GU Amnesty Committee Meeting 26/1/08 – Minutes
January 27, 2008 in main by Emma
Minutes of meeting
by Emma
by Emma Pakistan ‘on brink of political catastrophe’
January 27, 2008 in news by Emma
As the situation in Pakistan grows more difficult, President Musharraf is in the UK over the weekend, and Amnesty has issued a press release explaining its concerns over the political difficulties and human rights violations which are ongoing in Pakistan.
Human rights violations are undermining prospect of free and fair elections
Amnesty International delivered a stark warning to Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf today (25 January 2008), stating that the country was on the brink of ‘political catastrophe’. Musharraf begins a four-day visit to the UK today, which is set to culminate with a meeting with Gordon Brown on Monday.
Pakistan is due to hold elections on 18 February, however, an Amnesty International delegation, which spent the last month in the country, has uncovered a worsening human rights crisis despite the lifting of the State of Emergency last month.
The situation has deteriorated to such an extent that Amnesty International believes it represents a serious threat to the political process in Pakistan.
Find the press release here
And Amnesty’s previous statement here
by sinead Check it out!!
January 22, 2008 in campaigns, news by sinead
Don’t forget about Darfur, crisis is still happening. Check out Amnestys new report (out January 22nd)
and spread the word.
by sinead US Military chief speaks out about Guantanamo
January 22, 2008 in main, news by sinead
“GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba (AP) – The chief of the U.S. military said he favors closing the prison here as soon as possible because he believes negative publicity worldwide about treatment of terrorist suspects has been “pretty damaging” to the image of the United States.
“I’d like to see it shut down,” Adm. Mike Mullen said Sunday in an interview with three reporters who toured the detention center with him on his first visit since becoming chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff last October….”
Full Article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0%2C%2C-7223489%2C00.html
by Emma GU Amnesty Committee Meeting 17/1/08
January 21, 2008 in minutes by Emma
Ceilidh
ÂÂ – Star meeting Monday 6.30
– Sinead and possibly Jonny to go
– Ceilidh planned for March/mid Feb?
Film night
– problem with Boyd Orr?
– Rachel to srot out
Speakers
– SVAW plus one other
– SVAW for valentines?
Ethical investments
– Speaker?
– public declaration of interest?
Raise off – Helen to look at Raise off financing stuff.
Website – Robert to change members
New Internationalist – ?promotion
GUU – possibility of affiliation
by Emma Brown pushes for 42 day detention
January 20, 2008 in news by Emma
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7198837.stm
Prime Minster Gordon Brown is pressing ahead with controversial plans to extend the time terror suspects can be held without charge to 42 days.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is due to meet backbench Labour MPs on Monday to try to win over opponents.
But Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has said his party will join forces with the Tories in the Lords to defeat the move.
Mr Clegg predicted Mr Brown would suffer the first defeat of his premiership on the issue.
But the prime minister said he believed it was still possible to reach a cross-party consensus when the government publishes its Counter Terrorism Bill later this week.
He claimed all the main parties accepted there could be circumstances in which suspects would need to be detained beyond the current 28-day limit.
It’s good to see that people are resisting, at least. Keep up the fight, guys! www.unsubscribe-me.org
by Emma ‘Torture states’ list published by Canadian Foreign Minister includes USA
January 20, 2008 in news by Emma
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7198435.stm
The Canadian foreign minister has apologised for including the US and Israel on a list of states where prisoners are at risk of torture.
Maxime Bernier said the list, which formed part of a manual on torture awareness given to diplomats, “wrongly includes some of our closest allies”.
Mr Bernier insisted the manual was not a policy document and did not convey the official views of his government.
The listing was criticised by the US and Israel, who demanded it be changed.
“We find it to be offensive for us to be on the same list with countries like Iran and China. Quite frankly it’s absurd,” said the US ambassador to Canada, David Wilkins.
…
The manual lists US interrogation techniques such as forced nudity, isolation, sleep deprivation and the blindfolding of prisoners under its “definition of torture”.
It also refers to the US detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, where a Canadian man, Omar Khadr, is being held. Critics say it ridicules Ottawa’s claims that he is not being mistreated.
Other countries on the watch list include Afghanistan, China, Iran, Israel, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Syria.
The document was mistakenly provided to the human rights group, Amnesty International, as part of a court case it is bringing against the Canadian government over the treatment of detainees in Afghanistan.
Forgive the bias of opinion, but I would have applauded Canada for recognising the risk posed to prisoners in the US, if only they had not been so quick to back down.
by Emma Raise Off Stall
January 13, 2008 in campaigns, events by Emma
Hello everyone, and happy new year!
We’ve had a great start to the new term, our Raise Off stall on Friday raised around £130, which is a great kick off! Thank you to everyone who helped with that.
The aim for this month is £200, so we are hoping to have a film night, possibly next Wednesday, showing Taking Liberties and hopefully running a stress position challenge. It’ll be fun, so come along! More details to follow.
by Emma GU Amnesty Committee Meeting 7/1/08 – Minutes
January 7, 2008 in main by Emma
Guantanamo anniversary stuff
– stall with stress position challenge
– organise help at meeting tomorrow
EGM
– 15th Jan
– mailing list
Reply to politicians?
Ceilidh
– Star meeting – Sinead to go along
Sleep out
– Star involved too?
– kelvingrove park, cloisters?
Zoe Graham
– ask to write for qmunicate
Rector campaign
-can we/should we support someone?
by Emma Benazir Bhutto killed in suicide bomb attack
December 28, 2007 in news by Emma
From the BBC:
Pakistani former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has been assassinated in a suicide attack.
Ms Bhutto – the first woman PM in an Islamic state – was leaving an election rally in Rawalpindi when a gunman shot her in the neck and set off a bomb.
At least 20 other people died in the attack and several more were injured.
President Pervez Musharraf has urged people to remain calm but angry protests have gripped some cities, with at least 11 deaths reported.
Security forces have been placed on a state of “red alert” nationwide.
There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the attack. Analysts believe Islamist militants to be the most likely group behind it.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7161590.stm
Amnesty International has spoken out against the attack:
“It is shocking to see someone’s life cut short in such a brutal way. Attacks such as these can never be justified. They violate international law and the rules of democratic behaviour,â€Â said Catherine Baber, director of Amnesty International’s Asia programme.
“We know that the government of President Musharraf will find itself under enormous pressure to go after the culprits and keep the country calm and stable, but Amnesty International calls on President Musharraf – and on the security forces – to exercise restraint and uphold the rule of law.
“The killing of Benazir Bhutto must not be allowed to become a setback to civilian governance or indeed lead to a further crackdown on civil liberties.â€Â