Tag Archives: 2015
Yeovil Literary Festival
Our next monthly meeting is on Tuesday 10th November at the Silver Street Baptist Church, Taunton, TA1 3DH. 8pm start.Amnesty International UK: Imprisoned Writers Readings, Yeovil, 31st October
28 Oct
Yeovil Literary Festival
Imprisoned Writers Readings, Octagon Theatre, Yeovil, Saturday 31st October, 3pm.
Yeovil Literary Festival is delighted to present one of Amnesty International UK’s famous Imprisoned Writers Readings with guest speakers Nicolette Jones, Cathy Bakewell and Chris Ewan.
It is an event chaired by Amnesty UK, with guest speakers each reading an extract from work by a writer imprisoned or censored for his/her beliefs. Inspiring, moving, informative and engaging – this event is not to be missed.
Nicolette Jones is an author, journalist, broadcaster who has been the children’s book reviewer of the Sunday Times for more than two decades. She has been a Director of the children’s/young adult programme at the Oxford Literary Festival, a Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow at University College. She was a Scholar at Oxford University, and a Henry Fellow as a graduate student at Yale.
Cathy Bakewell, Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville, MBE is a member of the House of Lords for the Liberal Democrats.
Chris Ewan is a British crime and mystery writer. He is best known for his Good Thief series of travelling adventures featuring Charlie Howard, a thief and author of his own crime series. Ewan was born in Taunton, Somerset and now lives on the Isle of Man with his family.
Please note that although this event is free a ticket will be required for admittance into the auditorium. Click here to book.
Report from our October meeting
21 Oct
In Japan, Matsumoto Kenji could be hanged any day now, and he does not know why. He has been on death row for over 20 years. He was sentenced to death in the early nineties for robberies and murders committed with his brother (who killed himself in detention). Matsumoto has had a mental disability and low IQ from birth, allegedly caused by mercury poisoning. Despite this, he was ruled mentally competent and his sentence confirmed in 2000.
We wrote to the Japanese Minister of Justice asking her to commute Matsumoto’s death sentence, to improve the treatment of death row prisoners and introduce a moratorium on the death penalty. You can send an email to the Japanese authorities asking them not to execute him by clicking here.
We have begun to work on behalf of our new Burmese Prisoners of Conscience, five journalists on the Unity newspaper, sentenced to 7 years imprisonment for ‘disclosing state secrets’ in an article on an alleged secret chemical weapons factory. Unity has been forced to close after the imprisonment of most of its staff; their sentencing has had a chilling, intimidating effect on journalists working in Burma.
We meet at 8pm on the second Tuesday of the month in the Silver Street Baptist Church, Taunton. All are welcome.
Next Amnesty Taunton Group Meeting Tues 13th October
6 Oct
Our next monthly meeting is on Tuesday 13th October at the Silver Street Baptist Church, Taunton, TA1 3DH. 8pm start.
Join us to hear about our campaigns – including our new prisoners of conscience in Burma – plus find out more about human rights and the work of Amnesty International.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Note: there is parking at the rear of the church; ring the bell at the rear entrance if there is no-one there to let you in. Check the board by the entrance door for which room we are in.
Burma: The Unity 5
4 Oct
Following the release of peaceful activist Dr Tun Aung earlier this year, our group now has new prisoners of conscience in Burma that we will be campaigning to have released.
Lu Maw Naing, Yarzar Oo, Paing Thet Kyaw, Sithu Soe – reporters for the Unity newspaper – and Tint San, its chief executive officer, have been sentenced to seven years imprisonment for “disclosing state secrets” as a result of their legitimate work as journalists, after Unity published an article about an alleged secret chemical weapons factory. They are prisoners of conscience, and their detention demonstrates the continued risks to media workers and restrictions on freedom of expression in Myanmar. The Unity newspaper has been forced to close following the imprisonment of most of its staff; their sentencing has had a chilling, intimidating effect on journalists working in the country.
If you would like to help us by writing letters on their behalf, please email: martin@crich.eclipse.co.uk who will send you our appeal sheet with details of the addresses to write to. Alternatively, visit our Burma page on our website here for all the details you need.
Thank you very much for your support.
The adverts shaming Britain’s arm trade
17 Sep
Here is an interesting Guardian article highlighting some creative adverts that are helping Amnesty to raise concerns about the selling of illegal torture equipment at the London Arms Fair this week. Read the article here and sign Amnesty’s petition here if you haven’t already.
Thank you!
Tools of torture traded on your doorstep
10 Sep
From the 15-18 September the biennial DSEI Arms Fair returns to London. At past DSEI Fairs, Amnesty has uncovered torture equipment being illegally traded. At the last DSEI Fair in 2013 for example, Amnesty uncovered two companies advertising a variety of torture equipment, including electric shock batons and leg irons. Previous fairs have all seen a variety of illegal weapons including cluster bombs, leg irons and electric shock weapons advertised for sale.
A key loophole we wish to see closed in these EU torture trade laws relates to the ease by which companies can continue to promote market and advertise tools of torture at arms fairs within the EU.
The DSEI Arms Fair therefore gives us a great opportunity to pressure the UK Government to support our calls to close the loopholes in these EU tools of torture laws and to stop torture equipment being traded in the UK at DSEI and other UK defence and security exhibitions.
Please sign the petition to ask the UK Government to stop the trade in illegal torture equipment: amnesty.org.uk/armsfair
Next Taunton Amnesty meeting Tues 8th September
2 Sep
Our next monthly meeting is on Tuesday 8th September at the Silver Street Baptist Church, Taunton, TA1 3DH. 8pm start.
You are most welcome to join us for campaign updates, news and actions and to find out more about human rights and the work of Amnesty International.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Note: there is parking at the rear of the church; ring the bell at the rear entrance if there is no-one there to let you in. Check the board by the entrance door for which room we are in.
Next Taunton Amnesty meeting Tuesday 14th July
8 Jul
Our next monthly meeting is on Tuesday 14th July at the Silver Street Baptist Church, Taunton, TA1 3DH. 8pm start.
You are most welcome to join us for campaign updates, news and actions and to find out more about human rights and the work of Amnesty International.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Note: there is parking at the rear of the church; ring the bell at the rear entrance if there is no-one there to let you in. Check the board by the entrance door for which room we are in.
Torture: Change the story
26 Jun
Today is the Global Day of Action in Support of Victims of Torture. Please take a moment to watch this animation and also sign petitions to help victims of torture.
Thank you.
Amnesty International Taunton Local Group 