First convictions for 1984 Union Carbide disaster in Bhopal too little, too late
Following convictions on Monday of seven Indian citizens for the 1984 Union Carbide gas leak disaster, Amnesty International has called on the Indian and US governments to take the next step by bringing the US-based Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) to justice.
Seven Indian nationals, who formerly worked for the Indian company Union Carbide India Ltd (UCIL), were found guilty by the Bhopal Court of causing death by negligence, a charge that carries a maximum two year sentence.
“These are historic convictions, but it is too little, too late. Twenty-five years is an unacceptable length of time for the survivors of the disaster and families of the dead to have waited for a criminal trial to reach a conclusion,” said Audrey Gaughran, Director of Global Issues at Amnesty International.
Report 2010: Global justice gap condemns millions to abuse
A global justice gap is being made worse by power politics despite a landmark year for international justice, said Amnesty International today in its annual assessment of human rights worldwide.
Launching Amnesty International Report 2010: State of the World’s Human Rights, which documents abuses in 159 countries, the organization said that powerful governments are blocking advances in international justice by standing above the law on human rights, shielding allies from criticism and acting only when politically convenient.
“Repression and injustice are flourishing in the global justice gap, condemning millions of people to abuse, oppression and poverty,” said Claudio Cordone, interim Secretary General of Amnesty International.
“Governments must ensure that no one is above the law, and that everyone has access to justice for all human rights violations. Until governments stop subordinating justice to political self-interest, freedom from fear and freedom from want will remain elusive for most of humanity.”
Amnesty International called on governments to ensure accountability for their own actions, fully sign up to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and ensure that crimes under international law can be prosecuted anywhere in the world. It said that states claiming global leadership, including the G20, have a particular responsibility to set an example.
25 May 2010
Further information on UA 110/10 (10 May 2010) – Fear for safety (PDF)
MEXICO - Community of San Juan Copala
On 20 May, indigenous leader, Timoteo Alejandro Ramírez, and his wife, Cleriberta Castro Aguilar, were shot dead in their home in Yosoyuxi community, part of the “autonomous municipality of San Juan Copala” in the Triqui indigenous area of Oaxaca state, Mexico.
On 20 May, at least two men entered the home of Timoteo Alejandro Ramírez , aged 46, and Cleriberta Castro Aguilar, aged 36, and shot them in the head, leaving their five children unharmed in another room. Timoteo Ramírez was one of the principle leaders of the “autonomous municipality of San Juan Copala” and of the Independent Movement for Triqui Unity and Struggle (Movimiento de Unificación y Lucha Triqui Independiente, MULTI), the faction of Triqui indigenous peoples which has supported the creation of the autonomous municipality.
by Jim McDonald, AIUSA Sri Lanka country specialist
It’s been a year since the war ended in Sri Lanka, with the government’s defeat of the Tamil Tiger rebels. In the final months of the war, Amnesty International received credible reports of violations of human rights and war crimes being committed by both sides. The Tigers kept civilians trapped in the war zone and shot those trying to flee. The government shelled areas heavily populated by the trapped civilians. Thousands of civilians were killed or injured. A State Department report issued last year recounted these crimes in detail.
In June, when President Obama travels back to Indonesia – where he spent four years of his childhood – he can help shine a light on the shameful imprisonment of more than 100 prisoners of conscience detained in the country as of last year.
Two men are locked up in Indonesia for the simple act of raising a flag. Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage are two of the prisoners of conscience serving sentences in Indonesia today. They were found guilty of “rebellion” for flying the outlawed symbol of Papuan independence as a sign of peaceful protest of Indonesian government policy. Their peaceful act resulted in 15 and 10-year prison sentences, respectively.
Not too long ago, Amnesty International USA received a letter from Filep and Yusak. In it, they expressed their sincerest thanks for all the work AI done on their behalf since their arrest. Despite the hardships they’ve faced in prison, Filep and Yusak remain hopeful. Continue Reading »
