Group 48 Newsletter - October 2008

Amnesty International Group 48 Newsletter October 2008

http://aipdx.org 503-227-1878 Next Meeting: Friday, October 10 First Unitarian Church 1011 SW 12th Ave 7:00pm informal gathering 7:30 Meeting starts

The Group 48 newsletter is now online at http://aipdx.org/newsletters/ If you wish to receive the hard copy newsletters by mail each month, please submit a request with your name and mailing address through one of the following: 1) Leave a voicemail message at 503227-1878; or 2) Use the online contact form at http://aipdx.org/contact/. Starting in November 2008, the newsletters will not be mailed to those who do not submit a request. Save money and save the trees. Thank you for your understanding.

Amnesty International Disappointed by Appeals Court Decision to Delay Release of Uighur Detainees [Washington, DC October 9th, 2008]—Larry Cox, executive director of Amnesty International USA, issued the following statement regarding the continued legal wrangling about the status of the 17 Uighur detainees’ in Guantanamo Bay. On the evening of October 8, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit blocked the release of the Uighur detainees, which had been ordered by the lower District Court on October 7. The Court granted the U.S. government’s emergency motion for a stay so that the U.S. government could file an appeal regarding the Uighur detainees’ entry into the United States: “The latest decision regarding the continued illegal detention of the Uighur detainees is disappointing, to say the least. Per the ruling by the U.S. District Court, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had been asked to provide recommendations on the conditions under which the Uighurs would live in the United States. Amnesty International urges the DHS to recognize the U.S. Department of Defense’s declaration that these men are not enemy combatants and allow them to lead normal lives, to the extent possible in the United States.” “The U.S. Department of Justice seeks to file an appeal on the basis that the District Court overstepped its authority by allowing the Uighur detainees into the United States. That is rather ironic since the Bush administration has abused its executive privileges and shown contempt for international law and Constitutional principles — especially when applied to detainees at Guantanamo Bay.” “Mr. President, the U.S. Constitution is the foundation of this nation’s rule of law; not a sheet of paper that bends to suit your administration’s unlawful actions in the name of national security. It is time for you and your administration to stop fighting the courts and respect the time-honored principle of the Constitution.”

New website for Group 48 A new website with a unique URL has been set up for Group 48. Go to aipdx.org and you will find the latest Amnesty actions that are related to some of the campaigns Group 48 is working on. For example, the Troy Davis’ case has been the focal point for AIUSA’s staff and volunteers for the last few weeks. Terrie Rodello, the Oregon State Death Penalty Coordinator sent updates of the case to the group by email. A few of those updates are also on the website so individuals who are not subscribed to the group’s email list can read about the progress of the case as well. Aside from the latest actions and other related news, the website has a brief description of the group and information about the monthly meetings. The monthly newsletter is now posted on the website. Printing and mailing the newsletters is the largest expense of the group. When the group’s finance is low, it becomes impossible to produce the newsletters. Therefore, the website was selected as the solution at the September group meeting to maintain the continuity of the group’s only publication and at almost no cost. Those who wish to continue receiving the hard copy newsletters can still do so. However, if you have regular access to the Internet and are able to open PDF files (require the free program Adobe Reader, go to www.adobe.com for more details), please download the newsletter from the website to help lower the group’s expense. Starting next month, the newsletters will be sent only to the individuals who request to receive the hard copy newsletters. Requests need to be made just one time by phone or through the website.

No truth, no justice 40 years after Mexico City massacre 2 October 2008 -- Forty years ago, the Mexican army opened fire on students peacefully demonstrating in Tlatelolco, Mexico City, on 2 October 1968. Estimates vary on how many people were killed, but the massacre remains one of the worst incidents of mass killing in Mexico’s history. 1968 was a year where students and activists around the world rose up to change their reality and, in many places, they clashed with the authorities. Students shut down campuses across the USA as riots and antiwar marches spread across the country. 80,000 marched against the Vietnam War in London and the civil rights movement in Northern Ireland gained impetus. In May, students in Paris rose up, followed by a huge public strike. There was widespread popular opposition in Czechoslovakia as Soviet troops suppressed political reforms. And, in downtown Mexico City, just days before the 1968 Olympics opened, police, military and unidentified armed men surrounded La Plaza de Las Tres Culturas, Tlatelolco. The square was full of people demonstrating against police brutality as part of a general student strike that followed the beating of students by the anti-riot police “los granaderos” in July. At about 6pm, they opened fire, from armoured vehicles using heavy weapons and soldiers on foot carrying bayonet rifles. They fired on the square packed with students and on surrounding residential buildings. Forty-four bodies were eventually released by the government – ten have still not been identified. And, four decades later, the Mexican government still hasn’t given answers to questions surrounding the massacre that took place in Mexico City, according to Amnesty International. Javier Zúñiga, now a special advisor at Amnesty International, then a lecturer at the National School of Agriculture, had brought his wife and two-year-old daughter to what was expected to be a peaceful event. They witnessed the arrival of government troops from a nearby bridge overlooking the square. ”Forty years on from the Tlatelolco massacre, so many disturbing questions remain unanswered,” said Javier Zúñiga. “Who ordered the massacre? For how long had it been planned? How many were killed? Who are those whose bodies still have not been identified? ”It was getting dark at the time the gunfire started, so it was difficult to see exactly what was happening, but I remember, as clearly now as at the time, that the army moved into the square before the gunfire started and not as a consequence of it, as many government sources have maintained. People panicked and started running in different directions crying ‘the army is coming, the army is coming!’ Before long, it seemed as if the square was full with bodies. ”I went back early the following morning and saw piles of belts and shoes. Pools of blood remained on the ground despite obvious efforts to wash them away. I also saw large bullet holes on concrete pillars at adult head height.” Despite continuous efforts by victims, relatives and participants in the student movement to establish the truth of what occurred that night, the full facts have never been established and those responsible have not been held to account. ”The failure of the Mexican government to establish the truth of what happened on the night of 2 October 1968 has left a deep scar in Mexican society that can only be healed by full disclosure, bringing the perpetrators to justice, and providing reparations to the victims or their families,” said Kerrie Howard, Deputy Director of the Americas Programme at Amnesty International. ”President Calderón’s government has been all but silent on this

dark chapter in Mexico’s history. We challenge this administration to open all relevant archives and records, establish a new and independent inquiry, and lift the obstacles preventing those responsible for this horrific crime being brought to justice.” The organization called on Mexican President Felipe Calderón to establish once and for all the truth behind the massacre that took place in La Plaza de Las Tres Culturas, Tlatelolco, Mexico City, just days before the 1968 Olympics opened. It also urged the government to provide justice and reparations for the families of the victims. submitted by Marylou Noble Central America RAN Coordinator

Pakistan/Afghanistan: Thousands of displaced civilians in border area have right to international assistance October 3, 2008 Tens of thousands of civilians require immediate international humanitarian assistance as a result of escalating fighting on both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border since the beginning of August, Amnesty International said today. More than 20,000 people have fled from Pakistan to eastern Afghanistan to avoid fighting between government forces and proTaleban insurgents in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), while FATA authorities have asked Afghan refugees in Bajaur Agency to leave the area. “Both the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan, as well as international forces operating in Afghanistan, have a legal obligation to provide safe passage, consistent security and humanitarian assistance to the refugees and internally displaced people on both sides of the border. They should also ensure that local and international humanitarian agencies are able to work safely in providing assistance to those in need,” said Sam Zarifi, Asia Director at Amnesty International. “The continued fighting in southern Afghanistan and the more recent conflict in northern Pakistan are creating a very dangerous situation in the region for civilians trying to find refuge. With the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, there is an expectation that even more civilians will leave their homes to avoid the fighting.” According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), since mid September more than 600 families have fled fighting in Bajaur Agency in the FATA, where in recent months a Pakistani military campaign against anti-government insurgents has increased tensions. This is in addition to the 3,364 families which took refuge in the districts of Shigal, Marawara, Dangam, and other areas of Afghanistan’s Kunar province in early August.

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Central Africa Regional Action Network

Chad: Oumar Mahamat Saleh Is Missing and Must Not Be Forgotten Ibni Oumar Mahamat Saleh, leader of an opposition political party and spokesperson for a political coalition, was arrested at his home in the Chadian capital, N’Djaména, by members of the Chadian security forces on 3 February 2008. He was arrested a few hours after a major armed offensive by rebel groups had been defeated by the Chadian army. No one has seen him since. Background: What happened to Ibni Oumar Mahamat Saleh is very similar to the fate of more than 20 Chadian high-ranking officers and civilians arrested in April 2006 and November 2007. Since their arrests, none of these people have been seen or heard from by their families. They do not even know if the men are alive or dead. On 13 April 2006, armed opposition movements attacked N’Djaména. In the aftermath of this attack more than 14 army officers and civilians were arrested by Chadian security forces because they were suspected of being involved. They included Army Chief of Staff Abdouramane Youssouf Seid. On 30 November 2007, seven men including Brahim Idriss Ibrahim, governor of Dar Tama province, were arrested in the eastern town of Guéréda. Some were members of the former armed opposition movement FUC (United Front for Democratic Change). They were arrested during or soon after a meeting with President Idriss Déby to discuss disarming former FUC combatants. To date, only one of the missing men has reappeared: Haroun Mahamat Abdoulaye, Sultan of Dar Tama, was released from a security facility in N’Djaména in May 2008. The Chadian authorities have persistently refused to disclose information on the whereabouts of these men and the state of their health, or to confirm whether they are alive or dead.

Sample Letter: His Excellency Idriss Déby Itno President of Chad Présidence de la République BP 74 N’Djaména REPUBLIC OF CHAD via fax: 011-235-251-4501 Your Excellency: I am very concerned for the safety of Dr. Ibni Oumar Mahamat Saleh, the leader of Chad’s Party for Liberties and Development (PLD) and spokesman for the Coordination of Political Parties for the Defense of the Constitution. Both organizations have peaceful democratic aims and no known connection with the armed opposition that attacked the capital of N’Djamena during the first week of February 2008. Dr. Saleh is a respected Professor of Mathematics at the University of N’Djamena. Dr. Saleh was arrested at his home on 3 February 2008 by uniformed officers identified as members of the Chadian government security forces. Since then, he has not been seen, and authorities contend that they know nothing about his whereabouts or condition. Amnesty International fears that he could be a victim of enforced disappearance and that he may have been tortured or ill-treated in custody. Please state publicly where Dr. Saleh is being held, and give him immediate access to his family, legal counsel, and any necessary medical care. He should be released immediately if no charges have been brought. Other cases of possible enforced disappearance have been reported during the past two years in Chad, particularly since the state of emergency was declared in March 2008. What happened to Dr. Saleh is very similar to the fate of more than 20 Chadian officers and civilians arrested in April 2006 and November 2007. Since their arrests, only one has reappeared, and the families of the others do not know if the men are alive or dead. If they are alive, they should be released. I thank you for your attention to my concerns about Dr. Saleh and other victims of enforced disappearance. I respectfully look forward to your reply. Sincerely, Copy to: Ambassador Bechir Mahamoud Adam Embassy of the Republic of Chad 2002 R Street NW Washington, DC 20009 Fax: 202-265-1937

Charles Dean Hood’s execution stayed

Darfur Arms Embargo resolution update

USA: The execution of Charles Dean Hood, scheduled for September 10, has been stayed by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. The stay was not based on the highly publicized allegations that Hood’s trial judge and prosecutor were involved romantically during the time of his trial, but was in response to a challenge that his jury was given flawed instructions. News accounts have also reported that, in their reprieve request to Texas Governor Rick Perry, Hood’s attorneys stated that the former judge and prosecutor in question admitted to the affair under oath earlier this week in a separate civil proceeding. Thanks to all who took action on his behalf! 2008-09-10

Sudan: Good news - and thank you! On September 27, the U.S. Senate passed Resolution 660 by unanimous consent; the resolution calls on the UN Security Council to stop the flow of weapons into Darfur by expanding the current UN arms embargo to all of Sudan. Our activists sent more than 13,000 actions to Congressional members urging passage of this resolution. The resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives has not yet passed - please contact your Member of Congress now! (page three)

Death Penalty: Troy Davis Update: The US Supreme Court issued a stay less than two hours before Troy Davis’s scheduled execution. The US Supreme Court decision to accept Troy’s petition for a Writ of Certiorari by Monday September 29th, the deadline of the stay was not issued but the order may come down on g Monday, October 6 Action Request: After consulting closely with Troy’s legal team, the best course of action will be to continue writing letters targeting the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles, but have those letters delivered to Amnesty International’s Atlanta office, so that they can be hand delivered at the appropriate time if it becomes necessary. Please direct all such actions to our website www.amnestyusa.org/ troydavis - so an accurate count of all the letters on behalf of Troy can be kept. Please direct all such actions in this way. More letters, phone calls, emails or faxes to the Board would not be helpful and could be counterproductive. Actions to other Georgia authorities, like the Governor or Attorney General, would also not be helpful. And, of course, actions directed at the U.S. Supreme Court would be counterproductive as well. So, please do not plan any rallies or demonstrations in front of the US Supreme Court as such actions have the potential to jeopardize a positive outcome in this case. Martina Correia, sister of Troy Davis: Letter from Troy Anthony Davis: Below is a message Troy Davis mailed to his sister, Martina, on September 22, 2008 the night before his scheduled execution in Georgia To all I want to thank all of you for your efforts and dedication to Human Rights and Human Kindness, in the past year I have

Is it time to renew your membership in the Portland chapter of Amnesty International? Please return this form to to our treasurer: Janan Stoll, 3004 NE 18th Avenue, Portland OR 97212. If we already have all your current contact information then all we need is your name. None of your contact information will be shared with any other organization. It will, however, be published in the roster sent out to all members – make a note if you do not want your name on the roster. Your membership in Portland’s Group 48 is separate from your membership in the national Amnesty International organization. To join the national organization, call 1-800-AMNESTY Name:____________________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________ City/State/Zip: ______________________________________________ Phone: ___________________________________________________ Email: ___________________________________________________ Check whether you would like your email address o ON or o OFF the Group 48 email list. Please indicate if you would like your name o ON or o OFF the membership roster sent to other Group 48 members. o $15 regular membership o $25 family membership o $50 Generous donor o $100 Amnesty Angel o $5 limited income o membership fee waiver for financial hardship

experienced such emotion, joy, sadness and never ending faith. It is because of all of you that I am alive today, as I look at my sister Martina I am marveled by the love she has for me and of course I worry about her and her health, but as she tells me she is the eldest and she will not back down from this fight to save my life and prove to the world that I am innocent of this terrible crime. As I look at my mail from across the globe, from places I have never ever dreamed I would know about and people speaking languages and expressing cultures and religions I could only hope to one day see first hand. I am humbled by the emotion that fills my heart with overwhelming, overflowing Joy. I can’t even explain the insurgence of emotion I feel when I try to express the strength I draw from you all, it compounds my faith and it shows me yet again that this is not a case about the death penalty, this is not a case about Troy Davis, this is a case about Justice and the Human Spirit to see Justice prevail. I cannot answer all of your letters but I do read them all, I cannot see you all but I can imagine your faces, I cannot hear you speak but your letters take me to the far reaches of the world, I cannot touch you physically but I feel your warmth everyday I exist. So Thank you and remember I am in a place where execution can only destroy your physical form but because of my faith in God, my family and all of you I have been spiritually free for some time and no matter what happens in the days, weeks to come, this Movement to end the death penalty, to seek true justice, to expose a system that fails to protect the innocent must be accelerated. There are so many more Troy Davis’. This fight to end the death penalty is not won or lost through me but through our strength to move forward and save every innocent person in captivity around the globe. We need to dismantle this Unjust system city by city, state by state and country by country. I can’t wait to Stand with you, no matter if that is in physical or spiritual form, I will one day be announcing, “ I AM TROY DAVIS, and I AM FREE! Never Stop Fighting for Justice and We will Win!

AI Group 48 Contact Info

Phone Guy Marty Fromer 503-227-1878 [email protected]

China RAN Joanne Lau, 971-221-5450 [email protected]

Treasurer Janan Stoll, 503-282-8834 [email protected]

Philippine/Indonesia RAN Max White, 503-292-8168 [email protected]

Central Africa RAN Christine Glenn, Terrie Rodello 503-452-8087 [email protected]

Central American RAN Marylou Noble 503-245-6923 [email protected]

OR State Death Penalty Coordinator Terrie Rodello, 503-246-6836 [email protected]

Newsletter Editor / Designer Dan Webb (503) 253-3491 [email protected]

Legislative Coordinator Dan Johnson, 503-310-4540 [email protected]

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CHINA Regional Action Network

Take Action for Liu Bing-lang, Su Chien-ho and Chuang Lin-hsun Summary On the night of March 23-24,1991 Yeh In-lan and her husband Wu Ming-han were stabbed to death at their home in the town of Hsichih in Taiwan. Five months later, on August 13, 1991, police traced a fingerprint left at the scene of the crime to a marine named Wang Wen-hsiao. Wang Wen-hsiao was taken into custody on August 13, 1991, and confessed to the police immediately. More than 36 hours after he had been taken into custody Wang Wen-hsiao added new information to his confession, implicating his brother, Wang Wen-chung, and three of his brother’s classmates, whom he could not name. Wang Wen-chung was detained soon after by police without an arrest warrant and was allegedly tortured. He named his three classmates as Liu Bing-lang, Su Chien-ho and Chuang Lin-hsun. Wang Wen-chung served two years in prison for his alleged role as an accomplice in the crime. After his release, he retracted his evidence and stated publicly that the police had forced him to implicate his classmates. Wang Wen-hsiao was executed for his part in the murders on January 11, 1992. After numerous retrials and extraordinary appeals, Liu Binglang, Su Chien-ho and Chuang Lin-hsun were acquitted by the Taiwanese High Court in January 2003. However, in August 2003 the Supreme Court overturned that verdict and ordered the case to be returned to the High Court yet again. On June 30, 2007, the High Court overturned the verdict of not guilty and sentenced the men to death. In November, the Supreme Court rejected the verdict and returned the case to the High Court for another retrial. The three men are not detained at this time, but continue to face severe emotional distress as a result of the lengthy nature of the case and their fear of execution. A large amount of physical evidence, including blood and finger prints, was found at the scene of the crime, but none of it has ever been linked to Liu Bing-lang, Su Chien-ho or Chuang Linhsun. Furthermore, physical evidence presented by six expert witnesses in the last trial supports the defendants’ claim of innocence, evidence that the High Court refused to consider. Physical evidence also contradicts key portions of the defendants’ confessions, including the men’s confession to the crime of rape. However, the fact that the charge of sexual assault was selectively dropped in the recent verdict places serious doubt on the overall legitimacy of the men’s confessions, as confession to the crime of rape is part of the original confession. The men have alleged that their confessions were extracted through torture, which they have described in great detail. “(Police) put a thick yellow book against my chest and hammered me on the chest”, Liu Bing-Lan has said, “and they then hung me upside down and started pouring water and urine into my mouth.” Liu Bing-lan, Su Chien-ho and Chuang Lin-hsun all describe being beaten and having water or urine forced into their mouths. Su and Chuan also claim to have been subjected to electric shocks to their genitals, and in Su Chien-ho’s case police allegedly smeared a concentrated chemical on the wounds on his genitals caused by the electric

shocks. These allegations combined with an apparent lack of material evidence and irregularities in the investigative process suggest that this verdict is the result of a miscarriage of justice and a violation of international human rights standards for fair trials, standards which require particularly close attention in capital punishment cases. The Taiwan High Court’s judicial decisions further violates Taiwan’s own Criminal Procedure Law, revised in 2003, that precludes confessions as the sole basis of evidence, and prohibits the use of evidence extracted on the basis of torture. Amnesty International considers the defendants to have suffered repeated miscarriages of justice over the 16 years that the case has been in the Taiwanese court system. Amnesty International opposes the use of the death penalty in all cases, as the ultimate cruel and inhuman punishment, and asks the Taiwanese authorities to commute all death sentences. Background The death penalty remains applicable to some 52 crimes in the Taiwanese criminal code, including non-violent crimes, such as drug related offences and some economic crimes. Taiwan was the first government after the United States to legislate lethal injection as a form of execution. This was seen by the Taiwan authorities as a more ‘humane’ way to execute prisoners. To date, it has never been used and shooting remains the sole form of execution in practice. Executions usually take place at dawn and are carried out by prison guards who position the prisoner on the ground, face down, and shoot him directly in the heart. Other parts on the body may be chosen if the prisoner is an organ donor. Three or more armed guards usually carry out an execution. This is witnessed by 10-20 officials, including officers of the detention center, the prosecutor and any religious counsel. Families and lawyers are not informed in advance of an execution. Between 1994 and 2005, Taiwan executed 198 people but executions progressively decreased between 1998 and 2004. Three prisoners were executed in 2004, and again in 2005, but no executions have been carried out in 2006, 2007, 2008. Take Action Please write polite, encouraging letters to the President in Chinese, English or your own language: · Calling on the authorities to commute the death sentences against the Hsichih Trio and bring the case to swift conclusion in view of serious allegations that they were subjected to torture by the police and that their trial has been continuing for 17 years without conclusion; · Immediately establish a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty as provided by UN General Assembly resolution 62/149. Address President Ma Ying-jeou Office of the President No. 122, Sec. 1, Chongcing S Road Jhongjheng District Taipei 100 Taiwan Fax: 011 886 2 2383 2941 Salutation: Your Excellency Postage for letters to Taiwan is 94 cents. (page five)

On Anniversary of Civilian Shootings, Amnesty International Calls on U.S. Government to Hold Contractor Accountable (New York, Sept 16, 2008) – On the one-year anniversary of the killings of 17 Iraqi civilians by Blackwater Worldwide contractors working for the State Department in Iraq, Amnesty International today condemned the U.S. government for failing to hold anyone accountable for the deaths. “The U.S. government has failed to ensure legal accountability for widespread abuses by civilian contractors,” said Larry Cox, executive director of Amnesty International USA. “Iraqi and U.S. investigations have determined that this assault was an unjustifiable use of force against civilians. And yet, a year later, we are still waiting for justice in this case. Robust protections must be in place to guarantee that personnel are held accountable for indiscriminate shootings and killings of civilians.” The deaths of 17 Iraqi civilians on Sept. 16, 2007, occurred when Blackwater personnel fired into the streets in Baghdad near Nissour Square as the contractors were providing security protection for a U.S. diplomatic convoy. Both Iraqi and FBI investigations concluded that the shootings represented an unjustifiable use of force against civilians. In April, despite Blackwater’s history of reports of attacks against civilians, the State Department renewed its contract with the company for another term. “Civilian contractors have been central to reports of torture of detainees at Abu Ghraib, rape and sexual assault of fellow contractors, indiscriminate shooting and killing of Iraqi civilians, and widespread abuse of labor rights of third-country nationals hired by these companies,” said Erica Razook, of Amnesty International’s Business and Human Rights program. “Despite this, victims of abuses by private military and security contractors have been left to fend for themselves while the administration causes delay and frustration of efforts to improve contracting oversight.” Amnesty International USA has demanded that the State Department suspend contracts with contractors like Blackwater until it is clear that proper vetting mechanisms are in place to prevent further abuses.

Amnesty International USA Group 48 Portland, Oregon USA

Amnesty International Group 48 Newsletter October 2008

This newsletter is available online at: http://aipdx.org/newsletters/ To receive the newsletter by mail: Please send your vitals (name, address, phone #) to: Amnesty International Group 48 1704 NW Johnson Street Portland, OR 97209 Membership fee schedule: (Additional contributions gladly accepted) $25 Family $15 Individual $5 Student/Senior/Low Income $0 for financial hardship To subscribe to Group 48's email list, send an email message to: [email protected] Please send your items for the newsletter to Daniel Webb at: [email protected]