Amnesty International, Eastern PA

Here is a sample letter just issued from humanrightsletters.com regarding two Tibetans who could be executed at any time. [It is not on their website because it is such a short-term appeal.] Please send appeals promptly. To receive more ready-made letters like this, please join their mailing list.

Wu Aiying Buzhang
Sifabu
10 Chaoyangmen Nandajie
Chaoyangqu
Beijingshi 100020
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

Dear Minister

Please intercede on behalf Lobsang Gyaltsen and Loyar. As you may know, these two Tibetans were sentenced to death on 8 April by the Municipal Intermediate People’s Court in Lhasa. I am concerned that they were not represented by lawyers of their own choosing. I also understand that they have not been allowed to see their families.

I appeal to you to commute the sentences of Lobsang Gyaltsen and Loyar.

You could also (though less effective) email to: pfmaster@legalinfo.gov.cn

And can send the same letter to:

Wang Shengjun Yuanzhang
Zuigao Renmin Fayuan
27 Dongjiaomin Xiang
Beijingshi 100745
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
(”Dear President”)

Qiangba Puncog Zhuren
Xizang Zizhiqu Renmin Zhengfu
1 Kang’angdonglu
Lasashi 850000
Xizang Zizhiqu
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
(”Dear Chairman”)

And could send copies to the ambassador in your country:
Wen Zhong Zhou
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China
2300 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington DC 20008
Email: Chinaembassy_us@fmprc.gov.cn

HE Mrs Fu Ying
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China
49-51 Portland Place
London W1B 4JL

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Lobsang Gyaltsen was found guilty of setting fire to a Lhasa shop in which the owner died on 8 March. Loyar and two others were found guilty of setting fire to a motorcycle dealership on 15 March, which left five people dead. Amnesty is concerned that the men may have been tortured or otherwise ill-treated in custody, and may not have received a fair trial.

This occurred during the unrest in Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) in March at the 50th anniversary of the Tibetan uprising that was crushed in 1959. Lawyers from across China signed an open letter volunteering to defend Tibetans detained during the unrest, but authorities warned them not to take up such cases. Ultimately all death sentences are reviewed by China’s Supreme People’s Court, which has the power to approve, revise or remand death sentences. The two men could be executed within weeks. China executes more people each year than any other country in the world.

On 10 March, which marked the anniversary of the failed Tibetan uprising in 1959, there was a wave of largely peaceful protests in the TAR and other Tibetan-populated areas of China. According to official reports, at least 81 people have received sentenced ranging from three-year prison terms to life imprisonment. Most of them have been sentenced for arson, looting, “picking quarrels and provoking troubles,” “assembling a crowd to storm state organs,” “disrupting public service,” and theft.

The Chester County Amnesty International group continues its search for a summertime meeting place, during our sabbatical from Saxby’s. The July meeting will be held at the Magnolia Grill at the Chester County Books and Music Co., Route 202 and Paoli Pike, West Chester.

Also, the July meeting will feature a guest speaker. From coordinator Jeff Singleton:

“Continuing our summer emphasis on human rights and China/Olympics, we welcome special guest Cindy Wang to our July meeting. Cindy will speak to us about human rights issues in China, and particularly about the persecution of practitioners of Falun Gong. According to a US Department of State report, Falun Gong comprise 66% of all reported torture cases in China, and at least half of the labor camp population.

Cindy Wang is a member of Amnesty Group 112 in Philadelphia and a 10-year Falun Gong practitioner. Since the persecution of Falun Gong started in China in 1999, Cindy has worked to raise awareness of the persecution by organizing events, visiting congressional offices, and serving as media spokesperson in Philadelphia. Cindy is also the Pennsylvania & Delaware Coordinator for Human Rights Torch Relay, the global grassroots campaign to draw attention to human rights issues in China before the Olympics.”

HIGHLIGHT

Guantanamo Cell in the Nation’s Capital: Come Tour the Cell

Amnesty International USA’s Guantánamo Cell Tour hits the nation’s capital this week. The cell will be located on the National Mall, directly across from the Washington monument from June 25-29th. Events include a global photo action, walk throughs, and a free concert. On June 26th, the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, the Senate will grill senior officials of the White House on interrogation policies.

These events come on the heels of the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that said Guantánamo detainees have a right to challenge their detention before a legitimate court.

Where: National Mall at the corner of 15th St NW and Constitution Ave NW

Directions
RSVP for Washington DC Events
Tell Congress to Respect the Supreme Court’s Decision

TAKE ACTION

Virginia to Execute 100th Person: Tell Governor Kaine to Move Away from the Death Penalty

You have probably heard that last week Governor Tim Kaine commuted the sentence of Percy L. Walton. Mr. Walton was scheduled to be the 100th person executed in Virginia since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.

Unfortunately, Robert Yarbrough is now scheduled to be the 100th person executed. His execution is scheduled for 9pm on Wednesday, June 25, 2008. At a time when much of the country is turning away from the death penalty, Virginia has three executions scheduled between now and the end of July. Please take action to urge Governor Kaine to join the rest of the country in moving away from the death penalty.

Action Opportunities:

• Contact Governor Tim Kaine RIGHT NOW by telephone and/or fax and politely ask him to grant clemency to Robert Yarbrough by commuting his death sentence to life without the possibility of parole. If you live in Virginia be sure to start by stating your name and the place where you live.

Gov. Tim Kaine
Phone: (804) 786-2211
Fax: (804) 371-6351

• Write a Letter to the Editor (LTE) of your local newspaper. Below is a sample for you to use as a guide, but be sure to use your own words. Get more information on how to write a great LTE
• Attend a vigil on June 25th to oppose the execution of Robert Yarburough. If no stay or commutation has been granted by the afternoon of the execution, attend the execution protest and vigil outside Greensville Correctional Center at Jarratt. Because this is execution #100, we urge all who can to attend the vigil at the prison. Jarratt is about 50 miles south of Richmond on I-95. If you cannot travel to the prison, please attend a vigil closer to where you live. Details on scheduled vigils

Expert Organizing Tip: Make sure to keep your group updated on Amnesty opportunities this summer. Pass on emails about events and campaign updates to your members. Remember, as a group leader, you may be getting many emails that your group does not receive. Keep them up to date so they can stay active!

CAMPAIGN UPDATES

Political Prisoners Released in Tibet

1,157 people who were involved in the Tibet protests last march were recently released from prison. Amnesty International said: “We are encouraged by the news of the release of 1,157 people and we look forward to receiving information about the trials of the 116 people in custody announced by the Tibetan authorities.”

The reported prisoner releases came after Amnesty International published a report this week urging the Chinese government to provide information about the more than 1,000 people detained during the protests last March who remain unaccounted for. The organization also called for free access to Tibet by independent observers.

More information

OPPORTUNITIES

Receive Money for Your Group’s Events: Up to $4000 for New Projects

Is your group going to be sponsoring a new project or event? Consider applying for Amnesty’s Special Initiative Funds (SIF) grant. SIF provides support for projects that would otherwise be difficult to finance. You can get up to $4000 for new projects and events. Funds are also available for existing projects through the Existing Initiatives Fund (EIF).

If you’re interested in applying for an SIF or EIF grant or learning more about the project, please contact Lynn Garfinkel, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Representative to the committee. She can be reached at aiusa.dc@gmail.com or by phone at 202 210-3249. Lynn reviews proposals before they are submitted and is available to assist with the application process. Proposals are due the last day of the month but should be given to Lynn at least two weeks prior to this deadline to allow time for her to review the application and provide feedback. In addition to consulting with Lynn, please consult your AC/SAC and your Field Organizer. Funding decisions are made during the month following submission.

Guantanamo Cell on MySpace: Make A New Friend

The Guantanamo Cell replica that is touring the country now has its own page on MySpace! Become its friend and keep updated with its travels! Visit: www.myspace.com/guantanamocell

Summer Postcard Action: Write Prisoners of Conscience Letters of Support

For many people, summer is a time for vacations, picnics and recreation. But for prisoners of conscience or those who defend human rights in many countries, summer brings no relief from the potential danger and sense of isolation they may face. By simply sending a postcard, however, you can help support these women and men. On Amnesty’s website, there is information about some of these prisoners.

Help Shut Down Guantanamo Bay: Urge Congress to Tear it Down

We need your help to put the pressure on Washington to close the Guantánamo Bay Detention Facility and to bring individuals responsible for crimes to account and ensure that they are given a fair trial and punished accordingly.

By meeting with U.S. Representatives and Senators who are both very supportive of closing Guantánamo, and those who might have different views, we will raise the chorus of individuals working for closure of the facility, and we will ensure that the facility is closed in the proper manner and we will also quell those voices who would have the human rights abuses persist.

Participating in a Delegation visit will take a time commitment of only about 3 hours, and entails reading background materials, participating in both a practice meeting and the actual meeting with your elected official. Please note that the official meeting with your elected official’s office is likely to be held during normal business hours during the week of June 30 - July 3, 2008.

Join a delegation

REGIONAL & NATIONAL EVENTS

Guantanamo Cell Tour: Experience Guantanamo In Washington, DC

Visit Amnesty International’s replica of a Guantánamo cell and join us in calling on the U.S. government to charge detainees and give them fair trials, or release them. Indefinite detention without charge or fair trial is illegal and violates American principles of justice.

When:
Wednesday, June 25th: 10am – 10pm
Global Photo Action from Noon to 1pm
Free public concert from 6pm – 10pm
Thursday, June 26th:10am – 7pm
Friday, June 27th:10am – 7pm
Saturday, June 28th:10am – 5pm
Sunday, June 29th:10am – 4pm

Where: 4 blocks from the Smithsonian Metro Station on the National Mall between 15th and 14th Sts NW at Constitution
More information

Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference: Register Online!

This year activists like you will be meeting up in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia to learn more about AIUSA, network with other activists, and engage around this year’s theme: “Educate to Activate: Building a Human Rights Movement for All”.

Learn more about the conference
Register at the reduced early bird rate

LOCAL EVENTS

Pittsburgh Says NO to Torture

A Silent Procession to Commemorate Victims of Torture on the UN’s International Day in Support of of Victims of Torture.

When: Thursday, June 26, 11:30am
Where: Gather at the Gateway Center Triangle across from Fifth Avenue Place.
What: Following a few brief remarks, we will silently process on the sidewalk towards the Federal Building. Some of us will wear orange jumpsuits to hauntingly evoke the moral disgrace of torture while others pass out leaflets to passersby during the busy downtown lunch hour.

This event is organized by Pittsburgh Against Torture, a coalition of individuals (including Amnesty Internationals) committed to ending torture wherever it occurs. Our purpose is to motivate people to stop the use of torture through education, public witness, and political action.

Local Group 531 Bi-Monthly Meeting

Join the Allentown, PA group for their meeting on Tues, June 24th from 7-9pm. It is located at: St. Timothy Evangelical Lutheran Church, 140 S. Ott St. Allentown, PA 18104. For more info contact: dlaxarai@excite.com

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Fall Internships With Amnesty International

Attention all those interested in a fall internship! Did you know that the Amnesty International office in Washington, DC offers internships for summer, fall, and spring? Now is the time to start thinking about applying for the internship. The deadline to apply for the fall term is June 30th, 2008.

This is a highly competitive internship program, so we recommend you start preparing early.

More information about the requirements for the DC internship program, and other programs in the DC office offering internships

For more resources and information for the Mid-Atlantic Region visit: www.amnestyusa.org/MARO
For questions or comments please contact us at aiusama@aiusa.org

Tags: Cell Tour, China, commuted, death penalty, funding, grants, Guantánamo, internship, Mid-Atlantic, prisoner of conscience, Regional Conference, released, special initiatives fund, summer postcard action, Tibet, Virginia, Washington DC, weekly update

Friday, May 2, 2008 to Sunday, May 11, 2008

Sedgwick Gallery
7137 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19119

*This is not an Amnesty International event, but may be of interest to AI supporters.

Witness to Persecution - Falun Gong Practitioners in the US Speak Out
Photographs by Nathea Lee

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual cultivation practice that includes five sets of meditative exercises and teachings based on the universal principles of Zhen, Shan, Ren – Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance. In 1992, Mr. Li Hongzhi introduced Falun Gong in China. Seven years later – after a state survey revealed that up to 70 million people across the country had taken up the practice – China’s Communist government banned Falun Gong and began an inhumane campaign of persecution against its followers. Today, it is freely practiced by more than 100 million people in more than 80 countries. While the persecution continues inside China, practitioners in other countries bear witness and use various peaceful means to expose the truth. The images in this exhibition were taken at awareness activities in the U.S.

Exhibition Hours:
Opening Reception: May 2, 5:30PM
Mondays & Wednesdays: Noon – 8:00PM
Saturdays & Sundays: Noon – 6:00PM

Witness to Persecution exhibit flyer (PDF)

Amnesty International Center City Philadelphia, Group 112, will be having a table at the symbolic Olympic Torch Relay from noon to 4pm at Independence Mall, near the Liberty Bell at 5th and Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia. The group will sell candles and will have letters and petitions for people to sign, as well as information about Amnesty International and Group 112.

The Olympic Torch Relay event will include a free concert, rally, and the torch run, all as a means of spotlighting the human rights situation in China. For more information about the symbolic torch relay, see humanrightstorch.org or email HRTR@comcast.net.

Amnesty International is pressing for substantial reforms in the human rights situation in China in four key areas: the death penalty; punitive detention without trial; treatment of human rights defenders; and unwarranted censorship of the internet. To learn more about Amnesty’s campaign, “China: Olympic Legacy,” please visit www.amnestyusa.org/chinaolympics

Saturday, May 3, 2008
12:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Independence Mall, near Liberty Bell (5th and Chestnut)
Philadelphia, PA

Amnesty International Center City Philadelphia, Group 112, will be having a table at the symbolic Olympic Torch Relay from noon to 4pm. The group will sell candles and will have letters and petitions for people to sign, as well as information about Amnesty International and Group 112.

The Olympic Torch Relay event will include a free concert, rally, and the torch run, all as a means of spotlighting the human rights situation in China. For more information about the event, email HRTR@comcast.net.

A message from Larry Cox, Executive Director, AIUSA

You’ve seen the images on YouTube and in the newspapers…… Chinese security forces brutally attacking unarmed, non-violent protestors, including Buddhist monks, in Tibet.

But, you don’t have to sit idly by and just watch. You can take action right now to help secure the freedom of 15 Tibetan monks who were arrested on March 10 for staging a peaceful protest in Barkhor, Lhasa, the capital of the Tibetan Autonomous Region.

We have no information on the monks’ current whereabouts. We don’t know the nature of the charges brought against them. And, they’re at very high risk of torture or other ill treatment.

What we do know, is that by acting together we can place enormous pressure on the Chinese Government at a moment when they are trying to put their best face forward in the run up to the 2008 Olympic Games. By acting now, we can secure the immediate release of the 15 monks and the other peaceful protestors that were detained with them.

In recent days, Amnesty International has met with Congressional leaders, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and with senior White House officials. We are placing enormous pressure on the Chinese Government to stop the violence, open up the region to foreign reporters and to free peaceful protestors.

But, we need your immediate help to keep the pressure on.

Sign our petition to the President of China demanding the immediate release of the 15 Tibetan Monks and other peaceful protesters.

From Center City group member Cindy

On October 4, NPR’s Diane Rehm Show hosted a show on “China and Diplomacy” talking about China’s role in Burma and Sudan, human rights and Olympics.

You could listen to the story at:
http://wamu.org/programs/dr/07/10/04.php#13748

Center City group member Cindy asks that we participate in this Urgent Action.

I would like to forward you a call for urgent action by the AI Australia on rescue Mr. Gao Zhisheng. Gao Zhisheng, a leading Chinese dissident and a human rights attorney, sent an open letter to the U.S. Congress recently and soon he was arrested and his whereabouts is unknown.

Known as “China’s conscience”, Mr. Gao Zhisheng is a Nobel Peace Prize nominee and American Board of Trial Advocates’ Courageous Advocacy award recipient. He recently sent a 15-page letter with first hand information, statistics and evidence to the US Congress expressing his deep concerns over the Beijing Olympics: the human rights in China have deteriorated even more ahead of the Olympic Games. This letter represents voices of many other Chinese in China.

• Gao Zhisheng’s letter to the U.S. Congress [pdf]

Background:

Mr. Gao Zhisheng has been featured on the cover of The New York Times. He authored China More Just: My Fight as a Rights Lawyer in the World in the Largest Communist State and was named as one of China’s top ten lawyers in 2001 and has worked for the gamut of China’s vulnerable groups, including coal miners, home-demolition victims, and house church members.

While facing surveillance, house arrest, detention, interrogations, threats, and even attempts on his life, Gao managed to rally China’s activists and legal community around the cause of human rights like no one before him. He has publicly renounced his Chinese Communist Party membership, along with 26 million other Chinese people.

Gao has dealt with many high-profile cases. He wrote open letters to the National People’s Congress, stating that the prison terms and fines imposed on Falun Gong practitioners are in complete violation of basic legal principles and contemporary legal norms. He revealed the suppression of Christian house churches, challenged corruption by local officials, and provided legal assistance to Chen Guangcheng, a blind rights advocate working on rural poverty, forced abortion, and forced sterilization.

Gao is widely regarded as the “conscience of China” and “the symbol of China.” He volunteered to be an investigator for CIPFG (the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong) despite the danger of carrying out such missions in China.

Cindy

Here is Gao Zhisheng’s Urgent Action file from the AIUSA website. Please download it and write a letter on his behalf.

Sunday, October 7, 2007
2:00 pm

This is not an Amnesty International event (as far as I know), but AI stands together with others in working for human rights in Darfur. This invitation is from the Save Darfur Coalition.

Join us at the Philadelphia leg of the Dream for Darfur Olympic Torch Relay! The Relay, organized by the Darfur Alert Coalition, Dream for Darfur, STAND and the Save Darfur Coalition, calls on China to use its considerable leverage on Sudan to help end the genocide in Darfur.

The Philadelphia leg will feature Olympic gold medalist Joey Cheek, Darfurians relating personal stories from Darfur, and several local Darfur advocates.

What: Dream for Darfur Olympic Torch Relay
When: Sunday, October 7, at 2:00pm
Where: Independence Visitors Center Outdoors at 5th & Market Streets.

The Dream for Darfur campaign is a symbolic Olympic Torch Relay from Darfur to Beijing. We lit the first torch this August in eastern Chad, across the border from Darfur. It has since traveled to Rwanda and will continue to places associated with genocide - Armenia, Bosnia, Germany, and Cambodia - linking atrocities in these countries to the current genocide in Darfur.

The U.S. leg of the Relay kicked off in New York City on September 9. The torch will come to Philadelphia on October 7 and will give local activists an opportunity to pressure China to take immediate action to help end the genocide in Darfur. It will then continue to more than 20 cities across the United States, ending in Washington, D.C. on World Human Rights Day.

Co-sponsors include: Jewish Community Relations Council, B’nai B’rith International, STAND, South Jersey Movement for Justice & Peace, Philadelphia Area Black Radical Congress, Sudanese National Rally, Germantown Jewish Center, Gloria Dei Church, Huntingdon Valley The Philadelphia Federation of Reform Synagogues, and more.

Please join us as we urge the Chinese government to help bring the Olympic motto - One World, One Dream - to Darfur.

We hope to see you there!

Best regards,

Coby Rudolph
Save Darfur Coalition