4 September 2011

Back from hiatus, folks! It was much longer than expected, but two moves and a new laptop later, here we are. Expect a weekly format for the rest of 2011, and in 2012 we'll see if we can produce at least a couple of RoundUps each week. As always, thanks for checking out the HRRU and feel free to contribute!

AFRICA

• Angola = This Saturday, youth protestors in Luanda were threatened, repressed, and detained without cause; watch their story here. (GVO)

• Libya = In June of this year, al-Qaddafi forces locked more than 20 detained people into storage containers and left them to die; 11 people survived while the others suffocated. (AI)

• Libya = Currently, rebel leaders of the National Transitional Council are allegedly arresting or detaining without cause dark-skinned black African migrants and citizens, with the rhetoric that they are suspected pro-Qaddafi mercenaries. (HRW)

• Somalia = Advocating to give up. Sort of. Doctors Without Borders' international president is tellin' it like it is, arguing that many people in Somalia cannot be saved, that this famine is man-made and aid agencies must address that as the root cause and must not claim that a donation means everyone will get fed. Have you engaged in international aid work? What do you think of this public statement? Why don't we hear more comments like this from agency leaders? (GRD)

AMERICAS

• Bolivia = The Supreme Court issued convictions for 7 leaders who were involved in citizens' deaths during 2003's Black October demonstrations against gas pipelines, which turned deadly when police opened fire on the protestors. (OHCHR)

• United States = An American woman had to turn to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to get justice in her domestic violence claim against her estranged husband. “The Commission’s decision recommends that the USA examine how it fails domestic violence victims and enact comprehensive reforms at the local, state and federal levels to ensure that victims receive adequate protection from their abusers.” (AI)

• United States = New Mexico residents are takin' to the streets … or, more precisely, to the Capitol Building this Tuesday the 6^th to protest proposed anti-immigrant legislation. (BNHR)

ASIA

• China = Proposed revisions to the Criminal Procedure Law could empower Chinese authorities to secretly detain people for up to 6 months; international law considers these illegal “enforced disappearances” (HRW)

• Russia = Environmental activists Victor Chirikov, Aleander Onufrienko and Valery Semergei are being held in administrative detention after a groundless arrest and 11pm trial. Click here to find out how to advocate for Victor, Aleander and Valery. (FIDH)

MIDDLE EAST

• Syria = 88 detained people have died since the pro-reform protests began in March of this year, including a thirteen year old boy who appeared to have been tortured and castrated; there is evidence that torture played a role in at least 50 of the deaths. (AI)

OCEANIA

• Tahiti = Small steps for transgender rights … the Tahitian Court of Appeal upheld the fine for a local official who refused to officiate at a wedding where one partner is transgender. (ADV)

ALSO OF INTEREST

• Check out some sobering employment and labor stats in honor of Labor Day 2011 here.

Hiatus

Hey folks,

Just wanted to give you a quick update: the Human Rights Roundup has been delayed due to total technical fail (laptop is now in the good hands of the GeekSquad) and a personal move (oh, packing ...).

The Roundup will be back in full force and better than ever in June, 2011.

See y'all then.

Best,
Jenna

6 May 2011

AFRICA:

• Libya = Colonel al-Gaddafi is committing war crimes against civilian residents of Misratah. (AI, DWB)

• South Africa = The rape and murder of a GLBT activist is a hate crime, say local activists (the police disagree). (ADV, CHNG)
• Uganda = Why it sucks to be a woman (or in love with a woman, or the child of a woman, or the parent of a woman, etc.) in Northeastern Uganda these days. (DWB) [and can rock stars help?]

AMERICAS:

• Mexico = Yesterday kicked off the first day of a nonviolent activist walk to the capital protesting drug-related violence. (GV)

• USA = In Detroit, Michigan almost 50% of residents are functionally illiterate. How does this happen in such a wealthy nation? How can we address this?

ASIA:

• ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is meeting this weekend:

1. Human Rights Watch is calling on ASEAN to "reject Burma's request to chair the regional grouping in 2014 until the Burmese government takes genuine steps towards improving human rights, including the release of more than 2,000 political prisoners." (KI)
2. Other activists are asking ASEAN to create "concrete measures to end the human suffering caused by the ongoing clashes" between Thailand and Cambodia. (AT)

• China = The solution to ending the Jasmine Revolution in China? Arrest everyone. Including Liang Haiyi, Ran Yunfei, and Wang Lihong. (AI)
• Kyrgyzstan = The International Independent Commission has found that during the June 2010 unrest in Osh, Kyrgyz authorities failed to adequately protect ethnic Uzbek civilians. (FIDH)

EUROPE:

• France = Ummm, diplomacy? Libyan diplomats are asked to leave because the French Foreign Ministry "no longer recognizes their diplomatic status." (AJ) What do you think about this? Valid concern or inflammatory gesture or both?

MIDDLE EAST:

• Syria = Human rights violations in the town of Daraa? Not surprising since the city has been surrounded by the Syrian army since 25 April: no one is allowed out, and no one (no food, supplies, etc) allowed in. (HRW)

ALSO OF INTEREST:

• The Business and Human Rights Network is promoting the development of "a global standard of business principles pertaining to children’s rights" by UNICEF, Save the Children and the UN Global Compact.

The Osama bin Laden Edition

Pakistan = So, we all know that Osama bin Laden is now dead … here are some human rightsy-takes on the story =

• Human Rights Watch’s basic statement on the death;
• Fast Company magazine’s coverage from the Tweeterverse perspective;
• Pakistani Tweet Reactions from Global Voices;
• George Galloway’s thoughts on the “extrajudicial killing of a civilian”;
• a question as to whether this assassination was justice or just vengeance;
• Nicholas Kristoff’s After Osama article;
• a US Army Veteran’s take on events;
• the opinion of a few Muslim scholars on religious propriety of the burial at sea;
• Iran’s foreign minister on continued US presence in the Middle East;
• was this just one killer killing another?;
• hopes that this death will move us closer to peace;
• and last but not least 9/11 families and veterans speak about the death;
• for more updates throughout the day, check us out on twitter @hrroundup