Human Rights Action Update March 21-27

Miriam, human rights defender, 1947-2012

SOME GOOD NEWS

LIU XIA RECEIVES MEDICAL TREATMENT
The wife of jailed Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo, Liu Xia, has been able to have medical examinations and treatment, and her health condition has improved. She had been prevented from receiving the treatment she needed after suffering a heart attack in January. She continues to be held under illegal house arrest in Beijing. Liu Xia, 53, has had medical examinations and treatment at several different hospitals in Beijing. The examinations have suggested that she is mainly suffering from psychological stress, anxiety and depression, and the doctors warned this is likely to become worse unless her current living condition changes.

Liu Xia, a poet and artist, has been under house arrest since 8 October 2010, following the announcement that her husband, Liu Xiaobo, who is serving an 11-year prison sentence, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. She remains under tight surveillance in her home and is not allowed visitors. She has recently been allowed to speak to friends by phone, and they say that her physical and mental health has improved. Liu Xia had a heart attack and was admitted to Beijing Shijingshan hospital for emergency treatment shortly before Chinese New Year in January. The doctor suggested that she be hospitalized for two weeks for further examination and treatment, but she was returned home. On 8 February, she went back to the hospital under police escort, where she was diagnosed with a heart condition, which the doctors said required further treatment. Her family completed all the necessary forms and paid the hospital fees, however the hospital refused to admit her and she was returned home.

Many thanks to all those who took action on her behalf. We will continue to work on her case through other means, but no more action is required from the Urgent Action Network at this time. Messages or photos to show solidarity with Liu Xia can be posted on a bi-lingual tumblr page here. As you can see, even the Chinese are sensitive to a worldwide outcry.

IVORY COAST

Former militia leader Charles Blé Goudé is to be transferred to the ICC to face accusations of crimes against humanity.

© STR/AFP/GettyImages

Also good news:The decision taken today by Côte d’Ivoire to send former militia leader Charles Blé Goudé, accused of crimes against humanity, to the International Criminal Court (ICC) is a key step towards justice for the victims of serious crimes following elections three years ago, said Amnesty International.

Now to the bad stuff:

CHINA
Last week we informed you of the death of Cao Shunli who had been denied medical treatment while in detention. Now the Chinese government is refusing to let the family see her body or her medical records. There is obviously something that they need to hide and it is feared that her body will be cremated to remove evidence of torture.

BARBADOS 
Two men who are suspects in a robbery have reportedly been tortured while in police custody in the district of Christ Church. They have not received adequate medical treatment and remain at risk of further ill-treatment. Please act to protect them from further torture.

INDIA
The Guardian recently exposed the slave trade that is driven by the working conditions on tea plantations in India, including those of the Tata Corporation, the owners of Tetley's Tea. Tata is apparently suing the Guardian. No one claims that Tata is selling slaves, but as pointed out by WalkFree the conditions create the situation.  Men and women operating as “recruiters” prey on young girls living on tea plantations in Assam, India. Thousands of girls have reportedly ended up trapped as domestic slaves in middle class homes in Delhi.

So how do these girls become trapped? The short answer is that workers in Assam are trapped in a unique situation of terrible poverty making them vulnerable to the lure of human traffickers. Please click on the WalkFree link and send in your protest.

SRI LANKA HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER DETAINED
On 13 March 2014, human rights defender Ms Balendran Jayakumari and her 13-year-old daughter were detained in their Killinochchi home in northern Sri Lanka from approximately 4pm until 10pm.

There are reports that Balendran Jayakumari and her daughter have now been brought to Vavunia for further investigation. Please click on the Take Action tab at the bottom of the page and register your protest.

SOUTH KOREA UNION LEADER IN DANGER OF IMPRISONMENT 
Trade union leader, Kim Jungwoo, is at risk of receiving a further prison sentence at an appeal hearing on 4 April. He has been detained since June 2013 after taking part in protests in support of dismissed workers and their families. He is due to be released, but there are fears he will be given a heavier sentence by Seoul High Court as part of a continued crackdown on trade unionists in South Korea. Please act on his behalf.

Human Rights Action update March 14-20

Miriam, human rights defender, 1947-2012

CHINA DEATH OF AN ACTIVIST
Human rights activist Cao Shunli died from organ failure on 14 March after being denied medical treatment while in detention. Her family repeatedly called for her to receive the treatment she needed, but these requests were denied by the Chinese authorities. Cao Shunli was a prisoner of conscience, who had been detained for five months solely as a result of her peaceful activism. May she rest in peace and let us honor her memory by continuing to be active for human rights. Thanks to all who wrote on her behalf.



DETENTION OF ACTIVIST JOURNALISTS 
Three citizen journalists have been detained in China after they published reports online about the activities of petitioners’ at Tiananmen Square, including a woman who tried to set herself on fire. The whereabouts of one of the journalists, a 17-year-old boy, is currently unknown. They are prisoners of conscience.  Please act on their behalf.

HONDURAS 
Detention Of Human Rights Defender Ms Marlen Cruz Licona:
On 10 March 2014, human rights defender and lawyer Ms Marlen Cruz Licona was brought before the court of San Pedro Sula in southern Honduras and accused of participating in the occupation of land and of instructing a group of campesinos to attack a group of agents from the General Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DGIC). Please click the Take Action tab at the bottom of the post. A prepared letter is available there.

CRIMEA 
Amnesty International is concerned for the safety of three EuroMaydan activists who disappeared on the evening of 13 March in Crimea. Oleksiy Gritsenko, Natalya Lukyanchenko and Sergiy Suprun have not made contact with friends or family since 11pm on 13 March. Oleksiy Gritsenko’s father told Amnesty International that he believes they have been abducted by paramilitary forces in de facto control in Crimea.  Please act.

Human Rights Action Update March 7-13

Miriam, human rights defender, 1947-2012

This week we marked International Women's Day and noted that the world community came forth with great declarations about the rights of women, their protection and advancement. All three posts in this blog relate to the women and their abuse. It gives you an idea about the extent of the issue and how effective the great statements are. It reminds us of Tom Lehrer and National Brotherhood Week.

MOZAMBIQUE
In March the Mozambique National Assembly (the Parliament) will consider proposed revisions to the Criminal Code, which contains an article which would enable rapists to escape prosecution by marrying their victim. The Parliament could approve and pass into law, this proposed revision. The article provides for the suspension of criminal charges against a person accused of sexual offenses if that person marries the person whom they allegedly sexually violated. It further provides that any penalty imposed will be suspended and dropped after five years of marriage unless there has been a divorce or separation caused by the accused. Changes to Criminal Code, which could be approved and made into law during the next session of parliament in March, represents a grave retrogression in the rights of women and girls in the country. It violates the right of access to justice, bodily integrity, non-discrimination and the right not to be subjected to torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of women and girls in Mozambique. In addition, the draft Criminal Code contains a provision preventing criminal proceedings against alleged sex offenders to be started unless survivors of sexual abuse; their parent or guardian if they are minors; or a person they live with make an official complaint. Amnesty International USA has provided as prepared message that you can send by putting in your name etc. and clicking. If you prefer to write your own letter, go here.

CHINA
On 4 March 2014 it was discovered  that human rights defender Ms Ge Zhihui was detained by police in Beijing on 1 March 2014. She is currently being held in Fengtai District Detention Centre in the capital. Ge Zhihui is a petitioner who has been protesting the Chinese government's demolition of her home in 2008, and in the last number of years has been assisting other petitioners who travel to Beijing seeking justice. It is believed that her detention is related to her recent participation in a human rights training on UN mechanisms held outside China as well as her involvement in an underground Christian church in Beijing.

underground Christian church in Beijing.

underground Christian church in Beijing.

underground Christian church in Beijing.

underground Christian church in Beijing.

Ge Zhihu after her beating

Note that she is on crutches as a result of the beating she received when she protested the demolition of her home. Please act on her behalf.

COLOMBIA 
Yomaira Mendoza, a leader of the Afro-descendant community in the Curvaradó River Basin campaigning for collective land titles, has received repeated death threats. The death threats by text message started after she made a statement to the Office of the Attorney General in January. The Office of the Attorney General is advancing a criminal investigation into the misappropriation of land by powerful economic actors with the support of paramilitary groups, and related human rights violations including the killing of Yomaira Mendoza’s husband José Eustoquio Cifuentes Rojas on 7 January 2007. In spite of repeated orders by the Colombian Constitutional Court to ensure the return of the collective lands to the Afro-descendant communities who were forcibly displaced in the late 1990s, Please act on her behalf.

Human Rights Action Update Feb. 28-March 6

Miriam, human rights defender, 1947-2012

EGYPT 
Abuse of Citizens:Please protest the abuse of victims of a forced eviction who were fired upon by security forces who drove them away from the rubble of their destroyed homes. Call upon the  city authorities in Cairo to  investigate and to provide alternative housing for the evicted residents of the Ezbet Al-Nakhl in Al Marg district of Cairo.
  
Worker Abuse: Transnational agro-food giant Cargill is seeking to destroy a democratic union of workers at their factory in Egypt. Please join the protest against union busting.

  
 
TURKEY 
A conscientious  objector to military service has been imprisoned and fined in Turkish North Cyprus. The Turkish court chose to ignore recent European Court of Human Rights’ judgments on Bayatyan v. Armenia and Savda v. Turkey, regarding Article 9 (right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion) violations in the cases of two conscientious objectors. Please join the outcry on behalf of Murat Kanatlı who  a prisoner of conscience imprisoned solely on the basis of him exercising his right to conscientious objection to compulsory military service.
 
 
ZIMBABWE 
On 24 February 2014, human rights defender and chairperson of Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ), Ms Martha Tholanah, appeared in court on charges of running an “unregistered” organization. This is part of the wave of homophobia sweeping Africa. Please take action to support her. Please click on the Take Action tab at the bottom of the page.  

Human Rights Action Update Feb. 21-27

Miriam, human rights defender, 1947-2012

     

CHINA
 We start with three items from China. The crackdown on human rights defenders there is intensifying as the regime becomes aware of the tensions building up because of social inequities. These are all updates on previous cases whose situation has worsened. Action is called for.

Please open the UA on Liu Xia that we issued on 17 February.   It's also available here on Amnesty's website:  There were more updates last Friday. Liu Xia was allowed to be admitted to a hospital in Beijing last Friday. However, she was warned not to disclose any more information in relation to the name and location of the hospital and her health conditions. So, we are not sure if she has actually been given any proper medical examination or treatment. Her lawyer also wouldn't want to talk in more details. We will see if we will have enough information to issue an update this week or next week.


Please open an updated UA for Ilham Tohti. This Uighur intellectual is now in severe danger.

Here is a UA update on Cao Shunli. She is now in hospital and there is serious concern for her health.

SPAIN

Coca-Cola Iberian Partners (CCIP) is imposing a restructuring plan that will affect nearly 1,200 workers and result in the closure of four of 11 Coca-Cola bottling plants in Spain.

Coca Cola is trying to close bottling plants despite its high profitability in Spain. Please support the defense of jobs around the country.

GOOD NEWS FROM BRAZIL
Survival International reports on major steps taken by the Brazilian government to drive illegal loggers out of the homeland of the Awa tribe.

The Awá are one of the last nomadic hunter-gatherer tribes in the Amazon. They depend on the forest for their survival.

© Domenico Pugliese/Survival

Over 50,000 people responded to the call for an outcry and it worked. Thanks to all of you who helped. Cheers also for the celebrities who supported the campaign.

Human Rights Action Update Feb. 14-20

Miriam, human rights defender, 1947-2012

  

ABUSE OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

BRAZIL

Illegal gold-mining is destroying the Indians' forest, and polluting their rivers with mercury.

© Colin Jones/Survival

The Brazilian authorities have launched an operation to combat illegal gold-mining on the land of the Yanomami tribe. ‘Operation Korekore’ is set to last 30 days and aims to arrest approximately 200 illegal miners who are operating in one part of the tribe’s territory. The operation’s ground squad has reportedly destroyed at least 20 illegal mining rafts and one airplane landing strip so far. On the other hand there is a bill pending in Congress that would permit large-scale mining on indigenous land and bring further destruction. There over 650 requests from mining corporations to mine in the Yanomami territory. Please click on the link and send a pre-written letter to the Brazilian government.

INDIA

The Jawara tribe who live in the jungle on the Indian island of Andaman have long suffered abuse at the hands of so-called civilized people. That includes tourist safaris to spot them as though they were animals. The Indian government has even paved a road across the island to facilitate this "tourism." Now a journalist who exposed sexual exploitation of Jawara women is being harassed by the police. Please open this site and write to the Indian government to protest.

Jarawa women are being lured with alcohol and drugs and sexually exploited by poachers on their land.

© Survival

As Survival International says in response to frequently asked questions:
Will my letter make a difference?
Yes. Time and again, letters from Survival supporters have called governments and organizations to account. Policies have changed and lives have been saved.
Should I post, fax or e-mail?
The most powerful way is to print and post your letter. We will e-mail you a ready-to-print PDF of your letter, together with postage information.

We sometimes also publish e-mail addresses or fax numbers where there is a realistic chance of these being read. However, e-mail addresses change and fax machines get unplugged. If you can, please post your letter.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC 
Ethnic cleansing and massacres are being perpetrated against the Muslim population of this country.

Fati, an 11-year-old girl who was injured with deep machete wounds to her head and arm in an attack by anti-balaka militia in Boali (north of Bangui) on 17 January 2014. © Amnesty International

Peacekeeping forces are trying to protect them, but there is not enough force available. Call on the African Union to provide peacekeeping force MISCA ( Mission internationale de soutien à la Centrafrique sous conduite africaine) with the support needed to end ethnic cleansing and sectarian killings in the Central African Republic. Please act on this atrocity and call for protection of the victims.

Burning and looting of Muslim property and a mosque in PK 26 area, north of the capital Bangui in late January. © Amnesty International

NORTH KOREA
The UN has broken its silence on the brutality of the regime in North Korea. A new report accuses the government of Kim Jong Un of crimes against humanity.

A drawing by a former prisoner shows a practice known as pigeon torture

 Please join the worldwide outcry and call for action on the part of the international community. 

CANADA
 
A bit of good news has come our way.  Our campaign on behalf of the striking workers of the Labatt brewery in St. John's, Newfoundland has been successful The workers are back on the job. They thank all the people around the world, 12,007 of you -- more than two-thirds of whom  came from outside Canada. Again it is shown that the protests of individuals are effective in making changes in policy and actions.   

Human Rights Action Update Feb. 7-13

Miriam, human rights defender, 1947-2012

           

We start again with some good news. The governor of the state of Washington in the US has announced a moratorium on executions that will hold as long as he is in office. This is short of an initiative  for abolition or even commutation of the sentences of those now on Death Row. Nonetheless, it is a small step forward and we commend the governor for his action and his strong criticism of the application of the death penalty.

RUSSIA
The Winter Olympic Games are under way in Sochi and the Russian authorities are doing whatever they can to silence dissent.

Yevgeny Vitishko was detained this week and charged with ‘swearing at a bus stop’ and hooliganism. He’s a prisoner of conscience. Ask for his release. We believe Yevgeny has been gagged by officials keen to stop him from protesting during the Sochi Winter Olympics. His 15 day sentence coincides conveniently for the government with the period of the games.

BOLIVIA
For the past two years victims of abuses by past military regimes in Bolivia have been encamped in protest in from of the Justice Ministry, demanding reparations and justice. Their campsite outside the Ministry of Justice was set on fire on 9 February. No casualties have been reported but files and other important documents have been destroyed. Please join the protest and the demand for an investigation as well as the demand for justice for victims of human rights violations.


THE NETHERLANDS








Workers at the big flower auction FloraHolland have been engaged in futile negotiations with their management. After the failure of a warning strike on Feb. 6, they had no choice but to start an indefinite strike on Feb. 9. Workers at the company have been fighting in vain since last year for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement and a social plan that addresses the needs of hundreds of workers who are losing their jobs and others who will be transferred to new locations in a major restructuring. Please click and send a message in support of the workers.