Amnesty International Group 22 Pasadena/Caltech News Volume XV Number 1, January 2007 UPCOMING EVENTS Thursday, January 25, 7:30 PM. Monthly Meeting Caltech Y is located off San Pasqual between Hill and Holliston, south side. You will see two curving walls forming a gate to a path-- our building is just beyond. Help us plan future actions on Sudan, the War on Terror, death penalty and more. Tuesday, February 13, 7:30 PM. Letter-writing Meeting at the Athenaeum. Corner of California & Hill. We meet downstairs in the cafeteria. This informal gathering is a great way for newcomers to get acquainted with Amnesty! Sunday, February 18, 6:30 PM. Rights Readers Human Rights Book Discussion Group. Vroman's Book Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. This month we read Kiran Desai's prize-winning novel, The Inheritance of Loss (More below.) COORDINATOR'S CORNER Happy New Year! I can't believe it's already mid-January. We went to Corvallis, Oregon to visit Rob's family for Christmas, and now I'm beginning to think we should have stayed there-it's almost as cold here as it was up there! (Why can't Christmas be in July? when it is 70 degrees, green and beautiful up there...) Hope you all are keeping warm... We started the New Year on a sad note as we had to put our 18 year old cat, Spike, to sleep. He had hyperthyroidism for several years, for which we were giving him medicine daily, and had developed renal failure. When we came back from Corvallis, he wasn't eating and fluid had started to build up again in his chest and abdomen. It was very hard, as he was like a member of the family. This is a preface to saying that today we brought home 2 female kittens from a rescue group in La Canada, one is a grey striped tabby named Sassy, the other a solid black kitty with gorgeous green eyes named Cinder. Right now, they are in their respective corners, getting adjusted to their new home! (Sassy is in the large bathroom, and Cinders is hiding in the closet!) Group 22 had some successful events in December 06. The letter writing marathan for International Human Rights Day at Café Culture in Altadena on Dec 9 attracted several café patrons to write postcards for our Holiday Card Action. Thanks to all who participated and those group members who "manned" the table in shifts! Then Martha brought the letter writing materials to the Colors ("Christians Offering Love to Overcome Racism in Society") Christmas party at All Saints Church, where partygoers wrote cards in-between dancing to the live band and enjoying the potluck supper. We also had a film night at Caltech, that group 22 member Wen Chen, a member of the Caltech Falun Gong club, arranged. The film was titled "Sandstorm" and was about a Chinese policeman and his wife who are trapped in a sandstorm and he comes to realize he was wrong to persecute Falun Gong practitioners. Unfortunately, Robert and I missed the film as we got confused between the main Beckman Auditorium and the smaller Beckman Institute Auditorium where the film was showing! One film night we did attend was in Old Town Pasadena when several group 22 members met at the Laemmle One Colorado theater to see "The Last King of Scotland"-a film about Idi Amin of Uganda and a Scottish MD who is his personal physician. Then we enjoyed a delicious (and noisy!)group meal at Bucca di Beppo-a fun Italian place where the food is served family style. In Italian, the restaurant's name loosely translates into "Joe's Cave"! There have been some more good human rights themed movies released lately, and hopefully we can have more outings! Thanks to Marie Helene Rousseau for arranging this one. This will be my last column for awhile as I am going to start a Masters program in School Nurse Education at Cambridge College satellite center in Ontario, CA. I will be attending part-time on selected weekends starting in February to May, and then will finish the classes during the summer break and do the research project Fall 07. Several of my school nurse colleagues have completed this program and they have highly recommended it. LAUSD will pay me a little more for the Masters ($50.00 a month!!), but it is something I want to do for myself professionally. So, different group members will take turns writing the column. I have enjoyed writing the column and I hope I haven't been too boring or chatty! I still plan on attending group 22 events as my time and energy level permit! Take care, Kathy aigp22@caltech.edu EQUATORIAL GUINEA Fear of Forced Evictions Over one hundred families of the over 360 at risk have been evicted from their homes in several neighborhoods in Malabo, the capital. To date, none of the families have been given adequate notice of the eviction, and the authorities have not consulted the affected communities. The communities have not been offered adequate alternative accommodation or compensation, and they have not been given the opportunity to contest the evictions in court. Between 13 and 17 November the approximately 115 families resident in the Ministerio de Obras Públicas neighborhood vacated their homes, which were then demolished, apparently to build a car park for a Casino located on the opposite side of the road. The demolition of their homes was reportedly completed by 22 November 2006. Some of the families have not yet found a place to live, nor have they received any form of compensation. On 3 December 2006, at least five houses were demolished along the Atepa road between the Universidad Nacional de Guinea Ecuatorial and Malabo city centre, apparently to widen the road. Residents received an official order to vacate their homes in 15 days, although they only received the order two days before the demolitions. A few days earlier, an unknown number of families were also evicted from their homes in La Paz neighborhood, in the former barracks of the national police. None of these families are known to have been consulted or to have been compensated. An expropriation decree (No. 109) which concerns La Vigatana, where 250 families are at risk, and surrounding area was approved on 15 November and published in late November. According to the decree, proprietors of land were given 45 days to present their property titles and land concession certificates. Nevertheless, on 5 December at about 10am, several officials from the Infrastructure and Urban Development Ministry (Ministerio de Infraestructura Urbanismo), including the Minister, Vice-minister, Secretary of State and developers, reportedly went to La Vigatana neighbourhood and demanded to know from the president of the community council why people had not vacated their homes. They then gave the residents until 2 January 2007 to leave. The families have not received any compensation or responses to appeals and petitions sent to several Ministries. It appears that the authorities have allocated some land in the area of Basupu-Fiston (Fishtown) for all families evicted from their homes in Malabo to move. However the land, some 5 km from Malabo, lacks utility services such as water, electricity and sewage and other amenities. RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals: - expressing concern about the continuing threat to forcibly evict over 300 families from their homes; - expressing concern that the authorities forcibly evicted more families in late November and on 3 December from their homes along the Atepa road and area of La Paz neighborhood and urging the authorities to provide them, as well as those forcibly evicted from the Ministerio de Obras Públicas neighborhood with adequate alternative accommodation; - reiterating Amnesty International's call on the authorities to stop all forced evictions and to put in place safeguards to prevent forced evictions in the future. APPEALS TO: General Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo Presidente de la República Gabinete del Presidente de la República, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea Salutation: Excelencia/Your Excellency Sr Don Ricardo Mangue Obama Nfube Primer Ministro Gabinete del Primer Ministro Palacio del Pueblo, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea Salutation: Sr Primer Ministro/Dear Prime Minister Minister of Infrastructure and Urban Develpment: Sr Don Fidel Nsué Michá Ministro de Infraestructura y Desarrollo Urbano Ministerio de Infraestructura y Desarrollo Urbanao, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea Salutation: Sr Ministro/Dear Minister COPIES TO: Ambassador Purification Angue Ondo Embassy of Equatorial Guinea 2020 16th St NW Washington, DC 20009 CHINA Sample Letter for Children of Rebiya Kadeer Ismail Tiliwaldi Zhuxi Chairman of the Xinjiang Uigher Autonomous Regional People's Government Xinjiang Weiwuer Zizhiqu Renmin Zhengfu 2 Zhongshanlu, Wulumuqishi 830041 Xinjiang Weiwuer Zizhiqu PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA email: master@xinjiang.gov.cn Dear Chairman: I am appalled to learn that family members of former prisoner of conscience Rebiya Kadeer are still being targeted by the Chinese authorities. Police have reportedly beaten her son Ablikim Abdiriyim severely. In late November, he was seen being carried out of Tianshan District Detention Center on a stretcher in apparent need of medical attention. Amnesty International believes his health is in danger and that he is at risk of further torture or ill-treatment. Ablikim was reportedly hospitalized for more than a month as a result of a beating which took place in front of his family in June 2006. He was later moved to the Tianshan District Detention Center. There are reports that he has been very ill but has been denied medical care. Guards have reportedly refused to let him have warm clothes sent by his family, causing him to suffer greatly from the very cold weather. Two other sons of Rebiya Kadeer, Alim and Kahar Abdiriyim, were sentenced on 27 November 2006 to heavy fines, and Alim also received a prison sentence of seven years on charges of tax evasion. Their sentencing came one day after Rebiya Kadeer was elected president of the World Uighur Congress. Since her release from prison in 2005 and her arrival in the United States, Ms. Kadeer has campaigned actively for greater human rights protections for China's ethnic Uighur population. Ms. Kadeer claims that she was warned by authorities while she was still in custody that her businesses and children would be "finished" if she engaged with members of the Uighur ethnic community or spoke publicly about "sensitive issues" after her release. I urge your government to guarantee the safety of all members of Rebiya Kadeer's family in detention and to ensure that they are not subjected to ill-treatment. I further call on you to bring to an end all human rights violations directed at them, including arbitrary detention, police harassment and other restrictions on their freedom of movement and expression. Sincerely, Your NAME and ADDRESS copy to: Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong Embassy of People's Republic of China 2300 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington, D.C. 20008 OUTFRONT Ugandan LGBT Activists Fear for Safety On 8 September, the Ugandan newspaper Red Pepper published a list of 13 women they claim are lesbians. Homosexuality is a criminal offence in Uganda, and Amnesty International believes that making such allegations against these women may put them in danger. The article called for people to name other women suspected of being lesbians in order to "rid our motherland of the deadly vice". This is the third instance in recent weeks of Red Pepper openly and specifically harassing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. On 8 August, the newspaper published a similar list of name of men it claimed were gay. On 7 September, Red Pepper ran an article naming and picturing another man, supposedly wanted by police for engaging in "homosexuality activities [sic]". Following the publication of the list of men on 8 August, Amnesty International received several reports of harassment of LGBT people who had been named. Some reported being harassed by colleagues, while others were ostracized by relatives. Amnesty International strongly condemned the publication of the article through a public statement issued on 29 August and remains concerned that the continued targeting of LGBT people by the Red Pepper newspaper puts those named at high risk of discrimination and violence by individuals or by the authorities. BACKGROUND. The naming of those accused of being lesbian or gay adds to a pattern of abuse against the rights of LGBT people in Uganda. Amnesty International is concerned that the criminalization of homosexuality, as provided for in the Ugandan the Penal Code, is providing the legal grounds on which these abuses are allowed to happen. Amnesty International has documented some of these instances. In early June 2006, the Uganda Joint Christian Council (UJCC), a coalition of Christian organizations, stated publicly that it "strongly and unequivocally deplores all activities linked to the encouragement or promotion of the practice of homosexuality and lesbianism condemned in the Bible," claiming that homosexuality constitutes "a perversion of human sexuality". The UJCC urged "clergy, parents, and people of good will to design programs aimed at teaching people the dangers associated with homosexuality and Lesbianism [sic]." On 20 July 2005, LGBT activist Victor Juliet Mukasa's house was raided in her absence. A friend who was staying at her house was arrested and subjected to humiliating and degrading treatment while in police custody. No warrants were produced prior to the search and her friend was released without being charged the next morning. On 5 July 2005, the Ugandan parliament voted for a constitutional amendment stating that "marriage is lawful only if entered into between a man and a woman". The amendment further declared that it was "unlawful for same-sex couples to marry". In October 2004, a radio station was compelled to pay a fine for hosting a live talk show with sexual rights activists discussing discrimination against LGBT people in Uganda and their need for HIV/AIDS services. The Broadcasting Council imposed a fine of approximately US$1,000, claiming that the program was "contrary to public morality" and breached existing laws. RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible: - expressing concern at the publication on 8 September by the Red Pepper newspaper of a list of women accused of being lesbians; - expressing concern that the ongoing targeting of LGBT people by Red Pepper has put them in danger; - urging the authorities to investigate fully all reports of attacks on lesbians or gay men, or people alleged to be lesbian or gay; - calling on the authorities to ensure that incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence against lesbians and gay men is forbidden in accordance with the international standards, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Uganda is a state party. APPEALS TO: President Yoweri Museveni Parliament Building PO Box 7168 Kampala Uganda Salutation: Your Excellency Minister of Justice: Makubuya Kiddu Parliament Building PO Box 7183 Kampala Uganda Salutation: Dear Minister COPIES TO: Ambassador Perezi Kamunanwire Embassy of the Republic of Uganda 5911 - 16th St. NW Washington DC 20011 Email: ambuganda@aol.com RIGHTS READERS Human Rights Book Discussion Group Keep up with Rights Readers at http://rightsreaders.blogspot.com Sunday, February 18, 6:30 PM Vroman's Bookstore 695 E. Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai In a crumbling, isolated house at the foot of Mount Kanchenjunga in the Himalayas lives an embittered judge who wants only to retire in peace, when his orphaned granddaughter, Sai, arrives on his doorstep. The judge's cook watches over her distractedly, for his thoughts are claimed by his son, Biju, who is hopscotching from one gritty New York restaurant to another. When an Indian-Nepali insurgency in the mountains interrupts Sai's exploration of the many incarnations and facets of a romance with her Nepali tutor, and causes their lives to descend into chaos, they are forced to consider their colliding interests. In a generous vision, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, Desai presents the human quandaries facing a panoply of characters. This majestic novel of a busy, grasping time -- every moment holding out the possibility of hope or betrayal -- illuminates the consequences of colonialism and global conflicts of religion, race, and nationalism. LETTER COUNT USA Death Penalty 9 Urgent Actions 24 Winter Holiday Action 225 Total: 258 To add your letters to the total contact lwkamp@sbcglobal.net DENOUNCE TORTURE Sample Letter for Qatari Man held in S. Carolina President George W. Bush The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, D.C. 20500 email: comments@whitehouse.gov Dear Mr. President: I am deeply concerned that Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri continues to be held indefinitely in military custody in South Carolina without charge or trial. Mr. al-Marri, a Qatari national and U.S. immigrant, has been held in U.S. military custody without charge or trial since June 2003 under an executive order designating him an "enemy combatant" Initially arrested in December 2001 and charged with fraud and making false statements, he remains in conditions of extreme isolation in a military prison. He had reportedly entered the U.S. legally with his wife and five children on September 10, 2001, to pursue post-graduate studies. Mr. al-Marri has filed an appeal in federal court challenging the lawfulness of his detention. In November 2006 your administration filed a motion seeking to have his appeal dismissed on the grounds that the federal courts no longer had jurisdiction in the case. The government based its motion on the Military Commissions Act of 2006, which contains troubling provisions that violate the foundations of American justice, including one that strips the right of federal courts to hear habeas corpus appeals or other claims brought by "enemy combatants" regardless of location. Mr. al-Marri reportedly can have no contact with anyone from the outside world other than his attorneys and occasional visits from representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross. A complaint filed in federal court in August 2005 described how Mr. al-Marri's physical and mental state had deteriorated due to his conditions of confinement. I urge you to see to it that Ali al-Marri is charged with a recognizable criminal offense and brought to trial without further delay, in accordance with international law and standards, or else released. I call on you to alleviate his conditions of incarceration so that he is not held in isolation and is allowed visits from and communication with his family. Court oversight of the detention and treatment of people in custody is a fundamental protection against arbitrary detention or cruel treatment. All detained persons are entitled to basic legal safeguards, including the right to habeas corpus. I urge you to seek amendments to the Military Commissions Act that restore these safeguards in conformity with international law. Sincerely, Your NAME and ADDRESS Copy to: The Honorable Alberto Gonzales, Attorney General U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W. Washington, D.C. 20530-0001 email: AskDOJ@usdoj.gov CORPORATE ACTION NETWORK Environmentalists Fear for Safety in Peru Father Marco Arana and Dr Mirtha Vasquez Chuquilin have received repeated death threats and have been followed and filmed both at work and at home. The threats and harassment appear to be directly linked to their work for the Comprehensive Training for Sustainable Development Group (Grupo de Formación e Integración para el Desarrollo Sostenible, GRUFIDES), a human rights and environmental organization. Their lives, and those of others associated with GRUFIDES, may be in danger. GRUFIDES members have been the target of threats and intimidation in recent months. All of these incidents have been reported to the authorities but no action has been taken to investigate them, or to offer protection to those at risk. On 31 August, Dr Mirtha Vasquez Chuquilin, Executive Director of GRUFIDES, received an anonymous telephone call in which she was told "Te vamos a violar y luego te vamos a matar" (We will rape you and then we will kill you). Father Marco Arana, a member of GRUFIDES, received anonymous death threats by telephone on both 3 and 4 August. On 27 September, Father Arana's niece received a telephone call in which she was told: "Dile a tu tio que no se meta, le vamos a disparar un balazo en la cabeza" (Tell your uncle not to get involved, we will put a bullet through his head). Father Marco Arana and Dr. Mirtha Vasquez Chuquilin, as well as other members of GRUFIDES, have apparently also been followed by unidentified individuals on motorbikes, and have also been filmed and photographed in the street. On 23 September, the home of a member of GRUFIDES was broken into, and documents and computer files relating to the work of the organization were searched. Nothing was taken in the raid. GRUFIDES is a non-governmental organisation that focuses on sustainable development and environmental issues based in the city of Cajamarca, in Cajamarca Province. It is actively supporting communities opposing the Yanacocha gold mining project led by a US corporation, in Cajamarca Province. GRUFIDES has also been monitoring and evaluating the Environmental Impact Studies presented by the mining company to the Ministry of Energy and Mines. Following an accident in which a lorry carrying mercury spilled some of its load near the Yanacocha mine, rural communities fear the potential environmental impact of the expansion of the Yanacocha mining project. Allegedly, local residents were not informed of the spill, and symptoms of mercury poisoning were apparently experienced by some members of the community. GRUFIDES works closely with campesino (peasant) communities, providing them with training and legal advice. It has recently become involved in supporting the cases of two campesino activists who were allegedly assassinated, one in August and one in November 2006, apparently as a result of their opposition to the expansion of the Yanacocha mining project. The threats against GRUFIDES staff and members appear to have started shortly after the first alleged assassination. BACKGROUND. In August 2006, scores of demonstrators were injured and one was shot dead during violent clashes with police and security personnel of Yanacocha's gold mining project in Cajamarca Province. The demonstrators had blocked a road to protest against the expansion of the Yanacocha mining project. On 2 November, Edmundo Becerra Corina, an environmentalist and an opponent of Yanacocha's gold mining project, was shot dead in Yanacanchilla, Cajamarca province. He had reportedly received several death threats because of his opposition to the expansion of the mining company's activities in the region. The attack took place days before he was due to meet with representatives from the Ministry of Energy and Mines. GRUFIDES is investigating the assassination of Edmundo Becerra Corina, and has provided support for the families of those protestors that were injured and killed in the demonstrations in August. Amnesty International is not aware of results of investigations into any of these incidents. Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible: - expressing concern for the safety of all staff of GRUFIDES, after anonymous death threats were received by Father Marco Arana and Dr Mirtha Vasquez Chuquilin, and other members of the organization were repeatedly followed and filmed; - urging the authorities to take steps to guarantee the safety of GRUFIDES staff, in accordance with their own wishes; - urging the authorities to carry out an independent and impartial investigation of the intimidation of GRUFIDES staff and members, making the results public and bringing those responsible to justice; - urging the authorities to send a clear public message that they will not tolerate intimidation and harassment of human rights defenders - expressing concern for the death of two environmental activists as well as the violent clashes between demonstrators, security personnel from the mining company and the police; - requesting that Amnesty International be informed of the results of any investigation into these incidents. APPEALS TO: Dra. Adelaida Flora Bolívar Arteaga Fiscalía de la Nación Av. Abancay, cuadra 5 s/n, Lima 1, PERU Salutation: Sra. Fiscal de la Nación Sr. Juan Gualberto Valdivía Romero Ministro de Energía y Minas Ministerio de Energía y Minas Av. Las Artes Sur 260, San Borja Lima 41, PERÚ Salutation: Sr. Ministro COPIES TO: Ambassador Eduardo Ferrero Costa Embassy of Peru 1700 Massachusetts Ave. NW Washington DC 20036