Posts Tagged ‘Human Rights Defenders’
May 20, 2013
(Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng Photo: AP)
On 19 May 2013
Bruno Waterfield, reports for the Daily Telegraph from Brussels that the blind human rights lawyer,
Chen Guangcheng, the exiled
Chinese dissident has demanded that the European Union (EU) must go public with the results of human rights talks with China’s leaders, and publish its own list of people known to be suffering repression and persecution. Chen Guangcheng wants Western leaders to be more straightforward about their dealings with China so that the public can hold them to account: “
The Chinese authorities try and pretend that they dont care about the highlighting of human right abuses but they do care. It is a responsibility to do this. If it is not pursued more actively the situation will go backwards.“
via Chen Guangcheng pressures the EU on secret human rights talks with China – Telegraph.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 1 Comment »
Tags: Brussels, Chen Guangcheng, China, Daily Telegraph, dialogue, diplomatic pressure, EU, European Union, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, human rights lawyer, List of Chinese dissidents, politics
May 20, 2013
Sagaing Region in Burma (credit: Wikipedia)
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) condemns in the strongest terms the announcement of the commander of the Sagaing Region Police Force, Myanmar, that the police will arrest and charge eight human rights defenders whom it blames for inciting protests against the army-backed copper mine project in Monywa. The Commission also condemns the latest round of needless police violence against demonstrators there. According to an undated announcement just issued by the regional commander of the Myanmar Police Force, a copy of which the AHRC has obtained, the police will lodge charges against eight persons for allegedly provoking demonstrations and other supposedly illegal actions. The persons named include six members of the Yangon Peoples Support Network. The other two persons are Han Win Aung of the Political Prisoners Families Beneficial Network and Thaung Taik Oo of the Yangon Institute of Technology Students Union (18 charges!). The announcement goes on to warn that failure to provide information leading to the apprehension of these persons or harbouring of them constitute criminal offenses. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in AHRC, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: activists, AHRC, asian human rights, Asian Human Rights Commission, Burma, copper mine, criminalization, Han Win Aung, Human Rights Defenders, impunity, Myanmar, Myanmar Police Force, police brutality, police violence, protection, Sagaing Region, Yangon
May 20, 2013
According to the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), the work of human rights defenders is little known and recognized in Mexico. In many cases, the authorities themselves are guilty of defaming those who defend human rights. In recent years, human rights defenders have been threatened, monitored, harassed, slandered, and physically assaulted as a result of their work in support of victims and various causes. Defamation and under-appreciation of the work of human rights defenders have allowed these violations to continue. In 2012, the Mexican Congress approved the Law for the Protection of Defenders and Journalists, which requires the federal government to implement measures that are intended to prevent attacks against defenders. In this context, the Red TDT has launched “Defend Hope: A National Campaign in Support of Human Rights Defenders.” The campaign will disseminate information on various organizations’ efforts to defend and promote human rights. Each organization will be able to showcase its history and the voices of those that tirelessly defend human rights. Through these stories, the campaign will highlight not only the organizations’ work, but also the efforts of victims and their family members, as well as the fact that each case featured in the campaign remains in impunity. The campaign will last for one year and will boost public awareness through activities throughout the country. http://www.redtdt.org.mx/
via Defend Hope: National Campaign in Support of Human Rights Defenders | Washington Office on Latin America.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Advocacy Organizations, campaign, Human right, human rights, Human Rights and Liberties, Human rights defender, Human Rights Defenders, Mexico, protection, Special Rapporteur, Washington Office on Latin America, WOLA
May 20, 2013
After an absence for a few days for a fascinating meeting of and on HRDs in York university, UK, on which I will report more on another occasion, I return to my regular blog with a case that involves two kinds of hearing: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Front Line, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 1 Comment »
Tags: acoustic devices, Bangkok, freedom of demonstration, Front Line, Frontline Defenders, Human right, Human Rights and Liberties, Human Rights Defenders, labour activists, labour rights, Long Range Acoustic Device, LRAD, peaceful assembly, peaceful demonstration, peaceful protest, Thailand, trade unionists, trial observation, women human rights defenders
May 13, 2013
The prize, which is awarded to individuals or organizations every five years was first given out 45 years ago on the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
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Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders, UN | Leave a Comment »
Tags: awards, deadline, human rights, Human Rights and Liberties, Human Rights Defenders, New York, Non-governmental organization, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Human Rights Prize, United Nations, Universal Declaration, Universal Declaration Human Rights
May 13, 2013
The Heads of State from Mexico, Central America and the United States met for the Summit of the Central American Integration System (SICA) in Costa Rica on May 4 and 5. The Fellowship of Reconciliation, collaborating with Just Associates, the Americas Program, the Guatemala Human Rights Commission-USA and the Latin America Working Group, presented a letter to the meeting signed by more than 145 international, regional and local organizations from ten countries in the Americas. The letter addresses inter alia civil society concerns about security issues, human rights violations, violence against men and women human rights defenders. It is time to refocus regional dialogue and resource investment to address the root causes of violence, understanding that for many citizens and communities, drug trafficking is not the principal cause of insecurity. Harmful “development” policies have similarly caused increased conflict and abuses, while forced migration and criminalization of migrants and human rights activists continues to divide families. Most importantly, the region’s challenges must be addressed without violating fundamental rights and human dignity. The groups said that “the lack of effective gun control in the U.S. has led to the massive and nearly unrestricted transfer of arms to criminal networks throughout the region” and called on the presidents to “take executive action in the United States to stop the flow of assault weapons and other firearms across the U.S.-Mexico border.” The letter also provides analysis and recommendations related to: Militarization in the name of addressing the drug war which has caused unprecedented levels of violence while failing to provide citizen security. The imposition of large-scale extractive projects on marginalized communities do not constitute “development. ”Violations of migrants’ rights and the lack of consideration of root cause of migration in policies. Read the full text of the letter in pdf. on John Lindsay-Polands blog
via 145 Organizations Urge Obama and Mesoamerican Presidents to Change Course | Fellowship of Reconciliation.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Advocacy Organizations, Central America, Central American Integration System, Costa Rica, Fellowship of Reconciliation, Foreign Policy, gun control, human rights, Human Rights and Liberties, Human Rights Defenders, John Lindsay-Polands, Latin America Working Group, Mexico, politics, SICA, United States, war on drugs
May 3, 2013
Human rights lawyer Mario Joseph, MEA Nominee 2013, will give the commencement address at the IU McKinney School of Law on Saturday 11 May in Indianapolis.
Mario Joseph, Haiti – Final Nominee MEA 2013
The announcement by the University describes him as “A finalist for one of the world’s most prestigious human rights awards“, who has been called “Haiti’s most prominent human rights lawyer” by The New York Times.
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Posted in human rights, MEA, nominees | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Bureau des Avocats Internationaux, Final Nominees for the Martin Ennals Award 2013, Haiti, Human right, Human Rights Defenders, Indiana University, Indianapolis, law school, lawyer, Mario Joseph, McKinney School of Law, MEA, New York Times
May 3, 2013
As readers of this blog know I would have readily reported on any developments surrounding the MEA especially since the Final Nominees 2013 were announced recently. A few days ago a controversy arose around the nomination of Mona Seif, the courageous Egyptian human rights defender who was selected because of her campaign against military trials for civilians. UN Watch, an NGO affiliated to the American Jewish Committee, and famous for its strident monitoring of anything that smacks of criticism of Israel, accused Mona Seif of being a terrorist sympathizer on the basis of 3 older tweets in which she strongly defended the right of Palestinians to resist Israeli occupation. The organisation started a twitter campaign to have Mona recalled as nominee.
Mona Seif, Egypt – Final Nominee MEA 2013
The problem is that I am – in a personal capacity – the Chair of the Jury which is composed of ten of the world’s leading human rights NGOs (see list http://www.martinennalsaward.org). I am a non-voting chair whose only role is to facilitate the process and I do not participate in the selection. The board of the Martin Ennals Foundation also has no role in the selection as the Statutes provide for a fully independent Jury. Only the NGOs on the Jury can vote on the recipient of the MEA. Still, I feel that my capacity of Chair of the Jury obliges me to show restraint in speaking out.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in HRW, human rights | 1 Comment »
Tags: American Jewish Committee, Egypt, freedom of expression, HRW, Human Rights Defenders, HumanRights, Israel, Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Jury, Martin Ennals, Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders, MEA nominees 2013, MonaSeif, No To Military Trials for Civilians, Non-governmental organization, Robert Mackay, terrorism, twitter, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Watch
May 2, 2013
Sometimes my eyes fall on more esoteric contributions to the protection of human rights defenders. Let me share with you Mark Laham’s blog post for the Huffington Times of the 1st of May 2013 which calls for a “borderless” one-hour live online yoga class in honour of Nasrin Sotoudeh, the Iranian lawyer in jail, recipient of the Sakharov Award and Nominee of the MEA 2012. Mark got inspired – through AI – by what he read about Nasrin’s struggle and other brave human rights defenders around the world. “How does Nasrin’s story make you feel?” he asks, ” Me, I…I feel the need to do something that will create positive change for this woman and countless others like her.
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Posted in AI, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Amnesty International, blog, campaign, Huffington Post, Human right, human rights, Human rights defender, Human Rights Defenders, Iran, Mark Laham, MEA, MEA 2012 nominee, mental-health, Nasrin, Nasrin Sotoudeh, Sakharov Prize, Solidarity, Yoga
May 2, 2013
A coalition of seven female Nobel Prize winners, including Dr. Rigoberta Menchú Tum of Guatemala, called April 25 for the trial of former dictator Efraín Rios Montt to proceed. Montt was indicted in January for genocide and crimes against humanity, including widespread rape. The trial in Guatemala City was suspended last week mere days before observers expected it to conclude when a lower court judge on April 18 unexpectedly issued a ruling on a legal technicality. Guatemala’s attorney general has called the ruling illegal. The trial marks the first time a head of state has been tried for genocide by his own country’s justice system. Rios Montt is accused of ordering the killings of over 1,700 Ixil Maya people in 1982 and 1983, when he was army general and de-facto president of Guatemala. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in human rights, THF | 1 Comment »
Tags: Claudia Samayoa, crimes against humanity, Efraín Ríos Montt, genocide, Guatemala, Guatemala City, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, impunity, Ixil people, Nobel Prize, Rigoberta Menchú Tum, Rios Montt, Trial, Truthout, UNDEFEGUA
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 