INDIA: URGENT ACTION fear for safety of tamil nadu protestors.

Fifteen people who are fast ing in protest against a nuclear power plant project in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu fear for their safety after thousands of police and paramilitary forces surrounded their coastal village of Idinthakarai . At least 180 people have already been detained in the last two days for their roles in the protest.

The fifteen includes seven women and belong to the People’s Movement against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), a campaign group led by Dr S P Udayakumar, a teacher. They have been fasting since 19 March as part of ongoing protests against plans for a Russian-built nuclear power plant project next to the coastal village of Kudankulam, because they feel it poses a danger to local communities. The site will affect at least 15,000 people living close to the site.

The Idinthakarai villagers have faced shortages of essential goods and services over the last three days as police and paramilitary forces have blocked their delivery. Police have arbitrarily detained at least 180 people in the last two days in connection with the protests, including fishermen who tried to reach the village by sea. Police and paramilitaries have urged the media to leave the area.

Some of those detained were assaulted when they were detained. They may be at risk of torture. Some of the protestors, including Dr S P Udayakumar already face charges of sedition (crimes against the state) and waging war against the state and, if convicted of these charges, they could face sentences as high as life imprisonment. Others have been charged with conspiracy and rioting with deadly weapons. Amnesty International believes the charges are false, and constitute a deliberate attempt by the authorities to silence the protests. Dr S P Udayakumar states that the expert panel established by the Indian authorities has failed to respond satisfactorily to several site and safety concerns raised by an independent group of experts.

Please write immediately in English or your own language:

Calling on the authorities to immediately release all peaceful protestors and drop the charges against them if they have been brought solely to silence the peaceful protests of the group and others;

Calling on the authorities to ensure that those arbitrarily detained are not tortured or subjected to other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and produce them in a court of law if there are charges against them other than participating in peaceful protests;

Calling on the authorities to immediately allow free passage to those seeking to enter or exit Idinthakarai village and respect the rights of freedom of expression and freedom of assembly of the peaceful protestors there in accordance with international law.

P LEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 3 MAY 2012 TO :

Prime Minister of India

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

South Block, Raisina Hill

New Delhi 110 00, India

Fax : +91 11 2301 7931

Email: Through website:

http://pmindia.nic.in/feedback.php

Salutation: Dear Prime Minister

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister
Ms.J. Jayalalitha
Fort St George
Chennai 600 009
India
Email: cmcell@tn.gov.in

Salutation: Dear Chief Minister

Solidarity messages may be sent to:

Dr S. P. Udayakumar
People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy
Idinthakarai PO 627104
Tamil Nadu
India
E-mail: drspudayakumar@yahoo.com

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please insert local diplomatic addresses below:

Name Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 Fax Fax number Email Email address Salutation Salutation

Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date. This is the second update of UA 367/11. Further information: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/ASA20/008/2012/en

Sri Lanka: Locked away: Sri Lanka's security detainees.

Sri Lanka’s long war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ended in 2009, but its legacy of unlawful detention continues. Thousands of people have been arbitrarily detained under repressive anti-terrorism laws. This report exposes unlawful detention practices in Sri Lanka as part of an ongoing pattern of human rights violations that has persisted long after the armed conflict ended. The authorities must stop these practices, investigate and prosecute reported human rights violations against detainees, and repeal or amend laws that do not conform to international human rights standards.

A very interesting document on tihs issue: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/ASA37/003/2012/en

PAKISTAN LE AUTORITA’ DEVONO FARE DI PIU’ PER PROTEGGERE LE MINORANZE RELIGIOSE

Pakistan LE autoritA’ DEvono fare di piu’ per proteggere le minoranze religiose

COMUNICATO stampa

1 marzo 2012

AI Index: PRE01/114/2012

Il governo pakistano non è riuscito a proteggere le minoranze religiose dalla sistematica campagna di violenza e denigrazione , ha detto oggi  Amnesty International  nel primo anniversario dell’assassinio del Ministro delle Minoranze  Shahbaz Bhatti.

Unico membro cristiano del governo federale e uno dei pochi politici pakistani a reclamare la modifica delle controverse leggi sulla blasfemia Bhatti è morto ucciso da uomini armati che avevano aperto il fuoco sulla sua auto mentre stava andando a lavoro nella capitale  Islamabad.

“I funzionari pakistani dovrebbero onorare la memoria di  Bhatti sfidando la sistematica campagna di denigrazione e di attacco alle minoranze, ha detto  Sam Zarifi,  direttore di  Amnesty International per Asia e Pacifico .

Nonostante  il fratello di  Shahbaz, il  Dr Paul Bhatti,  sia stato nominato consigliere speciale del Presidente per le minoranze religiose , nessun altro ha preso il suo posto come Ministro per le Minoranze.

“Il posto ministeriale resta vacante in questo momento critico, è un triste riflesso dell'inazione del governo di fronte alle continue violenze contro le minoranze.”

I  Talebani del Pakistan hanno rivendicato la loro responsabilità per l'omicidio di Bhatti a causa del suo atteggiamento critico nei confronti delle leggi statali sulla blasfemia, sanzioni criminali risalenti al dominio britannico, che furono emendate negli anni ’80  durante la dittatura del Gen. Zia ul Haq, quando l’insulto al Corano o al Profeta Maometto sono diventate offese punibili rispettivamente con l’ergastolo e la morte.

Le minoranze religiose sono state accusate di blasfemia in modo sproporzionato, ma in proporzione  la maggioranza delle vittime è costituita da musulmani tradizionali; ciò riflette il pericolo che queste leggi procurano a tutti i membri della società pakistana e allo stato di diritto.   “ E’ passato un anno dall’omicidio di  Bhatti  e ancora i responsabili restano liberi e  non pare proprio che presto saranno chiamati a rispondere delle loro azioni in un tribunale.

Nel 2009,  un anno dopo essersi insediato al posto del regime militare del Generale Pervez Musharraf, l’attuale governo ha promesso di rivedere le “leggi  che pregiudicano l’armonia religiosa ,” tra le quali sono incluse le leggi sulla blasfemia.

Ma il governo non ha reagito dopo l’assassinio dell’ex governatore del  Punjab Salmaan Taseer, ucciso nel  gennaio  dello scorso anno da una delle sue guardie del corpo. Anche Taseer  fu ucciso perchè era un oppositore delle leggi sulla blasfemia.  “ Dopo l’omicidio di  Taseer il ministro  Bhatti rimase risoluto nelle sue critiche alle leggi,”  ha detto Zarifi.

“Dalla morte di Bhatti il governo  pakistano ha permesso di farsi intimidire fino al silenzio. I funzionari pakistani  devono rompere quel silenzio e alzare la voce contro chi cerca di far male agli altri a causa della loro religione.”

Quest’anno una coalizione di gruppi militanti religiosi estremisti ha apertamente chiesto la morte di musulmani sciiti e di alcuni sufi , di ahmadi e cristiani, e ha tenuto grandi adunate nelle maggiori città del Pakistan.

Martedì  28 febbraio 8 sciiti furono brutalmente assassinati. Gli spararono nel distretto di Kohistan nel  Pakistan del nordovest . Gli esecutori prima avevano fermato il loro autobus, poi li avevano separati dagli altri passeggeri a causa della loro religione.

Il governo pakistano deve fare tutto il possibile per proteggere tutti i cittadini  al di là della loro fede religiosa , specialmente dove gli esecutori candidamente invitano a commettere violenza contro di loro. “Il non essere riusciti a portare gli assassini di  Bhatti alla giustizia o a proteggere i cittadini più vulnerabili dalla violenza mentre i gruppi estremisti invocano pubblicamente la loro uccisione  dice agli autori degli abusi che resteranno impuniti  se mascherano i loro crimini da protezione di sentimenti religiosi anche quando gli obiettivi sono i più importanti uomini del governo”  ha detto Sam Zarifi.

“La violenza contro le minoranze religiose sta portando a un fallimento dello stato di diritto e ha incrementato le tensioni all’interno della variegata società pakistana.”

“Il governo pakistano deve prendere urgenti e concrete misure per migliorare la qualità delle indagini di polizia e riformare leggi come quelle sulla blasfemia , che promuovono abusi contro le minoranze religiose.

Background

3 ottobre  2011 - Pakistan: Le autorità devono contrastare gli sfacciati attacchi agli hazara sciitihttp://www.amnesty.org/zh-hant/node/27295

21 settembre 2011 – Il non riuscire a proteggere gli sciiti in Pakistan lascia molte persone in pericolo  http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/failure-protect-shia-muslims-pakistan-leaves-many-risk-2011-09-21

Maldives security forces assault women protesters.

By Amnesty International staff

A group of peaceful women protesters who wanted to mark their opposition to the Maldives’ new president found themselves on the receiving end of a violent assault.

Charged with batons and doused with pepper spray by the Maldivian army (MNDF), they fell foul of the authorities as they attempted to approach a rally in Addu City addressed by President Waheed on 26 February.

The 20 women were ahead of a crowd of about 70 when the police stopped them, saying they had been ordered not to allow Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) supporters in. The women wore the yellow headbands usually donned by MDP members.

The demonstrators halted their march and began to chant slogans against President Waheed, who was making his speech a couple of hundred metres away.

They were then attacked by an army contingent which has been deployed alongside police in recent weeks.

Army personnel arrived from a side alley behind the women, who were then caught between them and the police line.

Separated from the rest of the demonstrators, the 20 were charged by soldiers who wielded batons and used pepper spray, pushed them around, and kicked them on their legs and ribs.

Amnesty International learned that one woman had her arm twisted and sprained when MNDF soldiers grabbed her.

They then took her glasses off, forced her to open her eye and sprayed it with pepper spray. She said they pressed her against the wall and kicked her with their boots.

Another woman said that they began to beat her on her breast, repeatedly shouting they would see to it that she does not breast feed again.

A third woman showed her badly bruised arm where she said that soldiers had severely and repeatedly beaten her.

One woman showed bruising where army personnel beat her repeatedly © Amnesty International

Amnesty International condemns the Maldivian army’s use of excessive force against these women. Detailed testimonies from the victims revealed no evidence of the protesters being involved in any act of violence.

As the rest of the protesters ran away, army and police personnel chased them, allegedly beating anyone they caught. During the chase, clashes occurred between security forces and demonstrators. At one point, a policeman was reportedly injured by a stone thrown at the security forces.

Security personnel reportedly then entered the MDP office in Hitadhoo, where more than a dozen other women protesters had run for shelter. They chased the women into the storage room of the building and began to beat them.

Since the ouster of former President Mohamed Nasheed on 7 February, the Maldives have seen demonstrations by the opposition MDP and counter demonstrations by President Waheed’s supporters.

Human rights have become heavily politicized in the protests, with each side blaming their opponents for promoting violence.

During clashes between the MDP supporters and security forces on 8 February, up to 10 buildings, including police headquarters and a court building, were burnt down in Addu city, an MDP stronghold.

The government has blamed MDP supporters for the destruction. Scores of people were detained in Addu following the 8 February clashes and were tortured or otherwise ill-treated in custody.

Police have continued to deny torturing the detainees or using excessive force against MDP protesters.

http://livewire.amnesty.org/2012/02/29/maldives-security-forces-assault-women-protesters/langswitch_lang/az/#more-5220

Pakistan, un anno fa l'assassinio del ministro delle minoranze.

Il 2 marzo 2011 Paul Bhatti, l'unico ministro di religione cristiana del governo federale pachistano e uno dei pochi esponenti politici del paese favorevole a riformare le controverse leggi sulla blasfemia, veniva assassinato da un commando di uomini armati nella capitale Islamabad. I talebani pachistani rivendicarono l'omicidio. Due mesi prima, a gennaio, era stato ucciso il governatore del Punjab, Salmaan Taseer, a sua volta critico nei confronti di quelle leggi.

A un anno di distanza, i responsabili dell'omicidio non sono stati ancora portati di fronte alla giustizia e non vi sono segnali che ciò avverrà nel breve periodo.

Il posto di ministro per le Minoranze rimane vacante, esempio drammaticamente evidente della mancanza d'azione del governo di fronte ai continui episodi di violenza contro le minoranze. L'ultimo risale al 28 febbraio, quando 18 musulmani sciiti sono stati uccisi nel distretto di Kohistan, dopo che l'autobus su cui viaggiavano è stato fermato e i passeggeri sono stati separati gli uni dagli altri in base alla loro religione.

Le leggi sulla blasfemia, nella loro attuale formulazione, risalgono alla dittatura militare degli anni Ottanta e prevedono l'ergastolo e addirittura la pena di morte per chi è giudicato colpevole di aver offeso o insultato il Corano o il Profeta Maometto. In termini relativi, gli appartenenti alle minoranze religiose sono sproporzionalmente colpiti dalle leggi, ma il numero maggiore di condannati appartiene alla maggioranza musulmana. Da questo punto di vista, le leggi sulla blasfemia costituiscono una minaccia alla libertà d'espressione di tutta la popolazione del Pakistan.

http://www.amnesty.it/pakistan-un-anno-fa-assassinio-del-ministro-delle-minoranze

MALDIVE - Police use teargas, batons to subdue demonstrators in Addu.

By Hawwa Lubna | February 27th, 2012

Dozens of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) supporters, including women, were been injured in Addu city last night and the party’s headquarters attacked in a brutal police crackdown on demonstrations against President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan, sources from Addu have claimed.

Police, however, have denied the allegations.

Speaking to Minivan News, several eye witnesses claimed that “police used unjustifiable and brutal force” to suppress MDP members protesting against Dr Waheed while he attended a ceremony at Muhibbuddhin School in Hithadhoo.

MDP Haruge vandalised

According to a source, the streets outside the school were blocked and heavily guarded by police and Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) officers armed with shield and batons, forcing the MDP demonstrators to continue the protest several metres from the school.

“MDP members requested permission to get closer to Muhibbuddin School but were rejected by the police. So they started shouting for Waheed’s resignation near the police barricade,” the source said.

Shiyara Mohamed, a women’s rights activist and wife of Addu City’s Mayor Abdulla Sodig, who also at the demonstrations, observed that it was “mostly women” calling for Waheed’s resignation. They were tear-gassed by the police “without any warning”, she claimed.

“It was just around 100 people and most were women. We were standing near the police barricade and calling for Waheed’s resignation when all of a sudden the Star Force charged from behind us and tear gassed the whole area without any warning,” she claimed.

“Women started screaming and everyone ran away in panic. Many hid inside nearby houses and others were pushed back using batons,” she said.

Another source claimed that “several women who were in the front line were mercilessly beaten with batons and boots,” and subsequently rushed to the hospital with injuries.

Meanwhile, “some youth from the crowd retaliated by throwing anything they could get their hands on,” the source noted, adding that some policemen were also injured in the clashes.

The police allegedly chased several demonstrators back to the MDP Haruge [headquarters] situated just few metres away from the scene, and ransacked the place.

Furthermore, several members inside the Haruge were  injured in the attack, the source said.

“They tear gassed Haruge first. Then [police] started vandalising the MDP office. Window glass was shattered with batons; computers and other equipment was smashed against the floor. Chairs were broken. People inside the Haruge were brutally beaten and dragged outside,” a third source from Addu said.

Photos and dramatic footage of the damage to Haruge circulating over the social media show injuries allegedly inflicted by the police during the crackdown, and women being taken to the hospital by ambulance. The MDP Haruge in the capital Male’ was similarly attacked by rogue police during the chaotic events of February 7 which culminated in the resignation of President Mohamed Nasheed.

A man's hand injured in the attack

In one image, a woman is also seen on the ground, with what seems to be an injured hand.

Shiyara,who spoke to Minivan News earlier, said that she was the one who took the injured woman to the hospital.

“Apparently, there was something already wrong with her hand – so when the police dragged her outside Haruge by holding that hand, it was fractured,” Shiyara claimed.

Another image also show injuries to a man’s hand, allegedly injured in a baton strike.

In a press statement released last night, police dismissed the allegations as “lies” and said that the police only stopped the demonstrators who attempted to break into the area blocked by the security forces.

Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed meanwhile told local media that 11 cases concerning violence incidents in Addu Atoll on February 8 had been forwarded to the Prosecutor General (PG)’s Office.

Dr Jameel blamed former President Mohamed Nasheed for leading the attacks, reported Haveeru, stating that “Nasheed and his traitors” inflicted extensive damage on the country over his three years of rule.

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan said that anyone who witnessed the damage to police and court buildings first hand would “surely shed tears”.

President Dr. Waheed pledged that he and his government will do everything in their power to bring the criminals behind the Addu incidents to justice.

 

http://minivannews.com/politics/police-use-teargas-batons-to-subdue-demonstrators-in-addu-32614

MALDIVE - Dhiyana calls on the court to decide the legitimacy of new government.

Former SAARC Secretary General Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed has called on Attorney General Azima Shakoor to file a case in court to determine the legitimacy of the new government.

MORE: http://www.haveeru.com.mv/news/40481