Human Rights Action Blog Update September 21-28

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/

CHARITY CORNER 

This week your attention is drawn to Global Fund for Women. Their mission statement: "We are a global champion for the human rights of women and girls. We use our powerful networks to find, fund, and amplify the courageous work of women who are building social movements and challenging the status quo. By shining a spotlight on critical issues, we rally communities of advocates who take action and invest money to empower women." The fund is rated highly by Charity Navigator. Please donate.

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. We send you to the campaign page and urge you to choose a cause to support.  View this video.

THE STRUGGLE AGAINST SLAVERY

We have added this section to the blog in order to join the struggle against slavery worldwide. This week we refer you to the the ILO’s Protocol on Forced Labor which is all about modern slavery. We call your attention to the anti slavery campaign. There you can sign up for action updates.The importance of checking your sellers' supply chains cannot be overemphasized.
Look for these logos:

 

 
Find a campaign to work for. Light must be made to shine in the darkest of places.




Please note the Urgent Action call concerning slavery in the chicken industry in Thailand.

Slaves being sued by their exploiter!

Good News!

Cambodian Housing Rights Defender Released 

Two Cambodian housing rights defenders were tried and convicted on 22 August for “insult of a public official”. While Bov Sophea has been released, Tep Vanny remains in detention, serving a six-month sentence for charges related to a 2011 protest, and under investigation for separate charges linked to a 2013 protest. Tep Vanny and other housing rights activists from the former Boeung Kak lake area continue to be targeted by the authorities. In another resurrected case, on 19 September, Tep Vanny, Bo Chhorvy, Heng Mom and Kong Chantha were sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for insulting and obstructing public officials. This relates to a protest of almost five years ago in November 2011. Amnesty International will keep monitoring this case closely and will open a separate action if necessary.

CHINA 

Help Release Chronically Ill Falun Gong Practitioner 

Falun Gong practitioner Chen Huixia was unable to stand or walk after being tortured, according to a fellow detainee. Suffering from chronic illness and poor health, she currently has no access to her family or a lawyer. Please call for her release

PERU 

Help Protect Máxima Acuña and Her Family From Harassment and Attacks 

Máxima Acuña and her family, subsistence farmers in northern Peru, have reported acts of harassment and physical attacks against them by security personnel from the Yanacocha 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. Please call upon the authorities to protect them.

MEXICO 

Help Stop Attacks on Soup Kitchen Staff and Migrants at Risk 

A soup kitchen for Mexican and Central American migrants has been vandalized in the northern Mexican city of Nogales, on the US border. Staff members had previously reported receiving death threats and having electronics stolen. The attacks could be a reprisal for their complaints of kidnappings against migrants in the area. The lives of staff and volunteers, as well as the migrants who use the soup kitchen, could be at risk. Please call upon the authorities to protect the volunteers at the soup kitchen and the migrants.

EGYPT 

In late May this year, workers at the shipyard docks in Alexandria organized a peaceful protest.  They were jailed by police. Please click and join the protest.

USA/PAKISTAN  

We return to the abuse of workers at a Pepsico factory in Pakistan. PepsiCo management at the company's Frito-Lay plant in Lahore, Pakistan has responded to the formation and official registration of a trade union with 650 members by harassing and transferring union officers and seeking to violate the union's collective bargaining rights by creating a bogus union. If you have not  participated in this campaign, please click to protest.

Human Rights Action blog September 14-21

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/

CHARITY CORNER 

This week your attention is drawn to plight of children deported from Israel to South Sudan and to children throughout the Third World. We refer you to Become--mission statement: "Become supports children, families and communities in developing countries to overcome poverty and injustice. Become invests in self-sustainable, income-generating strategies to help orphans, vulnerable children and their communities meet their basic needs, reach their potential, and BECOME whatever they want to BE.

Creating solutions to improve the lives of orphans and vulnerable children takes strong partnerships and innovative ideas to find effective, resourceful and community-based solutions. To this end, we partner with local grassroots communities in developing countries.  "

Some of the scholarship awardees with Lea Forshtat, a lawyer and co-founder of the South-Sudan scholarship program

.
In particular, there is an initiative named Come True developed and facilitated by Adv. Lea Forshtat and Dr. Rami Gudovitch to address the major educational needs of the South Sudanese children who were deported from Israel in 2012. With the quality of the education system in South Sudan ranking among the  lowest in the world, this need is acute. Please open your heart and your pocket

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. We send you to the campaign page and urge you to choose a cause to support.  View this video.

THE STRUGGLE AGAINST SLAVERY

We have added this section to the blog in order to join the struggle against slavery worldwide. This week we refer you to the the ILO’s Protocol on Forced Labor which is all about modern slavery. We call your attention to the anti slavery campaign. There you can sign up for action updates.The importance of checking your sellers' supply chains cannot be overemphasized.
Look for these logos:

 

 
Find a campaign to work for. Light must be made to shine in the darkest of places.

Good News!

Ahmed Abdullah Released On Bail 

Prisoner of conscience Ahmed Abdullah was released on bail on 10 September after spending over four months in detention without trial.

A Cairo criminal court ordered the release of Ahmed Abdullah and four co-defendants on 10 September against a bail payment of 1,000 Egyptian pounds (approximately US$ 113). However, prosecutors have not formally closed their investigation.

Mina Thabet, another human rights defender working at the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms, was released on 18 June, on a bail payment of 10,000 Egyptian pounds (approximately US$ 1,130). His representatives fear he may still stand trial on trumped-up charges linked to his human rights work.

 

Ahmed Abdullah and Mina Thabet extended their gratitude to Amnesty International for its work on their case. Ahmed Abdullah said: “Even in my dark cell in solitary confinement at Tora Prison, I never felt alone or forgotten. I knew that Amnesty International members were out there speaking for me and this made me feel safe.” He also added: “Together we will bring truth for Giulio Regeni. This is a promise.” Meanwhile, Mina Thabet said: “Your solidarity made us feel safe. Thank you for supporting us.”

 

JAPAN 

Help Halt Execution of 13 Men  

Thirteen members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult are now at risk of execution in Japan, following the conclusion of the trials of other cult members. The 13 men were found guilty of and sentenced to death for carrying out a deadly sarin gas attack in the Tokyo subway in 1995 and other illegal activities. Their executions could be carried out at any moment. Please call for commutation of these death sentences, despite the horror of their crime.

VIET NAM

Help Release Prisoner of Conscience With Tumor 

Prisoner of conscience Trần Thị Thúy’s health has seriously deteriorated since being diagnosed with a tumor in April 2015. Prison authorities continue to deny her proper medical treatment unless she confesses to the crimes for which she was convicted. Please call for her release and medical treatment.

CHINA

Help Release Journalists At Risk Of Torture/Ill-Treatment

Six citizen journalists from the Sichuan-based website “64 Tianwang” (www.64tianwang.com), were detained for covering protests in relation to the G20 Summit. Three have since been released but one is still missing and two remain in detention without any access to lawyers and are at risk of torture or other ill-treatment. Please act for them.

THAILAND 

A Thai court on Tuesday found a British labor activist guilty of defamation and computer crimes, a verdict that some experts and rights advocates predicted would harm efforts to protect migrant workers in Southeast Asia.

Andy Hall, a British defender of migrant rights, outside the Bangkok South Criminal Court on Tuesday after the court found him guilty of criminal defamation and breaching computer laws in Thailand. Credit Lillian Suwanrumpha/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

The activist, Andy Hall, was sentenced to three years in prison and fined about $4,300 in connection with his work on a 2013 report by a Finnish advocacy group that accused Natural Fruit, based in Thailand, of violating its workers’ rights. Please call on Natural Fruit to rescind its persecution of Andy Hall.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Help Ensure Access to Abortion

 

The Dominican Republic Senate was due to vote on 25 July on a reform to the Criminal Code which maintains the criminalization of abortion except where the pregnancy poses a risk to the life of a pregnant woman or girl. Senators decided to send the text to the Human Rights Commission for further consideration. 

The newly elected Congresspersons must urgently reintroduce the three circumstances for decriminalization of abortion that were approved in 2014: where i) the pregnancy poses a risk to the life of a pregnant woman or girl; ii) where the foetus would be unable to survive outside the womb; iii) and where the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. Any other action would constitute a regression in the rights of women and girls. Please raise your voice and call for rejection of the proposed new law.

Human Rights Action Update September 7-14

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/

CHARITY CORNER 

This week your attention is drawn to the need for books in the schools of Africa. Books For Africa
is simple name for an organization with a simple mission. "We collect, sort, ship, and distribute books to students of all ages in Africa. Our goal: to end the book famine in Africa." The charity is highly rated by monitors. If you live in the USA, you can also donate books. Please support this worthy cause.

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. We send you to the campaign page and urge you to choose a cause to support.  View this video.

THE STRUGGLE AGAINST SLAVERY

We have added this section to the blog in order to join the struggle against slavery worldwide. This week we refer you to the the ILO’s Protocol on Forced Labor which is all about modern slavery. We call your attention to the anti slavery campaign. There you can sign up for action updates.The importance of checking your sellers' supply chains cannot be overemphasized.
Look for these logos:

 

 
Find a campaign to work for. Light must be made to shine in the darkest of places.

Good News! - PAKISTAN 

Landmark compensation arrangement reached on 4th anniversary of deadly Pakistan factory fire. 

After four years of campaigning and months of negotiations, an agreement has been reached to pay compensation in excess of US$5 million to the survivors and families of workers killed in Pakistan’s worst industrial accident. Over 250 people died in a fire in a clothing factory, many of them locked in. German retailer KiK, Ali Enterprises’ only known buyer, has now agreed to pay an additional US$5.15 million to fund loss of earnings, medical and allied care, and rehabilitation costs to the injured survivors and dependents of those killed in the disaster.

Why did it take four years when the accountability was obvious?

Read more...

MONGOLIA

Help Provide Emergency Shelter for 200 People Made Homeless

An estimated 200 people from Building #3 in Ulaanbaatar, including a disabled man and families with children, are in desperate need of adequate accommodation. With no heating, missing windows and doors, and winter temperatures dropping to -30°C, authorities must immediately provide emergency, alternative and adequate housing. Please call for action by the government before winter causes huge suffering.

UKRAINE 

Help Drop Charges Against Activist Released From Forced Psychiatric Detention

Ilmi Umerov was released on 7 September after spending three weeks in forced psychiatric detention. He remains under criminal investigation for his peaceful activism against the Russian annexation of Crimea and could face a prison sentence, if convicted. Please act on his behalf.

ZIMBABWE 

Help Protect Human Rights Defender From Harassment

Evan Mawarire has left Zimbabwe fearing for his life as police continue to look for him even after all charges against him in relation to calling for a national stay-away were dismissed and he was freed. He risks arrest if he returns to Zimbabwe. Please call upon the authorities in Zimbabwe  to stop harassing, intimidating and persecuting Evan Mawarire and his family and to guarantee his safety, personal security and well being and allow him return to Zimbabwe without fear of reprisal.

 

USA/BANGLADESH 

Almost three years after H&M signed the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, the Bangladeshi workers who sew H&M’s clothing continue to toil in dangerous conditions, in many cases lacking the most urgent and lifesaving fire safety measures, according to a new analysis by four watchdog organizations who track progress on Accord implementation. Please take action and call for greater worker safety in the textile industry and in particular among the suppliers of H&M.

USA/PAKISTAN 

PepsiCo management at the company's Frito-Lay plant in Lahore, Pakistan has responded to the formation and official registration of a trade union with 650 members by harassing and transferring union officers and seeking to violate the union's collective bargaining rights by creating a bogus union. Please click and join the worldwide protest of working people.

Bad money

http://act.climatetruth.org/sign/AGU?sp_ref=228189729.170.174966.o.1.2&referring_akid=.309835.YKcVlO&source=sp_c2c

Please sign on to this. Vespasian was wrong, there is money that stinks, pecunia olet.

Eid Saeed to all our Muslim friends

Human Rights Action Update August 31-September 7

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/

CHARITY CORNER 

This week your attention is drawn to the issue of school absenteeism of girls in the Third World. The problem is menstruation and the absence of means to enable the girls to avoid missing school 25% of the time.  We ask you to support Days for Girls, a nonprofit that aims to keep girls in school for the entire month. Their mission statement:

Days for Girls’ mission is to reverse the cycles of poverty and violence by building efficient, direct and effective means for girls and women worldwide to improve their dignity, health and standing in their communities with access to sustainable menstrual health management and reproductive health knowledge for every girl and woman. Everywhere. Period.  Their goal:Every girl and woman in the world with ready feasible access to quality sustainable hygiene & health education by 2022. They are rated highly by Great Nonprofits
Please donate.

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. We send you to the campaign page and urge you to choose a cause to support.  View this video.

THE STRUGGLE AGAINST SLAVERY

We have added this section to the blog in order to join the struggle against slavery worldwide. This week we refer you to the the ILO’s Protocol on Forced Labor which is all about modern slavery. We call your attention to the anti slavery campaign. There you can sign up for action updates.The importance of checking your sellers' supply chains cannot be overemphasized.
Look for these logos:

 

 
Find a campaign to work for. Light must be made to shine in the darkest of places.

Good News! - Egypt: 

Human Rights Defender Malek Adly Released

On 28 August human rights defender Malek Adly was released from a police station in Shubra al-Khaimah, three days after a court ordered his release and rejected an appeal by the Public Prosecution against the decision.

ALGERIA

Help Release British-Algerian Journalist in Coma 

British-Algerian freelance journalist Mohamed Tamalt is currently in intensive care. He fell into a coma over a week ago. His family says he has been on hunger strike since 27 June in protest at his arrest and imprisonment. Please act for him.

Viet Nam 

Help Release Pastor on Hunger Strike 

Pastor Nguyễn Công Chính is a Vietnamese prisoner of conscience serving an 11-year sentence. He has been on hunger strike since 8 August in protest at abusive treatment, denial of rights and lack of response to complaints by officials. He is in poor health. Please write on his behalf.

EGYPT

14-year-old boy tortured to confess

For the past nine months, Aser Mohamed – a 14-year-old school boy in Egypt – has been trapped in a nightmare after armed police ripped him away from his family and subjected him to horrific torture. Please join the protest