Ice and Fire performed the Asylum Monologues at Sarum College in the Close on Monday starting at 7:30. This was a FREE event. A report of the event is on a later blog.
Arms exhibition starts today
The DSEI arms fair starts in London
This bi-annual event held in London receives a considerable amount of opposition and is a place for protest against the arms trade. The 
description of the event by the organisers is blandness itself:
World leading event that brings together the global defence and security sectors to innovate and share knowledge.
It paints a picture of people coming together in some kind of seminar format to discuss defence issues as though it is a think-tank. The reality is a little different as it is a place where all kinds of weapons manufacturers can display and secure deals to a wide range of countries who come to visit. If it is as benign as the description implies one has to ask why organisations like Amnesty are denied access? The purpose is to sell arms and to quote the organising company:
It’s a model that works well in the Middle East…There’s a lot of money being spent here in the UAE on homeland security technology, so it’s a good market in which to roll out our brand
Among the invitees are countries with highly dubious and questionable human rights records. These include according to the guest list: Brunei, Egypt, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and UAE. If we look at Bahrain in particular, a recent Amnesty report on the country published earlier this year concluded, inter alia:
Since June 2016, the Bahraini authorities have dramatically stepped up their crackdown on dissent. As a result, by June 2017, Bahrain’s formerly thriving civil society had found itself reduced to a few lone voices brave enough to speak out. The majority of peaceful critics, whether they are human rights defenders or political activists, now feel the risk of doing so has become too high. Over the course of a year, the authorities increasingly resorted to a wide range of repressive tactics including arrest, harassment, threats, prosecution and imprisonment to silence peaceful critics. Amnesty International’s research concludes that the security forces have even resorted to torturing or otherwise ill-treating human rights defenders, both men and women, a practice that has not been prevalent in Bahrain since the height of the crackdown that followed the 2011 uprising.
The report went onto to describe how Bahrain has backtracked on reform and noted that in the period June 2016 to June 2017, 169 critics or relatives have been arrested, summonsed, interrogated, prosecuted, imprisoned, banned from travel or threatened. Freedom of expression is increasingly criminalised and the opposition party has in effect been dismantled. The report was compiled after a large number of interviews were carried out including with 52 victims, 58 journalists, lawyers and others, and the investigation of 210 cases.
The British government has worked hard to promote our interests with Bahrain and a Daily Mail article in 2016 detailed the many links from the Queen down through the rest of the Royal Family. Theresa May visited recently.
As far as the Arms fair DSEI itself is concerned, Andrew Smith of the Campaign Against the Arms Trade which is helping to coordinate protests said:
DSEI will bring many of the world’s most appalling regimes together with the biggest arms companies. Right now UK fighter jets and bombs are playing a central role in the destruction of Yemen; what will be the next atrocity they are used in? War, repression and injustice are fuelled by events like DSEI. It’s time to shut it down for good
DSEI was formerly part of the UK Trade and Industry Department but has now been moved to the newly formed Department for International Trade the minister of which is Liam Fox.
In an interview on the BBC today (11 September) Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the opposition, said “[the UK] sells too many arms to countries which abuse human rights.”
The guest list shows several firms with a Salisbury link who are exhibiting at this fair. They include Babcock, Chemring’s, QinetiQ and Cubic.
The government has got itself into something of a fix over the question of arms sales. Whilst claiming to have a strict code and robust procedures, the sale of arms to questionable regimes has increased. Thousands of jobs now depend on this industry and with future problems likely to arise connected with our withdrawal from the EU, from an economic viewpoint we can ill afford to reduce sales of weapons. It is thus on a treadmill requiring it to support the sale of weapons to a range of unsavoury regimes who in turn use these weapons to intimidate their own people or to cause suffering of neighbouring countries such as the bombing of Yemen by the Saudis. It is also important to bear in mind that it is not just weapons that are involved but also security equipment. Autocratic regimes are keen to keep tabs on their citizens and need all the techniques of surveillance to do so. This kind of equipment, although not lethal of itself, does enable individuals to be monitored, watched and harassed.
The position is indefensible and some of the arguments echo those used by the slave trade in the nineteenth century where large numbers of jobs were involved in its continuation.
If you are keen to join us then come to the next event we are holding on 18 September and make yourself known.
Asylum Monologues
Ice and Fire to perform in Salisbury
The performing group Ice and Fire are to perform in Salisbury at Sarum College on 18 September starting at 7:30. The performance will consist of readings from testimonies of refugees, human rights lawyers and home office workers, to show how the system of asylum seeking and acquiring refugee status works in reality in the UK. It forms part of Amnesty’s continuing campaign to highlight the plight of refugees and how they are treated here.
There is considerable hostility to refugees and asylum seekers with many stories in our tabloid newspapers of such people abusing the system. People are led to believe that hoards are arriving here and living in hotels by the seaside and costing the country huge sums of money. The reality is the UK has only 1% of the world’s refugees and has received around 3% of asylum claims made in the EU.
The event is FREE but there will be a parting collection.
A review by The Cambridge Student of an earlier performance.
If you live in the Salisbury area and are interested in joining us you would be very welcome. If you can come to this event, several group members will be about so just make yourself known. It is free to join the local group. Details of other activities will be on this site and on Facebook and Twitter – salisburyai.
National Crime Agency breaks law
NCA admits not seeking Ministerial consent before supplying information to the Thai police
In 2014 there two British backpackers, Hannah Witheridge and David Miller, were murdered on a beach in Thailand and for days the press was full of the story. It was reported at the time that the Thai police were extremely slow to react and allowed crucial evidence to be lost and for likely suspects to escape. It was further alleged that the Thai authorities were reluctant to take the matter sufficiently seriously because of the possible damage to their tourist trade.
Three years later the case has again hit the headlines as it now appears that the National Crime Agency has been accused of supplying information to the Thai Police. The significance is that two Burmese individuals, Zaw Lin and Wai Pho have been convicted of the murders and are likely to face execution by lethal injection. The High Court in the UK found against the NCA for providing information which contributed to the likelihood of execution. The UK government opposes capital punishment and there are strict rules governing the provision of information in these cases. Ministerial authority is needed and in this case the NCA did not get this.
Doubts have been raised about the convictions as there is evidence of corruption, incompetence and the use of fabricated evidence used to secure a conviction. The use of torture is also alleged.
A spokesman for Reprieve said:
It is bad enough that the National Crime Agency secretly handed over evidence to help secure death sentences in a country known for unfair trials and torture. But they now admit they did this illegally, without any proper thought that their actions could contribute to a grave miscarriage of justice with two men now facing execution. UK cooperation with foreign police and security forces should be open and transparent. Government agencies shouldn’t have to be dragged through the courts for the public to know what is being done with their money.
Sources: The News; Reprieve; The Guardian; Press Association
If you live in the Salisbury area and are interested in campaigning on human rights issues we would be glad to welcome. It is free to join the local group. Keep and eye on this site, on Twitter or Facebook for events and come along and make yourself known.
Another 15 face execution in Saudi Arabia
A further 15 men face imminent execution in Saudi Arabia
Only a few days ago, we highlighted the case of fourteen men who face imminent execution. Today we publish a further urgent action as Saudi is about to execute another 15 individuals. The families of the accused have just discovered that the higher court has upheld the lower court’s ruling without the prisoners themselves or their lawyers knowing about it.
They were accused of high treason together with other unrecognisable offences including ‘supporting protests’ and ‘spreading
the Shi’a faith.’ They were held incommunicado for nearly three months and denied access to lawyers. Their families were threatened with arrest if they did not sign confessions.
The system in Saudi is contrary to all international norms and shows no sign of improvement. Yet despite this we continue to supply the country with arms on a huge scale.
The Foreign and Colonial Office has just published its 2o16 report on human rights and on Saudi it says the following (extract)
… We also remain deeply concerned about the application of the death penalty. Amnesty International reported that 153 people had been executed in 2016, compared to 158 people in 2015. This included the simultaneous execution of 47 people on 2 January 2016. On 5 January, the then FCO Minister for the Middle East and Africa, Tobias Ellwood, made a statement to Parliament reiterating our clear position on the death penalty. As the principle of the death penalty is enshrined in Saudi Arabia’s Sharia law, total abolition in the near future is unlikely. We continued to ensure that the Saudi authorities are aware of our strong opposition to the death penalty at the most senior levels.
… In 2017, we will continue to work to limit the application of the death penalty; and to ensure that, if it is applied, it is carried out in line with international minimum standards. We will continue to monitor closely cases which relate to freedom of expression and of religion or belief. We will also look for opportunities to promote greater participation by civil society and by women in Saudi public life. (p 49)
Fine words but somewhat undermined by continuing high level contact, visits by members of the Royal Family and government ministers keen to promote the continued sale of weapons.
If you do get time to write that would be appreciated. Alternatively, if you go to our Twitter page on this and click ‘like’ or ‘retweet’ that would help.
If you live in the Salisbury area and would like to join then the simplest thing is to come to one of our events and make yourself known. These can be found here, on our Twitter or Facebook pages – salisburyai.
Sport and human rights
Sport being used to whitewash unsavoury regimes
When we turn to our sports pages, we expect to read about who is beating Britain at cricket, the latest in the long-running saga of the English football team or Andy Murray’s latest exploits on the tennis courts. We do not expect to read about human rights or to see quotes from organisations like Human Rights Watch or this one – Amnesty. They are to be found on the news pages surely.
But on Tuesday 18 July, the Guardian in the UK devoted nearly two whole pages in its sports section to the sponsorship by Bahrain of a range of sporting activities and sportsmen in an effort to create a more favourable image for itself.
And it needs to. The country has a quite appalling record of human rights abuses. These include torture, in particular beatings and the use of electric shocks. Freedom of assembly has been severely restricted and peaceful protests have been violently put down. Nabeel Rajaab – a human rights defender is in prison.
Alan Hogarth, head of policy and government affairs for Amnesty said:
It seems pretty clear that the Bahraini authorities have stepped up efforts to associate the country with major sporting events as glitzy cover for an ever-worsening human rights crackdown. For the most part, Bahrain’s harnessing of the glamour and prestige of sport has helped deflect attention from the arrests of peaceful critics, reports of tortured detainees, unfair trials and death sentences.
But you would not know this from the sports pages where all is glamour and excitement. Pictured is the Olympic gold winner
Alistair Brownlee – featured in the Guardian article – promoting a Bahrain sponsored event. Other sports include F1 motor racing, football with FIFA siting its conference in the country and cycling. Spokesmen for the various organisations involved in laundering Bahrain’s image claim that they are not competent authorities to assess the human rights violations taking place there. There are also claims that the sporting activities will help overcome the problems. This might have a grain of truth if during coverage, human rights issued were raised by commentators. Of that there has been no sign.
Their promotional activities are not limited to sport as members of the UK’s Royal family have been pressed into service. Her majesty the Queen herself welcomed King Hamad to the Royal Windsor horse show and there are pictures of Prince Charles and Prince Andrew with various members of the Bahraini royal family.
We do not have to look far for reasons for this rolling out of the red carpet for members of this royal family as it is our old friend arms sales which are behind it. It led Theresa May to visit the country last year. As CAAT reports we are keen to foster arms sales there including Typhoon jets and we have established a naval base at Mina Salman. Defence clearly trumps human rights considerations.
At present, the sportsmen and women can collect their fees and promotional monies free in the knowledge that the majority of those reading of their sporting achievements probably do not concern themselves too much with goes on in the countries like Bahrain and how they treat their own citizens. And only rarely do the stories touch on these matters since sport seems to exist in a kind of box as far the rest of coverage is concerned. Sport, money and politics are now closely entwined. Sports stars enjoy huge acclaim and some have a large fan base. They have huge influence over the young who spend large sums on their merchandise. This is a big responsibility.
But is it too much to ask that sporting people should have a conscience and should be concerned that their names and images are being used to hide serious abuses taking place? Where a regime such as Bahrain is using sport to whitewash its reputation then sporting people should be aware of the role they are playing and the harm they are doing. Should they not be concerned that they are being used by these regimes?
An Amnesty post on this topic
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook – @amnestyai
If you live in the Salisbury area and are interested in joining us we would be pleased to see you. The best thing is to keep an eye on our events which are listed at the end of our minutes and make yourself known at one of them. Or keep an eye on Twitter or Facebook.
July group minutes
Minutes of our July meeting are available thanks to group member Lesley for compiling them. We discussed the death penalty report (see the full version here); North Korea; the forthcoming film evening; the summer BBQ and plans for a Celebration of Human Rights event in 2018 in partnership with the Cathedral. This has come about because of the governments desire to take us out of the European Court of Justice and abolish the Human Rights Act. Although it is doubtful if either will actually come about, it does reveal a mindset in the government which is very worrying for the future of human rights in the UK. It also goes hand in hand with our increasing deals with dubious regimes abroad who are serial human rights offenders such as Saudi Arabia.
If you live in the Salisbury area and would like to join us, then the best thing is to come to one of our events and make yourself known. At the end of the minutes you will see a list of planned events or you can keep an eye on Twitter and Facebook.
Films
Films at the Arts Centre
We were delighted to be part of a showing of films at the Arts Centre as part of the Salisbury Festival. Two films were shown: War Witch and Incendie. Both were rather sombre films yet managed to have a degree of hope. War Witch was set in Africa and showed the plight of a young girl caught up in the war where she is abducted and becomes a child soldier. Incendie is the story of twins who travel to the middle east in search of their mother and what happened to her. Both films were introduced by Prof. Lucy Mazdon who is head of the Dept in film at Southampton University and we were grateful to her for taking the time to come over to do this.
Group meeting minutes
Minutes of the last two meetings – May and June – are below and thanks to group members Andrew and Lesley for preparing them. The next meeting is on 13 July at 7:30 pm in Victoria Road.
If you live in the Salisbury area and are interested in getting involved we would love to see you. The local group is free to join although some join Amnesty International UK and there is a joining fee for that. The best thing is to come along to one of our events and make yourself known. You can see what’s on at the end of the minutes or by following us on twitter http://www.twitter.com/salisburyai.
Death penalty report
The latest monthly death penalty report is now available thanks to group member Lesley for compiling it. There is news of Reggie Clemons who has been on death row for 26 years now and we have heard from a family member.
Amnesty in Salisbury & South Wiltshire 