Barnado’s do a lot of great work.
This is a horrific advert but an advert which hopefully will push people to action. This year many people I have spoken to are talking of donating money to worthy causes rather than but big presents or lots of cards. This year Barnado’s would be a great charity to support.
Watch the advert – you may want to cry after!
I’ve seen a couple of people in the media suggest that China is trying hard to change and is honouring its promise to clean up its human rights act as it stages the Olympics. Well this BBC footage of a dealing with a peaceful protest shows nothing’s changed!
I am shocked and repulsed by this report of a 15 year old boy being interrogated while he is obviously in distress. The boys name is Omar Khadr and he may have committed a crime. We do not know of he has or not because he is still locked up in Guantanamo 5 years after being arrested without a trial of any sort.
He was arrested when he was 15. He is now 21. His youth has been stolen. His rights as a human have been abused.
Take in the magnitude of the reality of that statement. The BBC report seems to miss this and take it for granted. maybe this is a further illustration of the dull conformity referred to yesterday.
This lad, this son, has been locked up for 6 years without any trial and does not have any immediate prospects of release.
What sort of country allows this to happen? I’ve spoken about sanctions against Burma and against Zimbabwe – but what about the human rights abuses of the USA – dull conformity means no one even raises an eye!
To the American Christians who stay quiet on this, to all of us, Omar is created in the image of God too!
The Baptist Union and the Ascension Trust are holding what looks to be a good event this Saturday at Brixton Baptist Church looking at Gun and Knife crime.
You can download a flyer and more details here
Jon over at ASBOJesus seems to capture the mood well yet again.
I’m not sure if I feel more shocked or disgusted over the commons vote this evening.
For those of you not in the UK, our government this evening voted in favour of extending the time a suspect can be held in detention without being charged from 28 to 42 days. 42 days loss of freedom before any charges have to be brought is a gross abuse of human rights. Yes, I know terrorism is a serious threat, and yes I know we have to use new techniques to limit it. My concern is that we are against terrorism due to its abuse to humanity – my country decided tonight to vote to abuse human rights to combat terrorism.
I am not sure whether my disgust is more towards the MP’s or to church and Christian agencies that have kept largely very quiet on this. Recently we have seen campaigns outside Westminster from Christians protesting against abortion, saviour siblings, homosexual parent adoptions, the removal of a requirement for a father in IVF treatment, experiments on embryos and the need to show equal rights regardless of sexuality. People campaigned against these from a point of respect of life or a protection of belief.
Where were the campaigners for this abuse? Why weren’t the large evangelical organisations calling people out to campaign for this?
It worries me that the church has remained largely silent on this clearcut abuse of humanity.
On Wednesday (tomorrow!) MPs will make a crucial decision that could undermine the basic human rights of everyone in the UK. I believe Christians should speak out against this.
I cannot believe that our country is even contemplating such a law.
“42 Days“ who likes it and who doesn’t is the talk of the media right now. They’re referring, of course, to the government’s plans to give police the power to lock people up for 42 days, six weeks, without even charging them with anything. Last week John Major waded in; then the Guardian has found that senior police figures have reservations; the Times says the public like it but that Brown’s going to lose Wednesday’s Commons vote (on the Counter-Terrorism Bill, which contains the 42-day proposal); while the Mirror (and a reluctant Home Secretary) notes that even the UK’s intelligence community isn’t calling for it.
Time for Amnesty to pitch in then and we really don’t like it.
Amnesty’s UK Director Kate Allen has written to every potential rebel backbench MP, urging them to oppose any extension to pre-charge detention. Human rights in the UK are under serious threat and it’s time for MPs to defend them. Here’s what she had to say:
This week, you will have a chance to debate and vote on the Counter Terrorism Bill. The vote will be a watershed moment for human rights in the UK.
The Bill would increase pre-charge detention for terrorism suspects to 42 days. If this proposal goes ahead, people could be held for six weeks without knowing anything about the reason for their detention. This flies in the face of justice.
Prolonged detention without charge or trial undermines fair trial rights protected by international human rights law. Everybody who is arrested is entitled to be charged promptly and tried within a reasonable time, or to be released.
I am not reassured by the Government’s recent ˜concessions”.
– The Home Secretary will now have to be satisfied that there is a ‘grave and exceptional terrorist threat’ before authorising an extension. This definition is sweepingly broad.
– Parliament will debate and vote on the extension earlier than previously. However, this debate would be meaningless because of the risk of prejudicing future trials.
– Finally, the Bill makes no provision for proper judicial safeguards.
I understand the complexity of counter-terrorism operations and the threat that we face from international terrorism. The horrific terrorist attacks of recent years, including in our own capital, were barbaric acts and gross human rights violations. All states have an obligation to act to protect people from terrorism. The perpetrators of terrorist attacks must be brought to justice.
However, unless governments respond to the threat of international terrorism with measures that are fully grounded in respect for human rights, they risk undermining the values they seek to protect and defend.
You have an opportunity this week to defend the values that underpin civil liberties in this country. I urge you to stand in support of principles that lie at the heart of our society, principles such as justice and liberty. The alternative is to succumb to the climate of fear that terrorists seek to breed among us.
I urge you to oppose any further extension of pre-charge detention.
[ends]
Amnesty International members have been campaigning against extending pre-charge detention limits since the idea was first proposed. Over 7,000 people have signed our ˜Not a Day Longer” petition at the Number Ten website
It’s crunch time right now. Please spread the word on your blogs and sites or, even better, contact your MP and ask them to stand up for our civil liberties by opposing 42 days. You can find our press release here and a handy list of ˜ten good reasons why extending pre-charge detention is a bad” here .
Until next time,
Steve
From Amnesty’s Project Blog Team
We watched Lady of Burma at the Hazlitt theatre last night – a gift from wonderful brother and sister in law, Andrew and Sarah.
Although I know the story of Aung San Suu Kyi fairly way I was moved to tears tonight as the sheer level of her pain and sacrifice were evident in a raw sense: the seperation from her husband and her boys in England, the pain of not being able to see her husband on his death bed, the mothers agony of seperation from her sons and grandchildren that she has never held, the anger at how her people are treated, the fear of the generals over this frail, vulnerable woman.
The bravery and commitment of Aung San Suu Kyi was conveyed in a powerful way which moved the audience to tears.
Today the Burma Campaign has added new companies to its dirty list – a list of comapanies that through their business fund the military junta of Burma that has held Aung sang under arrest for 12 years, the same junta that has murdered thousands of innocent people, the same junta that we saw only months ago beat and kill thousands of unarmed monks.
Please look at the list and avoid these companies that support this brutal regime.
I’ve cut and paste below the latest update from Amnesty International – can someone please tell or remind me WHY ON EARTH we are holding the greatest inclusive sporting event there is in one of the most oppressive countries in the world!!?? The Amnesty statement here makes little mention of China, but the figures speak for themselves – at a very conservative estimate
At least of 1,252 people were executed (in 24 countries) last year we think it has executed 470 fathers, or mothers, or sons or daughters. This is horrible and yet we are surely condoning this behaviour by allowing these executers to make money out of this event.
The big five were: China (470+), Iran (317+), Saudi Arabia (143+), Pakistan (135+), USA (42) – the ‘plus’ symbol is a warning, though: because of secrecy, these are only minimum figures. China, for example, refuses to publish execution statistics.
At least 3,347 people were sentenced to death in over 50 countries
There are now up to 27,500 people on death row around the world
Read the full story – including about how a man was publicly stoned to death for adultery in Iran, another was beheaded for sorcery in Saudi Arabia, and how the United States released its 124th innocent prisoner from death row since 1973 while recently going a record six months without an execution. Our blog on the issue is here.
If you agree that the death penalty is cruel, unnecessary and about as relevant to modern justice as burning “witches” or heretics, then the “unofficial moratorium” in the US is encouraging news and Amnesty is now supporting a United Nations initiative to get a worldwide halt on all executions around the world. Read more about the moratorium here.
I can’t get to this as I will be only 24 hours into my SEITE 8 day residential school in Canterbury. If I wasn’t I would be at this event.
I was both appalled and disappointed with the words of one of my childhood Heroes, Seb Coe, last week when he was asked in interview why we were going to the Olympics held in a country that has some of the worse human rights violations occuring today. He said something along the lines of ‘we must remember that the only people who lose out if we were to boycott or not support are the athletes themselves who have been training year after year for this event.’
Seb – I think you need to realise that the millions that the Chinese government make from this event will not going to help people, or even Chinese athletes – it will be going to recruiting more soldiers, more arms, and be used to continue to oppress innocent people both within the without the borders of China.
It’s totally shocking that the world and the Olympic Committee said it expected to see an improvement in how China deals with people before the Olympics started to see that no such improvement has occured and that we are happy to turn a blind eye to it.
anyway … please read the following Burma update:
Dear friend
This Sunday protest against China’s support for the Burmese regime as the Olympic Torch comes to London:
Date: This Sunday – 6th April
Time: 12:30-1:30
Location: Opposite Downing Street, at junction of Whitehall and Richmond Terrace,
Map here
Nearest Tube: Westminster
See the location here
On Sunday the Burma Campaign UK and the Burmese community will be highlighting China’s continued support for Burma’s brutal regime by holding
a peaceful protest as the Olympic Torch comes to London.
Why China?
China arms the regime, supplying weapons, bullets and military vehicles to the brutal army.
China finances the regime , by signing deals in the oil, gas, hydro-electric and mining sectors china provides the regime with an economic lifeline.
China protects the regime by blocking UN Security Council action on Burma
By providing economic, political and logistical support China is helping to keep the brutal generals in power in Burma.
Join us this Sunday at 12:30. The torch only passes once so make sure you get there on time!
See the location here
All the best and thanks for your support.
Anna Roberts
The Burma Campaign UK
The Shiny Headed Prophet 