Get on the Bus for Human Rights

Inés and Valentia

2012-01-17T12:25:00.000-05:00

The case of Inés and Valentina were featured in December's Global Write-a-thon and was slated to be a Get On The Bus 2012 action.

From Amnesty International:

Indigenous women Inés Fernández Ortega and Valentina Rosendo Cantú were raped by Mexican soldiers in 2002. Although they were brave enough to report the attacks to the authorities and to follow up their cases, no substantive investigation has taken place and no-one has been brought to justice. The stories of Inés Fernández and Valentina Rosendo represent the stories of several other Indigenous women who have suffered sexual violence at the hands of members of the Mexican military and whose cases remain in impunity. In August 2010 the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ordered the Mexican state to investigate the human rights violations against Inés Fernández and Valentina Rosendo, bring those responsible to account, provide adequate reparation and take steps to ensure that these violations will not be repeated in the future. The Court also ordered Mexico to end the application of military jurisdiction in cases of human rights violations committed by members of the military.

Inés Fernández, Valentina Rosendo and their families have suffered acts of intimidation in an apparent attempt to stop the two women from publicising their case and demanding justice. In the most recent incident, on 28 August 2010, a daughter of Inés Fernández was accosted by two men in the nearby town of Ayutla de Los Libres. The two men threatened the Fernández family with death if they remained in Ayutla. The Inter-American Court had ordered the Mexican government to guarantee the safety of Inés Fernández and her family on 7 April 2009 but the protection measures have not been fully implemented.

On December 15 of last year, the Mexican government made a public acknowledgement of responsibility, a big step in the right direction. Stay tuned for updates on how this will affect the GOTB action.

Full story here (Spanish).

More good news from Burma

2012-01-14T19:36:00.000-05:00

According to Irrawaddy.com, as many as 200 prisoners were released Friday in Burma under a new presidential pardon. Among the prisoners released was would-be Get On The Bus 2012 priority action U Khun Htun Oo, whose case was adopted by Group 133 last year.

Pro-democracy activist Htay Kywe was among those released from prison yesterday in Burma.

From Irrawaddy.com (full story here):

Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi, Htay Kywe, Mya Aye and Nilar Thein are among 650 prisoners released on Friday under a new presidential pardon.

Family members of political prisoners told The Irrawaddy on Friday that they were informed by the authorities that their relatives are on the list of freed prisoners. It was also reported that former Burma spy chief Khin Nyunt and intelligent official ex-Col San Pwint have also been released, as were ethnic political prisoners including Hkun Htun Oo and prominent Buddhist monk U Gambira, who was an organizer of the 2007 'Saffron Revolution.” Journalists including Zaw Thet Htwe were also freed.

Speaking with The Irrawaddy on Friday from outside Thayawady prison, Nilar Thein, said, “I’m happy, and I will be very happy to see my family. We will get involved in democratic reform with Auntie [Aung San Suu Kyi].”

“The reforms introduced by President Thein Sein and Auntie Suu are what we have so long been waiting for. But we have to work harder for the remaining colleagues who are still in prison. If all of them are released, that will be a beautiful image for all of us,” she said.

[...]

Amnesties under the new government that freed more than 27,000 convicts since last May were disappointing as they included only 200 or so political detainees. The current estimate of political prisoners ranges from about 600 to 1,500, though the government insists no one falls into the category because they are simply criminal convicts.

The government TV announcement read on Thursday: “For the sake of state peace and stability, national consolidation and to enable everyone to participate in political process and on humanitarian grounds, the government will grant amnesty to 651 prisoners so that they can take part in nation building.”

More coverage on Amnesty International USA:

But as more than a thousand political prisoners may remain behind bars, many of whom are prisoners of conscience, the amnesty must continue until all are freed according to Amnesty International.

"This release of political prisoners is a major step forward, but more must be released," said T. Kumar, Amnesty International USA's director of international advocacy. There were high expectations that all political prisoners would be released following Secretary Hillary Clinton's landmark visit to Myanmar in December 2011. Yet, more than a month has passed, and there may be more than one thousand political prisoners still in custody. Secretary Clinton should insist that all prisoners of conscience be released immediately and urge the Burmese authorities to lift any conditions attached to the released prisoners."

Progress in Burma

2012-01-14T11:56:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, from NPR:

The United States announced Friday that it will exchange ambassadors with Myanmar, also known as Burma, partly in response to the release of hundreds of political prisoners there. This is the latest development in what appears to be a dramatic turnaround for the repressive government in that Southeast Asian nation. President Obama calls the prisoner release "a substantial step forward for democratic reform." Currently, the U.S. Embassy is headed by a charge d'affaires rather than an ambassador.

The rest of the story here.

NYT coverage of Burma

2011-11-19T19:13:00.001-05:00

See the New York Times front page article here.

Case Update: Sri Lanka

2011-04-21T08:22:00.001-04:00

From the Christian Science Monitor:

UN report faults Sri Lanka, Tamil Tigers over war conduct

A UN panel has found 'credible allegations' of war crimes committed by both sides as the long-running civil war drew to a close in May 2009.

April 19, 2011
Bangkok, Thailand

Sri Lanka’s civil war, which ended nearly two years ago with the battlefield defeat of the Tamil Tigers.
The panel’s findings contradict many of Sri Lanka’s assertions about the conduct of its troops, who are accused of deliberately shelling civilians caught in the war zone. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), whose leadership was wiped out at the end of the war in May 2009, is also cited for violations such as child recruitment and using civilians as human shields. Tens of thousands of Tamil civilians trapped behind enemy lines may have died during the fighting.
Sri Lanka’s government, which refused to cooperate with the panel, has already criticized its findings as “fundamentally flawed” and based on unverified claims. An executive summary of the report was leaked last week to a Sri Lankan newspaper after the UN sent a copy to the government.The panel’s findings contradict many of Sri Lanka’s assertions about the conduct of its troops, who are accused of deliberately shelling civilians caught in the war zone. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), whose leadership was wiped out at the end of the war in May 2009, is also cited for violations such as child recruitment and using civilians as human shields. Tens of thousands of Tamil civilians trapped behind enemy lines may have died during the fighting.

Read the rest of the story here.

GOTB Celebrates Sweet 16! Part 2

2011-04-14T18:43:00.000-04:00

After the morning speaker's panel, we broke for lunch and then reconvened outside of the Chad Mission to the United Nations to call on the Chadian government to protect Darfur refugees and IDPs living within their borders. The energy that students brought to the demonstrations was striking.

Photo: Scott Langley Photography.

From there, we moved to the Sri Lankan Mission to the UN to call for independent investigation of war crimes committed by both sides during the Sri Lankan Civil War. A number of passers-by seemed intrigued by the goings-on, and our student activists handed out flyers and information.

Photo: Kelly Turley.

Our Filep Karma action was an interesting one, as Dag Hammarskjold Plaza is apparently a popular demonstration spot on a Friday afternoon.

From Demotix.com:

New York -- three separate rallies, for three separate causes, came together at Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza on Friday afternoon.

Dozens of supporters showed up at 3pm for the Yemen/Libya rally, to show solidarity with the uprisings in those countries. An hour later, more than a hundred high school and college students marched in, part of Amnesty International's "Get on the Bus For Human Rights" program, supporting Filep Karma, a prisoner of conscience in Indonesia. These younger protesters had been bussed in from New England.

Mixed in with the crowd, were 4 protesters who comprised a 'flash mob', rallying in support of the Goldstone Report, against Shimon Peres appearance at the UN.

All three causes stood side by side, shared the space and the microphone and the media attention. There must be something in the air this spring.

The day concluded at the Chinese Mission to the UN, and through the rain, our demonstrators kept up their tireless energy, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Tibetan filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen.

This was my first Get On The Bus, I've been looking forward to the event since November when I started working with Group 133. And although I woke up terribly sick on Saturday morning, I can say now (after a few days of antibiotics), that the experience was well worth all the work and even the maladies. The coordination team is an amazing group of people, taking time out of busy personal lives to pull this event together. The students and participants are equally inspiring with their creativity and energy during the event. And of course, the expert speakers and the success stories make the event well worth all the work.

Thanks to everyone who worked and participated to make Get On The Bus's Sweet Sixteen a smashing success!

GOTB Celebrates Sweet 16! Part 1

2011-04-14T13:07:00.001-04:00

Last Friday, April 8 students and activists from throughout the Northeast region collected in New York City for Get On The Bus for Human Rights' Sweet 16th. Although the weather was soupy and unpleasant, the energy the activists brought to the day's demonstrations was inspiring.

Photo: Scott Langley Photography.

We began at the Great Hall at the Cooper Union with our speaker's panel. We were delighted to have Josh Rubinstein, director of the AI-USA Northeast Office, discuss recent uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East. We also welcomed Sarah Milburn, AI-USA Chad country specialist, Jim McDonald, Sri Lanka country specialist, Tenzin Dolkar of Students for a Free Tibet, and John M. Miller of the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) to speak on the issues of the day. We also watched a brief video message from Lhamo Tso, wife of imprisoned Tibetan filmmaker, Dhondup Wangchen. (You can watch the full interview, conducted by Group 133 members and interns Lisa and Megan, on YouTube here.)

Tenzin Dolkar speaking in front of Lhamo Tso's image at Get On The Bus 2011. Photo: Kelly Turley.

Shine a light, Save a life

2011-04-07T04:59:00.006-04:00

Less than 24 hours until Get on the Bus hits the streets of NYC. We're burning the midnight oil here in Somerville, MA. Tuesday night, 15 volunteers sorted and collated print materials. Danielle and Helen stayed until 10pm! Val worked overtime finalizing the bus passenger lists Wednesday. Patrick will be packing up the car with posters, event programs, and merch. I wonder if they're main lining caffine, like me?

It takes a huge effort of time and energy by a small group of volunteers to pull off an event of this size year after year. Did you know we plan for GOTB six months in advance, including selecting which cases to profile? This year, event planning was underway well before the wave of peaceful protests in North Africa and the Middle East and the subsequent news of repression of students in Iran and the torture of women in Egypt, among other human rights abuses reported.

In recent weeks, we also learned that Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) leaders Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu are currently being hunted by police. Both have been arbitrarily arrested on numerous occasions in the past following peaceful protests and have been detained for periods of up to 37 days. Let's be blunt -- they're being harrassed and intimidated by police.

Knowing the that the threat of arrest is always real and immediate, Jenni lives out of a suitcase and in safe houses, ready to move a moment's notice (starting at the 1:40 minute mark).

Video by [wide angle] via Amnesty International: Demonstrating Under Dictatorship

I was deeply moved by Jenni's speech at Amnesty International's Annual General Meeting in March. She's the type of leader who incites hope. It's individual stories of hope -- the human face of determination and survival -- that resonate most strongly with me.

Tom Stoppard -- who's probably my favorite playwrite of all time -- describes the work of Amnesty International in the UK Guardian:

What it does, he says, "is connect awareness to protest globally… And, of course, the very phrase 'a prisoner of conscience' is a very potent idea. Someone who's been locked up because of his conscience."

On this Friday and next, GOTB will embody the connection between awareness and protest. We'll draw attention to some of our human rights concerns, including prisoners of conscience like Dhondup Wangchen, filmmaker of the documentary Leaving Fear Behind and Filep Karma, a West Papuan activist. And we've tested the batteries to make sure we'll have working megaphones to amplify our voices so that diplomats and international leaders will know we are on their doorstep.

We need you to join us -- in person and virtually -- to make the greatest impact! Jam the fax lines. Flood inboxes with messages of hope. Pre-formatted letters are available for download on the GOTB website. Or just take a moment of action: shine a little bit of love and light on Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu by signing a letter online.

Revised Chad "asks"

2011-03-16T19:31:00.000-04:00

The revised list of "asks" for the Get On The Bus 2011 Chad action as recommended by Amnesty International Chad country specialist Sarah Milburn:

to provide greater protection to women and girls in refugee camps in eastern Chad, including refugees from Darfur and internally displaced persons from Chad, now that they have lost the protection that MINURCAT provided;
to make every effort to prevent the recruiting of underage combatants in the refugee camps and other insecure areas of eastern Chad, either by the Chadian security services or by armed opposition forces, and to better facilitate the rehabilitation and reintegration of child soldiers;
to ensure that Chadian soldiers and security personnel cease all violations of the human rights of refugees and other displaced persons in the camps; and
to ensure that all who have committed such violations are brought to justice, whether they are in Chadian government forces or those of the opposition.

Prometheus Project: Amnesty International and the A.R.T.

2011-03-12T17:15:00.000-05:00

The American Repertory Theater has partnered with Amnesty International to highlight eight Amnesty Actions calling to free prisoners of conscience and fight against human rights abuses all over the world.

The rock musical Prometheus Bound is playing at the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T) through April 2. Members of Group 133 will be highlighting the case of Tibetan filmmaker and prisoner of conscience Dhondup Wangchen from March 10 - March 16.

March Group 133 Meeting and International Women's Day

2011-03-12T16:39:00.001-05:00

On Tuesday, Group 133 had a very eventful March meeting. The evening began with a vigil and petition-signing outside the Davis Square T stop, in honor of International Women's Day.

Thank you, Gualitiero, for organizing the vigil!

We also enjoyed a delicious home-cooked Sri Lankan meal, in "taste-bud solidarity"for our Get On The Bus 2011 Sri Lanka action. The meal was a wonderful (and vegan-friendly) treat.

Focus on: Tibet

We also discussed the case of Dhondup Wangchen, who will be the focus of a GOTB 2011 action. Dhondup Wangchen is a Tibetan filmmaker who was detained on March 26, 2008, shortly after completing his documentary Leaving Fear Behind. Police held him at Gongshan Hotel, an unofficial place of detention or "black jail," for part of his detention period. Police tied him to a chair, beat and punched him in the head and frequently deprived him of food and sleep during interrogations. Dhondup Wangchen suffers from Hepatitis B, for which he has not received any medical treatment.

The documentary features ordinary Tibetans talking about the Beijing Olympics, the current situation in Tibet and the Dalai Lama. Wangchen was formally arrested in July 2008 under suspicion of "inciting separatism and stealing, secretly gathering, purchasing, and illegally providing intelligence for an organisation, institution, or personnel outside the country."

After a secret trial, he was sentenced on December 28, 2009 to six years at Xichuan Labor Camp in Qinghai Province. Amnesty International considers Dhondup Wangchen a prisoner of conscience.

For Get On The Bus 2011, Danielle and Megan - local high school students who have become actively involved in the GOTB action team - will be interviewing Lhamo Tso, Dhondup Wangchen's wife who lives in exile in India, via Skype. This interview will be shown during the speaker's panel portion of Get On The Bus 2011 in April.

Leaving Fear Behind
Google Video (Filming for Tibet)

Lhamo Tso: Behind the Sea
Vimeo (FreeTibet.org uploaded by Jon Lister)

Lhamo Tso: Behind the Sea from Jon Lister on Vimeo.

More information:

Filming for Tibet
Amnesty International: China must release Tibetan filmmaker
Human Rights Watch: China: Ensure fair trial for Tibetan filmmaker
Reporters without Borders: Dhondup Wangchen
International Campaign for Tibet: Dhondup Wangchen faces trial
FreeTibet.org: Free Dhondup Wangchen
Students for a Free Tibet: Spotlight Film: Leaving Fear Behind

GOTB 2011 registration is open!

2011-03-03T13:23:00.000-05:00

Registration is now open on the revamped Get On The Bus website, www.gotb.org! Val, a longtime supporter of GOTB recently redesigned and relaunched the GOTB website. The new site looks great, and we owe Val a great deal of thanks for her hard work.

If you're planning on attending GOTB and traveling with us, registration is now open (for individuals and groups). You can find the registration page at: http://www.gotb.org/register-online.html.

Meanwhile, the March GOTB planning meeting was this Tuesday, and with Get On The Bus for Human Rights just about a month away, the rest of the GOTB action committee has had their hands full with finalizing plans and logistics for the event. I've been inspired by all the time and effort all the GOTB coordinators have put into planning this event -- from the Action Coordinators, our bus coordinator, high school student coordinators, coordinators working on the route and permits, and everyone else -- the effort has been outstanding!

At next week's general Group 133 meeting, we'll be learning more about the case of Tibetan filmmaker and prisoner-of-conscience Dhondup Wangchen. The March Group 133 meeting will be on Tuesday, March 8 at 7p.m. at the Amnesty International Northeast Regional Office at 58 Day Street, Suite 409 in Davis Square, Somerville.

Focus on Refugees and IDPs living in Eastern Chad

2011-02-12T19:03:00.000-05:00

At the February Group 133 meeting, the Group 133 Refugee Action Team and Larry Rich of the Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur presented information about the GOTB 2011 Action calling for the protection of Darfuri refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) living in eastern Chad.

Some History:
The Republic of Sudan is a large country in northeastern Africa. The people of Sudan have a long history reaching back into antiquity, which is intertwined with the history of its neighbor, Egypt. The Darfur region of eastern Sudan existed as an independent sultanate for several hundred years, and was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The modern country of Suden achieved independence from Egypt and the U.K. in 1956, and was overtaken with decades of civil war. The First Sudanese Civil War (1955-1972) followed ethnic, religious and economic lines between Northern Sudan and Southern Sudan. The war was reignited in 1983, leading to the Second Sudanese Civil War. The Colonel Omar al-Bashir gained control of the country in 1989 in a bloodless cout d'etat and named himself President of Sudan.

Conflict in Darfur:
The Darfur Conflict is an ongoing guerilla war which began in 2003, when the militant groups in Darfur took up arms, accusing the Sudanese government of oppressing non-Arab Sudanese. On the other side of the conflict are the official Sudanese military and police and the Janjaweed, a Sudanese militia group, recruited mostly from Arab tribes from northern regions of Sudan.

The ongoing conflict has led to some of the worst human rights abuses imaginable. The United States Congress declared the conflict in Darfur a genocide in June 2004, and President George W. Bush did the same in September of the same year. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have died as a result of both deliberate and indiscriminate attacks, and more than 2 million civilians have been forced to flee from their homes. The situation on the ground has been plagued with renewed violence, Janjawid attacks, and aerial bombing by the Government of Sudan's military. Currently, the Government of Sudan is resisting the UN Security Council-mandated peacekeeping operation that is desperately needed.

Amnesty representatives have met with UN, U.S. and European officials to call for their vigorous action and have pressed the governments of Chad and Sudan directly. Amnesty's global membership has also organized letter-writing campaigns and demonstrations to draw attention to the crisis.

Get On The Bus 2011 Action:
With the withdrawal of MICURCAT peacekeepers at the end of last year, Amnesty International has expressed serious concern for the safety of refugees and IDPs in camps near Chad's border with Darfur. According to AI USA's Chad country specialist, Chad military personnel have already been implicated in a growing number of sexual assaults against women and girls in the camps, and have failed to protect them from the outside attacks. The threat to refugees and IDPs is expected to increase in 2011.

The 2011 Darfur/Chad GOTB action will call on the government of Chad to protect refugees from Darfur and IDPs in camps in eastern Chad, and in particular to ensure the safety of women and girls in the camps. Specifically, we will ask the government of Chad -

to permit MINURCAT peacekeepers to return to eastern Chad,
to provide greater protection to women and girls in refugee camps in eastern Chad, including refugees from Darfur and IDPs from Chad,
to ensure that Chadian soldiers and security personnel cease all violations of the human rights of refugees and other displaces persons in the camps, and
to ensure that all who have committed such violations are brought to justice.

The Conflict in Darfur has been a long and complex war, so the information I've provided here is certainly not exhaustive. I encourage readers to follow the links below to gain a wider perspective. The multimedia resources - photo galleries, documentaries and video footage, and satellite imagery - are much more powerful than any numbers I can write here.

Further Information:

Amnesty International USA - Eyes On Darfur
Amnesty International USA - Country Concerns: Chad
Amnesty International USA - Testimony: Darfuri Refugees in Chad
The Devil Came on Horseback (film)
Darfur Diaries (film)
Save Darfur
On Our Watch: PBS Frontline Documentary
UNHCR - Chad
Refugees International - Chad
Human Rights Watch - Chad
Human Rights Watch - Report: The Risk of Return

Papua Digest

2011-02-01T15:57:00.000-05:00

Our friends across the pond at Amnesty International UK have launched "Papua Digest," as part of their comprehensive Papua campaign.

At this year's Get On The Bus event in New York City - in solidarity with our friends in the Washington, D.C. area and Mid-Atlantic region - we will be calling for the immediate release of Filep Karma. A former civil servant, Filep Karma was arrested in December 2004 for taking part in a peaceful flag-raising ceremony in Apepura, Papua Province in Indonesia. Karma and other activists were raising the "Morning Star" flag, a symbol of Papuan independence. Indonesian law forbids the display of regional logos or flags which are symbols of separatist movements. He was convicted of treason in May 2005 and sentenced to 15 years in prison.*

Amnesty International takes no position whatsoever on the political status of any province of Indonesia, including calls for independence. However the organisation believes that the right to freedom of expression includes the right to peacefully advocate referendums, independence or other political solutions. Amnesty International therefore considers Filep Karma to be a prisoner of conscience and is calling for him to be released immediately and unconditionally.

There is a lot of information about the history and human rights situation in the West Papua region. Including a report called, Indonesia: Jailed for Waving a Flag - Prisoners of Conscience in Maluku (PDF).

*Compared to the eight- to tenth-month sentences that were given to Indonesian soldiers who tortured and abused Papuan villagers. Read the Amnesty International reaction here.

Meeting Postponed

2011-02-01T07:42:00.000-05:00

Tonight's GOTB planning meeting has been postponed due to the declared snow emergency in Somerville. The meeting is tentatively planned for Monday, February 7.

GOTB Actions '11: Refugees and IDPs in eastern Chad

2011-01-31T19:29:00.000-05:00

At tomorrow's February GOTB planning meeting, the Group 133 Refugee Action team will be presenting information about Darfuri refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) currently living in eastern Chad, as well as details about the planned GOTB 2011 action, which will call on the government of Chad to protect those refugees and IDPs living in camps in eastern Chad and, in particular, to ensure the safety of women and girls living in the camps.

In the meantime, I've collected a bit of background information on the issue.

Internally Displaced in Chad - Violence crosses the border
from UNHCR on Flickr:

The UN office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that there are currently 285,500 Sudanese refugees and 157,200 internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in camps along the eastern border of Chad.

With the withdrawal of all MINURCAT peacekeepers at the end of last year, Amnesty International has expressed serious concern for the safety of refugees and IDPs in camps near Chad's border with Sudan. According to AI USA's Chad country specialist, Chad military personnel have already been implicated in a growing number of sexual assaults against women and girls in the camps, and have failed to protect them from outside attacks. The threat to refugees and IDPs is expected to increase in 2011.

Violence in eastern Chad
from UNHCR on YouTube:

The planned GOTB action will call on the government of Chad to protect refugees from Darfur and IDPs in camps in eastern Chad, and in particular to ensure the safety of women and girls in the camps. Specifically, we will ask the government of Chad -

to permit MINURCAT peacekeepers to return to eastern Chad,
to provide greater protection to women and girls in refugee camps in eastern Chad, including refugees from Darfur and IDPs from Chad,
to ensure that Chadian soldiers and security personnel cease all violations of the human rights of refugees and other displaces persons in the camps, and
to ensure that all who have committed such violations are brought to justice.

Further information:

UNHCR - Chad
Amnesty International USA - Country Concerns: Chad
Amnesty International USA - Testimony: Darfuri Refugees in Chad
Refugees International - Chad
Human Rights Watch - Chad
Human Rights Watch - Report: The Risk of Return

For information or to become involved with GOTB, join us at tomorrow night's planning meeting at 7 o'clock at the Amnesty International Northeast Regional Office in Davis Square at 58 Day Street, Suite 409, Somerville, MA.

Case Update: Sri Lanka

2011-01-22T16:35:00.000-05:00

From amnestyusa.org:

US should investigate alleged war crimes by Sri Lankan President
20 January 2011

The United States should investigate Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, on a surprise visit to the US this week, for his alleged role in perpetrating torture and war crimes, Amnesty International said on Wednesday.

Mahinda Rajapaksa reportedly left Sri Lanka early Wednesday morning with a delegation of 20 bound for the US.

"The US has an obligation under international law to investigate and prosecute people who perpetrated war crimes and grave human rights violations such as extrajudicial executions, torture and enforced disappearances," said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific director.

Mahinda Rajapaksa is commander in chief of Sri Lanka's armed forces, which face numerous allegations of war crimes, enforced disappearances, and torture.

Under international law, military commanders may face criminal responsibility if they knew, or should have known, of such crimes being committed by their subordinates.

The President's visit comes as a Panel of Experts appointed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon works on a report advising him on accountability issues in Sri Lanka.

Both Sri Lankan government forces and members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam are accused of having committed war crimes in the final phase of the decades-long conflict.

Amnesty International has called for the UN to initiate an international investigation.

"Thousands of victims in Sri Lanka demand accountability for the abuses they've suffered from the Sri Lankan security forces as well as armed groups such as the LTTE," Sam Zarifi said.

In December Wikileaks exposed a secret US Embassy cable sent by Ambassador Patricia Butenis from Colombo in which she noted the difficulty of bring perpetrators of alleged crimes to justice when "responsibility for many of the alleged crimes rests with the country's senior civilian and military leadership, including President Rajapaksa and his brothers ...."

Amnesty International said the US should further investigate these allegations and support calls for an international investigation into Sri Lanka's role in war crimes.

Case Update: Filep Karma

2011-01-21T14:21:00.000-05:00

The Free West Papua Campaign shared this image on their Facebook page today:

Shocking image showing political prisoner Filep Karma's detention cell at the Jayapura police station where he is being held with fellow prisoner Buchtar Tabuni. The shed is attached to the back of the police station. Filep is forced to sleep on a bench as there are many rats carrying typhoid scuttling around on the floor every night

Filep Karma is a West Papuan activist and prisoner of conscience. We plan to demonstrate on Filep's behalf at this year's GOTB event and call for his immediate and unconditional release. Soon, I'll post more detailed information here about Filep Karma's case and the human rights situation in the West Papua region of Indonesia. In the meantime, you can find links to the relevant Amnesty International USA pages below.

Individuals at Risk: Filep Karma on Amnesty International USA
Country Concerns: Indonesia on AI USA

The next GOTB planning meeting will be on Tuesday, February 1 at 7 o'clock at the AI-USA Northeast Regional Office in Davis Square. During this meeting, the Group 133 Refugee Action Team will present detailed information on the GOTB 2011 action on behalf of Darfuri refugees and IDPs in eastern Chad.

Focus on Sri Lanka Action

2011-01-12T16:04:00.001-05:00

At last night's Group 133 meeting a Group 133 member and GOTB coordinator gave a presentation detailing the GOTB 2011 Sri Lanka action, including the actions "asks," the current situation in Sri Lanka and background and history regarding the 30 year civil war.

Some History:

Sri Lanka is an island nation off the southeastern coast of India. The island was occupied for some 2,000 years by the neighboring Sinhalese and Tamil kingdoms, but like many of the island's neighbors, Sri Lanka (or Ceylon, as it was then known), eventually came under the influence of European colonial powers. The Portuguese arrived in the early 1500s, then the Dutch in the 17th Century, and eventually the British annexed the territory in the 1800s. After World War II, during the decline of colonialism, Sri Lanka gained independence in 1948, however, the island which had traditionally been ruled by separate kingdoms, was now under one government, the majority of which was Sinhalese.

Independence:
A pattern of Sinhalese discrimination against the Tamil majority began early in the newly independent nation. In 1949, Sinhalese began colonization of Tamil territories in the north and east of the island, in 1956, the government named Sinhalese the sole, official language of the country. In 1970, the government began a policy of "ethnic standardization," severely limiting access to higher education for Tamil students. By this time, peaceful protests and demonstrations of Tamil people were met with violence by the government. During the 1970s and 80s, Tamil militant groups began forming, most notably, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) or "Tamil Tigers." While the Tamil Tigers primarily targeted Sinhalese military targets, they also conducted targeted political killings, even killing Tamil government officials or academics they considered to be "traitors" to the Tamil cause.

Civil War:
Between 1983 and 2009, the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan government battled while civilians were often caught in the crossfire. Both sides are accused of committed war crimes, particularly during the final stages of the war in 2009. These include the use of child soldiers and attacks on civilians by the Tamil Tigers, and extra-judicial executions, carpet bombing and indiscriminate massacres of civilians and Tamil fighters by the Sri Lankan government. Ultimately, the war left up to 40,000 civilians dead and some 300,000 people displaced.

"The war has ended - not the conflict."
Although the Sri Lankan government militarily defeated the Tamil Tigers in 2009, troubles continue for the Sri Lankan people. A climate of repression continues in the country, particularly for journalists; politically motivated killings continue with no investigations. Humanitarian NGOs are very restricted in their work: the Red Cross is restricted from working in the north, and other NGOs are allowed only to deliver material goods and restricted from provided psychological support, community rebuilding, addressing women's needs or searching for missing persons.

GOTB 2011 Sri Lanka Action:
The 2011 Get On The Bus Sri Lanka Action will call on the UN to launch an investigation into war crimes committed during the civil war by both the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers (LTTE).

The pressure for an investigation into war crimes is high right now, making a GOTB action on this issue all the more relevant. Pressure is especially high after the release of an execution video in November of last year.

As I posted in my December 28 post, there is currently a three-person panel investigating alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian law during the final stages of the war. This panel will report back to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with their recommendations for possible future actions.

For more information:

International Crisi Group - Sri Lanka
Amnesty International USA - Sri Lanka (lots of resources and action information)
Human Rights Watch - Sri Lanka (news and downloadable PDF reports)
UNHCR - Sri Lanka country profile
UN Human Rights Commission - Sri Lanka
The ICRC in Sri Lanka
WFP - Sri Lanka
BBC News - Country Profile: Sri Lanka
CBC News - The History of Sri Lanka
Reporters without Borders | Reporters Sans Frontières - Sri Lanka
Committee to Protect Journalists - Sri Lanka

GOTB Action 2011: Sri Lanka

2011-01-08T12:20:00.001-05:00

At our upcoming Group 133 meeting, one of our members will be providing more information about our Get On The Bus 2011 Sri Lanka action. The planned action will have activists demonstrating outside the UN building in New York, calling on the United Nations and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to conduct an independent investigation into war crimes committed during the Sri Lankan civil war by both the Sri Lankan security forces and the Tamil Tigers.

If you saw my December 28 post, or follow this issue closely, you know that there is a possibility the UN may decide to conduct an investigation on their own, before the April 8 event. Naturally, we'll be very pleased if this happens, but it will also mean that we'll have to shift our focus for Get On The Bus. Should this be the case, we will demonstrate outside the Sri Lankan Mission to the UN and call on the government of Sri Lanka to protect the freedom of expression of journalists working in the country.

From the AI USA Sri Lanka country page:

In recent years, outside the conflict zone, journalists and other media workers have been attacked. At least 14 media workers have been the victims of unlawful killings since the beginning of 2006; one has allegedly disappeared in the custody of the security forces, while others have been tortured and arbitrarily detained. Emergency regulations issued by the Sri Lankan President have been used to silence critical media and generally violate freedom of expression in Sri Lanka, including through detention without charge or trial for periods lasting up to 18 months.

One of 2010's GOTB actions - and subsequent successes! - included calling for the immediate and unconditional release of J.S. Tissainayagam, or "Tissa," a Sri Lankan journalist who was arrested in 2008 for writing two articles which criticized the Sri Lankan governments conduct during the war with the Tamil Tigers.

Sri Lanka's Ghosts
from Human Rights Watch on YouTube:
(a bit dated, but gives a good sense of the human rights situation in Sri Lanka)

Refugees flee Sri Lanka "safe zone" - May 2009
Al Jazeera English on YouTube

More information:

AI USA - Sri Lanka (lots of great resources and introductory information)
Human Rights Watch - Sri Lanka (several downloadable PDF reports and other resources)
International Crisis Group - Sri Lanka (information about war crimes committed in Sri Lanka)
Reporters without Borders | Reporters Sans Frontières - Sri Lanka

The next AI Local Group 133 meeting will be Tuesday, January 11 at 7p.m. at the AI Northeast Regional Office in Davis Square at 58 Day Street, Suite 409.

E:60 - The Children of Bhopal

2011-01-06T17:28:00.003-05:00

GOTB organizers hope to include a side action on behalf of the victims and survivors of the 1984 chemical disaster in Bhopal, India. Below is a great piece from ESPN's E:60 series, which provides the history of the disaster, the lingering effects and dangers to the children and people of Bhopal.

GOTB January Meeting

2011-01-05T12:26:00.003-05:00

Group 133 members and other GOTB coordinators were delighted to have more students and other newcomers at our January GOTB planning meeting last night.

At last night's meeting, members of the GOTB Action Team discussed next steps and logistics for the April 8th New York City event. The actions planned for the 2011 event are: calling for the immediate release of Tibetan filmmaker Dhondep Wangchen, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of West Papuan prisoner of conscience Filep Karma, calling on the government of Chad to protect Darfuri refugees and internally displaced persons within Chad, and calling on the UN to launch an independent investigation into war crimes committed during the civil war in Sri Lanka, with a possible "side action" at Dow Chemical (formerly Union Carbide) corporate headquarters regarding the industrial disaster in Bhopal, India.

This year's event will also include a solidarity event in Washington, D.C. on Friday, April 15 organized by Amnesty International groups in the D.C. Metro area and Mid-Atlantic region. GOTB organizers also plan to reach out to AI groups across the country and internationally to plan similar solidarity actions in support of this year's issues.

AI Student Area Coordinators, 133 members and high school students involved with GOTB also plan to continue to reach out to high school and college AI group and similar organizations.

Next month's meeting will be Tuesday, February 1 at 7p.m. at the AI Northeast Regional Office in Davis Square. In addition to planning and logistics, the Group 133 Refugee Action Team will present detailed information regarding the planned action calling for the protection of Darfuri refugees and internally displaced persons - particularly women and girls - in eastern Chad.

Case Update

2010-12-28T08:38:00.002-05:00

From BBC News:

18 December 2010 Last updated at 09:40 ET
Sri Lanka ends ban on UN war crimes probe team

Sri Lanka's government says it will now allow a team of UN investigators to visit the island, reversing an earlier refusal to grant visas.

The three-man panel was appointed in June by the UN secretary general to look into alleged war crimes in the final stage of the government's war with Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009.

Sri Lanka angrily opposed the move and set up its own internal commission.

Colombo now says the panel may visit and share evidence with its inquiry.

Sri Lanka consistently denies its forces violated international humanitarian law during the long conflict, maintaining that only the Tamil Tigers did.

People suggesting otherwise are often labelled as traitors in Sri Lanka.

The fact that Colombo has changed its mind and will now admit to the country the panel is something of a concession, says the BBC's Charles Haviland, in Sri Lanka.
'Enemy objectives'
Announcing the relaxation of the ban, Sri Lanka's foreign ministry confirmed on Saturday what UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told reporters a day earlier: that his panel - an Indonesian, and American and a South African - would visit the island.

The ministry said they would be admitted so that they could make a presentation to Sri Lanka's own domestic commission investigating the war's final years. No date has been set.

However, our correspondent says it is unlikely that the UN experts will be given free rein to go around making investigations.

Six months ago the Sri Lankan foreign minister said the members of the UN panel would not be granted visas and described the initiative as "unwarranted interference".

In July another government minister, Wimal Weerawansa, led a cabinet-backed hunger strike and protest against the panel outside the UN's local compound.

Our correspondent says that same minister - a maverick, ardently nationalist lawmaker - is still insisting that the panel be "given no space" to visit Sri Lanka.

The panel's visit would help "accomplish enemy objectives", Mr Weerawansa recently said, urging all Sri Lankan people to protest against their presence in the country.

The UN estimates that Sri Lanka's conflict killed up to 100,000 people, displaced hundreds of thousands more and held back the island's growth and economic development.

Case Update

2010-12-27T08:17:00.003-05:00

The picture below shows Filep Karma looking merry and healthy yesterday, the day after Christmas, after having traveled to Jakarta for much-needed medical care in August of this year. The picture appeared on the Free West Papua Campaign's Facebook page yesterday.

(Filep Karma and Buchtar Tabuni in Polda Prison, Jayapura, December 26, 2010. Photo by Ricky Dajoh)

Check back here for more detailed case information about all the planned 2011 actions, including actions in support of Filep Karma, Dhondup Wangchen, Darfur refugees in Chad and internally displaces persons within Chad, and calling for an independent investigation into war crimes in Sri Lanka.

All of us of Group 133 are very excited this year that our friends in the Mid-Atlantic and Washington, D.C. region will be holding solidarity actions at embassies in D.C.! Right now, New York City events are tentatively scheduled for Friday, April 8, 2011 and the D.C. events for Friday, April 15, 2011. Check here often for updates.

The next GOTB planning meeting will be Tuesday, January 4, 2011, students and activists, GOTB veterans and newcomers who are interested in helping organize this year's GOTB events are encouraged to attend. (We're currently looking for someone to help update and maintain the GOTB web site, www.gotb.org.) Contact Group 133 for more info.

Note: Amnesty International takes no official stance regarding the independence movements in West Papua or Tibet, but rather is concerned for the human rights of the people living in those areas as well as those of prisoners of conscience and human rights defenders acting on behalf of their people.

A Get On The Bus Success Story

2010-12-24T14:44:00.000-05:00

One of the actions of the 2010 Get On The Bus event included demonstrating outside the Sri Lankan Mission to the United Nations and calling for the immediate and unconditional release of J.S. Tissainayagam.

J.S. Tissainayagam, or "Tissa," a Sri Lankan journalist, was arbitrarily detained by the police in Colombo on March 7, 2008 and subsequently indicted five months later. Under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, two articles written by Tissa which criticized the government's conduct in war against the Tamil Tigers, were used to convict and sentence him to 30 years hard labor. In May of 2009, President Barack Obama specified Tissa as an "emblematic example" of the unfortunate truth of mistreatment of journalists.

On August 31, 2009, he was convicted and sentenced to 30 years rigorous imprisonment, but Tissa appealed his conviction. On January 11, 2010, the court granted his request to be released on bail while his appeal was pending. Amnesty International considered him to be a prisoner of conscience, imprisoned solely in connection with his journalistic activities.

On May 3, 2010, the Sri Lankan government announced that President Rajapaksa had planned to grant him a pardon, but the pardon had not yet been issued. The long-awaited presidential pardon was finally issued in mid-June. J.S. Tissainayagam left Sri Lanka and entered the United States on June 19, 2010. Thanks to those who took action on his behalf.

(Tissa speaking at the 2010 Amnesty International Northeast Regional Conference in November at Boston University.)

You can read about more Get On The Bus success stories and history on the GOTB web site.

A video message from Filep Karma

2010-12-17T13:23:00.003-05:00

In this video, Papuan prisoner of conscience Filep Karma thanks supporters from his hospital bed. Amnesty supporters helped secure much-needed medical attention for Filep. He returned to prison shortly afterward.

Get On The Bus 2011

2010-12-15T14:06:00.004-05:00

Group 133 and other Get On The Bus supporters have begun planning for next year's Get On The Bus (for human rights) event!

Last night Group 133 members voted for four actions to be included in the April '11 event:

Calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Dhondup Wangchen, a Tibetan filmmaker and prisoner of conscience and Group 133's special focus case.
Calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Filep Karma, a West Papuan activist who was arrested by Indonesian authorities in 2004 for raising the outlawed Morning Star flag. Karma is the AI-USA Mid-Atlantic region's special focus case.
Calling on UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to establish an independent international investigation into war crimes committed by both the Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tigers during the Sri Lankan civil war.
Urge the government of Chad to protect refugees from Darfur and internally displaced persons from Chad, particularly women and girls.

Of course, these may change or be tweaked as the event draws closer. We're really excited this year because our friends in the Washington DC and Mid-Atlantic region will be holding their own Get On The Bus solidarity actions in the Capital.

Watch here for more information about Get On The Bus '11, the cases mentioned above and other details about the event. For more information visit the Get On The Bus web site at www.gotb.org or the Group 133 web site at www.amnesty133.org.

Get on the Bus 2010 Flier and updates!

2010-04-05T15:27:00.011-04:00

Hey GOTB followers, print and circulate this puppy as you see fit!

Some background on this year's issues:

J.S. Tissainayagam, also known as "Tissa," is a journalist who has suffered persecution and imprisonment for nearly two years. Under the Sri Lankan Prevention of Terrorism Act, two articles by the journalist criticizing the government's conduct in war against the Tamil Tigers were used to convict and sentence him to 30 years hard labor. In May of 2009, President Barack Obama specified Tissa as an "emblematic example" of the unfortunate truth of mistreatment of journalists. Amnesty seeks not only Tissa's unconditional release, but amendments to existing legislation so as to protect freedom of expression throughout Sri Lanka. Learn more at http://releasetissa.blogspot.com/ or http://www.rsf.org/Nine-recommendations-for-improving.html

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and co-founder of the National League for Democracy (NLD). She has been wrongfully imprisoned for 14 of the past 20 years by the military junta in Myanmar (Burma). She is currently under house arrest in Yangon and Amnesty International seeks her immediate, unconditional release, as well as that of the estimated 2,100 political prisoners currently detained by the military government. Learn more at http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1991/kyi-bio.html or http://www.dassk.com (site currently down).

Dhondup Wangchen is a documentary filmmaker who has been imprisoned by the Chinese since March 2008. In 2008, Dhondup Wangchen shot the documentary Leaving Fear Behind by smuggling footage out of Tibet (with the help of monks) and traveling thousands of miles. Amnesty is demanding both his release and that of all who were detained in the March 2008 demonstrations. Learn more at http://www.freetibet.org/campaigns/free-dhondup-wangchen and http://www.leavingfearbehind.com/node/17. Watch Leaving Fear Behind online here.

In September of 2007, the family of Justine Masika Bahimba, coordinator for Synergy of Women for the Victims of Sexual Violence (Synergie des femmes contre les violence sexuelles), was attacked in their home. Although the attackers (reportedly army soldiers) have been identified, no action has been taken against them. Amnesty is calling for these men to be brought to justice, and all future civilian legal cases to be tried in a timely manner. Learn more at http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/taxonomy/term/1042 and http://www.raisehopeforcongo.org/synergiedesfemmes

Registration for buses is closed, but there's still time to get involved. Register online here and visit us at gotb.org to find out how else you can participate.

Taste Bud Solidarity: Amnesty International Dinner at Mi Tierra Guatemalan/Salvadoran Restaurant this Sunday

2009-03-31T22:42:00.010-04:00

As you may have read, as we prepare for this year's Get on the Bus for Human Rights, we have been sampling the cuisines of the cultures at the center of our human rights actions. Before we hit the streets of New York to demand respect for human rights and an end to the gold mining industry's exploitation of both the people and the land in Guatemala, we will be celebrating Guatemalan food and culture closer to home.

This Sunday, we will meet for dinner at Mi Tierra, a Guatemalan and Salvadoran restaurant, in Waltham, MA. Please join with members of Amnesty International Local Group 133 this Sunday evening, April 5^th, at 5 p.m. for a delicious dinner.

Mi Tierra Restaurant

585 Moody St.,Waltham, MA 02453

781-894-5676‎

http://thephoenix.com/Boston/Food/68571-MI-TIERRA/

Please let us know if you will be able to join us for dinner, so that we can make a reservation and arrange carpools: kelly@amnesty133.org.

For more information about the April 17^th Get on the Bus event, please go to www.gotb.org.

Spread the Word: Get on the Bus Flyers in English and Spanish

2009-03-26T07:25:00.010-04:00

Are you planning to Get on the Bus for Human Rights on April 17th?

This year's Get on the Bus promises to be powerful, energizing, and inspirational, so please help us get the word out by sharing these flyers with your friends, classmates, and neighbors.

For more materials, please email gotb@amnesty133.org. Thanks-- y gracias!

Taste Bud Solidarity: Amnesty 133 Dinner at YoMa Burmese Restaurant this Saturday, March 21st

2009-03-18T00:36:00.006-04:00

As we prepare for this year’s Get on the Bus for Human Rights, we have been sampling the cuisines of the cultures at the center of our human rights actions. Before we hit the streets of New York to demand respect for human rights and the release of all political prisoners in Burma, we will be celebrating Burmese food and culture closer to home.

This Saturday, we will meet for dinner at YoMa Restaurant in the Allston neighborhood of Boston for the next stop on our culinary tour. Please join with members of Amnesty International Local Group 133 this Saturday night, March 21^st, at 8 p.m. for a delicious dinner.

YoMa is a wonderful Burmese restaurant, with a wide array of options for vegetarians and omnivores alike.

YoMa Restaurant

5 North Beacon Street

(In Allston's Union Square, near Grasshopper Restaurant and Twin Donuts)

Boston, MA 02134

http://yomaboston.com/

Please let us know if you will be able to join us for dinner, so that we can make a reservation: kelly@amnesty133.org.

For more information about YoMa's menu, prices, and location, please go to http://yomaboston.com/.

Boston-Area Showing of Documentary on Mayan Resistance to Gold Mining in Guatemala

2009-03-11T00:11:00.007-04:00

March 13th Screening of Sipakapa No Se Vende/Sipakapa Is Not for Sale in Lynn
(Image credit: Sipakapa No Se Vende/Sipakapa Is Not for Sale)

As we get ready for our Guatemala action at this year’s Get on the Bus, please join members of Amnesty International Group 133 and the Guatemala Solidarity Committee of Boston for a screening of the documentary Sipakapa No Se Vende/ Sipakapa Is Not for Sale this Friday evening, March 13th at 6:00 p.m., in Lynn, MA.

Lynn is the adopted home of many people from Sipakapa and other areas of San Marcos, Guatemala. The event is being organized by local members of the Guatemalan community, and the evening will include Guatemalan food and the film screening.

The event will be held at Family & Children's Service of Greater Lynn, Inc., 111 North Common St., Lynn, MA 01902. A map from the Amnesty Northeast Regional Office to the event site is available by clicking here.

Sipakapa No Se Vende/ Sipakapa Is Not for Sale focuses on the Mayan Sipakapense people’s resistance to gold mining activities in their community by Glamis Gold, Ltd./Goldcorp. (The film is mostly in Spanish with English subtitles.)

For more information about Sipakapa No Se Vende/Sipakapa Is Not for Sale and the issues it covers, please follow these links:

· http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1N8I54zong (part 1 of the film; other parts also available on YouTube)

· http://www.nativenetworks.si.edu/Eng/orange/sipakapa_no_se_vende.htm

· http://www.woolastook-presbytery.ca/wo-sipakapa-declaration.pdf

· http://www.rightsaction.org/articles/goldcorp_vs_democracy_03_30_08.html

For more information, please contact Kelly at kelly@amnesty133.org.

Drivers Ed with the GOTB team

2009-03-03T19:08:00.010-05:00

In January 2009, GOTB held its first leadership retreat for new and veteran lead organizers. The daylong retreat was designed to share GOTB's best practices on community organizing: communicating the message and being able to speak about the actions; GOTB specific "how-to" tips, like how to organize bus transportation; and event planning. We're all volunteers -- some of us are full-time students, some of us work full-time and some from overseas! -- and much of the organizing work that goes into GOTB is done remotely via email and the web. This retreat was a unique opportunity for the GOTB organizing team to come together and build strong working relationships.

Spice it Up!

Retreats are incredibly effective for team building and strategic planning, but they don't have to be boring. We bonded over homemade food and games that revealed little-known fun facts about ourselves!

Step into the Driver's Seat

The GOTB retreat left us feeling refreshed and excited to "get on the bus" for another year. In fact, we were so inspired by each other that we plan to hold a retreat again for GOTB 2010. Consider yourselves invited. Contact gotbvolunteer_AT_amnesty133.org to volunteer or join the organizing team!

Ma Khin Khin Leh is Now Free!

2009-03-01T23:32:00.003-05:00

After almost a decade in prison, Burmese prisoner of conscience Ma Khin Khin Leh was released by the Myanmar authorities last Saturday, February 21st. Since 1999, Ma Khin Khin Leh, a school teacher, had been imprisoned due to her family’s pro-democracy work. She and her husband, Kyaw Wunna, were organizing a peaceful demonstration in Bago. Days before the planned demonstration, authorities came to arrest her husband. While Kyaw Wunna was not there, authorities did find Ma Khin Khin Leh and the couple's three-year old daughter, Thaint Whunna Khin. Ma Khin Khin Leh and her daughter both were arrested. Thaint Whunna Khin was held for five days, and became the one of the world’s youngest political prisoners. Ma Khin Khin Leh was given a life sentence, and served almost 10 years before her release last week.

Ma Khin Khin Leh, along with Aung San Suu Kyi and U Win Tin, was featured in last year’s Get on the Bus action. Since Get on the Bus 2008, both Ma Khin Khin Leh and U Win Tin, Myanmar’s longest held prisoner of conscience, have been released. Unfortunately, Aung San Suu Kyi, the nation’s democratically elected leader, remains under house arrest.

Thank you for all of your work to help free Ma Khin Khin Leh. Now that she is free, let’s use our powerful energy to call for the unconditional release of Aung San Suu Kyi and the estimated 2,100 remaining political prisoners in Myanmar!

Please go to http://www.amnestyusa.org/individuals-at-risk/priority-cases/aung-san-suu-kyi-and-ma-khin-khin-leh/page.do?id=1101239 for more details about Ma Khin Khin Leh and Aung San Suu Kyi.

Movie showing at Brandeis: "No More Tears Sister"

2009-02-22T20:40:00.006-05:00

Hello All,

I was asked to write for the blog in order to inform everyone about what is going on with the Brandeis Chapter in terms of getting ready for GOTB and hopefully to share some successful ways to get the word out about GOTB. And this just happens to be my first blog ever...so here goes!

In order to inform fellow students about the issues we are focusing on with GOTB and to get out the word about GOTB in general our chapter decided to hold a movie showing on one of the focus cases. Anna, the GOTB'09 Coordinator, helped us get our hands on a copy of the film "No More Tears Sister," which recounts the life of renowned human rights activist Dr. Rajani Thiranagama and her work for human rights in the midst of the conflict in Sri Lanka. Before the film we talked a bit about GOTB and this year's focus cases then played the video posted on www.gotb.org to show students exactly what this event is. We also had two letters for people to sign and send to the president of Sri Lanka, one demanding protection of civilians, the other demanding freedom for political prisoners.

In terms of logistics, it was very easy (not to mention free!) to get the rights to show the film publicly. If you want to show this movie with your group contact the GOTB Coordinator (gotb_AT_amnesty133.org) to get the film and then go to www.amdoc.org/outreach/events/register.php/ to register your group with American Documentary Inc. and then register the event.

Good luck!

.... and we're back! The GOTB team is going live.

2009-02-01T15:14:00.005-05:00

Get on the Bus for Human Rights (GOTB) is an annual day of human rights education and activism organized by Amnesty International Group 133 of Somerville, MA. The GOTB team has grown to include a dedicated team of volunteer community organizers over the past few years – among them are student leaders, members of Boston-area AIUSA chapters and local community coalitions.

We’ve been hard at work organizing on the ground to bring GOTB'09 to a bus stop near you! We have lots to fill you in on:

Check out our official GOTB website; it has the tasty nuggets and helpful how-tos.

Subscribe to our RSS feed.

Friend us on Facebook.

And p.s. - GOTB Twitter is coming!

Save the Date: GOTB ’09 is Friday, April 17th 2009!

Call your Congressman to sign on to Guatemala letter

2006-04-27T12:21:00.000-04:00

This is a message from Adriana Beltran, who spoke at the Get on the Bus speakers' panel last week. Please contact your member of Congress to gain support for this letter to the State Department!

Since 2001, more than 2,500 young women have been brutally murdered in Guatemala. US Members of Congress can play a vital role in supporting efforts to resolve the brutal killings of women in Guatemala.

On April24, representatives Barbara Lee (D-CA), Tom Lantos (D-CA) and Hilda Solis (D-CA) began circulating a letter in the House of Representatives urging the State Department to support efforts to protect the lives of women in Guatemala. The letter to US Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Thomas A. Shannon, calls for an increase in US assistance and diplomatic measures to help Guatemalans investigate, prevent and prosecute these heinous crimes.

Contact your congressional representative to request that he/she sign onto this important letter! Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 to be put through to your representative's office. Once connected, ask to speak with the foreign policy aide. Let him/her know that as a constituent you would like to see your representative sign on to the Lee-Lantos-Solis letter requesting that the State Department support efforts to resolve the murders of women in Guatemala. The letter willbe open for signatures at least until Friday, May 5th, but the sooner you can make your call the better.

For more information, see the Washington Office of Latin America and the Amnesty Action Center for an online action.

Meeting at Sudanese Mission to UN

2006-04-25T22:35:00.000-04:00

Naoma, Sabina and Gilbert before the meeting

Ms. Naoma Nagahwatte, of the Washington D.C. based Campaigns Unit, and Gilbert Martin, of the East Africa Coordination Group of Amnesty International USA, met with Mr. Yasir Abdelsalam, Minister Plenipotentiary and Charge d’Affaires and Mr. Idrees M. Saeed, Third Secretary of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of the

Sudan

to the United Nations. They presented Amnesty's concerns regarding many issues including: impunity and the lack of criminal prosecutions for crimes of war and crimes against humanity, safeguarding humanitarian assistance and those that provide it, protection and security for refugees and Internally Displaced People, genocide (Amnesty has to date not chosen to characterize ongoing events in Darfur as constituting a genocide under the terms of the 1948 U.N. Convention), the expulsion of the international aid organization the Norwegian Refugee Council and the closing of the offices of the Sudan Social Development Organization (SUDO), the need for Amnesty International and other human rights organizations to be granted visas to carry out in country investigations without harassment nor undue delay, and the ongoing peace talks between belligerents being held in Abuja, Nigeria and scheduled to be completed by the end of April 2006.

Sabina Carlson's poem Vigil for Darfur

2006-04-23T20:10:00.000-04:00

At the Get on the Bus speakers' panel on Friday, high school senior Sabina Carlson from West Windor-Plainsboro High School North in Plainsboro, New Jersey gave a rousing speech about Darfur and recited this poem, which she'd written, to the crowd.

Vigil for Darfur

by Sabina Roan Carlson

Hold up your candle if you are an angel.
Hold up your candle if the light of hope
dances and curls about your spine
like the breath of light
about the whick.

Or blow out your candle if you believe
that when
these flames flicker out
we will forget
the faces we now see before us:
the faces
of the hopeful,
and the memory of the abused.

Hold up your candle
if the people standing along side you
have become your wings,
and that
side by side
we fly
to a better place and time.

Hold up your candle if you know that sound does not travel
through air and wires but rather through the chords
of our hearts and that we will never
be able to claim
that we could not hear
a single cry
because a deafening ocean
stood between us.

Hold up your candle if you remember
how the world forgot 800
thousand Rwandans,
hold up your candle if you have a hole
burnt into your heart
by the Shoah, the Great Fire,
the Holocaust
and hold up your candle if you can still see
the smoke
and taste the ashes.

Hold up your candle
if you know
that tears
only feed
that fire.

And hold up your candle
if you refuse to let the world
sob itself to sleep, waiting for a wish,
because we did not listen to them,
because we did not burn with them,
because we did not tell them
“I am
going
to save you.
Here,
I am your miracle.”

For who
dares to say that miracles are simply
the dusted spines
of Bibles?

Friends, look
at the crying wings you stand
side by side with, listen to the heavenly
psalms of hope and hurt, feel your heart
rise
through the halo above your head
to join with a hundred thousand others
who will heal
this world.

Hold up your candle
if you
are an angel.

For who says that peace is impossible?
Who ever said that only angels are capable of miracles?
And who
ever said
that we
are not angels?

Get On The Bart: GOTB Solidarity Action in San Francisco

2006-04-23T19:56:00.000-04:00

We had a protest action to stop violence against women in Guatemala in San Francisco on Get On The Bus Day as a solidarity action with the Guatemala action in New York.

On Friday afternoon, we gathered at the busy corner of Market and Powell Streets in downtown San Francisco to protest the murders of hunderds of women
in Guatemala, and collect signatures on letters and petitions to be sent to President Berger. We held the "No Una Mas!" signs made for the Get On The Bus Guatemala action and an Amnesty banner, and had laid out small pink crosses with the names of some of the victims written on them on the sidewalk.

At one point the names of murdered women were called out, followed by the word "presente" to indicate that the murdered women and girls were with us in spirit. Furthermore, we listened to the moving story told through the bull horn by one of us, a young women who was Guatemalan herself.

A small delegation from Amnesty met with Consul General Patricia Santizo de Calderon. The delegation discussed our concerns with the Consul General, and offered her the Amnesty report on the issue and dozens of signed letters and petitions for president Berger of Guatemala. The Consul General was empathetic with our message and promised her cooperation in bringing this matter under the attention of the Guatemalan
ambassador.

Thanks to everyone who has helped organize and those who were present at the demonstration for their help and support!

-- Marijke Haverkorn

Bill and Hu: Free the Web

2006-04-20T00:24:00.000-04:00

Get on the Bus 2006's first solidarity demonstration was held yesterday, when Amnesty Group 4 from Seattle and the Foundation for a Democratic China protested outside Microsoft as Chinese President Hu Jintao visited its campus.

Here is a guest post from Group 4 member Colleen Roman:

We were in one of the designated protest areas south of the convention center where the meeting was (inside the campus). The motorcade did not go past us, but we could see them pull in. There were strategically parked tour buses across the street from us to block a direct view of the convention center. There was another protest area on 40th St. just outside the entrance to the Microsoft campus, and the motorcade would have driven right past them to get in.

There were probably 30 - 40 people in our protest area -- the 3 of us from Amnesty, and larger groups from Falun Gong and the Federation for Democratic China. They had lots of signs written in both Chinese and English and shouted slogans in Chinese (mostly along the lines of "stop the repression of Falun Gong" or "down with dictatorship"). We were there for a couple hours before Hu arrived, and there were a few curious Microsoft employees walking past that we talked to. Don also did a couple interviews with folks from Japanese TV and the Epoch Times. This morning's paper said there were another 60 folks protesting at the campus entrance, again folks from Falun Gong and the FDC. There was also a pretty big contingent of Chinese Microsoft employees who were the designated "welcome committee" waving US and Chinese flags. They were placed along the driveway into the convention center.

Hu was only at Microsoft for about an hour, so we held up our signs and chanted our slogans as he arrived and departed. I guess he had to get to Bill's house in time for cocktail hour.

Chinese internet association calls for censorship of the web

2006-04-13T21:31:00.000-04:00

The Internet Society of China asked its 2,600 member companies to censor Chinese web sites, the New York Times reported today.

''We should run our business in a civilized way,'' said the statement issued Wednesday and reported by the government's Xinhua News Agency. ''We should not produce, disseminate and spread information that harms state security, social stability and information that violates laws and regulations and social morality.''

The group called for its 2,600 member companies to supervise content, delete ''unhealthy'' information and oppose acts that undermine ''Internet civilization,'' Xinhua said.

Meanwhile, Google CEO Eric Schmidt, in Beijing this week to launch its Chinese language web portal, defended the company's agreement to censor its search engine for the Chinese market.

"I think it's arrogant for us to walk into a country where we are just beginning to operate and tell that country how to operate," Schmidt said, according to the Associated Press.

What is corporate complicity and how can companies avoid it? See Amnesty International Secretary General Irene Khan's recent remarks.

For more information about internet censorship in China, see Amnesty USA's web site and the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Make your own signs and banners for GOTB

2006-04-12T23:13:00.000-04:00

Make your own posters, signs and banners to bring to New York for GOTB. Group 133 just made four beautiful 12' banners last weekend with these slogans:

Sudan: Protect the People of Darfur
Ethiopia: Free All Prisoners of Conscience
Guatemala: Ni Una Mas! Stop Femicide
Yahoo! Don't Rat on Chinese Dissidents

We are also printing hundreds of posters for each demonstration.

But we'd still love to see you bring your own designs!

Here are a few suggested slogans to use in your group's signs:

Sudan
Protect Civilians in Darfur
Allow Humanitarian Aid in Darfur
Don’t Shut Down NGOs
Stop the Killing in Darfur
Stop Rape and Violence against Women in Darfur
Allow an international intervention force
Justice for Darfur
Stop the Janjawid
Human Rights for the People of Darfur

Ethiopia
Free All Prisoners of Conscience
Free Prof. Mesfin Woldemariam
Respect Freedom of Expression and Association
Freedom of speech and association for Ethiopia!
Protect the human rights of all Ethiopians
Freedom of speech and association are human rights

Names of Ethiopian prisoners of conscience
Dr. Berhanu Negga, Professor of Economics
Dr. Yacob Hailemariam, a former prosecutor in the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
Daniel Bekelle, lawyer and policy manager of ActionAid Ethiopia
Netsanet Demissie, environmental and human rights lawyer, chair, Organization for Social Justice in Ethiopia
Kassahun Kebede, Ethiopian Teachers Association
Berhane Moges
Frezer Negash
Hailu Shawel
Bitukan Mideksa
Getachew Mengiste
Gizachew Shifferaw
Dr. Hailu Araya
Debebe Eshetu
Muluneh Eyual
Daniel Bekele
Natsanet Demissie
Dr. Befekadu Degefe
Abraham Roda, farmer
Abraham Tula, former Sidama Development Corporation (NGO)
Abure Assefa, civil servant
Dessalegne Gassamo, USAID educational advisor
Edasso Ebissa, farmer
Musse Alemayehu, civil servant
Tadesse Washo, nurse
Tefera Janba, Awassa Tabour school student
Yosef Lalimo, Awassa Tabour school student
Kifle Tigeneh, aged 67, elected member of parliament
Solomon Aregawi, age 20, journalist
Admassu Abebe, age 50
Getachew Kebede, age 58, elected member of Addis Ababa City Council, army captain
Kifle Mekonnen, age 60, elected member of Addis Ababa City Council
Solomon Demissie, age 70, elected member of Addis Ababa City Council
Molla Alemayehu, age 56
Mulunesh Mammo, age 39
Natnael Mekonnen, age 28
Wassihun Alemu, age 60

Guatemala
Not One More: Stop the Killing of Guatemalan Women
Investigate the Murders and Prosecute the Killers
Stop the Injustice
Bring the Killers to Justice
Stop Violence against Women
Protect Women from Violence
No Protection, No Justice
Protect Women's Lives

Names of some of the murdered Guatemalan women and girls
Claudina Isabel Velázquez Paíz, a 19-year-old law student, shot in her head, evidence of rapeFlor de María Cristina Arriola, a 20-year old graphic design student- beaten, bitten, shot 4 times
Manuela Sanchez, nanny (killed along with the 10-month old boy, Anthony Hernandez, for whom she was caring)María Isabel Franco Sandoval, 15-year old girl with a job in a shop- raped, beaten, stabbed
Nancy Peralta Oroxon, a 30-year-old accounting student
Olga Estrada Bosch, an 82-year old woman, strangled
Mirna Elizabeth Méndez, 19, died from gunshot wounds
Sandra Janet Palma Godoy, 17, killed weeks after witnessing another murder
Oliberta Elizabeth Calel Goméz, 17, killed by a police officer
Andrea Fabiola Contreras Bacaro,17, word “vengeance” carved into her leg
Deborah Elizabeth Tomás Viñeda,16, and Olga Aracelly Tomás Viñeda, 11, sisters kidnapped by the Mara Salvatrucha gang in 2003
Dorothy Lydia Barentin, 69, member of the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Guatemala
Brenda Rodriguez, 20, murdered in August 2004
Rosmary, 16, killed when walking from school
Sara Castaño, 15, killed earlier this year
Heidy Ruano, 14, killed in 2005, 76 stab wounds
Janethe, 37, married, mother of 3, tortilla vendor, murdered by uniformed man
XX, a teacher from Zacapa
María Marroquín, 20, worked at clothing factory
Erica López, 26
Brenda Xiomara
Consuelo Cifuentes
María Dominga
Ana Gabriela
Priscilla, age 21, daughter of Maria Alma de Villatoro, stabbed to death by her boyfriend for refusing to have an abortion
Verónica Leticia Cucuá, 13 yrs old, kidnapped, raped and strangled
Kimberly Salazar Castillo, 17 yrs, shot to death with a bullet in the face
Marleni Valdez Cáceres, 17 yrs, tortured and shot to death
Aída Iracema López Pinto, 17 yrs, shot in the head
XX, 20-yr. old woman, shot in the forehead and dumped on a highway
Maregilda Suchité, 49 yrs, killed by gunshots
Claudia Araceli Escobar Armento, 30 yrs old, killed by gunshots
XX, young woman, dumped in an abandoned house
XX, approximately 20 yrs old, nude, raped and beaten to death
XX, approx. 30 yrs old, body hacked apart and found in four black plastic bags
XX, approx. 20 yrs old, shot to death at close range in the door of her house
Lucía de los Ángeles, 4 yrs old, shot to death while sleeping by police
7 XXs, 7 sexworkers killed in 1999 and never identified, each with the words “for being a woman” (Por ser mujer) written on their backs
XX, approx. 18 yrs, beaten with a brick, raped and left in a house under construction
Angelina Alvarado Álvarez, 26 yrs old
XX, young woman found nude, knifed to death and dumped in an empty lot
Glenda María Solís Tzunux, 4 yrs, kidnapped, raped and killed
Brígida Joan Roldán, 27 yrs, shot twice in the stomach
Victoria Gómez Barrientos, 42 yrs, shot to death
XX, mother and her young son both shot to death
XX, mother of César and Flor Canel, murdered by gang members

China

Free the Web
Blogging is Free Expression
Freedom of Expression is a Human Right
Don't Censor the Internet
Tear Down the Great Firewall of China
Don't Arrest People for Writing Emails
Free Shi Tao
Free Li Zhi
Yahoo: Don't Rat on Chinese Dissidents
Yahoo: Don't Cooperate with Censorship
Human Rights apply to the Internet, too
Google: Don't Be Evil

Get on the Bus goes national

2006-04-12T22:27:00.000-04:00

Get on the Bus has been a regional phenomenon for a number of years - last year we had participants from more than 10 states come to New York. But this year, we have groups in other US cities organizing their own "solidarity" events in conjunction with Get on the Bus.

Two members of Group 133 who moved to the Bay area are organizing "Get on the Bus West" in San Francisco with Group 30. They are holding a demonstration at the Guatemalan consulate to protest the failure of the Guatemalan authorities to investigate the murders of hundreds of young women in Guatemala.

In Washington state, the Foundation for a Democratic China and Amnesty Group 4 are planning a demonstration on internet censorship in China on Tuesday, April 18 to coincide with Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to Seattle next week, which will include a stop at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond and a visit to Bill Gates' house.

In Houston, Texas, local group 23 is tabling at the Houston International Festival, featuring the Get on the Bus actions on Guatemala.

It's easy to hold your own solidarity action - it can be as simple as a tabling event, a group meeting where members do the downloadable actions that will be posted on the Get on the Bus web site, or staging your own demonstration at a Chinese or Guatemalan consulate in your city.
Is your group planning a solidarity action? Tell us about it!

Sudanese human rights activist in Boston April 26

2006-04-12T22:19:00.000-04:00

The Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur has just announced that Salih Mahmoud Osman, a prominent Fur (from Darfur) and internationally respected human rights lawyer will be speaking on April 26 at 12 noon at 126 High Street in Boston, on the 9^th Floor.

Salih Mahmoud Osman, an attorney with the Sudan Organization Against Torture, has given free legal representation to those who have been arbitrarily detained and tortured by the Sudanese government and continues to do his work at great personal risk. Because of his activities, he has been imprisoned three times. He currently belongs to the opposition in the Sudanese government where he is a member of the parliament. He was honored by Human Rights Watch as one of the premier human rights defenders in the world in November, 2005.

Please RSVP to Sifa Nsengimana at 617-457-8677.

Updates on the Ethiopian human rights situation

2006-04-06T22:28:00.000-04:00

Over the past year, Ethiopia has experienced political repression. In the aftermath of elections in 2005, the Ethiopian government has arrested thousands of opposition supporters and human rights defenders.

Amnesty International has expressed dismay over the killing of approximately 80 unarmed Ethiopian citizens in the streets of Addis Ababa in June and November, 2005. Moreover, Amnesty is concerned about the arrest and detention of thousands of suspected government opponents protesting alleged election fraud since demonstrations in November in Addis and other towns. In addition, more than 100 opposition leaders, including elected parliamentarians, journalists and human rights defenders have been arrested and are now facing trial on charges of “high treason,” “inciting and organizing armed uprising,” and “genocide.” Amnesty International considers these individuals to be prisoners of conscience, imprisoned solely for their nonviolent opinions and activities, and calls for their immediate and unconditional release. We also call upon the Government of Ethiopia to halt the criminalization of freedom of expression, and to accept all legitimate political and human rights activities.

Recently, a few detainees have been released. Several US-based Ethiopian Voice of America journalists had their charges dropped. But more than one hundred are still being held and their treason trial is slated to begin in May.

Web resources on Ethiopia
Compared to the widespread attention to the human rights crisis in Darfur, Ethiopia's human rights situation has received little press coverage or attention from major human rights organizations besides Amnesty.

Human Rights Watch has issued two recent press releases on Ethiopia. The International Federation for Human Rights (Paris) and World Organization against Torture (Geneva) conducted a fact-finding mission in April 2005 and issued this report in PDF format. The US State Department recently issued its report on the human rights situation in Ethiopia during 2005.

A French diplomat's wife who was posted in Ethiopia has kept a blog, Addis Ferengi, detailing the political repression in the country. Recently, she was "outed" and left the country, but she continues to blog from Europe. Addis Ferengi (ferengi means foreigner in Amharic) has been a major source of information for Ethiopians on what is happening in their country.

Other blogs critical of the Ethiopian government include Ethiopia Watch and Ethiopundit. Ethiopian expatriates have a web presence through sites such as the Ethiopian Review,Ethiomedia and EthioIndex.

For all Amnesty's press releases, reports and urgent actions on Ethiopia, see the Amnesty International web site's library.

Amnesty USA has just issued an action to send letters of hope to Professor Mesfin Woldemariam, Ethiopia’s most prominent human rights defender. The 75-year-old founder and former chairman of the Ethiopian Human Rights Council has been detained since early November 2005. His daughter, Meqdes, will speak at the Get on the Bus speakers' panel.

Two political prisoners who'd been in prison for several years were released recently. Here are summaries of their stories.

Lubaba Said
On 3 April 2002 Lubaba Said, the former editor-in-chief of the Tarik newspaper, was sentenced to one year in jail for reportedly “fabricating news that could have a negative psychological effect on members of the armed forces and disturb the minds of people”. Lubaba Said was released on January 8, 2003, 3 months before the end of her sentence. Amnesty International considered Lubaba Said to be a prisoner of conscience detained on account of the peaceful exercise of her right to freedom of expression.

Tewodros Kassa
On 10 July 2002 Tewodros Kassa, the former editor-in-chief of the weekly newspaper Ethiop, was sentenced to two years in prison. He was charged under subsection (c) of the Press Law and with defamation. This is the second time Tewodros Kassa has been charged under subsection (c) of the Press law. In June 2000 he was sentenced to one year in jail for reportedly “fabricating information that could incite people to political violence. ” Tewodros Kassa was freed on 6 September 2004 after more than two years in prison. Amnesty International considered Tewodros Kassa to be a prisoner of conscience detained on account of the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression.

Latest Amnesty urgent action on Sudan

2006-04-06T22:23:00.000-04:00

There are lots of new developments on Sudan. On April 4, Amnesty condemned Sudan's denial of permission to a UN Under-Secretary General Jan Egeland to visit Sudan. Yesterday, Sudan backed down and gave the official permission to go to Darfur.

On Wednesday, the US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a measure to deny entry to the United States to Sudanese implicated in war crimes in Darfur and freeze their assets. The bill, which needs to be passed by the Senate, also bars aid to countries which violate the U.N. Security Council resolutions that impose an embargo on arms transfers to Sudan. The bill, while it allows the President to assist the expansion of the African Union forces, it does not authorize US force.

The New York Times is reporting that African Union peacekeepers have been accused of raping and abusing women and girls in Darfur.

Amnesty expressed its concern in a press release on March 16 that Sudan was closing down the offices of The Sudan Social Development Organisation (SUDO), an NGO conducting training on human rights monitoring. Now Sudan is detaining members of political parties.

URGENT ACTION APPEAL

05 April 2006
UA 78/06 Incommunicado detention/fear of torture

SUDAN
Ali Hussain Mohamed Omer (m) ]
Mohammed Omer (m) ] members of Beja Congress
Haroun Mohamed Ali (m) ]

The three men named above, who are members of the Beja
Congress, a political party which also has a small armed
wing, are now known to have been arrested by the National
Security Forces on 7 March at their homes in the eastern city
of Kassala. They are held incommunicado, without charge, in
unknown locations in the area. They are at grave risk of
torture.

They have apparently been on hunger strike since 2 April in
protest at their continued detention.

The National Security Forces have the power to detain people
incommunicado for up to nine months, under the National
Security Act 1999. Amnesty International has received many
reports of people held in this way being tortured.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Beja Congress is one half of an armed opposition group
operating in eastern Sudan, the Eastern Front. It has some
armed members but is predominantly a political organisation,
which campaigns for the rights of the nomadic Beja ethnic
group. The Beja and other ethnic groups in eastern Sudan
claim they have been marginalised for many years by the
central government, which has failed to provide them with
even basic services.

Beja Congress members have been repeatedly subjected to
politically motivated arrests. In January 2005, scores of
people were arrested and more than 20 were killed when the
security forces dispersed Beja-dominated demonstrations
demanding a share in power and equal opportunities for the
people of the region.. Many of those arrested were Beja
Congress members. After six months in custody without charge,
most were released.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly
as possible:
- expressing concern that Ali Hussain Mohamed Omer, Ali Omer
Mohamed Ali and Haroun Mohamed Ali have been held
incommunicado since 7 March, and calling on the authorities
to reveal where they are held immediately;
- calling on the authorities to release all three
immediately, unless they are to be promptly with a
recognizably criminal offence and given a fair trial;
- seeking assurances that they will not be tortured or ill-
treated;
- calling on the authorities to ensure that all three are
given immediate access to their families, legal counsel and
any medical attention they may need.

APPEALS TO:
Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamed
Governor of Kassala
Fax: 011 249 0 411 823099
Salutation: Your Excellency

Mr Muhammad Ali al-Maradhi
Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Ministry of
Justice, Khartoum, Sudan
Fax: 011 249 183 780796 (Please mark, "FAO Minister
of Justice")
Email: info@sudanjudiciary.org
Salutation: Dear Minister

COPIES TO:
Dr Abdel Moneim Osman Taha
Rapporteur, Advisory Council for Human Rights, Khartoum,
Sudan
Email: human_rights_sudan@hotmail.com

Ambassador Khidir Haroun Ahmed
Embassy of the Republic of the Sudan
2210 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington DC 20008
Fax: 1 202 667 2406
Email: kahmed@sudanembassy.org

Please send appeals immediately. Check with the AIUSA Urgent
Action office if sending appeals after 17 May 2006.

Resources on Femicide in Guatemala

2006-04-06T21:54:00.000-04:00

Get on the Bus Action #3 is a demonstration at the Guatemalan consulate to protest the lack of government action to prosecute the murders of more than a thousand women.

Amnesty International Group 30 in San Francisco and Group 144 in Oakland are holding their own Get on the Bus action in solidarity with us! They will be holding a demonstration at the Guatemalan consulate in San Francisco on April 21.

Here's an article from the June 2005 issue of Amnesty International's newsletter The Wire that gives more background on the situation.

Guatemala fails to protect women

‘She had been raped, her hands and feet had been tied with barbed wire, she had been stabbed and strangled and put in a bag. Her face was disfigured from being punched, her body was punctured with small holes, there was a rope around her neck and her nails were bent back.’

Mother of 15-year-old María Isabel Veliz Franco who was abducted and murdered in December 2001

The brutal sexual violence inflicted on María Isabel Veliz Franco (pictured) following her abduction and before her murder in 2001 is a characteristic common to many of the hundreds of killings of women and girls that have been reported in Guatemala in recent years. The suffering of many of the relatives of murdered women is compounded by the government’s failure to properly investigate the murders and by the knowledge that they will almost certainly never have access to truth and justice.

The Guatemalan government’s failure to prevent an escalation in the number of killings or to ensure effective prosecutions means that those responsible continue to commit these crimes knowing that they will not be held to account.

The bodies of many women, sometimes naked or semi-naked, are often abandoned in public places, on wasteland, down gullies or in city centres. Some of the murders are exceptionally brutal. Seventeen-year-old Sandra Janet Palma Godoy’s body was discovered next to a football pitch on 5 July 2004. Her right arm, breasts, left hand, eyes and heart had reportedly been mutilated. It is thought that she had been a witness to a murder a few weeks earlier.

The precise number of women who have been murdered is unknown and disputed but the Guatemalan authorities have confirmed that between 2001 and August 2004 they had registered the deaths of 1,188 women. Most of the killings have occurred in urban areas which have also witnessed a dramatic rise in violent crime in recent years often linked to organized crime, or to the activities of street youth gangs known as maras. Students, housewives and professional women are among those who have been killed in the wave of murders. Many were from poor sectors of society or particularly marginalized groups including members or former members of street gangs.

The extent of the violence perpetrated against women in Guatemala is extremely difficult to determine because of the lack of reliable official information. Official records of killings conceal the gender-based nature of the crimes so that rape and other sexually violent crimes are often almost invisible.

Many of the murders are categorized by the police as “crimes of passion” or “due to personal problems” and so are not investigated or are de-prioritized. Relatives of victims have complained to AI that they have to prove that their relative was “respectable” before the authorities will investigate a murder seriously.

Impunity has been the hallmark of investigations into the cases of women who have been murdered. The absence of physical or scientific evidence, lack of resources dedicated to investigating these crimes, lack of training in investigative techniques, and lack of coordination between police investigation units and the offices of the Public Ministry, have meant that many cases have not gone beyond the initial investigation stage.

Despite some positive steps to prevent violence against women, including ratification of international human rights treaties and the introduction of laws and state institutions to protect women, these are often not effectively implemented and fall far short of addressing the magnitude of the problem.

Amnesty International resources on Guatemala

Guatemala: No protection, no justice: Killings of women in Guatemala

Guatemala: Killings of Women Go Unchallenged

Guatemala: Women in danger - killings of women and girls

Guatemala: Mujeres y niñas en peligro

Discrimination, Incompetence in Murder Investigations of Guatemalan Women Fuels Impunity, Amnesty International Charges

Other Resources

Getting Away with Murder: Guatemala's Failure to Protect Women and Rodi Alvarado's Quest for Safety

Briefing Calls Awareness to Rampant Feminicides in Guatemala

Washington Office on Latin America Report

Guatemala: Ni protección ni justicia. Homicidios de mujeres y niñas en Guatemala - Datos y cifras

Unsolved killings terrorize women in Guatemala

Guatemala: Campaña por la Vida de las Mujeres, ni una Muerte Más

Guatemala: Mujeres denuncian clima de impunida

Escándalo en Guatemala: mujeres y niñas asesinadas con impunidad

Feminicidio en Guatemala

La violencia diezma a las mujeres en Guatemala

Asciende a 111 el número de mujeres asesinadas en lo que va 2006

Mujeres asesinadas en Guatemala

Relatora de Derechos Humanos preocupada por la impunidad en Guatemala

Other events on Darfur in April

2006-04-06T21:15:00.000-04:00

While Get on the Bus will draw attention to the situation in Darfur and try to hold the Sudanese government accountable for its actions, Amnesty International is not the only organization working on this issue. There are many other events being planned during the month of April. Here is a summary of some recent initiatives and upcoming events on Sudan around the country.

Sudan Freedom Walk
Simon Deng, a former slave from Sudan, just finished his walk from New York City to Washington, D.C. to draw attention to modern slavery and the atrocities facing the people of Sudan.

In New York City, every Tuesday in April from noon to 2p.m. a vigil is being held at the United States Mission to the United Nations to put pressure on the US government to act on Darfur.

Throughout April, Columbia University's Amnesty International Group is sponsoring a series of events on Sudan. On April 12, The Rutgers University group will be hosting a day of banner-making and a photo exhibit. New York University's Amnesty chapter will be hosting "One Week for Darfur" from April 13-20.

Students Taking Action Now Darfur (STAND) is calling for a National Week of Action on Darfur, starting on April 6, the 12th anniversary of the start of the Rwandan genocide.

Film Aid International is putting up Camp Darfur from April 7-11 near Los Angeles.

Samputu: Concert for Darfur

Sunday, April 16, 2006 -- 7-9pm
Zero Arrow Street Theater
2 Arrow Street
Cambridge, MA

Support International Intervention Now in Darfur is sponsoring this concert. Come hear world-renowned Rwandan musician Samputu, while adding your voice to the growing campaign to end the violence in Darfur and to improve our response to future genocides.

Samputu is joining forces with the Genocide Intervention Network, Physicians for Human Rights, and Students Taking Action Now: Darfur (STAND) to provide an evening of energetic and family-friendly music while making a difference in Darfur.

Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about Darfur, to write postcards demanding action in Darfur, and to become members of the world's first permanent anti-genocide constituency, which is starting right here in the Boston area, supported by the Genocide Intervention Network.

On April 19, The New York Society for Ethical Culture, in conjunction with Amnesty International and Human Rights First, is holding a panel, The Best Hope for Peace in Darfur. This discussion will feature New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown, President of the International Center for Transitional Justice and the United Nations Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide Juan Mendez, and Darfuri refugee Tragi Mustafa.

A concert to Stop the Violence in Darfur will be held at the Amnesty International USA Annual General Meeting in Portland, OR, on Saturday, April 29. Join with local and nationally renowned artists and performers at Portland, Oregon’s premiere music venue - the Roseland Theater. Take action at the concert to Stop the Violence in Darfur. Doors open at 8:00 PM. Admission is free for all 2006 Amnesty International USA Annual General Meeting participants. Performers include Incubus, Tom Morello (The Nightwatchman), Collective Soul, Suzanne Vega, March Fourth, and artists from Youth Movement Records.

The Save Darfur Coalition is holding a Rally to Stop Genocide in Washington, D.C. on April 30.

The rally is part of the "Million Voices for Darfur" campaign to generate one million postcards for delivery to President Bush, who recently pledged to push for additional UN and NATO help to protect the people of Darfur. We applaud the President's leadership, but the work is far from done. We are urging President Bush to take steps necessary to end the genocide and build a lasting peace.

The rally is also the final stop of the "Tour for Darfur: Eyewitness to Genocide," a 21,000 mile photo exhibit and speaking tour of 22 cities in 11 states to raise public awareness about the Darfur crisis. The tour's featured speaker is Brian Steidle, a former Marine captain and U.S. representative to the African Union's peacekeeping mission in Darfur from September 2004 to February 2005.

A Day of Conscience for Darfur Silent Vigil and Rally for Darfur will be held in San Francisco on the same day as the D.C. rally.

A broad-based coalition of Bay Area groups---including Human Rights Watch, American Jewish World Service, Dear Sudan, and Stanford STAND---are organizing a vigil at the Golden Gate Bridge and a rally at the Presidio in order to raise awareness about the ongoing genocide in Darfur, Sudan. We want our public leaders to do more to help Darfur's over 2.5 million displaced victims.

For more events on Sudan, see the Save Darfur web site's listings.

Charges dropped against some in Ethiopia

2006-03-23T23:38:00.000-05:00

The Houston Chronicle recently reported that some of the people charged with treason whom Amnesty considers prisoners of conscience were released. Unfortunately, most of the opposition supporters and human rights activists were not. They will next appear in court on May 2, so we still have plenty of reason to protest at the Ethiopian Mission to the UN on April 21.

Here's the text of the article:

March 22, 2006, 10:11AM
Ethiopia Drops Charges Against Journalists

By LES NEUHAUS Associated Press Writer
© 2006 The Associated Press

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — An Ethiopia court Wednesday dropped charges of treason, attempted genocide and other crimes against 18 people, including five Voice of America journalists, accused of attempting to overthrow the government.

The United States had pressed Ethiopia to drop charges against the Voice of America journalists. VOA is an arm of the U.S. government.

Judge Adil Ahmed of the Federal High Court ordered the release of nine people and told the court in the capital, Addis Ababa, that charges against the others, who were being tried in absentia, also should be dropped.

However, the case will continue against 111 opposition leaders, aid workers and journalists on charges stemming from the violence that erupted in November during protests over disputed May 15 elections that returned Prime Minister Meles Zenawi to power.

Chief Prosecutor Shemelis Kemal told the court that one of the seven counts all the defendants face _ the capital offense of threatening political integrity of the nation _ has been dropped.

Some of the accused have been in prison since Nov. 1, when the government started a crackdown on independent media, opposition politicians and human rights activists after at least 46 people were killed in clashes with security forces.

In similar protests in June, 42 people died.

VOA journalists Nigussie Mengesha, Addisu Abebe, Tizita Belachew, Adanech Fessehaye and Solomon Kifle were all charged in absentia because they are based in Washington.

Charges also were dropped against two teenage boys. They are expected to be released by Thursday.

International human rights groups have condemned the trial, arguing that the charges against the government critics were politically motivated.

The prisoners included the leadership of the main opposition party, the Coalition for Unity and Democracy; human rights activist Mesfin Woldemariam; a former prosecutor in the U.N. tribunal for Rwanda; and a former high court judge.

The defendants have refused to recognize the authority of the court and appeared Wednesday wearing black in protest over the ongoing hearings.

The next hearing is scheduled for May 2, when the prosecution is expected to being its case.

US companies sell internet censorship around the world

2006-03-09T13:00:00.000-05:00

There's an eye-opening op-ed in today's New York Times about how US internet companies don't just sell software to help the Chinese censor the web, but sell here in the US and abroad "filters" which help governments censor what people can access on the web. These filters often censor content arbitrarily as "porn" or other label content in other ways to deny public access to information.

Exporting Censorshiop
By XENI JARDIN
Published: March 9, 2006
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/09/opinion/09jardin.html

AMERICAN technology firms are taking heat from the public and Congress for helping China's government police the Internet. But this controversy extends well beyond China and the so-called Internet Gang of Four: Google, Yahoo, Cisco and Microsoft. Just how many American companies are complicit hit home for me last month when dozens of readers of BoingBoing.net e-mailed us to say they had been suddenly denied access.

The cause was SmartFilter, a product from a Silicon Valley company, Secure Computing. A recent update to the nannyware's list of no-no sites had started blocking our site as containing "nudity." This is absurd: a visit to BoingBoing might yield posts about iPod-shaped cakes and spaceship blueprints, but not pornography. SmartFilter's data managers later told us that even thumbnails of Michelangelo's "David" could land a site on the forbidden "nudity" list.
Many of our locked-out readers were trying to view BoingBoing from libraries, schools and their workplaces. That is regrettable but not tragic, as American viewers generally have other options. But after regular visitors from Qatar and Saudi Arabia complained, we discovered a more worrisome problem: government-controlled Internet service providers were using SmartFilter to effectively block access for entire countries.

Secure Computing refused to provide me with a list of the governments that use its filters. However, the OpenNet Initiative, a partnership between the University of Toronto, Cambridge University and Harvard Law School, has compiled data on how such products are used in foreign nations where censorship is easy because the governments control all Internet service providers.

The initiative found that SmartFilter has been used by government-controlled monopoly providers in Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates. It has also been used by state-controlled providers in Iran, even though American companies are banned from selling technology products there. (Secure Computing denies selling products or updates to Iran, which is probably using pirated versions.)

According to OpenNet, filtering products from another American company, Websense, have also been used by a state-controlled service provider in Iran, ParsOnline. Yemen uses Websense products to filter content on its two government-owned service providers. Websense software, the initiative says, filters out "sex education and provocative clothing sites, gay- and lesbian-related materials, gambling sites, dating sites, drug-related sites, sites enabling anonymous Web surfing, proxy servers that circumvent filtering, and sites with content related to converting Muslims to other religions."

The initiative also found that Myanmar, arguably the most repressive regime in the world, uses censorware from the American company Fortinet. And Singapore's government-controlled Singnet server uses filtering technology from SurfControl, a company formed from the merger of several censorware companies that is now technically British but has its filtering operations headquarters in California.

One of our most laudable national goals is the export of free speech and free information, yet American companies are selling censorship. While some advocates of technology rights have proposed consumer boycotts and Congressional action to pressure these firms into responsible conduct, a good first step would be adding filtering technologies to the United States Munitions List, an index of products for which exporters have to file papers with the State Department. While this won't end such sales, it will bring them to light and give the public and lawmakers a better basis on which to consider stronger steps.

If American companies are already obligated to disclose the sale of bombs and guns to repressive regimes, why not censorware?

Xeni Jardin is a co-editor of BoingBoing.net.

Can't come to New York? Have a solidarity demonstration

2006-03-07T23:19:00.000-05:00

Get on the Bus has been held in New York City for the past 11 years. It's a great event that attracts hundreds if not thousands of people each year. But what if you live too far away or cannot to come to New York on April 21?

You can still participate in Get on the Bus by holding your own solidarity action in your hometown! Download all the materials you'll need from the Get on the Bus web site.

Action #1: Darfur

If you live in Washington, D.C., you could hold a demonstration at the Sudanese Embassy.

Action #2: Ethiopia

The Ethiopian government has its embassy in Washington, D.C. and a consulate in Los Angeles.

Action #3: Guatemala

Guatemala has its embassy in Washington, D.C. and consulates in Denver, Houston, Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Action #4: China

China has consulates in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, and its embassy in Washington, D.C.

Yahoo's headquarters are in Sunnyvale, California. Google has its headquarters in Mountain View, California and business offices in several states. Microsoft is located in Redmond, Washington and has other offices all over the country, while Cisco Systems is in San Jose, California and has campuses in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and North Carolina.

Do you live outside the United States? Hold a solidarity action in your country at each country's embassy or an internet company local headquarters!

Contact Group 133 and the Get on the Bus team to coordinate our actions and messages.

You can also participate by doing the actions we post on our web site and this blog.

Yahoo's Dirty Little Human Rights Secret

2006-03-07T22:46:00.000-05:00

"Yahoo! sold its soul and is a national disgrace." - Nicholas Kristof,
The New York Times, February 19, 2006

Everything about the Internet company Yahoo! screams fun – from the name itself to the bright purple colors, to the endless array of online services and distractions. Around the world they are associated with creativity, innovation and the free flow of ideas.

That’s why it is so shocking to learn that Yahoo! has colluded with the repressive Chinese government to help identify Internet dissidents who were subsequently thrown in jail.

Express your outrage at Yahoo!’s participation in human rights abuses in China.

The details are shocking. Investigations by Amnesty International and others show that at the Chinese government’s request Yahoo! routinely censors search engine results in China -- without disclosing that the censorship has happened. Yahoo!-disclosed private user information has allegedly been used to persecute at least three political dissidents in China. In one case, that of journalist Shi Tao, information turned over by Yahoo! was submitted as evidence in a trial that ended in a 10-year prison sentence. A primary piece of evidence was a private email Mr. Shi sent to the United States from his Yahoo! email account. In one case, that of journalist Shi Tao, information turned over by Yahoo! was submitted as evidence in a trial that ended in a 10-year prison sentence. A primary piece of evidence was a private email Mr. Shi sent to the United States from his Yahoo! email account.

We don’t really know how many voices have been silenced through Yahoo!’s collusion, or how many people have been rounded up. What we do know, and why we need your help, is that Yahoo! cannot hide behind the supposed realpolitik of working in China.

Recent examinations of four American Internet technology companies operating in China– Yahoo!, Google, Microsoft, and Cisco -- suggest that Yahoo! has most actively aided repressive forces in China, by helping to jail political dissidents.

New York Times columnist and consistent voice for human rights Nicholas Kristof concludes “Yahoo! sold its soul and is a national disgrace.”

Yahoo! is not immune to public condemnation. Your demands for change will get the Internet giant’s attention.

Amnesty demands that Yahoo! use its influence to secure prisoner of conscience Shi Tao's release and to stop any actions that could undermine human rights in any country in which it operates.

Every voice makes a difference. Please take action today.

Learn about Amnesty's other human rights concerns in China.

GOTB Action #3: Protest Killings of Women in Guatemala

2006-03-07T22:36:00.000-05:00

GOTB will visit the Guatemalan consulate in New York to protest the failure of the Guatemalan authorities to adequately investigate the murders of hundreds of young women or bring their killers to justice.

Between 2001 and 2004, over 1,188 Guatemalan women and girls have been brutally murdered. Exceptional cruelty and sexual violence characterize many of the killings. Some of the victims had their throats cut, or were beaten, shot or stabbed to death. Many of their bodies show signs of rape, torture, mutilation or dismemberment. Many victims were abducted; some were held for hours or even days before being killed.

In post-civil conflict Guatemala, violent crime and homicide are on the increase generally, but the rise in killings of women is far out of proportion, and more so every year. Thus far, most killings of women occur in urban areas, targeting women between 13 and 40 years of age. Most victims come from poor sectors of society - domestic employees, shop or factory workers, or migrants from neighboring Central American countries. A range of motives are reflected, and both state and non-state actors are involved, but in all cases the victim's gender is a significant factor - in the kind of violence perpetrated, and unfortunately, in the level of response by authorities as well.

What these numerous killings of women have in common, in addition to their brutality, is a failure by the Guatemalan authorities to investigate or prosecute the crimes. Impunity is the rule in most cases of violence against women in Guatemala; with respect to these killings, Amnesty International has found serious and persistent shortcomings. Among these are failures to seek or locate women reported missing; failures to protect the crime scenes; failures to gather or process crucial forensic evidence; and failure to act on arrest warrants. Many killings of women have not been investigated at all - 40% of the cases are simply "archived" - and in others, a lack of coordination between police units and Public Ministry prosecutors has derailed all but minimal investigative efforts.

Guatemalan women encounter widespread discrimination and violence in all areas of their lives. The many brutal killings of women - and the state's responses to them - reflect this discrimination in law and in practice. Not only does the law fail to take into account the specific needs of women, but also, officials frequently dismiss women victims as gang members or prostitutes, and belittle crimes against women as domestic affairs. Amnesty International calls on the Guatemalan Government to demonstrate its political will to stop these killings - by ensuring the full cooperation of all relevant state institutions, and by providing the necessary gender training, technical assistance and resources to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Read Amnesty's report and learn more about other human rights violations in Guatemala.

Take action to demand justice for the women of Guatemala.

GOTB Action #2: Free Ethiopian Political Prisoners

2006-03-07T22:25:00.000-05:00

Get on the Bus 2006 will protest outside the Ethiopian Mission to the United Nations to bring greater public attention to political prisoners and demand their release.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE
22 February 2006

Ethiopia: Prisoners of conscience prepare to face 'trial'

As international concerns regarding the human rights situation in Ethiopia escalate, Amnesty International called for the immediate and unconditional release of opposition leaders, human rights defenders and journalists who will face trial tomorrow on charges that include treason, violent conspiracy and "genocide".

"These people are prisoners of conscience, imprisoned solely on account of their non-violent opinions and activities," said Kolawole Olaniyan, Director of Amnesty International's Africa Programme. "It is unacceptable that they are now facing serious criminal charges that could lead to death sentences and possible execution."

"We demand their immediate and unconditional release and a halt to this attempt by the Ethiopian government to criminalize freedom of expression and prevent legitimate political and human rights activity."

The group of over 80 defendants, which includes ten newly-elected members of parliament and other officials of the opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) party, is due to appear before the Federal High Court in Addis Ababa tomorrow.

The CUD members and journalists are refusing to plead to the charges or mount a defence, on the grounds that they do not expect a fair trial. The court is expected to enter a plea of not guilty on their behalf.

Charges filed against them include: high treason, "outrages against the Constitution", inciting and organizing armed uprising, and endangering the integrity of the state. Most are also charged with "genocide".

Among the CUD defendants are Berhanu Negga, a professor of economics, and Yacob Hailemariam, a former prosecutor in the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and a former UN Special Envoy.

The group also includes four human rights defenders and 14 independent journalists. Others in the full list of 131 defendants may be tried in their absence, such as five journalists of original Ethiopian nationality who live in the United States and work for the Voice of America radio station.

"We fear the defendants may not be tried in accordance with internationally-recognized standards of fair trial before impartial and independent judges," said Kolawole Olaniyan. "Furthermore, the grounds advanced by the prosecution for the charge of 'genocide' do not even remotely match internationally-recognized definitions of genocide -- or the definition set out in the Ethiopian Criminal Code. This absurd charge should be withdrawn immediately."

The prosecution grounds for the genocide charge include allegations of causing fear and harm to an ethnic group, and harming members of the Tigrayan-led ruling party by excluding them from social events and funerals.

Most of the defendants are currently held in Kaliti prison on the outskirts of Addis Ababa, with restricted access to their families. In late November, several CUD leaders went on a hunger strike for several weeks in protest at their detentions. Professor Mesfin Woldemariam, who had been very ill before his arrest in November, commenced a second hunger strike on 8 February and is reportedly becoming very weak. Amnesty International expressed concern about the health of the defendants in prison, and called on the Ethiopian authorities to provide them with any required medical treatment immediately.

Background
Prominent human rights defender Professor Mesfin Woldemariam, aged 75, is among the accused - a founder and former chair of the Ethiopian Human Rights Council, and a current member of the CUD. Other human rights defenders on trial are civil society activists Daniel Bekelle, a lawyer and policy manager of the ActionAid office in Ethiopia, and Netsanet Demissie, an environmental and human rights lawyer, chair of the Organization for Social Justice in Ethiopia. Both had been involved in Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) activities in Ethiopia, but the authorities refused to allow them to hold a public rally. Kassahun Kebede, an official of the Ethiopian Teachers Association, is also on trial.

The defendants are among several thousand suspected government opponents from the CUD and other opposition parties who were detained as a result of anti-government demonstrations in November 2005 in Addis Ababa and other towns. The CUD had called for non-violent protests against alleged fraud in the parliamentary elections of 15 May 2005, in which European Union and other observers expressed concern at serious irregularities.

In January, the British government cut off US$88 million equivalent budget support to Ethiopia due to concerns about governance and human rights issues arising from the disputed elections, and other international donors have take similar measures. On a visit to Ethiopia on 16-17 February, the European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid met CUD leaders in prison, and called for a political dialogue between the government and opposition, and for the prisoners to be released on bail.

Dozens more CUD members have been arrested in the past few days and accused of being members of a "clandestine group linked to the CUD" that police claimed had planned armed attacks on 18-19 February, which had been prevented. CUD lawyer Berhane Moges and Ethiopian Review website reporter Frezer Negash (f), arrested late January, were among 15 people taken to court on 21 February and remanded in custody.

Take action to help Oromo students who have been detained for participating in anti-government demonstrations and held incommunicado.

GOTB Action # 1: Darfur

2006-03-07T21:57:00.000-05:00

Get on the Bus will kick off its day of demonstrations with an action at the Sudanese Mission to the United Nations. It's been 3 years since the conflict in the Darfur region in the west of Sudan started. Despite international condemnation and the presence of African Union troops, the situation has gotten no better. In fact, in recent days it has gotten worse, with the incursion of the janjaweed militias into neighboring Chad.

Efforts to replace the African Union peacekeepers with a UN force have failed and the government of Sudan recently withdrew its support for UN peacekeepers.

Learn more about the history of the Sudan conflict on the Amnesty International USA's web pages on Sudan.

For the latest news, see also Human Rights Watch, Physicians for Human Rights and the Darfur Consortium.

Take action for the women of Darfur on March 8, International Women's Day!

Amnesty International's Stop Violence Against Women Campaign (SVAW) Darfur group has put together an easy action for you and other activists to take regarding Violence Against Women in Darfur.

AIUSA created an action centered on International Women’s Day that includes an online opportunity for action (just click to make a difference!) as well as an online chat with filmmaker, activist and physician Dr. Gloria White Hammond who will answer questions about the current situation of women in Darfur after 1p.m. EST on March 8. The online action includes helpful background information to acquaint activists with the current situation in Darfur, and calls on members of Congress to support immediate funding to the African Union’s security efforts in Darfur.

Further, there is a general post-card campaign on behalf of Darfur in which Amnesty is participating. You (or local groups, etc.) can get these postcards by contacting your Regional Office.

Help Break the Silence, Stop the Violence: Help Shield the Women of Darfur!

GOTB Action #4: Chinese internet censorship

2006-02-14T14:58:00.000-05:00

This year's Get on the Bus demonstration at the Chinese consulate will focus on the issue of internet censorship and US companies' complicity in denying Chinese freedom of expression. Amnesty International USA issued a press release on the subject today in advance of tomorrow's Congressional hearings on the subject. Some of the companies under scrutiny include Google, Yahoo!, Cisco Systems and Microsoft.

To learn more about the issue, go to the AIUSA Business & Human Rights web page: http://www.amnestyusa.org/business/censorship.html

Journalists Without Borders just released information about 2 Chinese "cyberdissidents" who were prosecuted by the Chinese government with the help of Yahoo! To read more, see http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=16402

TAKE ACTION!
Send Yahoo! a letter asking them to use their influence to release Shi Tao, a Chinese journalist. Shi Tao is serving a ten-year prison sentence in China for sending an email to the US. He was accused of “illegally providing state secrets to foreign entities” by using his Yahoo! email account. Yahoo! provided account-holder information on him leading to his sentencing. You can also send the Chinese government a letter requesting his release and asking China to respect its citizens' human rights. To take these actions, go to http://www.amnestyusa.org/business/actions.do

Press Release
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Amnesty International Calls on U.S. High-Tech Companies to Cease Internet Censorship
(Washington, DC)

On the eve of an important Congressional hearing to evaluate the role of U.S. companies in Chinese state repression of free expression, Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) calls on all U.S. companies in the technology sector to take immediate steps to ensure that they stop any actions that could undermine human rights. In particular, U.S. companies should work together to bring an end to restrictions on freedom of expression and information on the Internet. Amnesty International welcomes the hearing and urges lawmakers to better regulate the actions of U.S. companies overseas.

“The high-tech sector is still dominated worldwide by U.S. companies,” said Mila Rosenthal, Director of AIUSA’s Business and Human Rights Program. “Those companies should be spreading U.S. values around the world, like free speech and the right to peaceful political expression, instead of helping the Chinese government silence and squash its internal critics. Patrick Henry said, ‘Give me liberty or give me death.’ If he were sending that message today in China from his Yahoo! e-mail account, he could be locked up for 10 years for political subversion.”

“The Chinese government is a noted human rights abuser, and U.S. high-tech companies are facilitating Chinese repression, including the imprisonment of political dissidents,” said T. Kumar, AIUSA Advocacy Director for Asia & the Pacific. “We will work with Congress to pass legislation to ensure that this aiding and abetting is stopped.”Amy O’Meara, of AIUSA’s Business and Human Rights Program, and T. Kumar will attend tomorrow’s hearing. Both are available for interviews. To schedule one, please contact Jason Disterhoft at 202-544-0200 x312 (o) or617-784-6181 (c).

AIUSA’s presence at the hearing continues its work on U.S. high-tech companies’ human rights responsibilities in China. On February 1, T. Kumar testified at the Congressional Human Rights Caucus Members’ Briefing on human rights and the Internet in China. The same day, AIUSA mobilized the public by launching an online action urging Yahoo! to use its influence to secure the release of journalist Shi Tao. Unsurprisingly, China has been known to block access to Amnesty International’s Web site. As Amnesty International and other organizations have reported, all of the companies testifying tomorrow have been implicated in Chinese censorship. Cisco has provided technology used to censor and control the use of the Internet in China. Microsoft has removed Chinese blogs that mentioned democracy and other forbidden words and concepts. Google has recently moved its servers behind China’s firewall to let the government censors limit Chinese searches. Yahoo! has turned over information to the Chinese government that identified peaceful political dissidents, who are now serving long prison terms.

Welcome!

2006-01-26T09:51:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Get on the Bus blog. Get on the Bus is a project of Amnesty International Group 133 in Somerville, MA. For the past ten years, the volunteers of Group 133 have organized a day of activism and human rights education in New York City every April. GOTB has become the largest volunteer-led Amnesty International event in the United States!

This year is our eleventh anniversary. On Friday, April 21, more than 1500 activists from high school, college and local Amnesty groups in the Northeast and the mid-Atlantic will converge on Manhattan to demonstrate against human rights abuses around the world.

This blog is the place to get the latest updates on the demonstrations, speakers, human rights issues. We will also post important information about event logistics and volunteer needs here, so it's readily accessible and you can learn what's happening and how to be a part of this huge event. Even if you can't come to New York on April 21, you may still be able to participate by holding a solidarity demonstration in your city.

Keep checking this space between now and April 21 to learn the latest!

About GOTB

1996-04-19T15:30:00.002-04:00

Get on the Bus for Human Rights (GOTB) is an annual day of human rights activism and education organized by Amnesty International Group 133 of Somerville, Massachusetts and a dedicated team of volunteer community organizers. GOTB brings activists from throughout the Northeast – riding buses, commuter trains and in carpools - to New York City to take peaceful action in front of embassies, consulates, missions to the United Nations, and corporate headquarters in support of human rights.

The first Get on the Bus trip to New York City took place on April 19, 1996 when thirty Amnesty Group 133 members decided take a day trip down to New York City to visit the United Nations.

Of course, human rights activists can never pass up the chance to have a demonstration, especially when spending the day near so many foreign consulates. The trip was taking place only a few months after the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other peaceful environmental activists in Nigeria. These Group 133 activists decided that they should take the opportunity to tell the Nigerian Government exactly how upset they were about the deaths of these heroic activists.

The day was an incredible success. Activists from Boston and New York paced in front of the Nigerian Consulate shouting, "Ken Saro-Wiwa... We will not forget!" And to keep our word that we would not forget, we decided that we'd just have to go back every year. From this modest beginning, GOTB has grown exponentially each year.

GOTB organizers and participants are students and activists who embody a keystone of Amnesty International's mission to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave human rights abuses. At the next GOTB event, we'll spend the morning learning from a speakers panel comprised of experts, survivors, and people immediately impacted by human rights violations. They will provide us with a greater understanding of the issues for which we'll be demonstrating in the afternoon.

Get on the Bus for Human Rights

Inés and Valentia

More good news from Burma

Progress in Burma

NYT coverage of Burma

Case Update: Sri Lanka

GOTB Celebrates Sweet 16! Part 2

GOTB Celebrates Sweet 16! Part 1

Shine a light, Save a life

Revised Chad "asks"

Prometheus Project: Amnesty International and the A.R.T.

March Group 133 Meeting and International Women's Day

GOTB 2011 registration is open!

Focus on Refugees and IDPs living in Eastern Chad

Papua Digest

** Meeting Postponed **

GOTB Actions '11: Refugees and IDPs in eastern Chad

Case Update: Sri Lanka

US should investigate alleged war crimes by Sri Lankan President

Case Update: Filep Karma

Focus on Sri Lanka Action

GOTB Action 2011: Sri Lanka

E:60 - The Children of Bhopal

GOTB January Meeting

Case Update

Sri Lanka ends ban on UN war crimes probe team

Case Update

A Get On The Bus Success Story

A video message from Filep Karma

Get On The Bus 2011

Get on the Bus 2010 Flier and updates!

Taste Bud Solidarity: Amnesty International Dinner at Mi Tierra Guatemalan/Salvadoran Restaurant this Sunday

Spread the Word: Get on the Bus Flyers in English and Spanish

Taste Bud Solidarity: Amnesty 133 Dinner at YoMa Burmese Restaurant this Saturday, March 21st

Boston-Area Showing of Documentary on Mayan Resistance to Gold Mining in Guatemala

Drivers Ed with the GOTB team

Ma Khin Khin Leh is Now Free!

Movie showing at Brandeis: "No More Tears Sister"

.... and we're back! The GOTB team is going live.

Call your Congressman to sign on to Guatemala letter

Meeting at Sudanese Mission to UN

Sabina Carlson's poem Vigil for Darfur

Get On The Bart: GOTB Solidarity Action in San Francisco

Bill and Hu: Free the Web

Chinese internet association calls for censorship of the web

Make your own signs and banners for GOTB

Get on the Bus goes national

Sudanese human rights activist in Boston April 26

Updates on the Ethiopian human rights situation

Latest Amnesty urgent action on Sudan

Resources on Femicide in Guatemala

Guatemala: Mujeres y niñas en peligro

Escándalo en Guatemala: mujeres y niñas asesinadas con impunidad

Feminicidio en Guatemala

La violencia diezma a las mujeres en Guatemala

Asciende a 111 el número de mujeres asesinadas en lo que va 2006

Mujeres asesinadas en Guatemala

Other events on Darfur in April

Charges dropped against some in Ethiopia

US companies sell internet censorship around the world

Can't come to New York? Have a solidarity demonstration

Yahoo's Dirty Little Human Rights Secret

GOTB Action #3: Protest Killings of Women in Guatemala

GOTB Action #2: Free Ethiopian Political Prisoners

GOTB Action # 1: Darfur

GOTB Action #4: Chinese internet censorship

Welcome!

About GOTB

Meeting Postponed