Mina sent a really good poem for Dr. Aafia Siddiqi in the comment area of our post:

http://united4justice.wordpress.com/2008/07/30/support-appeal-for-dr-afia-siddiqiprisoner-650-bagram-jail-ahrc/

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kitni ajeeb si baat hai ke
vo ekk guriya marmarri

apne hi mulk se hai biqqiiii
or lutt rahai hai gharri ghari

vo is watan ki beeti hai
or us watan ki bandhani

vo asmaan ko takti rehti hai
khuda ko dhoondti rehti hai

kiya mojze ajj bhi hote hain
kiya farishte ajj bhi hote hain

koi aa ke bachay lee mujh ko abb
Pakistani to gheerat per marte hain ,

kitni ajeeb si baat hai ke
betiyaan to sanjhi hoti thein

ab to jiss ki beeti hai
bass usi ki beeti hai

baqqi to sabb lutere hain
joo noch noch kar khate hain

jane qayamat kabb aye gi
shayed jabb Afia marr jaye gii……………

থানায় আটক করে ৫ জনকে নির্যাতন : সোনারগাঁওয়ে পুলিশের বিরুদ্ধে হাজারও নারী-পুরুষের বিক্ষোভ
সোনারগাঁও (নারায়ণগঞ্জ) প্রতিনিধি
নারায়ণগঞ্জের সোনারগাঁও উপজেলার মালীপাড়া গ্রাম থেকে পার্শ্ববর্তী আড়াইহাজার থানার পুলিশ ওই গ্রামের দুই ছাত্র ও তিন ব্যবসায়ীকে কোনো অভিযোগ ছাড়াই শুক্রবার রাতে আটক করে আড়াইহাজার থানায় নিয়ে নির্যাতন করে। এর প্রতিবাদে দায়ী পুলিশের শাস্তিমূলক ব্যবস্থা ও অপসারণের দাবিতে গতকাল বিকালে সোনারগাঁও উপজেলার হাজার হাজার নারী-পুরুষ বিক্ষোভ মিছিল ও প্রতিবাদ সভা করেছেন। ৩ দিনের মধ্যে এ ঘটনার বিচার না হলে ঢাকা-চট্টগ্রাম মহাসড়ক অবরোধ করার ঘোষণা দিয়েছেন এলাকাবাসী।
এলাকাবাসী জানান, উপজেলার জামপুর ইউনিয়নের বিভিন্ন গ্রামে অব্যাহতভাবে চুরি-ডাকাতি বাড়ার কারণে গত কয়েক মাস ধরে থানা পুলিশের অনুরোধে এলাকাবাসীরা রাত জেগে পাহারা দিয়ে আসছিলেন। গত শুক্রবার রাতেও পাহারা দেয়ার সময় পার্শ্ববর্তী আড়াইহাজার থানার উপপরিদর্শক (এসআই) মোঃ রফিক মালীপাড়া গ্রাম থেকে কলেজছাত্র সজীব, তার চাচাতো ভাই নবম শ্রেণীর ছাত্র ফজলুল হক এবং একই গ্রামের ব্যবসায়ী মফিজুল, আমির হোসেন ও জাকারিয়াকে আটক করে আড়াইহাজার থানায় নিয়ে যায় এবং মোটা অঙ্কের উেকাচ দাবি করে। আটক ব্যবসায়ী মফিজুল ও কলেজছাত্র সজীব অভিযোগ করে সাংবাদিকদের জানান, উেকাচ না পেয়ে এসআই রফিক তাদের ৫ জনকে থানার ভেতরে রাতভর আটক রেখে বেধড়ক পেটায়। পরে গতকাল সকালে এলাকাবাসী বিক্ষোভের মুখে জেলা পুলিশের ঊর্ধ্বতন কর্মকর্তাদের নির্দেশে তাদের মুক্তি দেয়া হয়। মুক্তি পাওয়ার পর আটক ৫ জনকে সোনারগাঁ উপজেলা স্বাস্থ্যকমপ্লেক্সে ভর্তি করা হয়।
এ ব্যাপারে এসআই রফিক সাংবাদিকদের বলেন। ভুল বোঝাবুঝির কারণে তাদের আটক করেছিলাম। আটকৃতদের আমি নিজে নির্যাতন করিনি। আমার সঙ্গের অন্য পুলিশ সদস্যরা তাদের কিছু শাসন করেছে।
এদিকে নিরীহ দুই ছাত্র ও তিন ব্যবসায়ীকে বিনা অপরাধে থানায় নিয়ে নির্যাতন করার প্রতিবাদে গতকাল বিকালে স্থানীয় জামপুর মাঠে এলাকার কয়েক হাজার নারী-পুরুষ একত্রিত হয়ে এসআই রফিকের অপসারণ এবং শাস্তির দাবিতে বিক্ষোভ মিছিল ও প্রতিবাদ সভা করেছেন। জামপুর ইউনিয়ন পরিষদের চেয়ারম্যান কামরুল হাসানের সভাপতিত্বে প্রতিবাদ সভায় বক্তব্য দেন উপজেলা আওয়ামী লীগের সাধারণ সম্পাদক ও জামপুর ইউনিয়নের সাবেক চেয়ারম্যান আবদুল হাই ভূঁইয়া, একই ইউনিয়নের সাবেক চেয়ারম্যান আনোয়ার জাহিদ, ইউপি সদস্য সোহরাব মিয়া, ব্যবসায়ী আবদুল কাদির, তোফাজ্জল হোসেন প্রমুখ। সভায় বক্তারা বলেন আগামী তিন দিনের মধ্যে দায়ী পুলিশের বিরুদ্ধে ব্যবস্থা না নিলে ঢাকা-চট্টগ্রাম মহাসড়ক অবরোধ করে আন্দোলন গড়ে তোলা হবে।
এ ব্যাপারে নারায়ণগঞ্জের সহকারী পুলিশ সুপার (বি সার্কেল) জিয়াউল আহসান সাংবাদিকদের জানান, বিষয়টি অত্যন্ত অমানবিক। দায়ী পুলিশের বিরুদ্ধে তদন্ত করে ব্যবস্থা নেয়া হবে।

নারায়ণগঞ্জের সোনারগাঁ উপজেলার মালিপাড়া গ্রাম থেকে গত শুক্রবার রাতে কোনো অভিযোগ ছাড়াই পাঁচ ব্যক্তিকে আটক করে আড়াই হাজার থানায় নিয়ে নির্যাতনের অভিযোগ পাওয়া গেছে। এলাকাবাসীর বিক্ষোভের মুখে গতকাল শনিবার সকালে পুলিশ তাঁদের ছেড়ে দিতে বাধ্য হয়। এরপর গ্রামবাসী দায়ী পুলিশ কর্মকর্তাকে অপসারণ করে তাঁর বিরুদ্ধে শাস্তিমূলক ব্যবস্থা নেওয়ার দাবিতে গতকাল বিকেলে বিক্ষোভ মিছিল ও প্রতিবাদ সভা করেছে।
এলাকাবাসী জানায়, সোনারগাঁ উপজেলার জামপুর ইউনিয়নের বিভিন্ন গ্রামে অব্যাহতভাবে চুরি, ডাকাতি বাড়তে থাকায় কয়েক মাস ধরে এলাকাবাসী রাত জেগে গ্রাম পাহারা দিচ্ছে। গত শুক্রবার রাতে পাহারা দেওয়ার সময় পার্শ্ববর্তী আড়াই হাজার থানার উপপরিদর্শক (এসআই) মো. রফিকসহ কয়েকজন পুলিশ সদস্য মালিপাড়া গ্রাম থেকে কলেজছাত্র সজীব (২০), তাঁর চাচাতো ভাই নবম শ্রেণীর ছাত্র ফজলুল হক (১৫), একই গ্রামের ব্যবসায়ী মফিজুল (৪০), আমির হোসেন (৩০) ও জাকারিয়াকে (৩৫) আটক করে থানায় নিয়ে যান।
পুলিশের নির্যাতনে আহত ব্যবসায়ী মফিজুল ও কলেজছাত্র সজীব অভিযোগ করে সাংবাদিকদের বলেন, এসআই রফিক থানায় নিয়ে তাঁদের (পাঁচজন) কাছে মোটা অঙ্কের ঘুষ দাবি করেন। ঘুষ না পেয়ে তিনি তাঁদের থানার ভেতরে আটকে রেখে রাতভর বেধড়ক পিটিয়ে গুরুতর আহত করেন। তাঁরা জানান, গতকাল সকালে এলাকাবাসীর বিক্ষোভের মুখে জেলা পুলিশের ঊর্ধ্বতন কর্মকর্তাদের নির্দেশে থানা থেকে তাঁদের ছেড়ে দেওয়া হয়। এরপর তাঁরা সোনারগাঁ উপজেলা স্বাস্থ্য কমপ্লেক্সে প্রাথমিক চিকিত্সা নেন।
এ ব্যাপারে এসআই রফিক বলেন, ‘ভুল বুঝে তাঁদের আটক করেছিলাম। আমার ভুল হয়েছে। আটক হওয়া ব্যক্তিদের আমি নিজে নির্যাতন করিনি, আমার সঙ্গে থাকা অন্য পুলিশ সদস্যরা তাঁদের কিছুটা শাসন করেছেন।’
এদিকে নিরীহ দুই ছাত্র ও তিন ব্যবসায়ীকে আটক করে থানায় নিয়ে নির্যাতন করার প্রতিবাদে গতকাল বিকেলে স্থানীয় জামপুর মাঠে এলাকার কয়েক হাজার নারী-পুরুষ জড়ো হয়ে এসআই রফিকের অপসারণ ও তাঁর শাস্তির দাবিতে বিক্ষোভ মিছিল ও প্রতিবাদ সভা করে। জামপুর ইউনিয়ন পরিষদের (ইউপি) চেয়ারম্যান কামরুল হাসানের সভাপতিত্বে সভায় বক্তব্য দেন সোনারগাঁ উপজেলা আওয়ামী লীগের সাধারণ সম্পাদক ও জামপুর ইউপির সাবেক চেয়ারম্যান আবদুল হাই ভুইয়া, একই ইউনিয়নের অপর সাবেক চেয়ারম্যান আনোয়ার জাহিদ, ইউপি সদস্য সোহরাব মিয়া, ব্যবসায়ী আবদুল কাদির, তোফাজ্জল হোসেন প্রমুখ।
সভায় বক্তারা বলেন, আগামী তিন দিনের মধ্যে দায়ী পুলিশের বিরুদ্ধে ব্যবস্থা না নিলে ঢাকা-চট্টগ্রাম মহাসড়ক অবরোধ করে আন্দোলন গড়ে তোলা হবে।
এ ব্যাপারে নারায়ণগঞ্জের সহকারী পুলিশ সুপার (বি সার্কেল) জিয়াউল আহসান গতকাল সন্ধ্যায় বলেন, ‘বিষয়টি অত্যন্ত অমানবিক। আমরা দায়ী পুলিশের বিরুদ্ধে দু-এক দিনের মধ্যেই ব্যবস্থা নেব। ব্যক্তিগতভাবে আমি ওই পাঁচজনের চিকিত্সার খরচ বহন করব।’
সোনারগাঁ উপজেলা স্বাস্থ্য ও পরিবার পরিকল্পনা কর্মকর্তা ওবায়দুল হক জানান, আহত পাঁচজনের শরীরের বিভিন্ন স্থানে আঘাতের চিহ্ন রয়েছে।

নারায়ণগঞ্জের সোনারগাঁ উপজেলার মালিপাড়া গ্রাম থেকে গত শুক্রবার রাতে কোনো অভিযোগ ছাড়াই পাঁচ ব্যক্তিকে আটক করে আড়াই হাজার থানায় নিয়ে নির্যাতনের অভিযোগ পাওয়া গেছে। এলাকাবাসীর বিক্ষোভের মুখে গতকাল শনিবার সকালে পুলিশ তাঁদের ছেড়ে দিতে বাধ্য হয়। এরপর গ্রামবাসী দায়ী পুলিশ কর্মকর্তাকে অপসারণ করে তাঁর বিরুদ্ধে শাস্তিমূলক ব্যবস্থা নেওয়ার দাবিতে গতকাল বিকেলে বিক্ষোভ মিছিল ও প্রতিবাদ সভা করেছে।
এলাকাবাসী জানায়, সোনারগাঁ উপজেলার জামপুর ইউনিয়নের বিভিন্ন গ্রামে অব্যাহতভাবে চুরি, ডাকাতি বাড়তে থাকায় কয়েক মাস ধরে এলাকাবাসী রাত জেগে গ্রাম পাহারা দিচ্ছে। গত শুক্রবার রাতে পাহারা দেওয়ার সময় পার্শ্ববর্তী আড়াই হাজার থানার উপপরিদর্শক (এসআই) মো. রফিকসহ কয়েকজন পুলিশ সদস্য মালিপাড়া গ্রাম থেকে কলেজছাত্র সজীব (২০), তাঁর চাচাতো ভাই নবম শ্রেণীর ছাত্র ফজলুল হক (১৫), একই গ্রামের ব্যবসায়ী মফিজুল (৪০), আমির হোসেন (৩০) ও জাকারিয়াকে (৩৫) আটক করে থানায় নিয়ে যান।
পুলিশের নির্যাতনে আহত ব্যবসায়ী মফিজুল ও কলেজছাত্র সজীব অভিযোগ করে সাংবাদিকদের বলেন, এসআই রফিক থানায় নিয়ে তাঁদের (পাঁচজন) কাছে মোটা অঙ্কের ঘুষ দাবি করেন। ঘুষ না পেয়ে তিনি তাঁদের থানার ভেতরে আটকে রেখে রাতভর বেধড়ক পিটিয়ে গুরুতর আহত করেন। তাঁরা জানান, গতকাল সকালে এলাকাবাসীর বিক্ষোভের মুখে জেলা পুলিশের ঊর্ধ্বতন কর্মকর্তাদের নির্দেশে থানা থেকে তাঁদের ছেড়ে দেওয়া হয়। এরপর তাঁরা সোনারগাঁ উপজেলা স্বাস্থ্য কমপ্লেক্সে প্রাথমিক চিকিত্সা নেন।
এ ব্যাপারে এসআই রফিক বলেন, ‘ভুল বুঝে তাঁদের আটক করেছিলাম। আমার ভুল হয়েছে। আটক হওয়া ব্যক্তিদের আমি নিজে নির্যাতন করিনি, আমার সঙ্গে থাকা অন্য পুলিশ সদস্যরা তাঁদের কিছুটা শাসন করেছেন।’
এদিকে নিরীহ দুই ছাত্র ও তিন ব্যবসায়ীকে আটক করে থানায় নিয়ে নির্যাতন করার প্রতিবাদে গতকাল বিকেলে স্থানীয় জামপুর মাঠে এলাকার কয়েক হাজার নারী-পুরুষ জড়ো হয়ে এসআই রফিকের অপসারণ ও তাঁর শাস্তির দাবিতে বিক্ষোভ মিছিল ও প্রতিবাদ সভা করে। জামপুর ইউনিয়ন পরিষদের (ইউপি) চেয়ারম্যান কামরুল হাসানের সভাপতিত্বে সভায় বক্তব্য দেন সোনারগাঁ উপজেলা আওয়ামী লীগের সাধারণ সম্পাদক ও জামপুর ইউপির সাবেক চেয়ারম্যান আবদুল হাই ভুইয়া, একই ইউনিয়নের অপর সাবেক চেয়ারম্যান আনোয়ার জাহিদ, ইউপি সদস্য সোহরাব মিয়া, ব্যবসায়ী আবদুল কাদির, তোফাজ্জল হোসেন প্রমুখ।
সভায় বক্তারা বলেন, আগামী তিন দিনের মধ্যে দায়ী পুলিশের বিরুদ্ধে ব্যবস্থা না নিলে ঢাকা-চট্টগ্রাম মহাসড়ক অবরোধ করে আন্দোলন গড়ে তোলা হবে।
এ ব্যাপারে নারায়ণগঞ্জের সহকারী পুলিশ সুপার (বি সার্কেল) জিয়াউল আহসান গতকাল সন্ধ্যায় বলেন, ‘বিষয়টি অত্যন্ত অমানবিক। আমরা দায়ী পুলিশের বিরুদ্ধে দু-এক দিনের মধ্যেই ব্যবস্থা নেব। ব্যক্তিগতভাবে আমি ওই পাঁচজনের চিকিত্সার খরচ বহন করব।’
সোনারগাঁ উপজেলা স্বাস্থ্য ও পরিবার পরিকল্পনা কর্মকর্তা ওবায়দুল হক জানান, আহত পাঁচজনের শরীরের বিভিন্ন স্থানে আঘাতের চিহ্ন রয়েছে।

থানায় আটক করে ৫ জনকে নির্যাতন : সোনারগাঁওয়ে পুলিশের বিরুদ্ধে হাজারও নারী-পুরুষের বিক্ষোভ
সোনারগাঁও (নারায়ণগঞ্জ) প্রতিনিধি
নারায়ণগঞ্জের সোনারগাঁও উপজেলার মালীপাড়া গ্রাম থেকে পার্শ্ববর্তী আড়াইহাজার থানার পুলিশ ওই গ্রামের দুই ছাত্র ও তিন ব্যবসায়ীকে কোনো অভিযোগ ছাড়াই শুক্রবার রাতে আটক করে আড়াইহাজার থানায় নিয়ে নির্যাতন করে। এর প্রতিবাদে দায়ী পুলিশের শাস্তিমূলক ব্যবস্থা ও অপসারণের দাবিতে গতকাল বিকালে সোনারগাঁও উপজেলার হাজার হাজার নারী-পুরুষ বিক্ষোভ মিছিল ও প্রতিবাদ সভা করেছেন। ৩ দিনের মধ্যে এ ঘটনার বিচার না হলে ঢাকা-চট্টগ্রাম মহাসড়ক অবরোধ করার ঘোষণা দিয়েছেন এলাকাবাসী।
এলাকাবাসী জানান, উপজেলার জামপুর ইউনিয়নের বিভিন্ন গ্রামে অব্যাহতভাবে চুরি-ডাকাতি বাড়ার কারণে গত কয়েক মাস ধরে থানা পুলিশের অনুরোধে এলাকাবাসীরা রাত জেগে পাহারা দিয়ে আসছিলেন। গত শুক্রবার রাতেও পাহারা দেয়ার সময় পার্শ্ববর্তী আড়াইহাজার থানার উপপরিদর্শক (এসআই) মোঃ রফিক মালীপাড়া গ্রাম থেকে কলেজছাত্র সজীব, তার চাচাতো ভাই নবম শ্রেণীর ছাত্র ফজলুল হক এবং একই গ্রামের ব্যবসায়ী মফিজুল, আমির হোসেন ও জাকারিয়াকে আটক করে আড়াইহাজার থানায় নিয়ে যায় এবং মোটা অঙ্কের উেকাচ দাবি করে। আটক ব্যবসায়ী মফিজুল ও কলেজছাত্র সজীব অভিযোগ করে সাংবাদিকদের জানান, উেকাচ না পেয়ে এসআই রফিক তাদের ৫ জনকে থানার ভেতরে রাতভর আটক রেখে বেধড়ক পেটায়। পরে গতকাল সকালে এলাকাবাসী বিক্ষোভের মুখে জেলা পুলিশের ঊর্ধ্বতন কর্মকর্তাদের নির্দেশে তাদের মুক্তি দেয়া হয়। মুক্তি পাওয়ার পর আটক ৫ জনকে সোনারগাঁ উপজেলা স্বাস্থ্যকমপ্লেক্সে ভর্তি করা হয়।
এ ব্যাপারে এসআই রফিক সাংবাদিকদের বলেন। ভুল বোঝাবুঝির কারণে তাদের আটক করেছিলাম। আটকৃতদের আমি নিজে নির্যাতন করিনি। আমার সঙ্গের অন্য পুলিশ সদস্যরা তাদের কিছু শাসন করেছে।
এদিকে নিরীহ দুই ছাত্র ও তিন ব্যবসায়ীকে বিনা অপরাধে থানায় নিয়ে নির্যাতন করার প্রতিবাদে গতকাল বিকালে স্থানীয় জামপুর মাঠে এলাকার কয়েক হাজার নারী-পুরুষ একত্রিত হয়ে এসআই রফিকের অপসারণ এবং শাস্তির দাবিতে বিক্ষোভ মিছিল ও প্রতিবাদ সভা করেছেন। জামপুর ইউনিয়ন পরিষদের চেয়ারম্যান কামরুল হাসানের সভাপতিত্বে প্রতিবাদ সভায় বক্তব্য দেন উপজেলা আওয়ামী লীগের সাধারণ সম্পাদক ও জামপুর ইউনিয়নের সাবেক চেয়ারম্যান আবদুল হাই ভূঁইয়া, একই ইউনিয়নের সাবেক চেয়ারম্যান আনোয়ার জাহিদ, ইউপি সদস্য সোহরাব মিয়া, ব্যবসায়ী আবদুল কাদির, তোফাজ্জল হোসেন প্রমুখ। সভায় বক্তারা বলেন আগামী তিন দিনের মধ্যে দায়ী পুলিশের বিরুদ্ধে ব্যবস্থা না নিলে ঢাকা-চট্টগ্রাম মহাসড়ক অবরোধ করে আন্দোলন গড়ে তোলা হবে।
এ ব্যাপারে নারায়ণগঞ্জের সহকারী পুলিশ সুপার (বি সার্কেল) জিয়াউল আহসান সাংবাদিকদের জানান, বিষয়টি অত্যন্ত অমানবিক। দায়ী পুলিশের বিরুদ্ধে তদন্ত করে ব্যবস্থা নেয়া হবে।

নারায়ণগঞ্জের সোনারগাঁ উপজেলার মালিপাড়া গ্রাম থেকে গত শুক্রবার রাতে কোনো অভিযোগ ছাড়াই পাঁচ ব্যক্তিকে আটক করে আড়াই হাজার থানায় নিয়ে নির্যাতনের অভিযোগ পাওয়া গেছে। এলাকাবাসীর বিক্ষোভের মুখে গতকাল শনিবার সকালে পুলিশ তাঁদের ছেড়ে দিতে বাধ্য হয়। এরপর গ্রামবাসী দায়ী পুলিশ কর্মকর্তাকে অপসারণ করে তাঁর বিরুদ্ধে শাস্তিমূলক ব্যবস্থা নেওয়ার দাবিতে গতকাল বিকেলে বিক্ষোভ মিছিল ও প্রতিবাদ সভা করেছে।
এলাকাবাসী জানায়, সোনারগাঁ উপজেলার জামপুর ইউনিয়নের বিভিন্ন গ্রামে অব্যাহতভাবে চুরি, ডাকাতি বাড়তে থাকায় কয়েক মাস ধরে এলাকাবাসী রাত জেগে গ্রাম পাহারা দিচ্ছে। গত শুক্রবার রাতে পাহারা দেওয়ার সময় পার্শ্ববর্তী আড়াই হাজার থানার উপপরিদর্শক (এসআই) মো. রফিকসহ কয়েকজন পুলিশ সদস্য মালিপাড়া গ্রাম থেকে কলেজছাত্র সজীব (২০), তাঁর চাচাতো ভাই নবম শ্রেণীর ছাত্র ফজলুল হক (১৫), একই গ্রামের ব্যবসায়ী মফিজুল (৪০), আমির হোসেন (৩০) ও জাকারিয়াকে (৩৫) আটক করে থানায় নিয়ে যান।
পুলিশের নির্যাতনে আহত ব্যবসায়ী মফিজুল ও কলেজছাত্র সজীব অভিযোগ করে সাংবাদিকদের বলেন, এসআই রফিক থানায় নিয়ে তাঁদের (পাঁচজন) কাছে মোটা অঙ্কের ঘুষ দাবি করেন। ঘুষ না পেয়ে তিনি তাঁদের থানার ভেতরে আটকে রেখে রাতভর বেধড়ক পিটিয়ে গুরুতর আহত করেন। তাঁরা জানান, গতকাল সকালে এলাকাবাসীর বিক্ষোভের মুখে জেলা পুলিশের ঊর্ধ্বতন কর্মকর্তাদের নির্দেশে থানা থেকে তাঁদের ছেড়ে দেওয়া হয়। এরপর তাঁরা সোনারগাঁ উপজেলা স্বাস্থ্য কমপ্লেক্সে প্রাথমিক চিকিত্সা নেন।
এ ব্যাপারে এসআই রফিক বলেন, ‘ভুল বুঝে তাঁদের আটক করেছিলাম। আমার ভুল হয়েছে। আটক হওয়া ব্যক্তিদের আমি নিজে নির্যাতন করিনি, আমার সঙ্গে থাকা অন্য পুলিশ সদস্যরা তাঁদের কিছুটা শাসন করেছেন।’
এদিকে নিরীহ দুই ছাত্র ও তিন ব্যবসায়ীকে আটক করে থানায় নিয়ে নির্যাতন করার প্রতিবাদে গতকাল বিকেলে স্থানীয় জামপুর মাঠে এলাকার কয়েক হাজার নারী-পুরুষ জড়ো হয়ে এসআই রফিকের অপসারণ ও তাঁর শাস্তির দাবিতে বিক্ষোভ মিছিল ও প্রতিবাদ সভা করে। জামপুর ইউনিয়ন পরিষদের (ইউপি) চেয়ারম্যান কামরুল হাসানের সভাপতিত্বে সভায় বক্তব্য দেন সোনারগাঁ উপজেলা আওয়ামী লীগের সাধারণ সম্পাদক ও জামপুর ইউপির সাবেক চেয়ারম্যান আবদুল হাই ভুইয়া, একই ইউনিয়নের অপর সাবেক চেয়ারম্যান আনোয়ার জাহিদ, ইউপি সদস্য সোহরাব মিয়া, ব্যবসায়ী আবদুল কাদির, তোফাজ্জল হোসেন প্রমুখ।
সভায় বক্তারা বলেন, আগামী তিন দিনের মধ্যে দায়ী পুলিশের বিরুদ্ধে ব্যবস্থা না নিলে ঢাকা-চট্টগ্রাম মহাসড়ক অবরোধ করে আন্দোলন গড়ে তোলা হবে।
এ ব্যাপারে নারায়ণগঞ্জের সহকারী পুলিশ সুপার (বি সার্কেল) জিয়াউল আহসান গতকাল সন্ধ্যায় বলেন, ‘বিষয়টি অত্যন্ত অমানবিক। আমরা দায়ী পুলিশের বিরুদ্ধে দু-এক দিনের মধ্যেই ব্যবস্থা নেব। ব্যক্তিগতভাবে আমি ওই পাঁচজনের চিকিত্সার খরচ বহন করব।’
সোনারগাঁ উপজেলা স্বাস্থ্য ও পরিবার পরিকল্পনা কর্মকর্তা ওবায়দুল হক জানান, আহত পাঁচজনের শরীরের বিভিন্ন স্থানে আঘাতের চিহ্ন রয়েছে।

When I sit down to think of my life up to this point, and the majority of what and who I am surrounded by on a day to day basis (tv & free time included) I would ultimately consider my “way of life” as just getting by.  I have had a terribly emotionally challenging day today, and as I was winding down my day, I had this image come to me: I was walking through this world only ankle deep in the good news of the Lord, ankle deep in my relationships with others, ankle deep in my personal relationship with god, and ankle deep in my relationship with Paul… I refer to the lyrics of a classic song by John Prine (A song reminiscent of my parent’s musical choice throughout childhood):

“That’s the way the world goes ’round

You’re up one day, the next your down

It’s half an inch of water and you think you’re gonna drown

That’s the way the world goes ’round”

Today seemed to be just that, another day forging through the shallow waters of this world when all of a sudden my strong and stubborn exterior crumbled before me and I was drowning in, fear, worry and self pity…I refer to the waters as Shallow because, that is really how I view worldly ways that are separate from God’s will and when you are immersed in the him.   You can tell me a million times “everything is going to be okay” but I am consumed at times by my weakness and spiritual immaturity. All in all, this of course ties back into Grady and Down Syndrome, and my sudden feeling of urgency to find ” a swimming hole and dive in” I am anxiously in constant thought of that what is a “swimming hole” … To me it is the picture of a more complete relationship with God, a more complete relationship with others and with all of that I just don’t want to stumble so quickly and feel as if I am “drowning in a half an inch of water” on a daily basis.

My drowning moment came today as we were leaving the Mall. Christmas time and all is jolly right? Paul, like the wonderful husband he is, went to get the car for me so I didn’t have to make the two mile trek to the parking space. While I was waiting,  I noticed a group of people walking past me, they were all pretty severely mentally/physically handicapped (from my standpoint) with very young women aides assisting them out of the mall. I assume they were from a state run group home. The last man, who slowly passed by was about 40 years of age had Down Syndrome.  I don’t know his story, I don’t know his life, but I saw a sweet man with Down’s and right away my heart started to ache, because I wondered “where is his family? Does he have friends? Is he happy? Why isn’t he living with other Down’s people? If something happens to me or paul, where will Grady end up?”  I pretty much wanted to give him a big hug.  The women working with this group of men, didn’t seem overly delighted to be trucking the group around the mall, and I just got the weird vibe from them (the aides). So as Paul pulls up the truck, my eyes are filled with tears and for the first time in a about a month, that heart pounding, dry heaving sobbing began. Ugh.  I was drowning in my own tears & fears.. the unknown future… I was drowning in that half an inch of water.  Paul told me I allowed the devil in, the fear, the doubt…. maybe he is right, I am sure he is. Paul never saw me cry like that, I am sorry he did because it is so deep and personal, I could tell he felt so helpless, but he did the best he could to understand and reassure. 

The only way I can possibly be reassured is by making more time to read the bible, praying for patience and being open to God’s Promise for me and Grady. Diving deep into the Word in preparation for this new chapter in life. Spending more time in prayer  and less time on the computer… more time focused on the present and less on the future, and trying to love deeper. I am affirmed tonight on all that Bible says in reference to God forming my child and how he really cradles our existence way before we are born. God truly handpicked an extra chromosome for Grady to share with the world, No Mistake….

Job 12:9, “Who among all these doesn’t know that the hand of the Lord has done this, in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?”

Psalm 22:9, “Yet Thou are He who didst bring me forth from the womb; Thou didst make me trust when upon my mother’s breast. Upon Thee I was cast from birth; Thou hast been my God from my mother’s womb.”

Update: This ever so emotional day is not directly stemming from  reading DS literature this time, but a doctor’s appt. yesterday. Grady continues to surprise us as his overall health is the picture of perfection according to the ultrasound. He is in the 54% overall for an average baby, his head and stomach are measuring together at 30 weeks, and his arms and legs bones are close behind at 28 1/2 weeks. He is in the top percentile for head size and abdomen, and his bone size pulls him down to the 54%.  He weighs 3 pds 14 ounces, and is moving around like an acrobat everyday. Our Ultrasound tech threw us a curve ball when she attached the 3D ultrasound wand on without our knowledge of consent, and in a blink of an eye we went from looking at his profile to seeing our unborn son’s face in plain sight. WOW. Not sure I was ready for that, I thought I wouldn’t get a chance to see my Grady until his birthday. But there he was in all his glory, swimming around, opening his eyes, rubbing his eyes and looking all baby like. It is truly amazing, but most of our time was trying to figure out if he looked like he had Down’s.  The tech said she wouldn’t be able to tell if we didn’t have the confirmed diagnosis. Here is a picture of Grady in 3D, to me I do see Downs… but it really doesn’t matter, I really see a button nose and my baby boy that needs a HUG!

3d Grady! Not as clear as it was on the screen, but truly amazing!

This is really amazing no fair trial, no justice, baseless allegations on an innocent mother of 3 children two of which are still missing (if alive) and still they call their selves civilized fighting a so-called war against terror. The imperialists are real terrorists and hypocrites ruling the world with their power,brutal killings,economic exploitation and lies.

They Zionists/Neo-Cons don’t consider others as human beings , they are real fascists and modern face of Nazism.

Can Aafia get the share of civilization and system of justice she deserves? Is there any conscience left in our government which is busy in licking feet of their imperialist masters? Is there any Kerry-Lugar bill for Aafia? Is there any humanity left for an innocent lady who has suffered a lot for being a muslim women who loves her religion?

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Source: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Politics/21-Nov-2009/Dr-Aafia-to-boycott-trial

Dr Aafia to boycott trial

The Nation
NEW YORK – While a defiant Aafia Siddiqui declared that she would boycott her trial in January, a federal judge Thursday rejected her lawyers’ plea that she could not be tried in the United States as they pointed out that the Pakistani neuroscientist’s alleged crime took place outside the country. Ms Siddiqui, who was brought to New York in August 2008 from Afghanistan where prosecutors say she allegedly fired at US interrogators. No American was hit but she was shot in the abdomen and was charged with attempted murder and assault.
In a pre-trial hearing on Thursday, her lawyers, led by Charles Swift, argued that Dr Siddiqui could only be tried on terrorism charges in the US, and not on murder charges. In this regard, he quoted various international regulations.
But US District Judge Richard Berman ruled out the motion, saying that the US courts have jurisdiction if American citizens were subjected to attacks abroad, citing some precedents.
But Ms Siddiqui, who is languishing in a maximum security jail, interrupted her lawyers in US District Court in Manhattan to announce that she did not plan to participate in her trial, scheduled for Jan 19.
“I am boycotting this trial,” she declared. “I am innocent of all the charges and I can prove it, but I will not do it in this court.”
Since the very beginning, Ms Siddiqui has said that she has no confidence in the American judicial system or the lawyers appointed for her by the court – even those retained by the government of Pakistan – and that she wants to make peace and knows how to do it.
She has vigorously protested against what she called humiliating strip searches before she is brought to the court.
Judge Berman said that her trial would proceed after her lawyers and prosecutors visit Afghanistan to interview eyewitnesses to finalise their case.
Lawyers for Ms Siddiqui tried to convince the court that she was mentally incompetent to stand trial, citing in part her refusal to cooperate with lawyers and the reports of a psychologist who said she suffers from delusional disorder and depression.
Judge Berman rejected that argument after prosecutors pointed to psychological reports that concluded she was faking mental illness.
Berman on Thursday rejected defence arguments aimed at tossing out charges against Ms Siddiqui that carry a potential minimum prison sentence of 30 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Before he ruled on the request, Dr Siddiqui said visits by her lawyers were “torture for me” and it was a waste of money for lawyers to go to Afghanistan to interview witnesses because she was not participating in the trial.
“I’m not dealing with them anymore,” Dr Siddiqui said of her lawyers. “They’re just people coming to my door and talking, talking, talking.”
During a break, Dr Siddiqui was led out of the courtroom by US marshals when she would not stop talking loudly. “Take me out,” she said. “I’m not coming back.”
She was not present when the judge made his decision.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, AHRC-STM-222-2009, November 9, 2009

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission

PAKISTAN: Human rights defender names his alleged murderers shortly before his death; government fails to provide protection

Mr. Nisar Baloch, aged 46, was shot dead on November 7, by motorbike riders. Police have refused to mention the names of the murderers in the First Investigation Report (FIR), owing to the fact that the accused persons belong to ruling political party, MQM, which has a background of target killings. On November 6, the day before his murder, Nisar Baloch addressed members of the press at a press conference and clearly stated that the City’s Nazim (mayor) Mr. Mustafa Kamal, as well as the Town Nazim of the SITE town, had the intention to murder him. He stated further that he would be murdered the next day by the aforementioned people and by activists of the MQM Altaf Hussain group. He blamed the party in ruling alliance for their encroachment onto the land of Gutter Baghicha, an amenity plot of 1017 acres.

His death is the second incident in the victimization of housing rights defenders in the past five years in Karachi. During both incidents, the MQM was in power. The son of Baseer Naveed, radio broadcaster and leader of the resistance movement against the construction of the Lyari Express, was abducted on November 8 2004 and his body was found with torture marks on the wall of Naveed’s radio station, two days after his abduction. Nisar Baloch was another activist in the movement against the construction of the Lyari Expressway, through which more than 300,000 people were supposed to be displaced.

Mr. Nisar Baloch was a well-known figure who worked against the grabbing of amenity plots by the government and other such powerful people. The land of Gutter Baghicha, a park, was declared to be an amenity plot in 1972. However, when the MQM took control of the city’s mayorship in the early 1990s, parts of the Gutter Baghicha were illegally allotted to officers of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC). The local people of trans-Lyari resisted, and refused to allow the KMC to encroach upon the park. The Karachi NGO Alliance, (through which Mr. Nisar Baloch was running the people’s movement against the grabbing of this parkland) got a stay order from the Sindh High Court against construction in this park. However, the MQM, which has remained in power since 1989, (whether the ruling government was civilian or military,) did not respect the court’s order. The details of other land-grabbing incidents by the MQM can be read about below:

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/columnists/16-ardeshir-cowasjee-i-own-karachi-and-can-sell-it-ii-759-hs-05

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/columnists/16-ardeshir-cowasjee-i-own-karachi-and-can-sell-it-3-159-hs-06

http://dawnnews.tv/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/columnists/ardeshir-cowasjee-i-own-karachi-and-can-sell-it-4-ts-03

Clearly, the values which uphold law and order in this country have deteriorated to a state of abjection. When a man says in a press conference that he will be killed the following day by the mayors of Karachi and the SITE town, and the police fail to provide protection to him because of the political pressure they are under, it is clear that the situation is deplorable. Even the journalists present at the press conference did not take Baloch’s apprehensions seriously, and did not give coverage of his concerns to the public. Furthermore, the police at the Soldier Bazar Police Station, in whose jurisdiction this murder occurred, have refused to put the name of murderer on the FIR. This is illegal, and clearly indicates that the police have become sub-servants to the cadres of ruling parties.

Housing and resettlement policies in Pakistan are unclear and ambiguous, leaving room for manipulation by those in ruling political parties, and the opportunity to grab land and convert it into commercial plots. About half of Pakistan’s population lives in slum communities, and often in a state of squalor. Judicial negligence, combined with the inaction and ineffectiveness of the courts in dealing with the housing needs of the people and matters of land-grabbing, has benefited the land-grabber tremendously.

The government of Sindh should act immediately to arrest the culprits on these murder charges including, Mr. Mustafa Kamal, City Nazim and Mr. Izhar Uddin, Town Nazim of SITE town, (the name of the latter was stated by Mr. Nisar Baloch during his press conference, one day before his death,) and the high officials of the Karachi Police, including the Chief Police Officer and Station Head Officer (SHO) of the Soldier Bazar Police Station. A thorough inquiry should be conducted into the extra-judicial killing of Nisar Baloch.

# # #

About AHRC: The Asian Human Rights Commission is a regional non-governmental organisation monitoring and lobbying human rights issues in Asia. The Hong Kong-based group was founded in 1984.

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Asian Human Rights Commission

19/F, Go-Up Commercial Building,

998 Canton Road, Kowloon, Hongkong S.A.R.

Tel: +(852) – 2698-6339 Fax: +(852) – 2698-6367

…Climate change: the challenge to cultural heritage”

This was the name of an activity I attended last week at The Royal Institution. The event was organised as part of  EGOR: Environmental Guidelines Opportunities and Risks research cluster, which was sponsored by the AHRC/EPSRC Science and Heritage Research Programme (the same programme sponsoring my PhD). The event was organised to “encourage the audience to think more deeply about the complex issues relating to heritage, the effects of climate change and the threats it poses to survival”. And if that was the aim, I think they succeeded.

It was a different kind of event to what I would normally expect, bringing different elements that you would not normally expect to see used in such a manner. I think it could have gone seriously wrong. Luckily it didn’t…And if the aim was to encourage the audience to think [...], I think they succeeded.

So what was different? And how could it have gone wrong?

The main focus of the event was probably a performance…yes, a performance…by Kandu Arts For Sustainable
Development:

Kandu works with individuals and groups across the statutory and third sectors, with businesses and industry to assist in understanding social, environmental and economic impacts and responsibility in effecting positive, sustainable change. Using their unique methodology encompassing creative arts and personal development, Kandu contributes to policy development at local and national levels.

So how did they do this? The way they went round to achieving this was by first presenting a 5-10minute play. This they then repeated with one difference: the audience was asked to intervene where they thought they should by calling freeze and explaining what they would change. But did the audience participate?

The play was divided into two:

First half: Half-way through the ‘first-half’ the programme manager for the Science and Heritage Programme for the AHRC intervened to make a comment. The actors followed her changes (sort of! The ‘mother’ in the play was not happy with her suggestion of having a shower rather than a bath not to waste water ) and the performance continued. End of the first half…no other intervention. But just as the first half ended, one man intervened, going quite a bit back…and the floodgates of comments opened…what was on the verge of becoming a very awkward time turned into a hilarious and fun event which was also thought-provoking. The people were participating, and the actors were keeping us entertained as they dealt with the comments put to them and new discussion threads they needed to continue (whilst keeping in character!).

Second half: The second half continued much in the same vein as the end of the first half…the banter continued with freezing of freezes, and people getting over-freezed and what-not freezed. However, what definitely emerged from this was the real complexity of the issues at hand: Is safeguarding artefacts in a museum essential should we be in a situation of low power availability? What makes an artefact important for safekeeping and others not? It was also definitely entertaining seeing both my supervisors (who are also the principal and co-investigators for this research cluster) and the head of the centre I am based in, dragged down to the ’stage’ (the location was similar to an amphitheatre) to take part in the performance and interact with the actors to bring their point across.

After a while however it was time out for all comments, as we moved on to the next part of the programme. This involved a person playing a stringed instrument he has built himself (cannot remember the name…if anyone is reading this who was there and remembers, leave a comment!), followed by a presentation by Dr Jonathan Ashley-Smith, former Head of Conservation at the V&A who spoke about the challenges of environmental guidelines.

All in all, a successful event, especially considering that I wasn’t even going to go! I had received e-mails and been told about it, but for some reason I didn’t note it down in my calendar, so it just slipped my mind. Luckily on the day a colleague at TNA e-mailed me to tell me she had an extra ticket if I wanted to join them, so off I went. So thanks Sarah…and thank you all for your enlightening discussions which I had the opportunity to experience!

Reading

You can read more about Climate Change and the Heritage Environment in the following reports:

Report commissioned by English Heritage.

Report by UNESCO

Saturday, 24 October 2009 11:22

The Pakistan Government has been ordered to secure the release of scientist Dr. Aafia Siddiqui from US custody.
Originally published in Pakistan, By Yvonne Ridley

The Islamabad High Court made the ground-breaking directive in a move welcomed by her family, supporters and anyone who wants to see justice delivered to a woman who has been trapped in a hellish existence for the last six years.

However, not everyone is happy that Justice Raja Saeed Akram has ordered the government to work towards bringing Aafia home.

As I discovered a few days ago during a visit to Pakistan it seems her ex-husband Dr. Muhammad Amjad Khan has been briefing against the mother of his three children.

In an exclusive interview given to Karachi journalist Aroosa Masroor at The News, Dr. Khan said that most claims about Aafia, propagated to garner public support and sympathy, are untrue.

Why he chose to break his silence after six years is not immediately obvious … unless you buy in to the crazy theory that he was instrumental in his wife’s arrest and disappearance.

Of course it would be outrageous and defamatory to suggest Dr. Khan was involved and I certainly have no evidence to suggest otherwise, but what intrigues me is why this man would want to try and deliberately mislead the public as he did in his first on-the-record interview.

I am not sure what are his motives but, in a conference I gave at the Islamabad National Press Club this week I threw out a challenge to Dr. Khan to either put up or shut up.

In his February 18 interview he said: “Aafia’s release cannot be secured by propagating stories based on falsehood and deception,” and then he went on to tell a lie so blatant that I can no longer remain silent, and here’s why.

He reckons that the iconic photograph of Aafia, slumped to one side with eyes closed, was a stunted up picture taken by her sister Fowzia years ago. He even goes into fine detail explaining her injured mouth, saying that Aafia’s upper lip was cut by a milk bottle in an accident.

Fowzia, he says, warned him at the time that if he tried to divorce Aafia, she would use the picture against him alleging him to be an abusive husband. “It was made to appear in the picture that Aafia was badly injured. Today, the same picture is being circulated in the media to claim that Aafia was tortured for years in Bagram,” he states in The News interview.

There’s no hesitation in this statement – he is very clear about the origins of ‘that picture’. Well I am also clear about the origins of ‘that picture’ because it was taken by the office of the Governor of Ghazni in July 2008.

How do I know? Because the governor told me so himself, and then showed me copies of that and other pictures taken of Aafia on the day of her arrest that he stored on his personal laptop. If you check this unedited footage shot by film-maker Hassan al Banna Ghani who accompanied me on my investigations to Pakistan and Afghanistan last year, the origins of that iconic picture become very clear.

That is why I stood up in a press conference a few days ago and called Dr. Khan a liar, and then invited him to sue me “in a court of his choice” for slander and defamation. As a journalist I know the seriousness of making such a statement and I do not make it lightly but I also mean what I say and say what I mean.

In the meantime, I will let you – the viewer – make your own judgment about the photograph of Dr. Aafia. Perhaps you have your own theories about why her ex-husband would lie. Here is the clip

The divorce was, without doubt, a very bitter experience for both sides as most divorces are. Bitterness can remain a lifetime companion, but at the end of the day Dr. Aafia is the mother of his three children and as such she deserves his support and respect.

If he can’t give it, then I suggest Dr. Khan returns to the shadows once more and stops briefing against his wife.

Sharing details of his failed marriage with Dr. Aafia, serves no purpose although I have to question why Dr. Khan signed a legal agreement whereby the custody of the three children was given to Aafia after their split, if he really thought his wife was (as he portrays in the article) … a violent, unstable woman in the sway of jihadists.

In the meantime two of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s children – Marium now aged 10, and six-year-old Suleiman – are still missing.

Perhaps that is something which would concern any parent, but Dr. Khan states casually: “I am sure they are around Karachi and in contact with their maternal family as both Aafia and the children were seen around their house here and in Islamabad on multiple occasions since their alleged disappearance in 2003.

“They may be living under an assumed identity just like Aafia and Ahmed had been living [as Saliha and Ali Ahsan] for five years before they got arrested.”

He said Dr. Fowzia’s claim that the children are missing after being removed from the Bagram prison in Afghanistan “may be an attempt to attract sympathy of the government and the people and distract its attention from the real location.”

He also attempts to pour cold water on claims that Aafiya was held in US custody, including Bagram for five years – but how would he really know?

I, on the otherhand, have eye witness accounts that the woman known as Prisoner 650 who was held in Bagram for years is none other than Dr. Aafia Siddiqui.

Even the US authorities, after months of denial, finally supported my statements and admitted that Prisoner 650 was indeed a female detainee in their custody.

The only dispute we have now is the identity of Prisoner 650. The US authorities say she isn’t Aafia but refuse to say who she is and to which country she was returned.

I, on the other hand, now have an interview statement given freely by former Guantanamo detainee Binyam Mohamed confirming that Prisoner 650 and Dr. Aafia Siddiqui are one in the same. This man saw her during his time in Bagram and has made a positive identification. His evidence is, in my opinion, irrefutable.

Again, make your own judgments by checking out Binyam Mohamed’s interview through this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGHWcPRBQr8

I now understand Aafia’s case is going to be submitted to the International Court of Justice in  The Hague and that the government of Pakistan is making serious efforts on this issue.

In the meantime the case against Aafia will be resumed in New York later this month after a psychologist and physician give their reports regarding her health and if she is fit to plead.

The court hearing is, in itself, illegal and I’m not sure how it can go ahead. I say that on the basis Aafia, is after all a Pakistani citizen who is being tried for an alleged offence carried out in Afghanistan. She is only standing trial in America because she was put on a rendition flight to America – and was certainly not extradited.

* Yvonne Ridley is a patron of the human rights organisation Cage Prisoners and works as a broadcast journalist. her weekly show The Agenda goes out every Friday evening 8.07(GMT) on Press TV – her website is www.yvonneridley.org

References to this aricle:

Interview with Binyam Mohamed: http://www.presstv.com/programs/player/?id=90350

Interview with Governor of Ghazni: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBhseSkNX68

Interview in The News: http://www.thenews.com.pk/print3.asp?id=20404

Source:lhttp://www.freeaafia.org/updates/46-international-news/115-pak-govt-ordered-to-secure-the-release-of-dr-aafia.htm

Sometime in May or so I received an e-mail from the Science and Heritage programme coordinator about Media Training to be organised by the AHRC in October. It was a long way away but I decided to sign up to it as soon as I received the e-mail. I was one of the luckily few to make it on the course (we were only 10 or so!) and so glad I did! The training was organised by Inside Edge, a media training company headed by Chris Jameson and Tony Prideaux. It started off with an introduction from Jake Gilmore, the AHRC Communications Manager, who from then on left it in the hands of Chris and Tony (sort of at least ).

During the rest of the day we first had the ‘theoretical’ part fo the course, where we discussed what makes a good story and how to make our research news into a story. I thought it would be the same old stuff of how to give presentations, but luckily it did what it set out to do – prepare you for communicating in the media giving concrete examples and tips.

The best part of all however probably came in the afternoon session. After having gone through the theoretical part we were split into two groups, one group with Tony and one with Chris, and each person was then interviewed in front of the others on the basis of a pre-course questionnaire we had all filled in prior to the course about our research. This made the interview go beyond the normal questions of describe your research and taking it from there, but also, the interview having been thought about beforehand by the interviewers, we got some questions which maybe we weren’t expecting. It was interesting to see how we all dealt with them! And best of all (or maybe worse )?…the interviews were recorded so after each interview it was then played-back so the person being interviewed could listen back on what had happened and the performance could be discussed.I think I did decently Ok in this, even though I did not quite come round to discussing what I am actually doing, but just replied to the questions being posed to me…only at the very end did I get round slightly to it.

However, best of all was that we all had a second try at this! Second time round all the group came together and the interviewers switched groups. This allowed us all to learn what the others are doing in their research as well as learn from their styles. These interviews were also recorded and after all the interviews were done we returned to our groups with the course directors switching groups. In this second (interview I think i did manage to get the point of my research across more than in the first interview. However, I did blab on a bit too much at points…and did not get to the point which the others enjoyed most in my first interview…namely that I am actually destroying photographs to learn more about them .

Well, all in all a successful day! I felt like I really learned something and actually having two tries at a media interview with people in the field in a non-confrontational environment was great! I didn’t expect to get as much out of it. The fact that we were a small group also definitely helped. I was quite neutral about it all before I attended, but now I feel like it is something that everyone should do…so glad I got the opportunity through the AHRC. Meeting other AHRC-sponsored students and hearing about their work was also great! They all sounded so coherent about their work that before my first try I got quite scared…but maybe I can be coherent about what i am doing when I put my mind to it! I just need to work on it .

The Asian Human Rights Commission has just issued a very important open letter on the case of Darunee Charnchoengsilpakul.  Addressed to Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, in her capacity as the Director of the Kamlangjai Project at the Ministry of Justice, the AHRC reports key information about the continued mistreatment Darunee is experiencing at the Central Women’s Correctional Institution.

In particular, the AHRC highlights the following:

“First, she is suffering health problems but has not received treatment. Her jaw is locking and she is unable to open her mouth properly to eat or brush her teeth. As far back as January, while awaiting trial, a doctor examined her and recommended that she receive treatment outside the facility, but to date she has received none. Her attempt to get bail so that she could seek medical treatment at her own expense also failed. As you will be aware, there are many other prisoners in need of outside medical help that are not getting any, and in this respect her case is typical rather than exceptional.

Second, since her detention she has been kept isolated from other detainees throughout the daytime. She is kept outside a guardpost and made to sit under the roof there alone. At nighttime she is brought back to sleep with other detainees; however, other detainees have reportedly been warned not to speak to her and to inform the guards if she tries to communicate.

Third, since her conviction she has been issued a prison uniform that is brown with red on the sleeves. According to the advice that the AHRC has received, this uniform should only be assigned to convicts in very serious criminal cases, such as drug dealers where the amount of amphetamines recovered exceeds 100,000 tablets.

Fourth, since her conviction the wording on the card that she must carry with her in prison to identify her offence was changed to a much more serious expression from that on the original card. Whereas the previous card identified her offence as having defamed the monarchy, the new card uses the Thai word “arkhatmadrai”, which is often translated as “threaten”. But as you are aware, the connotation of this word is grave; it does not indicate a passing threat but suggests deep malice that a person may carry throughout her life.”

As the AHRC comments, the treatment of Darunee in prison is structured in such a way as to deepen her punishment. Eighteen years is apparently not a high enough price for her dissent.

PPT joins the AHRC in calling on the Princess to take action. The Princess is a UNIFEM Goodwill Ambassador. Perhaps the appropriate phrase here would be: “Liberté, égalité, sororité”

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has recently posted a commentary on a set of questions answered by Amara Pongsapich, the new chief of Thailand’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). As always, the AHRC is insightful.

Their criticism of the NHRC as well as the ASEAN human rights body is particularly sharp:

“Q. How will the Asean human rights mechanism and the National Human Rights Commission work?

A. There are some worries that the regional human rights body might not be strong enough. But I think we should have it first and shape it later. I don’t think there will be overlapping areas of work between the national human rights body and the Asean body, which should take up regional issues such as the Rohingya displaced people better than the NHRC.

AHRC comment: Naturally, a hard issue like the Rohingya refugees (as human rights commissioner it would not be right to call them refugees; better to say “displaced people”) will not be addressed through the NHRC because its approach is bureaucratic, soft and accommodating. Therefore, it will be left to the as-yet non-existent regional mechanism of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which also will do nothing. Here one of the real purposes of the ASEAN human rights body is clearly revealed for the first time: it is intended as a place for useless national human rights institutions to shift responsibilities and avoid blame coming to national authorities when people’s rights are not protected. This can be expected to happen a lot in the coming years, especially in cases coming from the meaningless and irrelevant National Human Rights Commission of Thailand.”

Read the entire AHRC document here: “New NHRC chief promises to ensure that human rights body is meaningless and irrelevant”

There is one question not answered that PPT would like an answer to: Will the NHRC take up lèse majesté cases as human rights cases, or not? If the answer is no, then what, precisely, is meant by ‘human rights’?

Pick to post by sorrattana

August 20, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AHRC-STM-174-2009
August 20, 2009

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission
THAILAND: New NHRC chief promises to ensure that human rights body is meaningless and irrelevant

In an interview posted on the website of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of Thailand, the commission’s new chairwoman, Amara Pongsapich, has effectively promised to make the national rights institution meaningless and irrelevant, other than as an obstacle to human rights. Throughout the process of selecting and appointing the new commission’s seven members, who include among their ranks a named human rights violator, a policeman and a court administrator, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) made clear that this would be the consequence of their appointment. In the interview (‘On the Record: New NHRC embraces spirit of cooperation’, from the Bangkok Post, 21 July 2009), the new chairwoman makes plain that the role of the commission is now no longer one of human rights defender but human rights perpetrators’ defender.

In this statement, the AHRC responds with remarks on some contents of the interview, following questions and answers in the original text.

Q. How do you explain local and regional comments on the non-participatory selection process of your commission?

A. The process was in line with the 2007 constitution, which stipulates that a seven-member panel would be set up to nominate seven prospective commissioners for Senate endorsement.

AHRC comment: The answer is correct. The 2007 Constitution is undemocratic and was introduced through a military coup to reduce the effectiveness of parliamentary government in Thailand. Therefore, it is not surprising that this non-human rights commission is the result of its process. It is also the case that as a result the NHRC is no longer a National Human Rights Institution under the terms of the international Paris Principles. For this reason the AHRC has written to the agency responsible for monitoring compliance with the principles to see that the NHRC is downgraded and is prohibited from participating in United Nations forums.

Q. When did the line-up get royal endorsement and how were you selected as chairwoman?

A. … We agreed to delegate works according to experience and the interests of each commissioner. For example, former senator Niran Pitakwatchara will liaise with people’s movements while Pol Gen Wanchai and Paiboon Warahapaitoon will take charge of legal and judicial procedures.

AHRC comment: A police general has been assigned the responsibility of dealing with police abuses. This is a great tradition in Thailand, where police have also been appointed to the justice and interior ministries to protect their peers against allegations that they have violated human rights. It is the reason that this general was appointed to the commission, and from all accounts so far he has been doing a very good job at this. In other words, the NHRC is now being used as an agency to defend violators of rights and demoralize victims. Apparently the chairwoman does not find this ironic or strange, which also goes to show how little understanding she has of the fundamentals of human rights work, as opposed to human rights theory of the sort with which she might have become familiar at university.

Q. Are you worried about working relations among the commissioners since they have different backgrounds? How will your panel work efficiently?

A. Well, we acknowledge the diversity and we put everything on the table.

AHRC comment: This question might have been put as a joke. The answer certainly is a joke. In fact, the commission consists of four persons from the government and only three from other sectors, one of whom is a businessman who admires the military regime in Burma. None of the members have personal hard experience of fighting for human rights, as did at least one of the members in the former commission. A less diverse group would be hard to find.

A. We have also overhauled the NHRC’s working structure, such as reducing the number of sub-committees and splitting up some bureaus to improve the commission’s performance.

AHRC comment: The subcommittees were one of the few parts of the former commission where real work on human rights was done. Some of the people on the subcommittees dedicated long hours investigating violations, and preparing and tabling reports for action at personal expense and considerable effort. Scrapping subcommittees is another sure way to reduce the output of the commission and make it less effective.

Q. There is a concern that the new NHRC will be less aggressive and too lenient in cases involving state agencies because it is comprised mainly of former bureaucrats.

A. There are both advantages and disadvantages in having bureaucrats on this commission. The bureaucratic style will change the image of the NHRC from an anti-government or NGO-like body to a softer accommodative mechanism. But the weakness is we will have less access to the grass roots. That’s why we need to adapt our solo working style to be collaborative with a networking entity.

AHRC comment: Here the real purpose of assigning bureaucrats and academics to run the NHRC becomes clear. It is in the fraudulent idea that a softly-softly approach to human rights of the sort that has been used for years in Thailand to entrench the status quo is the future for the commission. It signifies a return to old elite habits and away from a so-called anti-government approach associated with non-government organisations. That approach, the chairwoman implies, is not good and not the right way for Thai people, who surely would prefer to have a more bureaucratic NHRC in accordance with the cultural expectations that the elite have assigned to them.

Q. How will the NHRC undertake the significant mandate of filing a lawsuit against human rights violators?

A. The commission will not be acting as a law office, filing individual cases, but will create an environment for concerned agencies to work together.

AHRC comment: One of the things that apologists for the 2006 coup pointed to in the new constitution was that it would give the NHRC the power to file cases in court (section 257, para. 4). Now the new chairperson indicates that she has no interest to exercise this power. Instead her commission will just “create an environment”. In the next part of her answer she tries to explain what that means.

A. Through the NGO and grass-roots networking and cooperation with various law enforcement agencies, as well as our own research and academic arms, legal action could be handled by those respective agencies in a more coordinated and effective manner.

AHRC comment: First the chairwoman doesn’t like the non-government organisations’ approach and implicitly denigrates them for being anti-government in style on human rights. Then she says that her commission will find a way to make them all cooperate together. Here again is the giant fraud that has for years been used by the elite in Thailand, of which the chairperson is a member, to co-opt and emasculate civil society groups and thereby deny the emergence of a genuine human rights movement in the country. The chairwoman is in this respect no more than another part in a desperate strategy for continued elite control of the human rights discourse and agenda in Thailand, against the real meaning of human rights.

Q. How will the Asean human rights mechanism and the National Human Rights Commission work?

A. There are some worries that the regional human rights body might not be strong enough. But I think we should have it first and shape it later. I don’t think there will be overlapping areas of work between the national human rights body and the Asean body, which should take up regional issues such as the Rohingya displaced people better than the NHRC.

AHRC comment: Naturally, a hard issue like the Rohingya refugees (as human rights commissioner it would not be right to call them refugees; better to say “displaced people”) will not be addressed through the NHRC because its approach is bureaucratic, soft and accommodating. Therefore, it will be left to the as-yet non-existent regional mechanism of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which also will do nothing. Here one of the real purposes of the ASEAN human rights body is clearly revealed for the first time: it is intended as a place for useless national human rights institutions to shift responsibilities and avoid blame coming to national authorities when people’s rights are not protected. This can be expected to happen a lot in the coming years, especially in cases coming from the meaningless and irrelevant National Human Rights Commission of Thailand.

# # #

About AHRC: The Asian Human Rights Commission is a regional non-governmental organisation monitoring and lobbying human rights issues in Asia. The Hong Kong-based group was founded in 1984.

Posted on 2009-08-20
Back to [AHRC Statements 2009]

PAKISTAN/KASHMIR: In the Pakistani part of Kashmir several political activists and students have been arrested for observing the demands for an independent Kashmir, free from India and Pakistan. Mr. Sardar Liaquat Hayat, the Central President of the Jammu Kashmir National Awami Party, and several activists of the Jamu and Kashmir National Awami Party (JKNAP) and Jammu Kashmir National Students Federation (JKNSF), were arrested without any judicial warrants or charges. At the time of arrest on July 19, 2009, they were protesting against the call by the prime minister of Kashmir to annex Kashmir with Pakistan. Police conducted raids in Rawalakote city and arrested Liaquat Hayat, Wajid Ayyub and Shaihid Sharaf without arrest warrants from their homes. The same day the ruling party of Pakistani Kashmir organized a public rally to commend the so-called Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan at Rawalakote city.

July 19 is observed in Pakistan as the annexation of Kashmir to Pakistan since 1948, during the day governments of Pakistan and Kashmir (Pakistani) demanding the whole of Kashmir (including Indian territory) from the UN to be annexed to Pakistan as the unfinished agenda of creation of Pakistan.

On the same day in another incident, law enforcement personnel abducted and humiliated four Kashmiri students belonging to the JKNSF in Rawalpindi, Punjab province-Pakistan, for demanding the liberation of Kashmir from both Pakistan and India. It is alleged by the nationalist groups that leaders of the JKNAP and the JKNSF have been harassed, tortured and detained in the past as well for demanding basic human rights in the parts of Kashmir under Pakistani occupation. The JKNAP and JKNSF were opposing the annexation of Kashmir to Pakistan and demanding, the reunification of all the divided parts of Jammu Kashmir and its complete independence from India and Pakistan, based on secularism, democracy, equality, rule of law and social justice.

The Asian Human Rights Commission urges the government of Pakistan, who runs the affairs of their part of Kashmir through the federal ministry of Kashmir affairs, to release the activists of JKNAP and JKNSF and provide the right of freedom of expression and freedom of association to their part of Kashmir. The people of Kashmir have a legitimate right to protest peacefully. Denying the people this right is a serious violation of their basic human rights and contravenes the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR 1948) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR 1966) as Pakistan is a signatory to both the covenants as a member nation state.

# # #

About AHRC: The Asian Human Rights Commission is a regional non-governmental organisation monitoring and lobbying human rights issues in Asia. The Hong Kong-based group was founded in 1984.

Asian Human Rights Commission

19/F, Go-Up Commercial Building,

998 Canton Road, Kowloon, Hongkong S.A.R.

Tel: +(852) – 2698-6339 Fax: +(852) – 2698-6367

ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION – URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME
SRI LANKA: Police officers torture and frame a young man who has been in remand prison for a year
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that a young man was taken into a police station and tortured after he displeased local criminals. He was reportedly framed while in custody, fabricated charges were taken against him and he has been in remand prison since April 2008. The case suggests cooperation between an illegal network of alcohol vendors and the police.
Read full report here.

#8essays

The double page spread in the picture above has been produced by the BBC’s R&D department. Yes, the people more usually associated with cutting-edge technological advances have published a free newspaper.

In a collaboration with the Arts & Humanities Research Council, the 24-page colour tabloid was put together with the Newspaper Club - a name we’ll no doubt all soon become much more familiar with after the news that 4ip is to invest in it.

Visitor’s to last night’s Manchester Social Media Cafe became some of the first recipients of the publication thanks to host for the night at the BBC Club, Ian Forrester.

He told me that the idea for the publication had come about simply because people liked print and the Newspaper Club made it easy to produce.

The content for the paper has made available online, but the newspaper offers the chance to distribute it around areas where its readership are likely to gather.

It’s a meaty read with eight essays looking at some of the challenges faced by the BBC.

In the editor’s letter, Jim McClellan says of 8; ” So why is it called 8. The simple answer is that the Knowledge Exchange Programme (KEP) produced eight research studies in total covering everything from how the BBC works with user generated content and how older users use digital services to be the development of a 3D online world designed for children……..

“Overall the writers here are positive about the more open, sharing BBC championed by the KEP studies. In fact, they want more. Several suggest the BBC should become a kind of open platform, a space where others can build on the foundations it lays and maintains.”

Interesting stuff indeed – available online and now in print!

* Elsewhere at Social Media Cafe, the evening was dominated by a Ceefax love-fest with a remarkable TV page inspired bingo as well as the premiere of a documentary covering people’s memories about the service put together by Maria of Littlestar. I’ll update with a link to a version of the film just as soon as its available on YouTube. Well worth a click!

So far the other blog posts I’ve seen covering the Social Media Cafe event;

* John Clements takes a look at the session about the highly participative Cutting Room Experiment.

* Tim Difford filmed a flavour of each of the session and provides a round-up of the whole evening.

* Julia did the honours on the photography front and has produced some lovely portraits.

I’m sure there’ll be more out there so, please do share a link below if you have blogged it.

Here’s to the next one!