Tag Archives: action

Please write on behalf of our adopted prisoner of conscience, Dr Tun Aung

28 Jan
Dr. Tun Aung

Dr. Tun Aung

Dr Tun Aung has been imprisoned since 11th June 2012 following riots in Maungdaw, Myanmar (Burma).  Despite eyewitnesses testifying that Dr Aung actively tried to calm the situation, he has been convicted of inciting communal violence.  

He was held incommunicado for at least three months and denied the right to appoint a lawyer of his own choice. Dr Aung suffers from a pituitary tumour and may not be receiving the medical care he needs.

During his visit to London in July 2013, President Thein Sein gave his guarantee that all prisoners of conscience would be freed from his country’s jails by the end of the year, but Dr. Tun Aung has not been released.

Ask the Burmese authorities to release Dr Aung immediately and unconditionally.

Please write to President Thein Sein, Office of the President, Building No. 18, Naypyitaw, Republic of the Union of Myanmar.

If possible, please also write to Chief Justice, U Win Tun Tun Oo, Office of the Supreme Court, Office No. 24, Naypyitaw, Republic of the Union of Myanmar.

And send copies of your letters to H. E. The Ambassador Of The Republic of the Union of Myanmar, 19A Charles Street, London W1X 8LR

Copies also to U Win Mra, Chairman, Myanmar National Human Rights Commission, 27 Pyay Road, Hline Township, Yangon, Republic of the Union of Myanmar

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Justice For Hakamada

28 Dec

Hakamada IwaoThis is Hakamada Iawo as a young man.  He is now 77 years old and is the world’s longest-serving death row prisoner.  He has spent 45 years in prison since his trial in 1968 and always maintained his innocence.

The main evidence used to convict Hakamada was a confession, allegedly obtained under torture and later retracted.  One of the trial judges, Kumamoto Norimichi, maintains that Hakamada is innocent and believes that he should not have sentenced Hakamada to death on such limited evidence.

Despite such grave doubts, Hakamada continues to await execution every day.  New DNA evidence could finally prove his claim of innocence right. Click here to ask Japan to grant him a retrial.

 

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Take Action: Woman at risk of flogging for not wearing a headscarf

6 Nov

AmiraAmira is a civil engineer and women’s rights activist. She is charged with being in public with her head uncovered, and will soon go on trial in Sudan. If convicted, she could face 40 lashes.

Text SUDAN1 and your full name to 70505 now to call on Sudan to drop the charges against Amira.

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Sri Lanka: No commonwealth seal of approval for abuses

2 Nov

As Sri Lanka gears up to host the leaders of the Commonwealth from 15-17 November, it’s time for the Sri Lanka Government to come clean about torture and countless other abuses.

Follow this link to call on the UK Foreign Secretary William Hague to send a clear message that Sri Lanka’s human rights abuses will not be given a Commonwealth seal of approval.

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Missed our October meeting? Read all about it here…

20 Oct

The Journalist Who Disappeared: Prageeth Eknaligoda, journalist and cartoonist, disappeared on his way home from work in Sri Lanka in January 2010. He has not been seen or heard of since. His wife believes his work displeased someone in power, and he has been ‘disappeared’. His fate? Unknown.

The Commonwealth Heads of Government meet in Sri Lanka next month, and our Action this month has been to write to the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, and to the Commonwealth Secretary General to draw their attention to the dismal human rights record of the Sri Lankan government, and urge action.

We discussed affairs in the Middle East, North Africa, Burma and China, and the continued use of the death penalty, and signed letters written by Group members on a selection of these topics.

Don’t forget our fund-raising concert later this month: the Taunton Deane Male Voice Choir, together with the Farey family, are putting on a concert at St Michael’s Church, Galmington, at 7.30pm on Saturday 26th October, in aid of the Church and of the Taunton Group of AI. Tickets £10 from the Group Treasurer (01823 284001) or from the Church Office (01823 332371). It sounds like a rousing evening. Hope to see you there!

The Group meets on the second Tuesday of the month at 8pm in the Silver Street Baptist Church. Interested in human rights? Do join us there.

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Two million and counting – tell David Cameron to do more for Syria’s refugees

27 Sep

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In flight from torture and detention, snipers and shelling, an average of 5,000 Syrian refugees have been arriving into neighbouring countries including Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey every day. These places alone cannot cope with the influx of men, women and children and the strain has led to measures to restrict entry across their borders.

Za’atri refugee camp in Jordan is home to over 120,000 Syrians who have fled their country’s bloody conflict.

It’s up to countries like the UK to step up, share responsibility and give more support to help these men, women and children.

Click here to email the government and ask them to do more.

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Burma: Send messages of support to family of Dr Tun Aung

7 Sep
Dr. Tun Aung

Dr. Tun Aung

In 2012, Dr Tun Aung was asked by the Burmese police to help  defuse tensions during a riot between Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims in Maungdaw.  However he was later arrested for inciting communal violence, held incommunicado and denied the right to appoint his own lawyer or meet them in private

Please send a supportive message to Dr Aung’s family.  “Dr Tun Aung’s Family, c/o Myanmar Team, International Secretariat, Amnesty International, 1 Easton Street, London, WC1X 0DW”.  Please write in English, Burmese or your own language. Please do not send religious cards and please do make sure the card arrives at the address above by September 15th 2013.

Click here to read more about this case and how you can help.

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Zimbabwe: human rights concerns despite a peaceful election

13 Aug

ZimbabweAt least six women and their young children have been forced to flee their homes in Mukumbura district after being threatened with violence and forcible evictions after the 31 July election. Some of the women had to leave children behind.

The women alleged they had been targeted for refusing to follow instructions from ZANU-PF supporters to feign illiteracy, blindness or physical injury, which would have allowed someone else to ‘assist’ them by marking the ballot on their behalf .  One of the women reported that she had first been threatened in her village two weeks before the election and reported the matter to the police but no action was taken. The six displaced political activists told us that there are more families in the same predicament who remain stranded in the district under threat of violence.

Please click here to generate a fax to the Police Officer in command of Mashonaland Central Province asking him to investigate these allegations of harrassment.

Note: Amnesty does not endorse or oppose any political party and will engage with any government to emerge from these elections to address human rights violations in Zimbabwe – past and present.

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Let Okunishi clear his name before he dies

12 Aug
Okunishi Masaru on death row in Japan © private

Okunishi Masaru on death row in Japan © Private

Okunishi Masaru has spent more than half his life on death row in Japan, knowing he could be executed any day.

In 1961, he was accused of poisoning five women and ‘confessed’ after prolonged police interrogation. He retracted his confession as soon as trial began, and was acquitted for lack of evidence. But a higher court reversed the decision, and sentenced Okunishi to death.

Okunishi’s lawyers have repeatedly requested a retrial, without success. Okunishi is now 87 years-old and his health is failing him, he slips in and out of consciousness and is unable to breathe on his own. But he’s desperate for a chance to clear his name before he dies.

Click here to call on the Japanese authorities to grant Okunishi a retrial.

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Stop the execution of Reggie Clemons in Missouri

6 Jul
Reggie Clements

Reggie Clemons was sentenced to death in St. Louis as an accomplice to a 1991 murder of two young white women. Since his conviction allegations have arisen of police coercion, prosecutorial misconduct, and a ‘stacked’ jury. Yet inadequate legal representation at trial hampered appeal efforts, and a ruling overturning his death sentence was reversed on technical grounds. From the investigation through the appeals process, his case illustrates many of the flaws in the U.S. death penalty system.

Despite so many lingering questions, Missouri is still planning to execute Reggie Clemons.

Shortly after a 2009 execution date was stayed, the Missouri Supreme Court assigned a judge (a “Special Master”) to investigate the reliability of his conviction and proportionality of his sentence. Amnesty International urges the state of Missouri to recognise the serious problems with Reggie Clemons’ case and to commute his death sentence.

If you are able to, please write on Reggie’s behalf.  Click here for a template letter.

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