Amnesty in Salisbury & South Wiltshire
Promoting human rights from Salisbury UK
September 2024
We are pleased to attach the latest death penalty report covering the period mid-August to mid-September thanks to group member Lesley for the work in preparing it. Note as ever that China does not appear in the report despite being the world’s largest executioner as details of executions are a state secret.
September 2024
The 39th Vigil was held yesterday (31st August) in the market square as usual. Over 30 attended with a scattering of people joining in as they passed. The death toll is over 40,000 and there seems little sign of a peace deal. Efforts last week seem to have come to nought. There has been a short cessation of hostilities to enable the UN to carry out polio vaccinations.
ADDITION: the brutal murder by Hamas of six of the hostages has sent shockwaves around the world and has led to tens of thousands of Israelis to protest over the government’s failure to secure a peace deal and the release of the remaining hostages.
We shall be there again next week starting at 5pm in Salisbury market place next to the Library. All are welcome.
September 2024
The film Tinderbox is to be shown at the United Reform Church in Fisherton Street, Salisbury on Monday 7th October starting at 7pm. Entry is free. It is a Christian Aid Film.
The conflict rages in Gaza and settler violence has increased in the West Bank. Over 40,000 are now dead in Gaza and prospects for peace being discussed only a week or so ago seem moribund. There has been a pause in hostilities to enable UN agencies to administer polio vaccine following an outbreak of this highly contagious disease.
The film was written and directed by Gillian Mosely who is Jewish and consists of a range of interviews with representatives of both sides of the conflict. It has received mixed reviews, the Times calling it ‘trite’ and the Jewish Chronicle said it was ‘thought provoking but out of its depth’ however the story itself concludes that ‘it does a great job in laying out some of the important moments in Israel’s history …’ Both the JC review and the Guardian found it strange that she did not interview friends or her own family although an educated guess might provide good reasons why not.
A detailed review published in the Conversation is worth reading giving an historical context to this conflict.
August 2024
With the death toll in Gaza over 40,000 and no sign of a peace deal, our weekly Vigil continued today – 24th August – with just under 30 in attendance. Some passers by stop and take part which is encouraging. We had one person shout at us from afar. We shall be back on 31st at 5pm as usual.
Three of the participants. Photo: Salisbury Amnesty
August 2024
Still they continue and just under 40 attended the Vigil in Salisbury on Saturday 17th August. A grim milestone was reached during the week when the Health Ministry announced the death toll in Gaza has passed 40,000 and shows no sign of ending. The Israeli authorities dispute these figures but the evidence suggests they are an underestimate since many thousands are buried and unaccounted for.
Peace talks are taking place in Doha and are being spoken about optimistically by the Americans at least although Hamas are not in attendance. Today’s reports are less optimistic.
There are signs of patience running out in Western capitals and the new Foreign Secretary David Lammy is in Israel with his French counterpart to try and promote some kind of peace initiative. In a joint article in the Observer (August 18th) it is clear both governments are worried by a regional escalation.
It is not clear whether the UK will cease or reduce arms sales to the country but CAAT reported recently (6 August) that there has been no change in the government’s position. Reports that they were rethinking appear to have been premature. The major supplier is the US which is done on a government to government basis.
There has also been a perceptible change in reporting by the BBC, Channel 4 and ITV with more robust interviews and pointed questioning. On Channel 4 for example, in an interview concerning the mounting settler violence in the West Bank where a large group of them were filmed rampaging through a Palestinian village, Matt Frei used the ‘apartheid’ word at least twice. On Radio 4 where and Israeli official was casting doubt over the death statistics in Gaza, the interviewer noted that independent journalists were not allowed in to the territory: clearly the inference was that if you will not permit independent verification, it is hard for you to complain about the statistics.
What is becoming increasingly apparent is the sympathy and shock felt around the world at the horrific attack on October 7th and the continuing plight of the 100 or so hostages held captive in Gaza is diminishing. Claims that it is Hamas terrorists being targeted and killed are also being questioned in the light of vast numbers of dead women and children.
Pic: Salisbury Amnesty
August 2024
Readers may recall an earlier post discussing the Trudi Warner decision. This concerned a judge not allowing defendants to say they were climate campaigners in their defence. Warner stood outside the court with a placard saying that juries had a right to decide a case based on their conscience and not necessarily as the judge directs. The government’s legal department has indicated to the Appeal Court it is dropping the matter.
August 2024
COMPLETED EVENT
The Vigil takes place this evening (August 17th) in Salisbury Market Place starting at 5pm for half an hour. Over 40,000 are now dead in Gaza in what is certain to be an underestimate since many bodies lie unrecovered under the rubble. Reports yesterday of settler violence in the West Bank with cars and property set alight by marauding gangs and a Palestinian man killed. The violence has increased dramatically this year.
August 2024
One thing which helps a tyranny to survive and prosper is for people to look the other way. In Burma, the military has held sway for many years now and there was a belief that they were invincible and would eventually win. Three million have been displaced according to the Burma Campaign although the UN calculates the figure to be 2.3 million. Burma seldom makes the news and certainly not in comparison with Gaza and Ukraine. This relative obscurity has enabled the military, the Tatmadaw, to continue its murderous campaign and the assumption of their eventual victory meant countries and companies kept their powder dry in terms of its relations with them.
The previous UK government’s responses ‘slowed to a standstill’ according to the Burma Campaign in their latest campaign news (Issue 46, 2024). A crucial issue was the supply of jet fuel and there has been a campaign to stop the supply of this fuel which is used by the military to bomb schools, hospitals and villages. At a meeting of the UN Security Council in April, the USA and Malta called on the Council to take action to stop the supply of this fuel. In itself this was a huge step. The UK government did not support this move and unfortunately, Britain leads on Burma in the Security Council (ibid).
The lack of attention by the British media meant little pressure was put on the Conservative government to take an active role. We now have a new government and Burma News asks ‘What does the new government mean for UK Burma policy?’ It is of course early days but it does not look promising. Sir Keir is focused on the domestic agenda but has spoken on the plight of the Rohingya in the past. Disappointingly, the Foreign Secretary, David Lammy has shown no interest both recently and while he was in opposition. Other Labour politicians have offered some support but they do highlight Rushanara Ali MP who was very active and was chair of the All-Party Parliamentary group on Burma and Rohingya. She is now a housing minister so cannot continue in that role.
Aung San Suu Kyi became a hero and her time under house arrest attracted considerable international attention and sympathy. It was a huge disappointment to discover upon release that the party she led, the National Lead for Democracy, was vigorously in favour of the Rohingya genocide. She defended the military at the Hague. Although the situation is complex the basic point is that there is no desire by the NLD for Burma to be a multi-ethnic state. They believe the Bamar to be superior and there is a desire is for it to be exclusively Buddhist. The West’s image of Buddhists also came in for a knock. She is however, a popular figure still in the country.
Attitudes and policies may need a rethink however because the military it now appears is losing ground. Far from being invincible, the People’s Defence Forces have been winning back territory in many parts of the country. The UK government’s softly, softly approach and the Foreign Secretary’s lack of interest may need to change.
August 2024
The news from the Middle East is uniformly grim with the death toll in Gaza rising remorselessly to over 39,000 with more deaths a day or so ago following a bombing. Violence is emerging in Lebanon which threatens to worsen following the events in Tehran. A peace deal seems as far away as ever. Salisbury people still congregate every Saturday afternoon for a peace vigil.
The West-Eastern Divan Orchestra is a rare glimmer of light in the seemingly never ending gloom of conflict. Founded 25 years ago, and based in Seville, it is an orchestra consisting of both Arab and Israeli players with three desks for Iranians. Founded by Danial Barenboim and Edward Said, it is not a political venture but:
“The Divan is not a love story, and it is not a peace story. It has very flatteringly been described as a project for peace. It isn’t. It’s not going to bring peace, whether you play well or not so well. The Divan was conceived as a project against ignorance. A project against the fact that it is absolutely essential for people to get to know the other, to understand what the other thinks and feels, without necessarily agreeing with it. I’m not trying to convert the Arab members of the Divan to the Israeli point of view, and [I’m] not trying to convince the Israelis to the Arab point of view. But I want to—and unfortunately I am alone in this now that Edward died a few years ago—create a platform where the two sides can disagree and not resort to knives.“
Barenboim emphasises the role of dialogue and a feature of recent conflict is to note that there are people on both sides, who recognise the opinions, feelings and rights of the other. The orchestra performed at the Proms last evening (11th August) in a concert consisting of Brahms’s Violin concerto performed by Anne-Sophi Mutter, followed by Schubert’s 9th Symphony ‘the Great’. Looking down on the 80 or so players, could one tell them apart, Arab from Jew? Would one want to? A band of people from two nations tearing themselves apart, sublimely playing two wonderful pieces of music offering a glimmer of hope …
West-Eastern Divan Orchestra with Daniel Barenboim accepting applause.
August 2024
The 36th Vigil took place again this Saturday, 10 August 2024 with just over 30 in attendance. When these Vigils started we did not imagine they would still be going and would attract continued support. This time we were joined by some passers by.
In that connection it is perhaps interesting to comment on the reaction of people walking past. Around 90 or so people took notice of what we were doing and registered (probably) that we were in support of peace in the region and a few took photos. This was around a quarter of those passing by. Many simply did not notice, hurrying home after work or rushing to catch a bus. Some quickly looked away for reasons we cannot know.
The conflict continues and the death toll stands at over 39,000. There seems to be no credible attempts at present to secure a ceasefire.
The next is on Saturday 17th at 5pm as usual.
Amnesty in Salisbury & South Wiltshire 