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).

Juvenile Offender Faces Execution in Iran

Hossein Haghi is facing imminent execution for a murder committed when he was a 16-year-old boy. Read more here:

UA: 234/09 Index: MDE 13/095/2009

Please send appeals immediately, and before October 15:

• Leader of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei; The Office of the Supreme Leader; Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street; Tehran; Islamic Republic of Iran; Send email via website. (Salutation: Your Excellency)
• 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, Send email via website. (First starred box: your given name; second starred box: your family name; third: your email address), (Salutation: Your Excellency)

Please send copies to:

• 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 at bia-judiciary.ir or int_aff at judiciary.ir (In the subject line: FAO Mohammad Javad Larijani)
• Your local diplomatic mission.

My letter is below.

Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street
Tehran
Islamic Republic of Iran

Ole Koksvik
Philosophy, RSSS
The Australian National University
Canberra ACT 2600
AUSTRALIA Friday, 11 September 2009


RE: Death sentence of Hossein Haghi

Your Excellency,

My name is Ole Koksvik. I am a Norwegian citizen, an Australian Permanent Resident, and a PhD Candidate at the Australian National University. It has come to my attention that Hossein Haghi’s death sentence was approved by Branch 27 of the Supreme Court during the last week of August 2009.

I write to express my concern at this development and I call on you and the authorities in your country to commute this death sentence of Hossein Haghi.

I respectfully remind you 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

Stop Violence against Evicted Community

The inhabitants of San Antonio Ebulá in Mexico were forcibly evicted, and some were beaten, on 13 August by private security guards aided by police. Although the village was levelled, the inhabitants are planning to return. It is feared that violence may be used by police and private security guards to prevent their return.

Read more here: UA 235-09 (pdf file)

Please send appeals, before October 15, to:

• Jorge Carlos Hurtado Valdez; Gobernador del Estado de Campeche; Palacio de Gobierno; Calle 8 entre 61 y Circuito Baluartes S/N; San Fco. de Campeche 24009; MEXICO. Fax: +52 98 1811 4004 (Salutation: Dear Governor), and
• Lic. Carlos Miguel Aysa González; Secretario de Seguridad Pública; Av. López Portillo por Av. Lázaro Cárdenas S/N; Col. Laureles, San Fco. de Campeche; C. P. 24085; MEXICO. Fax: +52 98 1 811 9110 (ask: "me puede dar tono de fax por favor") (Salutation: Dear Governor)

Send copies to:

• And your local diplomatic mission
• Equipo Indignación: informativo at indignacion.org.mx

My letter is below.

Ole Koksvik
Philosophy, RSSS
The Australian National University
Canberra ACT 2600
AUSTRALIA


Jorge Carlos Hurtado Valdez
Gobernador del Estado de Campeche
Palacio de Gobierno, Calle
8 entre 61 y Circuito Baluartes S/N,
San Fco. De Campeche 24009.
MEXICO
Fax: +52 1811 4004

RE: San Antonio Ebulá

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

After receiving information regards this matter from Amnesty International, I write to express
my concern about the current situation of the inhabitants of San Antonio Ebulá.

As I understand it, they have been forcibly and violently evicted from their village without
warning or a legal warrant and were not provided with an adequate alternative. I strongly urge, you and your fellow authorities to investigate the allegations of beating and damages against private property and dwellings.

I also ask that you provide the inhabitats of San Antonio Ebulá with protection from further forced eviction of abuses by private security guards or police, should they wish to return to their village pending the outcome of legal proceedings in relationship to the ownership and use of the land. Please make every attempt to promptly resolve the ownership of the land and engage in genuine consultation with the community, including provision of adequate alternative housing with security of tenure and compensation, should this be necessary.

Thank you for taking the time to read my concerns.

Yours sincerely,

Ole Koksvik

Legal Aid Worker at Risk of Torture

Three letters today! (I am a member of a small group who help each other write letters. The letters on this page is the result of our joint effort.)

The first is from China.

Zhuang Lu works for a legal aid and research organisation called the Open Constitution Initiative in Beijing. She has been missing since 22 August, and may be in police custody and is at risk of torture or other ill-treatment.

Read more here: ASA 17/051/2009

Please write before October 13 2009 to:

• Director of the Beijing Public Security Bureau; MA Zhenchuan Juzhang; Beijingshi Gong'anju; 9 Qianmen Dongdajie; Dongchengqu Beijingshi 100740; People's Republic of China; Fax: +86 10 85222320 (Salutation: Dear Director)
• Minister of Public Security of the People's Republic of China; MENG Jianzhu Buzhang; Gong’anbu; 14 Dongchang’anjie; Dongchengqu; Beijingshi 100741; People's Republic of China (Salutation: Your Excellency) Fax: +86 10 63099216

Remember to send a copy to China's diplomatic mission in your local area.

My letter is below.

Ole Koksvik
Philosophy, RSSS
The Australian National University
Canberra ACT 2600
AUSTRALIA


MA Zhenchuan Juzhang
Beijingshi Gong'anju
9 Qianmen Dongdajie
Dongchengqu
Beijingshi 100740
People's Republic of China 11/09/2009
Fax: +86 10 85222320


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 Zhuang Lu, who is the Finance Secretary of the Open Constitution Initiative (Gongmeng) was detained by police on 29 July and, despite statements from the police that she has been released on August 22, her whereabouts are still unknown. She has not been hear from since 26 August.

I call on you to release Zhuang Lu immediately and unconditionally unless she is charged with an internationally recognizable offence.

I urge you to guarantee that she is not tortured or ill-treated while she remains in custody, and to immediately provide information on her whereabouts, and the reasons and legal basis for her continued detention.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and to consider my concerns.


Sincerely yours,
Ole Koksvik

On Faxing

I want to encourage all readers to use fax as much as possible when writing letters on behalf of Amnesty International. It is harder to dismiss a piece of paper than it is to dismiss an email; thus letters and faxes are better than emails, I think. But it is also important that the action reach quickly, and so faxes are the better choice of those two.

You may not be aware that you can fax without having a fax machine. There are many providers that let you send an email, with what you want faxed in an attachment, and they will send the fax for you. We use Ozefax, and this has proved a reliable and cheap service so far.

So, please consider sending faxes!