Monday, July 05, 2010
INTERNATIONAL LABOUR IRAN:
FREE IMPRISONED IRANIAN UNIONISTS:
For over three decades workers in Iran have been struggling for their rights against a theocratic regime that seems to grow harsher by the day. A lot of attention has been paid to the general struggle of the Iranian people for freedom, but the struggle of the workers for their basic rights and livelihood is very much underreported in the western media. Amnesty International has initiated a campaign for the release of two out of the many imprisoned unionists. Here's the story and appeal.
ILILILILIL
Iran: Trade unionists held incommunicado
Saeed Torabian (picture
d right), from the Union of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (Sherkat-e Vahed), was arrested at his home on 9 June, by security officials who also confiscated his computer and mobile phone.
Reza Shahabi (pictured left), the Treasurer of the Union, was arrested on 12 June. When he arrived at work he was summoned to the headquarters of the Bus Company, where he was arrested by security officials. They took him to his house, which they searched, and confiscated his computer.
Amnesty International believes that both men are very likely to be prisoners of conscience, held solely on account of their peaceful trade union activities and is concerned that they are held in conditions amounting to enforced disappearance.
Background information
The Union (or Syndicate) of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (Sherkat-e Vahed) was banned after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Workers resumed the Union's activities in 2004, although it is not legally recognized. On 22 December 2005, police arrested 12 of the Union's leaders at their homes but quickly released four of them. Other members were arrested on 25 December 2005 after they went on strike to call for the release of their colleagues. Saeed Torabian was among those arrested, and spent one month in custody. Hundreds more were arrested during a further strike in January 2006.
Two other members of the Union's board, Mansour Ossanlu and Ebrahim Maddadi, the Head and Deputy Head of the Union respectively, are currently serving prison sentences for their peaceful trade union activities.
Saeed Torabian and Reza Shahabi had been suspended from work, without pay, for about four years following the strikes in 2005. They were eventually reinstated after the Court of Administrative Justice investigated their case. This Court is empowered to investigate complaints against government employees.
Other trade unionists have been arrested or harassed recently, including members of local Teachers' Trade Associations, particularly in the run-up to International Labour Day on 1 May and National Teachers' day on 2 May 2010. Some of them were summoned by security officials, and some were detained for several hours, while the houses of others were searched, and some union meetings were broken up by the authorities.
The Iranian authorities refused permission for demonstrations to be held on the anniversary of the presidential election, and arrests of political activists, human rights defenders, students, trade unionists and others increased in the days and weeks before the anniversary. Some people defied a heavy security presence to demonstrate on the streets of Tehran. At least 91 people were arrested in connection with demonstrations, according to the Tehran Police Commander.
Protests at the disputed outcome of the 2009 election were violently repressed, with scores killed. Thousands were arrested, many of whom were tortured or otherwise ill-treated, often to obtain forced "confessions". Hundreds have been tried unfairly, including in mass "show trials", many of whom are serving long-prison terms, often as prisoners of conscience. Some have been sentenced to death, and two executed.
Iran is a State Party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 22 (1) of which states: "Everyone shall have the right to freedom of association with others, including the right to form and join trade unions for the protection of his interests," and to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Article 8 of which guarantees the "right of everyone to form trade unions and join the trade union of his choice".
Amnesty International believes that both men are very likely to be prisoners of conscience, held solely on account of their peaceful trade union activities and is concerned that they are held in conditions amounting to enforced disappearance.
Send the email below to the Iranian authorities to disclose the whereabouts of Saeed Torabian and Reza Shahabi and release them if they are held solely for their peaceful trade union activities.
ILILILILIL
Iran: Trade unionists held incommunicado
Saeed Torabian (picture
d right), from the Union of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (Sherkat-e Vahed), was arrested at his home on 9 June, by security officials who also confiscated his computer and mobile phone.Reza Shahabi (pictured left), the Treasurer of the Union, was arrested on 12 June. When he arrived at work he was summoned to the headquarters of the Bus Company, where he was arrested by security officials. They took him to his house, which they searched, and confiscated his computer.
Amnesty International believes that both men are very likely to be prisoners of conscience, held solely on account of their peaceful trade union activities and is concerned that they are held in conditions amounting to enforced disappearance.
Background information
The Union (or Syndicate) of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (Sherkat-e Vahed) was banned after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Workers resumed the Union's activities in 2004, although it is not legally recognized. On 22 December 2005, police arrested 12 of the Union's leaders at their homes but quickly released four of them. Other members were arrested on 25 December 2005 after they went on strike to call for the release of their colleagues. Saeed Torabian was among those arrested, and spent one month in custody. Hundreds more were arrested during a further strike in January 2006.
Two other members of the Union's board, Mansour Ossanlu and Ebrahim Maddadi, the Head and Deputy Head of the Union respectively, are currently serving prison sentences for their peaceful trade union activities.
Saeed Torabian and Reza Shahabi had been suspended from work, without pay, for about four years following the strikes in 2005. They were eventually reinstated after the Court of Administrative Justice investigated their case. This Court is empowered to investigate complaints against government employees.
Other trade unionists have been arrested or harassed recently, including members of local Teachers' Trade Associations, particularly in the run-up to International Labour Day on 1 May and National Teachers' day on 2 May 2010. Some of them were summoned by security officials, and some were detained for several hours, while the houses of others were searched, and some union meetings were broken up by the authorities.
The Iranian authorities refused permission for demonstrations to be held on the anniversary of the presidential election, and arrests of political activists, human rights defenders, students, trade unionists and others increased in the days and weeks before the anniversary. Some people defied a heavy security presence to demonstrate on the streets of Tehran. At least 91 people were arrested in connection with demonstrations, according to the Tehran Police Commander.
Protests at the disputed outcome of the 2009 election were violently repressed, with scores killed. Thousands were arrested, many of whom were tortured or otherwise ill-treated, often to obtain forced "confessions". Hundreds have been tried unfairly, including in mass "show trials", many of whom are serving long-prison terms, often as prisoners of conscience. Some have been sentenced to death, and two executed.
Iran is a State Party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 22 (1) of which states: "Everyone shall have the right to freedom of association with others, including the right to form and join trade unions for the protection of his interests," and to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Article 8 of which guarantees the "right of everyone to form trade unions and join the trade union of his choice".
Amnesty International believes that both men are very likely to be prisoners of conscience, held solely on account of their peaceful trade union activities and is concerned that they are held in conditions amounting to enforced disappearance.
Send the email below to the Iranian authorities to disclose the whereabouts of Saeed Torabian and Reza Shahabi and release them if they are held solely for their peaceful trade union activities.
ILILILILIL
THE LETTER:
Please go to this link to send the following letter to the judicial authorities in Tehran.
ILILILILIL
I am writing to you to express my deep concern for Saeed Torabian and Reza Shahabi, leading members of a trade union who were arrested on 9 and 12 June respectively and are being held at unknown locations.
It is extremely important that Saaed Torabian and Reza Shahabi’s current whereabouts be established and their family be informed of what has happened to them.
I strongly urge you to release them if they are held solely for their peaceful trade union activities.
If Saaed Torabian and Reza Shahabi are found in detention they should be released immediately and unconditionally, unless they are charged with a recognisable criminal offence.
Iran is a State Party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 22 (1) of which states: "Everyone shall have the right to freedom of association with others, including the right to form and join trade unions for the protection of his interests," and to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Article 8 of which guarantees the "right of everyone to form trade unions and join the trade union of his choice".
I remind you that Saaed Torabian and Reza Shahabi are entitled to the full protection from torture or other ill-treatment while in custody, and should be granted immediate access to their families, to lawyers of their choice, and to adequate medical care.
My thanks for your urgent attention to this important matter.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Labels: Amnesty International, international labour, Iran, labour, repression, Reza Shahabi, Saaed Torabian, solidarity., Tehran bus drivers
Monday, June 28, 2010
CANADIAN POLITICS TORONTO:
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL CALLS FOR INDEPENDENT INQUIRY INTO POLICE:
The incredibly ill conceived meeting of the G20 in downtown Toronto is over, but the aftermath remains. The final number of arrests totalled over 900. This puts this event in a category of its own. During the implementation of the War Measures Act in October 1970 only 497 people were detained. It seems that Steven Harper has got just what he wanted, political cover to justify his blowing a billion dollars on his come-as-you-aren't party. The final total may reach well beyond 900 if the police follow the same path that they have done to now.
The same path...note a couple of salient facts. One is that few (perhaps none) of the rioters were arrested during the actual riots. In actual fact many have accused the police of inactivity during the actual episodes of vandalism. The second is that almost all of those arrested were picked up while either peacefully protesting or when not protesting at all ie at residences. Many ordinary citizens, including several journalists and lawyers, were scooped up for the "crime" of just being in the proximity of police officers pumped up on adrenalin. The police also made what is probably a grievous error of not just arresting but also beating a reporter for the British newspaper The Guardian. No doubt there'll be a lot to be said about this "little" mistake in days to come. In one of the more ironic moments during the events the police arrested and imprisoned two photographers from the right wing National Post newspaper. The NP story on them confirmed everything that political arrestees had claimed about conditions in the holding facility.
In the end it may be possible that there will not be a single conviction for any act of violence given that the police were quite reluctant to make arrests when the events were happening. many commentators have found the whole way in which the police responded to be suspicious ,especially given the way that police cars were seemingly abandoned to provide photo-op targets for the Black Bloc. As can be seen below this suspicion is hardly confined to conspiracy theorists as the Canadian Civil Liberties Association mentions this disparity in their press release. (see below).
Whatever the minutiae of whether violence was indeed deliberately allowed to occur unchecked there can be little doubt that the general tone of the police tactics was set by their political masters. By this I don't mean micromanaging each raid or whether violence was to be allowed (or even encouraged) and for how long. It was that the decision to make a massive show of force and concentrate the majority of force on the general protest movement was very much a political decision. Depending upon the ever dependable Black Bloc to give the properly photogenic incidents the government can come out claiming that, "see, this is why we needed a billion dollars worth of security".
Will it work, or will the overkill of force blow up in the government's face ? It's hard to say. The summit began with over two thirds of Canadians of the opinion that holding the summit was not worth the cost. As the focus of news gradually shifts from images of perhaps 100 clowns at most breaking windows and spray painting walls things may fall into a bit better perspective with story after story about ordinary people caught up in what is the largest mass arrest in Canadian history. Also, in the end any damage caused by the Black Bloc's little spree pales into insignificance compared to the damage that the government's decision has done to Toronto and to the general Canadian taxpayer.
Let's begin with the response of Amnesty International who while deploring the actions of the Black Bloc look at the larger picture of the overwhelming police presence. My greatest quibble with what follows is that any such inquiry should extend far beyond the police and into the way that the decisions about the general methods of security were made politically.
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Toronto and the G8/G20:
Peaceful protest suffers amidst heavy security measures and acts of vandalism
As the Annual General Meeting of Amnesty International Canada (English branch) concluded today in Toronto, Amnesty International members from across the country expressed their very deep concern that important rights associated with peaceful protest have suffered considerably in the city over the weekend.
In connection with the G20 leaders summit, the heavy police and security presence that has permeated the city for several days, as well as acts of vandalism and other violence by numbers of individuals, have contributed to an atmosphere of apprehension and fearfulness that has led many individuals to refrain from or limit their involvement in peaceful demonstrations and other activities.
At a time when the public should be encouraged to actively engage in debate and discussion about pressing global issues, the security measures that were put in place in Toronto in the lead up to the G20 Summit held in the city instead narrowed the space for civic expression and cast a chill over citizen participation in public discourse. Many thousands of individuals did take part in public events such as the “People First” demonstration during the afternoon of June 26, but felt apprehensive while doing so. Many others did not take part out of a sense of unease and fearfulness.
In meeting in Toronto at the same time as G8 and G20 leaders have held their summits in Canada, Amnesty International members have sought to draw attention to important human rights issues that should be priority concerns for both bodies. We have highlighted that it is a particularly key juncture in the development of the G20 as an emerging body that will exert growing influence on world economic, political and social affairs. We have emphasized, therefore, that we look to them to take action to ensure that human rights are brought to the heart of the global effort to fight poverty, particularly through the millennium development goals. We look to them to ensure that respect for universal human rights will become the hallmark of their deliberations and decision making.
Yet at a time when human rights need so very much to come to the fore, we have instead witnessed and experienced a curtailment of civil liberties. On the streets, protesters were faced with high fences, new weaponry, massive surveillance, and the intimidating impact of the overwhelming police presence. Combined with uncertainty and worry about unclear powers of arrest, this created an atmosphere in which countless individuals felt unable or too fearful to exercise their rights to freedom of expression and assembly and participate in rallies and other events which would have offered them an opportunity to express their views on a range of important national and international issues.
We unequivocally condemn the acts of vandalism and violence that have been carried out by numbers of individuals, particularly during the evening of June 26. Such acts are criminal and undermine the safety of the many thousands of individuals involved in peaceful protest. We recognize that police have a responsibility to respond to such actions, to protect public safety, prevent damage to property, and ensure the safety of leaders and other officials attending the G20 Summit.
There are concerns, however, about possible police excesses, including reports of journalists being arrested or constrained in the course of covering confrontations between police and demonstrators. In one reported case, the journalist was apparently beaten in the course of being arrested. Nearly 500 people are reported to have been arrested, as of the morning of June 27th. Witnesses have reported that some of those arrested appear to have been engaging in peaceful protest. It has not been possible to get clear information about which tactics and weapons police have deployed in the course of securing specific areas and responding to incidents of both violence and legitimate protest. This lack of clear information has further fueled misunderstanding and fears about police actions as protests are expected to continue.
The amount of money, reported to be in excess of $1 billion, that has been spent on security measures in Toronto over the past several days has been unprecedented. Yet on one hand extensive acts of vandalism and other violence were carried out and on the other hand thousands of individuals felt nervous and uneasy about exercising their right to engage in peaceful protest.
This cannot become the hallmark of how the G20 conducts its business. Instead, we call on G20 leaders to ensure that future Summits are carried out in ways that maximize rather than restrict rights associated with peaceful protest, particularly freedom of expression and assembly.
Lessons must be learned from these events. We call on the Canadian government and the government of the province of Ontario to cooperate in launching an independent review of the security measures that were put in place for the G8 and G20 Summits. The review should include opportunities for public input and the results should be released to the public. Among other issues, the review should consider:
•The impact of security measures, including decisions about the location and venues for the two summits, on the protection of human rights, including the freedoms of expression and assembly.
• The ways in which police operations and the use of legal provisions such as the Public Works Protection Act have impacted the rights of the many thousands of people living, working and operating businesses within and near the G20 security zone.
For further information contact:
Elizabeth Berton-Hunter, Media Relations
berton-hunter@amnesty.ca
Cell phone: 416 904 7158
Toronto and the G8/G20:
Peaceful protest suffers amidst heavy security measures and acts of vandalism
As the Annual General Meeting of Amnesty International Canada (English branch) concluded today in Toronto, Amnesty International members from across the country expressed their very deep concern that important rights associated with peaceful protest have suffered considerably in the city over the weekend.
In connection with the G20 leaders summit, the heavy police and security presence that has permeated the city for several days, as well as acts of vandalism and other violence by numbers of individuals, have contributed to an atmosphere of apprehension and fearfulness that has led many individuals to refrain from or limit their involvement in peaceful demonstrations and other activities.
At a time when the public should be encouraged to actively engage in debate and discussion about pressing global issues, the security measures that were put in place in Toronto in the lead up to the G20 Summit held in the city instead narrowed the space for civic expression and cast a chill over citizen participation in public discourse. Many thousands of individuals did take part in public events such as the “People First” demonstration during the afternoon of June 26, but felt apprehensive while doing so. Many others did not take part out of a sense of unease and fearfulness.
In meeting in Toronto at the same time as G8 and G20 leaders have held their summits in Canada, Amnesty International members have sought to draw attention to important human rights issues that should be priority concerns for both bodies. We have highlighted that it is a particularly key juncture in the development of the G20 as an emerging body that will exert growing influence on world economic, political and social affairs. We have emphasized, therefore, that we look to them to take action to ensure that human rights are brought to the heart of the global effort to fight poverty, particularly through the millennium development goals. We look to them to ensure that respect for universal human rights will become the hallmark of their deliberations and decision making.
Yet at a time when human rights need so very much to come to the fore, we have instead witnessed and experienced a curtailment of civil liberties. On the streets, protesters were faced with high fences, new weaponry, massive surveillance, and the intimidating impact of the overwhelming police presence. Combined with uncertainty and worry about unclear powers of arrest, this created an atmosphere in which countless individuals felt unable or too fearful to exercise their rights to freedom of expression and assembly and participate in rallies and other events which would have offered them an opportunity to express their views on a range of important national and international issues.
We unequivocally condemn the acts of vandalism and violence that have been carried out by numbers of individuals, particularly during the evening of June 26. Such acts are criminal and undermine the safety of the many thousands of individuals involved in peaceful protest. We recognize that police have a responsibility to respond to such actions, to protect public safety, prevent damage to property, and ensure the safety of leaders and other officials attending the G20 Summit.
There are concerns, however, about possible police excesses, including reports of journalists being arrested or constrained in the course of covering confrontations between police and demonstrators. In one reported case, the journalist was apparently beaten in the course of being arrested. Nearly 500 people are reported to have been arrested, as of the morning of June 27th. Witnesses have reported that some of those arrested appear to have been engaging in peaceful protest. It has not been possible to get clear information about which tactics and weapons police have deployed in the course of securing specific areas and responding to incidents of both violence and legitimate protest. This lack of clear information has further fueled misunderstanding and fears about police actions as protests are expected to continue.
The amount of money, reported to be in excess of $1 billion, that has been spent on security measures in Toronto over the past several days has been unprecedented. Yet on one hand extensive acts of vandalism and other violence were carried out and on the other hand thousands of individuals felt nervous and uneasy about exercising their right to engage in peaceful protest.
This cannot become the hallmark of how the G20 conducts its business. Instead, we call on G20 leaders to ensure that future Summits are carried out in ways that maximize rather than restrict rights associated with peaceful protest, particularly freedom of expression and assembly.
Lessons must be learned from these events. We call on the Canadian government and the government of the province of Ontario to cooperate in launching an independent review of the security measures that were put in place for the G8 and G20 Summits. The review should include opportunities for public input and the results should be released to the public. Among other issues, the review should consider:
•The impact of security measures, including decisions about the location and venues for the two summits, on the protection of human rights, including the freedoms of expression and assembly.
• The ways in which police operations and the use of legal provisions such as the Public Works Protection Act have impacted the rights of the many thousands of people living, working and operating businesses within and near the G20 security zone.
For further information contact:
Elizabeth Berton-Hunter, Media Relations
berton-hunter@amnesty.ca
Cell phone: 416 904 7158
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The statement from the Canadian Civil Liberties Association that follows below is a little more biting than Amnesty's and raises important points neglected by the Amnesty statement such as the minuscule size of the Black Bloc compared to the rest of the protests, the concentration of the police on peaceful protesters and their seeming neglect of the actual 'mini-riot', and also the somewhat "convenient" location (and possible abandonment) of the police cruisers that were burnt.
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CCLA denounces the sweeping arrests at G20
June 27th, 2010
Reporters arrested, CCLA civil rights monitors arrested, over 500 people in detention, police unwilling to provide access to lawyers, cellphones seized, what is going on? Police will say that 4 to 7 police cars were set on fire and that there was much looting and spray painting, pop cans and rocks were thrown and more vandalism was planned at the fence or elsewhere. Is the policing proportionate to the threat?
Up until late Saturday afternoon, police actions had been restrained. Certainly, it had been disproportionate at times with hundreds of police officers surrounding 75 peaceful marchers, large groups of police officers circling one lone protester to search a back pack and umbrellas and water bottles being seized . We also witnessed people intercepted and detained, even charged for not identifying themselves. Friday’s marches were tense in a couple of places : police officers rammed their bicycles in protesters, verbal confrontations occurred but it ended peacefully. Saturday started out with the large People First march with a trajectory negotiated and approved by the police: down University, west on Queens, north on Spadina and back to Queen’s Park. The protest marshalls knew that there would be splinter groups wanting to reach the fence to spray it or put their banner up. Looters were also expected to take advantage of the situation.
And it happened: it is unclear why police cruisers would be in the vicinity of the protest. Throughout the week, police officers circulated in unmarked vans. While hundreds of riot police officers were blockading streets south of Queen, vandals got out and threw rocks along Queen and up Yonge (reports vary on the numbers, from 50 to 100). Confrontations occurred as well on King.
It is still unclear why the people gathered at Queen’s Park at 5 pm were suddenly charged by riot police. It appears that the small group of black clad vandals was still out to spray paint and throw rocks in windows. Certainly, however, not all those at Queen’s Park fell into this category. Since then, over 500 people have been arrested and none are being released. It would appear that the presumption of innocence and the protection against arbitrary arrest had been suspended during the G20.
CCLA is concerned about the conditions of detention: people were being denied access to lawyers, they were unable to contact their families and were not promptly released.
This post is also available in: French
CCLA denounces the sweeping arrests at G20
June 27th, 2010
Reporters arrested, CCLA civil rights monitors arrested, over 500 people in detention, police unwilling to provide access to lawyers, cellphones seized, what is going on? Police will say that 4 to 7 police cars were set on fire and that there was much looting and spray painting, pop cans and rocks were thrown and more vandalism was planned at the fence or elsewhere. Is the policing proportionate to the threat?
Up until late Saturday afternoon, police actions had been restrained. Certainly, it had been disproportionate at times with hundreds of police officers surrounding 75 peaceful marchers, large groups of police officers circling one lone protester to search a back pack and umbrellas and water bottles being seized . We also witnessed people intercepted and detained, even charged for not identifying themselves. Friday’s marches were tense in a couple of places : police officers rammed their bicycles in protesters, verbal confrontations occurred but it ended peacefully. Saturday started out with the large People First march with a trajectory negotiated and approved by the police: down University, west on Queens, north on Spadina and back to Queen’s Park. The protest marshalls knew that there would be splinter groups wanting to reach the fence to spray it or put their banner up. Looters were also expected to take advantage of the situation.
And it happened: it is unclear why police cruisers would be in the vicinity of the protest. Throughout the week, police officers circulated in unmarked vans. While hundreds of riot police officers were blockading streets south of Queen, vandals got out and threw rocks along Queen and up Yonge (reports vary on the numbers, from 50 to 100). Confrontations occurred as well on King.
It is still unclear why the people gathered at Queen’s Park at 5 pm were suddenly charged by riot police. It appears that the small group of black clad vandals was still out to spray paint and throw rocks in windows. Certainly, however, not all those at Queen’s Park fell into this category. Since then, over 500 people have been arrested and none are being released. It would appear that the presumption of innocence and the protection against arbitrary arrest had been suspended during the G20.
CCLA is concerned about the conditions of detention: people were being denied access to lawyers, they were unable to contact their families and were not promptly released.
This post is also available in: French
Labels: Amnesty International, arrests, Canadian Civil Liberties Association, Canadian politics, G20, G20 demonstrations, police brutality., Toronto
Friday, December 04, 2009
CANADIAN POLITICS/INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS:
STOP CANADIAN COMPLICITY IN TORTURE:
While the political football of the "torture scandal" is being tossed back and forth amongst Canada's political parties there at least some who preserve an ethical compass in the debate. While the government of (Sneaky) Stevie Harper continues to stonewall and add further legal hurdles to an open inquiry into how Canadian troops knowingly handed over detainees to the Afghan government for torture the opposition parties concentrate on the "who knew what when" aspect. Every once in a while (more often in the right wing press ) the mask is dropped and the Conservatives pull the 'Oh Canada' card ie "what the hell do you care about what happens to enemies you traitorous, yellow bellied, blah, blah, blah sons of bitches". I love it when this happens because it at least makes the problem under discussion clear. In truth the opposition, perhaps from political reasons of decorum, hasn't raised the obvious. When you turn detainees over to the present quisling government of Afghanistan what do you expect other than either torture or a speedy release due to the proper bribes being paid. The last time I looked the government of Afghanistan was indeed the government of Afghanistan. I hope that I am not mistaken and that they have not all become Sufi mystics who have given away all their worldly goods and vowed benevolence to all when I was not paying attention. To put it at its bluntest...what the fuck do you expect, other than torture for those who cannot pay the bribes from this crew ? Perhaps the majority of sheep who follow the dictums of their rulers in the Conservative Party may believe the lies, but I am sure that the more intelligent bureaucracy of the Conservative Party have no such illusions.
Those who do indeed preserve an independent moral compass (something that the average conservative is in sorry need of) include Amnesty International Canada. Here is their statement of opposition to the way that Canada is complicit in torture in Afghanistan and their appeal to join your voice to theirs in protesting this state of affairs.
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TORTURE IN AFGHANISTAN:
These have been a couple of intensely busy weeks. Amnesty International has been raising concerns about Canada’s approach to handling prisoners apprehended on the battlefield in Afghanistan for over seven years. Now it has become one of the dominant issues in the country. I'd like to share with you some reflections about the disturbing information and heated political debate regarding very real concerns that over the past several years an unknown number of prisoners, picked up by Canadian troops, and then transferred to Afghan officials, have almost certainly been subject to brutal torture in Afghan jails.
I am very proud of the role that Amnesty International has played in pressing for action on this issue. Working against torture has long been a priority for Amnesty International, right around the world. In that work we seek to expose the torturers, but we also expose instances where other officials and even other governments may be complicit in torture, including by handing over likely victims.
Torture is abhorrent. Complicity in torture is shameful. Both are against the law. That is what is at stake for Canadians as we confront these latest revelations.
Why should Canadians care what happens to detainees once they're in the Afghan prison system? See Questions & Answers
Amnesty International, alongside the BC Civil Liberties Association, first raised questions about Canada’s prisoner policy in Afghanistan in 2002. ( Under a Liberal government- Molly )
At that time Canadian troops were handing prisoners over to US forces in Afghanistan. We called for those transfers to be halted because some of the prisoners were being sent on to Guantánamo Bay and others were at real risk of torture in US detention facilities in Afghanistan. Combined with US refusal to recognize the applicability of the Geneva Conventions to those prisoners meant, we insisted, that Canada was violating our own international obligations when we handed prisoners over. We urged Canada to consider developing its own capacity to hold prisoners.
Eventually the government agreed with us, and halted transfers to US forces in late 2005. But they traded one human rights problem for another. Since that time, prisoners have instead been delivered to Afghan authorities, even though torture and ill-treatment in Afghan jails is a longstanding and widespread reality in the country. We again called for Canada to take a different approach. We urged instead that the government develop a cooperative approach to overseeing the detention of these prisoners, doing so in collaboration with Afghan officials and with other NATO allies. Unfortunately the government did not take up the suggestion. Transfers continued.
Why a Public Inquiry?
After years of public campaigning and raising concerns directly with successive Canadian governments, Amnesty International eventually turned to the courts and tribunals for a remedy. Here’s a look at the path we took to get there
In early 2007 we launched an application in Federal Court seeking an order halting the transfers. We also lodged a complaint with the Military Police Complaints Commission asking that body to look into it, as military police did play a role in the transfers. We were faced with considerable government resistance and obstruction on both fronts and both proceedings became difficult and bogged down. Despite some promising initial rulings, in the end the Federal Court case could not go ahead when the courts ruled that the Charter of Rights (the entire legal basis of our case) did not apply to the actions of Canadian soldiers outside Canada. That, clearly, is a very worrying legal precedent with implications beyond this case.
Amnesty is calling for a full, public Commission of Inquiry regarding the handling of Afghani detainees.
Following Richard Colvin’s explosive testimony two weeks ago, a parade of witnesses has come before the parliamentary committee now looking into this, including retired Generals and our current Ambassador to China.
There has also been a false debate about proving torture. The government has insisted that no incident of a transferred prisoner being tortured has been proven.
One is left with the impression that the only proof the government would accept is to be present while the torture occurs and witness it firsthand. The proof of torture in Afghan prisons and that transferred prisoners have been tortured is overwhelming and it is very disturbing.
Richard Colvin, who the government tasked with looking into this for 1 ½ years, certainly reached that conclusion. But having assigned him the task, the government preferred to disregard his message. He is not alone. Canadian journalists have, through tenacious investigative reporting, uncovered numerous cases of transferred prisoners who provide detailed and credible accounts of torture. The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (funded and supported by Canada, to our credit) has expressed concern. Other Canadian government monitors have documented cases. And there is good reason to believe that the Red Cross has also raised concerns with the Canadian government.
Instead of denying these concerns and impugning the messengers, it is time to take action.
Torture is an egregious human rights violation. By its very nature it destroys the sense of human dignity that is at the heart of the very concept of human rights. Canada clearly stands against torture. It is imperative, therefore, that we be firm and resolute in our refusal to in any way cooperate with or assist torturers. But we have not witnessed that firm, resolute stand over the past several years. Certainly not in the last two weeks. Clearly this has upset large numbers of Canadians who do not believe that this reflects their Canada.
Amnesty International and the BCCLA have jointly called for a public inquiry into this matter. Many others have as well, including all three opposition parties and leading media editorials across the country. We will now press hard for that inquiry to be convened. It is only through a public inquiry that we will gain a full understanding of what has unfolded over the past several years. A public inquiry would also offer recommendations for a different approach, one that would fully conform with our international human rights obligations. If you would like to add your voice to that demand, just click here:
Sign appeal
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THE LETTER:
Please go to THIS LINK to send the following letter to the Prime Minister of Canada.
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Dear Prime Minister Harper:
Canada has pledged to be part of the effort to restore and uphold human rights in Afghanistan. Yet Canadian forces continue to transfer detainees to Afghan custody despite the risk of torture and ill-treatment.
Canada has pledged to be part of the effort to restore and uphold human rights in Afghanistan. Yet Canadian forces continue to transfer detainees to Afghan custody despite the risk of torture and ill-treatment.
I am shocked that the Canadian government has chosen to dismiss the reports of human rights organizations and even some of its own trusted officials. I am further disappointed by the obstruction of efforts – whether through the courts, tribunals or even the parliamentary system – to clarify the handling of prisoners in Afghanistan.
Accountability and transparency are essential to the promotion of human rights both at home and abroad. It’s time for Canada to live up to the same responsibilities we demand of others.
I urge you to convene, without delay, a full, public Commission of Inquiry into all aspects of the laws, policy and practice that has governed Canada’s approach to handling prisoners in Afghanistan.
Labels: Amnesty International, Canada, Canadian militarism, Canadian politics, international human rights, international politics, militarism, petitions, Steven Harper, torture., war
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
ENVIRONMENT:
BHOPAL 25 YEARS ON-STILL NO JUSTICE:
It's been 25 years since the night of Dec 2/3 when a Union Carbide pesticide plant near the city of Bhopal India released a toxic mixture of gases into the area, exposing up to 500,000 people to methyl isocyanate and other chemicals. The state of Madhya Pradesh has confirmed 3,787 immediate deaths while others have estimated a death toll of up to 10,000 within the first 72 hours. Another 20,000 have died in subsequent years of causes directly linked to the accident. It was the worst industrial accident in human history. For full details see the Wikipedia article on the subject.
Since then the site gas remained toxic, survivors have battled many chronic health problems and new generations have been born with congenital problems sue to the continued contamination. There has been little progress in either decontaminating the area nor in bringing company officials responsible for the disaster to justice. Amnesty International Canada is asking that you write the Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, demanding that the victims be properly compensated and that the area be cleaning up. Here is their appeal.
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INDIA: Bhopal 25 years on: It’s time to keep the promises!:
It was almost midnight on 2-3 December 1984 in Bhopal, India. Union Carbide’s pesticide factory began spewing gas, waking people in nearby homes. They fled with burning eyes and unable to breathe. Half a million people were exposed that night. More than 7,000 died within days. Another 20,000 have died in the intervening 25 years as a direct result of the massive leak of toxic chemicals.
It was almost midnight on 2-3 December 1984 in Bhopal, India. Union Carbide’s pesticide factory began spewing gas, waking people in nearby homes. They fled with burning eyes and unable to breathe. Half a million people were exposed that night. More than 7,000 died within days. Another 20,000 have died in the intervening 25 years as a direct result of the massive leak of toxic chemicals.
Today 100,000 survivors continue to suffer from and succumb to gas-related health problems. They lack adequate medical care and still await adequate compensation.
The factory is located in the middle of poor neighbourhoods. The leak has driven almost everyone deeper into poverty. Thousands lost their jobs or got too sick to work. Many who died were the main wage earner in the family. Some families also lost their animals, a key source of income.
The Bhopal disaster is an example of extreme negligence by a company. Years earlier, the company had been warned that the plant was dangerously unsafe. The plant stored huge quantities of methyl isocyanate, a highly reactive and dangerous chemical. Union Carbide denied that methyl isocyanate is toxic. It has yet to name the all the reactive products that leaked with it, leaving medical professionals unable to treat people properly.
Union Carbide left India, abandoning the plant and its barrels of chemicals. This created a second disaster. Chemicals seeped into the ground, polluting the groundwater. Thousands more now have debilitating illnesses. Many did not even live in Bhopal during the 1984 disaster. Medical conditions include twisted limbs, fused fingers, cleft palates and severe brain disorders. Reproductive problems include stillbirths and gynaecological disorders. Girls start menstruating late and women enter menopause early. Boys experience delayed growth. Young men often reject a “Bhopal bride”. They fear future health problems or birth defects in children. This affects the social and economic security of young women.
In 1989, the Indian government settled with Union Carbide for $470 million but without consulting the survivors. The amount is not sufficient for the number of people affected, nor for the seriousness and duration of their medical, economic, and social problems. In addition, the settlement covers the people directly affected by the gas leak of December 1984 but not the people who were later recognized to be suffering from the water contamination that resulted.
Legal action has so far proved unsuccessful, but Bhopalis are not giving up their fight for justice. A civil case at a U.S. federal court has just reopened. The case seeks a thorough cleanup of the contaminated site, as well as compensation and medical monitoring for the water-affected survivors. The criminal case began on 7 December 1984 in India with the arrest of Union Carbide’s CEO, Warren Anderson. When authorities freed him on bail, he immediately fled India. Despite several orders to show up for trial, he has never returned. A Bhopal court issued a warrant for his extradition from the US in 2002, and again in August 2009 but so far the Indian government has not activated it.
In both 2006 and 2008, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh agreed to the survivors’ demands after they marched 800 kilometres from Bhopal to Delhi. He promised that his government would create an Empowered Commission to ensure that they receive clean water, and adequate medical, social and economic rehabilitation. He has yet to keep this promise.
Please write to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
1)Describe who you are.
2)Ask him to create the promised Empowered Commission to provide adequate medical, social and economic rehabilitation to Bhopal survivors and their children.
3)Insist that his government take urgent and effective action to
*clean up the factory site and
*make sure that those responsible face justice.
Write your letter to:
Dr. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister of India
Room No. 148 B, South Block
New Delhi 110 00
India
Start your letter:
Start your letter:
Your Excellency
Labels: Amnesty International, Bhopal, Corporate criminals, corporations, India, international human rights
Monday, October 12, 2009
ABORIGINAL ISSUES-MEXICO:
PROTECT OBTILIA EUGENIO MANUEL:
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Obtilia Eugenio Manuel's life is under threat: Please write:
Sign the petition urging Mexico to provide protection for Obtilia
Obtilia Eugenio Manuel is small in stature but her voice is large and strong. She doesn’t hesitate to raise it in defense of the inhabitants of Me’ phaa Indigenous communities in Mexico’s Guerrero State, who continue to suffer persecution and injustice.
Sign the petition urging Mexico to provide protection for Obtilia
Obtilia Eugenio Manuel is small in stature but her voice is large and strong. She doesn’t hesitate to raise it in defense of the inhabitants of Me’ phaa Indigenous communities in Mexico’s Guerrero State, who continue to suffer persecution and injustice.
But Obtilia’s outspoken leadership has put her in danger. We need five minutes of your time now to help protect Obtilia from harm.
Amnesty Canada’s Mexico campaigner Kathy Price met Obtilia in Mexico this summer.
“I can’t say enough about Obtilia’s determined efforts to denounce terrible abuses by agents of the state,” reports Kathy. “She is a respected leader of the Me’ phaa Indigenous People’s Organization and spoke out eloquently at public demonstrations, in media interviews and to government officials. But Guerrero is an extremely dangerous place to be a human rights defender. Other Indigenous leaders have been abducted and killed. I am very worried about recent threats against Obtilia.”
Following the murder earlier this year of Indigenous leaders Raúl Lucas Lucía and Manuel Ponce Rosas, whose bodies bore marks of torture, Obtilia received a series of text messages on her cell phone. The messages warned Obtilia to expect the same fate.
Another text message included information that suggested her phone was tapped. The message warned that Obtilia would be intercepted during the journey she was about to make.
Later, she was followed and heard gunshots nearby.
In April, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights recognized the urgency of the situation and called on the government of Mexico to provide measures to protect Obtilia and her family. The response has been far from adequate.
On July 15, Obtilia was on her way to the state capital for a meeting with government officials regarding the implementation of security measures. As she left the bus station, two men approached, asking if she was Obtilia from Ayutla and whether she was traveling to the state capital. Fearing abduction, Obtilia ran back into the crowded station while the men followed her.
She managed to escape but later when Obtilia tried to continue her journey, she saw the men waiting in a car with no licence plates.
Please sign Amnesty’s e-petition urging Mexico’s Interior Minister to guarantee the protection of Obtilia Eugenio Manuel so she can safely continue to carry out her work on behalf of the rights of Me’ phaa Indigenous people.
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THE PETITION
Please go to either the Amnesty International Canada website or THIS LINK to send the following message to the Mexican authorities.
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Secretaría de Gobernación
Lic. Fernando Gómez Mont
Bucareli 99, 1er. piso, Col. Juárez,
Del. Cuauhtémoc, México D.F.,
CP 06600, MEXICO
Dear Minister,
I am writing to express my deep concern about ongoing threats and intimidation against Obtilia Eugenio Manuel, a respected leader of the Me’ phaa Indigenous People’s Organization (OPIM). The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has called on the Mexican government for “provisional measures” to protect Obtilia from harm. The inadequate response is extremely worrying. It is the duty of the government of Mexico to protect human rights defenders from harm.
Please act without delay to:
*Ensure that Obtilia Eugenio Manuel and her family receives effective protection, in accordance with their wishes and the recommendation of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
*Investigate and bring to justice those responsible for threats and interference with Obtilia Eugenio Manuel.
*Publicly signal the support of the Mexican government for the legitimate activities of Obtilia Eugenio Manuel and other members of the Me’ phaa Indigenous People’s Organization in defence of human rights.
Please act without delay to:
*Ensure that Obtilia Eugenio Manuel and her family receives effective protection, in accordance with their wishes and the recommendation of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
*Investigate and bring to justice those responsible for threats and interference with Obtilia Eugenio Manuel.
*Publicly signal the support of the Mexican government for the legitimate activities of Obtilia Eugenio Manuel and other members of the Me’ phaa Indigenous People’s Organization in defence of human rights.
Labels: aboriginal, Amnesty International, international human rights, Mexico
Thursday, September 10, 2009
INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-IRAN:
JAILED UNIONIST NEEDS URGENT MEDICAL TREATMENT:
The following appeal for the jailed Iranian trade unionist Mansour Ossanlu is from the UK branch of Amnesty International. It came to Molly's attention via the online labour solidarity site Labour Start. Molly has blogged about the case of Mr. Ossanlu previously.
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Iran: Jailed trade unionist needs urgent medical treatment:
Prisoner of conscience Mansour Ossanlu's health is deteriorating. A year ago he was transferred to Reja’i Shahr prison, west of Tehran, where he was placed among prisoners who have been convicted of crimes such as murder, rather than among political prisoners.
Prisoner of conscience Mansour Ossanlu's health is deteriorating. A year ago he was transferred to Reja’i Shahr prison, west of Tehran, where he was placed among prisoners who have been convicted of crimes such as murder, rather than among political prisoners.
He has been denied permission to leave the prison for treatment for pre-existing medical problems, and new ones gained through the denial of access to treatment. He was denied treatment by the case judge, despite a referral by the prison doctor following his fourth medical examination.
Despite the recommendation by the Coroner, and Medical Examiner, at the end of last year that Mansour be treated outside the prison, the authorities continue to refuse to allow him to leave for treatment.
Mansour Ossanlu is leader of the Union of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (Sherkat-e Vahed), was arrested on 10 July 2007.
Background information
Mansour Ossanlu was previously detained for eight months, from December 2005 to August 2006, and again for a month from November to December 2006 in connection with his trade union activities. He had reportedly been sentenced to five years' imprisonment in May 2007, but was believed to be free on bail at the time of his arrest.In October 2007, upon learning that Ossanlu was at risk of losing his eyesight unless he was given urgent medical treatment that was being denied him by the prison authorities, Amnesty International and the Global Unions mounted an urgent appeal which resulted in his transfer to hospital. Though his eyesight has been saved, he continues to be denied urgently needed medical treatment.
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THE LETTER:
Please go to THIS LINK to send the following protest letter to the Iranian authorities.
ILILILILILILIL
I understand that the Coroner, or Medical Examiner attached to Raja’i Shahr Prison in Karaj has directed, both this year and last, that prison officials grant Mansour Ossanlu medical leave in order to receive appropriate treatment. I understand that prison officials, have disregarded this directive and denied him leave. I respectfully remind you that every prisoner has the right to adequate medical attention and that you are responsible for prisoners’ wellbeing.
I am very concerned that Ossanlu appears to be held solely on account of his peaceful trade union activities, in which case he should be released immediately and unconditionally. I remind you of the obligations of Iran under ICCPR Article 22 (1) and ILO conventions 87 and 98, which provide for the right to form and join trade unions.
As a priority, I urge the authorities to ensure that he is given immediate and regular access to his lawyers, and his family as well as adequate and appropriate medical care.
I also urge you to ensure that all jailed Iranian trade unionists, and those facing prosecution and imprisonment arising from legitimate trade union activities, are released, including Ossanlu’s colleague, Ebrahim Madadi, and teacher Farzad Kamangar.
Labels: Amnesty International, international labour, Iran, labour, Labour Start, Mansour Osanloo, solidarity.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS-CHINA:
AMNESTY CONDEMNS CHINESE CRACKDOWN IN XINJIANG:
The following statement from the Philippine branch of Amnesty International was recently published at the Manila Indymedia site.
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China: Fair and impartial investigation must be launched in Urumqi:
Date: 6 July 2009
By Amnesty International
Amnesty International today called on the authorities in Urumqi to immediately launch an independent and impartial investigation into reports that 140 people were killed when a protest turned violent late on Sunday.
"The Chinese authorities must fully account for all those who died and have been detained. Those who were detained solely for peacefully expressing their views and exercising their freedom of expression, association and assembly must be released immediately. A fair and thorough investigation must be launched resulting in fair trials that are in accordance with international standards without recourse to the death penalty”, said Roseann Rife, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director Asia-Pacific.
“There has been a tragic loss of life and it is essential that an urgent independent investigation takes place to bring all those responsible for the deaths to justice”, said Roseann Rife. “Violence and abuses from either the authorities or protestors is in no way justified.”
Amnesty International urged the authorities to respect their obligations under domestic and international law which protect peaceful freedom of expression and assembly, prohibit arbitrary arrest and torture or ill-treatment in custody. The organization also called on the authorities to allow free access for domestic and foreign journalists and independent observers to report on the incident.
Xinhua, an official state news agency, reported that police in Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR) and home to over 8 million Uighurs, have arrested several hundred participants, including more than ten key figures that were accused of instigating the unrest, and are still searching for approximately 90 more.
The protests are reported to have begun with non-violent demonstrations against government inaction after a violent riot at a factory in Shaoguan, Guangdong province, resulted in two deaths. On 26 June, hundreds of Uighur workers clashed with thousands of Han Chinese workers at a factory where Uighurs had been recruited from the XUAR. Police have reportedly detained the man, a laid-off employee from the same factory, who circulated rumours which provoked the deadly clash. The official response to the violence in Guangdong was to impose an information black-out on the incident, with websites and online discussion boards instructed to delete posts related to the clash.
Beyond responding to the immediate outbreak of violence, authorities need to address issues that have given rise to tensions. Since the 1980s, the Uighurs have been the target of systematic and extensive human rights violations. These include arbitrary detention and imprisonment, incommunicado detention, and serious restrictions on religious freedom as well as cultural and social rights.
Chinese government policies, including those that limit use of the Uighur language, severe restrictions on freedom of religion, and a sustained influx of Han Chinese migrants into the region, are destroying customs and, together with employment discrimination, fuelling discontent and ethnic tensions. The Chinese government has mounted an aggressive campaign that has led to the arrest and arbitrary detention of thousands of Uighurs on charges of “terrorism, separatism and religious extremism” for peacefully exercising their human rights. http://www.amnesty.org.ph/
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Molly Notes:
This sort of thing, racist and xenophobic violence , as well as heavy handed government repression, is, of course, an all too familiar story. The sad thing is that such feelings of nationalism-on both sides- are an eternal guarantee that a free and egalitarian society is still very far away. All of the "national liberation" movements of the last century, and there were dozens and dozens of them, utterly failed in building a free society of equals. When something has been tried close to 100 times and it never works, one should consider the possibility that it simply cannot work.
As I have expressed earlier on this blog the decades of communist propaganda in countries such as China and the ex-Soviet bloc demonstrably failed to raise a generation which wasn't ready to go at each others' throats over atavistic ethnic identifications. Such "socialist paradises" were, of course, somewhat different in practice than they were in either rhetoric or in the glowing descriptions of them by their leftist sympathizers elsewhere in the world. Never forget that while idiotic leftists in North America and Europe were trumpeting the virtues of Maoism some decades ago the repression against ethnic minorities in China was at least 10 times worse than it is today. The fact that the propaganda of the Marxist regimes was at such variance with the reality of their rule was probably a factor in the inability of their propaganda to "take hold". The same can be seen today in countries such as Venezuela where the quasi-Marxist ruling class trumpets things such as "self-management" while doing its best to sabotage many efforts at same, while, at the same time, allowing corrupt plunder of state revenues on the part of its friends, known in that country as the 'Boli-Bourgeoise'. In the inevitable end the "hangover" will destroy the possibility for any sort of socialism, libertarian or otherwise, in that country for many years.
There is little doubt that the Chinese state is the major offender in the events in their western provinces, just as they were the major offender in Tibet. That recognition, however, shouldn't blind an objective observer from seeing that 1)the pre-communist state in such areas was no paradise either, and that in some ways it was worse than what exists today and 2)any state built by the ethnic minorities should they achieve the almost hopeless goal of succession will probably be no paradise either and may also be worse than what exists there today. Worse from the point of view of everyone besides the ambitious new ruling class of the right ethnicity who would rise to power in such a situation.
The history of the last century has proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that the idea that a group that is temporarily on the losing side (known as "oppression" in leftist parlance) has absolutely no claim to be morally superior to their temporary oppressors. When the tables are turned the new ruling class raised by "liberations" doesn't just turn the tables on the old enemy. Often they unite in solid bonds with the old "oppressors" when they begin to oppress yet others in their turn. The idea of the moral superiority of the 'losers' is a common myth, held in place by nothing but emotion and virulent intolerance of dissent amongst the left- especially the American left.
Events such as those in Xinjiang, however, should not evoke a "pox on all their houses" attitude. There is a way to oppose the power of a ruling class without demanding a belief in myth- a myth that merely reinforces the probability of the recurrence of such events in the future with different actors. Organizations such as Amnesty tread this line very well. What they try to do is propagandize for "rules" that ruling classes will have to obey because of public opinion.
Is this unrealistic ? I'm not 100% convinced one way or the other. What I do know beyond the shadow of a doubt is that it is far more realistic than opting to follow some party of "revolutionaries" who say they won't repeat the errors of the past because "they are the good guys". THAT is unrealistic almost to the point of insanity.
My own opinion, for what it is worth.... I hate to sound like a Marxist here, but I do tend to agree with a certain lazy, mooching, nasty, over-rated, conspiratorial old German philosopher here when he said that no mode of production (and class rule) passes away until it has exhausted all the possibilities of its development. Modify that in that I a)think the word "probably" should be put in front of "never",b)have totally different reasons for believing this than the pathetic philosophical fashion of one country for a short period of time and c) the completion of a historical "mission" certainly means more than the production of more widgets and pet rocks.
I tend to see the state socialist experiments (and their fascist mirrors) as inferior examples of the transition from capitalism to managerial society. I think that the managerial societies that have been evolved in North America, Europe and parts of east Asia are far more advanced in solving the problems of "oppression" that bedevil the left today. I think that the internal dynamics of developed managerial societies, given their essential meritocratic basis, are capable of either "solving" such questions of oppression or totally defanging them by offering opportunities for the most intelligent and energetic of the "oppressed" to enter the ruling class, thereby depriving the oppressed of their natural leaders. How close this will approximate to a real solution depends, of course, on the particular oppression in question.
I call this "completing the managerial revolution" in the same sense as socialists used to argue for support for "bourgeois democratic demands", as they called them before the Leninist purgatory of dictatorship. Thus I see nothing wrong, and everything right, about supporting demands for such things as "ethnic rights/national liberation" as long as it is bound by enough rules to inhibit any new ruling class from behaving just as it so will. The accumulation of such "rules" is an essential trend of modern managerialism, and, just as "bourgeois democracy" was a great gain for the working classes in earlier times, The historical gains of such struggles are worthwhile struggling for whether or not they lead directly to some sort of socialism.
The whole matter of "oppressions" is a source of endless agony for leftists, anarchist or otherwise. Some try to deny their importance entirely. Some try to desperately concoct some sort of ideological fantasy of ultimate interconnection of such things and a equally fantastic vision of a "movement" that is an alliance of all such things. This often runs aground when the group interests of one oppressed sector run counter to that of another. Be around the left long enough and you'll be able to find multiple examples of such, and they all add to the cacophony that passes for theory amongst leftists. Then there is the "ideological parrot" response that tags onto everything that "it will only be solved with the overthrow of the capitalist patriarchal state. I beg to differ. I would say that the "solution" of such problems is a still distant requirement for socialism and not a consequence of some mystical movement to socialism/anarchism. At least in the USA, and to a lesser degree in other countries-depending on how much they are influenced by American leftism- , this is compounded by what can only be described as a love of guilt. I can hardly object to the weird personal psychology of medieval flagellants or some Shiites today of whipping themselves or the example of Opus Dei with their "self-torture undergarments" on anything but aesthetic grounds, but I am absolutely convinced that it ain't politics.
Honest to Lord Jesus (or whatever your choice of poison is) you can indeed object to the actions of a foreign government against minority ethnic groups without going the whole pig and engaging in some fantasy of "solidarity" that covers up the sins and possible sins of the side you have chosen as the "good guys". Can I raise my tiny little voice to say that I have yet to see any examples in my lifetime where opponents were easily divided into good guys and bad guys. Maybe before I was born, but not since the Second World War.
TO SUM UP:
1)History has shown that "national liberation" is a deadly card to play, with the consequences often worse than the previous domination.
2)This doesn't mean that oppression of any sort should not be protested, but rather that the nature of the protests should be to put as many restraints of the exercise of power rather than mindlessly parroting the aspirations of new rulers who inevitably want to come to power using the emotions of "the oppressed"
3)This means that one can protest and try to modify the actions of power holders without acting like you support the other side totally and without ignoring their faults- however unpopular this may be amongst those who often gravitate to such campaigns.
4)There are parallels between "national liberation" and other struggles against "oppression".
5)The struggle against various "oppressions" is not only possible of resolution via some sort of "revolution" but is rather the struggle for the improvement of our present system of class rule ,such that the transition to a socialist/anarchist society is both possible and easier. These "liberations" precede rather than follow the struggle for a fully egalitarian and free society. They are important for the eventual goal as the laying of a good foundation is for building a good house.
Boy, I've been long winded on this one.
Labels: Amnesty International, anarchism, anarchist theory, China, international human rights, Manila Indymedia, Marxism, Xinjiang
Thursday, April 16, 2009
INTERNATIONAL/CANADIAN HUMAN RIGHTS:
BRING ABOUSFIAN ABDELTAZIK BACK TO CANADA:
The following is an appeal from the Canadian branch of Amnesty International, asking you to petition the Canadian government to allow Sudanese Canadian Abousfian Abdelrazik to return to Canada. The actions of the Canadian government are rather interesting in this case, as if anything the Sudanese government deserves the label of "terrorist". It is also somewhat reminiscent of the American(and Canadian ??) government's use of their so-called "enemy", the government of Syria, to apply torture to various individuals under suspicion here in north America. One should never take the pronouncements of any government as to who are their friends and who are their enemies as given truths.
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Help bring Abousfian Abdelrazik back to Canada:
"Those Canadians who sent me messages of support have touched me deep in my heart.
Help bring Abousfian Abdelrazik back to Canada:
"Those Canadians who sent me messages of support have touched me deep in my heart.
I am so thankful for the letters, all of the support means so very much to me."
Sign the petition to bring Canadian home after 6 years in Sudan
A man from Montreal is living in the lobby of Canada's embassy in Sudan ... to protect him. He was picked up 6 years ago, detained, ill-treated, then released and declared innocent, but now finds himself in limbo.
Sign the petition to bring Canadian home after 6 years in Sudan
A man from Montreal is living in the lobby of Canada's embassy in Sudan ... to protect him. He was picked up 6 years ago, detained, ill-treated, then released and declared innocent, but now finds himself in limbo.
Please help bring Abousfian Abdelrazik home to Canada.
In March 2003, Abousfian Abdelrazik, a dual Canadian-Sudanese citizen, left his home in Montreal with his family to visit his mother in Khartoum, Sudan. By the end of that year, he had been detained, reportedly tortured, and accused of connections to terrorism. After being released and declared “innocent” by the Sudanese authorities, he was nonetheless designated a “terrorist” by the United States and placed on the United Nations no-fly list. Subsequently cleared in writing by both the RCMP and CSIS in 2007 - and with Canada supporting the removal of his name from the UN list - Mr Abdelrazik nonetheless remains stranded in Sudan.
In March 2003, Abousfian Abdelrazik, a dual Canadian-Sudanese citizen, left his home in Montreal with his family to visit his mother in Khartoum, Sudan. By the end of that year, he had been detained, reportedly tortured, and accused of connections to terrorism. After being released and declared “innocent” by the Sudanese authorities, he was nonetheless designated a “terrorist” by the United States and placed on the United Nations no-fly list. Subsequently cleared in writing by both the RCMP and CSIS in 2007 - and with Canada supporting the removal of his name from the UN list - Mr Abdelrazik nonetheless remains stranded in Sudan.
The main obstacle to his return home is, surprisingly, the Canadian government.
Mr Abdelraizik’s six year ordeal in Sudan raises troubling questions about the role that Canadian officials have played in his arrest, detention, alleged ill-treatment, and subsequent obstruction of his right to return to Canada.
Although no longer in detention, concerns about Mr Abdelraizik’s safety in Sudan were serious enough for Canadian officials to grant him refuge within the Khartoum embassy in April 2008. Like all citizens, he is entitled to emergency travel documents to return home. But every time Mr Abdelrazik met the government’s terms for granting him emergency travel documents, new conditions were set. Initially this revolved around securing an airline reservation and fully paid ticket.
On April 3, 2009 – the day he was set to finally board a plane home – the Canadian government reneged on this promise and set the seemingly impossible condition of requiring Mr Abdelrazik to ensure that his name is removed from the UN no-fly list.
It's time for Canada to conform to international human rights law and do what's right for Mr Abdelrazik.
1. Everyone has the right to return to their country of citizenship
2. The UN no-fly list has a specific exception allowing a person to return to their home country
3. Governments are legally obligated to assist their citizens overseas
Click here to sign Amnesty's petition to allow Abousfian Abdelrazik to fly home to Canada.
Click here to sign Amnesty's petition to allow Abousfian Abdelrazik to fly home to Canada.
Mr Abdelrazik's case in the news(link to Globe and Mail website)
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THE PETITION:
Please go to the link highllighted in the article above to sign the following petition to the Canadian government.
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The Honourable Lawrence Cannon:
Dear Minister Cannon:
Like all citizens, Abousfian Abdelrazik has the right to return home. As long as he remains in Sudan, his safety is at risk.
It’s time to reunite Abousfian Abdelraik with his family in Canada.I urge the government of Canada to:
***drop the requirement that Mr Abdelrazik seek the removal of his own name from the UN no- fly list.
***ensure Mr Abdelrazik’s safe return to Canada without further delay.
***drop the requirement that Mr Abdelrazik seek the removal of his own name from the UN no- fly list.
***ensure Mr Abdelrazik’s safe return to Canada without further delay.
Labels: Abousfian Abdelrazik, Amnesty International, Canadian politics, human rights, petitions, Sudan
Friday, March 27, 2009
AMERICAN POLITICS:
THE AMERICAN WAR AGAINST IMMIGRANTS:
The following was originally published in the New York Daily News. It comes to Molly via the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW). Seems that in the "land of the free" some are freer than others.
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ICE locks 'em up, throws away key: immigration becomes a human rights scandal:
A report released Wednesday by Amnesty International exposes - once again - the human rights scandal that immigration has become.
A report released Wednesday by Amnesty International exposes - once again - the human rights scandal that immigration has become.
"Tens of thousands of people languish in immigration detention facilities every year without receiving a hearing to determine whether their detention is warranted," said the report, titled "Jailed Without Justice: Immigration Detention in the USA."
This report reveals the human rights violations associated with the dramatic increase in the use of detention as an immigration enforcement mechanism.
The number of people in detention has increased exponentially in the last 10 years - to about 300,000 annually, the report says.
On any given day, there were more than 30,000 people in custody in 2008, and the number is bound to go up in 2009, the report says.
Those detained include the documented and the undocumented, asylum seekers, trafficking victims, children and even U.S. citizens - people like 37-year-old Hector Veloz, a resident of Los Angeles.
"My case was so ironic," said Veloz. "I am a U.S. citizen, but was held for 13 months and placed on deportation procedure. Because the prison is in Arizona and my family lives in California, I didn't see my son Geronimo even once in those 13 months."
Veloz's father is a U.S. citizen, a Vietnam vet who was awarded a Purple Heart. His mother is an immigrant from Mexico. The couple met in the U.S., but when his father was shipped out to the war, his expectant mother returned to Mexico for support, where Veloz was born.
She came back to the U.S. with the 4-month-old Hector, and he grew up in California living at home with both parents.
Hector Veloz was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement after serving a six-month-jail sentence for receiving stolen property. Released on parole, Veloz was picked up by ICE the day of his release and flown straight to the Eloy Detention Center in Arizona, where he remained from June 2007 to July 2008.
The detention center is one of several operated by the profitable Corrections Corporation of America, the largest private corrections company in the U.S.
"I showed them my birth certificate and that of my father, my parents' marriage certificate. But they wanted more proof and kept processing me for deportation, even if none of my documentation was ever contested," said Veloz.
ICE said Veloz had entered the country illegally. Veloz appealed and finally was released.
"It was a terrible prison," he said.
Confined in prison like facilities, detainees are held under civil immigration laws, under which they are neither accused nor convicted of a crime, the report said.
With no right to counsel, they are often subject to mandatory detention without the right to judicial review, and face challenges in their use of habeas corpus.
With the release of the report, Amnesty International launched a campaign to protect the human rights of immigrants.
"Immigrants, especially Latinos, have become the boogie man, the new whipping boy," said Rosa Clemente, Amnesty's campaign director for human rights. "Right now, we are focusing on the report, but the campaign will deal with immigration reform, immigrant rights, all the issues around immigrants."
Clemente said that Amnesty had drafted a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano about the abuses in detention centers.
"This cannot wait. This is a situation that should be taken care immediately," she said.
aruiz@nydailynews.com
Labels: American politics, Amnesty International, Hector Veloz, human rights, immigrants, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, New York daily News, UFCW
