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.

27 March 2011

AFRICA:

• Egypt = The new law announced this past Thursday which bans “strikes and demonstrations that impede the work of public institutions” is one more blatant example of why the current state of emergency should be immediately revoked; human rights are being subjugated by security concerns (sound familiar?). The current state of emergency is scheduled to be in effect until May 2012. (HRW)

• Ivory Coast = Civil war? Increased fighting has led to more than a million people currently displaced in the capital, Abidjan, and the Western part of the country, with 100,000 refugees in Liberia. The pro-Gbagbo (ousted former president) forces are accused of burning people alive and the pro-Outtara (president-elect) forces are committing extrajudicial executions in the territories under their control. The UN Human Rights Council on Friday decided to send a commission to investigate this post-election violence. (HRW, JURIST)

• Uganda = Human Rights Watch has published a report about the numerous extrajudicial punishments carried out by the Ugandan police Rapid Response Unit, available online at HRW.

AMERICAS:

• Cuba = Yay! Activists Jose Ferrer and Felix Navarro were released from prison on Wednesday after 8 years as part of a deal struck between Raul Castro and the Roman Catholic Church regarding prisoners of conscience. (AI)

• United States = Oh, Bradley Manning. Traitor he may (or may not) be as he has not yet stood trial, but isn't this another chance for us, America, to demonstrate the benefits of our democracy and justice system where all are presumed innocent until proven guilty and the ideals of prisoner care are—no, who am I kidding? Of course, we are keeping him in unreasonable detention conditions. Apparently that's just how we roll … human rights concerns go out the door when our national security is at stake (see Egypt post above). Shame on us. Again. (AI)

ASIA:

• China = Activist and writer Liu Xianbin was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment “for writing articles critical of the government,” the 3^rd time Mr. Liu has been imprisoned for writing about democracy and human rights. Additionally, this week saw the website of the Aizhixing Research Foundation (ARF) shut down by the local government's Municipal Information Office. ARF promotes the human rights of people living with HIV and AIDS. (AI, FIDH)

• Indonesia = Journalist Banjir Ambarita was recently brutally attacked after accusing police officers of sexual abuses, suffering stab wounds to the chest and stomach. The police allegedly participated in the gang-rape of a 15 year old and the repeated sexual assault of a detainee. (FIDH)

• To take action helping to guarantee Mr. Ambarita's safety and carry out a thorough investigation into his stabbing, you may contact Mr. Patrialis Akbar, Minister for Justice and Human Rights, at rohumas@depkehham.go.id

EUROPE:

• Hungary = This week begins the trial of four people accused of killing people of Roma descent in racially-motivated murders. Six people were killed in a series of nine attacks across Hungary, all upon Romani people, in a violent spree of hate-crimes. As recently as 6^th March, the extremist Jobbik Party held an anti-Roma march in the village of Gyongyospata and vigilante groups are continuing to harass local Romani people. (AI)

MIDDLE EAST:

• Syria = Security forces are using live ammunition on activists and detaining peaceful protestors; four days ago, protestors were hit with tear gas and live ammunition, killing at least 34 people. Security forces have also attacked a mosque and possibly at least one ambulance, murdering a doctor. Journalists and bloggers are being detained, and locals fear for their care. Locals are responding peacefully: more than 20,000 people gathered for the funerals of the people killed in the mosque in a show of solidarity. (AJ, HRW, DN)

ALSO OF INTEREST:

• Los Angeles teachers rap about the layoffs; you can listen here, courtesy of anonymous duo Two Teachers & a Microphone. They advocate for community action – if you like what they say and live in Cali, by all means contact your local rep on their behalf.

• The United Nations has released new Guiding Principles on Human Rights for businesses. The Principles create distinct benchmarks rather than legal obligations; the hope is that these Principles will shape operational contexts in the business world. (BHR)

• The Brookings Institution is hosting an event entitled, “Foreign Policies of Emerging-Market Democracies: What Role for Democracy and Human Rights?” on April 14^th and 15^th; info available here.

• Did you celebrate Earth Hour this year? YouTube went silent this Saturday from 8:30 to 9:30pm in each time zone. Did that move have any effect on you? Did you “celebrate” Earth Hour? What does it mean to you? (FC)

13 March 2011

AFRICA:

• Angola = The Jasmine Revolution is spreading … and so are government crack-downs. The Angolan government this week effectively stopped Monday's planned demonstration by threatening punishment for attendees and arresting journalists (from the private newspaper Novo Jornal), musician-poets and proposed demonstrators the night before the event. (HRW)

• Libya = Among the fighting and upheaval, thousands of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa are being conscripted to fight for the Libyan forces by Colonel al-Gaddafi. Be this misguided forced nationalism or the result of racism, this must be stopped immediately. Many of these people—like Libyan citizens—are trying to flee the State at this time; their migrant status must not effect their basic human right to security of the body, as well as repatriation. (FIDH, GV, IRIN)

• A follow-up to last week's story: BP has now stopped doing business with Libya. (CHNG)

AMERICAS:

• Ecuador = Chevron, in addition to causing over $9.5Million in environmental damages to the Amazon Basin, has engaged in an 18-year-long campaign to undermine the Ecuadorian court. (BHR)

• USA = Boo! In a move reminiscent of the notorious Red Scare era, the US House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security held hearings this week on the alleged “radicalization of the Muslim American community.” (HRW, BCJ, IPS)

Is it acceptable practice for the US Congress to evaluate the patriotism of a religious community?

• USA = Yay! The Governor of the State of Illinois this week signed a law abolishing the death penalty in that state. America is slowly but surely, state by state, acceding to the internatioanlly accepted standard that the imposition of the death penalty is a violation of basic human rights. (AI)

ASIA:

• Azerbaijan = Much like Angola (see above), authorities have been arresting, detaining and threatening people who plan to demonstrate in Jasmine Revolution protests. Additionally, this past Thursday the Ministry of Justice suspended a human rights NGO, the Azerbaijan Human Rights House. (HRW)

• China = The Chinese Human Rights Defenders blog did a great piece on Female Human Rights Defenders in China in honor of International Women's Day; you can check it out here. (CHRD)

• JAPAN = I'm sure all of us have been focused on the recent destruction in Japan, and are keeping our eyes on earthquake/tsunami/nuclear plant developments there. I haven't seen much human-rightsy news yet (regarding health services, water, sanitation, food, etc) but did pick up an article wherein the group Architecture for Humanity has committed to helping rebuild Sendai when the proverbial and literal dust has settled. I'm hoping we will see many more positive actions in the coming weeks and months. (GOOD)

EUROPE:

• Britain = “Child soldiers” in the UK?? Apparently, yes. Britain's army may recruit soldiers at the age of 16, despite the fact that age of majority in Britain is 18 years to be able to buy alcohol, ride a motorbike, and rent violent movies (such as Apocalypse Now, which of course is about … war). Additionally, if a soldier enters the British military at age 16, they are still committed to 4 years of service after their 18^th birthday, which is two years longer than anyone joining at age 18. (GRD)

MIDDLE EAST:

• Bahrain = Threats against Jasmine Revolution protestors now include very personal death threats against 3 human rights activists; the government thus far has done nothing to ensure or promote their safety. (AI)

• Syria = Human rights attorney Haytham Al-Maleh was pardoned and released from prison this week after a year and a half of State detention. The International Commission of Jurists observed the trial of Mr. Al-Maleh, in which he was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment for “weakening national sentiments” among other accusations and issued a report which outlined consistent human rights violations throughout. (FIDH)

• A group of approximately 12 prisoners detained in Damascus have been on a hunger strike since Monday, 7 March protesting their politicized trials; let's keep an eye on their situation.

ALSO OF INTEREST:

• The Human Rights Law Resource Centre and the Castan Center for Human Rights Law are hosting a seminar on 5 April, 2011 in Melbourne entitled, “Will the Revolution Be Tweeted? The Role of Social Media in Promoting and Protecting Human Rights.” (BHR)

• UNICEF has a human rights podcast, “Beyond School Books,” highlighting the importance of education.

• MotherJones publishes this Eco-News Roundup weekly.