Human Rights Day 2010

Today, 10 December is Universal Human Rights Day. In the year 1948, on this day the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which is a milestone document in the history of human rights. This year’s human rights day is dedicated to human rights defenders, courageous men and women, who strive to protect their own rights and the rights of others; who are determined to make rights real in people’s lives.

To mark the Human Rights Day, Amnesty International, the premier international human rights organisations, has organised ‘Write a Letter Marathon’ (Writeathon) to write letters and take action online to demand that the rights of individuals are respected, protected and fulfilled. Hundred of thousands of people all over the world join in Amnesty International’s Write for Rights event to show solidarity with those suffering human rights violations and to bring in real changes in their lives.

You can also join in this event by writing letters and taking action online, through a simple process. Click on the below mentioned URL and go to the ‘Appeals for action’ section in the page. There you can see details about various human rights defenders and others who are facing human rights violations in their countries. Go to the individual cases, find the details, read the letter and then sign in your name and press the send button. If you wish you can send letters on all the cases mentioned in the page.

www.amnesty.org/en/individuals-at-risk

Let us take part in this international event and put in our humble efforts in this global movement to bring in justice to all whose rights are being violated, because human rights violation in any part of the world is a human rights violation in your life and my life.

Source: Official websites of the United Nations and Amnesty International

Today, 1 December, is World AIDS Day 2010

1 December is observed as World AIDS Day to draw together people all around the world to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and to express international solidarity in the face of this serious pandemic. The observance of this day provides an opportunity for governments, organisations and individuals to spread awareness about the pandemic and to encourage progress in HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care in high prevalence countries and around the world.

According to the 2008 figures released by World Health Organisation (WHO) there are 33.4 million people living with HIV. The theme of this year’s World AIDS Day is “Universal Access and Human Rights”. One of the most important things required to wipe off the threat of HIV/AIDS from the face of the world is the universal access to antiretroviral drugs to all those who are affected with this dreaded disease. The international community should also uphold the spirit of fundamental human rights shared by all and guard against human rights violations on people affected with HIV/AIDS.

Source: Official websites of the World Health Organisation and the United Nations

Remembering 26/11

(Republishing an earlier post)

Today is the anniversary of 26/11 Mumbai attacks, where ten terrorists from Pakistan ventured into the shores of Mumbai and wreaked havoc. 172 people lost their lives and 293 got injured. The panic it created in the minds of Indians was beyond these numbers; but we as a nation responded courageously, the security forces swung into action and killed 9 terrorists and captured one alive. The assault lasted for long 72 hours, where the whole country was dreadfully watching the television to know the events as they unfolded.

The terrorists went on a killing spree at Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), Cama Hospital, Leopold Café, the Nariman house, the Oberoi-Trident Hotel and the Taj Mahal Hotel. People from the security forces and laymen died in the attack, but only after giving a good fight back. The bravery shown by ordinary people, including the staff of the Taj and Oberoi hotels is part of the folklore now. Brave men in uniform, with scant regard for their own lives, went on to take on the terrorists and defeated them. Some of these brave men lost their lives while doing their duty and we salute them for their courage and bravery. The courage shown by ordinary Mumbaikars is in itself a matter that deserves huge accolades.

When we Indians are observing the first anniversary of the Mumbai terror attacks, the Pakistani anti-terror court has indicted seven men - Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi (the operations commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba, LeT), Abdul Wajid alias Zarar Shah, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Mazhar Iqbal alias Abu al Qama, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younus – for the attack. All these men have pleaded not guilty for the crime. The court proceedings are expected to go on for some months, if not years. In the meantime, the court proceedings against Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist captured live by India is also moving on in a slow manner.

Though there were a lot of knee-jerk reactions from people in India, including some political parties, the Indian government showed restraint and didn’t go on for a war with Pakistan. It was a sensible thing to do because had India gone out for a war with Pakistan we would have done exactly what the terrorists wanted from the attack on Mumbai - the destabilising of the region. At the same time the Indian government has been on the offensive ever since using the diplomatic channels by pressurising Pakistan to bring to justice those responsible for the attack on Mumbai. As of now, no credible actions have been taken by the Pakistani government as is expected because of the overt and covert support that the Pakistani ISI has been giving to the terrorists to launch attacks against India.

Since the Mumbai attack last year, there have been no more attacks of that scale till now. But is this a matter for complacency or is it just a lull before the next major strike that the terrorists are planning, we don’t know. But what we know is that we have to beef up the security apparatus in the country. A step in the right place was immediately taken by the government by removing the incompetent minister Shivraj Patil from the Home Ministry and posting the ever-competent P Chidambaram to the post. The no-nonsense attitude of PC has already started to show some results and he is working over time for making sure that the security services in the country are ready to face another eventuality. But he has warned the country that we are still vulnerable to terrorist attacks and therefore has to work ever so faster to close all gaps that are there in the security system of the country. Not only the central government, but also the state governments, public and private organisations as well as ordinary citizens need to be alert and should do everything possible within their realm to increase the security systems in the country.

People in Mumbai were killed by the terrorists irrespective of their religion, race, caste, creed, nationality, gender or the states from which they were coming. Indians from different parts of the country came out in support of the Mumbaikars during their time of grief. NSG commandos from north India came to Mumbai and rescued the city from the clutches of the terrorist and the Mumbaikars gave a great reception to the NSG commandoes after the operation was over. This sense of strong nationality should have opened the eyes of regional chauvinists like the Shiv Sena of Bal Thackeray and the Maharashtra Nava Nirman Sena (MNS) of Raj Thackeray, but unfortunately it hasn’t. Instead they still go ahead with their narrow regionalism and it is up to the people of Mumbai and Maharshtra to teach them a lesson by voting both these parties out of reckoning.

Mumbai is not only the major trade centre in India but also a place that is an avenue for all those who pursue their personal and professional dreams. Mumbai has always been a resilient city and the resilience of the Mumbaikars was made all the more evident by the opening of the Leopold Café only after two days of the Mumbai attacks. And what more, people thronged Leopold Café in such large number to show their support on the opening day that the café had to be closed earlier than normal time on that day as it was not able to meet the demand of the large number of customers. With such show of solidarity the Mumbaikars were telling the terrorist that they may be able to shock them but can’t beat them. On this day, I join in the grief of the bereaved, salute those brave men who lost their lives saving the city and country’s pride and show solidarity with the people of Mumbai.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women 2010

Women all over the word face violence in different forms in their houses, in their workplaces, in their neighbourhoods and its needless to say that such violence against the gentler gender has no place in a civilised world.

The United Nations observes 25 November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women to spread the word that violence against women and girls has no place in any society and impunity for perpetrators must no longer be tolerated. Violence against women is an obstacle to the universal achievement of equality, development and peace and is a violation of the fundamental human rights and freedom of women.

On this international day the United Nations urges governments, civil society, corporate sector and individuals to take responsibility to eradicate violence against women and girls.

Source: Official website of the United Nations

Urgent Action - Child Held Without Charge or Trial in India

(Amnesty International Appeal)

Mushtaq Ahmad Sheikh, a child aged 14, has been detained without charge or trial by the Jammu and Kashmir authorities in India since 21 April 2010. Following meetings with the state authorities, Amnesty International believes that a burst of public campaigning at this stage could lead to his release.

Mushtaq Ahmad Sheikh was arrested on 9 April 2010. He is alleged to have been part of a large mob which pelted police and security forces with stones during ongoing protests against the state in Srinagar, the capital of the northern Jammu and Kashmir state. He was released on bail after eight days in custody but was again detained without charge or trial on 21 April.

Mushtaq Ahmad Sheikh’s family was not informed that he was detained but came to know of it by chance when a local resident saw him in a police vehicle, being taken to a jail in another town.

Mushtaq Ahmad Sheikh was initially held at Udhampur Jail and is now held at Kot Bhalwal Jail at Jammu. Both are regular prisons without any special facilities for detaining children. Prison conditions in Jammu are harsh and the provision of health care is limited.

The police claim that Mushtaq Ahmad Sheikh is 19 years old. His family members told Amnesty International that Mushtaq was born in 1996 and is therefore only 14 years old. Prison records are reported to also confirm that Mushtaq Ahmad Sheikh is indeed a child.

His case was raised by Amnesty International in meetings with the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and the State Human Rights Commission. Despite their assurances that they would look into the case, Mushtaq Ahmad Sheikh continues to remain in detention.

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in English or your own language:

Demanding that the state authorities immediately end the detention without charge or trial of Mushtaq Ahmad Sheikh;

Urging that if charged with a recognizable criminal offence, Mushtaq Ahmad Sheikh be treated in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and held and tried in special facilities for children;

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 28 DECEMBER 2010 TO:

Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir
Omar Abdullah
Civil Secretariat
Government of Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu – 180 001
Fax: +91 191 2546466
Salutation: Dear Chief Minister

And copies to:
Minister of Home Affairs
P Chidambaram
North Block, Central Secretariat
New Delhi – 110 001
Fax: + 91 11 23094221
Email: hm@nic.in

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.

Additional Information

Mushtaq Ahmad Sheikh is detained under the J&K Public Safety Act – a law that allows the state authorities to detain persons for up to two years without any judicial review of the allegations against them. Repeat detentions are also commonly ordered.

At least 322 people are reported to have been detained without trial under the provisions of the Public Safety Act in J&K in 2010 alone. A number of them, reportedly including some more children, have been detained on similar grounds of stone pelting and rioting during various protests against the Indian government throughout the summer of 2010.


UA: 239/10 Index: ASA 20/032/2010 Issue Date: 16 November 2010

Today, 16 November is International Day of Tolerance

We are living in a world where intolerance in its worst form manifested as violence against people of opposite gender, of different races and religion, of different colour, of different nationality and of different political views is becoming omnipresent. Therefore it has become imperative for the world to guard against such a big threat as intolerance. It is with this grand idea that UNESCO is observing 16 November as the International Day of Tolerance.

Tolerance for ideas and opinions different from that of ours is one of the basic foundations on which democracy rests. What we see all over the world, particularly in India, is that there is intolerance among political parties on people that differ from their own beliefs and opinions. For the successful functioning of democracy we need to imbibe the spirit of tolerance. Such tolerance to opposing ideas and opinions is necessary to inspire freedom of thought and expression, which is a prerequisite for economic and social development.

We Indians, on virtue of being born in the land of the Mahatma, have the moral responsibility to take the leadership in preaching and practising tolerance. Let this be the day we re-commit ourselves to this great universal value.

World Science Day for Peace and Development

The importance of science lies in its utility as a vehicle for human development. History has shown that science can contribute to peace and development as well as result in destruction and chaos. It is up to the human beings to decide how to use it – for the betterment of human life or for the detriment of it. World Science Day for Peace and Development (WSDPD) is observed every year on 10 November by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to spotlight the contribution made by science in achieving sustainable development and enhancing the prospects of peace.

WSDPD was established by UNESCO in the year 2001 as an occasion to remind its mandate and commitment on Science. The objectives of WSDPD are the following.

• To strengthen public awareness on the role of science for peaceful and sustainable societies
• To promote national and international solidarity for a shared science between countries
• To renew national and international commitment for the use of science for the benefit of societies
• To draw attention to the challenges faced by science and raise support for the scientific endeavour

Source: Official website of UNESCO

Obama in India

There is a palpable sense of excitement all over the media and in the political circles in India and the reason is the imminent visit of American President Barack Obama that would commence on 6th November from Mumbai, where he is going to land in his Air Force One. Though both his predecessors, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton had visited India, Obama is the first US President who is visiting India in the first half of the first term as President.

Barack Hussein Obama is embarking on his first visit to India, the homeland of one of his idols, Mahatma Gandhi. Obama’s India visit has a four point agenda – partnering and investing in India’s rise as an economic and strategic powerhouse, restraining China’s domination in Asia and in the world, boosting US business in various fields including nuclear commerce and in associating with India in the affairs in Afghanistan and Africa.

A rising China is a threat for both India and the US as the near autocracy in Chinese government makes it a very dangerous country. Aggressive China has a very dubious record when it comes to its relationship with India. Both countries don’t trust each other and they always had border issues. The issues with the stapled visas that China gave to Indians from Kashmir and the Tibetan autonomy factor are major thorns in the relationship between the two countries (on the stapled visa issue it must be noted here that it is high time India reciprocate in the same way by giving stapled visa to the Tibetans and to the Uighur Chinese from the Xinjiang autonomous region of China). Therefore it is quite important for India to be wary of China’s growth in the region, especially when China is trying to indulge in the dubious development activities in many of India’s neighbour countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. China is one of Unites States’ most important creditors and this fact is a dangerous proposition as far as the US is concerned. Though officially India and the US are not accepting that they want to curb China’s growth, it is too obvious that both countries are suspicious of China’s aggressive economic and strategic intentions. Therefore the US would believe that it is strategically important for them to help India in its rise. The high importance that the US gives to its relationship with India can be clearly seen from the fact that Manmohan Singh was the first leader of a state invited by Barack Obama after becoming the President of the United States.

Boosting US business is another important agenda of this Obama visit. It can be safely assumed at this point of time that Obama will definitely sign a defence deal with India. The area of nuclear commerce is another business opportunity that Obama would be looking to grab. After the Indo-US nuclear deal it is time for both countries to move ahead in the field of nuclear commerce. The outsourcing industry in India would be closely monitoring Obama’s state visit in India as there have been some voices of aversion from him on the outsourcing question. It is quite clear that he is against US companies shipping jobs to India and thinks that it is a major reason why unemployment rate is rather high in the US. But it must be seen how much protectionism he would bring in his country’s international trade and how it would affect Indian industry, particularly the software sector.

With this visit, Barack Obama would also be looking at partnering with India in Afghanistan and in Africa. It is a known fact the US is badly caught up in Afghanistan’s political and security mire at this point of time. Obama would be looking forward to get India’s assurance in its greater involvement in Afghanistan’s development and in making that country more secure. Economic and social development of African countries is another matter where Obama would be looking to get more assistance from India. With its strong ties with many African countries, India can play a positive role in the development of various countries in the black continent. India through its association in IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa) is already involved in the assistance of African countries in their development.

It would be prudent for India to not expect much from Obama’s state visit. At the time of writing of this piece the counting of the votes in US election for the Senate and House of Representatives is going on. Results that have come up hitherto show that the Republicans would capture the House of Representatives, but would fall short of capturing the Senate. It would mean that there would be lot of domestic pressure on Obama to do more to save the country from the higher risks of unemployment and to better the economy that is reeling after the global economic slowdown. For the rest of his two years as President his time would be more absorbed by these domestic matters than the international affairs. However he would be keen to call back all US troops from Afghanistan before his first term ends in 2012.

Whatever may be the economic and strategic results of Obama’s state visit to India, one thing is sure that we are certain to hear a great speech from this inspiring, prolific orator when he addresses the joint session of the Parliament on 8th November. It must be seen whether the leftists in India would be present in this joint session of Parliament. Their inherent dislike for America and American Presidents are well known and they are sure to protest if India inks any defence deal with the United States during Obama’s visit. They have the history of protesting to all Indo-US alliances – may it be the nuclear deal or the combined military exercises (at the same time they made no protests when India did military exercise with Communist China).

Barack Obama’s Presidential visit to India in his first term shows India’s growing clout in international politics. India’s membership in the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member after 19 years is a major achievement that it could use for getting the support of all permanent members of the UN Security Council in its quest to become a permanent member with veto power. Indian strategic community would do well if it uses Obama’s visit to get his country’s support for the same.

India: Chhattisgarh authorities must immediately release Prisoner of Conscience Kartam Joga

(Amnesty International Public Statement)

AI Index: ASA20/031/2010
1 November 2010

Amnesty International has been closely following the case of Kartam Joga, an adivasi (Indigenous) political activist who has been imprisoned in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh. 40-year-old Kartam Joga has been in Dantewada district jail since 14 September 2010.

Amnesty International considers Kartam Joga to be a Prisoner of Conscience and that the charges brought against him are politically motivated and a pretext to detain him on account of his political activism which has never involved the use or advocacy of violence. The organization believes that the authorities in Chhattisgarh decided to imprison and charge him in response to the Supreme Court criticism.

The organization believes that the real reason for Kartam Joga’s imprisonment is his peaceful political activities as an activist of the Communist Party of India (CPI) and an elected member of a local self-government body and his defence of human rights of adivasi communities.

In 2007 he had participated in petitioning India’s Supreme Court regarding human rights violations in Chhattisgargh and impunity for security forces and Salwa Judum, widely held to be a state-supported militia who were involved in operations against the armed Maoists in the Bastar region of the state since 2005.

The charges against him include collaborating with the Maoists in ambushing and killing 76 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel on 6 April 2010, murdering a leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Budhram Sodi in May 2010, killing the father of a special police officer attached to the CRPF in August 2010, and ambushing a truck and killing four persons on 7 December 2009.

Kartam Joga’s arrest and the bringing of these charges came after India’s Supreme Court, on 31 August 2010, criticized the Chhattisgarh government for being “wholly vague and indefinite” while replying to several questions raised by two petitions filed three years ago seeking an end to impunity and violations by the Salwa Judum and the security forces engaged in operations against the armed Maoists in Chhattisgarh since 2005. The first of the two petitions had been filed by Kartam Joga and two other CPI activists, and the second, by sociologist Nandini Sundar, historian Ramachandra Guha, and E.A.S. Sarma, a former civil servant.

The charges against him and his imprisonment are another glaring example of how the authorities in Chhattisgarh target those who have sought to consistently defend the human rights of the adivasi communities since 2005.

Two other human rights defenders in Chhattisgarh – medical doctor Dr Binayak Sen and cinematographer TG Ajay – spent two years since 2007 and three months in 2008 respectively in jail on charges of collaborating with the Maoists before they were released on bail. In May 2009, another human rights defender Himanshu Kumar, and some staff of his organization, Vanvasi Chetna Ashram, which continued to document the violations and abuses against the adivasi communities, had to flee the Bastar area after persistent harassment by the police and district authorities.

Kartam Joga underwent medical treatment and an operation for injuries he received when he was attacked by members of the Salwa Judum’s militia in 2005. Since then, he has been in the forefront of documenting and exposing human rights abuses against adivasis, including more than 500 unlawful killings and instances of sexual assault, rape and burning down of adivasi hamlets and houses and the displacement of more than 30,000 adivasis during the conflict in Chhattisgarh since 2005.

Acting on the petitions filed by Kartam Joga and others, the Supreme Court, in April 2008, directed India’s National Human Rights Commission to ascertain the veracity of the allegations; eight months later, an NHRC report confirmed some of the allegations and said there was a need for further investigation into the complaints of violence perpetrated by the Salwa Judum, the security forces and Maoists. Three months later, the Supreme Court asked the Chhattisgarh authorities to list the measures it had taken to disband the Salwa Judum militia, register and investigate complaints of violent acts during the conflict, and compensate and rehabilitate the victims.

The Supreme Court has now asked the Chhattisgarh government to file a comprehensive affidavit in response to the allegations made in the petitions. In On a specific point made by the petitioners that the Salwa Judum militiamen were acting as part of a new organization, Dandakaranya Shanti Sangharsh Samiti, the state authorities have claimed that the Salwa Judum “no longer exists” and that the investigations into its violence were hampered by difficult terrain, inaccessibility of villages, inclement weather and hostility from the Maoists. A further hearing in the case is due on 18 November.

ENDS/

Public Document

International Secretariat, Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW, UK www.amnesty.org

Psychological Impact of Television and Computer Time on Children

It is often the case that children of this generation spend most of their time in front of television or computer. Children as young as even one year have a general inclination these days to spend most of their time in front of these electronic instruments. A study conducted by the University of Bristol on the psychological impact of computer and television time on children revealed the following facts.

• Children who spend more than two hours a day at a computer or watching television are more likely than others to have psychological problems, regardless of how much physical exercise they got
• 60% higher risk of psychological problems for children who spend more viewing time than children who clocked up fewer viewing hours
• Healthy children might be at greater risk of developing psychological problems if they increased their viewing time
• Though there is no evidence that sitting in front of a screen actually causes mental health problems
• Those who watched most TV as toddlers performed worse at school and consumed more junk food
• Limiting how long children spend in front of a screen to no more than two hours a day is advisable

Australia and the US have adopted guidelines that advise parents to restrict the viewing time of children under two to no more than two hours a day. Find a detailed account at the following URL.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/oct/11/children-computer-television-psychological-problems

Let our children spend more time interacting with people around them, let them play in their surroundings, let them speak to the birds and flowers, let them enjoy their time with colours and music, let them listen to stories, let them read, let them observe, let them discover, let them dream, let them learn the lessons of creative thinking and let them imbibe the spirit of humanity and humaneness. Let our kids – all smart boys and cute girls – grow up as intelligent, compassionate and conscientious gentlemen and ladies.

Indian Government Should Ensure Torture Law Meets International Standards

(Public statement of Amnesty International)

14 October 2010

Amnesty International has urged the Indian government to help end the routine torture of those held by police and prison authorities by ensuring the new Prevention of Torture Bill in India, 2010 meets international standards before adopting it.

The Bill, which is expected to be considered by the Select Committee of the Upper House (Rajya Sabha) of the Indian Parliament on 17 October, will address many forms of torture routinely employed by Indian police and prison officials. The Bill was passed by the Lower house (Lok Sabha) on 6 May 2010.

"If India is serious about its aspiration to be a regional and global power, it needs to address the issue of torture and ensure that the human rights of those it arrests and detains are protected," said Madhu Malhotra, Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific Deputy Programme Director.

Amnesty International said the Bill must be amended to bring it in line with international standards, including limiting torture to practices causing physical suffering, keeping a six-month deadline for making complaints about torture and not annulling current provisions which allow law enforcement officials and security forces virtual immunity against prosecution for perpetrating torture and recommends solutions.

Torture in state detention is endemic in India, involving a range of practices including shackling, beatings and the administration of electric shocks. Disadvantaged and maginalized groups including women, Dalits, Adivasis and suspected members of armed opposition groups are those most commonly abused.

According to official reports, 127 people died in police custody in India in 2008-09, although the figure could be higher since several states failed to report such deaths.

Torture is also reportedly widespread in prisons. The National Human Rights Commission registered 1,596 complaints of torture of prisoners in 2008-09. The number of deaths due to torture is not routinely reported.

The vast majority of cases of torture inflicted on detained people in India are unlawful and punishable under current Indian law, however prosecutions are extremely rare.

Law enforcement personnel enjoy virtual immunity from prosecution for torture and other human rights abuses, and prosecutions remain sporadic and rare.

In "disturbed areas", such as Jammu and Kashmir and the north-eastern states where the Armed Forces Special Powers Act is in effect, Armed Forces personnel enjoy additional immunity protection and there is virtually no accountability for violations.

In 1996, the Indian Supreme Court issued specific guidelines to authorities safeguarding detainee's rights in all cases of arrest or detention, however they are seldom enforced.

There is also a lack of effective systems to independently monitor the conduct of the authorities with regards to torture and other forms of mistreatment.

The Prevention of Torture Bill in India, 2010 is meant to bring India closer in line with the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. India signed the Convention in 1997 but has yet to ratify it.

"The Indian government should adopt this Bill to help address key issues, but more needs to be done to ensure India is able to meet international conventions against torture," said Madhu Malhotra.

"The Indian government further needs to ratify the UN Convention Against Torture ensuring people are no longer mistreated while they are detained."

World Food Day and The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty - 16th & 17th October

As long as there is hunger and poverty in at least some parts of this world, we human beings cannot claim to have achieved the dignity that we presume we are entitled to attain. There is no bigger misfortune than hunger; no bigger tragedy than poverty. Needless to say that poverty and hunger are interconnected and that may be why the United Nations observes World Food Day and the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on consecutive days – 16 October and 17 October respectively.

The theme of this year’s World Food Day is ‘United against hunger’ and it is chosen to recognise the efforts made in the fight against world hunger at regional, national and international levels. On this World Food Day, when there have never been so many hungry people in the world, we need to make a promise to work harder and work together to make sure that more food is produced in a more sustainable way and to see to it that the food reaches those who are in dire need of it.

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty has been observed ever since 1993 and this year’s theme is ‘Working together out of poverty’. It highlights the need for a truly global anti-poverty alliance, one in which both the developed and developing countries participate actively. The day aims at promoting awareness on the need to eradicate poverty and destitution in all countries, particularly in developing countries.

Source: Official websites of the United Nations and the Food and Agriculture Organisation

Meet the Nobel Laureates 2010

Nobel Prize for the year 2010 was announced recently. Alfred Nobel was a Swedish chemist, engineer, innovator and the inventor of the dynamite. He died on December 10, 1896 and based on his will the Nobel Foundation was formed. The Nobel prizes are international awards given in recognition of the cultural and scientific advances in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Physiology (Medicine), Literature, Peace and Economics. Find some information about the Nobel Laureates of 2010.

Nobel for Medicine: Dr. Robert G. Edwards, the Father of the Test Tube Baby, received the Nobel Prize for his development of in vitro fertilization procedure which has so far led to the birth of around 4 million people.

Nobel for Physics: Nobel Prize for Physics 2010 shared by Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, both of the University of Manchester for their groundbreaking experiments regarding the two-dimensional material graphene. It is a form of carbon that is not only the thinnest ever but also the strongest. Since it is practically transparent and a good conductor, it is suitable for producing transparent touch screens, light panels, and may be even solar cells.

Nobel for Chemistry: Chemistry Nobel Prize for American Richard F. Heck and Japanese researchers Ei-ichi Negishi and Akira Suzuki for palladium-catalyzed cross couplings in organic synthesis. The award is given for finding new ways to bond carbon atoms together, methods now widely used to make medicines and in agriculture and electronics.

Nobel for Literature: Peruvian novelist and essayist Mario Vargas Llosa was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for his cartography of structures of power and his trenchant images of the individual's resistance, revolt, and defeat. He is one of the most famous writers in the Spanish-speaking world who braved violence and political divisions in his homeland.

Nobel Prize for Peace: One of the most famous human rights activists of the world, the Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo was awarded with the Nobel Prize for Peace for his non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China. The Nobel Committee, which announced the prize much to the annoyance of the Chinese government, said that it always believed that there is a close connection between human rights and peace and hence the award to Liu Xiaobo.

Nobel Prize for Economics: Nobel Prize for Economics 2010 awarded to Americans Peter Diamond and Dale Mortensen and Christopher Pissarides, a British and Cypriot citizen, for analysis of how the job market is affected by regulation and economic policy. The laureates created mathematical models which provide the framework for studying how the job market works in the real world.

Source: Official websites of the Nobel Prize and the Associated Press (AP)

India must address forced evictions and other human rights abuses in Delhi during Commonwealth Games

(Public statement of Amnesty International)

4 October 2010

The Commonwealth Games cannot be used as an excuse to forcibly evict seasonal vendors, street-based workers and beggars, Amnesty International said today.

Thousands of seasonal vendors and street-based workers are facing joblessness as the police prevent them from working on the streets during the Games. The majority of people who have been evicted are being placed in makeshift collective shelters with the residents complaining that these lacked water and sanitation and were not suitable for habitation.

This continues the trend of forced evictions of the poor and marginalized carried out by the local authorities in Delhi in the run up to the start of the Commonwealth Games on 3 October.

Amnesty International received information that the authorities carried out a series of forced evictions in Okhla and neighbouring areas and roads linking the city with its north-eastern parts on the banks of river Yamuna where the Games infrastructure including many stadia, flyovers and bridges were erected in the last few months.

Human rights organisations in India said 2,500 persons and 150-200 families were forcibly evicted from the suburban town of Gurgaon and central Delhi respectively during the last two weeks before the start of the Games.

Amnesty International is concerned that a high number of evictions during August and September appear to have been carried out without safeguards required under international law. In particular, there was no genuine consultation with the people who were evicted. They were not provided with adequate prior notice. The makeshift collective shelters that the authorities have provided, in several instances, do not meet requirements for adequacy of housing under international standards. Some people have not been provided with any alternative housing.

The Indian authorities have a duty to ensure that alternative housing is provided which complies with international standards. They must also provide effective remedies to all those who have been forcibly evicted.

Amnesty International therefore urges the Indian authorities to:

• ensure that evictions are carried out only as a last resort, and only in full compliance with requirements under international human rights standards;
• ensure that those who have been evicted are provided with adequate alternative housing and/or land to undertake their livelihoods as a matter of urgency;
• ensure that any alternative housing that is provided complies with requirements for adequacy of housing, under international human rights standards; and
• provide all victims of forced evictions with access to effective remedies.

Indian authorities must also address the growing number of labour rights abuses and violations of labour laws practised by various state agencies and private firms involved in construction activities, despite the efforts of a four-member committee appointed by a directive of the Delhi High Court to monitor such violations.1 These violations, documented by India’s human rights organizations, included irregular registration, denial of statutory minimum wages, equal payment of wages to women workers and statutory health benefits, poor safety standards leading to deaths of workers in accidents and occasional use of child labour.

1This committee was set up in February 2010 on a petition filed by Peoples Union of Democratic Rights (PUDR), Common Cause and Nirmaaz Mazdoor Panchayat Sangam. For a detailed list of violations, see PUDR report, Games the States Plays: A Follow–up Report on the volations of Workers’ Rights in Commonwealth Games Related Construction Sites, August 2010. The report holds the authorities responsible for failure to devise mechanisms for checking the abuses identified by the committee and taking action against the perpetrators.

Today, 1 October is the International Day of Older Persons

The General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1 October as the International Day of Older Persons by resolution 45/106 in 14 December 1990. The theme this year is “Older persons and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals”.

Today there are around 600 million persons aged 60 years or above, one in every ten. This number would double by 2025 and would reach virtually 2 billion by 2050, vast majority of them in the developing world. It presents a major demographic challenge for the world and the day is observed to raise awareness on the impact of an ageing population on the world's future. In this fast paced world, older people will increasingly play a critical role through their volunteer work, helping the families with caring responsibilities, increasing their participation in the paid labour force and in transmitting experience and knowledge.

Such contributions to the society by older people can be ensured only if they can enjoy adequate levels of health, for which appropriate policies need to be in place. While governments worldwide have the responsibility to guarantee policy formulation for the purpose, it is up to us, the common folks of the present generation, to make sure that older people are cared for and are not abandoned at old age homes on account of our convenience.

Source: Official websites of the United Nations and the World Health Organisation

Myanmar: Political prisoners must be freed

(Press statement of Amnesty International)

On the third anniversary of the violent crackdown on the “Saffron Revolution”, Amnesty International calls on the Myanmar government to immediately and unconditionally free all political prisoners arrested for their peaceful activism.

The Myanmar authorities continue to imprison over 2,200 political prisoners—more than double the number held before the August 2007 protests against sharp fuel and commodity price rises.

“While the international community, including Myanmar’s ASEAN neighbours, has been calling for free, fair and inclusive elections there, the plight of thousands of political prisoners has been overlooked,” said Benjamin Zawacki, Amnesty International’s Myanmar Researcher.

Amnesty International believes the vast majority of those held are prisoners of conscience who are being punished merely for peacefully exercising their rights to free expression, assembly and association.

The Myanmar government will hold its first elections in 20 years on 7 November 2010 against a backdrop of political repression and systematic violence. Under Electoral Laws enacted in March 2010, no political prisoner can take part in the elections or hold membership in any political party.

International attention in recent months has focused on the power-play between the military and the government’s proxy parties on the one hand; and the armed ethnic minority groups, the National League for Democracy, and a small number of new opposition parties on the other.

“The long-standing problem of political imprisonment in Myanmar remains very much at the heart of the political impasse in the country”, said Benjamin Zawacki. “These prisoners constitute a significant part of the political opposition”.

In the largest show of public discontent against the military government in Myanmar since the 1988 pro-democracy uprising, tens of thousands of protesters—led by Buddhist monks—took to the streets in August and September 2007, demanding economic and political reforms.

The peaceful country-wide demonstrations were violently put down by the authorities in late September 2007. At least 31 (and possibly more than a hundred) people were killed—with many more injured and at least 74 disappeared—and thousands detained.

The brutal crackdown provoked international condemnation, including an unprecedented expression of revulsion and demands for change from the UN Security Council, the UN Human Rights Council and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Yet even as Myanmar prepares for its first elections in two decades, as part of what it calls a “Roadmap to Democracy”, it continues to repress political opposition.

“It beggars belief that the government can attempt to burnish its democratic credentials by holding elections, while it also holds more than 2,200 political prisoners behind bars and out of sight of the campaigns and polls”, said Benjamin Zawacki . “The international community should point out to Myanmar that these practices cannot be reconciled under any genuine Roadmap to Democracy”.

Political prisoners in Myanmar are held in deplorable conditions.

Many of those who took part in the Saffron Revolution, such as labour rights campaigner Su Su Nway, monk leader and activist U Gambira, and 88 Generation Student group members Min Ko Naing, Htay Kywe, Mie Mie, Ko Mya Aye and Zaw Htet Ko Ko, are in poor health. In the past two years, at least 238 political prisoners have been moved to extremely remote prisons, restricting their access to relatives, lawyers and medical care. Reports of torture and other ill-treatment are rife. The International Committee of the Red Cross has been denied access to prisons in Myanmar since late 2005.

“On this third anniversary of the Saffron Revolution, Amnesty International calls on world leaders to demand that the Myanmar government free all political prisoners at once, and ensure human rights protection throughout the elections period and beyond”, said Benjamin Zawacki.

26 September to 2 October - Joy of Giving Week

Is there any nobler human disposition than benevolence? Is there any better human emotion than compassion? Is there any greater service than the service to mankind? Religious texts teach us there isn’t any; and even if you are an atheist, with little belief in God, who rather believes in the materialistic interpretation of human life, there aren’t any hard evidences to prove the contrary to be true. The natural kindness of human nature manifests in its best form in giving what you could to those who are less privileged. The joy that one could derive from giving is no less than any other joy ever known to human minds. The “Joy of Giving Week” is an occasion for all of us to indulge in some sort of ‘giving’ to the less privileged of our society.

The Joy of Giving Week is a "festival of giving" that aims to bring together Indians all across the country and abroad through different acts of giving- money, time, skills or resources. The goal is to convert it into a fully publicly owned festival, just like Diwali, Holi or Thanksgiving, none of which are owned by anyone. The Week was launched in 2009 and will be held every year starting on a Sunday and ending on a Saturday, containing October 2 within.

This is an occasion for all us to indulge in some sort of charity, thereby giving back a portion of what we’ve received from our society. Individuals, colleges, schools, NGOs, media, groups and business organisations can take part in the event. This time around let us all contribute and make this world a better place to live in whatever small ways possible. Find more information about how to involve in the “Joy of Giving Week” from the website www.joyofgivingweek.ning.com.

Source: www.joyofgivingweek.ning.com

Today, 21st September is International Day of Peace

Today, 21 September is the International Day of Peace or the World Peace Day. This day is dedicated to provide an opportunity for individuals, social groups, governments and organisations to practice acts that promote peace.

The United Nations observes International Day of Peace every year as a global call for ceasefire and non-violence. It is devoted to peace, or specifically the absence of war, such as might be occasioned by a temporary ceasefire in a combat zone. The theme of this year’s International Day of Peace is “Youth, Peace and Development”, which would mean that peace is equal to future. With the soaring incidences of war, violence and terrorist activities, the day has an immense significance in the current world scenario.

As youngsters the onus is on us to carry forward the spirit of peace. As Indians the moral responsibility rests on us to carry forward the idea of non-violence, the great ideal offered to this world by the Father of our Nation.

India: Authorities should investigate torture, sexual assault and illegal detention of adivasis in Chhattisgarh

Sep 15 2010

The Indian authorities should order a prompt, impartial and independent investigation into reports of torture and ill-treatment, including rape and other sexual violence, against adivasis (indigenous people) illegally detained in Chhattisgarh, Amnesty International said today.

Adivasis from Pachangi and Aloor villages in Kanker district told Amnesty International that paramilitary Border Security Force (BSF) personnel and the Chhattisgarh state police rounded up 40 adivasi men from their villages on 5 and 6 September, stripped them and beat them with sticks. Five men – Narsingh Kumra, Sukram Netam, Premsingh Potayi, Raju Ram and Bidde Potayi were reportedly raped with sticks and are still being treated at the Kanker government hospital.

These violations followed the 29 August ambush of a BSF-police patrol by members of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) in which three BSF personnel and two policemen were killed.

Seventeen people from the two villages were also detained– blindfolded, split into batches and taken to the BSF camp at Durgkondal in closed trucks. Amnesty International has been informed that at least two of those detained - Dhansu Khemra and Sarita Tulavi – were 16 year old girls while another four were women and girls between 16 and 20.

During their detention, security forces beat the detainees in an attempt to force them to confess that they were Maoists involved in the 29 August ambush. The interrogators gave electric shocks to at least 10 detainees and sexually assaulted two female detainees.

Villagers said that on the morning of 7 September the Kanker police released one female detainee Sunita, as she was suffering from malaria, and her father, Punnim Tulavi, a school-teacher, but then arrested two more men.

The five remaining female detainees were taken to a local court along with two of the adivasi men on 8 September, while the remaining ten male detainees were taken to court on 10 September. All of the adivasis were charged with involvement in the 29 August ambush by the banned Maoist armed group and are presently in Kanker and Jagdalpur prisons, after being denied bail.

Indian law requires that arrested persons be produced before a court within 24 hours of the arrest. In an attempt to circumvent this requirement, the police claimed the two groups of detainees were arrested only one day before their respective appearances in court.

Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including sexual violence, are prohibited in all circumstances, including war or other emergency under international law, and in particular the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Geneva Conventions. India is also a signatory to the United Nations’ Convention Against Torture and the Indian Parliament is currently engaged in passing a new law against torture in accordance with the provisions of the Convention before its ratification.

Amnesty International calls upon the Indian authorities to:

• Ensure a prompt, impartial, independent and effective investigation into the allegations of torture and other ill-treatment, including sexual assault, and the illegal detention of adivasis. Those suspected of involvement in the violations, including persons bearing command responsibility, should immediately be suspended from positions where they may repeat such offences, and brought to justice;

• Award the victims of torture and other ill-treatment full reparations. In particular, immediately ensure that all victims of torture and other ill-treatment, including sexual violence, are provided with proper medical care, both physical and psychological, by professionals trained and sensitised to treat such victims; and

• Ensure that, if – as a measure of last resort – those under the age of 18 are kept in prison, they are held separately from adults and otherwise treated in accordance with India’s juvenile justice legislation and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which India is a state party.

Over the last five years, Chhattisgarh has witnessed an escalation of violence between the banned Maoists who claim to be fighting on behalf of the adivasis and India’s paramilitary forces. At least 600 people have been killed and some 30,000 adivasis continue to be displaced from their homes in the state.

(For Amnesty International, publishing a content provided by them)

Indian authorities must investigate online video of Kashmir detainee abuse

Several people have been killed during recent protests in Kashmir

Photo: © AP GraphicsBank

13 September 2010

Amnesty International has urged Indian authorities to carry out an effective investigation into a video clip that appears to show detainees in Kashmir being stripped and humiliated by security forces.

The three-minute clip, described on social networking sites as "Kashmir’s Abu Ghraib video", apparently shows Jammu and Kashmir police and Central Reserve Police Force personnel herding at least four naked young men to a nearby police station.

"This behaviour is in clear violation of the universal and absolute right to freedom from torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment," said Donna Guest, Deputy Director of Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific programme.

The video, apparently recorded by one of the security personnel, has since been removed from social networking sites, including Facebook and YouTube, after the Jammu and Kashmir police reportedly began legal action against the publishers of what it termed a “baseless and malicious clip”.

It is unclear when the clip was recorded, although it was reportedly taken in the north-western town of Sopore.

The recorded conversation in Hindi-Urdu suggests that the security force personnel suspected the young men of being involved in throwing stones at the security forces, and that they had been caught after a long chase.

Amnesty International has consistently received reports of torture and other ill-treatment of detainees in various police stations and interrogation centres in Jammu and Kashmir. Such accounts have often included men being stripped naked and humiliated by security force personnel.

The Indian Parliament is currently debating new legislation criminalizing torture and the Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram has said the video will be investigated.
However, a statement by Jammu and Kashmir Police to local media indicated that a formal case had been registered against the clip's distributors.

“The approach of the local police raises serious concerns. Instead of investigating and identifying the perpetrators of the humiliating treatment, the police appear to be more concerned about who uploaded and circulated the video clip," said Donna Guest.

"The Indian and Jammu and Kashmir authorities must ensure that the content of the clip is subjected to an independent, impartial and effective investigation. Any officials who are suspected of offences involving human rights violations should be prosecuted in fair trials.”

(For Amnesty International, publishing a content provided by them)

Sign the online appeal by Sept 10th to deliver your signature to UN Summit

Millions of people around the world live in abject poverty; around 1 billion people live in slums; more than half million women die each year from complications related to pregnancy and child birth – one every minute; people living in poverty are discriminated against,and their human rights violated by individuals, organised groups and by the state.

In the year 2000 countries around the world, under the aegis of the United Nations, agreed to eight Millennium Development Goals (MDG) to eradicate poverty by 2015. They are,

• End poverty and hunger
• Universal education
• Gender equality
• Child health
• Maternal health
• Combat HIV/AIDS
• Environmental sustainability
• Global partnership

(Find more information about MDG at http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/)

Now in the year 2010, just five years from the deadline, we are nowhere near making these goals a reality. This September 2010, world leaders will meet in the UN Millennium Development Goals Summit to accelerate the progress towards achieving MDG targets by 2015. Sign the online petition using the below mentioned URL and put across your voice and demand an increased focus on human rights protection as the solution to global poverty. Ace human rights organisation, Amnesty International will deliver your signature to MDG Summit Presidents.

http://www.amnesty.org/en/appeals-for-action/put-human-rights-heart-global-fight-against-poverty-1

Source: Official websites of the United Nations and Amnesty International

48th Anniversary of “I Have a Dream” Speech

Tomorrow is the 48th anniversary of the monumental “I Have a Dream” speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Regarded as one of the most famous speeches in the history of mankind, the speech was delivered on 28 August 1963 at Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. Though Abraham Lincoln, through his “Emancipation Proclamation” in 1862-63, stopped the despicable practice of slavery, the coloured people of America were not given the civil rights. Martin Luther King Jr., the Mahatma Gandhi of the coloured people (Negroes) in the United States, led the non-violent struggle in bringing civil rights for them.

At the following URL you can listen to this great speech. Use the “Audio MP3 of the address” option, not the You Tube link, to listen to the speech. While listening to it you can also read the transcript of the speech given just beneath the audio option.

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm

If you are someone who aspires to make it big as an orator or at least wants to improve your public speaking skills, this is an excellent model to follow. The speech, widely hailed as a masterpiece of rhetoric, will help you learn how to use powerful words in your speech, how to modulate your voice to motivate the listeners and how to mix emotional expressions in inspiring people.

AmericanRhetoric.com is a good resource to find many great speeches including the first presidential address of Franklin Delano Roosevelt during the times of Great Depression (in Economics, depression is the worst form of recession), Lyndon Johnson’s “We shall overcome” speech, Barack Obama’s Cairo University speech, to name but a few.

Indian Government Says No to Vedanta Mining Project at Niyamgiri Hills, Orissa

The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has stalled the UK based Vedanta Resources’ bauxite mining project in Orissa’a Niyamgiri hills. The expert panel set by the MoEF found out that Vedanta blatantly violated forest and environmental laws in starting the project which would lead to environmental destruction and thus would adversely affect the livelihood of the Dongria Kondh tribals.

Many human rights organisations including Amnesty International and Survival International have been in the forefront in highlighting this human rights and environmental crisis. Many of the readers of this blog who read the blogpost Human Rights Violations in Orissa also supported this initiative by signing the online petition as well as sending the Amnesty International postcards to the Indian Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh appealing him to look into the matter. Congratulations to all of those conscionable activists for their efforts in bringing in this outcome. I hope we will continue to utilise such opportunities in the future as well in being online activists for environmental and human rights concerns.

Find more information from the following URLs

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article591546.ece?homepage=true
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/aug/24/vedanta-mining-industry-india

Happy Onam to All My Readers

I wish a very happy and prosperous Onam to all my readers, wherever you are in the world. Let this Onam bring all happiness to all of you and your families.

Randiv’s No-Ball Woes

One of the most amazing characteristic features of human nature is its enduring proclivity towards controversies. The most recent controversy in cricket, with Virender Sehwag and Suraj Randiv as its main protagonists, proves this fact beyond any doubt. In a moment of folly, which might have become a life changing one later for him, Randiv deliberately bowled a no-ball to deny Sehwag a century in an ODI, which created havoc in the cricketing world.

A trivial incident that should have warranted only the minimal concern that triviality deserves has been blown out of proportion by many around us, not any less by our 24/7 visual media. TV hosts were pouncing at Randiv as hungry lions on a meek deer, so called cricket experts were furious at his unsporting demeanour and newspapers carried headlines that were tantamount to declaring Randiv a habitual offender of serious crimes. For those who have been following cricket for at least a couple of decades would find it quite obvious that this incident was an insignificant one when compared to other more blatant violations of the spirit of the game. Common sense should have prevailed on such an occasion but unfortunately even wise men sometimes get overwhelmed by emotions. Sehwag, a street smart cricketer, who normally takes such things lightly, was undoubtedly furious on being denied a certain century. Though in the first instance, immediately after the match, he was inclined to dismiss it as a trivial incident, at the press conference he came out with all guns blazing and lashed out at the rookie Lankan off spinner. He even accused that it was not the first time that Sri Lankan cricket team resorted to such unsporting tactics.

The Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakara and the team management were quick to come up with an apology. Randiv personally apologised to Sehwag and the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Secretary Nishantha Ranatunga called up the Indian team manager Ranjib Biswal to tender his apology on the incident. SLC also handed down one match suspension to Randiv and also decided to forfeit his match fee for the game. Tilakaratne Dilshan, who is accused to have coaxed Randiv into bowling a no-ball, will lose his match fee as well.

One can’t help but feel sad for the young man, Suraj Randiv, the offie hailed by many as a worthy successor to the great Muthiah Muraliadharan, as he got such a big blot on his character very early in his international career. It must be acknowledged that the cricketing world was rather harsh on its accusation of the young man. It was a matter that should have been handled in a defter manner than that was on view at this occasion. But it certainly was another occasion that reminded cricketers of their utmost responsibility of upholding the spirit of the great game of cricket - the gentleman’s game. Yet the greatest challenge for Suraj Randiv is to move forward leaving behind this incident and to excel in what he does well, which is bowling turning deliveries that mesmerise batsmen.

Amnesty International - Public Statement

India: Authorities in Tamil Nadu must release five activists campaigning against torture and drop false charges against them

Authorities in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu must release five arrested human rights defenders, drop the false charges against them and hold the state police accountable for harassment and intimidation, Amnesty International said today.

The five human rights defenders - Bharathi Pillai, Niharga Priya, Sudha, Gnana Diraviam and Anandan – who were part of a human rights training programme conducted by People’s Watch, Madurai, were arrested on the night of 15 August on false charges. They had gone to Veeravanallur police station for a fact-finding exercise as part of the field training programme to inquire about the lack of investigation in the torture of a Dalit youth, Suresh, allegedly by a police officer there. Earlier, they were detained at the police station for six hours.

The five activists have been charged with section 170 of the Indian Penal Code (impersonating a public servant), section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his or her duty), section 416 (cheating by impersonation) and section 506 (criminal intimidation) and lodged in prison. The police also declared Henri Tiphagne, Director of People’s Watch, Madurai, as an “absconding offender” in the case. This was on the basis of a complaint from one of the police officials that the five activists, claiming to be public officials, had apparently tried to threaten them.

Fact-finding exercises are commonly held globally and in India, as a way of probing allegations of human rights violations and seeking accountability. There was no attempt by the fact-finding team to impersonate public officials and the team had informed the Veeravanallur police in advance about the purpose of its visit.

Amnesty International is concerned that the arrests and the filing of charges appear to be politically motivated, as a result of their work as defenders of human rights raising issues of torture and impunity. The police charges of impersonation against Henri Tiphagne and the five arrested human rights defenders appear to be an attempt to silence the victims of police torture by criminalizing a legitimate form of protest by human rights defenders.

Amnesty International calls on the Tamil Nadu government to:

• drop the false charges against the six human rights defenders and immediately release the five persons.
• hold the State police accountable for such harassment and intimidation and ensure an independent investigation into the allegations of torture by the police of the Dalit youth.

The Tamil Nadu authorities should also create an enabling environment and ensure respect for the rights of individuals in Tamil Nadu engaged in the peaceful promotion of respect for human rights, including the right to seek, obtain, receive and hold information about respect for human rights.

(For Amnesty International, publishing their public statement)

Abducted Indigenous Campaigners Released (Update on the Last Post)

Lado Sikaka, a leader of the Dongria Kondh Indigenous communities in India, was released on 12 August, two days after being abducted. Sana Sikaka, another leader who was abducted at the same time, was released on 11 August.

Lado Sikaka has told local media that he and Sana Sikaka were stopped by some 12 armed plainclothes police officers, and two unidentified people in the Niyamgiri Hills in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, as they were travelling to Delhi with other activists to protest against a local bauxite mine. They abducted the two men in the van the activists had been travelling in, forcing Sana Sikaka out of the van at Bijepur town. However, they detained Lado Sikaka for another day and interrogated him at the District Intelligence Bureau office in the town of Rayagada. Lado Sikaka says that while he was there, he was beaten on his hands and legs, and interrogated about whether he had links with supporters of banned Maoist groups. and was involved in any violent incidents in the Niyamgiri Hills. He replied in the negative. However, his captors forced him to sign two blank pieces of paper, before taking him to the nearby town of Kalyansinghpur and releasing him there. He is currently walking back to Lakpaddar, the village where he lives, accompanied by several Dongria Kondh Indigenous people. The Rayagada district police superintendent has denied that Lado Sikaka and Sana Sikaka were detained by police.

Lado Sikaka and Sana Sikaka are both campaigning against a proposed bauxite mine in the Niyamgiri Hills. Research by Amnesty International indicates that the Niyamgiri bauxite mining project, which would be located on the Dongria Kondh's sacred sites, traditional lands and habitats, is likely to result in violations of their rights to water, food, health, work and other rights to protection of their culture and identity. The project is currently awaiting clearance from India’s Ministry of Environment and Forests.

(For Amnesty International)

Abducted Indigenous Campaigner Released

Sana Sikaka, a leader of the Dongria Kondh indigenous communities who was abducted by gunmen on 9 August, has been released. Another leader is still being held.

Sana Sikaka, one of the Dongria Kondh indigenous community leaders in the eastern Indian state of Orissa who was abducted on the evening on 9 August, was released yesterday evening.

He has informed journalists that he and Lado Sikaka, pictured left, were stopped at Izrupa at the foothills of Niyamgiri as they were leaving with a group of activists in a van to catch a train to Delhi. About fifteen men in plain clothes, armed with automatic weapons, had parked their two vans nearby and were hiding in a forest. They surrounded Lado and Sana and said they were taking them. They intimidated the other activists, snatching their mobile phones and the van key and forced them to walk towards Lanjigarh, the nearest town. Then the plainclothesmen, along with Lado and Sana, walked to the vans and then made a long drive towards the neighbouring district of Rayagada, stopping at a few places en route. Yesterday evening, when they reached Bijepur town, they pushed Sana Sikaka out of the vehicle, forcing him to commence a long journey back to Niyamgiri. They appear to have taken Lado Sikaka to Rayagada town and detained him there.

Lado Sikaka and Sana Sikaka are both campaigning against a proposed bauxite mine in the Niyamgiri Hills in the eastern Indian state of Orissa. Research by Amnesty International indicates that the Niyamgiri bauxite mining project, which would be located on the Dongria Kondh's sacred sites, traditional lands and habitats, is likely to result in violations of their rights to water, food, health, work and other rights to protection of their culture and identity. The project is currently awaiting clearance from India’s Ministry of Environment and Forests.

(For Amnesty International, publishing a content provided by them)

9 August is International Day of the World's Indigenous People

The United Nations celebrates 9 August every year as the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People. Indigenous people are tribal people (in India their nomenclature is “Adivasis”) who consider themselves distinct from societies of majority culture or the 'developed world', as we call it.

Some of the issues faced by the indigenous people the world over include cultural and linguistic preservation, land rights, ownership and exploitation of natural resources, political determination and autonomy, environmental degradation and incursion, poverty, health, and discrimination. Indiscriminate infrastructural development activities have caused havoc in the lives of the indigenous people as these activities often results in the degradation of their inhabited environment. Human rights violations are committed against them in many parts of the world and they are discriminated against in economic development as well.

By observing this day, the United Nations aims at strengthening international cooperation for the solution of problems faced by indigenous people in such areas as culture, education, health, human rights, the environment, and social and economic development.

Source: Official website of the United Nations and Wikipedia

Whistleblower Website Brings Embarrassment to the US and Pakistan Governments

The release of thousands of classified military documents from the Afghanistan war on the Internet, mainly by the whistleblower website Wikileaks has brought embarrassment to the US and Pakistan Governments. The 91,000 classified documents about US military involvement in Afghanistan has opened a Pandora’s Box of sorts.

The leaked documents show that the US authorities are covertly of the strong belief that the Pakistan intelligence agencies are playing a double game – of helping the NATO forces to track down terrorists in South Waziristan and Swat, at the same time encouraging and even funding insurgents inside Afghanistan as ‘strategic assets’ against traditional foes. These documents and the facts in them have come as a major embarrassment for the Pakistan government, its military and the intelligence services. What has put the US government in a spot of bother is the revelation that many actions by the US military in Afghanistan amount prima facie to war crimes, where they have indiscriminately ambushed civilians all across the war ravaged country, at many occasions, unprovoked.

The classified documents suggest that the Pakistan military acted like a friend and a foe to the Afghan insurgents. There are reports that show that the Pakistan intelligence worked with the Al-Qaeda to plan attacks. However, experts believe that though the Afghan insurgents and Pakistan militants work together, directly linking the Al-Qaeda with the Pakistani intelligence agencies like the ISI is difficult. The reports also show that though there is a palpable sense of camaraderie between the US administration and the Pakistan military, behind the scenes there are occasions of confrontation between the two. At the same time, several US congressional officials complained that in spite of repeated requests over the years for information on Pakistan’s support to insurgent groups, they usually get vague and incomplete briefings from Pentagon and CIA. Accusations that Pakistan military and the intelligence agencies are working together with insurgents are always met with angry denials from Pakistan. They have always said that they have severed the relationship with Afghan insurgents years back. American officials believe that though ISI is a rigid organisation that doesn’t allow rogue activities of their members, the spy service’s “S Wing”, which operates against the Afghan government and India has broad autonomy for their operations.

The leaked military classified documents show details of the toll on Afghan civilians exacted by the coalition forces. The logs reveal 144 such incidents and they are mainly about the controversial air strikes by the coalition forces, which have already evoked criticism from the Afghan authorities. In addition to these deadly air strikes, the logs also show previously unknown incidents that appear to be the results of troops shooting unarmed drivers out of a determination to protect themselves from suicide bombers. They show bloody errors committed by the coalition forces including the day French troops attacked a bus full of children in 2008, wounding eight. The logs also show accounts of such ghastly incidents on how a US patrol gunned down about 15 passengers on a bus and how the Polish troops mortared a village in 2007 killing a wedding party in an apparent revenge attack. There are details of questionable shooting by British troops at civilians as well.

The leaking of the war documents has started showing its impact. Pakistan administration is facing a lot of questions on the involvement of their intelligence agencies in helping the Afghan insurgents and many countries have started putting more pressure on the Pakistan government to come clean on this issue. The criticism from the British Prime Minister David Cameron, when he recently visited India, is one good example for this increasing pressure on the Pakistan government by the international community. The American government is also under increased pressure because of the leaking of the classified military documents. It has also strengthened anti-war sentiments in the US. Whether this brave act of Wikileaks would bring any change to the present state of affairs is yet to be seen.