AIUK is extremely concerned about the assault on human rights – in our own country. A week of action for Human Rights in the UK is planned. The very restrictive Policing Bill is being drafted; the Human Rights Act is under review, and the Nationality and Borders Bill is now back in the House of Commons – ‘a cruel piece of legislation which, if enforced, would largely shut down the UK asylum system…’.
But here in Taunton we do have some reasons to be glad, as Amnesty’s Welcome Refugees has been actively endorsed. Taunton Town Football Club’s Community Engagement Project kicked off in September. “It has a variety of aims which include promoting and encouraging health, fitness, and well-being, and forming community links with individuals and groups within the immediate local community and across the wider Taunton area.” One of those groups is Amnesty; two of our members were invited to last weekend’s game and we’ve been greatly encouraged by the positive and welcoming atmosphere of the project.
Demand justice for the El Hiblu 3! We signed a petition to the Maltese Government asking for the release of three African teenagers from Libya, falsely accused of hijacking a rescue ship, the El Hiblu.
We heard reports from those responsible for our Campaigns: the usual tide of wretched treatment for political prisoners in Morocco and Egypt; two men executed in the US, one having been in a Texas gaol for 28 years; 246 executions in Iran last year; a student anti-monarchy protester, Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul jailed and on hunger strike in Thailand.
Our Media of the Month is ‘Ridley Road’, a BBC drama about the fight of the Jewish community against the resurgence of English fascism in 1960’s London.
Our next meeting will be on 9 November at the Quaker Meeting House in Bath Place. Follow us too on Facebook and amnestytaunton.com. Visitors are always welcome.
Amnesty International Taunton Local Group 
Hi all, well done for all the wonderful work you do as always! I was just wondering about what you are planning on doing for Write For Rights this December as I have read on the Amnesty website that they are not encouraging holding in person events however I would love to be able to write some letters of support for individuals and it would be lovely to get the rest of the community. Maybe you could have an address for people to send letters to and then the letters can be divided up and sent to the relevant individuals (as you used to do at St Mary Magdalene) as for me personally the cost of sending letters abroad puts me off wanting to send as many letters as I would like to. I have done all of the online actions on the Amnesty International website but there was only a few and I would really like to do more for the many brave human rights defenders across the globe. Anyway, just an idea. Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas,
Lydia