Amnesty International delegation collects testimonies from Congolese refugees, Nakivale camp in Uganda, 30 November 2008 ©Amnesty International
Amnesty International’s mission ended with a week long visit to Goma and other areas of North Kivu, from where we were unable to provide a daily blog for security reasons. Our team met with local human rights activists, representatives of MONUC, UN agencies and a number of international humanitarian NGOs, and were able to gain further eyewitness testimony of recent killings and other human rights abuses.
We held detailed discussions about our human rights concerns with General Mayala, commander of the North Kivu military region, Laurent Nkunda, leader of the CNDP armed group, and representatives of PARECO / mayi-mayi armed groups. Despite at time vigorous exchanges, however, all these people denied that their forces had committed human rights abuses.
Continuar leyendo ‘Research mission to DRC completed’ »
Indigenous leaders and activists meet the Amnesty International Delegation in Calama. ©Amnesty International
Amnesty International’s delegation travelled to Calama, in the North of Chile, in the most arid partof the world.
The dryness is unimaginable. It is a bit overwhelming to be in the middle of the Atacama desert, dealing with human rights problems that epitomize Chile: the unfinished business of the past and the very pressing marginalization and discrimination of Indigenous Peoples nowadays.
The daykicked off with a meeting with Atacameños and other Indigenous Peoples sharing their problems with us:
Continuar leyendo ‘Human rights in the most arid part of the world - part 1′ »
Mapuches meet the Amnesty International delegation. ©Amnesty International
On Tuesday, the Amnesty International delegation traveled to Temuco, 700 kilometers south of Chile’s capital, Santiago. Temuco is an amazing place, where the ever present Andes, with their large snowed tips, meet vast woods and green lands.
Some of those lands are home to thousands of Mapuche Indigenous peoples to whom the earth is not only a place to live in, but a way of living
I had the opportunity to meet many of these Mapuche Indigenous peoples. They told me many stories of abuse and suffering. The key message that came through was that they are prevented from participating in decisions that will impact in their communities; that no one listens to them.
Continuar leyendo ‘“I have no money, I have no power and I’m dark skinned” – hearing the unheard in Temuco’ »
©Amnesty International
Dedication written by Amnesty International’s Secretary General Irene Khan during her visit to the Park for Peace Villa Grimaldi:
Amnesty International stands in solidarity with the victims, survivors, their friends and family of all those who were tortured here. We share the collective memory and we share the collective responsibility to ensure truth, justice and reparation.
We will not forget and we will work with you to make sure that never again shall such a tragedy happens.
Continuar leyendo ‘In solidarity’ »
Irene Khan talks to a former detainee at Villa Grimaldi ©Amnesty International
Villa Grimaldi was a complex of buildings used for the interrogation and torture of political prisoners by DINA, the Chilean secret police, during the government of Augusto Pinochet. The complex was located in Peñalolén, in the outskirts of Santiago, and was in operation from mid-1974 to mid-1978.
About 5,000 detainees were brought to Villa Grimaldi during this time, at least 240 of whom were “disappeared” or killed by DINA. The location is now the site of the Villa Grimaldi Park for Peace, a National Monument dedicated to human rights and the memory of the victims of DINA.
Continuar leyendo ‘Villa Grimaldi visit’ »
