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The President of Burkina Faso, Blaise Compaoré, has committed to lifting all financial barriers to emergency obstetric care and access to family planning, as part of a strategy to fight maternal mortality in the country.

President Compaoré expressed this commitment during a meeting with an Amnesty International delegation led by interim Secretary General Claudio Cordone, and following the publication of an Amnesty International report highlighting the barriers women face in Burkina Faso to receiving adequate health care during pregnancy and child birth.

"The lifting of financial barriers for emergency obstetric care, accompanied by improvements in the quality of care and family planning will significantly reduce the number of deaths and complications for women in child birth," said Claudio Cordone. "Every woman has the right to life and the right to health. No woman should die giving birth when her death could have been prevented."

The government of Burkina Faso has made significant efforts towards improving maternal health during the last decade and Amnesty International welcomes the openness and constructive engagement it has experienced from the government while working on this issue. Costs associated with pregnancy and childbirth have been significantly reduced in Burkina Faso but remain an obstacle for many women in the country.

Pregnant women’s lives in Burkina Faso can be endangered by the distance they have to travel to access adequate care, as well as corrupt practices by some medical personnel and lack of effective mechanisms to ensure monitoring and accountability. More than 2,000 women continue to die every year during pregnancy and childbirth.

"Ultimately, in order to fully address maternal death there is a need to tackle the various forms of discrimination against women which prevent them from taking part in decisions on family planning and accessing health care," said Claudio Cordone.

"Amnesty International will continue to work with civil society organizations, medical associations and government officials to address such discrimination and the poverty that fuels it."

The Amnesty International delegation also met Burkina Faso’s First Lady Chantal Compaoré, the President of the National Assembly, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, the Prime Minister, Tertius Zongo, the Minister of Health, Seydou Bouda and the Minister for the Promotion of Human Rights, Salamata Sawadogo.

During these meetings, interim Secretary General Claudio Cordone shared the findings and recommendations of a two-year research project published in the report, Giving Life, Risking Death: Maternal Mortality in Burkina Faso.

The meetings with the authorities followed two weeks of discussions throughout the country with local communities, health professionals and local government officials. Amnesty International was able to take the testimonies of the people who suffer daily from the loss of their mothers, wives, and sisters to the authorities in the country.

"All the families we met told us that giving birth should be a joy, but that all too often it becomes an ordeal that no one should have to suffer," said Claudio Cordone.

During a meeting with international donors, Amnesty International urged them to continue their support for the Burkina Faso government with adequate, long-term and sustainable technical and financial assistance to ensure the availability and accessibility of emergency obstetric care.

Amnesty International also welcomed the adoption by the Burkina Faso National Assembly in December 2009 of a law implementing the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and called for an early abolition of death penalty.

The government of Papua New Guinea must investigate the conduct of police who burnt down homes and threatened people with guns while illegally evicting them from land next to one of the biggest gold mines in the country, Amnesty International said today.

Amnesty International’s report, Undermining Rights: Forced evictions and police brutality around the Porgera gold mine, Papua New Guinea, documents police violence and the forced eviction by police of families living alongside the Porgera gold mine.

Amnesty International also has concerns regarding ongoing support to the police by companies involved in the mine after the companies became aware of the police activity in the area.

The mine is 95% owned and operated by subsidiaries of the largest gold mining company in the world, Canadian-based Barrick Gold Corporation (Barrick), as part of the Porgera Joint Venture (PJV). PJV supplied accommodation, food and fuel to the police under an agreement that PJV claims was conditional on the police abiding by national laws and international standards, including the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights.

Amnesty International does not allege that either company is responsible for the police violence or the forced evictions, however it believes Barrick and PJV failed to respond adequately when company personnel became aware of the police activity in the area.

“Instead of being able to rely on the police to protect them, people who were living next to the mine’s facilities have been the victims of human rights violations by police who illegally burnt down their houses and destroyed their belongings and gardens,” said Shanta Martin, Amnesty International’s mining and human rights specialist. 

The report documents how between  April and July 2009 police raided villages in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, burning down at least 130 buildings and forcing out families from their homes, including young children, pregnant women and the elderly.

Residents of the area where most of the evictions took place, Wuangima, told Amnesty International that they had no prior warning that their homes would be demolished and in many cases had no opportunity to take their belongings before their houses were burnt. No alternative housing had been provided to them by the government and many families from the area now depend on their relatives for shelter and food.
 
“As soon as PJV became aware that the police were burning down people’s homes right next door to the mine’s facilities, they should have recorded and reported the activity to the Papua New Guinean authorities and urged an investigation, as recommended by the Voluntary Principles,” said Shanta Martin. “Instead, PJV is continuing to support the police, and Barrick has publicly defended the police activity.”

Amnesty International’s report urges the Papua New Guinean government to carry out a full investigation into forced evictions and police violence. The report urges the prosecution of those responsible, and for victims to be provided with remedies. It also calls on Barrick and PJV to provide information regarding the police conduct to the Papua New Guinean authorities and to urge the authorities to investigate.

Two weeks after the earthquake that devastated Haiti, its people are confronted with a human rights crisis. Amnesty International has identified some of the country’s biggest human rights challenges and outlined a plan that puts protection of human rights at the core of relief and reconstruction efforts.

Exploitation of children
With families separated and schools destroyed, thousands of children in Haiti have been left without protection. The most vulnerable could become prey to the traffickers.

There is also a risk that children could be caught in irregular adoption processes – a risk increased by the interest of families abroad who would like to adopt Haitian children orphaned by the earthquake. Haitian institutions also have a lack of capacity to determine the status of children and ensure their rights are protected Separated and unaccompanied children might wrongly be considered orphans.

International adoption should be a last resort, used only after domestic alternatives have been exhausted. The Haitian authorities must ensure children are not taken out of the country without the completion of formal legal proceedings for international adoption.

Family tracing should be a priority for the international community, the Haitian authorities and international aid agencies.

Security and law enforcement
The Haitian government’s ability to ensure the rule of law has been severely undermined by the earthquake. Establishing a functional justice system to deal with the most serious crimes should be a top priority.

There is a growing concern that prisoners convicted of violent crimes who escaped from Port-au-Prince’s National Penitentiary are trying to regain control of the most deprived and vulnerable communities.

In response to this threat, community members have organized themselves to prevent gangs from taking over communities. However, this could put community members at risk of spiralling violence. Amnesty International has received reports of lynchings and incidents of mob justice where alleged looters have been killed.

There are also reports of alleged looters being shot by police. Haitian authorities must ensure that firearms are only to be used by police in self-defence and as a last resort. The Haitian authorities must also set up a provisional detention centre, as the country’s main prison has been destroyed and other detention centres are overcrowded.

Rights of the displaced
Hundreds of thousands of people have been left homeless by the earthquake and many have fled the devastated areas.

Displaced people must be supported to make voluntary and informed decisions about their future. Any relocation of internally displaced persons from camps or disaster areas must be voluntary, unless the safety and health of those affected requires evacuation. They should not be coerced in any way, including through the suspension of assistance. All displaced persons have the right to return to their former homes unless safety issues prevent it.

Violence against women
In post-disaster situations, women and girls are often particularly at risk from sexual violence, exploitation by traffickers and reduced access to sexual, reproductive and maternal health services. Their disadvantage in accessing aid is well documented.  
Those involved in the relief and reconstruction efforts must ensure that the prevention of all gender-based violence, in particular sexual violence, is integrated into their work.

Accountability of international forces
More than 10,000 US troops, 150 military personnel from the Dominican Republic and 800 Canadian soldiers have been deployed in Haiti to provide security for the distribution of aid.

The terms of deployment and rules of engagement must be clarified from the onset and respected by all international forces The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) personnel must also be governed by strict rules of accountability. In the past, leaving accountability for violations solely to the discretion of troop-contributing countries to UN peacekeeping missions has lead to impunity for serious human rights abuses.

Haiti’s foreign debt
In 2009, international financial institutions and other creditors cancelled US$ 1.2 billion of Haiti’s foreign debt. Despite this, Haiti still owes hundreds of millions of dollars to its creditors.

The repayment of this debt now represents an unacceptable burden on Haiti’s population and national economy. Amnesty International has called on all creditors to cancel Haiti’s debt. Insistence on repayment would hinder Haiti’s ability to meet its human rights obligations.

All financial resources available to Haiti in the years to come must be channelled to reconstruction programmes that ensure Haitians’ welfare and access to basic services, and equitable and sustainable development.

Image caption: Men fight over a bag of rice during UN food distribution, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, © AP GraphicsBank

Women are dying needlessly during pregnancy and childbirth because discrimination prevents them from accessing sexual and reproductive health services, leaving them unable to make key decisions on their pregnancies, Amnesty International said in a report released on Wednesday.

Every year in Burkina Faso more than 2,000 women die from complications during pregnancy and childbirth, according to government figures. Amnesty International’s report Giving Life, Risking Death finds that many of these deaths could have been easily prevented if women were given access on time to adequate health care.

"Every woman has the right to life and the right to adequate healthcare, and the government should redouble its efforts to address preventable maternal death," said Claudio Cordone, interim Secretary General of Amnesty International. "Women in Burkina Faso are trapped in a vicious cycle of discrimination which makes giving birth potentially lethal."  

Most women in Burkina Faso are subordinate to the men in their lives with little or no control over key decisions such as when to seek medical care and the timing and spacing of their pregnancies in spite of having equal status under Burkinabe law. Women and girls continue to be subjected to early marriages and female genital mutilation.

The Burkina Faso government, with the help of the donor community, has developed ambitious strategies that have lowered maternal death rates in some parts of the country. However these are undermined by failures in implementation and a lack of accountability that allows medical personnel to get away with abuses, such as illegal demands for payments.

Poverty is a key contributing factor in preventable maternal death, particularly for impoverished women living in rural areas who face both financial and geographical obstacles to accessing healthcare.

In 2006, the Burkinabe government introduced a policy to subsidize 80 per cent of the cost of childbirth and making it completely free for the most impoverished women. However this policy is not well publicised leaving it open to exploitation by corrupt medical staff. Criteria have not been elaborated to establish who qualifies for subsidized care so costs continue to act as a barrier in accessing medical care.

The Amnesty International report says that unequal access to adequate health facilities especially in rural areas; shortages of medical supplies and trained personnel and negative or discriminatory attitudes of health workers are also preventing women from seeking care.

"Maternal death is a tragedy that robs thousands of families of wives, mothers, sisters and daughters each year," said Claudio Cordone. "So long as women are not allowed control over their own bodies, they will continue to die in their thousands."

The authorities have responded to the report which was sent to them in advance by welcoming "the meticulous and important" work done by Amnesty International, while stressing that the cases of misbehaviour by medical personnel were "isolated" and reiterating the authorities’ commitment to address the problem of maternal mortality in the country.
    
Amnesty International has called on the government to expand and improve access to family planning services, to remove financial barriers to maternal healthcare services, to ensure an even distribution of health facilities and trained staff across the country and to set up a well-publicized and accessible accountability mechanism to help combat corruption and mismanagement.

Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranked 177 out of 182 countries in the United Nations Development Programme’s 2009 Human Development Report.

Between January 28 and February 9 a campaign caravan will tour Burkina Faso spreading news of Amnesty International’s campaign to end maternal mortality in the country and providing information to stimulate debate.

Between 10 and 13 February the interim Secretary General of Amnesty International will meet with the country’s top authorities to share the outcome of the caravan and discuss government plans to address maternal mortality.

The campaign to end maternal mortality in Burkina Faso is a part of Amnesty International’s Demand Dignity campaign launched in May 2009.

In September 2009 Amnesty International launched a campaign to end maternal mortality and a campaign caravan in Sierra Leone.

Amnesty International believes poverty is a human rights issue and through the Demand Dignity campaign is calling for an end to the human rights violations that drive and deepen poverty.

The campaign mobilizes people all over the world to demand that governments, corporations and others who have power listen to the voices of those living in poverty and recognise and protect their rights. For more information visit http://demanddignity.amnesty.org/

In Burkina Faso, the health care system suffers from several recurrent problems: inadequate health infrastructure, shortages and interruptions of supplies of drugs and medical equipment, blood shortages, a lack of trained medical personnel and a lack of skilled birth attendants.

Health care facilities are often far from people’s homes, especially in rural areas, and transport is unreliable and expensive. Although the government has increased the number of community health centres in recent years, enormous disparities continue to exist between urban and rural areas.

Accountability is key in any health system. The government has to account for the implementation of its health policies. Patients are also entitled to hold accountable, medical personnel who might be responsible for abuses or misconduct, such as unlawful demands for unofficial payments, and must have access to avenues of redress. However, in Burkina Faso, accountability is rare, both at government and individual levels.

Women in Burkina Faso suffer discrimination in every area of their lives, with unequal access to education, health care and employment. Particularly in rural areas, women have little or no say in key domestic decisions. They are primarily valued as wives and mothers.

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/AMR/haiti-quake-100.jpg alt= title= /br/US authorities and UN agencies in Haiti must urgently resolve the lack of access to emergency aid for those in desperate need following last week’s earthquake, Amnesty International warned on Friday. br /
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According to reports from official sources and relief organizations in Haiti, food, water, sanitation and vital medical supplies have arrived in the country but are still not reaching those in most need in many parts of the capital Port-au-Prince and in outlying areas equally severely affected. br /
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There are reports from some areas, for example the town of Gressier, that distribution of essential supplies has still not started. br /
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Amnesty International has also urged the US authorities and UN agencies to ensure protection of the most vulnerable in Haiti, especially unaccompanied children, which must be a top priority along with the distribution of food and water. br /
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quot;Haitian children are at risk of being seized by people-trafficking networks, of being abused and used as child slaves, as well as suffering pervasive sexual violence. Special measures need to be taken quickly to protect those at risk,quot; said Kerrie Howard, Americas Deputy Director at Amnesty International. br /
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Special measures need also to be urgently established to receive thousands of displaced peoples fleeing the crisis to other parts of Haiti in need of water, sanitation, food and shelter. br /
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More than 100,000 Haitians are feared dead after a 7.1 earthquake struck on Tuesday 12 January. Thousands of people are still unaccounted for and survivors await relief efforts from international donors to provide them with access to drinkable water, food and medical care.nbsp;nbsp;

div align=justify
img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Thematic/Dignity/burkina-faso-maternal-morta.jpg title=Ramatoulaye, 25 years old, with her 4 month old baby daughter, Burkina Faso, June 2009 alt=Ramatoulaye, 25 years old, with her 4 month old baby daughter, Burkina Faso, June 2009 height=304 width=204 class=asset-align-right/Maternal death can be prevented. About a year ago, Amnesty International Burkina Faso started to plan the campaign and was already thinking of having a caravan to tour the country. This caravan will leave Ouagadougou in three days after the Amnesty International report on maternal health is launched during a press conference in the capital. br /
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In each location, several activities will be organized by Amnestynbsp; International Burkina Faso together with partner organizations to mobilize women and men around the realization of their right to health. Forum theatre play will be shown, together with a film. In some places, sport events will be organized. In others, the report will be presented to medical students in regional nurse schools. It is also planned to hold meetings with regional authorities to start dialogue with them.br /
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While we are planning a long term campaign, we hope with the caravan to raise awareness about our work on maternal mortality, collect signatures and voices asking the government to continue its efforts to reduce maternal mortality and act as a vehicle for debate.br /
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From 27 January, follow the caravan on our website http//www.demanddignity.org. We are setting up a geoblog where you will be able to read and hear from us as we will post written and audio posts!br /
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nbsp;
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emImage: Ramatoulaye with her four-month-old baby daughter, Burkina Faso, June 2009. Copyright: Anna Kari/embr /
/div

div align=justify
img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Thematic/Dignity/burkina-faso-idrissa-dicko-.jpg title=Idrissa Dicko who lost his young wife and baby in childbirth, Burkina Faso, june 2009 alt=Idrissa Dicko who lost his young wife and baby in childbirth, Burkina Faso, june 2009 height=304 width=204 class=asset-align-right/The story of Safiatou* is one the 50 cases that Amnesty Internationalrsquo;s researchers investigated in-depth. Safiatou died while trying to reach a health centre after delivering at home.br /
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Safiatou, 26, married her cousin Hamidou when she was 14 years old. They lived in a village about 100km south of Ouagadougou, where they farmed livestock. She already had four children when she became pregnant again in 2007.br /
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Safiatoursquo;s husband told Amnesty International: ldquo;The day of her delivery, she was in good health and worked all afternoon as usual without any problem. She prepared tocirc; [a local dish made from maize flour] for her children and went to get the hay for the animals. In the evening, when her labour began, she left for her motherrsquo;s home. Her mother came to warn me that she was not well, that we had to take her to the clinic. I do not have a motorcycle, so I had to go and get one. That made us lose time.rdquo; The husband added that he ldquo;did not know that she should have delivered at the clinic. When I came to fetch her at her motherrsquo;s house, she had lost consciousness.rdquo;br /
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The husband borrowed a small motorcycle from his neighbour, but it did not have any fuel and the closest gas station was 10km away. They had to first push the motorcycle for 10 kmhellip; Safiatou ended up delivering at home, but there was placenta retention and serious haemorrhaging.br /
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Her husband asked a friend to help him take Safiatou to the health center but she died on the motorcycle 4km away from the health centre. br /
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Safiatou left five boys, aged 11, nine, seven and four, and the newborn baby. br /
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* not real namebr /
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If you want to hear more on how Amnesty International will campaign so that women like Safiatou stop dying giving birth, watch this space tomorrow.
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emPicture:nbsp; A man holding a picture of his wife who died in childbirth, Burkina Faso. Copyright Anna Kari/embr /
/div

The Romanian authorities must stop the forced eviction of Roma families and immediately relocate those living for years in hazardous conditions next to waste dumps, sewage treatment plants or industrial areas on the outskirts of cities, Amnesty International said on Tuesday.

"Across the country Roma families are being evicted from their homes against their will. When this happens, they don’t just lose their homes. They lose their possessions, their social contacts, their access to work and state services," said Halya Gowan, Europe and Central Asia Programme Director for Amnesty International.

"This pattern of forced evictions, without adequate consultation, adequate notice or adequate alternative housing, perpetuates racial segregation and violates Romania’s international obligations."

In its briefing, Treated like waste: Roma homes destroyed, and health at risk, in Romania, Amnesty International tells the story of one particular mass eviction to highlight the terrible conditions endured by the Roma.

In 2004, more than 100 Roma, including families with young children, were forcibly evicted by municipal authorities from a building in the centre of Miercurea Ciuc – the capital city of Harghita County in central Romania.

Most were resettled by the authorities in metal cabins on the outskirts of the town, behind a sewage treatment plant. Some decided to move to a nearby waste dump, rather than live next to the sewage plant.

Erszebet, who lives next to the sewage treatment plant with her husband and nine children, told Amnesty International what life is like in a metal cabin: "It is tight, when the whole family goes to sleep we don’t fit in. We cannot take a bath; we cannot clean ourselves. It is too small. We don’t want the older girls to take a bath in front of their father."

The temporary metal cabins and shacks are close to the sewage treatment plant, falling within the 300-metre protection zone established by Romanian law to separate homes from potential toxic hazards. The failure to protect the right to health is another violation of Romania’s national and international obligations.

Ilana told Amnesty International: "The houses fill up with that smell. At night… the children cover their faces with the pillows. We don’t want to eat when we feel the smell… I used to have another child who died when he was four months old… I don’t want to lose the rest of my children."

"The ordeal of the Roma families has continued for six years," said Halya Gowan. "Now is the
time for the local authorities to provide them with adequate housing close to services and facilities in a safe and healthy location.

"Something needs to happen now. An example must be set – forced evictions must be stopped and the right to housing must be guaranteed. And this can and should be done by the authorities of Miercurea Ciuc."

Amnesty International has called on the government of Romania to reform its housing legislation to incorporate international human rights standards with particular attention to housing.

There are almost 2.2 million Roma in Romania – making up about 10 per cent of the total population. As a result of widespread discrimination, both by public officials and society at large, 75 per cent of Roma live in poverty, as opposed to 24 per cent of Romanians and 20 per cent of ethnic Hungarians, the largest minority in Romania. The levels of physical health and living conditions of the Roma are among the worst in the country.

Although some Roma people live in permanent structures with legal tenancy, many other long-standing Romani dwellings are considered by the government as "temporary" and unofficial, and their inhabitants do not have any proof of tenancy, which increases their vulnerability to eviction.

Forced evictions violate Romania’s international and regional legal standards such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights that require all people to have a minimum degree of security of tenure, guaranteeing them legal protection against forced eviction, harassment and other threats.

Call on the Mayor of Miercurea Ciuc to protect the city’s forcibly evicted Roma families

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Thematic/Dignity/9_IMG_1841_ELANA_DALLAS-l473.jpg alt= title= /br/After Sierra Leone, Amnesty International will launch its report and campaign on maternal health in Burkina Faso. The report and the campaign on maternal health that will be launched in six days are the result of over two years work. br /
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Amnesty International went to Burkina Faso four times to conduct research in several cities including the capital, Ouagadougou, as well as Bobo-Dioulasso, Ouahigouya and Kaya. Amnesty International also visited a dozen rural areas throughout the country. Researchers investigated over 50 cases of women who died during pregnancy and childbirth.br /
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While the right to health is widely unfulfilled for pregnant women, maternal deaths are also an issue of gender discrimination. The low status of women in Burkina Faso is at the heart of the problem. Most women lack empowerment in nearly all the aspects of their lives, notably when it comes to choosing when and how many children they have. This is especially true in rural areas.br /
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Tomorrow, we will bring you a story of one of these women.br /

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/AMR/usa-gitmo-cells-100×100.jpg alt= title= /br/strongemquot;A commitment to human rights starts with universal standards and with holding everyone accountable to those standards, including ourselveshellip; When injustice anywhere is ignored, justice everywhere is denied. Acknowledging and remedying mistakes does not make us weaker, it reaffirms the strengths of our principles and institutions.quot;/em/strongbr /
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Not Amnesty International’s words, but those of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last month in an address on the Obama administration’s quot;Human Rights Agenda for the 21stCenturyquot;. – Accountability, she said, was elemental to the administration’s approach, and it was under this principle that President Barack Obama had ordered an end to CIA torture and closure of the Guantaacute;namo detention facility.br /
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While Secretary Clinton’s words are welcome, the fact is that a year into the new administration, almost 200 individuals remain detained without fair trial at the Guantaacute;namo prison camp, and accountability and remedy for the human rights violations committed against these and other detainees in what the USA previously called the quot;war on terrorquot; remain more myth than reality.br /
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It is nearly eight years, for example, since Abu Zubaydah was arrested in Pakistan. He was hidden away in secret CIA custody for the first four and a half years, subjected to torture and enforced disappearance, crimes under international law for which no-one has been brought to justice. For the past three years he has been in Guantaacute;namo, still held without charge or access to remedy. The Obama administration continues to resist disclosure of what happened to him and others held in secret CIA custody.br /
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Information which the administration had wanted to keep classified emerged in federal court earlier this month in the case of Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, namely that he had been subjected to quot;enhanced interrogation techniquesquot; for 14 hours over five days at some point in secret CIA custody.br /
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In its written briefing to the court, the Obama administration argued that its predecessor had quot;justifiablyquot; treated Ghailani as an quot;intelligence assetquot; rather than a criminal defendant, despite a pre-existing indictment in US federal court against him at the time of his arrest in Pakistan in 2004.br /
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It added that the Bush administration had made the quot;entirely reasonablequot; decision to continue to hold Ghailani without charge as an quot;enemy combatantquot;. Ahmed Ghailani was held in secret CIA custody for two years, and in Guantaacute;namo for nearly three more years, before being transferred to New York for trial in June 2009. No one has been brought to account for the human rights violations perpetrated against him.br /
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The impunity goes well beyond abuses in the CIA programme. Shortly before President Obama took office, for example, the Bush administration’s Convening Authority for military commissions confirmed that Saudi Arabian national Mohamed al Qahtani had been tortured in military custody at Guantaacute;namo. Despite this admission, a year later, with Mohamed al Qahtani still held without charge in Guantaacute;namo, no criminal investigation is known to have been opened into the torture allegations.br /
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Earlier this month, a US federal judge found quot;crediblequot; the allegations that Yemeni national Musa’ab al Madhwani had been subjected to acts amounting to torture and other ill-treatment in a secret US facility in Kabul before his transfer to Guantaacute;namo where he remains detained without charge more than seven years later.br /
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What accountability will there be for this abuse? None, it would seem, unless the current administration has a rethink about whether accountability and adherence to the USA’s international human rights obligations will truly be among its governing principles.br /
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In litigation implicating the USA’s international obligations to ensure accountability and remedy for past human rights violations, the Obama administration has all too often adopted a stance that promotes impunity and blocks remedy. For example, in its first year it has:br /
ul
liinvoked the state secrets privilege to seek dismissal of a lawsuit brought by five detainees for the human rights violations, including crimes under international law, they say they were subjected to in the CIA quot;renditionquot; programme;/li
liopposed a lawsuit brought by four UK nationals for the torture and arbitrary detention to which they say they were subjected in Guantaacute;namo, the administration arguing that it was quot;not clearly establishedquot; at the time of the men’s detention that they had the rights they said were violated and that the officials concerned were therefore quot;shieldedquot; from civil liability. In December, the US Supreme Court sided with the administration and declined to take the case;/li
liintervened to petition a federal court to dismiss a lawsuit filed against John Yoo, a former Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the US Justice Department, for the role the lawsuit claims he played in unlawful detention conditions and interrogation techniques. The Obama administration argued that the context of quot;the detention and treatment of those determined to be enemies during an armed conflicthellip; implicating matters of national security and war powersquot; counselled against the quot;judicial creation of a money-damage remedyquot;;/li
limaintained the Bush administration’s denial of and opposition to access to lawyers and courts for those held at the US airbase in Bagram in Afghanistan, cementing the accountability gap for abuses committed there and the detaineesrsquo; lack of effective remedy for them;/li
lirefused to release of photographs and other documentary material relating to detainee abuses./li
/ul
When the USA assumed its seat on the UN Human Rights Council in 2009, the Obama administration said: quot;Make no mistake; the United States will not look the other way in the face of serious human rights abuses. The truth must be told, the facts brought to light and the consequences facedquot;. A year on, the administration continues to look the other way when it comes to full disclosure of and remedy for human rights violations perpetrated by the USA in the name of quot;countering terrorismquot;.br /
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The change of tone the Obama administration has brought to the USA’s pronouncements on human rights is welcome. It must now match these words with concrete action, including on accountability, remedy, and ending the Guantaacute;namo detentions in line with its international human rights obligations.

Israel must end its suffocating blockade of the Gaza Strip, which leaves more than 1.4 million Palestinians cut off from the outside world and struggling with desperate poverty, Amnesty International said one year on from the end of Israelrsquo;s military offensive in Gaza.br /
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Amnesty Internationalrsquo;s briefing paper Suffocating: The Gaza Strip under Israeli blockade gathers testimony from people still struggling to rebuild their lives following Operation ldquo;Cast Leadrdquo;, which killed around 1,400 Palestinians and injured thousands more. br /
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ldquo;Israel claims that the ongoing blockade of Gaza, in force since June 2007, is a response to the indiscriminate rocket attacks launched from Gaza into southern Israel by Palestinian armed groups. The reality is that the blockade does not target armed groups but rather punishes Gazarsquo;s entire population by restricting the entry of food, medical supplies, educational equipment and building materials,rdquo; said Malcolm Smart, Middle East and North Africa Director, Amnesty International. br /
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ldquo;The blockade constitutes collective punishment under international law and must be lifted immediately.rdquo; br /
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As the occupying power, Israel has a duty under international law to ensure the welfare of Gazarsquo;s inhabitants, including their rights to health, education, food and adequate housing br /
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During Operation ldquo;Cast Leadrdquo;, from 27 December 2008 to 18 January 2009, 13 Israelis were killed, including three civilians in southern Israel, where dozens more were injured in indiscriminate rocket attacks by Palestinian armed groups. br /
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In Gaza, Israeli attacks damaged or destroyed civilian buildings and infrastructure, including hospitals and schools, the water and electricity systems. Thousands of Palestinian homes were destroyed or severely damaged. br /
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An estimated 280 of the 641 schools in Gaza were damaged and 18 were destroyed. More than half of Gazarsquo;s population is under the age of 18 and the disruption to their education, due to the damage caused during Operation ldquo;Cast Leadrdquo; and as a result of the continuing Israeli boycott, is having a devastating impact. br /
br /
Hospitals have also been badly affected by the military offensive and the blockade. Trucks of medical aid provided by the World Health Organization have been repeatedly refused entry to Gaza without explanation by Israeli officials. br /
br /
Patients with serious medical conditions that cannot be treated in Gaza continue to be prevented or delayed from leaving Gaza by the Israeli authorities ndash; since the closure of crossings leading into and out of Gaza, patients have been made to apply for permits, but these permits are frequently denied. On 1 November 2009, Samir al-Nadim, a father of three children, died after his exit from Gaza for a heart operation was delayed by 22 days. br /
br /
Amnesty International spoke to a number of families whose homes were destroyed in the Israeli military operation and one year on are still living in temporary accommodation. br /
br /
Mohammed and Halima Mslih and their four young children fled their home in the village of Juhor al-Dik, south of Gaza City, during the conflict one year ago. While they were away their home was demolished by Israeli army bulldozers. br /
br /
ldquo;When we returned everything was broken. People were giving us food because we had nothing,rdquo; said Mohammed Mslih. br /
br /
Six months after the ceasefire the family was still living in a flimsy nylon tent and they have only now been able to construct a simple permanent home. The family fear, however, that continuing Israeli military incursions may destroy the little they have left. br /
br /
Unemployment in Gaza is spiralling as those businesses that remain struggle to survive under the blockade. In December 2009, the UN reported that unemployment in Gaza was over 40 per cent. br /
br /
ldquo;The blockade is strangling virtually every aspect of life for Gazarsquo;s population, more than half of whom are children. The increasing isolation and suffering of the people of Gaza cannot be allowed to continue. The Israeli government must comply with binding legal obligation, as the occupying power, to lift the blockade without further delay,rdquo; said Malcolm Smart.

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/AMR/haiti-quake-100.jpg alt= title= /br/Amnesty International called on the United Nations to put in place measures for the protection of human rights and the most vulnerable among the survivors of Tuesday’s devastating earthquake. br /
br /
Amnesty International saluted the speedy and courageous efforts of UN, relief and development workers in Haiti and around the world assisting with humanitarian efforts to save lives, clear the devastation and restore basic services and the country’s crumbling infrastructure. br /
br /
The organization also asked for particular attention to be provided to ensuring respect for human rights and protection of children and those left orphans as a consequence of the earthquake. Girls in particular are at higher risk of sexual abuse and attack. br /
br /
ldquo;The current situation of lawlessness in Haiti and the increased vulnerability of women and children creates the perfect environment for human rights abuses and crimes such as rape and sexual abuse to take place undetected and go unpunished,rdquo; said Gerardo Ducos, Haiti researcher at Amnesty International. br /
br /
ldquo;Protecting vulnerable groups from sexual violence is as important as providing them with relief.rdquo;nbsp; nbsp;br /
br /
Amnesty International made the call as thousands of Haitians are feared dead after a 7.1 earthquake struck the country on Tuesday. Thousands of people are still unaccounted for and survivors await relief efforts from international donors to provide them with access to drinkable water, food and medical care.nbsp; nbsp;br /
br /
In the wake of the disaster, the law enforcement capacity of the Haitian National Police and the justice system are severely compromised as most of its infrastructure has collapsed and many officials remain unaccounted for.nbsp; nbsp;br /
br /
Amnesty International has previously documented shocking levels of sexual violence against women and girls across the country. br /
br /
ldquo;Before the devastating earthquake, Haiti was unable to effectively protect human rights and in particular, women and girls from sexual violence. Unless action is taken now while relief efforts are ongoing, the situation is only likely to deteriorate,rdquo; said Gerardo Ducos.nbsp; nbsp;br /
br /
Amnesty International conveys its deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the victims and a message of solidarity to the Haitian people.nbsp;nbsp;

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/ECA/czech-roma-education100.jpg alt= title= /br/p
The Czech authorities are continuing to place Romani children in schools for pupils with quot;mild mental disabilitiesquot;, leaving them with a sub-standard education, Amnesty International said in a report published on Wednesday.br /
br /
quot;Systematic discrimination against Romani children in education continues despite repeated international and national exposure. The Czech authorities must end the segregation of Roma children in schools and act to tackle the underlying causes of discrimination,quot; said Nicola Duckworth, director of Amnesty International’s Europe and Central Asia Programme.br /
br /
Amnesty International’s report, emstrongInjustice renamed: Discrimination in education of Roma persists in the Czech Republic/strong/em, examines the systematic discrimination that still exists in the Czech education system, despite a 2007 judgment by the European Court of Human Rights.br /
br /
The Court found that the Czech Republic had discriminated against Romani children by placing them in quot;special schoolsquot; for children with mental disabilities, where they received a sub-standard education.br /
br /
With a new Schools Act in 2005, the Czech authorities merely renamed quot;special schoolsquot; as quot;practical elementary schoolsquot;, but the system which places children in these schools and teaches a limited curriculum, essentially remains the same.br /
br /
quot;Recent measures to support Romani children in mainstream education announced last November by the Czech authorities do not go far enough as they are neither comprehensive nor legally binding,quot; said Nicola Duckworth.br /
br /
Amnesty International visited several schools in Ostrava, where in 1999 18 Romani children initially filed the court case, which eventually led to the European Court judgement.br /
br /
The organization found Romani children are still over-represented in so-called practical schools and classes intended for pupils with quot;mild mental disabilities,quot; due to the failure of mainstream educational establishments to meet their needs.br /
br /
In some places, Romani children make up more than 80 per cent of the students of practical elementary schools.br /
br /
Romani children are also segregated in Roma-only schools which often offer a lower quality education, limiting their future education and employment opportunities.br /
br /
The placement in practical schools and classes for pupils with quot;mild mental disabilitiesquot; is based on the results of assessments that fail to factor in cultural and linguistic differences of Romani children and may be compounded by the prejudice of staff conducting them.br /
br /
quot;The duty to ensure the successful inclusion of Romani children into integrated mainstream schools lies with the Czech authorities who have a unique opportunity to reverse decades of discrimination and segregation,quot; Nicola Duckworth said. br /
nbsp; br /
quot;Education is the way out of a vicious circle of poverty and marginalization that affects a large part of the Roma population in the country. Unless the Czech authorities give them equal opportunities, they will be denying Romani children their chances for a better future and full participation in the life of the country.quot; br /
br /
Amnesty International has called on the Czech authorities to:br /
/p
ul
liFreeze all placements of children into practical schools and classes for pupils with quot;mild mental disabilitiesquot; for the school year 2010/11, pending a review of the need for such a curriculum and schools;/li
liEnforce in law the desegregation of education and adopt a comprehensive plan with clear yearly targets to eliminate school segregation of Romani children;/li
liEnsure that additional support is immediately made available for children who need it in order to effectively participate in and develop to their fullest potential within the integrated mainstream elementary school./li
/ul
p
nbsp;
/p
p align=right
a href=http://www.changeit.czimg src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/AI/action-button-en.gif alt= title= class=asset-align-right//aemstrongSupport the appeal to Minister of Education of the Czech Republic, Her Excellence Miroslava Kopicovaacute;, to end the education system’s discrimination against Romani children. /strong/em
/p
br /

The Copenhagen climate summit has ended without the fair, ambitious and legally binding agreement that millions of citizens around the work demanded.br /
br /
More than 120 world leaders who gathered in Copenhagen have been unable to resolve the issues blocking the road towards a just outcome, leaving the worldrsquo;s poorest and most vulnerable people at greater risk of losing their homes, health and livelihoods as a result of climate change.br /
br /
Even so, it is impossible to be without hope. A movement touching millions of people in hundreds of countries around the world has grown, because civil society has cooperated on this issue as never before. br /
br /
More than 250 organisations, including Amnesty International, came together to form an unprecedented alliance under the TckTckTck banner. Three days of global action broke records on climate demonstrations, and this global movement – perhaps the most diverse ever seen – stands united. nbsp;br /
br /
Millions of people around the world look to the future and see hope, justice, and opportunity. They will continue to speak out to get the real deal that the world needs in 2010. The most marginalized and vulnerable people need to be heard by leaders if a climate deal is going to meet their needs. br /
br /
The many challenges presented along the path have been met by a surge of people from all around the globe who have demanded and will continue to demand a real deal.br /
br /
The worldrsquo;s leaders still have a chance to get it right. They must realize that the world expects this and will not accept anything less.br /
br /
Theyrsquo;re not done yet. Neither are we.

An attempt to defraud victims of the Trafigura toxic waste dump disaster out of $45 million must be stopped, Amnesty International said on Friday in an open letter. br /
br /
An organization known as the National Coordination of Toxic Waste Victims of Cocirc;te drsquo;Ivoire (CNVDT-CI) is falsely claiming to represent some 30,000 victims who brought a court case against Trafigura in the UK. The organization has applied for the $45 million compensation owed to the victims to be transferred to its bank account.br /
br /
CNVDT-CI will today appeal a decision in the Ivorian courts that blocked it from receiving the compensation awarded in the UK settlement. nbsp;br /
br /
In an open letter to Cocirc;te drsquo;Ivoirersquo;s Minister of Justice, Mamadou Koneacute;, Amnesty International said that there is no evidence that CNVDT-CI represents the 30,000 victims and described it as a ldquo;blatant attempt to perpetrate fraudrdquo;. nbsp;br /
br /
ldquo;This is a barefaced attempt to steal from the victims of this toxic waste scandal,rdquo; said Widney Brown, Senior Director, International Law and Policy at Amnesty International. ldquo;These people have suffered enough and the Cote drsquo;Ivoire authorities must ensure that justice is done so that the claimants receive the money that is owed to them.rdquo;br /
br /
The $45 million is currently subject to a freezing order and the victims have yet to receive their money.br /
br /
strongBackground/strongbr /
In August 2006, toxic waste was brought to Abidjan on board the ship Probo Koala, which had been chartered by oil-trading company, Trafigura. br /
br /
This waste was then dumped in various locations around the city, causing a human rights tragedy. More than 100,000 people sought medical attention for a range of health problems and there were 15 reported deaths. br /
br /
On 23 September 2009, the High Court of England and Wales approved a $45 million settlement between nearly 30,000 victims of the toxic waste dumping and Trafigura.nbsp; nbsp;br /

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/ECA/climate-train-100×100.jpg alt= title= /br/Ten million people have signed a petition calling for a quot;fair, ambitious and binding climate treatyquot; to be signed by world leaders at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen this week.br /
br /
The petition, which was delivered to key figures at the start of the conference on Monday was organized by TckTckTck, campaigning hub for over 50 international organizations.br /
br /
Amnesty International has been campaigning as part of the Tck Tck Tck coalition and helped collect signatures for the petition. A delegation from the organization will be taking part in COP15.br /
br /
At a conference organized by Amnesty International on 30 November to discuss the impact of climate change on human rights, Secretary General Irene Khan issued a joint statement with Mary Robinson ndash; former President of Ireland, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and President of the Ethical Globalization Initiative.br /
br /
The statement said that if governments fail to act at Copenhagen, quot;basic human rights for the world’s poorest and most marginalised communities will hang in the balance. The rights to food, water, shelter and health all risk being undermined by climate change.quot;br /
br /
Observed and projected changes attributable to climate change include the contraction of snow-covered areas; shrinking of sea ice and melting of polar ice caps; rise of sea levels; increased frequency of hot extremes and heat waves; increase in areas affected by drought; and increased intensity of tropical cyclones. br /
br /
There is link between such environmental impacts and the ability to realize a range of human rights. br /
br /
Acute water shortages and decreased crop yields in the poorer region of the world, to take just two examples, would have grave implications for the rights of millions of people.br /
br /
The petition was handed over to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer, Danish Prime Minister Lars Loslash;kke Rasmussen and COP 15 President and Danish Climate Minster Connie Hedegaard.br /
br /
At the handover, 15 young people from all over the world held up large scale quot;building blocksquot; which spelled out quot;10 million people expect a fair, ambitious and binding dealquot; to show leaders that all the elements required for an effective climate treaty are present.br /
br /
TckTckTck chair Kumi Naidoo said the size of the petition demonstrated the huge groundswell of support for world leaders to deal with the climate crisis.br /
br /
Amnesty International’s Demand Dignity campaign aims to end the human rights violations that drive and deepen global poverty.br /
br /
The campaign is mobilizing people all over the world to demand that governments, corporations and others, who have power, listen to the voices of those living in poverty and recognize and protect their rights.

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/ASA/sri-lanka-displaced-100×100.jpg alt= title= /br/Amnesty International is calling on the Sri Lankan government to permanently release civilians who have been illegally detained in camps following the end of the civil war six months ago. br /
br /
ldquo;The authorities must make good on their declared intentions to free some 120,000 people and do so unconditionally,rdquo; said Yolanda Foster, Amnesty Internationalrsquo;s expert on Sri Lanka. br /
br /
ldquo;A permanent release from camps must be accompanied by assurances that people are not subjected to further questioning or re-arrest in new locations.rdquo;nbsp; nbsp;br /
br /
ldquo;Itrsquo;s also critical that the government maintain its responsibility to care for displaced people wherever they choose to go.rdquo; br /
br /
The Sri Lankan government said today that families living in camps for the displaced in Vavuniya will be given a choice about whether to remain in camps, to seek alternative accommodations or attempt to return home. br /
br /
However, Amnesty International has received information about restrictions on the way in which families can leave the camps. Media reports have suggested that some people may be asked to return to the camps after only 15 days. br /
nbsp; br /
Another concern is the lack of assistance for those who have been released so far. A church group has reported that people have been bussed from Manik Farm and simply lsquo;dumped, left on the roadrsquo; at Adampan in Mannar. br /
br /
The government is giving conflicting messages about the process of return and it is not yet clear whether freedom of movement will also apply to camps in other parts of the country. br /
br /
As releases and resettlement efforts accelerate, Amnesty International urges Sri Lankan authorities to allow displaced people to make informed and voluntary decisions about return and resettlement. br /
br /
ldquo;The Sri Lankan authorities must alert displaced people to the living conditions in the places they come from so that they can make plans about their future. They should also provide them with clear information about their rights, their legal status and procedures for tracing family members,rdquo; Yolanda Foster said. br /
br /
ldquo;Humanitarian and human rights organizations should be given unimpeded access to displaced people. For those attempting to resettle, such organizations should be permitted to monitor their safety and wellbeing and ensure their needs are being met, including that they are protected against further human rights violations.rdquo; br /
br /
ldquo;Thousands of people have started to leave camps in the north east but the promise to unlock the camps must be followed up by the protection of the rights of the internally displaced people both within and outside the camps.rdquo; br /
br /
strongBackground /strongbr /
After fierce fighting and the deaths of thousands of civilians in May 2009, the Sri Lankan government declared victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). br /
By the end of May 2009 300,000 displaced people who had fled fighting were detained in camps supervised by the military. br /
br /
In response to the unlawful detention of hundreds of thousands of displaced people, Amnesty International launched a global campaign ldquo;Unlock the Campsrdquo;, calling for liberty and freedom of movement for the displaced. Over 40,000 activists have taken action.

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/ECA/switzerland-irene-khan-100×100.jpg alt= title= /br/Political leaders meeting in Copenhagen next week must reach a fair, ambitious and binding deal on climate change that does not leave out and further disadvantage the world’s poor, said Mary Robinson and Irene Khan.br /
br /
Mary Robinson ndash; former President of Ireland, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and President of the Ethical Globalization Initiative ndash; and Irene Khan ndash; Secretary General of Amnesty International ndash; participated in a conference organized by Amnesty International to discuss the impact of climate change on human rights in the run up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15).br /
br /
Mary Robinson and Irene Khan issued the following joint statement: br /
br /
emThe cruel fact about global climate change is that while the problem has largely been caused by emissions from the richest countries, the poorest will pay the price. If governments fail to act in Copenhagen next month, basic human rights for the worlds poorest and most marginalised communities will hang in the balance. The rights to food, water, shelter and heath all risk being undermined by climate change. There is an urgent need for an ambitious, fair and binding agreement at COP15 in Copenhagen. /embr /
br /
Stating that the effects of climate change will be felt most by people experiencing human rights abuses because they are poor or vulnerable, like women and indigenous people, Mary Robinson and Irene Khan cautioned that if governments don’t comply with their human rights obligations when responding to climate change, it could reinforce the links between denial of rights and vulnerability to climate change.br /
br /
Governments are legally bound to address inequality and non-discrimination and they called for adaptation and mitigation policies to prioritize those whose rights are most at risk through patterns of discrimination.br /
br /
Warning that billions of the worldrsquo;s poorest people are adversely affected by climate change and yet are not central to the UN Climate Change Conference, they called for an urgent, people-centered approach to countering climate change and ensuring the future for generations to come. They urged governments to conduct adequate and meaningful consultation with affected people, involving them in decision-making on the adaptation and mitigation strategies that would affect their lives.br /
br /
quot;The time has passed when politicians and the public could imagine climate change as problem for the future,quot; cautioned Mary Robinson.br /
br /
quot;Climate change is a threat to the survival and enjoyment of human rights. If we donrsquo;t deal with climate change no one will have a secure world.quot;br /
br /
quot;The fight against poverty and the fight against climate change are an integral fight for the rights of the marginalized peoples of this world,quot; said Irene Khan.br /
br /
quot;If we don’t address climate change all gains to eradicate poverty risk being wiped out.quot;br /
br /
Both human rights leaders called on the general public to support the Tck Tck Tck campaign.br /
br /
TckTckTck is the campaigning hub for more than 50 international organizations that are part of the Global Campaign for Climate Action.br /
br /
Almost 10 million TckTckTck supporters have called for an ambitious, binding and fair deal at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15).br /
nbsp;br /
Amnesty International’s Demand Dignity campaign aims to end the human rights violations that drive and deepen global poverty.br /
br /
The campaign is mobilizing people all over the world to demand that governments, corporations and others who have power, listen to the voices of those living in poverty and recognize and protect their rights. br /
br /
An Amnesty International delegation will participate in COP15. br /

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/ASA/srilanka-menik-farm-100×100.jpg alt= title= /br/Amnesty International has welcomed the government of Sri Lanka’s promise to lift by 1 December any restrictions on movement of at least 130,000 people displaced by the war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE). br /
nbsp; br /
quot;Now the Sri Lankan government needs to demonstrate that it will provide the displaced with necessary assistance such as shelter, food and security as they re-establish their homes,quot; said Madhu Malhotra, deputy director of Amnesty International’s Asia Pacific programme. br /
br /
Hundreds and thousands of Tamils who escaped the war have been detained in camps under military control for the past six months, deprived of their freedom of movement. Many of them survived months of difficult conditions as they were forced to travel with retreating LTTE forces who forcibly recruited civilians, including children, and in some instances used civilians as human shields. br /
br /
The Sri Lankan government has agreed to give people a choice about whether to remain in camps to seek alternative accommodation or attempt to return home. br /
br /
quot;For months vulnerable people have been held in inadequate conditions in camps lacking adequate sanitation facilities and clean drinking water. If the Sri Lankan government follows through on its promise to allow thousands of people to return home, it would be the first step in the long struggle ahead for people rebuilding their devastated lives,quot; said Madhu Malhotra. br /
br /
Amnesty International stressed the continued need to protect the rights of internally displaced people both within and outside the camps. br /
br /
The organization also urged the Sri Lankan authorities to abide by the principles of International humanitarian law and ensure that displaced people are supported to make voluntary and informed decisions about their future. br /
br /
quot;Humanitarian and human rights organizations should be given unimpeded access to displaced people and those attempting to resettle to monitor their safety and wellbeing and ensure their needs are being met, including that they are protected against further human rights violations,quot; said Madhu Malhotra. br /
br /
Since the war ended in May, an estimated 12,000 displaced people (including children) suspected of links to the LTTE have been arbitrarily arrested, separated from the general displaced population and detained by the authorities in irregular detention facilities, such as vacated school buildings. br /
br /
Amnesty International said it is concerned about lack of transparency and accountability in that process, which is conducted outside of any legal framework and the increased dangers to detainees when they are held incommunicado. br /
br /
The organization said that persons arrested on suspicion of links to the LTTE and accused of crimes should be charged with legitimate offences, tried and prosecuted in accordance with the law.

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/ASA/srilanka-menik-farm-100×100.jpg alt= title= /br/Amnesty International has welcomed the government of Sri Lanka’s promise to lift by 1 December any restrictions on movement of at least 130,000 people displaced by the war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE). br /
nbsp; br /
quot;Now the Sri Lankan government needs to demonstrate that it will provide the displaced with necessary assistance such as shelter, food and security as they re-establish their homes,quot; said Madhu Malhotra, deputy director of Amnesty International’s Asia Pacific programme. br /
br /
Hundreds and thousands of Tamils who escaped the war have been detained in camps under military control for the past six months, deprived of their freedom of movement. Many of them survived months of difficult conditions as they were forced to travel with retreating LTTE forces who forcibly recruited civilians, including children, and in some instances used civilians as human shields. br /
br /
The Sri Lankan government has agreed to give people a choice about whether to remain in camps to seek alternative accommodation or attempt to return home. br /
br /
quot;For months vulnerable people have been held in inadequate conditions in camps lacking adequate sanitation facilities and clean drinking water. If the Sri Lankan government follows through on its promise to allow thousands of people to return home, it would be the first step in the long struggle ahead for people rebuilding their devastated lives,quot; said Madhu Malhotra. br /
br /
Amnesty International stressed the continued need to protect the rights of internally displaced people both within and outside the camps. br /
br /
The organization also urged the Sri Lankan authorities to abide by the principles of International humanitarian law and ensure that displaced people are supported to make voluntary and informed decisions about their future. br /
br /
quot;Humanitarian and human rights organizations should be given unimpeded access to displaced people and those attempting to resettle to monitor their safety and wellbeing and ensure their needs are being met, including that they are protected against further human rights violations,quot; said Madhu Malhotra. br /
br /
Since the war ended in May, an estimated 12,000 displaced people (including children) suspected of links to the LTTE have been arbitrarily arrested, separated from the general displaced population and detained by the authorities in irregular detention facilities, such as vacated school buildings. br /
br /
Amnesty International said it is concerned about lack of transparency and accountability in that process, which is conducted outside of any legal framework and the increased dangers to detainees when they are held incommunicado. br /
br /
The organization said that persons arrested on suspicion of links to the LTTE and accused of crimes should be charged with legitimate offences, tried and prosecuted in accordance with the law.

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/AMR/guantanamo100.jpg alt= title= /br/The US government must redouble efforts to resolve the future of detainees still held at the military facility in Guantaacute;namo Bay, Cuba, Amnesty International said after President Barack Obama acknowledged his administration would not meet his deadline for its closure. br /
br /
quot;Over recent months, US authorities have allowed the Guantaacute;namo detentions to become a political football, and the politics of fear to trump human rights,quot; said Susan Lee, Director of the Amnesty International’s Americas Regional Programme. br /
br /
quot;Now, as should have been the case from day one, the government should resolve these detentions by either bringing the detainees to fair trial or immediately releasing them,quot; Susan Lee said.br /
br /
On 22 January 2009, President Obama signed an executive order committing his administration to resolving the cases of the detainees held at Guantaacute;namo quot;as promptly as possiblequot;, and to closing the detention facility quot;no later than one year from the date of this order.quot; nbsp;br /
br /
In his comments on Wednesday, President Obama would not put an exact new date on closure, stating only that he anticipated it would happen sometime later next year, and adding that it would ldquo;depend on cooperation from Congress.quot;br /
br /
Hopes for an end to the Guantaacute;namo detentions this year have receded over recent months as members of Congress sought to block the closure of the facility, and the administration has been slow to charge detainees. br /
br /
At the same time, diplomatic efforts to find solutions for detainees who cannot be returned to their home countries for fear of the human rights violations they would face there have been undermined by the refusal of the US authorities to release any in mainland USA. br /
br /
Amnesty International has long called for the Guantaacute;namo detainees to be brought to trial in an independent and impartial court ndash; not a military commission ndash; or immediately released. br /
br /
It has also repeatedly called for the USA not to seek the death penalty in any case.br /
br /
Since President Obama took office, 26 detainees have been transferred out of Guantaacute;namo, leaving 215 still there. br /
br /
One detainee has been transferred to face trial in a federal court in New York and the administration has announced that another five will also be transferred to the city for such trials, with the likelihood that the death penalty will be sought against them. br /
br /
The US Attorney General has also said the administration has decided to refer another five cases back to the Pentagon for trial by military commission.br /
br /
In his 22 January order requiring his administration to ensure quot;prompt and appropriatequot; resolution of each and every Guantaacute;namo case and to close the Guantaacute;namo facility within a year, President Obama pointed to the quot;significant concerns raised by these detentions, both within the United States and internationallyquot;.br /
br /
quot;Those concerns have not gone away, and will be reignited by President Obama’s comments todayquot;, Susan Lee said.

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/AMR/guantanamo100.jpg alt= title= /br/The US government must redouble efforts to resolve the future of detainees still held at the military facility in Guantaacute;namo Bay, Cuba, Amnesty International said after President Barack Obama acknowledged his administration would not meet his deadline for its closure. br /
br /
quot;Over recent months, US authorities have allowed the Guantaacute;namo detentions to become a political football, and the politics of fear to trump human rights,quot; said Susan Lee, Director of the Amnesty International’s Americas Regional Programme. br /
br /
quot;Now, as should have been the case from day one, the government should resolve these detentions by either bringing the detainees to fair trial or immediately releasing them,quot; Susan Lee said.br /
br /
On 22 January 2009, President Obama signed an executive order committing his administration to resolving the cases of the detainees held at Guantaacute;namo quot;as promptly as possiblequot;, and to closing the detention facility quot;no later than one year from the date of this order.quot; nbsp;br /
br /
In his comments on Wednesday, President Obama would not put an exact new date on closure, stating only that he anticipated it would happen sometime later next year, and adding that it would ldquo;depend on cooperation from Congress.quot;br /
br /
Hopes for an end to the Guantaacute;namo detentions this year have receded over recent months as members of Congress sought to block the closure of the facility, and the administration has been slow to charge detainees. br /
br /
At the same time, diplomatic efforts to find solutions for detainees who cannot be returned to their home countries for fear of the human rights violations they would face there have been undermined by the refusal of the US authorities to release any in mainland USA. br /
br /
Amnesty International has long called for the Guantaacute;namo detainees to be brought to trial in an independent and impartial court ndash; not a military commission ndash; or immediately released. br /
br /
It has also repeatedly called for the USA not to seek the death penalty in any case.br /
br /
Since President Obama took office, 26 detainees have been transferred out of Guantaacute;namo, leaving 215 still there. br /
br /
One detainee has been transferred to face trial in a federal court in New York and the administration has announced that another five will also be transferred to the city for such trials, with the likelihood that the death penalty will be sought against them. br /
br /
The US Attorney General has also said the administration has decided to refer another five cases back to the Pentagon for trial by military commission.br /
br /
In his 22 January order requiring his administration to ensure quot;prompt and appropriatequot; resolution of each and every Guantaacute;namo case and to close the Guantaacute;namo facility within a year, President Obama pointed to the quot;significant concerns raised by these detentions, both within the United States and internationallyquot;.br /
br /
quot;Those concerns have not gone away, and will be reignited by President Obama’s comments todayquot;, Susan Lee said.

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/ASA/aus-hlm-100.jpg alt= title= /br/Slamming decades of failure by Australian governments to address the dire living conditions, disempowerment and discrimination faced by many of the countryrsquo;s Indigenous peoples, Amnesty Internationalrsquo;s Secretary General Irene Khan warned that the government of Prime Minister Rudd must not squander its unique opportunity to right these historic wrongs.br /
nbsp;br /
In the latest in a long line of indignities, some 45,000 Aboriginal people are today still subject to state-sponsored racially discriminatory measures, including blanket quarantining of social security payments as a result of the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER). nbsp;br /
nbsp;br /
ldquo;The blunt force of the Interventionrsquo;s heavy handed lsquo;one size fits allrsquo; approach cannot deliver the desired results. The Government will not secure the long term protection of women and children unless there is an integrated human rights solution that empower peoples and engages them to take responsibility for the solutions,rdquo; Irene Khan said. br /
nbsp;br /
Welcoming the commitment she had received from Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin that the Government would introduce legislation to reinstate the Racial Discrimination Act in the Northern Territory, Irene Khan called on the Government to ensure that it does so in line with Australiarsquo;s international obligations not to discriminate against Indigenous peoples.br /
nbsp;br /
While noting that grave levels of violence against women and children is the stated rationale for the NTER, Irene Khan emphasized that respect for women and childrenrsquo;s human rights would not be secured without respect for all human rights for all. nbsp;br /
nbsp;br /
ldquo;Indigenous people in remote Aboriginal communities deserve the same respect, safety and protection as does any Australian ndash; but this will not be achieved in a sustained manner under the Emergency Response which is stigmatizing and disempowering an already marginalized people and which is in violation of Australiarsquo;s international obligations,rdquo; said Irene Khan.br /
nbsp;br /
As part of her visit to Australia, Amnesty Internationalrsquo;s Secretary General visited the Utopia region in central Australia, an impoverished grouping of homeland communities 350 kilometres northeast of Alice Springs. nbsp;br /
nbsp;br /
ldquo;For a country which by human development standards is the third most developed in the world and one which has emerged from the global financial crisis comparatively unscathed, such a level of poverty, is inexcusable, unexpected and unacceptable,rdquo; said Irene Khan. br /
nbsp;br /
ldquo;In the heart of this first world I found scenes more reminiscent of the third world.nbsp; That Indigenous peoples experience human rights violations on a continent of such privilege is not merely disheartening, it is morally outrageous.nbsp; The moral imperative to eradicate such poverty is no less an imperative on government than to eliminate torture.rdquo; nbsp;br /
nbsp;br /
Irene Khan called for a new approach, grounded in a genuine respect for traditional culture and with human rights principles at its core, to tackle the complex problem of the entrenched poverty and discrimination faced by Indigenous peoples in Australia.br /
nbsp;br /
ldquo;There is a real risk of an enormous opportunity for change being squandered. The governmentrsquo;s apology to the Stolen Generations and other Indigenous Australians along with its support for the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is a welcome shift from the past.nbsp; This Government is making a serious financial and political investment but to achieve the returns it wants, it must replace its blunt and blanket policy approaches.rdquo;br /
nbsp;br /
ldquo;The pathway out of poverty for Indigenous people must have the hallmarks of respect for human rights: voice must matter, equality cannot be compromised, security must be delivered on a human scale and active engagement for long term solutions must be made local, personal and perennial.quot;br /
nbsp;br /
Amnesty International called on the whole of the government, not just individual Ministries, to develop an integrated approach ndash; an approach that places all human rights ndash; not merely some human rights – at the centre and which allows all human rights to be respected and exercised by Indigenous Australians. nbsp;br /
nbsp;br /
ldquo;To fulfil its enormous potential on the regional and global stage, the Rudd Government must make lsquo;bringing human rights homersquo; its central goal,rdquo; concluded Irene Khan.

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/ASA/aus-hlm-100.jpg alt= title= /br/Slamming decades of failure by Australian governments to address the dire living conditions, disempowerment and discrimination faced by many of the countryrsquo;s Indigenous peoples, Amnesty Internationalrsquo;s Secretary General Irene Khan warned that the government of Prime Minister Rudd must not squander its unique opportunity to right these historic wrongs.br /
nbsp;br /
In the latest in a long line of indignities, some 45,000 Aboriginal people are today still subject to state-sponsored racially discriminatory measures, including blanket quarantining of social security payments as a result of the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER). nbsp;br /
nbsp;br /
ldquo;The blunt force of the Interventionrsquo;s heavy handed lsquo;one size fits allrsquo; approach cannot deliver the desired results. The Government will not secure the long term protection of women and children unless there is an integrated human rights solution that empower peoples and engages them to take responsibility for the solutions,rdquo; Irene Khan said. br /
nbsp;br /
Welcoming the commitment she had received from Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin that the Government would introduce legislation to reinstate the Racial Discrimination Act in the Northern Territory, Irene Khan called on the Government to ensure that it does so in line with Australiarsquo;s international obligations not to discriminate against Indigenous peoples.br /
nbsp;br /
While noting that grave levels of violence against women and children is the stated rationale for the NTER, Irene Khan emphasized that respect for women and childrenrsquo;s human rights would not be secured without respect for all human rights for all. nbsp;br /
nbsp;br /
ldquo;Indigenous people in remote Aboriginal communities deserve the same respect, safety and protection as does any Australian ndash; but this will not be achieved in a sustained manner under the Emergency Response which is stigmatizing and disempowering an already marginalized people and which is in violation of Australiarsquo;s international obligations,rdquo; said Irene Khan.br /
nbsp;br /
As part of her visit to Australia, Amnesty Internationalrsquo;s Secretary General visited the Utopia region in central Australia, an impoverished grouping of homeland communities 350 kilometres northeast of Alice Springs. nbsp;br /
nbsp;br /
ldquo;For a country which by human development standards is the third most developed in the world and one which has emerged from the global financial crisis comparatively unscathed, such a level of poverty, is inexcusable, unexpected and unacceptable,rdquo; said Irene Khan. br /
nbsp;br /
ldquo;In the heart of this first world I found scenes more reminiscent of the third world.nbsp; That Indigenous peoples experience human rights violations on a continent of such privilege is not merely disheartening, it is morally outrageous.nbsp; The moral imperative to eradicate such poverty is no less an imperative on government than to eliminate torture.rdquo; nbsp;br /
nbsp;br /
Irene Khan called for a new approach, grounded in a genuine respect for traditional culture and with human rights principles at its core, to tackle the complex problem of the entrenched poverty and discrimination faced by Indigenous peoples in Australia.br /
nbsp;br /
ldquo;There is a real risk of an enormous opportunity for change being squandered. The governmentrsquo;s apology to the Stolen Generations and other Indigenous Australians along with its support for the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is a welcome shift from the past.nbsp; This Government is making a serious financial and political investment but to achieve the returns it wants, it must replace its blunt and blanket policy approaches.rdquo;br /
nbsp;br /
ldquo;The pathway out of poverty for Indigenous people must have the hallmarks of respect for human rights: voice must matter, equality cannot be compromised, security must be delivered on a human scale and active engagement for long term solutions must be made local, personal and perennial.quot;br /
nbsp;br /
Amnesty International called on the whole of the government, not just individual Ministries, to develop an integrated approach ndash; an approach that places all human rights ndash; not merely some human rights – at the centre and which allows all human rights to be respected and exercised by Indigenous Australians. nbsp;br /
nbsp;br /
ldquo;To fulfil its enormous potential on the regional and global stage, the Rudd Government must make lsquo;bringing human rights homersquo; its central goal,rdquo; concluded Irene Khan.