Urgent Action: Tibet

Fear of torture and other ill-treatment

According to information published by the Tibetan Centre on Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), 15 Tibetan monks were detained on 10 March for staging a peaceful demonstration in Barkhor, Lhasa, the capital of Tibetan Autonomous Region. There is no information of their current whereabouts or of any charges brought against them. They are at high risk of torture and other ill-treatment.

They are:

Samten (m), aged 17, Lungkar Monastery, Qinghai Province
Trulku Tenpa Rigsang, (m), aged 26, Lungkar Monastery, Qinghai Province
Gelek Pel (m) aged 32 Lungkar Monastery, Qinghai Province
Lobsang (m) aged 15, Onpo Monastery, Sichuan Province
Lobsang Thukjey (m), aged 19 Onpo Monastery, Sichuan Province
Tsultrim Palden (m), aged 20 Onpo Monastery, Sichuan Province
Lobsher (m), aged 20 Onpo Monastery, Sichuan Province
Phurden, (m), aged 22 Onpo Monastery, Sichuan Province
Thupdon (m), aged 24 Onpo Monastery, Sichuan Province
Lobsang Ngodup (m), aged 29 Onpo Monastery, Sichuan Province
Lodoe (m), aged 30 Onpo Monastery, Sichuan Province
Thupwang (m), aged 30, Darthang Monastery
Pema Garwang (m), aged 30, Darthang Monastery
Tsegyam (m), aged 22, Kashi Monastery
Soepa (m), aged 30, Mangye Monastery

TCHRD has obtained pictures of fourteen of the detained monks. The portraits are on their website at: http://www.tchrd.org/press/2008/p001.html

Protests began in other monasteries in support of those detained. Demonstrations also involving lay people then followed across Lhasa, in other parts of Tibet and in areas of the neighbouring provinces of Qinghai, Gansu and Sichuan with large populations of Tibetans. On Friday the protests became violent, with some protesters specifically targeting and setting fire to Chinese-owned businesses and attacking people from other ethnic groups.

The Chinese authorities urged the protesters to give themselves in by Monday 17 March at midnight, Beijing Time, and promised that those who did would be treated leniently. As of today, the streets of Lhasa were reported to be largely quiet and empty.

APPEALS TO:

(If you prefer simply refer to the e-mail link in the post below to send a message to the Chinese Embassy in New Zealand)

President of the People’s Republic of China
HU Jintao Guojia Zhuxi
The State Council General Office
2 Fuyoujie,
Xichengqu
Beijingshi 100017,
People's Republic of China
Salutation: Your Excellency

Chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Regional People's Government
Qiangba PUNCOG Zhuren
Xizang Zizhiqu Renmin Zhengfu
1 Kang'angdonglu
Lasashi 850000,
Xizang Zizhiqu,
People's Republic of China
Salutation: Dear Chairman

Minister of Public Security of the People's Republic of China
MENG Jianzhu Buzhang
Gong’anbu
14 Dongchang’anjie
Dongchengqu,
Beijingshi 100741,
People's Republic of China
Fax: +86 10 63099216 (it may be difficult to get through, please keep trying)
Salutation: Your Excellency

Unrest in Tibet Video

China Vs.Tibet or Trade Vs Human Rights

New Zealand will be the first developed nation to sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China early next month. Amnesty International is not opposed to this or any other FTA, but we are concerned that human rights do not appear to be a feature of the process – despite China’s poor human rights record*.

Which is why Amnesty is urging:

• the Chinese government to commit to improving its human rights record and particularly to end forced labour and child labour practices and allow trade unions to operate freely and independently.

• the New Zealand Government to ensure this country’s human rights reputation, obligations, and its ability to speak out about human rights abuses in China, such as those currently occurring in Tibet, are not compromised when the FTA is signed.

Please take action today.

You can contact the Chinese Embassy (NZ) here if you wish to comment on the events in Tibet.

Or contact Helen Clark here and tell her

Human rights are too valuable to be traded.

Urgent Action - GUATEMALA

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The SITRABANSUR trade union was formed by banana workers in July 2007 in order to negotiate collective terms and conditions. They allege that the owners of the farm on which they work do not pay the minimum wage and do not pay social security and other contributions.

On 20 November 2007, all of the founding members of the union, including its leaders, and their families were dismissed from their jobs and evicted from their homes, apparently as a result of their trade union activities. Germn Aguilar Brego, Alberto Lpez Prez and Vctor Manuel Gmez allege that the previous day they had received a death threat from a member of management of the banana farm.

According to reports, on 2 March two armed men, with their faces covered by ski masks, lay in wait near the home of Miguel ngel Ramirez Enrquez, one of the founders of SITRABANSUR (Sindicato de Trabajadores Bananeros del Sur, Union of Banana Workers of the South). As Miguel Ramirez was returning home, he was shot at by the men. Miguel Ramirez died some two hours later in hospital. Initial reports indicate that his body had four bullet wounds and at least one knife wound.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Spanish or your own language:

- expressing concern for the safety of Vctor Manuel Gmez Mendoza, Alberto Lpez Prez, Germn Aguilar Brego and other members of the Executive Committee of SITRABANSUR;
- urging the authorities to take immediate and effective measures to guarantee the safety of all SITRABANSUR leaders, in accordance with their own wishes;
- urging the authorities to immediately order a swift, impartial and full investigation into the death of Miguel ngel Ramirez Enrquez, and to bring those responsible to justice;
- calling for a swift, impartial and full investigation into reports of a break-in at the home of Alberto Lpez Prez, and the intimidation of other union members; and demanding that the authorities bring those responsible to justice;
- reminding the authorities that human rights defenders, including trade union leaders, have the right to carry out their activities without any restrictions or fear of reprisals, as set out in the UN Declaration on the Rights and Responsibilities of Individuals, Groups and Institutions to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

APPEALS TO:

Minister of the Interior
Sr. Carlos Vinicio Gmez Ruiz
Ministro de Gobernacin
6 Avenida 13-71, Zona 1,
Ciudad de Guatemala, GUATEMALA
Fax: +502 2413 8658
Salutation: Dear Minister/Estimado Sr. Ministro

Attorney General and Head of the Public Prosecutor''s Office
Lic. Juan Luis Florido
Fiscal General de la Repblica y Jefe del Ministerio Pblico
8 Avenida 10-67, Zona 1, Antiguo Edificio del Banco de los Trabajadores,
Ciudad de Guatemala, GUATEMALA
Fax: +502 2411 9124
+502 2411 9326
Salutation: Dear Attorney General/Estimado Sr. Fiscal General

Urgent Action - IRAN

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Iran is one of only six countries in the world in which child offenders may face execution. This is despite Iran''s obligations under international law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to prohibit the execution of juvenile offenders. In the last four years Iran has executed more child offenders than in all those other countries combined. At least 79 child offenders are now on death row in Iran. This number could be considerably higher since not all sentences may have been made public.

For more information about executions of child offenders in Iran, please see: Iran: The last executioner of children (MDE 13/059/2007, June 2007), http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engmde130592007

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases, and supports the global trend away from the use of the death penalty, powerfully expressed in the UN General Assembly''s resolution calling for a worldwide moratorium on executions on 18 December 2007.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in English, French, Arabic, Persian or your own language:
- calling for an immediate halt to the executions of Naser Qasimi, Mohammad Reza Haddadi, Reza Hejazi and Iman Hashemi, all convicted of crimes allegedly committed when they were under the age of 18;

- calling on the authorities to declare a moratorium on the implementation of the death penalty as called for by the UN General Assembly in December 2007, and to commute the death sentences passed on Naser Qasimi, Mohammad Reza Haddadi, Reza Hejazi and Iman Hashemi;
- reminding the authorities that Iran is a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which prohibit the use of the death penalty against people convicted of crimes committed when they were under 18.

APPEALS TO:

Leader of the Islamic Republic
His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed ''Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street - Shahid Keshvar Doust Street
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info@leader.ir
Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh / Office of the Head of the Judiciary
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info@dadgostary-tehran.ir (In the subject line write: FAO Ayatollah Shahroudi)
Salutation: Your Excellency