produce torture: spain shamed by police...

spanish police are getting away with repeated acts of torture and other ill-treatment, according to a new amnesty international report...

the report highlights cases of people who have been hit, kicked, punched and verbally abused by police officers, both in police custody and on the street...some complainants report being being beaten while handcuffed...others claim they were threatened with a gun or knife, whipped on the soles of their feet and subjected to death threats...

in one case, a detainee was told that if he did not cooperate, police officers would rape his girlfriend...in another, a man lost hearing in one ear for several weeks as a result of blows to the head from officers...

research indicates that such cases are not isolated incidents, but examples of pervasive and structural shortcomings in the prevention, investigation and punishment of torture and other ill-treatment...

amnesty international considers the reluctance of successive spanish governments to address this problem is exacerbating the climate of impunity which fosters further incidents of ill-treatment...said amnesty international researcher rachel taylor:

"The Spanish authorities must end the state of denial regarding torture and other ill-treatment by police officers. Police officers often take the law in their own hands, while the authorities turn a blind eye to their practices which are in clear violation of Spain's international legal obligations. Torture may not be routine but it goes unchecked despite Spain’s commitments under international law."
victims of ill treatment and torture by the police are frequently denied justice...court decisions are often biased towards police testimony, while victims of abuse may end up in prison and have their lives and careers ruined...

the factors contributing to effective impunity for police officers include: obstacles to lodging a complaint; incomplete or inaccurate medical reports; intimidation of complainants by the police and failure to punish the officers responsible due to their non-identification...said taylor:

"Until the government takes effective action to investigate allegations and bring to justice all those responsible for torture and other ill-treatment, police officers will remain above the law and the climate of impunity will spread."
read more:

peace out <3

17 November 2007

join me in making a difference for women in 16 days...

in 16 days, you can help build the bridge from hurt to healing....

within 16 days, native american and alaska native rape survivors can begin receiving the care and treatment they deserve...the indian health service (ihs) is the principle and in some areas, sole provider of health services for native american and alaska native people...despite its prevalence, ihs continues to lack consistent protocols and resources for treating sexual assault survivors...so please join the "16 days of activism against gender violence" campaign and help break down the barriers for indigenous women overcoming crisis....

during the 16 days between november 25th, international day against violence against women, and december 10th, international human rights day, the call to eliminate all forms of violence against women will reach a fever pitch...women's rights advocates from around the world will be taking action to highlight the violation of women's rights as an abuse of human rights...

the violence in the u.s. against indigenous women is particularly astounding...sexual violence against native american and alaska native women is 2.5 times more likely to occur in comparison to other women in the u.s....however, ihs facilities often lack access to the very basic services provided to victims of rape such as testing for sexually-transmitted infection, pregnancy testing, emergency contraception, and culturally-appropriate support services...furthermore, our maze of injustice report discovers that many ihs facilities are not clinically or educationally equipped to handle the trauma linked to rape and sexual assault....

really??? -- whoa!!!

during the "16 days" of action, demand that the ihs:
  • provides free access to sexual assault examinations, known as "rape kits"
  • adopts and implements standardized policies for treating survivors of rape and sexual assault developed in coordination with Indigenous women's rights defenders
  • conducts all examinations by well-trained sexual assault nurse professionals

yes, in 16 days, you can help build the bridge from hurt to healing....

peace out <3

16 November 2007

yesterday produced a breakthrough u.n. resolution on global moratorium on executions...

"This historic resolution is a major step towards worldwide abolition of the death penalty."
-- Irene Khan, Secretary-General of Amnesty International --

a call was made for a global moratorium on executions by the u.n. general assembly's third committee...the general assembly is expected to endorse the decision in a plenary session in december...

the breakthrough comes in clear recognition of the growing international trend towards worldwide abolition...the initiative is an important contribution to the creation of a death penalty free world – a vision envisaged by general assembly three decades ago...

the resolution carries considerable moral and political weight, although it is not legally binding on states...establishing a moratorium on executions is an important tool for convincing states still using the death penalty to engage in a nation-wide debate and to review their laws on capital punishment...if death penalty laws are under review, states must deem that it is only fair to stop executing people during the process...

like amnesty International i opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception...the death penalty is the ultimate denial of human rights - the premeditated and cold-blooded killing of a human being by the state in the name of justice...it violates the right to life as proclaimed in the universal declaration of human rights and is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment...

one-hundred-and-thirty-three countries have abolished the death penalty in law or practice...only 25 countries actually carried out executions in 2006...in 2006, 91% of all known executions took place in china, iran, iraq, pakistan, sudan and the good ol' u.s. of a...amnesty international's statistics also show an overall decline in the number of executions in 2006 - a recorded 1,591 executions, compared to 2,148 in 2005...

just as we worked for here in tennessee, at least as long as i was involved in the movement, i hope you'll join me in calling on all countries to establish a moratorium on executions as soon as the general assembly in plenary has endorsed the resolution later this year...

find out more:
watch the animated slideshow narrated by colin firth
u.n. adopts landmark decision on global moratorium on executions
stop the death penalty: worldwide abolition now

peace out <3

15 November 2007

crackdown in pakistan continues - suspend all aid to these massive human rights abusers...

the military crackdown in pakistan represents a direct assault on human rights...

last saturday, general musharaff effectively declared martial law, suspended the bulk of the constitution and acquired powers to amend it without any parliamentary procedure...and "acquired" powers to amend it without any parliamentary procedure...and proclaimed a provisional constitutional order (pco)...this order prohibits any court issuing an order against the president, prime minister or any person exercising powers under their authority...

since then, hundreds have been arrested and arbitrarily detained across pakistan including lawyers, journalists, human rights defenders and political activists...the chief justice and several others justices of the supreme court have been dismissed and placed under house arrest...

former prime minister benazir bhutto has also been subjected to house arrest...again...

and let's not forget that pakistan is a nuclear power...

we fear that this assault on key institutions of accountability, combined with sweeping emergency powers, will exacerbate existing patterns of human rights abuse, including torture and other ill-treatment, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances and use of excessive force to suppress peaceful dissent...


peace out <3

14 November 2007

lawless musharraf regime dashes hopes for pakistan's disappeared...

"The desolate families of the missing persons …were counting each day for the return of their loved ones. Once again their high hopes are shattered."
-- Amina Janjua, wife of Masood Janjua, who was disappeared in 2005 --

on tuesday 13 november 2007, pakistan's supreme court was due to hear the cases of 485 individuals – all victims of enforced disappearance over the past six years...some had been labelled terrorists or threats to national security...

following the proclamation of the state of emergency in pakistan on 3 november, the hearing is no longer taking place...the supreme court is in disarray after the dismissal of the former chief justice and other senior judges – meaning justice remains denied to the 485 disappeared...the hopes of these people, as well as their families and human rights organizations who have been campaigning for justice for years, have been shattered...

the supreme court had been taking a tough stance on alleged disappearances, calling on the government and state security services to bring detainees to court...it warned that those responsible for human rights violations will be held to account...

pakistan's involvement in the u.s.-led "war on terror" has been characterized by widespread violations of human rights...mass arrests of terror suspects – often for bounties of thousands of dollars – has led to detainees being taken away to the u.s. detention facility at guantánamo bay in cuba, transferred to secret cia detention centres, unlawfully transferred to other countries or held in arbitrary or secret detention in pakistan itself...many – if not most – of these individuals have been tortured or otherwise ill-treated...

enforced disappearance rarely occurred in pakistan before 2001...since then, while primarily used against alleged terror suspects, the practice has also been used against other perceived political opponents, including baloch and sindh nationalists and journalists...

general pervez musharraf blamed militant violence in the country when he imposed emergency rule...he also accused members of the judiciary of "working at cross purposes with the executive and legislature in the fight against terrorism and extremism,"...

the dismissed chief justice, iftitkar choudhry, was instrumental in ensuring that previous cases of disappeared persons were heard in the supreme court...under the state of emergency, many supreme and provincial high court justices who were involved in those hearings remain under house arrest...

disturbingly, the impunity with which the pakistani authorities have operated for the last six years threatens to become entrenched with the amendment - on 11 november - of the 1952 army act...the amended act also gives military courts the power to try civilians suspected of a range of alleged offences, including terrorist activities, treason or sedition, for cases dating back to 2003...

the rule of law and human rights cannot be ignored under the pretext of the "war on terror" or the state of emergency...the fate of the disappeared individuals and the torment of their families must be addressed...

all those accused of terrorist or other offences must be given a fair trial and released from secret detention where they are at risk of torture or other ill-treatment...

for those of us who are u.s. citizens this is our war on terror and we are responsible for these human rights crimes by creating the atmosphere and generating material support for an administration that is out of control...

read more:
crackdown intensifies in pakistan
opposition defiant in pakistan despite arrests
general musharraf cracks down on opposition

peace out <3

13 November 2007

web based repression and collusion: a half-hearted apology from yahoo! is not enough...

after you read this i have only one question: is google any better at protecting your private information than yahoo???

chinese journalist shi tao used his yahoo! email account to send a message to a u.s.-based pro-democracy website...authorities then used email account holder information supplied by yahoo! to sentence shi tao to 10 years in prison...

last week, ceo jerry yang was called before congress to explain yahoo!'s action...the house foreign affairs committee chairman, tom lantos, rebuked yang saying,

"While technologically and financially you are giants, morally you are pygmies."
ouch!
yahoo! publicly stated its commitment to develop a global code of conduct for operating in repressive countries around the world, including china...but yahoo!'s actions tell another story: the company recently signing another pledge to voluntarily censor in china and reportedly misled congress about what it knew about shi tao...

so, do you support democracy or fascist-like repression???


peace out <3

12 November 2007

opposition defiant in pakistan despite arrests - actions planned this week...

it is now reported hat mass arrests of opposition activists in pakistan have increased in scale to such a degree that it's reported that there are no places left in jails to hold them...in lahore city alone, seven sub-jails have been established...prison administrations have been told to keep detainees in tents...

opposition party leader benazir bhutto has again been placed in what amounts to house arrest for three days...this follows her walking through a police blockade around her house last friday to address a public gathering that had been denied permission by the authorities...

mass arrests of workers from her party started last thursday, when she refused to cancel the public gathering in rawalpindi...across punjab province, more than 4,000 pakistan people's party workers have been arrested...

an alliance of religious political parties has also announced that it will start street agitation beginning this wednesday...

lawyers across the country are facing extreme difficulties in their efforts to locate and meet the detainees...even where places of detention are known, access is not being granted by the authorities...

senior lawyers arrested on the day of emergency, including aitzaz ahsan, the president of the supreme court bar association, have been detained incommunicado...mr. ahsan's counsel has not been allowed to see his client in jail despite his repeated applications to the chief commissioner in islamabad...mr. ahsan is also reported to be held in solitary confinement...the whereabouts of other senior lawyers is not known...

the government initially charged people with anti-terrorism charges, but now charges of sedition are being issued...three politicians and one trade unionist were charged with sedition on friday...they were arrested last tuesday in karachi for making speeches and participating in an anti-emergency demonstration outside the press club...karachi police have also filed a case of sedition against eight lawyers, but none of them has so far been arrested...

the government is also in the process of introducing amendments to provide legal authority for the intelligence agencies to detain any citizen on suspicion of terrorism...this will allow them authorities to hold any citizen in arbitrary detention without any specific charges...military laws are also to be amended to allow the trial of civilians by military authorities under the army act...the attorney general has confirmed the process of such amendments...

independent tv and radio channels are still not permitted to broadcast within pakistan...bbc and cnn were yesterday permitted to transmit within pakistan...however today, in view of the mass arrests and telecast of pakistan people's party rally, the channels were taken off air again...

journalists observed a 'black day' in pakistan on friday in protest at the media restrictions...two daily newspapers have been served official notices to bring their editorial policy in line with the new press laws or they face official action...

this thursday 15 november has been announced as an international day of action on pakistan...amnesty international will be organising actions to coincide with actions by journalists in pakistan and other groups around the world, including the international federation of journalists...

further details of events will be announced very, very soon...stay tuned...

peace out <3

11 November 2007

because, damn it, women remain at risk, support the international violence against women act...

and the beat goes on...

amina, a 30 year-old muslim woman from nigeria, was sentenced to be stoned to death for having a child outside of wedlock...moldovan sisters elena and vara were trafficked and forced to work as prostitutes in the united kingdom...an estimated 80% of all pakistani women suffer violence at home, according to the human rights commission of pakistan...

these stories barely represent a fraction of the heinous crimes against women that occur behind closed doors daily...until now, there has never been a consistent approach, that crosses international lines, to not only acknowledge the violence against women and girls but to directly combat it...however, with the introduction of the international violence against women act (i-vawa), the u.s. congress recently set the wheels in motion for a proactive global plan to address such human rights violations...

congress must send a message to the international community that violence against women cannot be tolerated...


peace out <3

10 November 2007

the monk's tale: death in detention of u thilavantha...

"We only dared go back into the monastery in the morning. The whole building looked fairly messed up with doors that had been kicked open. We saw red stains on the floor… and solid red blobs that appeared to be blood."

u thilavantha was a respected and much-loved member of his local community...he spent several years studying as a monk in sri lanka and was the deputy abbot of the yuzana kyaunghtai training school in myitkyina, a city in the far north of myanmar...he gave english classes to local children...he was around 35 years old...

on 25 september, the day after myitkyina's monks had taken part in peaceful marches calling for an end to restrictions imposed by the military government, u thilavantha's monastery was raided by police...he was beaten and arrested...once in detention, he received further beatings...

he died of his injuries the following day...officials at the local hospital were pressured into declaring that he had suffered a heart attack...

the monastery in which u thilavantha lived had originally housed 142 monks...on 31 october, only 11 remained...

listen: the monks recount the full story of the military's brutal attack

monks from the training school in myitkyina have told amnesty international of the day the police destroyed their home...the monks have described the events of the 25 september that led to the death of u thilavantha and the beating of many others...recalled one of the monks:

"The authorities cut the phone lines at about five in the afternoon. At ten past nine that night, they crashed open the main gate of the monastery with their military trucks. They started beating the monks as soon as they came in. They kicked open the main door of the monastery after they crashed open the gate. They beat us indiscriminately as soon as they got inside the building. It was a preventive strike so that the monks could not resist the attack. They ordered us to stand against the wall and hit the monks who did not obey their orders with sticks..."
read more:
new evidence of mass detentions, hostage taking, deaths in custody and disappearances
myanmar: no return to "normal"

peace out <3

09 November 2007

this letter from gitmo ask us to help end unfair trials and close guantánamo...

i received this note from my colleague jumana musa who is the advocacy director for domestic human rights and international justice at amnesty international usa and wanted to pass it on to you and ask for your support in closing down gitmo...

I am writing to you again from Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. I am here to observe more pre-trial proceedings in the case of Omar Khadr, the Canadian citizen who was fifteen years old at the time of his capture. This is the third time that the US Government has attempted to bring charges against Khadr.

The first time he was charged, the Supreme Court threw out the entire Commissions process. The second time he was charged, a military judge threw out the charges, stating that the Commissions did not have jurisdiction over Khadr.

Why am I here again to witness another attempt at pre-trial proceedings in this case? Perhaps the US Government thinks the third time is a charm. Most likely, they are not willing to admit that their entire system is a failure, along with the questionable legal regime that they have attempted to create in Guantánamo.

What can you do about it? You can help tear down Guantánamo, one pixel at a time, by signing the pledge. If you have already signed it, you can send it to your friends, or even add it to your MySpace page. Help us gather the signatures we need to let the President know that Guantánamo has got to go.

By closing Guantánamo, we can put an end to unfair trial proceedings like the one that Omar Khadr is being subjected to. We can end the policy of indefinite detentions that prevents people from accessing independent courts. We can remove the most visible manifestation of the human rights violations that the US continues to perpetuate in the name of "security." We can counter terror with justice.

On January 11, we will present the petitions to the White House, while thousands demonstrate around the country -- and around the world -- calling for the prison's closure. Do your part - sign the pledge and pass it on.

Together, we can close Guantánamo once and for all.
peace out <3

08 November 2007

say no to torture in saudi arabia as a response to private expression of sexual preference...

check it - i need your help please --join me in telling authorities in saudi arabia that imprisonment and torture of people due to their sexual orientation will not be tolerated....

you see, two men in saudi arabia have been sentenced to 7,000 lashes each for having sex and a third man sentenced to 450 lashes for a drug-related offense...this punishment constitutes torture and is in violation of international law...in addition to denouncing all forms of torture, amnesty international considers those imprisoned solely for their sexual orientation to be prisoners of conscience...speak out against the torture, detention and conviction of two men for having sex....

it is my assertion that the criminalization of consensual same-sex relations is a violation of international human rights law and warrants our call for the immediate and unconditional release of the two men accused of having sex...as a member of amnesty International i consider the two men to be prisoners of conscience and calls for their immediate and unconditional release...


peace out <3

07 November 2007

general musharraf little more than a thug as he cracks down on opposition...

the crackdown against pro-democracy activists in pakistan continued yesterday with reports of more arrests of protesters and police beatings of lawyers...
president musharraf has appointed new judges to enforce his declaration of a state of emergency...these judges have reversed their predecessors' decisions making emergency rule illegal...following his dismissal, former chief justice iftikhar chaudhry and a range of senior lawyers have urged protesters to step up efforts to restore the constitution...

as you probably know acting in his capacity as army chief of staff, on 3 november, general musharraf suspended the bulk of the constitution and acquired powers to amend it without any parliamentary procedure...

amnesty international has called for the immediate return to constitutional rule and the release of hundreds of people detained under the current measures, including human rights activists, lawyers, journalists and political party activists...the state of emergency declared by musharraf is a blatant breach of international law that paves the way for escalating human rights abuses...

amnesty international secretary general irene khan had this to say following the weekend's military crackdown:

"General Musharraf's actions constitute a direct assault on Pakistan’s judiciary, its vibrant human rights community, independent media and peaceful political dissent. Measures that have been portrayed as necessary to protect Pakistan are in fact a wholesale abrogation of fundamental human rights protections and dismantle the very institutions and checks and balances that underpin the country’s stability."
general musharraf has bypassed constitutional provisions for declaring a state of emergency...this means key rights, such as not being arbitrarily deprived of life and elements of the right to a fair trial, have been suspended...

now, under international law and human rights standards, reflected in the constitution of pakistan, these rights must be fully and unconditionally respected in all circumstances, whether or not a public emergency exists...said ms khan:

"Musharraf's actions also fly in the face of commitments set out in the emergency declaration itself to uphold the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law.”
the suspension of judges and their effective house arrest plainly violates core provisions of the united nations principles for the independence of the judiciary...concluded khan:

"Amnesty International fears that this assault on key institutions of accountability, combined with sweeping emergency powers, will exacerbate existing patterns of human rights abuse, including torture and other ill-treatment, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances and use of excessive force to suppress peaceful dissent."

peace out <3

06 November 2007

your efforts have recently made a difference in burma even as junta tries to tighten hold...

for decades, amnesty international has campaigned for countless prisoners of conscience in burma...in 1999, a school teacher named ma khin khin leh helped plan a peaceful demonstration supporting the national league for democracy (nld), the political party headed by nobel peace prize laureate aung san suu kyi...

days before the demonstration was to take place, authorities arrested ma khin khin leh...she was eventually sentenced to life imprisonment under vaguely-worded security legislation...

although it may seem our efforts are futile, in fact our actions are making a difference...news outlets are reporting that over 70 individuals detained during the recent crackdown have been released, including 50 members of the nld...

peace out <3

05 November 2007

join me in a simple act of letter writing as a holiday act of conscience for human rights...

"A letter brings an unimaginable amount of hope.... to keep fighting, because whatever happens you know those people who sent the letters know your story. Because of Amnesty International ten years became ten months."

jennifer latheef is a photojournalist from the maldives and her story is not unique...she is one of the thousands of prisoners of conscience who received letters from people like me and you, just when she needed it, when all hope was lost...i know from experience that our letters can help stop torture, improve prisoner's treatment, and even lead to their freedom...our letters truly make a difference...

so from your home or coffee shop join this year's global write-a-thon december 7-10 and help us send over 70,000 letters on behalf of individuals like jennifer latheef...

participation is soooooooooo easy...you can either pledge to write letters by yourself, sit down with your daughter, son, or spouse, or, you can plan a letter writing event, at your home, school, church or even at your local cafe...although many events will take place the weekend of december 7-10, you can hold your event anytime during that week...register to host an event or pledge your letters and amnesty international will provide everything you'll need to take action...

your letters are the watchdogs, putting perpetrators of abuse on notice...your letters are the light that shines through the despair prisoners of conscience face on a daily basis...your letters are tools of freedom, paving the way for the abused and battered to finally find freedom...

so this december, please join us in the global write-a-thon....your letters may change someone's life...and maybe even yours in the process...

peace out <3

03 November 2007

freed ethiopian journalist serkalem fasil donates prize to amnesty international...

a former prisoner of conscience has thanked amnesty international for helping secure her release from jail by donating a journalism award to the organization...

serkalem fasil was freed from an ethiopian jail in april, following extensive campaigning by human rights ngos including amnesty international...her ordeal was recognized this week when she picked up a courage in journalism award from the international women’s media foundation...

she has decided to give the prize money to amnesty international and the committee to protect journalists, which also campaigned for her release...said fasil:

"Human rights was once demonized as alien and subversive in the West… as it is today in nations with dictatorial regimes like that of Ethiopia."
she attacked the notion that human rights organizations are "western institutions… muddling through non-western societies"...then she described her donation as:

"A rejection of the manipulation of our national, religious and cultural differences against international human rights organizations. It is also an affirmation of the importance of the work that human rights organizations are doing… I have no doubt about the importance of Amnesty International in this story."
serkalem fasil was seized by police in november 2005 for her role as co-publisher of asqual, menilik and satenaw newspapers...amnesty international believes she was detained solely for exercising her right to freedom of expression...

fasil faced the death penalty if found guilty on charges of treason, outrages against the constitution and incitement to armed conspiracy...she was pregnant at the time of her arrest and gave birth to a baby son in the police hospital, where medical care was grossly deficient...

amnesty international secretary general irene khan paid tribute to her courage in the face of grave human rights abuses...

"I am extremely touched by this strong and brave gesture of support for global human rights by a former prisoner of conscience who is still at risk. As requested, we will be allocating this unusual and selfless donation to our international work."
that's why i am an active member of amnesty international - it works and it inspires...you should join too...

peace out <3

02 November 2007

listen to a grateful voice from death row thank you for your action...

i have blogged about this travesty of a case many times before...now i have something cool for you to listen to and an easy action request as well...

because of people like you who responded to prompts to act from people like me troy davis is still alive today...you can listen here to troy thank you personally....

last july, despite strong evidence of his innocence, troy davis came within 24 hours of execution by the state of georgia...thanks to the 34,000 individuals who sent appeals, troy was granted a 90-day stay...listen to troy tell his story and personally thank you for all your efforts....

meanwhile the georgia supreme court will decide if troy gets a new trial and an opportunity to finally present evidence that has never been heard in court...listen to troy share these facts about his experience:
  • there was no physical evidence against troy davis...
  • the weapon used was never found...
  • the case against him consisted entirely of witness testimony...
  • 7 of the 9 non-police witnesses have recanted or contradicted their testimony...
  • many of these witnesses have stated that they were pressured or coerced by the police...one of the witnesses who has not recanted is the principle alternative suspect...
  • nine individuals have signed affadavits implicating this suspect as the actual shooter...
  • troy davis has never had a hearing in federal court on the reliability of the witness testimony used against him...
troy's life was temporarily spared, yet the possibility of his execution still remains if he is not granted a new hearing or trial...so please, please sign the petition today, and ask five of your friends to do the same....

together, you and me, we’ll send a strong message to the georgia authorities that when it comes to the death penalty, fairness matters...

peace out <3

01 November 2007

if you oppose torture then ensure accountability for blackwater security contractors...

two weeks ago i blogged and asked you to write to your senator about the deadly shootings near nisour square in baghdad involving blackwater contractors working for the u.s. state department...sadly, this attack is only one among many examples of u.s. private military contractors acting with impunity under the guise of the "war on terror,"...take action now and tell Blackwater that this must change....

erik prince, blackwater worldwide's ceo, testified that his contractors "acted appropriately at all times,"...yet, only eight days later, the company withdrew from its commitments to a code of conduct that included human rights standards...even though blackwater personnel continue to operate in iraq and elsewhere, the company isn't taking serious steps to ensure they uphold human rights...

by urging your senator to support the security contractor accountability act, you are helping ensure greater accountability for the military contracting industry in the long-term...but passing this law could take time, and there is an urgent need for blackwater to facilitate public investigations into the recent shootings and help bring those responsible to justice, as well as taking steps to make sure their employees don't run wild...

take action now --tell blackwater that private military contractors can't operate in a rules-free zone...

i'm not kidding y'all - please do it now...

peace out <3