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Update
A Maternal Mortality FAIL in the U.S.
By Alicia Ely Yamin While the Republicans cynically stall efforts on health reform to gain political advantage and the Democrats wrangle over special deals, too many people continue to die in this country because they lack access to care. A report released today from Amnesty International highlights the scandalous fact that every day in the richest country in the world 2 to 3 women die in pregnancy and childbirth. As Deadly Delivery: THE MATERNAL HEALTH CARE CRISIS IN THE USA notes, the U.S. “spends more than any other country on health care, and more on maternal health than any other…
March 12, 2010
Update
Terrorists Kill Civilians in Lahore
Update: Juan Cole, a blogger on the Middle East and South Asia has a good analysis of this bombing. Suicide bombings are human rights violations. Normally I don't cover Pakistan (I cover India, Bangladesh and the Maldives for Amnesty USA). But, I just want to do a quick post here to condemn unequivocally the wanton killing of innocent civilians in Lahore, Pakistan today. Suicide bombings that kill or injure civilians are human rights violations and must be condemned. Lahore is the cultural capital of Pakistan and it has been subjected to repeated suicide bombings by folks who apparently think that…
March 12, 2010
Update
Six weeks on, no sign of missing cartoonist
Where's Prageeth Eknaligoda? On Jan. 24, the Sri Lankan cartoonist and journalist disappeared shortly after leaving work at the Lanka-e-News office. Local residents reported seeing a white van without number plates close to his house around this time. When his wife tried to lodge a complaint with the police the next day, she was detained for several hours at the police station. In the days leading up to his disappearance, Mr. Eknaligoda had told a close friend that he believed he was being followed. Prageeth Eknaligoda had previously been abducted last August by a group who also arrived in a white…
March 11, 2010
Update
Justice for 9-11 victims shouldn’t involve military commissions
Originally posted to McClatchy Newspapers By Talat Hamdani, Amnesty International Activist My son, New York Police Department cadet Mohammad Salman Hamdani, was one of the brave souls who died on Sept. 11 trying to rescue people in the World Trade Center. My life, like countless others, will never be the same. One thing that has kept me going is the hope that justice will be served. Unfortunately, after more than eight years of repeated delay, it looks like that process could get derailed before it even begins. Along with many other victims' family members, I was encouraged in November when…
March 11, 2010
Update
Get Well Soon … So We Can Kill You
Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, a former prison psychologist, admits that he recognizes the irony. His state is keeping Lawrence Reynolds alive, on suicide watch, so they can execute him Tuesday morning. Reynolds attempted suicide by overdosing on pills on Sunday and was rushed to the hospital where his life was saved. The Governor postponed his execution, original scheduled for March 9, to give him sufficient time to recover so that the Buckeye state can kill him properly. "It is ironic, obviously, that you would work to keep someone alive when they are scheduled to be executed," the Governor said. "Ironic"…
March 11, 2010
Update
Myanmar: Repression at Home, Starvation Abroad
For the first time in twenty years, Myanmar (Burma) is preparing for elections. To prevent another loss to the National League for Democracy like in 1990, the military junta has begun its crackdown on opposition forces and passed new election laws in order to solidify a win this fall. The new laws have not only annulled the results of the 1990 election, but have also banned political prisoners, civil servants and monks from being affiliated with political parties and thereby standing in the polls. Much of the recent news coverage and the State Department’s release of the Human Rights country…
March 11, 2010
Update
Keep America Scared
Are there two individuals more important to Al Qaeda’s agenda anywhere on the planet than Dick Cheney or his daughter Liz? As frightening as the specter of terrorism undoubtedly is, there is no danger that terrorists will ever seize control of our cities or our government. There is no likelihood that terrorists will kill as many Americans next year as drunk drivers, heart disease or depression. Al Qaeda only poses a meaningful threat to our way of life if we give in to our fear and change it ourselves. That is precisely what the Keep America Safe Foundation would have…
March 10, 2010
Update
Aid Organization Under Attack In Northwestern Pakistan
This morning, suspected Islamist militants attacked World Vision, a Christian-based relief agency operating in the Manserha district of Pakistan. Six aid workers, all Pakistani, were murdered and seven others were wounded. Witnesses said 10 gunmen walked into the office building wearing military-style clothing with grenades and machine guns and asked employees “why are you doing this job?”. Some witnesses said that the gunmen singled out aid workers from the laborers before they began shooting. Those who kill humanitarian workers must be reminded that they are not only killing their own country’s residents, but also people seeking to improve the lives…
March 10, 2010
Update
When Will Egypt's State of Emergency End?
The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights’ findings, made public on March 9, criticized abuses made in the name of national security in Egypt. The report criticized the wide discretion allowed to the SSI and commented that “SSI officers in practice enjoy carte blanche in deciding on whom to arrest”.
March 10, 2010
Update
Slow Road to Beijing
I always find today, International Women's Day, incredibly inspiring but this year my source of motivation was the 54th UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) which began on March 1st and runs until March 12th. I had the chance to attend this year and find out what it is all about. This year, the CSW focused on progress towards achievement of the commitments made in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action which was adopted by 189 governments 15 years ago.  Over the 12 days, in addition to the official meetings of member states, there are parrellel events hostedby…
March 9, 2010
Update
This month is the time to talk about human rights in Haiti!
The earthquake in Haiti was incredibly devastating, but now, as Haitian and other world leaders are discussing aid administration and how to best rebuild Haiti, I really hope that they incorporate a human rights framework into the plan that they finalize. Haitian President Rene Preval is heading to Washington today, to discuss what is needed to rebuild his country the day after International Violence Against Women Day, so what perfect timing to advocate the need to ensure that women’s and girls’ rights, as are the rights of all other vulnerable populations, are included in the discussions with other top policy…
March 9, 2010
Update
How Attacks on DOJ Attorneys Affect You
You might wonder why a person who works on refugee and migrants' rights is blogging about the attack on Department of Justice attorneys who previously represented Guantanamo detainees. In fact it is related. While on the surface this latest fracas is about the "right to know" who is representing the government, under the surface this is a wholesale attack on the right to effective legal representation in any context. You see, certain Members of Congress may have called into question the judgment of current DOJ attorneys based on their prior representation of individuals, but by making this inquiry they are…
March 9, 2010