Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Human Rights Action Update January 20-27

Miriam, human rights defender, 1947-2012

HE WHO PERMITS OPPRESSION PERMITS CRIMES.-Erasmus (1466-1536)

Holbein-erasmus.jpg
Desiderius Erasmus in 1523 as depicted by Hans Holbein the Younger. The Greek and Latin words on the book translate to "The Herculean Labors of Erasmus of Rotterdam".

GOOD NEWS Good news to share!

CHINA

Seven activists who had been criminally detained after gathering outside a court in Beijing during the trial of prominent human rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang have been released.  We are also pleased to report that Peter Dahlin, the Swedish NGO worker has also been released. Thanks to all who participated in the actions.

We also report success of a labor action in Australia. 
 CAMPAIGN SUCCESS! Occupation ends with strong new agreement

[Workers ended their 5-day occupation by signing a strong new agreement which meets their bargaining demands and more.]





 National Union of Workers (NUW) members at the International Flavours and Fragrances (IFF) facility in Dandenong (Victoria) have won their struggle. Again, thanks to all who helped.

CHARITY CORNER 

In the wake of the closing of the Titan and Pollyanna blogs, we are continuing the charity corner here. This week we call your attention to the issue of health services for the world's most vulnerable  peoples. The charity Micro Insurance Academy is a non-profit organization with a mission to bring insurance solutions to the world’s most vulnerable communities. Please open their site, choose a project and donate.

 

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Empower Rural and Indigenous Communities



INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

Indigenous tribes do not simply die out. They are killed by the actions of so-called civilized nations. Survival International provides a long list of cases in which a letter from you can and will make a difference. Please open this link and write at least one letter. This link will be a permanent feature on our blog and we would be grateful if you gave it a bit of attention each week. We suggest going down the list in the order given. The letters are pre-written for you. All you need to do is send them. It would be nice also if a donation to Survival International could be forthcoming. This week we call your attention to the Jawara people of the Indian Great Andaman Island.
Vehicles queue to enter the Jarawa reserve along the Andaman Trunk Road
Vehicles queue to enter the Jarawa reserve along the Andaman Trunk Road
© G Chamberlain/ Survival
Although India’s Supreme Court in 2002 ordered that the highway through the Jarawa’s reserve should be closed, it remains open – and tourists use it for ‘human safaris’ to the Jarawa. Poachers enter the Jarawa’s forest and steal the animals the tribe rely on for their survival. They have also introduced alcohol and marijuana and are known to sexually abuse Jarawa women.In 1999 and 2006, the Jarawa suffered outbreaks of measles – a disease that has wiped out many tribes worldwide following contact with outsiders.
Please act.

 

THE STRUGGLE AGAINST SLAVERY  

We have added a new section to the blog in order to join the struggle against slavery worldwide. This week we refer you to the site of the CNN Freedom Project  where you can find a large number of campaigns against manifestations of slavery in different countries. The number of people living in slavery is of the order of 35 million, which indicates the extent of the problem. We suggest that you look up the Fair Trade movement in your country and make an effort to avoid buying slave-produced products.   Look for these logos and try to be an ethical consumer:
 



 
This week we  call upon you to join the chocolate campaign, to clean up the supply chain of chocolate. Think of a ten year old in Ghana with three years experience in harvesting cacao beans who has never tasted chocolate. Choose your action. The most important thing you can do is to flood your social media with information about the chocolate market.

THAILAND 

Five activists were arrested on 20-21 January, one of whom reports being abducted and ill-treated by military officials before being taken to a police station. They, along with six other activists, face trial in a military court and up to six months in prison and/or a fine for taking part in peaceful activities to highlight allegations of official corruption. Please raise your voice in protest.

BRAZIL 

The use of lethal force by law enforcement officers raises serious human rights concerns, including in regards to the right to life. Brazil is the country with the highest number of homicides in the world: 56,000 people were killed in 2012. Negative stereotypes associated with the youth, especially black young men living in the favelas and other marginalized areas, have contributed to the trivialization of violence. In 2012 over 50% of homicide victims were aged between 15 and 29, and 77% were black. Please click on the petition form.

UKRAINE 

Authorities continue refusing to disclose the fate and whereabouts of Kostyantyn Beskorovaynyi. He was detained in Kostyantynivka, in eastern Ukraine, on 27 November 2014 by security service officers. There are serious concerns about his health and safety. Please act at once.


PAKISTAN 

Please sign the petition calling upon the Prime Minister to put an end to acid attacks against women.

 Stop Acid Attacks against Women in Pakistan!

 Women are attacked with acid for any number of reasons—personal vendettas, shopping during Eid, or being the victim of sexual assault. Ongoing acid attacks towards women in Pakistan are on the rise: this year alone there have been at least 160 reported acid attacks towards women in Pakistan, completely destroying their lives. 



 

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Human Rights Action Update January 14-20

Miriam, human rights defender, 1947-2012

HE WHO PERMITS OPPRESSION PERMITS CRIMES.-Erasmus (1466-1536)

Holbein-erasmus.jpg
Desiderius Erasmus in 1523 as depicted by Hans Holbein the Younger. The Greek and Latin words on the book translate to "The Herculean Labors of Erasmus of Rotterdam".

GOOD NEWS Good news to share!

GOOD NEWS FROM HONDURAS 

In a major win for Indigenous and Afro-descendent peoples in Honduras, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued a judgment in January declaring the State of Honduras responsible for the violation of collective ownership rights and the lack of judicial protection.  The case was brought by OFRANEH, the Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras which has been working for years to defend the territory of the Indigenous Garifuna peoples and a partner of a broad coalition of Indigenous and campesino rights organizations across Honduras. Read more... 
Photo by Felipe Canova. Forum on Land grabbing in Latin America, La Ceiba, 2011.

EMBASSY FINDER 

Survival International provides a useful tool for locating the embassy of any country in your country.
http://embassy.goabroad.com/ You can also find embassies at this link. https://embassy-finder.com/

CHARITY CORNER 

In the wake of the closing of the Titan and Pollyanna blogs, we are continuing the charity corner here. This week, the we refer you to Btzelem, an NGO that monitors human rights in Israel, the Occupied Territories and the Palestinian Authority. B'Tselem has championed human rights in the West Bank and Gaza Strip for over two decades, promoting a future where all Israelis and Palestinians will live in freedom and dignity. We suggest you open the site, read of the human rights violations and make a generous donation to support this worthy cause.

GENERAL OUTRAGE 

We append links to Avaaz petitions and ask you to sign. One is a call to the UN to increase its efforts on behalf of the starving population of Madaya in Syria.


The other is a call to Yahoo to stop the online trading in ivory.

MOURNING HUMAN RIGHTS JOURNALISTS

It is with great sadness that we join Amnesty International in mourning  the tragic deaths of photographer Leila Alaoui and driver Mahamadi Ouédraogo, as a result of the Al Qaeda attack in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso,  on Friday.  They were there on assignment from Amnesty and died in the service of human rights. We join Amnesty International in condemnation of the vicious attack on civilians in Ouagadougou, that killed and injured dozens of people of many nationalities and faiths.

DEATH PENALTY CASES

USA 

Michael Lambrix has been denied clemency and his execution set for 11 February. Twenty-three years old when he was sent to Florida’s death row in 1984, he is now almost 56. He maintains that he acted in self-defense during the crime in question. Please act.

SAUDI ARABIA

Ashraf Fayadh, a Palestinian poet and artist who lives in Saudi Arabia, has been sentenced to death for ‘apostasy’. The Saudi Arabian authorities claim that his poetry has questioned religion and spread atheism. Ashraf has committed no crime. He is a prisoner of conscience. Ask the Saudi Arabian authorities to free him now.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

Indigenous tribes do not simply die out. They are killed by the actions of so-called civilized nations. Survival International provides a long list of cases in which a letter from you can and will make a difference. Please open this link and write at least one letter. This link will be a permanent feature on our blog and we would be grateful if you gave it a bit of attention each week. We suggest going down the list in the order given. The letters are pre-written for you. All you need to do is send them. It would be nice also if a donation to Survival International could be forthcoming. This week we ask you to send a letter to the president of Peru asking him to halt the expansion of the Camisea gas fields into the territory of the  Nahua people whose lives would be endangered by this contact with the gas field workers.

THE STRUGGLE AGAINST SLAVERY  

We have added a new section to the blog in order to join the struggle against slavery worldwide. This week we refer you to the site of the CNN Freedom Project  where you can find a large number of campaigns against manifestations of slavery in different countries. The number of people living in slavery is of the order of 35 million, which indicates the extent of the problem. We suggest that you look up the Fair Trade movement in your country and make an effort to avoid buying slave-produced products.   Look for this logo:

This week we return to the issue of cotton harvest slavery in Uzbekistan. You may not be aware of the fact that the Daewoo corporation is a major purchaser of slave-grown cotton from Uzbekistan. Please call on Daewoo to stop profiting from Uzbek cotton slavery by signing the pre-written letter.

ISRAEL  

A 23-year-old Palestinian man, Mohammad Faisal Abu Sakha, has been detained by the Israeli military, without charge or any explanation, since 14 December. He has not been allowed visits from his family. Please demand his release.

CHINA  

A Swedish national working for a China based NGO has been detained in Beijing since 3 January on charges of “endangering state security”. The Chinese authorities have not allowed consular visits, and he has a health condition that requires urgent medical treatment. Please act on his behalf.

MYANMAR 

Phyoe Phyoe Aung was arrested after organizing a largely peaceful protest in Myanmar, during which police attacked students with batons.
 











She and scores of others now face lengthy jail terms. To prove that it has left its brutal past behind, the Myanmar government must release these Prisoners of Conscience now. Please act.

NEW ZEALAND 

Two hundred workers at AFFCO, the New Zealand meat company owned by the anti-union Talley family, have been locked out since June last year for resisting the company's brutal push to replace negotiated collective agreements with individual contracts. Talleys/AFFCO is also punishing union members and workplace representatives with suspensions and dismissals. SEND A MESSAGE TO TALLEYS/AFFCO!

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Human Rights Action Update January 6-13

Miriam, human rights defender, 1947-2012

HE WHO PERMITS OPPRESSION PERMITS CRIMES.-Erasmus (1466-1536)

Holbein-erasmus.jpg
Desiderius Erasmus in 1523 as depicted by Hans Holbein the Younger. The Greek and Latin words on the book translate to "The Herculean Labors of Erasmus of Rotterdam".

 GOOD NEWS Good news to share!

STUDENT FREE AFTER SENTENCE REDUCED

A Tunisian student jailed for engaging in homosexual relation is free after his sentence was reduced on appeal on 17 December.
A 22-year-old Tunisian student, referred to by the pseudonym “Marwan”, was sentenced to one year in prison on 22 September 2015 by the Court of First Instance in Sousse under Article 230 of the Penal Code, which criminalizes same-sex sexual relations. He was released on a bail of 500 Dinars (247 US$) on 5 November so he could complete his final university exams, according to his lawyer.
During an appeal session held on 17 December, Marwan’s sentence was reduced to two months in prison and a 3,000 Dinar fine (1,459 US$). Having already served this time in detention, Marwan was free on 17 December.
No further action is requested from the UA network. Many thanks to all who sent appeals.

SUCCESS ON THE LABOR FRONT 

Reported by Eric Lee:"Meanwhile, two of our campaigns launched in December closed down fairly quickly -- and for good reason.
A campaign we launched on December 14th demanding the release of Iranian teacher trade unionist Mahmoud Beheshti Langroodi closed within a day after we learned that he had been freed. Mahmoud's hunger strike captured the attention of many human rights activists and trade unionists, and the more than 4,500 of you who sent off messages in that short time helped send a clear message to the Iranian government.
And just one day before that we learned that the deal between the Israeli and Chinese governments -- which would have led to the importation of 20,000 Chinese workers as bonded labor -- failed.  The collapse of the deal came after more than 6,300 of you supported the online campaign we launched with our partners in the Israeli and Hong Kong labor movements.  Full details are here."

DEATH PENALTY IN FLORIDA DECLARED UNCONSTITUTIONAL 

By a vote of 8-1 the U.S. Supreme Court today (12-6-16) declared Florida's death penalty statute unconstitutional, concluding that it gave judges too much power. Read more.
Juries — not judges — should make the final decision in whether a defendant should be executed, wrote Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
Under Florida's current system, a judge makes the final decision after a 12-member jury has listened to evidence and made a recommendation. That recommendation, however, need not be unanimous, something often criticized by death-penalty opponents. Let us hope that this decision leads to abolition.

 EMBASSY FINDER 

Survival International provides a useful tool for locating the embassy of any country in your country.
http://embassy.goabroad.com/ You can also find embassies at this link. https://embassy-finder.com/

CHARITY CORNER 

In the wake of the closing of the Titan and Pollyanna blogs, we are continuing the charity corner here.  This week, the we refer you to Breaking the Silence, an Israeli NGO of Israeli soldiers who talk about the occupied territories and what they were called upon to do there.
 

Michael Sfard the famous human rights lawyer writes about them in the NYTimes.
Demonstrators in Tel Aviv last month protested against a video that accused human rights activists of being "foreign agents." Credit Baz Ratner/Reuters

The government and the right wing media are strongly against them, mainly because what they publish is the truth.
Please support them.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

Indigenous tribes do not simply die out. They are killed by the actions of so-called civilized nations. Survival International provides a long list of cases in which a letter from you can and will make a difference. Please open this link and write at least one letter. This link will be a permanent feature on our blog and we would be grateful if you gave it a bit of attention each week. We suggest going down the list in the order given. The letters are pre-written for you. All you need to do is send them. It would be nice also if a donation to Survival International could be forthcoming.


This week we inform you of the awarding of the title "racist of the year for 2015" to Fernando Furtado, a deputy in the Brazilian state of Maranhao.  Furtado, of the Communist Party of Brazil, was given the award for comments he made in a speech in July, in which he said that Amazonian Indians should be left to starve. He also called them “a bunch of little gays.” After having caused outrage in Brazil, Mr. Furtado was forced to issue a formal retraction.
Fernando Furtado, Survival's Racist of the Year 2015, addresses the Maranhao state assembly
Fernando Furtado, Survival's Racist of the Year 2015, addresses the Maranhao state assembly
© Agência Assembleia

Addressing a meeting of loggers and ranchers, Mr. Furtado said of indigenous Brazilians: “They don’t know how to plant rice, so let them die of hunger in poverty, that’s the best thing, because they don’t know how to work.” 

We ask you to respond to Mr. Furtado by helping the victims, the Awa tribe whose land is being burned over by the people to whom he made his speech.  Your support is vital if the Awá are to survive. There are many ways you can help.

    a)Writing a letter to the Brazilian government is a quick and simple way to let them know of your concern.
    b)Donate to the Awá campaign (and other Survival campaigns).    
    c) Write to your MP or MEP (UK) or  Senators and members of Congress (US).
    d)Write to your local Brazilian high commission or embassy.

    If you want to get more involved, contact Survival…

THE STRUGGLE AGAINST SLAVERY  


We have added a new section to the blog in order to join the struggle against slavery worldwide. This week we refer you to the site of the CNN Freedom Project  where you can find a large number of campaigns against manifestations of slavery in different countries. The number of people living in slavery is of the order of 35 million, which indicates the extent of the problem. We suggest that you look up the Fair Trade movement in your country and make an effort to avoid buying slave-produced products.   Look for this logo:


This week we call your attention to the issue of recruitment of children into armed forces in Afghanistan. Please amplify the efforts of UNICEF by posting the page to your social media and your circles.
UNICEF Image
© UNICEF Video Officer Maryam, a police recruitment officer, interviews an applicant. “When I ask them for the reasons why they want to join the police force, they usually say it’s because of poverty,” she says.

We also ask you to help get the international antislavery protocol adopted by your government. The international community is clearly not equipped to effectively address modern slavery. In 2014, governments adopted a new global treaty to end modern slavery. Please call upon your government to ratify it.

TURKEY We have a few issues with Turkey this week:

1. Twenty four-hour curfews have been declared since 11 December in the Sur district of the city of Diyarbakır, and since 14 December in the towns of Cizre and Silopi, in Şırnak province, south eastern Turkey. The curfews have been put in place as the police and army conduct operations against the armed Revolutionary Patriotic Youth Movement. More than 200,000 people live in the affected areas and some are unable to access food, medical care and face severe electricity and water shortages. More than 70 residents and at least seven soldiers and police officers have been reported killed. Please act on behalf of the affected population.

2.The year 2016 begins with news of yet another company responding to workers' attempts to organize themselves with mass dismissals. In this case, it is a company in Turkey that has sacked 30 workers who dared to join a trade union.  The International Union of Food Workers (IUF) has launched an online campaign demanding their reinstatement and a recognition of union rights.  Please take a minute and add your name here. 

ETHIOPIA  

The Ethiopian authorities arbitrarily arrested a number of peaceful protesters, journalists and opposition party leaders in the context of a brutal crackdown on ongoing protests in the Oromia Region which started in November. Those arrested are at risk of torture and other ill-treatment and should be immediately and unconditionally released. Please write immediately to call for their release.

ARGENTINA 

Sixty-one prisoners have been threatened and punished for exposing human rights violations in No 1 Wing of Prison Unit 37 in Barker, Province of Buenos Aires. Karina Valenti, the human rights defender who reported these grave abuses, has been banned from entering all penal institutions in the province. Please act at once in this matter.

RUSSIAN FEDERATION 

The trial against Yekaterina Vologzheninova will continue on 21 January. She faces the charge of “inciting hatred or enmity”, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, for her posts on social media criticizing Russia’s actions in Ukraine. Please call for the charges to be dropped since she is being prosecuted solely for exercising her right to freedom of expression;


Wednesday, January 6, 2016

HUMAN RIGHTS ACTION UPDATE December 30-January 6

Miriam, human rights defender, 1947-2012

HE WHO PERMITS OPPRESSION PERMITS CRIMES.-Erasmus (1466-1536)

Holbein-erasmus.jpg
Desiderius Erasmus in 1523 as depicted by Hans Holbein the Younger. The Greek and Latin words on the book translate to "The Herculean Labours of Erasmus of Rotterdam".

 EMBASSY FINDER 

Survival International provides a useful tool for locating the embassy of any country in your country.
http://embassy.goabroad.com/ You can also find embassies at this link. https://embassy-finder.com/

CHARITY CORNER 

In the wake of the closing of the Titan and Pollyanna blogs, we are continuing the charity corner here.  This week, the we refer you to Cultural Survival. This is an NGO devoted to the protection of indigenous cultures and peoples.  Their mission and vision statement:"Our Mission Cultural Survival advocates for Indigenous Peoples' rights and supports Indigenous communities’ self-determination, cultures and political resilience since 1972.
Our Vision "Cultural Survival envisions a future that respects and honors Indigenous Peoples' inherent rights and dynamic cultures, deeply and richly interwoven in lands, languages, spiritual traditions, and artistic expression, rooted in self-determination and self-governance."


INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

Indigenous tribes do not simply die out. They are killed by the actions of so-called civilized nations. Survival International provides a long list of cases in which a letter from you can and will make a difference. Please open this link and write at least one letter. This link will be a permanent feature on our blog and we would be grateful if you gave it a bit of attention each week. We suggest going down the list in the order given. The letters are pre-written for you. All you need to do is send them. It would be nice also if a donation to Survival International could be forthcoming.
This week we ask you to help the Matses people.There are around 2,200 Matsés living on the Peru-Brazil frontier in the Amazon rainforest. The Yaquerana river runs through the heart of their land, marking the international border that separates their home. But to the Matsés, the streams, floodplains, and white-sand forests make up an ancestral territory that is shared by the entire tribe. Their land is being pillaged by mineral prospectors from Canada. In 2012, Peru promised to strengthen legal protection for the rights of its indigenous people, but it has granted Pacific Rubiales exploration licenses against the clear wishes of the Matsés. Please email Pacific Rubiales and write to the Peruvian government as indicated in the site.


A Matsés family gathering plantains.

When school’s out, parents take children to their gardens to teach them how to grow their own food.

THE STRUGGLE AGAINST SLAVERY  


We have added a new section to the blog in order to join the struggle against slavery worldwide. We refer you to the site of Walk Free where you can find a large number of campaigns against manifestations of slavery in different countries. The number of people living in slavery is of the order of 35 million, which indicates the extent of the problem. We suggest that you look up the Fair Trade movement in your country and make an effort to avoid buying slave-produced products.   Look for this logo:

This week we call your attention to the Clean Clothes Campaign against slavery and exploitation in the garment industry. Please sign the petition and be sure to inquire about the supply chain when you buy clothing for yourself and your family.

AFGHANISTAN 

Roghul Khairzad, a Senator in Afghanistan, won’t give up fighting for the rights of women in her country, despite shocking attacks by the Taliban on her and her family. Please support her in her struggle.


IRELAND 

Ireland has inhuman laws about abortion. In Ireland, a woman can only get a legal abortion if her life is at “real and substantial risk”. Termination on all other grounds, including for survivors of rape or incest, where the woman’s or girl’s health is at risk, and in cases of fatal foetal impairment, is banned. The Eighth amendment to the constitution protects the rights of the fetus at the expense of the mother

 Please read Nicola's sad story and sign the petition.

MYANMAR 

On December 9 2015, Su Su Nway appeared at a local court in Pyin Oo Lwin, facing a charge for a protest she organized in 2014 against land grabs .

 Please join the protest.

ZIMBABWE

Itai Dzamara, Zimbabwean journalist, peaceful pro-democracy activist and leader of the protest group Occupy Africa Unity Square, disappeared on 9 March 2015 in Harare. His family deserves answers. Please sign the petition calling on the Zimbabwean government to launch an investigation into Itai Dzamara’s disappearance.
Image result for Itai Dzamara