Download - Group 48 Newsletter - June 2009
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Amnesty International USA Group 48
Newsletter 06.09
In This Issue . . .
1 Congressional In-District
Lobby Weeks June 29th –
July 5th
2 Urge UN to Increase
Civilian Protection in DRC
4 Vote imminent: SupportOfce or Global Women’s
Issues
5 Central America RAN: Act
to protect Human Rights
Workers in Guatemala
AIUSA-Group 48
http://aipdx.org
503-227-1878
Next Meeting:
Friday June 12th
First Unitarian Church
1011 SW 12th Ave
7:00pm inormal
gathering
7:30pm meeting starts
NewsLetter Designed
By Michelle Whitlock
MichelleWhitlock.com
We need your help. ens o thousandso individuals will be detained tonight,
tomorrow, and the next day at an
average cost o $95 per person, per day.
Among them are survivors o torture
and human tracking, undocumented
immigrants, asylum seekers, lawul
permanent residents, and even U.S.
citizens. Te individuals are caught in a
U.S. immigration detention system that
is expensive, ineective, and that deniesbasic human rights.
You can help x it. Eective alterna-
tives cost as little as $12 per day, and
some commonsense measures will save
money and help stop abuses against the
more than 300,000 men, women and
children detained each year.
A ew members o Congress have
stepped orward to lead the reorm.
With your help, leading a visit to yourRepresentative or Senators, we'll press
Congress to end human rights abuses in
detention acilities in the US.
Amnesty International will provide you
with the support and training you need
to be an eective Delegation Leader.
Serving as a delegation leader will take
a time commitment o about 15 hours,
which includes reading background
materials, participating in our onlinetraining, meeting with members o your
delegation and meeting with your elected
ocials' oce some time during the
workday between June 29th – July 5th.
Sign up at the link below!
http://www.amnestyusa.org/immigrant-
detention/join-a-delegation/page.
do?id=1011618
Congressional In-District Lobby Weeks,June 29th – July 5th
C y anL i S t o c k .X c h n g
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AIUSA group 48 Newsletter June 2009 Pg 2
he key concern o Amnesty International in the Demo-
cratic Republic o Congo (DRC) is the protection o civilians
during the ongoing ghting.
More than one million civilians have been displaced in North
Kivu province,most recently during the joint Congo-Rwanda
campaign against the FDLR(Rwandan Hutu militia linked to
the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and responsible or much o the
violence in North and South Kivu.
During the period May 14-21, 2009, the UN Security Council
visited countries in Arica, including the DRC. Te inability
o MONUC, the UN peacekeeping orce, to protect civil-
ians in the Kivu region is a key concern o both the Security
Council and Amnesty International. Te Security Council hasapproved the sending o 3000 reinorcements to bolster MO-
NUC but these have yet to materialize. MONUC is unable to
respond to attacks on civilians in the Kivu provinces and will
be unable to adequately protect civilians when MONUC and
the FARDC (Forces Armées de la République Démocratique
du Congo, Congolese army) move against the FDLR in South
Kivu province, as expected.
Te UN Oce or the Coordination o Humanitarian Aairs
(OCHA) and others have expressed concern the military op-
eration into South Kivu will lead to the urther displacement
o hundreds o thousands o people in that province, on top o
more than 1 million already displaced in North Kivu.
Background
Fighting has been continuous in eastern DRC since 1996,
when Rwanda and other neighboring countries invaded. At
the beginning o 2009, Rwanda and DRC reached an agree-
ment, whereby Rwanda would cease support or the Congo-
lese utsi warlord, General Laurent Nkunda. In exchange,
DRC would conduct joint military operations with Rwanda,
against orces o the FDLR (predominantly Rwandan Hutu) in
North Kivu province.
Despite the end o the joint DRC-Rwanda military oensive
against FDLR elements, the humanitarian situation has not
Urge UN to Increase CivilianProtection in DRC
»
Group Coordinator
Joanne Lau
971-221-5450
Concert Tabling
Will Ware
503-227-5225
Newsletter Editor
Dan Webb
503-253-3491
Treasurer Janan Stoll
503-282-8834
Legislative
Coordinator
Dan Johnson
503-310-4540
Central Africa RAN
OR State Death
Penalty Coordinator
Terrie Rodello
503-246-6836
Central America RAN
Marylou Noble
503-245-6923
marylou_noble@
yahoo.com
Guantanamo cases
& Darfur
Jane Kristof [email protected] Fromer
503-227-1878
Indonesia RAN
Max White
503-292-8168
AIUSA Group 48 Contact Inormation
V i v ek C h u gh S t o c k .X c h n g
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AIUSA group 48 Newsletter June 2009 Pg 3
»
Civil Liberties Under the Obama
Administration: Are We Still at Risk?
Public Forum on Civil Liberties and
National Security
Wednesday, June 17, 2009, 7:00 PM
Portland State University
Hateld School of Government Urban Center
506 SW Mill, Second Floor Gallery (SW Millbetween 5th and 6th Avenues)
(Portland Streetcar, bus lines 8, 9, 12, 19, 94;
parking available)
The National Lawyers Guild, the ACLU of Or -
egon and the American Constitution Society are
sponsoring an evening seminar entitled "Civil
Liberties Under the Obama Administration: Are
We Still at Risk?".
The seminar will cover continuing issues of race, preventive detention, the Obama adminis-
tration's plans for Guantanamo detainees, and
ethnic and religious proling. Panelists will also
highlight ongoing efforts by ACLU and National
Lawyers Guild to uncover the abuses of the
previous administration.
Speakers will include Tom Nelson and Ashlee
Albies, lawyers who are litigating a case against
the NSA for warrantless wiretapping; Steven
Wax, Federal Public Defender, who has rep-
resented a number of Guantanamo detainees;
David Fidanque, Executive Director of the ACLU
of Oregon; and Joann Bowman, Director of
Oregon Action.
For more information contact:Mark Kramer: 503.243.2733;[email protected]
improved in North Kivu. Te UN Oce or the Coordination
o Humanitarian Aairs (OCHA) ound that since January, at
least 150,000 were displaced and probably many more. Mostdisplacements had occurred due to civilians escaping rom
FDLR activities.
FDLR ghters have returned to many o their ormer posi-
tions since Rwandawithdrew its army and this has led to
renewed violence and displacement.
Te FARDC (Congolese armed orces) are expected to extend
their operations against the FDLR into South Kivu province, a
stronghold o the FDLR. MONUC
would collaborate with the FARDC in this campaign. Rwan-
dan troops apparently would not be used. Te joint operation
might lead to urther displacement and attacks on civilians by
FDLR in South Kivu, as well as human rights violations by the
FARDC.
In addition to recent FDLR reprisal attacks in North Kivu,
which have included many unlawul killings o civilians, rapes
and other violations o international humanitarian law, there
are already reports o threats and attacks against civilians in
South Kivu by the FDLR. FARDC troops moving through
South Kivu towards the ront lines have also been responsible
or numerous human rights violations, including rapes and
the orced displacement o civilians rom their homes. Am-
nesty International ears that this situation is likely to worsen.
Action Request
Amnesty International believes the Security Council must
take immediate steps to protect civilians in the DRC. Please
write a polite letter, email or ax to Susan Rice, US Ambassa-
dor to the UN, urging the Security Council to take the ollow-ing steps to protect civilians in the DRC.
◌ Ensure that the additional 3000 peacekeeping troops, airli
and intelligence capacities authorized by the Security Coun-
cil in November 2008 are placed in the DRC. Without these
additional resources, MONUC will not be able to protect
civilians in North Kivu and in South Kivu when MONUC-
FARDC operations begin.
◌ Implement specic MONUC-FARDC plans to assist aect-
ed civilian populations in South Kivu, including the deploy- »
Event Announcement
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ment o MONUC Joint Protection eams successully used in
North Kivu and the establishment o humanitarian corridors
by which aid could reach civilians cut o by the ghting.
◌ Establish strong oversight o the implementation o the
MONUC-FARDC plan to protect civilians during South Kivu
operation due to the poor human rights record o the FARDC
and the mixed history o joint MONUC-FARDC operation
Sample Letter (I possible, please edit letter so it is in your
own words.)
Ambassador Susan Rice
United States Ambassador to the United NationsUnited States Mission to the United Nations
140 East 45th Street
New York, N.Y. 10017
Fax: 212-415-4053
Email: [email protected]
Dear Ambassador Rice,
As a member o Amnesty International, I am writing to ask
that the United States Government use its infuence to urge
the Security Council to specic action to protect civilians in
the Democratic Republic o Congo.
Over a million civilians have been displaced in the Kivu
region o the Democratic Republic o Congo with 150,000
displaced since January o this year. Many unlawul killings
o civilians, rapes and other violations o international hu-
manitarian law are reported in the region. Without additionaUN troops, this violence against civilians will increase.
Please take the ollowing concrete steps to protect women and
other civilians in the eastern Democratic Republic o Congo:
◌ Ensure that the additional 3000 peacekeeping troops, airli
and intelligence capacities authorized by the Security Council
in November 2008 are placed in the DRC. Without these ad-
ditional resources, MONUC cannot protect civilians in North
Kivu and in South Kivu when MONUC-FARDC operationsbegin in this province.
◌ Implement specic MONUC-FARDC plans to assist aect-
ed civilian populations in South Kivu, including the deploy-
ment o MONUC Joint Protection eams and the establish-
ment o humanitarian corridors.
◌ Establish careul oversight o the implementation o the
MONUC-FARDC plan to protect civilians during the opera-
tion into South Kivu, given the poor human rights record
o FARDC and the mixed history o joint MONUC-FARDCoperations.
I look orward to learning what actions you undertake on
these concerns.
Hi riends, We need your help now to pass one o the
important provisions o the International Violence Against
Women Act in the House next week!
Te provision is included in the Department o State Autho-
rization Act, (H.R. 2410) that has passed the House Foreign
Aairs committee and is expected to be voted on by the ull
House next week. Please make calls yoursel and encourage
constituents in the districts o House Democratic Representa-
tives to call their Representatives in support o this provision
(talking points are below). You can reach House Representa-
tives by calling 202 224-3121. »
Vote imminent: Support Ofce for Global Women’s IssuesB
eni ami nP o p
S t o c k .X c h n g
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Nine members o sta at two prominent Guatemalan hu-
man rights organizations, SEDEM and UDEFEGUA, based
in Guatemala city have received over 40 SMS text messages
containing death threats. One o them has also been ollowed
by armed unknown men. Te SMS text messages make reer-
ence to their work seeking justice or the crimes committedduring the 1960-1996 internal armed confict. Te lives o
these activists could be at risk.
Te death threats and intimidation seem to be linked to the
campaign that SEDEM and other Guatemalan human rights
organizations have carried out in order to secure the release
o all military les containing inormation about gross human
rights violations committed during the internal armed con-
fict. Aer an almost 3-year-long judicial battle, on 9 Febru-
ary 2009 the Constitutional Court ordered the Guatemalan
authorities to hand over some o these les. Te government
partly complied with the order on 6 March but said that the
rest o the les were missing. Te Public Prosecutor’s Ocehas been charged with an investigation into the loss o the
remaining les.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
UDEFEGUA works with and or human rights deenders in
Guatemala. Since 2000 it has documented thousands o at-
tacks, threats, acts o intimidation and even killings against
Guatemalan activists in connection with their legitimate
work. It has also supported them with the legal procedures
and ollow-up with the authorities.
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Spanish
or your own language:
◌ expressing concern or the saety o all members o sta
working or the Guatemalan human rights organizations
SEDEM and UDEFEGUA;
◌ urging the authorities to provide eective protection or
them, in strict accordance with their wishes;
◌ calling on the authorities to order a swi, ull and impartialinvestigation into the incidents, to make the results public and
to bring those responsible to justice;
◌ reminding the authorities o the right o human rights
deenders to carry out their activities without any restric-
tions or ear o reprisals, as set out in the UN Declaration on
the Rights and Responsibilities o Individuals, Groups and
Institutions to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized
Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
Central America RAN: Act to protectHuman Rights Workers in GuatemalaSubmitted by Marylou Noble RAN Coordinator for Central America
Talking points
As your constituent, I believe it is important to coordinate
our oreign policy and assistance to empower women and toprotect women and girls rom violence globally.
I want you to support the permanent establishment o the
Oce or Global Women's Issues at the Department o State
in this year's State Department Authorization Act, H.R. 2410,
and vote against any amendments that would weaken or
eliminate this important oce. President Obama has already
supported the establishment o this oce by executive order.
U.S. eorts to achieve its oreign policy goals o stability,
poverty reduction, and an end to the HIV epidemic will be
seriously hindered i they do not also address the epidemic o
violence against women and girls. Please let me know o your
support or this important oce.
»
P a ul
Hi r on S t o c k .X c h n g
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Postage
AIUSA group 48 Newsletter June 2009 Pg 6
AIUSA group 48 Newsletter June 2009AIUSA group 48 Newsletter June 2009
APPEALS TO
President o the Republic
Lic. Álvaro ColomPresidente de la República
Casa Presidencial, 6ª Avenida, 4-18, Zona 1.
Ciudad de Guatemala, GUAEMALA
Fax +502 2221 4423
+502 2238 3579
Salutation: Dear President/Estimado Sr. Presidente
Minister o the Interior
Sr. Salvador Gándara
Ministro de Gobernación
6ª Avenida 13-71, Zona 1,
Ciudad de Guatemala, GUAEMALA
Fax: +502 2413 8658
Salutation: Dear Minister/Estimado Sr. Ministro
Attorney General and Head o the Public Prosecutor’s Ofce
Lic. José Amílcar Velásquez Zárate
Fiscal General de la República y Jee del Ministerio Público
8ª Avenida 10-67, Zona 1, Antiguo Edicio del Banco de los
rabajadores,Ciudad de Guatemala, GUAEMALA
Fax: +502 2411 9124
+502 2411 9326
Salutation: Dear Attorney General/
Estimado Sr. Fiscal General
COPIES TO
Asociación para el Estudio y Promoción de la Seguridad
en Democracia (SEDEM)
6 avenida 1-73, Zona 1Ciudad de Guatemala, GUAEMALA
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIAELY.
Check with the International Secretariat, or your section
oce, i sending appeals aer 17 June.