group 48 newsletter - june 2009

8/14/2019 Group 48 Newsletter - June 2009

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/group-48-newsletter-june-2009 1/6

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



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

[email protected]

Concert Tabling

Will Ware

503-227-5225

[email protected]

Newsletter Editor

Dan Webb

503-253-3491

[email protected]

Treasurer Janan Stoll

503-282-8834

[email protected]

Legislative

Coordinator

Dan Johnson

503-310-4540

[email protected]

Central Africa RAN

OR State Death

Penalty Coordinator

Terrie Rodello

503-246-6836

[email protected]

Central America RAN

Marylou Noble

503-245-6923

marylou_noble@

yahoo.com

Guantanamo cases

& Darfur

Jane Kristof [email protected] Fromer

503-227-1878

[email protected]

Indonesia RAN

Max White

503-292-8168

[email protected]

AIUSA Group 48 Contact Inormation

V i v ek C h u gh S t o c k .X c h n g




»

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




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




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



Postage


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.

group 48 newsletter - june 2009

Documents