Issue No 29

October 2007

Welcome to Civil Society Watch Monthly Bulletin, an e-newsletter of updates and analyses concerning civil society's rights to freedom of association, assembly and expression around the world. The Bulletin is compiled by the staff at Civil Society Watch, a programme of CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation. Please feel free to forward the Bulletin to friends and colleagues. We welcome your comments and contributions!

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

FRONT PAGE
BURMA: In jail and in hiding, but never silenced

CIVICUS ALERTS!

ETHIOPIA: Verdict delayed: Activists detained for over two years

ANALYSIS

GCAP: Why it matters when 43.7 million stand up

GOOD NEWS

PERU: Court rules parts of NGO law unconstitutional

TURKEY: European Court rules Turkey violated freedom of speech

USA: Mistrial declared in terrorism case against Muslim charity

USA: Act to prevent repressive governments from using Internet data

COUNTRY UPDATES

AUSTRALIA: Proposed law to censor Internet

BAHRAIN: Activist banned from appearing in media

BOTSWANA: Registration of LGBT organisation refused

CANADA: Peace activists denied entry at border

CHINA: Leader of petition campaign detained

COLOMBIA: Members of peasant group face court

EGYPT: Trade union leader and lawyer sentenced

IRAN: Activist detained on propaganda charges

KYRGYZSTAN: Restrictive guidelines on NGO funding issued

NEW ZEALAND: 17 arrested under anti-terror law

RUSSIA: Funds blocked for conference organisers

SRI LANKA: Draft rights bill flawed

SYRIA: Human rights activists regularly harassed and arrested

TAJIKISTAN: Religious group banned

TUNISIA: Former prisoner of conscience forbidden to travel

TURKEY: Authorities demand closure of LGBT organisation

USA: Priests sentenced for protest against torture

UZBEKISTAN: Human rights defender disappeared

ZIMBABWE: Members of women's NGO face political violence

RESOURCES AND PUBLICATIONS

Defending Women - Defending Rights: Guidebook published

KIWANJA: Free SMS service for non-profits

RSF: Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2007 released

UN Human Rights Council: NGO involvement in Universal Peer Reviews

CIVICUS: What do you think? Have your say on the CIVICUS Blog

FRONT PAGE

BURMA: In jail and in hiding, but never silenced

An interview with Min Lwin Oo, Burma Lawyer's Council and Asian Human Rights Commission, Hong Kong

The last couple of months have seen increasing repression of activists and peaceful protesters in Burma. While over 1000 are thought to still be in prison, more are in hiding, fearful that they will also find themselves behind bars. In this edition of the Monthly Bulletin we speak with Min Lwin Oo, who works with the legal aid section of the Burma Lawyers Council (BLC), and the Burma desk of the Asian Human Rights Commission, Hong Kong.

Read the full interview, visit: http://www.civicus.org/csw/FRONTPAGE_BURMA.htm

CIVICUS ALERTS

ETHIOPIA: Verdict delayed: Activists detained for over two years

9 October 2007 - Anti-poverty activists Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie heard that they must wait in prison for at least another six weeks, as judges in Ethiopia's Federal High Court again delayed the verdict until 22 November 2007, bringing their total detention to over two years. Both coordinators of the Global Call to Action against Poverty, they are the last two accused in the high profile Ethiopian treason trial that originally charged 131 politicians, journalists, organisations and civil society leaders.

http://www.civicus.org/csw/CIVICUS.GCAP.Delay.10.10.07.htm

ANALYSIS

GCAP: Why it matters when 43.7 million stand up

Caitlin Blaser, GCAP Mobilisation Officer, reflects on the October 17th "Stand Up, Speak Out" Campaign

On October 17th 2007, the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, 43.7 million people around the world stood up and spoke out against poverty and inequality. Unlike some mass direct actions, 'Stand Up and Speak Out' cannot claim an immediate and substantial policy change that will help end poverty. And yet many claim that October 17th has been a successful mobilisation. Why? 

http://www.civicus.org/csw/ANALYSIS_GCAP.htm

GOOD NEWS

PERU: Court rules parts of NGO law unconstitutional

September 2007 - At the end of August, the Constitutional Court of Peru ruled that parts of the Law on NGOs were unconstitutional. The law would have required that NGOs register to be able to carry out projects within Peru.

http://www.iccsl.org/news/news.html

TURKEY: European Court rules Turkey violated freedom of speech

5 October - The European Court on Human Rights ruled that Turkey violated freedom of speech in two prosecutions, reports BIANET. The court stated that Erdal Tas, former editor of the now-closed Yeni Gündem newspaper, was not given a fair trial. In the second case, the ECHR ruled that Turkey pay compensation for imprisoning human rights activist Akin Birdal, former president of the Human Rights Association and now MP for the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party.

http://egypt.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/86774/index.html

USA: Mistrial declared in terrorism case against Muslim charity

22 October - A federal judge has declared a mistrial in the criminal case against the Holy Land Foundation (HLF), and five of its former top officials, reports the American Civil Liberties Union. In 2001, HLF, then the nation's largest Muslim charity, was shut down when the government accused it of providing "material support" for terrorism. The government later charged it with having provided funds to local committees that provide humanitarian aid in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, alleging that the committees were run by Hamas. The HLF case is reportedly one of numerous "material support" prosecutions now in courts around the country.

http://www.commondreams.org/news2007/1022-11.htm
 

USA: Act to prevent repressive governments from using Internet data

23 October - The House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee has approved the proposed Global Online Freedom Act, states Reporters Without Borders. If enacted, the Act would reportedly prevent repressive governments - those that punish activists who publish online - from having access to personal data by banning US companies from locating the servers containing this data in the territories controlled by such governments.

http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=24141

CSW COUNTRY UPDATES

AUSTRALIA: Proposed law to censor Internet

10 October - Proposed legislation would give the federal police commissioner powers to unilaterally block Internet content that he or she "has reason to believe . . . is crime or terrorist related," reports the Committee to Protect Journalists.

http://www.cpj.org/news/2007/asia/austr10oct07na.html

BAHRAIN: Activist banned from appearing in media

16 October - Women's rights activist and president of the Bahrain Women's Petition, Ghada Jamsheer, has been banned from appearing in any of the Bahraini media, including radio, television or newspapers, reports the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights.

http://www.bahrainrights.org/en/node/1485

BOTSWANA: Registration of LGBT organisation refused

5 October - The Registrar of Societies refused to register a gay and lesbian association (LEGABIBO), because he considered that the proposed society's objectives are likely to be used for an unlawful purpose, thus disturbing the country's peace, welfare and good order, reports Mmegi/The Reporter.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200710081221.html

CANADA: Peace activists denied entry at border

October 3 - Two US peace activists, CODEPINK and Global Exchange co-founder Medea Benjamin and retired Colonel and diplomat Ann Wright, were denied entry into Canada. They were on their way to Toronto to discuss peace and security issues at the invitation of the Toronto Stop the War Coalition, reports Commondreams.

http://www.commondreams.org/news2007/1003-15.htm

CHINA: Leader of petition campaign detained

23 October - The lead organiser of a public letter signed by 12,150 petitioners calling on Chinese Communist Party leaders to implement political and legal reforms, Liu Jie, was detained by police on 13 October, reports the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders.

http://www.fidh.org/spip.php?article4822

COLOMBIA: Members of peasant group face court

5 October - 18 members of the Asociación Campesina del Valle del Río Cimitarra (Peasant Association of Cimitarra River Valley) are currently facing charges and judicial proceedings, reports Frontline.

http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/1181

EGYPT: Trade union leader and lawyer sentenced

12 October - General Coordinator of the Centre for Trade Unions and Workers Services, Kamal Abbas, and his lawyer, Mohamed Helmy, were both given one year sentences following a lawsuit for alleged "slander and defamation of character", filed by the Chair of a youth centre, also a member of the ruling National Democratic Party, reports the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders.

http://www.fidh.org/spip.php?article4794

IRAN: Journalist/Advocate detained on propaganda charges

15 October - Journalist and leading advocate of prisoners of conscience, Emadeddin Baghi was detained on 14 October detained on the charge of "propaganda against the government," says Reporters Without Borders.

http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=24004
 

KYRGYZSTAN: Restrictive guidelines on NGO funding issued

2 October - The Kyrgyz financial police have issued guidelines on funding for international and foreign NGOs, increasing authorities' control over independent civil society in the country, reports the Observatory for Protection of Human Rights Defenders.

http://www.omct.org/index.php?id=&lang=eng&articleId=7280
 

NEW ZEALAND: 17 arrested under anti-terror law

15 October - In the first operation under New Zealand's anti-terror law, police have arrested 17 people, including Maori and environmental activists, reports AFP. Among those arrested was Tame Iti, New Zealand's most prominent Maori rights campaigner.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071015/wl_afp/nzealandarrests

RUSSIA: Funds blocked for conference organisers

10 October - A conference in memory of Anna Politkovskayato to be held on 5-6 October had to be cancelled after the authorities blocked the funds of the organisations planning the event, the Nizhny Novgorod Foundation to Promote Tolerance and the Nizhny Novgorod branch of Novaya Gazeta, reports the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders.

http://www.omct.org

SRI LANKA: Draft rights bill flawed

3 October - The government intends to enact legislation to give effect to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, however, only arbitrarily selected provisions have been included, excluding others such as Article 19 on freedom of expression, reports the Free Media Movement.

http://www.ifex.org/es/content/view/full/86746/

SYRIA: Human rights activists regularly harassed and arrested

17 October - Syrian authorities regularly harass activists by arresting them and preventing them from meeting or travelling, and they have refused to register any human rights groups, states a Human Rights Watch report.

http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/10/17/syria17075.htm

TAJIKISTAN: Religious group banned

18 October - The Ministry of Culture has banned Jehovah Witnesses from operating anywhere in the country, reports Forum 18. The authorities' main complaint was reportedly the group's refusal to participate in military service.

http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1036

TUNISIA: Former prisoner of conscience forbidden to travel

23 October - Former prisoner of conscience Mohammed Abbou has been prevented from travelling to Cairo to attend the trial of an editor of an independent newspaper, reports the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information. He was also reportedly prevented from travelling to London in August.

http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/87179/

TURKEY: Authorities demand closure of LGBT organisation

16 October - The Governor's Office of Istanbul has demanded the closure of Lambda Istanbul, an organisation defending lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights in Turkey, claiming that the name and objectives of the group are "against the law and morality", reports Human Rights Watch.

http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/10/16/turkey17107.htm

USA: Priests sentenced for protest against torture

17 October - Louis Vitale, a Franciscan priest, and Steve Kelly, a Jesuit priest, were each sentenced to five months in federal prison for attempting to deliver a letter opposing the teaching of torture during a small rally at Fort Huachuca, the national headquarters of military intelligence, reports Commondreams. They were reportedly charged with trespassing and refusing to comply with military police orders.

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/10/17/4650/

UZBEKISTAN: Human rights defender disappeared

10 October - Human rights defender Hurram Berdiev has been missing for over two months after he disappeared on 15 August, the same day he was due to approach Internal Affairs for permission to leave the country, reports Association Droits de l'Homme en Asie Centrale.

http://press.asiecentrale.info/?q=node/10

ZIMBABWE: Members of women's NGO face political violence

September - Members of WOZA (Women of Zimbabwe Arise) have suffered extreme abuse at the hands of state actors in the course of defending their rights and demanding social justice, states a new report by the organisation.

http://www.kubatana.net/html/archive/women/071009woza.asp

RESOURCES AND PUBLICATIONS

Defending Women - Defending Rights: Guidebook published

A Guidebook on Women Human Rights Defenders aims to help women human rights defenders name the specific risks, violations and constraints they face in their work. It presents a practical discussion of the useful mechanisms developed by the state and also civil society to provide redress and remedy, and to protect women human rights defenders.

For more information, visit http://www.defendingwomen-defendingrights.org

KIWANJA: Free SMS service for non-profits

FrontlineSMS is the first text messaging system to be conceived, designed and written firmly with the needs of the non-profit sector in mind. The FrontlineSMS software is provided free to charities and other non-profit organisations.

For more information, visit http://frontlinesms.kiwanja.net

RSF: Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2007 released

Eritrea has replaced North Korea in last place out of 169 countries in the Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2007 released recently by Reporters Without Borders.

Visit http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=24019

UN Human Rights Council: NGO involvement in Universal Peer Reviews

The UN Human Rights Council will begin examining countries' human rights practices using the Universal Peer Review Mechanism in April 2008. Civil society organisations are encouraged to participate in the process and submit reports by 20 November.

Visit http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/upr/noteNGO_041007.htm

CIVICUS: What do you think? Have your say on the CIVICUS Blog

Have your say, visit http://civicus.civiblog.org 

CONTACT US

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