:: GussetBLOG ::

:: Friday, July 04, 2008 ::

So where was He for the last six years?

"Ingrid Betancourt, freed from captivity and humiliation in the jungles of Colombia, returns to her beloved France and a hero's welcome Friday in the gilded halls of the presidential palace. ... [she] was freed Wednesday in a daring Colombian operation involving military spies who tricked FARC rebels into handing over Betancourt and 14 other hostages without firing a shot."

"[she] described their ecstasy with unforgettable vividness. 'The helicopter almost fell. We started jumping, we screamed, we cried, we hugged - we couldn't believe it. God carried out this miracle.'"

No he didn't. Fuck God.
Try thanking your rescuers.
Ungrateful bitch.

Um, apart from that this is a good thing, obviously.

Labels: Amnesty, News, Politics, Religion

:: Dan 4.7.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
...

unsubscribe-me.org

Labels: Amnesty, Film, Politics

:: Dan 23.4.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
...

"Tibetans launched the Tibetan Freedom Torch Relay in Olympia today under intense scrutiny and harassment from Greek police and 15 to 20 Chinese government officials."

"Despite the excessive police resence, the twelve Tibetans carried out the lighting ceremony in frontof the ancient archaeological site of Olympia, Greece, pre-empting hina’s Olympic Torch Relay launch there later this month. The TibetanFreedom Torch represents the hopes and aspirations of the Tibetan people or freedom and justice and will be carried to more than 20 countriesworldwide, reaching Tibet on the eve of the Beijing Games. The Freedom torch also highlights Tibetan opposition to the Chinese government’s politically motivated plan to carry the Olympic Torch through Tibet"

Edit: 14.03.07 Website linked above has been taken down already. Hopefully this reuters link will last longer.

Labels: Amnesty, News, Olymipcs, Politics

:: Dan 10.3.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
...

China feels heat as activists take their cue from Spielberg. 'Focus on Darfur as human rights campaigners salute film director and vow to target main sponsors of the games'

"The director stepped down from his role as artistic adviser to Beijing late on Tuesday, citing his opposition to China's support for the Sudanese regime responsible for the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. He accused China of not doing enough to press Sudan to end the "continuing human suffering" in the troubled region. China imports two-thirds of Sudan's oil and in return is said to be the African country's biggest arms supplier."

Well, it's been a long time coming. It's a shame that it took the Darfur situation to prompt it rather than an objection to China's human rights record in general and the crack down on free-speech and peaceful protest that is directly related to the games themselves. However, it's a step in the right direction and he should be applauded for that. [2006 Amnesty report: China: The Olympics Countdown - Failing to keep human rights promises. There are plenty more up to date sources on specific issues if you search.]

Athletes too are raising awareness

"For the last 20 years team members have been obliged to sign a contract as a condition of taking part in the Games. But for the first time a clause had been inserted into the Team Members Agreement stating athletes must not comment on politically-sensitive issues during the event in Beijing." [BBC news]

The IOA deny this is a problem, as the events should be "about sport" and nothing else. But shouldn't sport be about something? Isn't it about bringing people together? Former British Olymipic swimmer Duncan Goodhew made a good point about how pivotal the Moscow Olympics was in bringing about change in Russia [I think the comment has been edited out of the above article since] but that doesn't mean we should take a back seat and just wait for things to change. Putting on more pressure will speed up the process and now is the perfect opportunity.

Labels: Amnesty, China, News, Politics, Sport

:: Dan 14.2.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
...

Afghan journalism student sentenced to death for reading about women's rights

"A young man, a student of journalism, is sentenced to death is by an Islamic court for downloading a report from the internet. The sentence is then upheld by the country's rulers. This is Afghanistan – not in Taliban times but six years after "liberation" and under the democratic rule of the West's ally Hamid Karzai.

"The fate of Sayed Pervez Kambaksh has led to domestic and international protests, and deepening concern about erosion of civil liberties in Afghanistan. He was accused of blasphemy after he downloaded a report from a Farsi website which stated that Muslim fundamentalists who claimed the Koran justified the oppression of women had misrepresented the views of the prophet Mohamed."

Sign our e-petition at www.independent.co.uk/petition

______________________________

Is a Small Island in the Indian Ocean Holding Prisoners in the War on Terror?

"MPs and human rights group have accused ministers of a cover-up over government knowledge of rendition flights and the use of British military bases to hold suspects after the United States launched its war on terror more than six years ago.

"Now ministers have blocked an attempt by an influential parliamentary committee to secure the release of secret military papers which they believe will reveal whether the British island territory of Diego Garcia was used as a detention center for rendition prisoners."

Labels: Amnesty, News, Politics

:: Dan 4.2.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
...

"America has told Britain that it can “kidnap” British citizens if they are wanted for crimes in the United States. A senior lawyer for the American government has told the Court of Appeal in London that kidnapping foreign citizens is permissible under American law because the US Supreme Court has sanctioned it." read more

This story was published a month ago but I missed it at the time. Found on Hijack.

Labels: Amnesty, Freedom, News, Politics

:: Dan 11.1.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
...

"The fun-loving Burmese regime has apparently found a non-violent method to restrict satellite TV access to foreign news services - hiking the cost of a licence by 16,700 per cent from 6000 kyat (£2.50) to 1m kyatt (£400, or "three times the average annual salary", as the BBC explains)."
[via The Register]

Labels: Amnesty, News, Politics

:: Dan 3.1.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
...

Unsubscribe from human rights abuse in the war on terror


Samuel Jones - unsubscrie - clanger
Originally uploaded by sosjones.

Labels: Amnesty

:: Dan 26.9.07 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
...

Amnesty has infuriated the Vatican by expanding its definition of human rights to include access to abortion for rape victims and women whose health is at risk from giving birth. And about time too. The linked article explains the reasoning behind it well as well as giving some background behind the organisations soul searching of the last couple of years. There was more detail on this in the last issue of their magazine although I can't find the copy on line at the moment. I'll update this post if I find it.

Labels: Amnesty, News, Politics

:: Dan 13.8.07 [Arc] [1 comments] [links to this post] ::
...

From an email:

Amnesty International
Global conference on internet freedom

Dear Irrepressible supporter,

It's now a year since the launch of our global campaign against internet repression, and we've come a long way in putting issues of web censorship high on the agenda for organisations and governments worldwide.

But we need to do more.

Join Amnesty International and The Observer online for a unique, interactive global event.

When: Wednesday 6 June
18:30 (UK), 19:30 (Europe), 13:30 (EST), 10:30 (PST)
Where: Online at www.amnesty.org.uk/webcast

On 6 June we will use the internet to link activists from around the world to discuss the struggle against internet repression, and to celebrate the irrepressible human desire for freedom of expression.

We will also launch a news hub, that will enable you to link news stories about internet repression to the Irrepressible website.

The event will be chaired by BBC journalist, Clark Boyd.

• Listen to a preview (Quicktime or RealPlayer required).
  
• Find out more about other participants, including Jimmy Wales from Wikipedia and Sami Ben Gharbia, a Tunisian cyber-dissident.

Wherever you are, you can watch the debate live by webcast, ask questions, and make comments.

We hope you will be able to join us in cyberspace.

Best wishes

Nick Dearden
Business and Human Rights Team

Labels: Amnesty

:: Dan 22.5.07 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
...

"Singapore has said that it will ban a documentary about the detention of a former leftist activist because its "distorted and misleading" portrayal of events could undermine the government."

Trailer:

Labels: Amnesty, Censorship, Film, News

:: Dan 11.4.07 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
...

AMNESTY
Originally uploaded by aconina.

"John Wayne Gacy was accused of torturing, sodomizing, and assassinating 33 males between the ages of 9 and 20 years. In 1980, a jury resolved his case. He had due process of law. Why does a Guantánamo prisoner not?"
[aconina's source]

Labels: Amnesty, Flickr

:: Dan 6.4.07 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
...

Terry Jones on the Iranian treatment of captives
[via rms]

Labels: Amnesty, Humour, News, Politics

:: Dan 5.4.07 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
...