Another Setback for Gay Rights in the US

The NY Senate has voted down a bill that would have legalised gay marriage. Read on here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/03/nyregion/03marriage.html?_r=1&hp

Indigenous Teacher in Danger after Violent Eviction in Brazil

UA 306/09, AMR 19/020/2009. (PDF here, html (web) page here.)

A Brazilian Indigenous teacher, Mr Rolindo Vera, has been missing since October 30. He and other indigenous people were violently evicted from land they had occupied in accordance with their clam as it being their ancestral land. The body of another male teacher who was taken away at the same event was found in a nearby river showing signs of torture. Mr Vera's life is in grave danger, but the federal police of Brazil has already abandoned their serach for him.

Please write immediately, and before 25 December, to

• demand that the Federal Police, working with their counterparts in Paraguay, resume their search, doing everything in their power to find Rolindo Vera;
• call on the authorities to launch an immediate and thorough investigation into the violent eviction of around 25 people from farmlands near the border town of Paranhos and the subsequent death of Genivaldo Vera, and to bring those responsible to justice;
• urge the authorities to fulfill their obligations under the International Labour Organisation’s Convention 169, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Brazilian constitution by demarcating lands to be returned to Indigenous communities.

Please send appeals to:

Federal Minister of Justice
Exmo. Sr. Tarso Genro
Esplanada dos Ministérios,
Bloco "T"
70712-902 - Brasília/DF Brasil
Fax: + 55 61 3322 6817/ 3224 3398
(Salutation: Exmo. Sr. Ministro/ Dear Minister)

Federal Human Rights Secretary
Secretaria Especial de Direitos Humanos
Exmo. Secretário Especial
Sr. Paulo de Tarso Vannuchi Esplanada dos Ministérios-
Bloco "T" - 4º andar, 70064-900 -Brasília/DF Brasil
Fax: + 55 61 3226 7980
(Salutation: Exmo. Sr. Secretário)

Please send copies to:

Conselho Indigenista Missionário,
(CIMI – local NGO)
CIMI Regional Mato Grosso do Sul
Av. Afonso Pena, 1557 Sala 208 Bl.B
79002-070 Campo Grande/MS, Brasil
Email: cimims@terra.com.br

Please also send copies to the Brazilian mission abroad which is closest to you.

My letter is below:

Federal Minister of Justice
Exmo. Sr. Tarso Genro
Esplanada dos Ministérios,
Bloco "T"
70712-902 - Brasília/DF Brasil
Fax: + 55 61 3322 6817/ 3224 3398

Ole Koksvik
Philosophy, RSSS
The Australian National University ACT 0200
AUSTRALIA 20/11/2009


RE: ROLINDO VERA

Dear Minister,

My name is Ole Koksvik. I am a Norwegian citizen, an Australian Permanent Resident, a PhD Candidate at the Australian National University.

It has come to my attention that Mr Rolindo Vera, a teacher and member of the Guarani Kaiowa Indigenous group, went missing on 30 October this year. This followed a violent eviction carried out by armed men in Mato Groso do Sul, near Paraguay. Since the body of another teacher, Genivaldo Vera, who also went missing during the eviction, was later found showing signs of torture, I consider Mr Rolindo Vera to be in extremely grave danger.

It is extremely disconcerting to learn that the Federal Police has already called off their search for Mr Vera.

I demand that the federal police immediately resume their search, and that, collaborating with their counterparts in Paraguay, do absolutely everything in their power to find Rolindo Vera immediately.

I call on you to immediately launch a thorough investigation into the violent eviction of around 25 people from farmlands near the border town of Paranhos and the subsequent death of Genivaldo Vera, and to bring those responsible to justice.

I urge you to fulfill your obligations under the International Labour Organisation’s Convention 169, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Brazilian constitution by demarcating lands to be returned to Indigenous communities. Do not delay this process any futher.

Thank you for taking the time to read my concerns.

Your sincerely,

Ole Koksvik

Update on Young Man Facing Execution in Singapore

I just received the below update via email, relating to the previous post here about the Malaysian man Yong Vui Kong, who was sentenced to death for drug trafficking in Singapore in January 2009.

The president is likely to consider his clemency in the next week, so please send any appeals immediately.

You may also find this blog post interesting. It is about the justification for the death penalty in general in Singapore, and also about this particular case. I don't agree with it all, but it is well enough written and worth a read.

Dear friends,

On 3 November we issued a UA on Singapore (ASA 36/004/2009), on behalf of Malaysian national Yong Vui Kong, who was sentenced to death for drug trafficking in Singapore in January 2009. We have since found out that Singapore's President is likely to be considering his clemency petition within the next week, so please advise participants to send appeals as soon as possible. As there is no change to the Recommended Actions and the UA was only issued on Tuesday, we feel that this information can be communicated in an email to coordinators rather than a UA follow-up.

We have also recently received a translated copy of a letter of apology written by Yong's brother, addressed to President S. R. Nathan and the people of Singapore, dated 23 June 2009, pleading for a pardon for Yong Vui Kong. With his permission, here are some excerpts from the letter:

“I hereby tender my sincere apology to all the people of Singapore regarding my brother’s wrongdoing. I sincerely hope that all of you will give him a chance to live by pardoning him of his death sentence and commute it into a life sentence so that, as a first offender, he could have an opportunity to turn over a new leaf. He is a remorseful youth now….

10-year old Vui Kong was unable to continue with his education…. Initially he became a kitchen help and he fell into bad company. Vui Kong was used by the so-clled “Big Brother” to be a runner to collect bad debts…. Vui Kong himself did not consume drugs, but from collecting bad debts, he was slowly tasked to delivering gifts. The young Vui Kong obeyed the instructions of “Big Brother” who said that delivering a little bit of drugs would not lead to death. Vui Kong fell into the trap of the drug trafficking syndicate.

His mother who suffers from depression does not know anything of his arrest…. My family and I conceal the truth from her as we are worried that she would not be able to take such a blow.

Although the chances of escaping death are very slim, I hope that all of you would give him a new lease of life and hope that Vui Kong would have an opportunity to live again and under the yellow ribbon scheme, he would be able to learn a skill in prison and make some contributions to society in the future.“

Disclaimer

It should be unnecessary to say, but I think it is not.

The views expressed on this blog are those of the authors of the letters alone. In the case of posts other than responses to Amnesty's requests for urgent actions, they usually reflect the views of Ole Koksvik, and not necessarily of the other authors.

In particular, the views are not those of the Australian National University, nor has the university condoned or in any other way supported the contents. In the cases where the university is mentioned in the letters, this is just because it is a convenient way for the authors to receive mail.

The views expressed in this blog are also not those of Amnesty International Australia, nor of any other chapter of that organisation.

Any questions or complaints should be directed to Ole Koksvik, whose contact details are here.

Young Man Facing Execution in Singapore

ASA 36/004/2009 (Html here, .rtf file here.)

Yong Vui Kong was sentenced to death for drug trafficking in January 2009. He had exhausted his appeals by October, and can now escape execution only if the president grants clemency.

Read more by clicking one of the links above.

Please send appeals immediately,

• Urging the president to grant clemency to Yong Vui Kong and commute his death sentence;
• Expressing concern that because the death penalty is mandatory for drug-trafficking cases, the court had no discretion to sentence Yong Vui Kong to an alternative punishment;
• Calling on the president to introduce a moratorium on executions, with a view to complete abolition of the death penalty.

Please send appeals immediately, and before December 15, to:

His Excellency SR Nathan
Office of the President
Istana, Orchard Road
Singapore 0922
Fax: +65 6735 3135 (My fax went through on the first attempt.) Email: s_r_nathan@istana.gov.sg
(Salutation: Your Excellency)

Please send copies to:

Editor-in-Chief
The Straits Times
1000 Toa Payoh North
News Centre,
Singapore 318994
Fax: +65 6319 8282 (My fax went through on the first attempt.) Email: stonline@sph.com.sg

Please also send a copy to the Singaporean foreign mission closest to you.

My letter below:

His Excellency SR Nathan
Office of the President
Istana, Orchard Road
Singapore 0922
Fax: +65 6735 3135

Ole Koksvik
Philosophy, RSSS
The Australian National University ACT 0200
AUSTRALIA 06/11/2009

RE: MR YONG VUI KONG

Your Excellency,

My name is Ole Koksvik. I am a Norwegian citizen, an Australian Permanent Resident, a PhD Candidate at the Australian National University.

It has come to my attention that Mr Yong Vui Kong, who was arrested in 2007 at the age of 19 and who was sentenced to death in January 2009, has now exhausted his appeals, save pardon by the President.

I am writing to urge you to grant clemency to Yong Vui Kong and to commute his death sentence.

I am deeply concerned that because the death penalty is mandatory for drug-trafficking cases, the court had no discretion to sentence Yong Vui Kong to an alternative punishment.

I call on you to introduce a moratorium on executions, with a view to complete abolition of the death penalty.

The death penalty is the ultimate cruel and inhuman punishment, and it is a gross violation of a person's right to life, as embodied in the UDHR.

Thank you for taking the time to read my concerns.


Your sincerely,

Ole Koksvik

Female Journalist Under Threat in Sri Lanka

ASA 37/021/2009

Journalist and media rights activist, Dileesha Abeysundera is in danger after a gang of unidentified people threatened her and tried to forcefully gain access to her property in Sri Lanka on 28 September.

Dileesha Abeysundera is an award winning journalist for the newspaper Irundia, known for highly critical coverage of the Sri Lankan government, and the Deputy Secretary of the Free Media Movement and Secretary of the National Forum for Journalists in Sri Lanka. She believes the gang threatened her because of her work campaigning for media rights. She had organised and attended a meeting on 28 September, calling for the abolition of what she has publically stated as the ‘draconian provisions in the Press Council Act.’

In Sri Lanka, at least 14 media workers have been killed since 2006. White vans, which were present in this case, have been used in many abductions and enforced disappearances in Sri Lanka particularly since 2006, when state agents and paramilitary groups allied to the government stepped up attacks on critics of the government.

Please send appeals immediately, calling on the Sri Lankan authorities to:

• ensure the safety of Dileesha Abeysundera;
• investigate the intimidation of Dileesha Abeysundera and attacks on other Sri Lankan journalists and media workers;
• abolish or reform legislations that are being used to suppress the right to freedom of expression and put an end to the climate of impunity that has allowed a long campaign, by state agents and paramilitary groups, of intimidation and violence against independent journalists in Sri Lanka

Please send appeals immediately, and before November 18, to:

His Excellency the President
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Presidential Secretariat
Colombo 1, Sri Lanka
Fax: +94 11 2446657
(Salutation: Your Excellency)

Inspector General of Police
Jayantha Wickramaratne
Sri Lanka Police Headquarters
101/1 Kew Road, Colombo 2
Sri Lanka
Fax: + 94 11 244 6174
(Salutation: Dear Inspector General)

Please send copies to the chapter of Sri Lankan foreign mission closest to you.

Rachael's letter below:

Rachael Brown
[personal address omitted]


His Excellency the President
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Presidential Secretariat
Colombo 1
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2446657

RE: Threats to female journalist, Dileesha Abeysundera

Your Excellency the President,

My name is Rachael Brown. I am an Australian citizen, and a PhD Candidate at the
Australian National University.

I am writing concerning a threat to both the human rights of journalists and the right to
freedom of expression in your country, bought to my attention by Amnesty International. In
particular, I am calling upon you to act to ensure the safety of Dileesha Abeysundera, award
winning journalist for the Sri Lankan newspaper, Irundia (part of The Leader Group).

Ms Abeysundera and other Sri Lankan journalists and media workers have reported being
threatened and intimidated as a consequence of their work promoting freedom of expression,
I urge you to investigate these matters and bring those responsible to justice.

I also call for you to abolish or reform legislations that are being used to suppress the right to freedom of expression and put an end to the climate of impunity that has allowed a long campaign, by state agents and paramilitary groups, of intimidation and violence against independent journalists in Sri Lanka.

Thank you for taking the time to read my concerns, I trust you will act upon them in due
course.

Yours sincerely,

Rachael Brown

A Juvenile Offender Executed in Iran, Another at Risk

MDE 13/105/2009 (html here, text file (.rtf) here)

The Iranian male Behnoud Shojaee, aged 21, was executed in Evin prison, Tehran, on 11 October, for a murder he was found guilty of committing committed when he was 17. He had no legal representation at his initial trial.

Safar Angooti was convicted of murder when he was 17, and he was sentenced to death. The authorities have told his lawyer that he will be executed on 21 October, but he may be executed on 19 October.

Executions of those under 18 at the time of their offence is strictly prohibited under international law.

Please send appeals immediately, and before the 19th of October (possible day of the execution), to:

Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Sadeqh Larijani
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh (Office of the Head of the Judiciary)
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran
Via website: http://www.dadiran.ir/tabid/81/Default.aspx
First starred box: your given name;
second starred box: your family name;
third: your email address
(Salutation: Your Excellency)

Head of Tehran Judiciary
Ali Reza Avaei
Karimkhan Zand Avenue
Sana’i Avenue,
Corner of Ally 17, No 152,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: avaei@Dadgostary-tehran.ir
(Salutation: Dear Mr Avaei)

Director, Human Rights Headquarters of Iran
Mohammad Javad Larijani
Howzeh Riassat-e Ghoveh Ghazaiyeh
Pasteur St, Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhuri, Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: +98 21 3390 4986 (please keep trying)
Email: fsharafi@bia-judiciary.ir or int_aff@judiciary.ir (Both these failed permanently for me.)

Also send copies to the Iranian foreign mission closest to you.

My letter below:

Head of Tehran Judiciary
Ali Reza Avaei
Karimkhan Zand Avenue
Sana’i Avenue,
Corner of Ally 17, No 152,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
avaei@Dadgostary-tehran.ir


Ole Koksvik
Philosophy, RSSS
The Australian National University ACT 0200
AUSTRALIA

RE: The execution of Behnoud Shojaee and the planned execution of Safar Angooti

Dear Mr Avaei,

My name is Ole Koksvik. I am a Norwegian citizen, an Australian Permanent Resident, a
PhD Candidate at the Australian National University.

I am writing to condemn the execution of Behnoud Shojaee. His execution is a gross
violation of international law as he was under 18 at the time of the crime he had been
sentenced for.

I would also urge the Iranian authorities to immediately halt the execution of Safar Angooti so that his case can be reviewed urgently with a view to overturning his death sentence.

I would respectfully remind the Iranian authorities that Iran is a state party to the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention on the
Rights of the Child (CRC), both of which prohibit the use of the death penalty against people convicted of crimes committed when they were under 18.

Thank you for taking the time to read my concerns.

Yours sincerely,

Ole Koksvik

Elderly Couple Facing Jail for Practicing Falun Gong

ASA 17/057/2009 (or download a .rtf file here).

Falun Gong practitioners Yan Dongfei and her husband Qiao Yongfang (60) have been detained since 8 June. On 5 July they were formally arrested, on suspicion of "using a heretical organisation to undermine implementation of the law". It is known that Qiao Yongfang has been tortured. They are both at risk of (further) torture and other ill-treatment while in detention, and risk lengthy prison sentences. Read more by following the links above.

Please send appeals immediately, and before November 20, to:

Huimin District People's Court
Huiminqu Renmin Fayuan
Hai Xi Lu
Huhehaote Shi 010000
Nei Menggu Zizhiqu
People's Republic of China
(Salutation: Dear Head of the Court )

Huimin District Procuratorate
Huiminqu Renmin Jiancha Yuan
He Fang
Xin Hua Da Jie Xi Jie
Huhehaote Shi 010000
Nei Menggu Zizhiqu
People's Republic of China
(Salutation: Dear Head of the Procuratorate)

Please send copies to:

Huhehaote Procuratorate
Huhehaote Shi Renmin Jiancha Yuan
Huhehaote Shi 010000
Nei Menggu Zizhiqu
People's Republic of China
(Salutation: Dear Head of the Procuratorate)

As well as to the foreign mission that is closest to you.

My letter below:

Huimin District People’s Court
Huiminqu Renmin Fayuan
Hai Xi Lu
Huhehaote Shi 010000
Nei Menggu Zizhiqu
People’s Republic of China


Ole Koksvik
Philosophy, RSSS
The Australian National University ACT 0200
AUSTRALIA 16/09/
2009
ole.koksvik at anu.edu.au

RE: YAN DONGFEI AND QIAO YOUNGFANG

Dear Head of the Court,

My name is Ole Koksvik. I am a Norwegian citizen, an Australian Permanent Resident, a
PhD Candidate at the Australian National University.

It has come to my attention that Falun Gong practitioners Yan Dongfei and Qiao Yongfang, aged 60, have been held at the No. 1 Detention Center in the Huhehaote since 8 June. They have been allowed no visits or phone calls from their family since they have been in custody, and have only been allowed one visit from their lawyers. It has also come to my attention that Qiao Yongfang had been tortured, resulting in injuries to his head, and that he appeared disoriented and depressed in that meeting.

I implore you to release Yan Dongfei and Qiao Yongfang immediately and unconditionally, unless they are charged with an internationally recognized crime and tried promptly in proceedings which meet fair trial standards.

I am deeply concerned that they have been detained solely because of their religious beliefs. If that is the case, they are therefore prisoners of conscience.

I call on you to guarantee that they will not be tortured or ill-treated, and I demanding that you give them immediate access to their family, medical care and a lawyer of their choosing.

Thank you for taking the time to read my concerns.

Your sincerely,

Ole Koksvik

Former Australian PM Malcom Fraser Accuses Liberal Party of Risking Lives

Go to ABC News Radio, here, http://www.abc.net.au/newsradio/, and find this audio (at least today, I am guessing) on the left.

Malcom Fraser, former Australian PM for the Liberal party, made some good points in this interview. The Liberal party has been claiming that the increase in people setting sail for Australia to seek asylum can be blamed on Labour's asylum policies. Mr Fraser pointed out that the way Tamils are being treated in Sri Lanka is likely to alone be sufficient to cause more to flee. Anyway, well worth a listen. Thanks, mr Fraser!

Yemeni Journalist Abducted after Criticising Government

MDE 31/011/2009

A male Yemeni journalist, Muhammad al-Maqalih, has been abducted in the capital, Sana’a. Government forces have mounted a series of attacks in Sa’da province, northern Yemen, since mid-August, including bombing raids against villages and towns. Muhammad al-Maqalih published criticism of the army’s killing of civilians on the Yemeni Socialist Party’s website

Muhammad al-Maqalih’s whereabouts are unknown, and his life is at risk. In Yemen, critics of the state are often at risk of arrest, detention, abduction and beatings.

Read more here.

Please send appeals as soon as possible, and before 12 November. Remember to send faxes when you can!

President ‘Ali ‘Abdullah Saleh
Office of the President of the Republic of Yemen
Sana’a
Republic of Yemen
Fax: +967 1 274147 (I faxed this number, it went through fine.)
(Salutation: Your Excellency)

Major General Ghaleb al-Qamash
Chairman of the Central Organ for Political Security
Central Organ for Political Security
Sana’a
Republic of Yemen
Fax: +967 1 443040 (Also works.)
(Salutation: Dear Sir)

Send copies to:

Minister of Human Rights
Houda ‘Ali ‘Abdullatif al-Baan
Ministry for Human Rights
Sana’a
Republic of Yemen
Fax: +967 1 444833
(Salutation: Your Excellency)

My letter below:

President ‘Ali ‘Abdullah Saleh
Office of the President of the Republic of Yemen
Sana’a
Republic of Yemen
+967 1 274147

Ole Koksvik
Philosophy, RSSS
The Australian National University ACT 0200
AUSTRALIA 14/10/2009

RE: Detainment of Muhammad al-Maqalih
Your Excellency,
My name is Ole Koksvik. I am a Norwegian citizen, an Australian Permanent Resident, a PhD Candidate at the Australian National University.

I am writing to call on the Yemeni authorities to clarify publicly Muhammad al-Maqalih’s whereabouts and to release him immediately and unconditionally if he is being held solely for his criticism of the government.

I would like to point out that if Muhammad al-Maqalih is being held solely for criticising the Yemeni government, Amnesty International would consider him to be a prisoner of conscience.

If, however, Muhammad al-Maqalih is held on suspicion of a recognizably criminal offence, I would urge the Yemeni authorities to ensure that he is protected from torture and other ill-treatment, and also to allow him prompt and regular access to a lawyer of his choosing, to his family and to any medical treatment that he may require.

Thank you for taking the time to read my concerns.

Yours sincerely,

Ole Koksvik

Condemn Child Execution

Last year, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Yemen and Sudan still executed children.

Add your name to the call to end all executions of minors HERE.

Two Uighur men at risk of torture in China - ASA 17/053/2009

ASA 17/053/2009

Two Uighur men are at risk of torture and other ill treatment while in detention in China. Haji Memet and Abdusalam Nasir were detained on 23 September, in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in northwest China. Their detention relates to the death in custody of Shohret Tursun. The police told his family that he had suffered a heart attack, but when his family received his body his chest was covered in bruises and his legs, stomach and back were scarred and cut. They believe he was tortured.

Haji Memet is related to Shohret Tursun, and Abdusalam Nasir participated in the burial rites. The two men are accused or leaking "state secrets". Read more here.

Please send appeals immediately, and before October 16 (which is soon!), to:

Chairman of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Regional People's Government
Nur BEKRI Zhuxi
Xinjiang Weiwuer Zizhiqu Renmin Zhengfu,2 Zhongshanlu, Wulumuqishi, 830041
Xinjiang Weiwuer Zizhiqu
People's Republic of China
Email: master@xinjiang.gov.cn(Does not appear to work, use regular mail.)
(Salutation: Dear Chairman)

Chairman of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission of the People's Republic of China
YANG Jing Zhuren
Guojia Minzu Shiwu Weiyuanhui
252 Taipingqiaodajie, Xichengqu
Beijingshi 100800
People's Republic of China
(Salutation: Your Excellency)

Director of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Regional Department of Public Security
LIU Yaohua Tingzhang
Xinjiang Weiwuer Zizhiqu Gong'anting
58 Huanghelu
Wulumuqishi 830001
Xinjiang Weiwuer Zizhiqu
People's Republic of China
(Salutation: Dear Director)

Send copies to the Chinese diplomatic representative closest to you.

My letter below:

Chairman of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Regional People's Government
Nur BEKRI Zhuxi
Xinjiang Weiwuer Zizhiqu Renmin Zhengfu, 2 Zhongshanlu, Wulumuqishi, 830041
Xinjiang Weiwuer Zizhiqu
People's Republic of China
master@xinjiang.gov.cn

Ole Koksvik
Philosophy, RSSS
The Australian National University ACT 0200
AUSTRALIA 11/09/2009
ole.koksvik at anu.edu.au

RE: Haji Memet and Abdusalam Nasir

Dear Director
My name is Ole Koksvik. I am a Norwegian citizen, an Australian Permanent Resident, a PhD Candidate at the Australian National University.

It has come to my attention that Haji Memet and Abdusalam Nasir were detained on the 23 of September, in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in northwest China, on suspicion of leaking “state secrets”. It is my understanding that the "secrets" in question relate to Shohret Tursun, who is related to Haji Memet , and who, after being detained on 6 July in Urumqi, died in custody. It is further my understanding that when his family received his body from the police in Langan village in Huocheng county, the body showed signs of having been subjected to torture.

I demand that Haji Memet and Abdusalam Nasir be immediately and unconditionally released, unless they are charged with an internationally recognizable criminal offence. Working toward securing the human rights of others is not a crime, nor is disseminating information about human rights violations.

I demand that they are not tortured or otherwise ill-treated while they remain in custody.

I call on you to ensure that they have access to their family and legal counsel of their choice, and I urge you to ensure an independent and impartial investigation into the allegations that Shohret Tursun’s death in custody was as a result of torture is carried out forthwith, with a view of bringing those guilty to justice.


Thank you for taking the time to read my concerns.

Your sincerely,

Ole Koksvik

Article Argued for Ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

[A]n article in an official military journal argues forcefully this month for repealing the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law that requires homosexuals in the services to keep their sexual orientation secret.

Obama has promised to overturn the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, but so far nothing much has happened. Maybe this is a step forward for Gay Rights in the US. Read on in the New York Times here.

Myanmarese Human Rights Activist at Risk of Torture - ASA 16/005/2009

Kyaw Zaw Lwin, a Myanmarese human rights activist was arrested on 3 September after flying to Yangon, Myanmar. He may be in police custody in Myanmar and is at risk of torture and other ill-treatment. Torture is common in pre-trial detention in Myanmar, where there are more than 2,200 political prisoners.

Read on here: ASA 16/005/2009

Please send appeals as soon as possible, and before 23 October, to:

Minister for Home Affairs
Maung Oo
Ministry of Home Affairs
Office No. 10
Naypyitaw,
Union of Myanmar
(Salutation: Dear Minister)
Fax: +95 67 412 439 (Read this note on sending faxes.)

Minister of Information
Brigadier-General Kyaw Hsan
Ministry of Information
Bldg. (7), Naypyitaw,
Union of Myanmar
(Salutation: Dear Minister)

Minister of Foreign Affairs
Nyan Win
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Naypyitaw,
Union of Myanmar
(Salutation: Dear Minister)

Please send copies to Myanmar's local diplomatic representative.

In Australia:
Embassy of Myanmar
22 Arkana Street, Australia.
Yarralumla
A.C.T 2600
Fax: (02) 6273 3181

My letter below.

Minister for Home Affairs
Maung Oo
Ministry of Home Affairs
Office No. 10
Naypyitaw, Union of Myanmar
Fax: +95 67 412 439

Ole Koksvik
Philosophy, RSSS
The Australian National University ACT 0200
AUSTRALIA 18/09/2009

RE: Arrest of Kyaw Zaw Lwin on the 3rd of September in Yangon

Dear Minister,

My name is Ole Koksvik. I am a Norwegian citizen, an Australian Permanent Resident, a PhD Candidate at the Australian National University.

I am writing to request that the Myanmarese authorities immediately and unconditionally release Kyaw Zaw Lwin (who also known as Nyi Nyi Aung) unless he is charged with a recognisable criminal offence.

I would also urge the authorities to guarantee that Kyaw Zaw Lwin is not tortured or ill-treated while he remains in custody and that he has access to his family, legal counsel, and proper medical care.

Finally, I would like to urge the authorities to provide information on his whereabouts, and the reasons and legal basis for his continued detention.

Thank you for taking the time to read my concerns.

Yours sincerely,

Ole Koksvik

Chinese Human Rights Lawyer Gao Zhisheng in Danger of Torture - ASA 17/052/2009

All the details here: ASA 17/052/2009

Human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, who has been missing since February, was seen late June or early July, looking thin and weak. In 2007, after publishing an open letter to the US congress, agents came to his home, stripped him and beat him unconscious, took him into illegal detention, during which he was beaten and received repeated electric shocks to his genitals. Lit cigarettes were held close to his eyes for several hours, leaving him partly blind for days afterwards.

He is in grave danger of torture.

Please write immediately, and before October 27, to:

Prime Minister of the People's Republic of China
WEN Jiabao Guojia Zongli
The State Council General Office
2 Fuyoujie, Xichengqu
Beijingshi 100017
People's Republic of China
Fax: +86 10 65961109 (c/o Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Salutation: Your Excellency

and

Director of the Beijing Public Security Bureau
MA Zhenchuan Juzhang
Beijingshi Gong'anju
9 Dongdajie, Qianmen
Dongchengqu
Beijingshi 100740
People's Republic of China
Fax: +86 10 65242927
Salutation: Dear Director

Both these fax number work.

Send copies to:
Director of the Shaanxi Provincial Department of Public Security
WANG Rui Tingzhang
Shaanxisheng Gong'anting
Xinchengdayuan Donglou
Xi'anshi 710006
Shaanxisheng
People's Republic of China
Email: info@shxga.gov.cn (this address has not worked for me)

Also send a copy to the Chinese foreign mission closest to you (follow the link and look for your country).

My letter is below:

Prime Minister of the People's Republic of China
WEN Jiabao Guojia Zongli
The State Council General Office
2 Fuyoujie, Xichengqu
Beijingshi 100017
People's Republic of China
Fax: +86 10 65961109

Ole Koksvik
Philosophy, RSSS
The Australian National University ACT 0200
AUSTRALIA 21/09/2009

RE: GAO ZHISHENG
Your Excellency,

My name is Ole Koksvik. I am a Norwegian citizen, an Australian Permanent Resident, a PhD Candidate at the Australian National University.

It has come to my attention that Human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng has been observed looking thin and weak, being accompanied by several officials. I am gravely concerned for his safety. I know that he has been subjected to prolonged illegal detention and torture at the hands of the government of the People’s Republic of China before, and I fear that this is happening again.

I call on you to ensure that Gao Zhisheng is released immediately and unconditionally.

I urge you to ensure that Gao Zhisheng has access to proper medical treatment while he remains in custody, and to guarantee that he is not tortured or ill-treated while he remains in custody.

I furthermore urge you to immediately provide information on his whereabouts, and the reasons and legal basis for his continued detention.



Thank you for taking the time to read my concerns.

Yours sincerely,

Ole Koksvik

Letter Writing Made Easy

Dear All,

The point of this blog is very largely to make it easier for others to write letters for Amnesty. If you have any comments on how it can do that better, please let me know.

I think writing letters on behalf of Amnesty is easy, and it even gets easier as you go. Here are some thoughts to make it even easier.

1. Keep a template. Create a document that has your name and address in the top, and a line or two that work well to finish a letter with at the bottom. (To get an idea of how one might do this, look at any letter posted here, and subtract the content that is specific to the particular action it is about.)
2. Make it personal. Begin your letter with some words about yourself. Part of the impact of the urgent action network is that so many different people react. The recepients of the letters will only know that if you tell them who you are.
   
3. Shamelessly copy and paste. It is perfectly fine to copy text from the Urgent Action into your letter. The main strength of the Urgent Action network is in its numbers, it is wildly unrealistic to think that all the letters get read. You should ensure that your letter is grammatical, and you should write: "I urge you to release so and so immediately", not "urging the authorities to ...", and so on. Aside from that, use copy and paste a lot.
   
4. Grab a friend. If you pool your efforts with a friend, and share your template with her, you can easily double your output with almost no increase in effort. You take one action, your friend another. You create two sets of letters, one for yourself, one for your friend, and your friend does the same.
5. Set a managable target. Aim for a level of activity that you can sustain. It is better to write one letter every two weeks for a year than to write five the first week, and then no more.

If you have thoughts on how to write good Amnesty letters, please post them below.

Damning Report of Israel

The inquiry, headed by a former South African judge, Richard Goldstone, delivered a detailed and damning criticism of the war, accusing both Israel and armed Palestinian groups, notably Hamas, of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity. It was by far the most serious international inquiry into the three-week war, which left 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis dead and which triggered a wave of criticism across the world.

Read on here.

Unsurprisingly, Isreal rejects the findings.

Tsvangirai Ups the Pressure

The Prime Minister in the "power sharing" government of Zimbabwe, Morgan Tsvangirai, is starting to up the pressure on Mugabe. That's good news, presumably, but I hope he can back it up.

"I am not going to stand by while Zanu-PF continue to violate the law, persecute our members of parliament, spread the language of hate, invade our productive farms … ignore our international treaties," the prime minister told thousands of supporters in Bulawayo. "I am not going to stand by and let this happen."

Read on here.

Several Hundred Thousand Tamils Still Held in Prison-like Camps

[L]ess than 5% of the 300,000 Tamils [have been] released from what the United Nations describes as "internment camps". ...

The Sri Lankan authorities recently allowed humanitarian relief workers
into Manik Farm [which is one of the camps]. The immediate criticism was that there were persistent water shortages. Then heavy rains sent rivers of sewage cascading through tents and tin sheds.

Now there are growing fears that with monsoon rains due in October, the camps could become a sea of thick mud and slop.

Doctors in the main hospital in Vavuniya, the largest town near the camp, say that more 1,000 people have died since May, mainly due to "malnutrition-related complications", and warn of an impending disaster if conditions do not improve.

Read on in the Guardian here. The Sri Lankan governments excuse is that there may be LTTE rebel soldiers hiding among the civilians, but it is hard to see how that can justify bereaving so many of their human rights in this way.

Recall that Sri Lanka in May managed to manipulate the Human Rights Council of the UN to praise its victory over the LTTE and to and refuse to investigate allegations of war crimes on both sides of the conflict. They managed to get a resolution passed saying that the war was a "domestic matter that doesn't warrant outside interference".

Recall also the earlier action about five doctors being held by the Sri Lankan government, at risk of torture. Four of these have been released, but one is still being held.

Nice News: Brown Apologises to Turing

Gordon Brown issued an unequivocal apology last night on behalf of the government to Alan Turing, the second world war codebreaker who took his own life 55 years ago after being sentenced to chemical castration for being gay.

From the Guardian. Read on here.

Turing played a vital role in the war effort. He also invented the Turing Test, which has been highly influential in thought about artificial intelligence (AI).