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Syrian forces fire on crowds in 6 cities The Seattle Times Security forces opened fire on rallies in six towns and cities. Libya: Amnesty International says Moammar Gadhafi's forces may have committed war crimes in the western rebel-held city of Misrata and that the humanitarian situation is rapidly ... Syrian troops fire on protesters; at least 26 killedAustin American-Statesman Syrian forces fire at demonstratorsSTLtoday.com 'Thirty Killed As Syrian Troops Open Fire'Sky News CNN (blog) -USA Today -Tripoli Post all 2,320 news articles »

Maternal health is a human right for every woman. Yet the United States lacks a robust government response to this critical problem including the lack of nationally standardized protocols to address the leading causes of death in childbirth – or … Continue reading →

Moammar Gadhafi's forces may have committed war crimes in the rebel-held city of Misrata and the humanitarian situation is rapidly deteriorating there because of regime attempts to tighten its siege and block access by sea, Amnesty International said Friday.

Prosecution for abuses more likely after human rights body Amnesty International compiles report alleging shelling of civilians and residential areas in Misurata by Gaddafi’s forces

TRIPOLI, Libya — Moammar Gadhafi's forces may have committed war crimes in the rebel-held city of Misrata and the humanitarian situation is rapidly deteriorating there because of regime attempts to tighten its siege and block access by sea, Amnesty International said Friday.

Libyan troops have indiscriminately fired heavy artillery, rockets and cluster bombs at residential areas of Libya's third-largest city during a two-month siege, in a clear breach of international humanitarian law, the group said in a report.

Read More...
More on Libya News

Sie sollen wahllos Wohngebiete mit schwerer Artillerie und Streubomben beschossen und viele Zivilisten getötet haben. Die Menschenrechtsorganisation Amnesty International wirft den libyschen Regierungstruppen von Machthaber Muammar al-Gaddafi Verstöße gegen das humanitäre Völkerrecht vor.

Col. Moammar Gadhafi and his troops may have committed war crimes against civilian residents of Misrata, one of the main rebel strongholds in Libya, said Amnesty International on Friday.

Attacks by forces loyal to Colonel al-Gaddafi on civilian and residential areas of Misratah may amount to war crimes, Amnesty International said today in a new report on the bleak situation in the besieged city.

Source: [b]Amnesty International[/b]

5 May 2011

Attacks by forces loyal to Colonel al-Gaddafi on civilian and residential areas of Misratah may amount to war crimes, Amnesty International said today in a new report on the bleak situation in the besieged city.

Misratah: Under Siege and Under F...

Moammar Gadhafi's forces may have committed war crimes in the rebel-held city of Misrata and the humanitarian situation is rapidly deteriorating there because of regime attempts to tighten its siege and block access by sea, Amnesty International said Friday.

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North Korea urged to close 'inhuman' prison camps where thousands starve The National BEIJING // Amnesty International yesterday called on North Korea to close "inhuman" prison camps where starving inmates are said to resort to eating rats, amid concern that growing numbers of dissidents and their families are being sent to the ... US troubleshooter sees momentum for N. Korea talksAFP Korea: Ten Buddhist monks allowed in North KoreaSpero News Will GNP Need to 'Ram' U.S. FTA, NK Rights?Wall Street Journal (blog) Inter Press Service -Voice of America -Etnews all 41 news articles »

TRIPOLI, Libya – Moammar Gadhafi's forces may have committed war crimes in the rebel-held city of Misrata and the humanitarian situation is rapidly deteriorating because of regime attempts to tighten its siege and block access by sea, Amnesty International said Friday. Libyan troops have ...

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These photos exist thanks to organizations like the Political Police.
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Advertising Agency: Fuel, Lisbon, Portugal / EuroRSCG, Portugal
Creative Directors: Marcelo Lourenço, Pedro Bexiga
Tv Producers: Miguel Barbosa, Pedro Silva
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Approval: Pedro Krupenski, Irene  Rodrigues

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These photos exist thanks to organizations like the Political Police.
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Advertising Agency: Fuel, Lisbon, Portugal / EuroRSCG, Portugal
Creative Directors: Marcelo Lourenço, Pedro Bexiga
Tv Producers: Miguel Barbosa, Pedro Silva
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By Angola 3 News Become a Fan Troy Davis Execution Date Expected Anytime --An interview with Laura Moye of Amnesty International By Angola 3 News Laura Moye is director of the Amnesty International USA Death Penalty Abolition Campaign.

Libyan troops have indiscriminately fired heavy artillery, rockets and cluster bombs at residential areas of Libya’s third—largest city during a two—month siege, in a clear breach of international humanitarian law, the group said in a report.

Moammar Gadhafi's forces may have committed war crimes in the rebel-held city of Misrata and the humanitarian situation is rapidly deteriorating because of regime attempts to tighten its siege and block access by sea, Amnesty International said Friday.

Zwangsarbeit, Folter und Hungertod: So sieht nach einem neuen Bericht von Amnesty International der Alltag von rund 200.000 politischen Häftlingen in Nordkorea aus. In Lagern leben sie unter unmenschlichen Bedingungen.

My mother used to joke that giving birth to me put her into shock. I never got many details.  Just that she had lost a lot of blood and they had to call in a second doctor to stabilize the situation.  She strongly disliked the obstetrician who panicked while delivering me, characterizing him as cavalier and condescending.  After viewing the new documentary, No Woman, No Cry, I realized that my mother had survived an “obstetric hemorrhage.”

The director of No Woman, No Cry, Christy Turlington Burns, experienced a similar situation as my mother.  It pushed her to take a look at why 1,000 women around the globe die daily due to complications from pregnancy or childbirth, particularly as 90 percent of those deaths are preventable.

Most immediately recognizable as a top fashion model, Turlington Burns took on the mantle of activist back in the early 1990s with her efforts toward rebuilding war torn El Salvador, the homeland of her mother. She worked on the ground with the Salvadoran American Humanitarian Foundation.  In 1997, when her father died of lung cancer, she became pro-active in smoking prevention.  She connected with CARE, as their Advocate for Maternal Health. This experience motivated her to embark on getting a Masters in Public Health at Columbia University.

Turlington Burns was involved in the film’s production for two years.  She observed four different women and their pregnancies in Tanzania, Bangladesh, Guatemala, and the United States.  The anecdotal threads are anchored by her gentle voice over.  She begins the story with home footage of her pregnancy.  Through the choice of her narratives, Turlington Burns lays out her points while exploring basic facts about maternal mortality. 

Reproductive health problems are the top cause of death for women ages 15-19 in the developing world, with approximately 70,000 young women dying because their bodies are not yet ready for childbearing.  Over 200 million women who want to plan their families don’t have access to modern birth control.  This option would reduce the amount of maternal deaths due to unsafe abortion by 82 percent.

At the Paley Center in New York City, I attended a screening of the documentary, followed by a panel discussion with Turlington Burns and experts Dr. Suellen Miller and Ann M. Starrs. Turlington Burns explained, “It’s a global tragedy, and I wanted to show that.”  She continued, “I constantly marvel at the power and strength of women.”

Maternal health is considered a benchmark of how a country’s health care measures up.  Turlington Burns cannily juxtaposes an American segment, to echo the issues that are at the root of problems in developing countries.  For those previously unaware of the American stats, they may be shocked to learn that the United States comes in 50th on the scale of how well a country provides its citizens with maternal health care.  It has dropped from a previous ranking of 41st, trailing Canada and a host of European countries. Race and economics are a primary factor:

•    African-American women are three to four times as likely to die from pregnancy related causes as white women.
•    The maternal mortality ratio for Native American and Native Alaskan women is four times higher than the 2010 national goal set 
      by the government.
•    Women living in low-income areas across the country are twice as likely to suffer a maternal death as women in affluent areas.

Superficially, it’s easy to believe that the obstacles facing women in other nations are dramatically different than those in America.  Yes, a van ride to a hospital in Tanzania costs $30, more than a family’s monthly wages.  However, Jennie Joseph, LM, CPM, midwife and Executive Director of The Birth Place, which operates in Florida near Orlando, pointed out in her onscreen interview, “There’s no real access for disenfranchised women.”  On the expenditures needed for pre-natal care she said, “This is an upside down system.  Health care is anything but free.”

Many economically disadvantaged American women are getting their care through hospital emergency rooms.  There, they are often victims of judgments emanating from a core lack of understanding about why they can’t get prenatal services.  With two American women dying each day from pregnancy related problems, you have to question access and equality.  A pervasive tone of condescension from some of the doctors permeates all four stories.  It may be culture specific, but it’s there.

The mother-to-be in Tanzania, who consistently invokes the “will of Allah” as an explanation for events, replies with resignation to the question posed to her about how she is faring. “It’s okay.  I haven’t died, so I’m alive,” she says wearily.  While learning about the woman in Bangladesh who has finally conceived her second child, and is relieved that her husband won’t leave her for a more fertile mate, we find out that there are 14 local words for a woman who can’t bear children. 

In Guatemala, a woman suffering from the aftermath of a failed abortion refuses to admit it — because the stigma is so great. Abortion is illegal in Guatemala, except to save a woman’s life. Procedures under unhygienic conditions lead to 65,000 unsafe abortions performed each year.  These factors are contextualized in the film by Dr. Linda Valencia, who directs Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s support for programs in Guatemala.

Since barriers in the United States — not unlike those in foreign countries, exist — Turlington Burns has created a multi-pronged approach to bring awareness to this national and global crisis.  She has founded and put into play Every Mother Counts, a platform to link a grassroots mobilizations campaign with the steps of “engagement, education, and advocacy.”  Using a social media strategy to get eyeballs and action on several levels, the documentary is being rolled out on Oprah Winfrey’s new network OWN on May 7, 2011, with repeats the following day. People are being encouraged to host screening parties.  Starbucks will be selling a CD entitled “Every Mother Counts,” with tracks by “mom artists” including Rosanne Cash, Ani DiFranco, Jennifer Lopez, and Toshi Reagon.  It will be available through the end of 2011.  Starbucks will donate $8.00 of the selling price to CARE, a partner with Every Mother Counts. 

When I spoke to Turlington Burns at the Paley Center, she told me that she was headed down to Washington, D.C. to be a speaker at the Capitol Hill briefing on the Maternal Health Accountability Act (H.R. 894) sponsored by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI).  The goal of the bill is to help set up “maternal mortality review committees” in each state, and to help “eliminate disparities in maternal health outcomes.”

Amnesty International will also be testifying. I wrote an article last year about their March 2010 report, Deadly Delivery: The Maternal Health Care Crisis in the USA. They have since released a 2011 update to their previous findings. Based on new evaluations by the Maternal Child Health Bureau, it shows that in America “low-income women face substantial barriers to obtaining medical care during pregnancy,” extending beyond finances to include transportation and a lack of professionals in their area.  Asking the public to get pro-active on maternal mortality through a Mother’s Day card action to legislators, Amnesty International is supplying cards free, which will then be distributed to members of Congress.

Throughout the world, maternal obligation is seen as tantamount.  In some locales, that may come at the expense of maternal death.  It is time to go beyond the lip service paid to mothers for a life-long role that is exalted, but so often poorly supported.  Turlington Burns’ clear-eyed documentary is a step toward bringing recognition and tangible action to the struggles of women worldwide.

Photo courtesy of Every Mother Counts

Amnesty International says Moammar Gadhafi's troops may have committed war crimes in the besieged rebel city of Misrata.

Jabbar Savalan, a 20-year-old opposition youth activist arrested in Azerbaijan on 5 February, has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison on drug possession charges. Amnesty International says that the case was politically motivated and was linked to Savalan's political activities which included making calls for post-MENA...

Gadafi-regimet får knallhard kritikk i en ny rapport fra Amnesty International. Regimet anklages for både krigsforbrytelser og forbrytelser mot menneskeheten.

Authorities in China must clarify the current status and reveal the whereabouts of a lawyer and a journalist who have gone missing in the past week, Amnesty International said today as a clampdown on activists appeared to be widening

truthout

Religious leaders seek clemency for Georgia man on death row CNN (CNN) -- Religious leaders called Thursday on their peers to join them in seeking clemency for a man on Georgia's death row, citing doubts about whether he is guilty. People of Faith Against the Death Penalty and Amnesty ... Religious Leaders Joining Worldwide Effort to Stop Georgia ExecutionAmnesty International USA VOICES: The railroading of Troy DavisFacing South Troy Davis Facing the Death Gurneytruthout all 6 news articles »

By Angola 3 News Laura Moye is director of the Amnesty International USA Death Penalty Abolition Campaign.

Warning Warning! Really annoying disabling of magazine-function in ads on iPads will soon get really tiresome - scratch that, it is already.

Seems that the sway/pro-bono-type clients are the only ones who dare try this trick, Amnesty started it with the ad that would not swipe away in an iPad newspaper. Sure, fine, that ad makes a good point, but disabling a function to make that point is hella risky.

And now, another one. This one not only disables the swipe, it also goes a bit HBO True Blood on us and leaves trails of blood dripping where our fingers have touched the screen. Point made. Gotcha. Now can I please be able to turn the page? Pretty pretty pleez? I paid out of my nose for this special iPad edition you know.

Really, as much as I like these ideas, don't make it a habit folks.

(Gosh I hope I beat the badland ninja joelapompe to this one.. Else I owe him a wedgie.)

So I've been absent from here for a while now. Since I wrote my last posts I moved out of residence for the last time and into an apartment. In terms of this summer...I was planning on going on another immersion program (this time in the summer in Ottawa). I was accepted and almost planned to go. It was a good experience for me last year and I thought it would be helpful preparation for my last french class in the fall.

For a number of reasons, including the possibility of a full-time job here in Sackville I turned down the offer of another five weeks of free French immersion, room, and board. I knew that I was going to Amnesty International Canada's Human Rights College and General Meeting in Montreal at the end of May and home to Boston to take the GRE. Besides that I knew I would be helping set up/update the online presences of ATLIS, Argosy, and Amnesty International for next year. Besides that the future was fairly wide open.

I was informed of a student internship opportunity in the Marketing and Communications Office at the school. I looked at the job description, and was amazed how well the position aligned with my experience, skills, and interests. I applied, interviewed, and was offered and immediately accepted the job.

I started on Monday and already it has been one of the best jobs I've ever had. Being passionate about Mount Allison and social media makes it the perfect job for me and so far it has been a great experience. Consequently I will be very busy and I may not be posting on here as often as I did last summer.

However, I will be sure to write about preparing for my year as President of Amnesty International Mount Allison (including my trip to the training and General Meeting in Montreal at the end of the month, my responsibilities for the websites and social media for ATLIS and the Argosy, moving/living off campus in Sackville, NB, main on and off-campus events over the summer, and preparing/writing the GRE among other things.

However, most of my focus this summer will contributing to the University itself. I can't necessarily talk about the details of my job, however if and when I have created something I will be sure to share it here, which I would be doing even if I weren't contributing to it. I don't want to ruin the surprise but there may be some cool things for me to share with you throughout the summer.

That's about all I have share right now. I'll leave you with a classic summer tune- Bryan Adams- Summer of '69. Here's to a good summer:

[JURIST] The Kyrgyzstan Inquiry Commission [official website] on Tuesday concluded [report, PDF] that the Kyrgyzstan military handed out weapons to Kyrgyz mobs who attacked minority Uzbeks last summer. The international, independent inquiry into the June 2010 ethnic violence [Guardian backgrounder; JURIST news archive] that resulted in more than 300 deaths and an additional 2,000 injuries discovered [AP report] that security forces participated in the violence that killed hundreds of Uzbeks: The seizure, distribution and use of weapons during the events is a particularly disturbing feature of the events. In many instances crowds of attackers seized firearms and ammunition from the military and police in circumstances largely unopposed by troops or officers. Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) were also surrendered. The KIC notes, with some concern, that some 80 weapons and about 19,000 rounds of ammunition have not been recovered. The authorities of Kyrgyzstan have failed to carry out appropriate criminal and disciplinary investigations into the loss of weapons. The commission also suggested that if the allegations are proven true in a court of law, the conduct may amount to crimes against humanity. Following the announcement by the commission, Amnesty International (AI) [advocacy website] called on Kyrgyzstan's authorities to urgently investigate and prosecute [press release] those responsible for any human rights violations. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay [official profile] on Tuesday also urged [press release] the Kyrgyzstan authorities to promptly carry out the report's recommendations to investigate and prosecute participants in the alleged violations. In November, a court in Kyrgyzstan sentenced 19 ethnic Uzbeks for their involvement in the summer attack. Seventeen of the Uzbeks received life sentences and two received 25-year sentences for their participation in a June 13 riot [24.kg report] that blocked a major highway and killed 16 people in the Suzak district. In September, a Kyrgyz court issued the first convictions [JURIST report] in connection with the June 2010 riots, handing down prison terms for eight ethnic Uzbeks in a case stemming from the murder of a Kyrgyz police officer during the violence. Judge Nurgazy Alymkulov of the Nooken District Court [GlobaLex backgrounder] sentenced five to life terms [RFE/RL report] on charges of murder, fomenting ethnic hatred, instigating violence and organizing public unrest. Two others were sentenced to 20 years in prison, and the last was sentenced to nine. Among those given life sentences was prominent Uzbek human rights activist Azimjan Askarov. The convictions were later described as politically motivated [Reuters report]. In July, the Kyrgyz government announced that it had opened more than 1,000 criminal cases [JURIST report] stemming from the violence, and that 106 individuals had been detained, with 97 in custody. Also in July, Kyrgyz President Roza Otunbayeva [Telegraph profile] established the commission [JURIST report] to investigate the ethnic violence against the country's Uzbek population.

truthout

Religious Leaders Joining Worldwide Effort to Stop Georgia Execution Amnesty International USA (Washington, DC) - Religious leaders across the country are calling on their peers to help stop the execution of a man on Georgia's death row whose case has garnered worldwide attention, saying he should be granted clemency because of the widespread ... VOICES: The railroading of Troy DavisFacing South Troy Davis Facing the Death Gurneytruthout all 3 news articles »

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Today's top SocietyGuardian stories

• Andrew Lansley 'could lose job over NHS reforms'

• Local elections: Liberal Democrats facing loss of up to 600 seats

• Andrew Bowman: Much for the Lib Dems to lose in Manchester

• Suffolk halts 'virtual council' cash-saving plan

• Concern over teenage deaths in prison

• Teen girls 'should be taught to say no to sex'

• Forced-out police officers asked to volunteer

• Deficit targets will be missed, George Osborne told

• Deborah Orr: A very practical way to prevent drug tragedies

• Twitter could help fight spread of disease

All today's SocietyGuardian stories

Other news

• Child abuse deaths have fallen dramatically over the past 30 years, reports the Independent. It says the findings – published in Archives of Disease in Childhood – act as tribute to the success of child protection policies and those who implement them.

• An international federation of homelessness organisations has warned that London has joined a 'worrying' Europe-wide trend to criminalise homeless people, according to Inside Housing. Feantsa, the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless, said there was an 'alarming' and 'cruel' development across Europe, including in Madrid, London and Prague, to expel homeless people from public spaces.

• The creators of the Mumsnet website have set up a new social network for the UK's grandparents, reports the Evening Standard. Gransnet, gives the country's 14 million grandparents an online space to discuss subjects including relationships, hobbies, news, culture and grandparenting. The site will be edited by Geraldine Bedell, regular Observer contributor and editor of the Agebomb blog

• A Glasgow-based aid charity says it is facing closure because the city council is increasing its rent from £1 to about £18,000 a year, according to Third Sector. Glasgow the Caring City, which provides grass-roots support for young people in Glasgow and aid to people living in deprivation across the world, fears the impact of a move by Glasgow city council to end concessionary rents for organisations, including charities, using council-owned commercial properties across the city.

On my radar ...

• NHS reforms. Our live blog is looking at devolved power and the NHS, although one topic seems to be dominating the day's debate: how much longer will Andrew Lansley be at the helm of the health and social care bill? Dominic Browne on the Left Foot Forward blog asks Will David Cameron make Lansley a scapegoat, and will it work? He reckons:

"In light of this and the difficult relationship the Conservatives have with the British public over the NHS, Cameron might make Lansley a scapegoat. This would be humiliating in itself and would have to accompany some major compromises on the health bill. The best outcome for progressives would be for the unpopular Lansley to retain his job, and the healthcare bill to be defeated outright.
Lansley has become a liability and the bill has already lost the support of Liberal Democrats. Tomorrow's election results may well give the Lib Dems even more reason to retreat back to their base and disassociate themselves from the Tories."

• Election day. As well as the AV referendum, there are local elections in England and Northern Ireland, votes for assembly members in Wales and Northern Ireland, Scottish parliament polls and five mayoral ballots. My colleague Hélène Mulholland is live blogging the political action today. @dermotfinch, of the Centre for Cities tweets:

"A year ago, Lib Dems were running loads of cities - Liverpool, Leeds, Hull, Sheffield, Newcastle, Bristol, Cambridge - how many after tmrw?"

Andy Sawford, of the Local Government Information Unit, has blogged the 50 councils to watch:

"It has to be remembered that Labour performed particularly badly last time these council seats were up for election in 2007, and given their current lead in the opinion polls, they are predicted to make big gains tomorrow. The big unknown is quite what will happen in the many contests between Conservatives and Lib Dems. I've erred, based on the opinion polls, towards the Conservatives making some gains from the Lib Dems. There is a big caveat here though, the polls will not translate uniformly to what happens locally, where local issues, campaigns and council performance, will be a big factor in the results."

And the We Love Local Government blog is bigging up all those council staff who make elections happen:

"It started early this morning as a small army of local authority workers set off to prepare the school halls, doctors surgeries, community halls and council buildings that serve as polling stations. They will start working at 6:30am and finish at 10pm when the responsible officer in each polling station will ensure that the sealed ballot boxes are delivered to the counting hall.
In many authorities another tribe of officers will be there at 10pm to count the votes as they come in, many working until early into the next morning to make sure democracy runs its proper course in a timely manner."

I love this picture tweeted by @AndrewBloch, which should be referred to on every polling day, and @tobyblume says he's "Starting democratic education early in our house!"

• The launch of the Transition Institute this morning. The institute, a joint venture between Social Enterprise London and Nesta, aims to support public servants who are "spinning out" their services into social enterprise. Speakers at the launch include Ali Parsa of Circle Healthcare, Andrew Burnell, CEO of City Healthcare Partnership, Craig Dearden Phillips of Stepping Out, Allison Ogden-Newton of Social Enterprise London, James Miller of Living Well and former Labour health minister and chair of the Social Enterprise Coalition Baroness Thornton. You can track the launch at the twitter hashtag #transitioninstitute while the Guardian's Jane Dudman writes about the institute here. My favourite tweet: Allison Ogden-Newton, who reported Ali Parsa as saying:

"I think there is a real danger with this Gov that they don't seem 2 no how 2 make #socent happen"

• Jonathan Bland, former chief executive of the Social Enterprise Coalition, who has submitted a new international review to the government's Mutuals Taskforce, setting out what the experiences of Spain, Italy and Sweden can teach the UK about turning public services into mutuals. His report, Time to Get Serious, International Lessons for Developing Public Service Mutuals, concludes that the UK isn't yet ready for the move:

"Understanding of the business models is limited and support is fragmented. To date there has not been investment of sufficient resources.
... I am calling on government to invest in the creation of a new long-term specialist support service for public servants to provide training, business advice and help with access to finance that is appropriate to co-operative and mutual enterprise."

• Journalist and photographer Ciara Leeming's Streetfighters project (featured in Society daily last year), which gained an "honourable mention" in the digital category of this year's Amnesty International media awards. Leeming, an expert on regeneration, powerfully tells the stories of individuals and communities caught up in the housing market renewal demolition schemes in the north of England, through words, pictures and audio.

• The Great Estate, Michael Collins' look at the history of council housing in Britain, which is being aired on BBC2 at 7pm today, after its showing on BBC4 last month

• This excellent blog from our contributor Edward Lawrence on the injustice of disability benefit reforms:

"... the benefits system is in danger of creating its own miscarriages of justice. The new workplace capability assessment will find disabled people fit to work when they are manifestly unable to do so. It will penalise them financially and so curtail their independence."

• International day of the midwife, which is being marked worldwide today. See this great site from the White Ribbon Alliance, Stories of Midwives

On the Guardian Professional Networks

• Live social enterprise Q&A; from 1pm - communicating your mission. What are the tricks and tips involved?

• Professor Graham Smith, a professor of politics at the University of Southampton, on how the AV referendum process was a missed opportunity for citizen engagement

• Susan Osborne, of University Hospital of South Manchester on how the trust uses ju jitsu and £50-worth of hula hoops to keep its staff fit

• Helen Beckett rounds up the best of the charity blogs, those that admit failure and amuse as well as inform

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LONDEN - De mensenrechtenorganisatie Amnesty International heeft de Verenigde Staten en Pakistan om opheldering gevraagd over de dood van Osama bin Laden. Dat meldde de organisatie donderdag.

The global human rights watchdog-Amnesty International-has asked US authorities to clarify aspects of the operations in Abbotabad in which Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden was killed on Sunday. The organisation also sought similar information from the Pakistani authorities. The AI specifically requested information on the status and whereabouts of those who were with bin Laden

Publisher: Amnesty International - Document type: Country News

Publisher: Amnesty International - Document type: Country News

Publisher: Amnesty International - Document type: Country News

Amnesty International asks the US and Pakistani authorities to clarify aspects of the operation in which Osama bin Laden was killed.

Authorities in Azerbaijan must immediately release a member of an opposition youth organization sentenced to two and a half years in prison on fabricated drug charges, Amnesty International said today

Kyrgyzstan’s authorities must urgently investigate and prosecute those responsible for human rights violations during unrest in June 2010, Amnesty International said today after an international commission of inquiry found that the violence amounted to crimes against humanity

The Bahraini government must end its relentless crackdown on human rights, Amnesty International said today after the country's parliament voted to extend a repressive state of emergency amid continued arrests of dissidents

• Did torture help catch Osama bin Laden? Each side is reading into the story what it wants.
• Lowy Institute director Michael Wesley has a new book, 'There goes the neighbourhood: Australia and the rise of Asia'.
• The number of asylum seekers has dropped considerably. New research suggests many are leaving Afghanistan for economic not political reasons.
• FT.com's Gideon Rachman argues we should uses bin Laden's death to declare victory in the war on terror. Agreed (h/t Yglesias).
• Not everyone got the memo that killing bin Laden was a big deal.
• Former PM&C head Peter Shergold on the interaction between research and policy.
• The photo of White House officials waiting for news of the Osama raid has spawned a meme. 
• Amnesty International estimates North Korea is holding around 200,000 political prisoners.
• Sam observed on Monday that New Yorkers tend to take a quiet and sober view of the 9/11 attacks, something one subway commuter discovered to his embarrasment when he asked fellow passengers to help him celebrate the death of bin Laden.

Watch video

AFP

Amnesty International Presents Dalai Lama with Human Rights Award Gather Celebs News Channel The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, was in California this morning to accept the first-ever "Shine a Light on Human Rights" award from Amnesty International, in honor of his lifelong commitment to social justice and human rights. ... Dalai Lama 'says bin Laden killing justified'AFP Dalai Lama suggests Osama bin Laden's death was justifiedLos Angeles Times Dalai Lama visits UC Irvine89.3 KPCC Daily 49er -Boing Boing -San Jose Mercury News all 362 news articles »

Amnesty International was recently able to take some time off of their advocating for the return of Bradley Manning’s blanket to issue are report about the hundreds of thousands of North Koreans imprisoned and being tortured in concentration camps: North Korea is holding around 200,000 people in huge political prison camps where inmates are forced [...]

[iPhone snapshot above: Xeni Jardin; illustration inset, Shepard Fairey.]

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, was in Long Beach, California this morning to accept the inaugural edition of a "Shine a Light on Human Rights" award from Amnesty International. My notes from the event follow.

He accepted the award with characteristic humility and good humor, saying, "I am just a single monk; no more, no less," later adding for the Amnesty volunteers and human rights advocates assembled, "Your work is good. Please continue."

Addressing the crowd before the spiritual leader spoke, Amnesty International's U.S. executive director Larry Cox said the award honored the fact that he has "tirelessly and peacefully defended the rights of people everywhere" for over 50 years. This month will also mark the 50th anniversary of the human rights organization's own founding.

The Dalai Lama took questions from Amnesty volunteers for more than an hour, and spoke of the imperative to protect those who are engaged in human rights work, as well as the need for freedom of information and expression in Tibet, China, and around the world.

Speaking through a translator, he described a Tibetan concept of generosity that encompasses not only material goods or comfort to those in need, "but also protection from fear."

"Individuals in some ways have more power than governments; the individuals, the artists, the activists who are compelled to change society—we must protect them."

Despite the white stubble he pointed to on his shaved head, the 76-year-old monk said he was optimistic that he would witness Tibetan "reunion" and peace with China in his lifetime.

"If you start a noble effort and encounter problems, and just stop— it is wrong," he said. "You must persist. If you believe that the goal of your work must materialize in your lifetime, it is wrong. It's still worthwhile, even if you never live to see it materialize."

The internet's enabling of increased access to information, and the increasing velocity of information, he said, is a good thing. "Because of new media, the news [of human rights violations] reaches us immediately."

Censorship and seemingly ever-tightening restrictions on internet flow are a predictable response from the Chinese government, he continued, but they are fundamentally unsustainable. "More soldiers, more [surveillance] cameras, they build mistrust and fear. Harmony is based on trust... so this is totally the wrong method. Censorship should not be there; there should be free information, a free press, and then an independent judiciary and gradual government change can follow. That will develop trust and harmony within China, and with the outside world. A closed society with no transparency creates suspicion."

"The lifespan of a totalitarian regime is generally longer than that of an elected government," he continued. "But China belongs to the Chinese people, and not the government. 1.3 billion Chinese people have the right to know reality, and to judge what is right and what is wrong for themselves."

Asked by a young student LGBT activist what advice he might give gay and trans teens who are bullied for their sexual or gender orientation, the Dalai Lama suggested that apart from pursuing legal protection, greater understanding and more education in "moral ethics and concern for others" may help.

But "sometimes the system to solve the problem turns into a problem itself," he added; "The court can turn into a demon, the 'medicine' can become a poison, and people who do not have access to knowledge and education can be more easily manipulated."

He then paused and added "If someone bullies you based on discrimination, you should fight back."

No questions were posed about the recent killing of Osama bin Laden by US forces in Pakistan, but the Los Angeles Times noted his response on that issue yesterday at a "Secular Ethics, Human Values and Society" event, before an audience of 3,000 at University of Southern California.

Did bin Laden deserve forgiveness?

As a human being, Bin Laden may have deserved compassion and even forgiveness, the Dalai Lama said in answer to a question about the assassination of the Al Qaeda leader. But, he said, "Forgiveness doesn't mean forget what happened. ... If something is serious and it is necessary to take counter-measures, you have to take counter-measures."

This, from a peaceful monk who avoids killing mosquitoes. "When my mood is good and there is no danger of malaria," he said at the USC event, he refrains from swatting even these pests.

While the Dalai Lama's thoughts on the specifics of the bin Laden assassination may remain an engima, Amnesty International's stated position is clear: the organization has long opposed extrajudicial execution, regardless of the subject involved.

This week, the group raised concerns that "US forces should have attempted to capture Osama bin Laden alive in order to bring him to trial if he was unarmed and posing no immediate threat," because perpetrators of terrorism and crimes against humanity "must be brought to justice in a manner consistent with international law."

In response to a question today in Long Beach by an Arab-American Amnesty International member about anti-Muslim hostility in America, the Dalai Lama described discrimination based on faith or culture as "backwards" and "outdated."

He pointed to the Hindu caste system in India (where he resides in exile) as the same, and said it too "must change."

"People should not say that Muslims as a whole are bad. I have many Muslim friends, and they tell me genuine followers of the Koran do not take bloodshed. If you do, you are not a genuine practitioner of Islam. The real meaning of 'jihad' is not fighting, but a kind of internal struggle. In Tibetan Buddhism, we also have a terminology of engaging in combat with our inner afflictions, fighting for internal spiritual freedom. This is the real meaning of jihad."

(special thanks to Kala'ayan Mendoza)

L'ONG Amnesty International a diffusé des photos satellite de camps où le régime de Pyongyang maintient ses prisonniers politiques dans des conditions de vie «atroces».

Amnesty International has published satellite imagery and new testimony that shed light on the horrific conditions in North Korea's network of political prison camps, which hold an estimated 200,000 people.

Hungern als Strafe, öffentliche Hinrichtungen, ein Kind in einer Folterzelle: Die Menschenrechtsorganisation Amnesty International schildert in einem drastischen Bericht die grausamen Haftbedingungen in Nordkorea. Satellitenbilder zeigen, dass Pjöngjang die Lager drastisch ausgeweitet hat.

Public executions, death by starvation and torture are common in North Korean political prisoner camps, according to testimony given to human rights group Amnesty International.