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Amnesty International USA Group 48 Newsletter 5.15 1 SUDAN: Urgent Action - Detained Human Rights Activist Risks Torture 3 Burundi: Brutal clampdown on human rights in run-up to the elections 4 INDONESIA: Urgent Action - Two Still At Risk Of Immi- nent Execution 6 PARAGUAY: Urgent Action - Life Of A Pregnant 10-Year- Old Girl At Risk 8 CHINA: Urgent Action - Disclose Whereabouts of Tibetan Writer SUDAN: Urgent Action - Detained Human Rights Activist Risks Torture Adil Ibrahiem Bakheit (m) Adil Ibrahiem Bakheit, member of the Board of Trustees of the Sudan Hu- man Rights Monitor (SHRM), human rights activist and trainer was arbitrarily arrested and charged by the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) in Khartoum on April 16th. He may be at serious risk of torture and other ill-treatment. Adil Ibrahiem Bakheit, father of two, a human rights trainer and activist, was summoned by NISS on April 16th, and arrested aſter a brief interrogation. He was interrogated about his work and about a consultancy contract with Tracks for Training and Human Devel- opment (Tracks) which the NISS found in his laptop. Adil was charged at the State Security Prosecution Office with seven criminal offenses under the Penal Code including two which carry the death penalty. e capital offenses are ‘Undermining the Constitutional System’ and ‘Waging war against the state’. Due process provisions were not followed during his arrest. According to a source from Tracks, NISS agents raided their offices in Khartoum on March 26th, interrupt- ing a workshop on social responsibility. NISS agents confiscated all the laptops in the premises including Adil’s laptop, although he was not part of the training workshop. Tracks provides training on a range of issues including: informa- tion technology, capacity building, and human rights for private sector, local and international NGOs. Adil Ibrahiem Ned Horton Stock.Xchng AIUSA-Group 48 http://aipdx.org 503-227-1878 Next Meeting: Friday May 8th First Unitarian Church 1011 SW 12th Ave 7:00pm informal gathering 7:30pm meeting starts NewsLetter Designed By Michelle Whitlock MichelleWhitlock.com »

Group 48 Newsletter - May 2015

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May 2015 newsletter of Local Group 48 of Amnesty International USA in Portland, OR

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  • Amnesty International USA Group 48

    Newsletter5.15

    1 SUDAN: Urgent Action - Detained Human Rights Activist Risks Torture

    3 Burundi: Brutal clampdown on human rights in run-up to the elections

    4 INDONESIA: Urgent Action - Two Still At Risk Of Immi-nent Execution

    6 PARAGUAY: Urgent Action - Life Of A Pregnant 10-Year-Old Girl At Risk

    8 CHINA: Urgent Action - Disclose Whereabouts of Tibetan Writer

    SUDAN: Urgent Action - Detained Human Rights Activist Risks TortureAdil Ibrahiem Bakheit (m)

    Adil Ibrahiem Bakheit, member of the Board of Trustees of the Sudan Hu-man Rights Monitor (SHRM), human rights activist and trainer was arbitrarily arrested and charged by the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) in Khartoum on April 16th. He may be at serious risk of torture and other ill-treatment.

    Adil Ibrahiem Bakheit, father of two, a human rights trainer and activist, was summoned by NISS on April 16th, and arrested after a brief interrogation. He was interrogated about his work and about a consultancy contract with Tracks for Training and Human Devel-opment (Tracks) which the NISS found in his laptop. Adil was charged at the State Security Prosecution Office with

    seven criminal offenses under the Penal Code including two which carry the death penalty. The capital offenses are Undermining the Constitutional System and Waging war against the state. Due process provisions were not followed during his arrest.

    According to a source from Tracks, NISS agents raided their offices in Khartoum on March 26th, interrupt-ing a workshop on social responsibility. NISS agents confiscated all the laptops in the premises including Adils laptop, although he was not part of the training workshop. Tracks provides training on a range of issues including: informa-tion technology, capacity building, and human rights for private sector, local and international NGOs. Adil Ibrahiem

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    NewsLetter Designed By Michelle Whitlock MichelleWhitlock.com

  • AIUSA group 48 Newsletter May 2015 Pg 2

    Bakheits laptop contains human rights education material he uses in his work with Tracks and other training service providers in Sudan.

    Amnesty International spoke to Adils wife who confirmed that she was able to visit him at Al Awasat police station in Khartoum where he is being detained. Adil is the main pro-vider for his family, and was recently diagnosed with diabe-tes. Amnesty International is concerned that Adil Ibrahiem Bakheit has been arrested solely for his work in human rights and that this is part of the overall pattern of suppression and harassment of human rights activists in Sudan that the orga-nization has been documenting.

    Action Please write immediately in Arabic, English or your own language:

    Calling on the authorities to drop the charges, and immedi-ately and unconditionally release Adil Ibrahiem Bakheit; Urging them to ensure that pending his unconditional release, Adil Ibrahiem Bakheit is not subjected to torture or ill-treatment; Urging them to ensure that pending his unconditional release, he is given prompt access to medical treatment.

    Appeals To PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE JUNE 4th, 2015 TO: President HE Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir Office of the President Peoples Palace PO Box 281 Khartoum, Sudan Fax : 011 249183783223 Salutation: Your Excellency

    Minister for Justice Mohamed Bushara Dousa Ministry of Justice PO Box 302 Al Nil Avenue, Khartoum, Sudan Email : [email protected] Fax : 011 249183764168 Salutation: Your Excellency

    Copies To Minister of Internal Affairs Ibrahim Mahmoud Ahmed Ministry of Interior PO Box 873 Khartoum, Sudan

    On April 30, 2015, Amnesty Interna-tional launched the campaign of soli-darity with human

    rights defenders in Burundi - Komera, Turimwe (Courage, We are together!).

    https://www.amnesty.org/en/articles/news/2015/04/burundi-stop-harassment-of-human-rights-defenders-ahead-of-election/

    During this electoral period, key human rights activists are particularly targeted because of their opposition to President Pierre Nkurunzizas third bid, as well as several other sensitive is-sues of human rights violations and abuses they work on in Burundi. Your support through soli-darity messages is strongly desired. A variety of actions will be taken during this period. The following tweet action is one such action.

    Action Send a tweet in Solidarity In Solidarity with Pierre Claver Mbonimpa, Komera, Turikumwe! #Burundi #Protect Defend-ers #Burundi Pierre Claver Mbonimpa must be free to exercise his rights to work as HRD with-out fear of reprisals. #KomeraTurikumwe !

    BURUNDI: Amnesty International Launches Campaign in Solidarity with

    Human Rights Defenders by Terrie Rodello, AIUSA Central Africa

    Activist Network Coordinator

    https://us-mg5.mail.yahoo.com/neo/b/[email protected]://www.amnesty.org/en/articles/news/2015/04/burundi-stop-harassment-of-human-rights-defenders-ahead-of-election/https://www.amnesty.org/en/articles/news/2015/04/burundi-stop-harassment-of-human-rights-defenders-ahead-of-election/https://www.amnesty.org/en/articles/news/2015/04/burundi-stop-harassment-of-human-rights-defenders-ahead-of-election/
  • AIUSA group 48 Newsletter May 2015 Pg 3

    Charg dAffaires Maowia Osman Khalid Mohammed, Embassy of the Republic of Sudan 2210 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008 Fax: 1 202 667 2406 E-mail: [email protected]

    Please let us know if you took action so that we can track our impact! Send a short email to [email protected] with UA 92/15 in the subject line, and include in the body of the email the number of letters and/or emails you sent to let us know how you took action. Thank you for taking action!

    Burundi: Brutal clampdown on human rights in run-up to the electionsApril 29th 2015

    failure of the government to even guarantee peoples rights to life and security sends a worrisome warning signal about the risk of serious human rights violations. The police and the Government of Burundi must uphold their obligations with respect to peaceful demonstrations. It is now critical for all parties in Burundi to take a clear and common stand against human rights abuses. Since April 26th, protesters have been killed and injured in Bujumbura as media houses have been closed. In the meantime, fearing an escalation of electoral violence, refugee outflows have increased, with an estimated 20,000 now across the border in Rwanda alone. According to Burundian and international journalists as well as eyewitness-es and photos obtained by Amnesty International, at least two people were killed and several injured during clashes between the police and protesters. The police have blocked access routes to Bujumburas city centre and have been dispersing protesters with tear gas, water cannons and live ammuni-tion. Some protestors threw stones at the police and burnt tires. Background: Protests erupted in various areas of Bu-jumbura on Sunday, April 26th, after the announcement a day earlier that the ruling political party, the National Council for the Defence of Democracy-Forces for the Defence of Democ-racy (CNDD-FDD), had selected President Nkurunziza as its presidential candidate for a third term. This was perceived by many Burundians to be in violation of the Arusha Agree-ment. The decision is also viewed as opening the door to further changes to the power-sharing arrangements under the Arusha Agreement. In anticipation of reactions to the possible decision, on April 24th, the Minister of Interior had previously declared a ban on all demonstrations. Until then, only demonstrations organized by the CNDD-FDD had been allowed to proceed unhindered.

    Freedom of expression has also come came under attack when the police illegally banned the independent private ra-

    At least five people have died since clashes broke out on April 26 after the ruling CNDD-FDD party, which has been accused of intimidating opponents, designated President Nkurunziza its candidate for the presidential election to be held in the central African nation on June 26th.

    The Burundian government must halt its brutal clampdown on protestors contesting President Nkurunzizas bid to stand again in the forthcoming elections, Amnesty International warned today, or risk the situation spiralling out of control.

    It is alarming that people have been killed as a result of expressing their views about the electoral process. This sets a dangerous precedent at a time when the Government of Bu-rundi should be prioritising human rights and the protection of the population in the lead-up to the elections, said Sarah Jackson, Amnesty Internationals Deputy Regional Director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes.

    The failure of the government to even guarantee peoples rights to life and security sends a worrisome warning signal about the risk of serious human rights violations. The police and the Government of Burundi must uphold their obliga-tions with respect to peaceful demonstrations.

    Sarah Jackson, Amnesty Internationals Deputy Regional Director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes, The

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  • AIUSA group 48 Newsletter May 2015 Pg 4

    dios Radio Publique Africaine (RPA), Bonesha FM and Radio Isanganiro from broadcasting outside Bujumbura. Also on Monday, April 27th, the authorities shut down a media coor-dination meeting at the Maison de la Presse (Media House) in Bujumbura, where the police arrested and detained Pierre Claver Mbonimpa, president of the human rights organiza-tion, Association pour la protection des droits humains et des personnes dtenues (APRODH). He was only released the

    following afternoon. Amnesty International has previously expressed concerns about the deteriorating human rights situation in Burundi, notably regarding the freedom of ex-pression, assembly and association and has urged the Govern-ment of Burundi to ensure the police and other law enforce-ment agencies fully respect these freedoms, do not interfere with peaceful assemblies and do not arbitrarily arrest, detain or otherwise ill-treat protestors.

    INDONESIA: Urgent Action - Two Still At Risk Of Imminent ExecutionMary Jane Veloso (f) and Serge Atlaoui (m)

    While reports indicate that Mary Jane Veloso has been moved from Besi prison in Nusakambangan Island back into Wiro-gunan prison in Yogyakarta, Amnesty International remains concerned that she could be executed in the near future.

    Another individual who could be at risk of execution is French national Serge Atlaoui, a man under sentence of death for a drug related offense who was, until April 25th, included in the group of those at risk of execution. He is currently appealing a decision by the administrative court. The high administrative court is expected to rule on his appeal in the next ten days.

    Indonesian law and international safeguards guaranteeing the rights of those facing the death penalty clearly state thatex-ecutions may not be carried out while appeals are pending.Further Information On Those Facing ExecutionsSerge Areski Atlaoui, a French national, was initially sentenced to life imprisonment by the Tangerang District Courtin Novem-ber 2006 for running a large narcotics factory in Tangerang District, Banten Province. However, he wassubsequently sentenced to death in May 2007 by the Supreme Court. He is appealing a decision by the administrativecourt to reject his latest appeal.

    Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso, a Filipino national, was sentenced to death by the Sleman District Court in October 2010 for attempting to smuggle 2.6 kilograms of heroin into Indo-nesia from Malaysia at the Yogyakarta airport in April 2010. In March 2015 the Supreme Court rejected her appeal for a review of her case. According to her current lawyer, she was not provided a lawyer or translator during her interrogation

    Eight men were executed in Nusakambangan Island in In-donesia in the early hours of April 29th. A man and a woman who received a temporary stay of execution remain at risk of execution in the coming weeks.

    In the early hours of April 29th, Andrew Chan and My-uran Sukumaran (both Australian), Raheem Agbaje Salami(Nigerian, also known as Jamiu Owolabi Abashin), Zainal Abidin (Indonesian), Martin Anderson alias Belo (Ghanaian),Rodrigo Gularte (Brazilian), Sylvester Obiekwe Nwolise and Okwudili Oyatanze (both Nigerian) were ex-ecuted byfiring squad in in Nusakambangan Island, Indonesia.

    The execution of Filipino national Mary Jane Veloso was halted at the last minute. The office of the Indonesian At-torney General announced that the stay of execution was granted following a request by the President of the Philip-pines to spare her life, since she would be required to give testimony at the trial of the person who allegedly deceived Mary Jane Veloso into becoming a drug courier. This person handed herself to the police in the Philippines on April 28th.

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    by the police which was conducted in Indonesian, a language she did not understand at the time. During her trial, she was provided an unlicensed court-provided interpreter a stu-dent at a foreign language school in Yogyakarta to translate the proceedings from Bahasa Indonesia to English, a language which Mary Jane was also not fluent in.

    Fourteen executions have been carried out in Indonesia in 2015. All executed prisoners had been convicted of drugtraf-ficking. As of April 30th, 125 people are believed to be on death row with 50 inmates for drug-related offenses, despite the fact that such offense does not meet the threshold of the most serious crimes for which the death penalty can be imposed under international law. The authorities had an-nounced in December 2014 that at least 20 executions would be carried out this year.

    Amnesty International expressed deep concerns that the au-thorities on April 29th went ahead with the implementation of the death sentences imposed against eight men, despite the fact that at least two prisoners had ongoing legal appeals which had been accepted by the courts. Furthermore, the clemency petitions of all eight prisoners had been summarily considered and rejected, undermining the prisoners right to appeal for pardon or commutation of their sentence as pro-vided for under international law. The inadequacy of the legal representation and access to interpretation at trial casts seri-ous doubt about the safety of the convictions and sentence in some of the cases. The UN Safeguards guaranteeing protec-tion of the rights of those facing the death penalty, approved by Economic and Social Council resolution 1984/50 of May 25th, 1984, clearly state that Capital punishment shall not be carried out pending any appeal or other recourse procedure or other proceeding relating to pardon or commutation of the sentence.

    One prisoner, Rodrigo Gularte, had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and bipolar disorder with psychotic characteristics. It was recommended Ricardo Gularte be admitted to a mental health facility. International law and standards on the use of capital punishment clearly state that the death penalty should not be imposed or carried out on people with mental or intellectual disabilities. This applies whether the disability was relevant at the time of their alleged

    commission of the crime or developed after the person was sentenced to death.

    Amnesty International believes that the death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, and aviolation of the right to life as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 6(6) of the Interna-tionalCovenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Indonesia is a State Party, provides that Nothing in this article shall be invoked to delay or to prevent the aboli-tion of capital punishment by any State Party to the present Covenant.

    The Human Rights Committee, the expert body overseeing the implementation of the ICCPR, has stated that Article 6refers generally to abolition [of the death penalty] in terms which strongly suggest... that abolition is desirable. TheCom-mittee concludes that all measures of abolition should be considered as progress in the enjoyment of the right to life.Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception and supports calls, included in fiveresolu-tions adopted by the UN General Assembly since 2007, for the establishment of a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty. As of today, 140 countries have abolished the death penalty in law or practice; out of 41 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, 18 have abolished the death penalty for all crimes and a further 10 are abolitionist in practice.

    Action Please write immediately in English or your own language:

    Calling on the authorities to immediately halt plans to carry out any executions and commute Mary Jane Velosos and Serge Atlaouis death sentences;

    Reminding them that international safeguards clearly state that no execution may be carried out while appeals are pend-ing;

    Urging them to establish a moratorium on all executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty and to commute all death sentences to terms of imprisonment;

    Pointing out that there is no convincing evidence that the death penalty deters crime more effectively than other

    punishments and that the decision to resume executions

  • AIUSA group 48 Newsletter May 2015 Pg 6

    has set Indonesia against the global trend towards abolition of the death penalty and the countrys own progress in this area.

    Appeals To PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE JUNE12th 2015 TO President of the Republic of Indonesia H. E. Joko Widodo Istana Merdeka Jakarta Pusat 10110 Indonesia Fax: 011 62 21 386 4816 /011 62 21 344 2233 Email: [email protected]. Twitter: jokowi_do2 Salutation: Dear President

    Minister of Law and Human Rights Yasona H. Laoly Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said Kav No. 4-5 Kuningan, Jakarta Selatan 12950, Indonesia Fax: 011 62 215 253095 Email: [email protected] Twitter: Humas_Kumham

    Salutation: Dear Minister

    Copies To Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi Jl. Pejambon No.6. Jakarta Pusat, 10110 Indonesia Fax: 011 62 21 3857316 Email: [email protected]

    H.E. Ambassador Budi Bowoleksono, Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia 2020 Massachusetts Ave. NW

    Fax: 1 202 775 5365

    Email: [email protected] or http://www.embassyofindonesia.org/contactform/contact-form.php

    Please let us know if you took action so that we can track our impact! Send a short email to [email protected] with UA 305/14 in the subject line, and include in the body of the email the number of letters and/or emails you sent. Thank you for taking action!

    PARAGUAY: Urgent Action - Life Of A Pregnant 10-Year-Old Girl At Risk10-year-old girl (f)

    Paraguay, complaining of stomach ache. On examination, a 21-week pregnancy was established. The girls pregnancy is the result of having been raped by her stepfather.

    The director of the hospital publicly acknowledged that the girls pregnancy was of high risk to her, despite the girl being in stable health condition. A few days later, the Public Minis-try ordered the girl to be admitted to a different hospital, the Red Cross Hospital (Hospital de la Cruz Roja), to monitor her health.

    The World Health Organization (WHO) and health profes-sionals around the world agree that pregnancy poses specific risks to young girls whose bodies are not fully developed and that the risk to their lives is greater. Therefore all options re-garding the pregnancy, including safe abortion services, must be made available.

    The life of a 10-year-old girl who is pregnant after having been raped by her stepfather is in danger. Despite the high risk this pregnancy poses and her mothers request, access to safe abortion has not been yet provided.

    On 21 April 21st a 10-year-old girl arrived with her mother at the Trinidad Maternity and Childrens Hospital (Hospital Materno Infantil de Trinidad) in Asuncin, the capital of

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  • AIUSA group 48 Newsletter May 2015 Pg 7

    On April 28th the girlsmother submitted an administra-tive plea (carta administrativa) to the hospital requesting an abortion for the girl. Nothing indicates that the hospital is considering an abortion to save her life. On the contrary, according to latest reports, the girl will be sent to a center for young mothers (centro de nias madres).

    In Paraguay, abortion is legal when the life of the woman or girl is at risk, therefore she is entitled to a lawful abortion. Ac-cording to the Convention on the Rights of the Child the best interest of the child has to always be of primary consideration and states have an obligation under the Convention to ensure access to abortion in these circumstances.

    Action Please write immediately in Spanish or your own language:

    Urging the Paraguayan authorities to save the life of this 10-year-old-girl, pregnant as a result of rape by her stepfather, by granting her the abortion her mother has requested;

    Reminding them that according to UN agencies, a preg-nancy poses specific risks and potentially long-term conse-quences for the physical and mental health of girls;

    Urging the authorities to carry out an independent and im-partial investigation into the rape of the girl and to hold those responsible for the abuse accountable.

    Appeals To PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE JUNE 9th 2015 TO: Minister of Public Health and Welfare Ministro de Salud Pblica y Bienestar Dr. Antonio Barrios Pettirossi Esq. Brasil Asuncin, Paraguay Fax: 011 595 21 207 328 Email: [email protected] Salutation: Dear Minister/Estimado Ministro

    Attorney General Fiscal General Dr. Javier Diaz Veron Chile c/ Ygatim Asuncin, Paraguay Phone/Fax: 011 595 21 415 6152 Email: [email protected] Salutation: Dear Attorney General/Estimado Fiscal General

    Copies To CLADEM Paraguay Email: [email protected]

    Ambassador Igor Pangrazio Embassy of Paraguay 2400 Massachusetts Ave. NW

    Fax: 1 202 234 4508

    Email: [email protected]

    Please let us know if you took action so that we can track our impact! Send a short email to [email protected] with UA 100/15 in the subject line, and include in the body of the email the number of letters and/or emails you sent. Thank you for taking action!

    Additional Information In Paraguay, abortion is only permitted when the life of the women or girls is at risk. In any other circumstances, even if pregnancy is the result of rape, incest or when the fetus has a severe malformation, abortion is not permitted. This restric-tive abortion law is in violation of international law.

    In March 2015 the Committee on Economic, Social and Cul-tural Rights called on Paraguay to review and modify its abor-tion legislation to ensure its compatibility with other rights such as health and life.

    Group CoordinatorJoanne [email protected]

    TreasurerTena [email protected]

    Newsletter EditorDan [email protected]

    Darfur (Sudan)Marty [email protected]

    IndonesiaMax [email protected]

    Prisoners CasesJane [email protected]

    Megan Harringtonmegan.harrington @gmail.com

    Concert TablingWill [email protected]

    Central Africa/ OR State Death Penalty AbolitionTerrie [email protected]

    AIUSA Group 48 Contact Information

    Washington, DC 20008

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  • AIUSA group 48 Newsletter May 2015 Pg 8

    According to recent official data published by UNFPA, in Paraguay 2.13% of maternal deaths correspond to 10-14-year old girls. Two births a day are from 10 to 14-year-old girls.

    Article 3 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child states that In all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies, the best inter-est of the child shall be a primary consideration. The Con-vention on the Rights of the Child requires states, including Paraguay, to ensure girls access to abortion, at a minimum,

    when their health and life is in danger and in cases of rape and incest.

    The World Health Organization in its Safe Abortion: technical and policy guidance for health systems (2012) to States notes that abortion laws and services should protect the health and human rights of all women, including adolescents.

    They should not create situations that lead women and ado-lescents to seek clandestine abortions, and they should pay special attention to the needs of girls, including those who have suffered rape.

    CHINA: Urgent Action - Disclose Whereabouts of Tibetan WriterDruklo (pen-name Shokjang) (m)

    On 19 March 19th, Druklo (pen-name Shokjang) was taken away by national security police officers from a hotel in Ton-gren County (Rebkong) in the Huangnan Tibetan Autono-mous Prefecture (Malho), Qinghai province, in northwest China. He is a prominent Tibetan writer and blogger known for his critical articles about the current situation in Tibetan areas. His friend who was taken away at the same time has since been released, but Druklo remains in detention.

    According to Druklos close friend, Golog Jigme Gyatso, a Ti-betan monk currently living in Switzerland and who was for-merly imprisoned in China for being the assistant filmmaker of Leaving Fear Behind -- a documentary which interviewed Tibetans about their opinions of the Dalai Lama, China and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games -- the authorities have not given Druklos friends and relatives the reason for his deten-tion or the charges for which he is detained. The monk told Amnesty International that Drulko is believed to be held in a detention center in Tongren County, and that friends and relatives in Druklos hometown have not been able to confirm his whereabouts.

    On March 16th, Druklo had written an article on his blog around the time of the 56th anniversary of the failed Ti-betan uprising against Chinese rule in 1959, describing the increased police patrols on the streets of Tongren County. Druklo was also previously detained in 2010 when he was studying at Chinas Northwest University for Nationalities in Lanzhou, Qinghai province, for writing about the Tibetan protests of 2008.

    Druklo (pen-name Shokjang), a young Tibetan writer and blogger is believed to be arbitrarily detained with no access to a lawyer, and to be at risk of torture and other ill-treatment. This happened after he wrote an article describing the in-creased presence of Chinese security officers ahead of a politi-cally sensitive Tibetan anniversary.

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    Action Please write immediately in Chinese, English or your own language:

    Demanding that the authorities immediately disclose the whereabouts and legal status of Druklo;

    Urging the authorities to provide immediate guarantees for his safety and to give assurances that he is not tortured or otherwise ill-treated in detention;

    Calling on the authorities to ensure without delay that he has regular, unrestricted access to a lawyer and his family;

    Urging the authorities to release him immediately and unconditionally unless he is charged with an internationally recognizable criminal offense.

    Appeals To PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE JUNE 1st, 2015 TO: Head of Tongren County Public Security Bureau Ma Yajun Tongren County Public Security Bureau 22 Xiaqiong Middle Road Tongren County Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Qinghai Province 811300 Peoples Republic of China

    Secretary of Tongren County Party Committee Jiang Shunian Tongren County Peoples Government Dehelong Middle Road LongWuzhen, Tongren County Huangnan Tibetan Autono-mous Prefecture Qinghai Province 811300 Peoples Republic of China Fax: + 86 0973 8722440 Salutation: Dear Secretary

    Copies To Director Li Dongping Qinghai Provincial State Security Department 48 Gonghe South Road Xining 810007 Peoples Republic of China

    Ambassador Cui Tiankai Embassy of the Peoples Republic of China 3505 International Place NW Washington, DC 20008 Fax: 202 495 2138 Phone: 202 495 2266 Email: [email protected]

    Additional Information Ethnic Tibetans in China face discrimination and restrictions on their rights to freedom of religious belief, expression, asso-ciation and assembly. Druklo was born in Xiahe (Labrang) in Gansu province, in the Tibetan area of Amdo. He is popular among Tibetans for his critical writings, including his books written in Tibetan language: For freedom I have no regret and The courage of Rangdrol, as well as articles posted on the Internet such as Conflict and Resolution: A Response to Liu Junning, which is a rumination of Chinas ethnic policies, and Tonight, I am in the Grasslands of my Hometown, which is a critique of the Chinese governments resettlement of Tibetan nomads.

    This is the second time Druklo has been targeted by the Chi-nese authorities. On April 6th, 2010, while he was still attend-ing the Northwest University for Nationalities in Lanzhou, Druklo was detained with a fellow student Teurang, for co-editing the banned literary magazine The Shar Dungri (East-ern Snow Mountain) in which articles touching on the 2008 protests in Tibetan areas of China had been published. The authorities accused him at the time of having been in contact with the Tibetan Youth Congress, a Tibetan exile organization. He was eventually released on May 8th, 2010.

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    Group 48's membership fee is due every January. If you join Group 48 after January in any given year, we appreciate you pay the full membership fee at the time you join us or you have the choice to pay in January of the following year. Please send a check or money order payable to Amnesty International Group 48 and the form below to our treasurer: Tena Hoke, 5026 SE 46th Ave, Portland OR 97206. None of your contact information will be shared with any other organization. If you wish to pay online, go to: http://aipdx.org/donate/

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    SUDAN: Urgent Action - Detained Human Rights Activist Risks TortureBurundi: Brutal clampdown on human rights in run-up to the electionsINDONESIA: Urgent Action - Two Still At Risk Of Imminent ExecutionPARAGUAY: Urgent Action - Life Of A Pregnant 10-Year-Old Girl At RiskTIBET: Urgent Action - Disclose Whereabouts of Tibetan WriterSUDAN: Urgent Action - Detained Human Rights Activist Risks TortureBurundi: Brutal clampdown on human rights in run-up to the electionsINDONESIA: Urgent Action - Two Still At Risk Of Imminent ExecutionPARAGUAY: Urgent Action - Life Of A Pregnant 10-Year-Old Girl At RiskTIBET: Urgent Action - Disclose Whereabouts of Tibetan WriterGroup 48 Membership