There will be much more on the plan by the Conservatives to abolish the #HRA if they get re-elected. But for now, just a single thought. The whole exercise is predicated on sovereignty. Allegedly, Strasbourg is preventing our parliament and its MPs from doing what they are elected to do, thus denying it sovereignty. But the proposal is to abolish the act. So they can either abolish the act, that is they have sovereignty, or they cannot because the don’t. It seems they are going to abolish it so they do. So why do they need to abolish it? Answers on a postcard please.
Stop Torture campaign
The local group will be manning a stand on 15 November to highlight the #stoptorture campaign which was launched by Amnesty in May this year. The practice is alive and well throughout the world and Amnesty has recently ramped up its campaigning to stamp out the practice with the Stop Torture campaign.
Ahead of its launch, Salil Shetty, Amnesty International’s Secretary General said governments around the world are “two-faced on torture” – prohibiting it in law, but facilitating it in practice”.
He added: “Torture is not just alive and well – it is flourishing in many parts of the world. As more governments seek to justify torture in the name of national security, the steady progress made in this field over the last thirty years is being eroded.”
Stop torture will be a key part of the Amnesty display as part of the Magna Carta events at the Cathedral next year.
European Convention on Human Rights
Dominic Grieve was sacked by David Cameron in the last reshuffle and it was widely interpreted as a clearing of the decks by the prime minister of supporters of the Human Rights Act #HRA. Grieve has now spoken on the issue and below is a link to the interview in the Guardian newspaper.
In an earlier piece, Dominic Grieve expressed his dismay that David Cameron had narrowed the range of views held by his senior team. The attorney general sacked by David Cameron over his dogged support for the European convention on human rights (#ECHR) says he fears the prime minister will use this week’s party conference to dilute the UK’s commitment to the international treaty.
The Conservatives have misgivings about the act partly because of their distaste for things European. There has been a concerted tabloid campaign against the act and the ECHR because allegedly it gives rights to criminals and terrorists. The benefits of the act to ordinary people is rarely given a mention however. They also publish a great deal of misinformation which is seldom corrected.
Readers may like to look at an earlier post following a meeting the group had with the Salisbury MP, John Glen. He has said he wants to see the HRA abolished but after some of the benefits of the act for ordinary people – including some of his constituents – were explained, he did agree to be more balanced in future.
Nigeria
On Saturday 11 October we shall be manning a stall in Salisbury market to highlight the human rights situation in #Nigeria. In particular, the case of Moses Akatugba who was tortured by Nigerian police to secure a conviction. He was 16 when arrested, shot in the hand, beaten, and hung in an interrogation room for hours. Pliers were used to extract his finger and toe nails. His alleged crime was to steal three mobile phones. Unfortunately, this ill-treatment is now a commonplace in Nigeria and there are reported to be ‘torture officers’ in police stations.
Executions were resumed in June last year when four men were executed in Benin city. The bodies were not returned to the families for burial nor is the location of the graves known.
Amnesty has serious concerns about the increasing use of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment in Nigeria. Recent research by Amnesty indicates that police and military personnel routinely use torture and other ill-treatment to extract confessions and to punish and exhaust detainees.
Nigeria fact sheet (pdf)
You can also read about corruption in Nigeria here: Human Rights Watch: Nigeria
We look forward to seeing you in the market place on 11th.
Burma
There was rejoicing when Aung San Suu Kyi was released from detention at her house in November 2010. It seemed at last that the political situation in Burma would improve and human rights and political normality would be established. The IDC report Development and Democracy in Burma’ showed that improvements have indeed taken place. Around 1000 political prisoners have been released; censorship has been reduced and trades unions have been formed.
This has led to a removal of controls put in place during the time of the general’s junta and trade links are being 
established. There has been a visit by Hilary Clinton and other politicians to the country. There is a sense that things have improved and we can now relax as far as human rights are concerned.
Unfortunately, this seems to be a little way from the truth and that there are still serious things going on in the country. Every quarter, the Foreign and Colonial Office publishes reports on ‘countries of concern’ and one such was for Burma in December last year. According to the Burma Campaign UK, the FCO is seriously underplaying the human rights in Burma in its effort to promote the country for trade and investment. One can see the attraction: Burma has the potential to be one of the richest countries in SE Asia with huge natural resources including the world’s largest source of teak and substantial oil resources. The Chinese are of course interested and will have no interest in the human rights issues, hence a desire to see UK businesses getting their foot in the door.
Specifically, Burma Campaign say that the FCO report;
- Falsely claims that Thein Sein ordered the release of all prisoners and persons facing trial for political activity
- Fails to mention the human rights abuses against the Rohingya which have dramatically increased with violent attacks forcing 140 000 Rohingya people to flee. Villages have been destroyed and women and children hacked to death
- does not mention the arrests of thousands of political activists.
Médecins san Frontières were forced to stop work in another troubled state Rahhine because of threats and violence.
A picture is created of the EU and the FCO keen to promote trade in preference to human rights and even decline to mention ‘Rohingya’ for fear of upsetting the government there.
This seems to follow the pattern of several countries in recent times. First there is concern expressed, sanctions are talked about and even imposed. Then something happens in the country and normality of a kind is established. There is a desire to establish contact and get things back to normal. Then the country is forgotten and disappears off the news pages and political agendas.
There is nothing wrong in establishing trade with countries like Burma and there is an argument that trade can do a lot to promote better understanding between nations. But Burma had to change its ways because it became more and more concerned that almost the only country willing to trade with them with no questions asked was China. It needed to get the support of the West for its technology and to reduce its dependence on one country. So the West still has leverage.
Campaigns against minorities are still being carried on and as far as the ethnic communities are concerned, it’s still business as usual. Let us not forget Burma.
For further information go to www.burmacampaign.org.uk
Opening post
This is the first post to the Amnesty International Salisbury (United Kingdom) Group’s own web site. We will no longer be using the AIUK site – accessed at amnesty.org.uk/Salisbury – and you will in future be posted here.
Amnesty in Salisbury & South Wiltshire 