take action: internet companies are denying chinese citizens basic online freedoms...

question: how important is freedom of expression to you?

well, internet companies are aiding the chinese government in censoring content online and repressing the rights to freedom of expression and privacy...in the lead-up to the beijing olympics, a time when chinese companies have a real opportunity to take a stand in support of human rights, i'm asking you to join me in sending a message to these companies defending online freedom...

google, yahoo!, and my favorite whipping boy microsoft have also come under fire for playing a role in the repression of freedom of expression...freedom of expression is not an abstraction...we simply can not allow companies to claim it is just a cost of doing business...

help me tell them, along with chinese internet companies, to stop aiding repressive governments and defend online freedom...

contact these companies today and let them know you believe human rights are not negotiable, and chinese citizens deserve internet freedom...

it’s crucial that you take action now...just last week, senator durbin led a congressional hearing questioning these companies about why they seem to have little to show nearly two years since this problem came to light, and why the problem of censorship is only getting worse...soon, an 18-month long consultation process to develop an internet industry code of conduct will likely conclude – we need to ensure that companies participate in good faith to bring about standards that will make a real difference in respecting freedom of expression and privacy...

you can help pressure chinese internet companies to take their human rights responsibilities seriously and do your part to defend freedom of information online...

send a message to internet companies and protect online freedom of expression...

p.s...you can make a bigger impact by taking additional actions on : google | yahoo! | microsoft

peace out <3

state of human rights under the "war on terror" (sic)...

i'm assuming that you don't know so tell me if i'm not correct...

there are currently around 270 detainees in guantánamo bay...nine, including sami al-hajj, a cameraman with al jazeera television, were released from guantánamo on 1 may...muhammad rahim al-afghani, was transferred from secret cia custody to guantánamo in march...charges were sworn against seven so-called "high value" detainees, six of whom had been victims of enforced disappearance and possible torture in the cia secret detention program, and the seventh of whom was subjected to torture and other ill-treatment in guantánamo under the donald rumsfeld-authorized "special interrogation plan"...pre-trial military commissions continued against a number of the other eight guantánamo detainees charged for trial, including canadian national omar khadr (aged 15 when taken into custody) and mohammed jawad (16 or 17)...amnesty international continued to attend military commission hearings at guantánamo...

in february, the director of the cia admitted that 'waterboarding' had been used in 2002 and 2003 against three detainees held in secret cia custody...the administration wrongly claims that its use was lawful, and has refused to rule out use in the future if "circumstances" require it...the attorney general refused to open a criminal investigation on the grounds that the technique had been approved by justice department lawyers, among others...

peace out <3

governments must apologize for 60 years of human rights failures...

sixty years ago, the universal declaration of human rights (udhr) was adopted by the united nations...lnow sixty years later, as cited in amnesty international's 2008 report, state of the world's human rights, people still face:

• torture or ill-treatment in at least 81 countries
• unfair trials in at least 54 countries
• filtered or blocked speech in at least 77 countries

governments are failing to respond to growing angry demands for justice, freedom, and equality - similarly to those voiced in myanmar, pakistan and iran...

in honor of the 60th anniversary of the udhr, amnesty international challenges governments around the world to set a new paradigm for collective leadership to solve the world's human rights crises...

read state of the world's human rights
visit thereport.amnesty.org to read the blog, watch videos, and get in-depth information
check out the annual report 2008 on youtube
read the press release

peace out <3

call on riga city council to protect rigaa pride 2008...

a latvian organization for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (lgbt) people, called mozaika, is planning to hold a gay pride event in the centre of latvia’s capital, riga on 31 may...

when similar events were organized in 2005 and 2006, they were either banned or inadequately protected against attacks from homophobic counter-protestors...

in 2007, a gay pride march celebrating the rights of lgbt people was held inside a park in riga...it received adequate police protection, but was marred by large numbers of counter-demonstrators chanting homophobic abuse outside the park...two homemade explosive devices were thrown into the park, where they exploded...

this year, mozaika is again facing problems trying to organise the march...they have faced difficulties in obtaining a permit for holding a gay pride from riga city council...however, a permit has now been given to hold a gay pride on a major street in riga on 31 may...

however, the pride march is likely to be targeted by counter-demonstrators and the pride marchers will need to be adequately protected by law enforcement officials...

take action by clicking here...

peace out <3

take action for darfuris at risk of torture...

more than 150 individuals, mainly from darfur, were arrested between may 9 and 16 in khartoum, sudan...many of those arrested are reported to be held incommunicado in national security detention facilities in the capital or at unknown locations...

all the detainees are at risk of torture or other ill-treatment, and may even be killed or subjected to enforced disappearance by the authorities...

join me in calling on sudanese authorities to immediately reveal the whereabouts of students adam abdel rahman fadul, ahmed orshi, lawyer abdel shakour hashim derar and al-ghali yahya shegifat, president of the association of darfur journalists...

time is of the essence. help these individuals at risk...

peace out <3

take action: release equitorial guinea pastor...

the reverend bienvenido samba momesori, a protestant pastor and member of an ethnic group native to bioko island, has been detained since october 2003 without charge or trial...he is a prisoner of conscience, arrested solely for his peaceful political opinions and because of his ethnic origin...

reverend samba, in his mid-50s, married with four daughters and one son, is a pastor of the church of cherubs and seraphs...while i'm not a religious person that is a cool church name...

on sunday 26 october 2003 he was arrested at his church in malabo, the capital of equatorial guinea, on bioko island...he has been held without charge or trial ever since...

the authorities initially denied they were holding him, but after two weeks his family discovered he was in black beach prison in malabo...later he was transferred, apparently when the authorities heard that a red cross delegation was looking for him...the authorities again refused to disclose his whereabouts, but in december 2003 his family learned that reverend samba was in evinayong prison on the mainland...

initially held incommunicado, he now shares a cell with fellow prisoner of conscience felipe ondó obiang...his conditions of detention have improved somewhat since 2003...the international committee of the red cross (icrc) is able to visit regularly...you can take action on his behalf by clicking here...

however, following a visit by the u.n. working group on arbitrary detention in july 2007, family visits in all prisons have been restricted to once a month and last only 15 minutes...because the prison is far from their home reverend samba’s family visit only every five months or so...food provided by the authorities in prisons in equatorial guinea has increased, but remains insufficient and unvaried, so the family brings food, or money to buy it, when they visit...prisoners often share their food with those who have no families to provide for them...

the reverend’s family and the icrc also provide medicines for his chronic ailments, as the prison does not provide treatment for any acute illness...

on 5 june 2006, president teodoro obiang nguema mbasogo released 42 people in an amnesty to mark his 64th birthday...those benefiting included prisoners of conscience and political detainees - most of whom had been imprisoned without charge or trial for over two years...so please aim at intensifying your work on behalf of reverend samba around that date...

peace out <3

artists support human rights (but not the unrolling stones)...

the cure, like myself, seem to have been around forever...but unlike the rolling stones for example they're still alive (sorry, couldn't resist)...and unlike the stopped-dead stones they have lied beyond themselves in the real world where we are part of a large human family...
here's what robert smith of the cure had to say about doing something beyond himself and making their musical livelihood matter:

"Prior to heading out on our Curiosa Festival Tour in 2004, we joined Amnesty International in calling for the release of prisoner Yury Bandazhevsky. We asked you to help by signing a petition on his behalf online and at our concerts. Thousands of signatures and less than a year later, we received the welcome news that he had been released!

We are about to head out on the European leg of our 4Tour, and are once again joining Amnesty International to call for the release of a prisoner of conscience. Ma Khin Khin Leh is in jail right now for doing something we all do at each and every Cure concert - she has been denied the basic human right of Freedom of Assembly. We hope you will all once again give your support by signing another petition at our shows and online."

join robert smith today and sign a petition for ma khin khin leh...
view the cure's 4tour schedule

peace out <3

european parliamentarians met u.s. authorities over illegal detentions...

international parliamentarians met with u.s. government officials last week to discuss amnesty international's framework to end illegal u.s. detentions...

sir menzies campbell, member of the u.k. parliament, and christophe strasser, member of the german bundestag, represented the 1,236 parliamentarians from 30 countries that have already joined the call to u.s. authorities to end illegal detention at guantánamo and elsewhere, in accordance with amnesty international's framework...

campbell and strasser met with officials from the u.s. department of state, the house foreign affairs subcommittee, the senate judiciary committee, the office of senator mccain and the u.s. navy, among others...

and remember...a replica guantánamo cell is touring the u.s...

for nearly 2 weeks a replica of a maximum security cell at guantánamo has been touring the states...the tour, organized by the good folks at amnesty international...it is a way to enable people to get a glimpse of the harsh realities of illegal detention and prolonged isolation...

mary robinson, former president of Ireland, ex-u.n. high commissioner for human rights and a representative of the global elders, visited the cell in miami on 10 may and spoke to human rights activists who had gathered for a concert and rally...

peace out <3

learn - take action and influence china's olympic legacy...

when china made its bid for the 2008 olympics, authorities promised improvements in human rights...the countdown to the beijing olympics has begun, and the chinese authorities must make good on their promises and uphold the legacy of the games...the peeps and i at amnesty international is working with activists on the following four issues:

• abolish re-education through labor’: end arbitrary police detentions, arrests without trial, and forced labor programs...
• human rights defenders: release human rights defenders and allow them to carry out peaceful actions in accordance with international law...
• freedom from censorship: provide full media freedom to journalists, both foreign and domestic, and end censorship of the internet...
• stop executions: lower the number of crimes punishable by death and ensure fair trials for the accused...together we can help individuals facing human rights abuses and encourage china to make long-term reforms and improve its human rights record...

for more information, see campaign introduction: legacy of the bejing olympics (pdf)

read a letter (pdf) from aiusa executive director, larry cox asking president bush to urge the chinese government to fufill its human rights commitment...

update: fear of torture and other ill-treatment of tibetan detainees...take urgent action (pdf)

reports:
people’s republic of china: crackdown on activists threatens olympics legacy (pdf)
people’s republic of china: the olympics countdown – crackdown on tibetan protesters (pdf)

peace out <3

u.k. inquiry into torture and death of iraqi in u.k. custody must be independent...

a public inquiry has opened looking into the case of an iraqi hotel receptionist who died after being tortured over a period of 36 hours while detained by u.k. troops in basra...

good.

baha mousa, a 26-year-old father of two, died in september 2003...a post-mortem examination revealed 93 separate injuries on his body...

not a fall down a staircase...amnesty international has noted that:

"This long-overdue recognition by the UK authorities of the need for a full public inquiry into the case. The family of Baha Mousa and their legal representatives, along with NGOs, including Amnesty International, have spent years campaigning for such an inquiry. It should not have taken so long for the UK authorities to acknowledge that an inquiry was needed, given the shocking facts of this case and the obvious inadequacies of the initial investigations."

minimally what is now needed is a genuinely full, independent, impartial and thorough investigation into all of the circumstances of the torture and death of baha mousa, and the torture of a number of other iraqi nationals detained at around the same time as him...

the human rights organization has called for the inquiry to be given a broad enough remit to allow it to fully investigate how, when, where, why and by whom the advice was given that it was lawful for members of the u.k. armed forces to ‘condition’ detainees by the use of techniques such as hooding, sleep deprivation and placing in stress positions...

these techniques have long been outlawed in the u.k., but had become, in the words of the judge presiding over the court martial arising from the case in 2007, “standard operating procedure” among the troops responsible for detaining baha mousa...the judge hearing the court martial described it as “a serious failing in the chain of command all the way up to Brigade and beyond,”...

the terms of reference of the inquiry in this case have yet to be announced, but it has been confirmed that the intention is to hold it under the controversial inquiries act 2005...i agree with amnesty international that this would likely damage the inquiry’s independence, impartiality and thoroughness...an inquiry under the inquiries act would allow the secretary of state for defence – the minister with responsibility for the armed forces, whose conduct will be the subject of the inquiry – significant and wide-ranging powers to impose restrictions on the inquiry if he thinks it is necessary “in the public interest” to do so...

these include:

• the power to set the terms of reference for the inquiry, and to change them during the inquiry
• to appoint the chair of the inquiry and, in consultation with the chair, to appoint all the members of the inquiry panel
  
• to bring the inquiry to an end at any point; to impose restrictions on public access to the inquiry hearings, and public disclosure of the evidence considered in the inquiry
  
• and to withhold any material from the final published report of the inquiry

any inquiry held under this legislation into an allegation of serious human rights violations may not be independent enough from the government to meet the standards required by international human rights law...

the inquiry is justified - conducting it under the auspices of the inquiries act undermines its authenticity and meaning...

peace out <3

the deportation of two senior officials of the migrants' trade union sucks...

i can not for the life of me wrap my brain around the deportation of torna limbu and abdus sabur from south korea this past thursday...mr limbu, a nepalese national, and mr sabur, a bangladeshi national, served as president and vice-president respectively at the seoul-gyeonggi-incheon migrants’ trade union (mtu)...they were both arrested on 2 may 2008...

the two men were deported despite an ongoing investigation by the national human rights commission (nhrc) into the allegations of abuse during their arrest, including allegations that they had been beaten by immigration officers...they did not have the opportunity to challenge the decision to deport them...mr limbu and mr sabur were both detained at cheongju detention centre in northern chuncheong province, south of seoul...

clearly the arrest, detention and deportation of limbu and sabur to be an attempt by the government to deprive them of their basic labour rights protected in the south korean constitution, including the right to freedom of association, and to intimidate migrant workers in general from exercising this right...this right is provided inter alia in the international covenant on civil and political rights (article 22), to which south korea is a state party...amnesty international said:

“We are gravely concerned at these measures taken by the Government authorities to stop the MTU from conducting its rightful union activities. They appear to be a continuation of targeted crackdowns against its leadership since November 2007 when three senior MTU officials were arrested and subsequently deported.”

the south korean government ought to respect the right to freedom of association for all migrant workers and to ensure due process in accordance with national and international human rights standards before any deportation proceedings are carried out...

period.

peace out <3

call for arrest of suspected sudanese war criminals...

over 2.3 million people have been displaced in the darfur conflict...2.3 million -- imagine the entire atlanta, ga greater metro area being displaced!!!

more than 90,000 people are believed to have been killed as a result of the conflict, and over 200.000 are thought to have died from conflict related causes...thousands of women have been raped since the conflict began...

on 27 april 2007 the international criminal court (icc), an international tribunal, issued two arrest warrants against government minister ahmad harun and janjawid leader ali kushayb...the two are suspected of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in darfur, including murder, rape and torture...

the sudanese authorities have refused so far to allow ahmad harun and ali kushayb to be tried by the icc...

take action to ensure that persons accused of the worst human rights violations are brought to justice...

peace out <3

humanitarian aid definitely not getting through to cyclone victims...

fracking incredible...despite the devastation caused by cyclone nargis nearly two weeks ago, myanmar's government keeps the country on lockdown...

only a handful of flights offering assistance have been allowed in...relatively few resources like food, water, medicine, blankets and tents have been given out...the reporting on npr and the bbc have done a decent job despite the obstacles of offering a window into the backwardness and obstinancy of myanmar's military rulers...

it makes me physically wretch imagining the realtime plight of the victims of this terrible tragedy...the cyclone has killed many thousands of people and more than a million have been displaced...tens of thousands are literally starving and dehydrating...

call on the government of myanmar to allow food and medicine to reach those in need
learn about the constitutional referendum in the aftermath of cyclone nargis
read more about the restrictions on international aid

peace out <3

lebanese leaders must prevent current round of human rights abuses...

check it -- at least 62 people have died and 198 have been injured in armed clashes between hizbullah-led opposition groups and pro-government forces in lebanon, according to official figures...the fighting broke out in the capital beirut on wednesday, 7 may, and gradually spread to other parts of the country...

amnesty international has called on political leaders in lebanon to clearly instruct their supporters to fully respect human rights and to refrain from recklessly carrying out attacks in heavily-populated areas that endanger civilians uninvolved in the clashes...

further, they must also ensure that any person within their custody is treated humanely and is not subjected to torture or other ill-treatment..

the fighting all seemed to start following government decisions to close down the group's telecommunications network and to dismiss beirut airport's head of security, who was seen as sympathetic to hizbullah...

you see, a 60-year old woman and her 33-year old son were killed attempting to flee the ras al-naba'a area in beirut last friday...their car was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade followed by a salvo of bullets fired by armed men...that's never a good thing...

the same day, two other sons of the same woman were seriously injured when they were shot in the back by a group of armed men in the al-nwairi area in beirut...they were on their way to find out what had happened to their mother and brother...

according to news reports, two civilians were killed at a 10 may funeral procession for a killed pro-government supporter, in tariq al-jdide, beirut...

hizbullah then said on sunday that three of its members had been kidnapped in aley, outside beirut, by members of the pro-government progressive socialist party (psp) and that bodies of two of the men had been found...psp leader walid jumblatt acknowledged that three hizbullah men had been killed and that he would accept responsibility if reports that the men had been tortured before being killed were found to be true...

and so in a statement issued this tuesday, amnesty international called on the lebanese authorities to ensure proper investigations into the killing and any other abuses of those not involved in the armed clashes..

"Political leaders must ensure that anyone within their ranks suspected of having committed human rights abuses is handed over to proper judicial authorities to be investigated and brought to justice in full compliance with international human rights standards."

in the statement, amnesty international also urged representatives of arab states to press all parties involved to put an end to all human rights abuses and ensure that the civilian population is spared...the representatives are expected to hold a meeting on the situation in beirut on wednesday...

yikes - what a soap opera with deadly consequences...

peace out <3

here's another successful outcome to your actions...

here's a successful outcome of our collective efforts that i missed earlier and am sharing it with you now...

human rights defender saidzhakhon zainabitdinov was released on february 4 under a presidential amnesty...he had been serving a seven-year sentence, handed down in january 2006 after what was in effect a secret trial...he was indicted for libel, "information dissemination fomenting the panic" and "terrorism,"...prior to his imprisonment, saidzhakhon zainabitdinov was monitoring protests in the town of andizhan which escalated on may 12-13, 2005...during the information blockade that engulfed uzbekistan in the aftermath of the protests, messages from saidjahon zainabitdinov were forwarded to the leading world news agencies, tv channels, radio stations and newspapers...

more success stories

peace out <3

join the call for indonesia to ratify the rome statute...

i don't know what you think but i believe indonesia must fulfil its commitment to ratify the rome statute of the international criminal court in 2008...

in 2004, the president of indonesia adopted a national plan of action on human rights...significantly, the plan states that indonesia intends to ratify the rome statute in 2008...

midway through 2008, however, it remains uncertain whether indonesia will achieve its target...in particular, national legislation providing for cooperation with the international criminal court has not yet been enacted...

amnesty international has called on indonesia to take all necessary steps to ratify the rome statute this year, to demonstrate its commitment to end impunity for the worst human rights violations: genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes...

what is the international criminal court?
the international criminal court is a permanent independent judicial body created by the international community to prosecute crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes...under a system of complementarity, it will only act when national authorities are unable or unwilling to investigate and prosecute crimes...

the rome statute was adopted at an international conference in rome on 17 july 1998...to date 106 countries - more than half of the world - have ratified...the international criminal court, which began work on 1 july 2002 has already commenced four investigations into crimes committed in the central african republic, the democratic republic of congo, darfur (sudan) and uganda...its first trial is expected to start this year...

take action here...

peace out <3

guantánamo cell tour launches in miami...

this spring and summer, amnesty international is touring a life-size replica of a maximum security cell at guantánamo to cities across these here united states...

the tour launches in miami this week, with special events thursday and saturday...

visitors will experience firsthand the harsh realities of illegal detention and prolonged isolation...those moved will be able to record 30 second videos protesting illegal detention...

get a panoramic view from inside the cell
find out where the cell will stop next
rsvp to attend or volunteer at the miami events
tear down guantánamo bay one pixel at a time

peace out <3

obstructionism costs lives in myanmar...

this requires more blogging...in the wake of cyclone nargis, which has already killed tens of thousands of people and displaced around a million more, the government of myanmar (formerly burma) is deliberately impeding life-saving assistance...its failure to open the borders to the massive relief efforts required, including expertise, will lead to further deaths and suffering for those affected by the cyclone...

amnesty international has repeated its urgent call on the government to allow aid, expertise, and materials to reach all cyclone-affected areas, while ensuring that aid is provided on the basis of need without discrimination...

a spokesperson for the human rights group said that the organization believes that, by deliberately blocking life-sustaining aid, the government of myanmar may be violating the right of its citizens to life, food and health...said benjamin zawacki, amnesty international’s myanmar researcher:

"Every block hindering access for the urgently needed assistance risks increasing the already extremely high death toll."

myanmar’s government has stated that nearly 23,000 people died as a result of the cyclone, though independent observers estimate that as many as 100,000 people may have died...cyclone nargis left more than a million people homeless and without essential food, shelter or health care...

myanmar's government has grown increasingly isolated from the rest of the world due to its record of systematic human rights abuses and war crimes...it has not provided desperately needed assistance to hundreds of thousands of its own hard-hit citizens, and it has so far blocked international aid workers and supplies from reaching the most affected areas...

amnesty international said that it fears thousands more may die as a result of malnutrition, communicable diseases and exposure to the elements...each passing day that the cyclone's survivors do not receive necessary aid greatly increases the risk of death or permanent injury...

in a statement quoted in the media, the myanmar ministry of foreign affairs on friday said that the country would not receive "rescue and information teams from foreign countries,"...instead, he is reported to have said that it would receive and distribute aid "with its own resources,"...

as a consequence, the thai prime minister, samak sundaravej, who had planned to travel to myanmar to meet with the government, cancelled his trip...a team of rescue workers flying in to yangon from qatar was reported to have been turned back...

in addition to turning much-needed relief expertise away, the myanmar embassy in bangkok is reported to have closed on friday for a local holiday, rather than issuing visas to relief expertise waiting in the thai capital...

following what they described as "unacceptable restrictions", the world food programme briefly halted relief flights and human rights groups reported that local authorities in yangon had been selling rooftop materials rather than distributing them...

amnesty international called on myanmar's neighbours, in particular those that have friendly relations with the myanmar government – china, india, thailand and viet nam – to continue to press the country's government to facilitate aid efforts and to establish transparent coordination efforts with the international community...

myanmar's government has announced that it will proceed with plans for holding a national referendum regarding a new constitution on 10 may...amnesty international has said that the document is an effort to undermine respect for human rights and to entrench military rule and impunity...

even as hundreds of thousands of its citizens struggle for basic shelter, food and health care, myanmar's government has prioritized acceptance of the new constitution...added zawicki:

"Myanmar’s leaders are again demonstrating their disregard for the well-being of their own people. Instead of helping hundreds of thousands of people in desperate condition, the government is more concerned about shoring up its own power."

read more
myanmar: constitutional referendum flouts human rights

peace out <3

help pick up the pieces in myanmar...

if you've "watched" the devastation in myanmar caused by cyclone nargis for about a week now, despite the disaster, myanmar's government keeps the country on level 5 lockdown...only a handful of flights offering assistance have been allowed in...relatively few resources like food, water, medicine, blankets and tents have been given out...

call on the government of myanmar to distribute humanitarian aid to victims of cyclone nargis...

do our hearts not go out to the victims of this terrible tragedy???

the cyclone has killed thousands of people and more than a million have been displaced from their homes...myanmar's government must work with international relief efforts to help the victims of cyclone nargis by:

• granting access to humanitarian aid workers into myanmar by easing visa restrictions and customs procedures
• allowing professional relief workers to offer assistance without restriction or interference
  
• establishing clear and transparent guidelines for delivering aid that are based on need; not race, gender, national or social origin, political opinion, or religion
  

the people of myanmar must focus on putting their lives back together...tell the government of myanmar to help pick up the pieces - ensure that cyclone victims receive humanitarian aid...

peace out <3

this mother's day, honor the mothers, sisters and daughters in your life...

irene khan is the secretary general of amnesty international in london...i received the following letter from her and am sharing it with you so that you have more info and more options...

peace out <3

Honorata Barinjibanwa was just 18 years old when she was kidnapped from her village in the Democratic Republic of Congo by Rwandan outlaw fighters last April. She spent five long months tied to a tree - her captors untied her only to gang rape her. She survived to tell her story, but remains deeply wounded by the attacks.

Rape is a weapon of war in so many countries around the world, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Colombia and Sudan. And one thing is clear - the problem of violence against women vastly exceeds the resources currently devoted to stopping it.

Through our Stop Violence Against Women campaign, Amnesty International is leading an effort to end this systematic violation of women's basic human rights. But we have a long road ahead of us to ensure that our work brings real changes for women.

Despite overwhelming barriers, none of this is inevitable or irreversible. Your gift today can bring urgently needed funds to Amnesty's grassroots efforts to end the most brutal forms of violence against women in more than 36 countries around the world.

Amnesty and its coalition partners were the driving force behind the International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA) introduced in Congress last October. This bill would authorize nearly $700 million for local programs and services to help end the most brutal forms of violence against women, including honor killings, bride burnings, genital mutilation, mass rapes in war and domestic violence. Its passage is a critical first step in improving the lives of millions of women and girls around the world - women just like Honorata Barinjibanwa.

Please join me today in honoring our mothers, sisters and daughters by making a tax-deductible gift to support Amnesty's Stop Violence Against Women campaign. Together, we can put an end to the horrors women face every day around the world.

Thank you for your continued commitment to advancing the human rights of women and girls worldwide.

Sincerely,

Irene Khan
Amnesty International Secretary General

don't let blackwater get away with it...

on september 16, 2007, private contractors working for the u.s.-based company blackwater worldwide shot and killed 17 iraqi civilians in streets near nisour square, baghdad...the shootings occurred while blackwater was under a contract with the u.s. State department...

demand an explanation from the state department and call for a suspension of blackwater's contract...

the state department conducted investigations and gave blackwater contractors immunity for providing information about the shootings...in early april 2008, the state department renewed blackwater's contract and cited an unfinished fbi investigation to explain not being able to blame blackwater for its conduct...

military commanders have said blackwater contractors are "trigger-happy", "act like cowboys" and on september 16, used "excessive force,"...

demand an explanation from the state department and call for a suspension of blackwater's contract...

ask what standards it has for reviewing contractors' potential involvement in human rights violations and why it is not at least suspending a contract which seems likely to result in further abuses...

peace out <3

routine killings of civilians in somalia continue...

the dire human rights and humanitarian crisis facing the people of somalia has been revealed in yet another groundbreaking, new report from amnesty international...

first-hand testimony from scores of traumatized survivors of the conflict is included in the report, which exposes the violations and abuses they have suffered at the hands of a complex mix of perpetrators...

these include ethiopian and transitional federal government (tfg) troops on the one hand, as well as armed groups on the other...for many civilians, there is nowhere to go to escape the violence...according to michelle kagari, deputy director of amnesty international's africa programme:

“The people of Somalia are being killed, raped, tortured; looting is widespread and entire neighbourhoods are being destroyed.”

witnesses told the human rights group of an increasing incidence of what it locally termed as “slaughtering” or “killing like goats” by ethiopian troops, referring to killing by slitting the throat...the victims of these killings are often left lying in pools of blood in the streets until armed fighters, including snipers, move out of the area and relatives can collect their bodies...continued kagari:

“The testimony we received strongly suggests that war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity have been committed by all parties to the conflict in Somalia – and no one is being held accountable. The human rights and humanitarian situation in Somalia is growing worse by the day. This report represents the voices of ordinary Somalis, and their plea to the international community to take action to end the attacks against them, including those committed by internationally-supported TFG and Ethiopian forces.”

security in many parts of mogadishu is non-existent and the entire population of the city bears the scars of having witnessed or experienced egregious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law...

“There is no safety for civilians, wherever they run. Those fleeing violence in Mogadishu are attacked on the road and those lucky enough to reach a camp or settlement face further violence and dire conditions.”

the transitional federal government, as the recognized government of somalia, bears the primary responsibility for protecting the human rights of the somali people...however, the ethiopian military, which is taking a leading role in backing the tfg, also bears responsibility...kagari added:

“Attacks on civilians by all parties must stop immediately. Also, the international community must bear its own responsibility for not putting consistent pressure on the TFG or the Ethiopian government to stop their armed forces from committing egregious human rights violations.”

amnesty international has urged that the capacity of the u.n. political office for somalia be strengthened, and that amisom – and any succeeding u.n. peacekeeping mission – be mandated to protect civilians and include a strong human rights component with the capacity to investigate human rights violations...the organization has also called for the u.n. arms embargo on somalia to be strengthened...

peace out <3

on violence against women in war zones...

the following letter to the editor appeared in the ny times about 7-8 weeks back -- it supports the international violence against women act and was written by a staff person at amnesty international...check it -- peace out <3>

To the Editor:

Re ''Limbo for U.S. Women Reporting Iraq Assaults'' (front page, Feb. 13):

Contractors working for the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan are getting what amounts to a get-out-of-jail-free card for crimes, including murders and rapes. Congress can help correct this injustice by passing two groundbreaking bills.

Legislation to update the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act clarifies United States jurisdiction to prosecute contractors, establishes an F.B.I. unit to investigate alleged crimes by contractors and requires the Justice Department to report on cases referred to it.

The bill passed overwhelmingly in the House; now the Senate needs to act.

The International Violence Against Women Act, introduced in the Senate by Senators Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Richard G. Lugar, would require training for contractors overseas in combating violence against women and would improve the reporting and complaint processes for these crimes.

If passed, these bills would create hope that justice can be served for women like Jamie Leigh Jones and Mary Beth Kineston, who were assaulted in Iraq.

Erica Razook
New York, Feb. 14, 2008

The writer is with the business and human rights program, Amnesty International USA.

stop violence against women...redux...

up to one in three women globally will be beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime...that's one of the statistics we took to michael schultz at senator lamar alexander's nashville office last tuesday...

on the monday prior, a week agao today, amnesty international organized a lobby day to ask congress for their help in stopping violence against women...

one victim of this violence, bárbara italia méndez was arrested, beaten and raped by the mexican federal police in may 2006...no explanation was given...two years later none of the officials responsible for the sexual violence have been prosecuted...

support the necessary post-lobby day work by sending a message to congress that violence against women must end...

help pass the international violence against women act
stop the impunity and demand justice for bárbara italia méndez and the women of atenco, mexico

peace out <3

woot woot: pakistan ratifies key u.n. human rights treaty...

in case you missed this good news in the news a couple of weeks back...

pakistan has ratified a key u.n. human rights treaty and signed two others...becoming a state party to u.n. human rights conventions is a key step to ensuring human rights are respected, protected and realized for all in pakistan in line with international standards...

the pakistani authorities need to grasp this opportunity and address the pressing human rights problems in their country...

when presenting its candidature for the elections of the human rights council in april 2006, pakistan committed itself to early ratification of core human rights treaties...on 17 april 2008, pakistan moved to uphold this pledge, ratifying the international covenant on economic, social and cultural rights (icescr), and signing both the international covenant on civil and political rights (iccpr) and the u.n. convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (uncat)...

amnesty international has repeatedly, over many years, urged pakistan to ratify these and other u.n. human rights treaties...it has called upon the government of pakistan to promptly ratify the iccpr and the uncat and enact implementing legislation to ensure that the three treaties become part of pakistan’s domestic law...it should also ratify all other human rights treaties and their optional protocols, as well as the rome statute of the international criminal court, and give full effect to international human rights treaties in policy and practice...

finally the human rights group has also urged the new pakistan authorities to release, or else disclose, the fate and whereabouts of all victims of enforced disappearance; to end all secret, incommunicado and administrative detentions; to end all torture and other ill-treatment and repeal all laws which carry cruel, inhuman or degrading punishments; and to declare a moratorium on all death sentences and commute the death sentences of the over 7000 people currently on death row...

peace out <3

take action on the post-election violence in zimbabwe...

in the aftermath of the march 29, 2008 elections, zimbabwe's future seems uncertain...although opposition parties captured a majority in the lower house of parliament, the ruling zanu-pf party has demanded a recount in two dozen races that could tip the balance back in its favor...the results of the presidential race have not been released; the opposition has claimed victory with enough of a majority to avoid a runoff, but zanu-pf has denied the claim...the election itself was relatively peaceful, though there was not a level playing field due to allegations of voter roll manipulation, the placing of polling stations to depress the opposition vote, and the use of food assistance to persuade citizens to vote for zanu-pf...

since march 29, the youth militias have committed numerous beatings against people suspected of voting for the movement for democratic change (mdc)...over one hundred people have required hospitalization and several thousand have been displaced from their homes...the government maintains a monopoly on the television and radio media, and its denial of accreditation to independent domestic and foreign journalists means that zimbabweans lack access to information from alternative views...

rising violence in zimbabwe threatens to reach a crisis level...uncertainty about recently released election results are adding fuel to the fire...

police have raided opposition party and independent election observer offices, seizing documents and computers...supporters of the opposition party have been brutally beaten by government forces...hundreds have been hospitalized from these attacks...

over a month has passed since the national election in march...no president has been decided...

tell the zimbawe ambassador to the u.s. that you oppose the violence and demand democracy

peace out <3

refugee camp trauma continues for palestinians...

more than 3,000 palestinian refugees are currently cut off from the rest of the world in dire conditions without access to adequate humanitarian assistance...

in march 2008, amnesty international delegates met with palestinian refugees stranded in al-tanf camp in no-man’s land between the borders of iraq and syria...

al-tanf camp, a narrow strip of land wedged between a concrete wall and the main transit road from baghdad to damascus, is dry and dusty...temperatures soar to 50ºc in summer and plunge to below freezing in winter...

the camp accommodates hundreds of palestinian refugees seeking to flee from iraq, where they were formerly long term residents...palestinians have been among those particularly targeted for sectarian killings and violence...

overcrowded tents are the only protection from the heat, the snow and the blinding sandstorms...danger is everywhere, especially for the children...the land is infested with scorpions and snakes...

the school tents are unprotected from the busy highway, which has already claimed the life of a boy knocked down by a truck...

according to residents who spoke to amnesty international delegates visiting the camp in march 2008, heating and cooking systems in the tents regularly cause fires that destroy tents – 42 tents in all so far...

despite the unsafe and harsh conditions at al-tanf, the number of palestinian refugees from iraq in the camp is growing as palestinians who entered syria on false passports are identified and deported to the camp...many camp residents described to amnesty international the horrific events that prompted them to flee iraq and have left them traumatized...

the people in al-tanf are also traumatized by the harsh conditions in the camp and the fear that they may be stuck there for many more years...one resident pleaded with amnesty international delegates to "save us from this hell,"...

in addition, some 2000 palestinian refugees are at al-waleed camp in the iraqi desert, facing even greater hardship as access by aid organizations and the u.n. refugee agency is extremely difficult...their living conditions are dire and the only solution to their plight is resettlement to a third country...

as of february 2008, almost 300 other palestinians were in al-hol camp at al-hassakah, north-east syria; most were moved there from the iraq-jordan border in may 2006...

the office of the u.n. high commissioner for refugees (unhcr) believes resettlement in third countries is the only possible durable solution for the palestinians from iraq at the present time...while hundreds of thousands of refugees have fled from iraq to syria and jordan, both countries have generally barred the entry of palestinian refugees from iraq...

the chilean government has offered to resettle an initial group of 116 palestinians from al-tanf...so far some 64 have arrived in chile with the remaining group due to follow shortly...

anumber of other governments outside the middle east are reported to have said that they will resettle some of al-tanf’s residents, but the refugees’ plight is desperate and resettlement to a safe third country cannot come quickly enough...

amnesty international has launched a global campaign to draw attention to the plight of palestinian refugees from iraq highlighting the need for immediate action...

the organization has asked its members and supporters to call for urgent international help in resettling these palestinians and other particularly vulnerable refugees from iraq...

download interviews with some of the refugees in the camp:

interview with a palestinian women from the camp

interview with a doctor from the camp

interview with muhammad from the camp

peace out <3