Human Rights Action Update February 17-24

Miriam,  human rights defender, 1947-2012

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

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".

 

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 https://embassy-finder.com/

GOOD NEWS

SOUTH SUDAN

Joseph Afandi, a journalist with the El Tabeer daily newspaper who was held incommunicado by the South Sudanese National Security Service (NSS) since 29 December 2015 has been released. Thanks to all who helped. 

POPE FRANCIS

His Holiness has called for a stop to executions. Cheers! 

Pope Francis urged Catholic leaders not to allow executions during the Holy Year AP

 

 

TUNISIA 

Tunisian teacher Abdelfattah Said has been freed. His case was dismissed by a court of appeal on 5 February.  Thanks to all who acted for him.

BOTSWANA (MAYBE) 

Bushmen children now must apply for permits to stay with their families when they turn 18 – or risk 7 years in prison.

© Forest Woodward / Survival, 2015

The Botswana government has promised to restore some of the essential services to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve that it cut on this day 14 years ago. The healthcare and water services that it now says it will reinstate were shut down by the government during the brutal eviction of Bushmen from the reserve in 2002.

In 2006, Botswana’s High Court ruled that the evictions were illegal, and upheld the Bushmen’s right to return home. The recent decision to restore services follows talks between the government and Bushman communities. While some Bushmen welcome the decision, many fear the U-turn could be short lived, and view the move as timed to coincide with the country’s 50th anniversary of independence.

CHARITY CORNER 

In the wake of the closing of the Titan and Pollyanna blogs, we are continuing the charity corner here. This week we refer you again to the Mercy Corps. They are present wherever help is needed. Their mission: Alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities. Go to their site and donate to what seems to you to be the highest priority. They are rated highly by Charity Watch.

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 disastrous and criminal oil spills in the Peruvian Amazon. Indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon have suffered from three oil spills in two months.

The spills are all attributed to State oil company PetroPerú, which has failed to conduct routine maintenance on its pipelines. One spill released at least 2,000 barrels of oil, which spread into the local rivers, affecting indigenous communities that include the Achuar, Shapra, Wampis and Awajún.

Dozens of Peruvian tribes have seen their territories opened up to oil companies

© Johan Wildhagen/Survival

The spills have destroyed the ecosystem, compromising the health, food and safety of local communities. Locals have lost their livelihoods and are no longer able to drink water from the rivers or fish for food. Please blast this scandal out to the world on all your social networks.

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:
 

 

This week we  refer you to the the trafficking in illegally obtained kidneys in Nepal. Read the whole terrible story and then blast it out on all your social networks. Only worldwide attention and pressure will put an end to this evil practice.
     

EGYPT 

People all over the world were shocked and saddened to learn of the torture and murder of Giulio Regeni, a young academic who was in Egypt to research the situation of independent trade unions. Please join the protests and demand true answers from the government of Egypt. Insert your own details into the form.

VIETNAM 

There are increasing fears for the health of prisoner of conscience Trần Thị Thúy, who continues to be denied medical treatment, despite repeated requests to the Vietnamese authorities. She has been diagnosed with a tumor on her uterus and is in severe pain, unable to walk without assistance. She has been told she will not receive treatment unless she “confesses” to the crimes she was convicted of. Please call for her immediate and unconditional release and for medical services that she requires desperately.

UZBEKISTAN

Fish farmer Aramais Avakian was sentenced on 19 February to seven years in prison for “plotting anti-constitutional activities” following an unfair trial. He had been detained since 4 September 2015 and was subjected to torture. Please act on his behalf.

ANGOLA 

Human rights and pro-democracy activist, Manuel Chivonde Nito Alves, was charged with contempt of Court and subjected to a summary trial. He was sentenced to six months in prison and asked to pay a fine on 8 February. He is now serving his sentence at Viana Prison. Please call for the revocation of his sentence and for protection for human rights activists.

Human Rights Action Update Feb.10-17

Miriam,  human rights defender, 1947-2012

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

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".

 

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 https://embassy-finder.com/

GOOD NEWS

PHILIPPINES 

As a direct result of Global Housekeeping Campaign activities in the Philippines, the IUF-affiliated NUWHRAIN won a government administrative order for the inspection of hotels for non-compliance with national labor and health and safety regulations. Cheers for the union activists who won this victory against abuse of housekeeping workers.


 

 

CHARITY CORNER

In the wake of the closing of the Titan and Pollyanna blogs, we are continuing the charity corner here. This week we refer you to the Global Fund for Women. They define their focus issues thus:
Global Fund for Women will continue to focus on three global themes critical to women’s rights:
1.
Freedom from Violence
2.
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, and
3.
Economic and Political Equality. We will campaign on these themes and make grants to grass-roots women’s groups who work on them. In the next five years, we will also initiate projects, grants, and campaigns on important issues that cut across these themes: the rise of fundamentalisms and their regressive impact on women’s rights; the safety, security, and sustainability of women’s human rights defenders; and the intersection of technology and women’s rights.


They are rated highly by Charity Watch and deserve your support.

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 something that takes us by surprise. We tend to think of conservation organizations such as the World Wildlife Foundation as good guys who help species survive. We now find that Survival International has launched a formal complaint about the activities of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Cameroon.

This is the first time a conservation organization has been the subject of a complaint to the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), using a procedure more normally invoked against multinational corporations.

The Baka have lived sustainably in the central African rainforest for generations as hunter-gatherers

© Selcen Kucukustel/Atlas

The complaint charges WWF with involvement in violent abuse and land theft against Baka “Pygmies” in Cameroon, carried out by anti-poaching squads which it in part funds and equips. Please join in calling for the WWF to stop abusing the indigenous people.

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:
 

 

This week we  refer you to the how-to-take-action page of the Free The Slaves Movement. There you will find options for action to suit you. Certainly alerting elected officials in every country is important and you should check out the chain of supply when  shopping. You might find surprises.

CHINA 

We return to China with more information on the crackdown on labor rights in Guangdong. Two Chinese labour activists have been released, but three remain in detention, solely as a result of their legitimate activities defending workers’ rights in Guangdong province, south-east China.

Zeng Feiyang

These releases suggest that the attention on their situation may be having an influence, but more appeals are needed for those still behind bars. Please act.

INDIA 

A group of Indian women who were subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM) as children are calling on the government to ban the ancient ritual, describing it as child abuse. Please blast this terrible story on all your social networks.

SOUTH SUDAN 

Joseph Bangasi Bakosoro, former governor of Western Equatoria state in South Sudan, was detained by the National Security Service (NSS) on 22 December 2015. Family members have been denied access to him on multiple occasions and he is at risk of torture or other ill-treatment. Please act on his behalf.

RUSSIAN FEDERATION 

Performance artist Pyotr Pavlensky was charged with vandalism for setting fire to the main doors of the headquarters of the Federal Security Service on 9 November. He is currently detained in a psychiatric hospital in Moscow and is being denied access to his lawyer and the outside world. His wife fears for his health. Please write for him.

SPAIN 

Alfonso Lázaro de la Fuente and Raúl García Pérez were arrested by police on 5 February after performing a puppet show in a public event in Madrid. They were released on 10 February but are facing charges that include “glorifying terrorism”. If found guilty they could spend up to four years in prison. Please call for the charges to be dropped and for protection of the right of free expression in Spain. This is particularly bad to find in an EU country.

Human Rights Action update February 3-11

Miriam,  human rights defender, 1947-2012

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

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".

 

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 https://embassy-finder.com/


GOOD NEWS

BRAZIL   

Twelve military police officers were found guilty and sentenced for the crimes of torture followed by death, procedural fraud and occultation of a corpse in the case of the enforced disappearance of Amarildo de Souza in Rio de Janeiro. No further action is required of the UA network. Many thanks to all who sent appeals

GREECE  

A large transit camp with facilities appropriate for cold weather at the Greek border with “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” (Macedonia) is now working at its full capacity providing relief and emergency assistance to refugees arriving in the area with the aim of crossing the border. Thank you to all those who sent appeals. No further action is requested from the UA network...

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 parasite control, in particular the  Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (SCI).  SCI works with governments in sub-Saharan Africa to create or scale up programs that treat schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) ("deworming"). SCI's role has primarily been to identify country recipients, provide funding to governments for government-implemented programs, provide advisory support, and conduct research on the process and outcomes of the programs. It is considered effective by GiveWell the charity monitor.  The mission statement: "We work to improve the health and development of the world’s poorest populations by eliminating the poverty sustaining and life-threatening effects of schistosomiasis (bilharzia) and intestinal worms (hookworm, whipworm and roundworm)."


SCI is located within Imperial College London combining implementation and world-class research to ensure our treatment programmes achieve maximum effectiveness.

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 devastation of the Chaco region in Paraguay. A new report has revealed that 14 million trees were cut down in just one month in the Paraguayan Chaco. The Chaco is home to Paraguay’s most vulnerable tribe, the Ayoreo, and is the largest South American forest outside the Amazon. Scientists have called it one of the most biodiverse places on earth. The report by Guyra, a Paraguayan environmental organization, shows that 28,000 hectares were cut down in October. The Chaco is currently facing the fastest rate of deforestation in the world. Please protest to the government of Paraguay about this criminally irresponsible destruction all done for profit.

Eroi was forced out of his forest in 1986. He was a shaman, but he stopped because the missionaries told him that shamanism was the work of the devil.

© Gerald Henzinger/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.  . 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.
 

This week we  call upon you to join the world wide campaign against genital mutilation of young girls, still practiced in far too many countries. The site shows where you can have an impact.


   

VIETNAM 

Vietnamese human rights defender Bùi Thị Minh Hằng is being denied medical treatment for various health problems, despite repeated requests. She is serving a three-year sentence on fabricated charges of “causing public disorder”. Please take action.

CHINA 

A Chinese journalist who went missing in Thailand on 11 January is feared to be detained in China. His partner received a call from him on 3 February in which he said he had “voluntarily” returned to assist with an investigation, but she believes he was forced to go back. Please act. 

PERU 

Máxima Acuña and her family, subsistence farmers in northern Peru, have reported new acts of intimidation and harassment against them, this time by armed security personnel from a mining company. They are in an ongoing legal dispute against the mining company over the ownership of a plot of land where the family lives. They believe the ongoing harassment and intimidation against them is an attempt to drive them away. Please protest for them.

Human Rights Action update January 27-February 3

Miriam,  human rights defender, 1947-2012

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

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".

 

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 https://embassy-finder.com/

EUROPE OUTRAGE 

There are over 10,000 migrant children missing in Europe and it is feared that many of them have been trafficked into slavery or the sex industry according to Europol reports. 

Children pose as they wait with other migrants and refugees in line for a security check after crossing the Macedonian border into Serbia, near the village of Miratovac, on January 26, 2016. AFP Photo

 If you would like to get involved with helping to find them, go to the site of Missing Children Europe.  You can also join Malala and Muzoon in pleading for the children of Syria. In just a few days, Malala and Muzoon will stand in front of world leaders at a global conference in London and demand a better future for millions of Syrians. They will raise their voices for the 3.5 million Syrian children who some fear have become a "lost generation" because their education has been put on hold, or even worse, has not even started yet.

Nearly half of Syrian children displaced in neighboring countries are not in school, a new report says

They will say they believe the children of Syria are #notlost , not yet, not if we act right now.

Will you stand with Malala and Muzoon, adding your voice to ensure world leaders hear us loud and clear? The hashtag is #notlost.

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 malaria.

Why malaria?

Malaria kills more than one million people every year, yet nobody need die. Half a billion people fall ill. We recommend the AntiMalaria Foundation which  provides funding for long-lasting insecticide-treated net distributions (for protection against malaria) in developing countries.

    

It has a high evaluation from the monitor GiveWell.

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 worldwide campaign for land rights of indigenous peoples everywhere. This is a Global Call to Action aiming to engage and mobilize communities, organizations, governments, and individuals worldwide in promoting and securing Indigenous Peoples and local communities' land rights. Please sign up and tweet your support at #LandRightsNow 

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.   

 

This week we  call upon you to join the fashion campaign, to clean up the supply chain of clothing.

Why fashion?  

Because we don't know if the clothes we wear have been made by someone who has been trafficked.

It is a little known fact that among India's garment workers there are over 200,000 young women and girls who have been trafficked to work in the cotton industry in the Tamil Nadu region of India.

 
Human Trafficking and Fashion

The clothes that we buy and wear arrive on shop shelves after a long journey that starts at the source, cotton being a main contributor. Cotton is grown and harvested in faraway fields, then spun, dyed and woven into fabric in factories, to be sold to consumer markets all over the world.Choose your action. The most important thing you can do is to flood your social media with information about the clothing and fashion market.

You might start with Gap. We're asking GAP to help end human trafficking in their supply chain by committing to the Make Fashion Traffik Free Protocol.

Why GAP?
Gap are one of the largest international buyers of cotton and garments from the Tamil Nadu region in India where we know thousands of young women and girls are trafficked to work in hard and exploitative conditions in cotton mills.

CHINA 

Four labor activists in China have been formally arrested on charges believed to be solely as a result of their legitimate activities defending workers’ rights in Guangdong province, south-east China. Two labor activists detained with them have since been released. Please call for their immediate release.

He Xiaobo

 

 TIMOR-LESTE 

Two members of Timor-Leste’s security forces visited the office of the human rights NGO Yayasan HAK on 26 January and the police has been harassing its Executive Director by telephone for organizing and participating in a peaceful demonstration. Please join the protest.

ANGOLA 

The ongoing trial of 15 youth activists arrested after attending a meeting in Luanda in June 2015 to discuss politics and governance concerns is in breach of international fair trial standards. Two female activists are also part of the trial. Please act and call upon the government of Angola to stop harassment of activists.

DJIBOUTI 

Omar Ali Ewado, Deputy General Secretary of the Education International-affiliated teachers' union SEP (Syndicat des Enseignants du Premier Degré) and President of the Human Rights League of Djibouti (Ligue djiboutienne des droits humains - LDDH) has been arrested and sentenced to 3 months in prison for publishing a list of victims following the massacre of civilians perpetrated by the security forces on 21 December 2015 in the neighborhood of Balbala in Djibouti. This is totally unacceptable. Please join the protest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CAMBODIA 

Eleven members of the IUF-affiliated Cambodian Food and Service Workers' Federation (CFSWF) employed by transnational brewery giant Carlsberg's joint venture local brewer Cambrew have been dismissed in retaliation for taking strike action on January 16. Workers are fighting the company's attempt to impose short-term employment contracts and late working hours. Please click to join the protest and to demand respect for workers' rights.