Human Rights action update October 15-21

Miriam, human rights defender, 1947-2012

HE WHO PERMITS OPPRESSION PERMITS CRIMES.-Erasmus

EMBASSY FINDER 

Survival International provides a useful tool for locating the embassy of any country in your country.
http://embassy.goabroad.com/ You can also find embassies at this link. https://embassy-finder.com/

ACQUITTAL IN ETHIOPIA 

The acquittal of three bloggers by an Ethiopian court after 539 days in detention must not be dressed up as a victory for freedom of expression, said Amnesty International today. Natnael Feleke, Atnaf Berhane and Abel Wabela, who were tried on terrorism charges, were acquitted by the federal court today in Addis Ababa but have yet to be released. The fourth, Befeqadu Hailu, was also acquitted of terrorism charges but trial hearings on an incitement charge will continue. A fifth blogger, Soliyana Gebremichael, in exile in the USA, was also acquitted. Read more about the state of human rights in Ethiopia

CHARITY CORNER 

In the wake of the closing of the Titan and Pollyanna blogs, we are continuing the charity corner here.  This month as violence and counter-violence continue in Israel and the Occupied Territories, we refer you to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund.

Former Palestinian Cancer Patient Begins Treatment in North Carolina for a chance to walk again

Their mission statement speaks for itself: The Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF) is a non-political organization established in 1991 by concerned people in the U.S. to address the medical and humanitarian crisis facing Palestinian youths in the Middle East. The main objective of the PCRF is to identify and treat every child in the Middle East in need of specialized surgery not available to them locally. We locate, sponsor and run volunteer medical missions to the Middle East in adult and pediatric cardiac surgery, pediatric cardiology, plastic and reconstructive surgery, maxillofacial surgery, pediatric urology, ophthalmology, vascular surgery, pediatric orthopedic surgery, occupational therapy, and other specialties. Since our founding, over 800 children have been, or currently are being treated, outside of the Middle East through the PCRF. They have a high rating from Charity Navigator.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

Indigenous tribes do not simply die out. They are killed by the actions of so-called civilized nations. Survival International provides a long list of cases in which a letter from you can and will make a difference. Please open this link and write at least one letter. This link will be a permanent feature on our blog and we would be grateful if you gave it a bit of attention each week. We suggest going down the list in the order given. The letters are pre-written for you. All you need to do is send them. It would be nice also if a donation to Survival International could be forthcoming.
This week we call on you to help the Kawahiva tribe.

In the Brazilian Amazon, a tiny group of uncontacted Indians teeters on the brink of extinction. For years Survival has been pressing for their land to be recognized, but now loggers are invading. The tribe is forced to live on the run, fleeing violence from outsiders. Attacks and disease have killed their relatives. The loggers are getting closer. These are the Last of the Kawahiva. And their genocide will be complete unless their land is protected. You can help us secure it for them: Together, we can give the Kawahiva a future.

THE STRUGGLE AGAINST SLAVERY  

We have added a new section to the blog in order to join the struggle against slavery worldwide. We refer you to the site of Walk Free where you can find a large number of campaigns against manifestations of slavery in different countries. The number of people living in slavery is of the order of 35 million, which indicates the extent of the problem. We suggest that you look up the Fair Trade movement in your country and make an effort to avoid buying slave-produced products.   Look for this logo:


This week we turn the spotlight on child slavery in Ghana. According to the International Labour Organization, a large proportion of victims of forced labour worldwide are trapped in domestic servitude. This includes Ghana where about 1.2 million children are forced to undertake hazardous child labor, some of whom are in child domestic servitude. Please open the site and send your protest to the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection of Ghana.

MYANMAR 

We have two cases from Myanmar this week. Both cases involve Facebook posts about the army, which is very thin-skinned.

1) A Kachin peace activist in Myanmar, Patrick Kum Jaa Lee, has been detained in connection with a Facebook post mocking the army. He is a prisoner of conscience, who must be released immediately and unconditionally. Please act on his behalf.

2)A 24-year-old woman in Myanmar, Chaw Sandi Tun,  has been detained in connection with a Facebook post mocking the army. She is a prisoner of conscience, who must be released immediately and unconditionally. Please act for her.

CHINA 

A 16-year-old whose parents are detained as part of a crackdown on legal activists in China has been placed under house arrest. He had crossed the border into Myanmar along with two activists, and all three were taken away by a group of uniformed officials on 6 October. The teenager was returned to China where he remains under house arrest. There has been no information about the whereabouts of the two activists. Please write to demand information about them and to protest the arrests.

FRANCE  

A group of 150 people, mostly Roma migrants from Romania, including pregnant women and children, have been camping in front of the town hall of La Courneuve, Parisian region, since September. On 27 August, they were forcibly evicted from the informal settlement “Le Samaritain”. In the run-up to winter, these men, women and children must be immediately rehoused. Please call upon local officials to provide proper housing for these unfortunate people.

A Roma, also known as a Gypsy, argues with a French policeman as police dismantle the sprawling Roma camp in La Courneuve, on the outskirts of Paris, Aug. 27, 2015.