Amnesty International Group 22 Pasadena/Caltech News
Volume XII Number 4, April 2004
UPCOMING EVENTS
Thursday, April 22, 7:30 PM. Monthly Meeting 414 S. Holliston, Caltech Y
Lounge. Help us plan future actions on the Patriot Act, Campaign Against
Discrimination, death penalty, environmental justice and more.
Tuesday, May 11, 7:30 PM. Letter-writing Meeting at the Athenaeum. Corner
of California & Hill. This informal gathering is a great for newcomers to
get acquainted with Amnesty!
Sunday, May 16, 6:30 PM. Rights Readers Human Rights Book Discussion Group.
Vroman's Book Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. This month we
discuss the Pulitzer Prize-winning "A Problem from Hell: America and the
Age of Genocide", by Samantha Power. (More info below.)
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COORDINATOR'S CORNER
Hi everyone,
What's new this month? I hope everyone had a nice Easter, Passover, or
other holiday this spring. I took the week off work and didn't think about
the job once!
April is the 10th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda. (Please see Rwanda
included in this issue.) Robert and I went to a program at the Museum of
Tolerance in Los Angeles commemorating the genocide. There was a producer
from the PBS Frontline series who spoke and showed excerpts from "The Ghosts
of Rwanda", a new Frontline program on the topic. A young woman survivor of
the genocide spoke. It was very powerful and emotional. In May, we will
read Samantha Power's book, "A Problem from Hell", where she discusses the
Rwanda situation and lack of response/action from the rest of the world.
She also has written an op-ed piece in the LA Times on the genocide, which
ran the first week of April. The Powers book is available now at Vroman's
if you wish to get started early, as it is a large book. There is a 20%
discount available to readers who attend the book group. Just ask for the
coupon at the Will Call Dept upstairs.
Speaking of the book group, we met again last Sunday to discuss a more fun
book - an environmentally-themed mystery by Stan Jones called "White Sky,
Black Ice." We will also be continuing the environmental justice theme when
we table at Caltech's Earth Day on the 23rd. You can participate by writing
on behalf of the Indonesian environmentalist Bestari Raden.
Our next monthly meeting is this coming Thursday. Please join us as we
discuss future plans-we may have more info on our new prisoner of conscience
by then. All are welcome and hope to see you there!
Group 22 member Lucas Kamp is in Brooklyn, New York this weekend attending
the Annual General Meeting for Amnesty. He will vote on our behalf on
various resolutions, attend lectures and sessions on various human rights
topics and we look forward to his report when he returns.
Take care,
Kathy aigp22@caltech.edu
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SUDAN
Urge Sudanese Govt to Protect People in Darfur
Amnesty has issued a crisis alert regarding the situation in Sudan. Please
visit www.amnesty-usa.org for more actions
(including one to your congressional representatives).
The Darfur conflict, which began in February 2003, continues to escalate in
severity and civilians are increasingly the primary targets. An estimated
3,000 civilians have been killed by both deliberate and indiscriminate
attacks and over 600,000 civilians have been internally displaced, and
100,000 have sought refuge in neighboring Chad. The perpetrators of this
violence are the armed opposition groups, government soldiers and
government-supported militias. The government has also impeded access to the
region for humanitarian agencies, which has exacerbated the suffering of the
civilians in Darfur. The violent attacks against civilians must stop and the
Sudanese government must take immediate action to protect the citizens in
Darfur.
The Sudanese government is currently participating in peace talks aimed at
ending the 20-year civil war between the government and the Sudanese
People's Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M.) This peace process has attracted
a great deal of attention to Sudan; however, a growing conflict in the
Darfur region has been ignored.
The Darfur conflict began in February 2003 when two new armed opposition
groups emerged, the Sudanese Liberation Army/Movement (SLA/M) and Justice
and Equality Movement (JEM) and attacked government troops. These groups
cited the reasons for the attacks as the government's failure to protect
settled villagers from attacks by nomadic groups and economic
marginalization of the region. The government responded with force and the
fighting has intensified since then.
The Sudanese government, pro-government militias and armed opposition groups
are all committing grievous human rights abuses. There are reports that
these parties have killed, tortured, arbitrarily arrested or detained
civilians, burnt down houses and villages, stolen and destroyed crops and
looted cattle. The Sudanese government has also restricted access for any
agency to the Darfur region, including humanitarian and food aid. All of
these factor combined are culminating into a horrendous humanitarian crisis
in Darfur. Without action to stop the violence this crisis will escalate.
Sample letter:
President Omar Hassan al-Bashir
c/o H.E. Khidir Haroun Ahmed
Embassy of the Republic of Sudan
2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20008
Dear Mr. President:
I am deeply concerned by the fate of thousands of civilians who, caught in
the middle of the Darfur conflict, are victims of devastating human rights
abuses including, being displaced and even killed. Furthermore, I am alarmed
at the Sudanese government's restrictions on access for humanitarian
agencies trying to provide badly needed aid and assistance to the people of
Darfur. I urge you to uphold your obligation to the people of Sudan, protect
them from the violence in Darfur, and allow aid organizations unhindered
access.
Mr. President, while you and your government are negotiating towards peace,
you must not ignore Darfur. Sudan is party to the African Charter on Human
and People's Rights and the UN International Covenant on Civil and Politica
l
Rights; both clearly state that governments have a responsibility to protect
their citizens. Currently civilians in Darfur are being harmed in both
deliberate and indiscriminate attacks. An estimated 3,000 civilians have
been killed and there are reports of civilians being tortured, arbitrarily
arrested or detained, houses and villages being torched, crops and cattle
stolen and deliberately destroyed. The Sudanese government cannot stand by
passively and allow its citizens to suffer such horrible abuses.
I urge you to comply with the commitments of your government, ensure that
international law is upheld and that the integrity of Sudanese citizens is
respected and protected. Additionally, the restriction on access for
humanitarian agencies to Darfur is exacerbating civilian suffering by
limiting their access to medical care and food aid and is a violation of
international humanitarian law. Over 600,000 civilians have been internally
displaced because of the conflict. Many have been forced to flee with little
or no possessions, farmers have been forced to leave their harvests and many
are wounded or sick. The limited access for humanitarian agencies is
intensifying the humanitarian crisis. Out of distress over the plight of
these civilians I urge you to allow and facilitate immediate unhindered
humanitarian access to Darfur.
Mr. President, in order to prevent further deterioration of the situation in
Darfur, your government must act. The people of Darfur desperately need the
attention and protection of their government and these are duties that the
government is expected to uphold. I ask you to act and act now.
Sincerely, YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS
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LETTER COUNT
Urgent Action 12
Death Penalty 1
Haiti 3
Sudan 1
Total 16
Want to add your letters to the total? Get in touch with
lwkamp@sbcglobal.net
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RIGHTS READERS
Human Rights Book Discussion Group
Vroman's Bookstore
695 E. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena
Sunday, May 16, 6:30 PM
A Problem from Hell:
America and the Age of Genocide
by Samantha Power
2003 Pulitzer Prize Winner
National Book Critics Circle Award Winner
In her award-winning interrogation of the last century of American history,
Samantha Power -- a former Balkan war correspondent and founding executive
director of Harvard's Carr Center for Human Rights Policy -- asks the
haunting question: Why do American leaders who vow "never again" repeatedly
fail to stop genocide? Drawing upon exclusive interviews with Washington's
top policy makers, access to newly declassified documents, and her own
reporting from the modern killing fields, Power provides the answer in "A
Problem from Hell" -- a groundbreaking work that tells the stories of the
courageous Americans who risked their careers and lives in an effort to get
the United States to act.
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STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
Call on Rwandan Government to Protect Survivors of Sexual Violence
The legacy of genocide and war in Rwanda lives on ten years after the events
in which as many as one million lost their lives. Compounding the trauma of
being victims and witnesses of horrendous brutality, many women raped during
1994 now suffer the reality of living with sexually transmitted diseases
including HIV/AIDS with little hope of legal recourse, medical care or
compensation.
Background information. The legacy of genocide and war in Rwanda lives on
ten years after the events in which as many as one million lost their lives.
Between April and July 1994, Rwanda was the site of a horrifying litany of
human rights abuses - mass killings of unarmed civilians, rape and numerous
other acts of torture. Bringing to justice those responsible has been an
enormous challenge; even so, progress has been slow. For those raped or
tortured, or whose family members were killed, justice and redress remain
elusive.
The United Nations estimates that between 250,000 and 500,000 rapes were
committed during the genocide. Degradation was integral to the physical
violence, with some women being made to parade naked or perform various
humiliating acts at the bidding of soldiers and militia.
Compounding the trauma of being victims and witnesses of horrendous
brutality, many women raped during 1994 now suffer the reality of living
with sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS with little hope of
legal recourse, medical care or compensation.
For the thousands of survivors and victims, the brutal legacy of the
genocide lives on because redress and justice remain elusive.
More information regarding the situation of women survivors of sexual
violence in Rwanda can be found in the report Rwanda: "Marked for Death:
rape survivors living with HIV/AIDS in Rwanda" at
www.amnestyusa.org/countries/rwanda
Please write to the President of Rwanda, urging him to face up to the
challenge of providing redress to survivors of rape and other victims of the
genocide and crimes against humanity.
Appeals to:
Major General Paul Kagame
President
Presidency
PO Box 15 KIGALI
Rwanda
Copies to:
Ambassador Zac Nsenga
Embassy of The Republic of Rwanda
1714 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20009
Your Excellency,
As Rwanda commemorates the tenth anniversary of the genocide we must
remember all victims and I am writing to urge you to address more fully the
medical and legal issues faced by women survivors of sexual violence.
Thousands of these survivors have been denied effective medical care,
testing for HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases and
psychological counseling. On the legal front, these women require both
justice and the passage of the long-overdue genocide victim compensation
law.
I urge you to take all necessary measures to ensure that women survivors of
sexual violence receive the medical care they require in line with Rwanda's
obligations as state party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social
and Cultural Rights.
I urge you to take all necessary measures to ensure that all crimes
committed during and since the genocide are investigated and that those
suspected to be responsible are brought to justice in trials which meet
internationally recognized fair trial standards. As important, I ask you to
ensure that genocide victim compensation bill is passed into law.
Compensation constitutes an official acknowledgement of their suffering, in
addition to helping survivors rebuild their lives.
Sincerely,
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DEATH PENALTY
Urge Clemency for Mentally Ill Texas Inmate
Kelsey Patterson is scheduled to be executed in Texas on 18 May 2004. He was
sentenced to death in 1993 for a double murder committed in 1992. He has
long suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, a serious mental illness whose
symptoms can include hallucinations, delusions, confused thinking, and
altered senses, emotions or behaviour. He was first diagnosed with this
brain disorder in 1981.
There is no doubt that Kelsey Patterson shot Louis Oates and Dorothy Harris,
and there would appear to be little doubt that mental illness lay behind
this tragic crime. He made no attempt to avoid arrest -- after shooting the
victims, he put down the gun, undressed and was pacing up and down the
street in his socks, shouting incomprehensibly, when the police arrived.
In 2000, a federal judge wrote that "Patterson had no motive for the
killings -- he claims he commits acts involuntarily and outside forces
control him through implants in his brain and body. Patterson has
consistently maintained he is a victim of an elaborate conspiracy, and his
lawyers and his doctors are part of that conspiracy. He refuses to cooperate
with either; he has refused to be examined by mental health professionals
since 1984, he refuses dental treatment, and he refuses to acknowledge that
his lawyers represent him. Because of his lack of cooperation, it has been
difficult for mental health professionals to determine with certainty
whether he is exaggerating the extent of his delusions, or to determine
whether he is incompetent or insane. All of the professionals who have tried
to examine him agree that he is mentally ill. The most common diagnosis is
paranoid schizophrenia."
A jury found Kelsey Patterson competent to stand trial. Yet his behaviour at
his competency hearing, and at the trial itself -- when he repeatedly
interrupted proceedings to offer rambling narrative about his implanted
devices and other aspects of the conspiracy against him -- provided
compelling evidence that his delusions did not allow him a rational
understanding of what was going on or the ability to consult with his
lawyers.
The setting of his execution date has led to a legal challenge that Kelsey
Patterson is not competent for execution, that is, that he does not
understand the reality of, or reason for, his impending punishment. This
challenge is pending in the courts. The constitutional protections in this
area are minimal, and other prisoners have gone to their deaths despite
suffering from serious mental illness.
In an indication of his delusional thinking, since learning of his execution
date, Patterson has written rambling letters to various officials. In the
letters he refers to a permanent stay of execution that he says he has
received on grounds of innocence. For example, in a letter to the Texas
Court of Criminal Appeals in February 2004, he wrote: "the McClennan County
state district court Mclennan County has said stay and stay stay stay stay
stay stay and stay stay stay always stay from execution to me my men from me
Kelsey Patterson stay from murder and execution to me Kelsey Patterson...".
Kelsey Patterson's case raises wider questions about society's treatment of
the mentally ill. His family had tried unsuccessfully to get treatment for
him prior to his crime. If Kelsey Patterson is put to death, it will not be
first time that the Texas system has, in effect, buried its own failure in
its execution chamber. Larry Robison, who was executed in 2000, had suffered
from paranoid schizophrenia long before committing the crime for which he
was sentenced to die. His family had tried to obtain help for him, but were
turned away because he had not yet turned violent. James Colburn was also a
diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic whose family had tried, unsuccessfully, to
get appropriate health care before the murder for which he was sent to death
row. He was executed in March last year. Last month, Scott Panetti received
a 60-day stay of execution shortly before he was scheduled to be executed in
Texas. He had been hospitalized for mental illness many times before the
crime.
In Texas, the Board of Pardons and Paroles (BPP) has the power to recommend
clemency. The Governor can accept or reject a recommendation for clemency.
If the BPP votes against recommending clemency, the Governor cannot overrule
it. The Governor can, however, issue a 30-day reprieve without the BPP's
recommendation, and can use this to ask the BPP to reconsider a decision to
deny clemency. The Governor can also ask the BPP to consider clemency in any
case, before they make their decision. According to the Texas Administrative
Code, "The board shall investigate and consider a recommendation of
commutation of sentence in any case, upon the written request of the
governor."
Sample letter
Rissie Owens, Presiding Officer
Board of Pardons and Paroles
1300 11th St., Suite 520
P.O. Box 599
Huntsville, TX 77342-0599
Dear Ms Owens:
I urge the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to recommend clemency for
Kelsey Patterson (TDCJ #999065) to Governor Perry. Mr. Patterson is
scheduled for execution on May 18, 2004 for the 1992 murders of Louis Oates
and Dorothy Harris.
I am deeply concerned by several aspects of this case. First, I am alarmed
that Texas plans to execute Mr. Patterson despite a long history of serious
mental illness including paranoid schizophrenia. In 2000, a federal judge
wrote that "Patterson had no motive for the killings -- he claims he commits
acts involuntarily and outside forces control him through implants in his
brain and body... Because of his lack of cooperation, it has been difficult
for mental health professionals to determine with certainty whether he is
exaggerating the extent of his delusions, or to determine whether he is
incompetent or insane. All of the professionals who have tried to examine
him agree that he is mentally ill."
Moreover, I am concerned that Mr. Patterson was not competent to stand
trial. His behavior at his competency hearing, and at the trial itself
provided compelling evidence that his delusions did not allow him a rational
understanding of what was going on or the ability to consult with his
lawyers. His behavior included repeated interruptions during proceedings in
order to offer a rambling narrative about his implanted devices and other
aspects of a conspiracy against him. The United Nations Commission for Human
Rights has repeatedly called on countries which still use the death penalty
not to use it against anyone suffering from a mental disorder.
While I have tremendous sympathy for the family and friends of Louis Oates
and Dorothy Harris, I believe that capital punishment only perpetuates the
cycle of violence.
Ms. Owens, I strongly urge the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to
recommend clemency for Kelsey Patterson to Governor Perry. Thank you for
your time and attention in this very serious matter.
Sincerely, YOUR NAME and ADDRESS
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JUST EARTH
Fear of Safety for Indonesian Environmentalist
Environmental and pro-democracy activist Bestari Raden was arrested by
soldiers in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Province (NAD) on 23 March. He is said
to be undergoing intensive interrogation. Torture and ill-treatment are
routine in military custody in NAD, and there are serious concerns for his
safety.
He was arrested by soldiers from the Aceh Tenggara District Military Command
(Kodim 0108) in Lawe Pakam village, Babul Makmur Sub-district, Aceh Tenggara
District. He is now held in Kodim 0108.
Bestari Raden is the coordinator of Kaukus Lingkungan (The Environmental
Caucus) whose activities include advocacy and environmental and human rights
education. He is also a member of the Indigenous People's Alliance of the
Archipelago (Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara, AMAN) which campaigns for
the rights of indigenous peoples. In the morning before his arrest, he had
visited Kodim 0108 in his capacity as a member of a government team to
review the controversial Ladia Galaska highway project, which is due to be
built in NAD and North Sumatra and cuts through virgin rainforest in the
Leuser National Park.
Bestari Raden has previously been accused of being a leader of the armed
opposition group Free Aceh Movement (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka, GAM), and his
name was reportedly included on a list of wanted persons issued by the
police in 2000. There is concern that he may not actually be a member of
GAM, but has been detained because of his activities in opposing government
policies in NAD.
Background. Thousands of civilians have been killed in the 27-year conflict
between GAM and the Indonesian government in NAD. The Indonesian security
forces have carried out grave human rights violations, including unlawful
killings, "disappearances" and torture during operations against GAM. GAM
has also been responsible for human rights abuses.
The government declared a military emergency on 19 May 2003, following the
breakdown of a ceasefire agreement. Grave human rights violations, including
extrajudicial executions of both adults and children, have since been
reported. Around 1,300 people are reported to have been killed since the
military emergency was declared.
The military has announced that it will arrest people it claims support or
are connected to GAM. The Military Emergency Authority claims that some
2,000 members of GAM have been arrested or have surrendered since mid-May
2003. There is concern that some of those arrested may not be actual members
of GAM, but merely sympathetic to its aims, or opposed to the military
operations. The military has itself acknowledged that it has difficulty
distinguishing between GAM members and civilians. Among those arrested are
members of political organizations which campaign for independence for NAD,
and members of human rights organizations.
According to Indonesian media reports, as of January 994 people had been put
on trial since the military emergency was declared. Local human rights
organizations have expressed concern that the trials have fallen short of
international standards for fair trial. Anyone detained by the police and
military in NAD is at risk of torture, ill-treatment and other human rights
violations.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:
- expressing concern for the safety of Bestari Raden, who was arrested by
soldiers from Kodim 0108 on 23 March, and asking the authorities to
guarantee that he will not be tortured or ill-treated;
- expressing concern that Bestari Raden may have been arrested solely
because of his legitimate campaigning activities in defence of environmental
protection, and urging the authorities to release him immediately and
unconditionally unless he is to be charged with a recognizably criminal
offence;
- urging them to give him immediate access to lawyers of his own choosing,
his family, and adequate medical treatment;
- calling on the authorities to ensure that all members of the police and
military are made aware of the legitimate role of human rights defenders and
their responsibility to protect human rights defenders under the UN
Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals and Organs of
Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and
Fundamental freedoms.
APPEALS TO:
Military Emergency Operational Command Chief:
Penguasa Darurat Militer Daerah (PDMD)
Mayor Genderal Endang Suwarya
Markas Komando Daerah Militer Iskandar Muda
Jl Ahmad Yani, Simpang Lima
Banda Aceh, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam
Indonesia
Salutation: Dear Major General
Copies to:
Ambassador Soemadi Djoko M. Brotodiningrat
Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia
2020 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington DC 20036
Editor's Last Word:
Read us on line: http://www.cco.caltech.edu/~aigp22
Martha Ter Maat, 626-281-4039 / rightsreaders@yahoo.com
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Amnesty International works impartially to free prisoners of
conscience-individuals jailed solely for their beliefs, ethnic origin,
language, or sexual orientation, provided they have not used or
advocated violence-to ensure fair trials for all political prisoners,
and to abolish torture and executions worldwide. It is funded by
members and supporters around the world.
Caltech/Pasadena Group 22.
aigp22@its.caltech.edu
http://www.its.caltech.edu/~aigp22/home.html