Posts Tagged human rights
10 July, 2009 at 8:27 pm
· Filed under Campaigns ·Tagged advertising, Amnesty International, human rights, Mexico
There’s a series of ads for hair gel that show young people in various repressive regimes expressing themselves by, er, restyling their hair.
OK in adland. But not in Mexico.
An email arrives from Eulette at Amnesty International:
I don’t know about you but I’ve definitely had some interesting hairstyles in my time. Those who knew me a few years ago wouldn’t have been surprised to see me with a different hairstyle every other week. I’ve always taken for granted that I could express myself through my hair and never once thought I could be attacked for it.
But it seems as though that’s exactly what’s happened to a 16 year old student and graffiti artist in Mexico. Amnesty International has received reports that José Emiliano Nandayapa Gomez was beaten unconscious by police officers in Chiapas state in southern Mexico and was apparently accused of having a “subversive” hairstyle.
Three police officers are alleged to have kicked and punched 16-year-old Jose, stepped on his back, head and legs. They’re then reported to have said to him “what a lovely subversive haircut you have, here’s your revolution, get the weapons and the drugs out.” They went on to tell him, “if you keep on the same path, you won’t live to tell the tale.”
They then kicked him in the face and he lost consciousness.
Amnesty’s expressed concern about the news of this case. Perhaps more so because we know that just a few months ago a 16-year-old graffiti artist was shot and killed in another part of the same state – San Cristobal de las Casas.
Amnesty is urging its supporters to urge Mexican authorities to guarantee the safety of José and his family. You can click here for more information and to take action.
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28 February, 2009 at 11:49 am
· Filed under Campaigns, Liberal Democrats ·Tagged CCTV, civil liberties, Freedom Bill, human rights, ID cards, law, Liberal Democrats
In many ways our social freedoms, the freedoms of particular groups, have made great leaps foward under Labour.
We now have comprehensive anti-discrimination laws, civil partnerships, paternity leave, among other initiatives – all supported by the Lib Dems. But at the same time our individual civil liberties have been undermined.
The Government monitors us to a greater extent than ever before, while refusing to tell us the information we most want to know about them. All sorts of longstanding British traditions – like the right to a jury trial or the right to protest at Parliament – are under threat. ID cards and the database state cost billions but make us no safer. The cold eyes of CCTV cameras have replaced real policemen on many of our streets.
So it’s timely that the Liberal Democrats are proposing a Freedom Bill which will tackle some of the worst threats to our freedom.
For example, the Bill aims to:
• Scrap ID cards for everyone.
• Restore the right to protest in Parliament Square.
• Scrap the ContactPoint database of all children in Britain.
• Remove innocent people from the DNA database.
• Reduce the maximum period of pre-charge detention to 14 days.
In an appropriate spirit of openness, the party is inviting comments on the Bill. What’s good, what’s bad, what’s missing: let’s have your views. And if you’re on Facebook and support the Bill, why not join the Facebook group here.
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12 February, 2009 at 10:30 am
· Filed under Consumer ·Tagged fashion, garment industry, human rights
Not a B movie but an update by War on Want of their shocking report, Fashion Victims.
The original report, published in December 2006, exposed the appalling conditions of garment workers supplying some of the most popular UK highstreet names. Now Fashion Victims II reports that workers making clothes for Primark, Tesco and Asda are still being exploited, despite promises from companies to improve the lives of their workers.
I have a confession to make. Like millions of other women, I’ve got some Primark in my wardrobe. Back in 2002 I was away at a conference, and picked up a cotton nightshirt from Primark for a couple of quid, thinking at least it would last the week: it’s lasted much longer than that.
Good value for me, but at what cost to the unknown producers? Now I still love a bargain. But these days I prefer to get them by buying clothes that are discounted (try Brandalley or Lastseason) rather than dirt cheap to start with.
The European elections in June are an excellent chance to demand international action on basic employment rights, to ensure that the global market in clothing doesn’t exploit the very workers it’s supposed to benefit.
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25 January, 2009 at 2:11 pm
· Filed under Campaigns ·Tagged Amnesty International, human rights, Obama, USA
A cheerful email from Amnesty International:
“‘As for our common defence, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals.’
President Barack Obama, 20 January 2009.
“A refreshing statement from the new president, and it would seem, one that is backed up by action.
We’re only days into his presidency and the human rights victories are stacking up. First the announcement that military trials at Guantánamo will be suspended, then executive orders that will close the detention centre within a year and ban harsh interrogation techniques like waterboarding.
“These announcements represent hard-won victories for Amnesty activists and Human Rights campaigners everywhere. Everyone who has campaigned on these issues should be proud of what their tireless efforts have achieved.”
Of course there’s still more to be done.
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23 September, 2008 at 8:09 am
· Filed under Campaigns, Liberal Democrats ·Tagged deportation, gay rights, human rights
One of the motions debated at Lib Dem party conference last week was tabled by our neighbours in Hackney; opposing deportation to states which persecute on the grounds of sexuality and gender identity.
Britain is a signatory to the Convention against Torture which not only prohibits torture within the UK but also bans sending people to countries where there are substantial grounds for believing that they would be in danger of torture. But this hasn’t stopped the Labour government deporting gay men to countries where being gay is punishable by death.
The issue remains highly topical. Just this week, Pink News reports the deportation of two more gay asylum seekers to Uganda and Azerbaijan: both countries where gay people are on the receiving end of violence.
This follows the case of Mhedi Kazemi earlier this year.
Whatever the debates about economic migration, if you are fleeing torture, persecution and death threats, that is surely grounds for asylum.
I’m proud that Lib Dems are speaking up for this cause; but less proud that in a 21st century western democracy, we still have to.
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9 August, 2008 at 12:10 pm
· Filed under Church & faith, Language ·Tagged Bible, China, history, human rights, John Wycliffe, Shi Weihan, William Tyndale
While enjoying the sport from Beijing, spare a thought for the many Chinese whose human rights are still repressed.
Like Chinese bookshop owner Shi Weihan (aged 37) who was arrested on 19 March but is yet to have a court hearing. No formal charges have been made against Shi but his arrest is believed to be for publishing Bibles and Christian literature. He suffers from diabetes and needs to receive medical attention urgently.
500 years ago, printing Bibles was illegal here.
William Tyndale was executed in 1536 for pioneering the translation and printing of Bibles in English. He wasn’t only a pioneer of religious freedom. Along with Shakespeare, Tyndale shaped our language. When we ask the ‘powers that be’ in China not to be ‘a law unto themselves’ but recognise ‘the signs of the times’, we’re talking Tyndale.
Tyndale wasn’t the first translator of the Bible into english. That was John Wycliffe, back in 1382. But it was printing that made the difference. Printing presses allowed mass communication for the first time, as subversive then as China finds the internet now.
Rebels become heroes over time. William Tyndale is now honoured in the name of the Islington school where Rich is a governor. John Wycliffe gave his name to Wyclif Street and Wyclif House off Northampton Square in Clerkenwell.
Meanwhile Shi Weihen is still in prison. You can send messages asking for his release to the Chinese ambassador in Britain, Fu Ying, here.
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29 July, 2008 at 8:55 pm
· Filed under Campaigns ·Tagged Amnesty International, China, human rights, Olympics
I’ve received the following update from Amnesty International:
“Tomorrow marks the start of the ten-day countdown to the Olympic Games in Beijing and you’ll have noticed that Amnesty has been studying the Chinese authorities’ human rights performance very carefully since they won the right to host the Games back in 2001. We haven’t liked what we’ve seen.
The Chinese government promised that the Olympics would help bring human rights to China. Wang Wei, Secretary General of the Beijing Olympic Bid Committee, said in 2001: “We will give the media complete freedom to report when they come to China. (…) We are confident that the Games coming to China not only promotes our economy but also enhances all social conditions, including education, health and human rights.”
But what we’ve seen is increasing repression. In preparation for the Games, the Chinese authorities have locked up, put under house arrest and forcibly removed individuals they believe may threaten the image of ‘stability’ and ‘harmony’ they want to present to the world.
Our new report, “The Olympics Countdown: Broken Promises” looks at four areas related to the core values of the Olympics: persecution of human rights activists, detention without trial, media censorship and the death penalty.
Local activists and journalists working on human rights issues in China are at particular risk of abuse during the Games. Human rights activist and writer Hu Jia is still serving a three-and-a-half year sentence for “inciting subversion” by writing about human rights and giving interviews to foreign media. Hu Jia suffers from liver disease due to a Hepatitis B infection but the authorities have prevented his family from taking him medicine. Other activists from outside the capital have been told not to go to Beijing in August. You can take action for him here: http://www.amnesty.org.uk/actions_details.asp?ActionID=407
You can find out more about the report when it launches at 10pm tonight (UK time) at www.amnesty.org.uk/news. Hope you can give it a mention.
Amnesty also releases False Start tonight, the last (and best, in my view) of our hard-hitting, animated viral films. It highlights the persecution of people who speak up for human rights in China, depicting a cartoon Olympic protester being shot by a Chinese security official. You can get a sneak preview and find the code to put it on your site at: www.amnesty.org.uk/videospecial.asp using the login amnestypreview and the password: A1film.
We’ve also launched a new website – In both English and Chinese – called The China Debate (www.thechinadebate.org) which aims to raise awareness of human rights violations in China and promote a balanced debate on how improvements can be achieved.”
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25 July, 2008 at 2:14 pm
· Filed under Consumer, Liberal Democrats ·Tagged EU, HIV, human rights, Sarah Ludford
Good news that the campaign to get the USA to lift the visa ban on people with HIV has paid off. And congratulations to our local MEP Sarah Ludford for her role in making it happen.
It’s a great example of how the EU can work to defend ordinary people’s rights against unfair government or corporate policies. Like getting a better deal for consumers on roaming mobile phone charges. Not something you’ll hear from the Eurosceptics…
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