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COLUMBIA-LAUREL CHAPTER
General
The Columbia-Laurel Chapter of Amnesty International USA (Chapter 228)
meets at 7:30 on the third Tuesday of each month in the WildeLake Interfaith Center, Columbia,
MD. The meetings are usually concerned with specific cases, as well as with particular concerns
of the organization. The Chapter prints a monthly newsletter, Amnesty News.Sample issue At
the June, 2006, meeting the following officers
were chosen:
Coordinator and treasurer: Amrit Baruah
Chairman and webmaster: Robert Steiner
Links to Other Amnesty Groups
This is the site for Amnesty 109, the Baltimore Amnesty group.
This is the main Amnesty site for the U.S.
This is the website for Howard County Friends of Latin America.
This is the website for Amnesty Forums, to which it provides access for contributors.
New Prisonesr of Conscience<
Chapter 228 has recently (November, 2005) been assigned two new Prisoners of Conscience from Papua, Indonesia. These are Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage, both of Abepura, in Papua. Both are currently on trial in Jayapura on charges of rebellion and expressing hostility toward the state. They face maximum penalties of life imprisonment..
The only offense of these men is the purely symbolic raising of the Morning Star flag, symbol of Papuan independence on December 1, 2004. This commemorates the declaration of short-lived Papuan independence in 1962, which is still celebrated annually by some Papuans. This particular event was attended by about 200 Papuans.
The crowd was charged by police, who fired warning shots and struck people with batons. A monitor from the Institute for Human Rights Study and Advocacy was beaten by police as he attempted to photograph the ceremony. After the arrival of reinforcements, the police were able to disperse the crowd.
Filip Karma was arrested at the site. Yusak was arrested later as he went with a group to protest Karma's arrest. Both men have been declared Prisoners of Conscience by Amnesty International, since they have been imprisoned solely for expressing a political sentiment.
A sample letter is displayed in Current Letters.
For further information see KARMA
Recent Activities of Chapter 228
On February 17, 2004, Betsy Lamb, who participated in a protest at the School of the Americas in Fort Benning, Georgia, in November, 2003, delivered a talk about her experience. The talk took place at 7:30 at the Wilde Lake Interfaith Center, Columbia, MD. A summary is given here:
It went just great! There were five trial groups, the first three tried on Monday: those who pled guilty, those who pled not guilty but stipulated to the facts who were repeat line-crossers, and those like the 2nd group but who were first-timers. On Tuesday there was a full trial for those pleading not guilty and not stipulating and wishing counsel. (The attorney was getting into many minute and not-so-minute legal issues.) I was tried on Wednesday with the other four who wished to go "pro se", defending ourselves. The numerous supporters present said they found "our" day much more engrossing and enjoyable than the Tuesday trial. It was fun going pro se, for me it's a very empowering experience. (We had all the legal help we wanted right there for us, too.) We all had slightly different strategies. Mine was to be silent throughout the government's case, not crossexamining any of their witnesses (even though I had to force myself not to!), because I didn't want to be tried on the legal issues. The others, all of whom did some cross-examining, focused primarily on issues of significance to them (it's tricky because the government can object to these questions as irrelevant), rather than legal issues. At the end of the government case I simply made "a motion for judgment of acquittal" based on the lack of evidence presented in regard to the TRUE crime which generated the proceedings. As a defense, I made the statement more or less as I sent it to you, just introducing it with some biographical details and a bit about my struggle with legal strategy and determination to avoid whatever did not relate to the greater crime (of the SOA). In the govt cross examination I admitted to crossing the line then and in 2002. After the other four had their say in defense, we made concluding statements. I made a sentencing statement after the judge found me guilty, and then he sentenced me. The other four (all men) all chose to right into jail (except for one who had to return to jail since he'd never bonded out in Nov.). I then went for fingerprinting and photo, and a "pre-sentencing" interview with a probation officer, and now here I am!
On May 16, 2005, Chapter 228 sponsored a talk entitled "Liberty and the Imperial Presidency in the Age of Terrorism" by Gene Healy of the Cato Institute. Mr. Healy described some of the problems raised by some recent actions of the Bush administration, including the Patriot Act. It was made clear that, in many areas, the outlooks of Cato and Amnesty overlap.
On June 20, 2006, Chapter 228 hosted a talk by Jay Staunton of Human Rights First, entitled "Immigration and Human Rights." Mr Staunton focused upon the overlap of immigration and refugee questions. Other recent events: Lakeside events: On July 19, 2003, July 24, 2004, and July 16, 2005 Chapter 228 sponsored a table at Lake Kittimaquondi, Columbia as part of the annual Lakeside celebration. Information was dispensed about the activities of the chapter, as well as the goals of the parent Amnesty organization.
Other Amnesty picnics: On September 6, 2003, September 25, 2004, October1, 2005, and September 23, 2006 Chapter 228 sponsored a picnic, open to all, at Pavilion C in Centennial Park. In addition to the usual picnic activities, Amnesty literature was available.
Syrian Prisoner of Conscience
Chapter 228 was awarded (August, 2002) a prisoner of conscience, Riad al-Turk, whose action file is cited below. For details, consult Action File After many letters to Syrian officials and the Syrian Embassy, the release of Riad al-Turk was announced on November 18, 2002.
UDHR Commemoration of UDHR
On December 10, 1998, Chapter #228 joined other Human Rights groups in Howard County to present a program to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The meeting was held in the Florence Bain Center, Columbia, and featured three speakers. These were: Grahame Russell, director of Guatemala Partners; Ronald Hampton, executive director of the National Black Police Association; and Dr. Harold L. Williams, member of the Howard County Human Rights Commission. The talks were moderated by Jan Nyquist Dodi, Chair of the Howard County Human Rights Commission. Attendance was estimated as 135 by the Baltimore Sun.
A second program was presented at Florence Bain Center on December 11, 1999. This featured talks, a video, and a satirical "fashion show." It is hoped to make this an annual event.
A third program was presented at Florence Bain on December 9, 2000. The principal speaker was Police Captain G. Wayne Livesay of Howard County, who spoke on human rights from the police perspective.A fourth program was presented on December 8, 2001. The speakers included Harry Wu, from Laogai, who spoke of oppression in China and Tom Driver and Ann Barstow, from Union Theological Seminary, who spoke of human rights problems in Colombia. Attendance was very good, being estimated at more than 150. Certificates of Appreciation were awarded to longtime human rights workers Lane Hart and Robert Steiner.
A fifth program was presented on December 7, 2002, featuring three speakers whose common theme was state terrorism.
A sixth program was presented at the Ellicott City Senior Center on December 15, 2003, featuring two speakers, Sister Alice Zachmann and Orlando Tizon, who dealt with state terrorism in Latin America, including the systematic use of torture..Because of weather problems, Laura Slattery was unable to present her talk originally scheduled for December 6, 2003. However, she has provided the text, which is presented here.
The seventh program was presented at the Ellicott city Senior Center on December 4, 2004, with
speakers Dahlia Hashad, who spoke about human rights protection in a time of concern about
terrorism, and Betsy Lamb, who described her experience as a prisoner of conscience for her
School of the Americas picketing activities.
The eighth program was presented at the Florence Bain Senior Center on December 10, 2005.
The guest speakers were Ira Shorr and
Cory Smith.
40th Anniversary Concert
On October 13, 2001, at 8 PM, Chapter 228 sponsored a concert by the Columbia Orchestra at the Rouse Auditorium in Wilde Lake, Columbia. Brian Ganz was the guest pianist. The concert included works by Beethoven, Saint-Saens, and Gustav Holst. Afterwards there was a reception in honor of Brian Ganz, Orlando Tizon and Harry Wu.
Rwanda
On March 18, 1998, the Chapter viewed a video "Forsaken Cries: the Story of Rwanda" provided by the Mid-Atlantic regional office of AIUSA. The video dealt with the massacres of minority Tutsis by Hutus. Chris Bessey, a former Peace Corps volunteer in Rwanda, delivered an accompanying talk.
Death Penalty On Human Rights Day, December 11, 1997, the Chapter collected signatures on a petition to the Maryland House Judiciary Committee, which urged the formation of a fully funded commission to determine the extent to which racial factors influence the imposition of the death penalty in Maryland. The need for such a study is underlined by the disproportionate number of blacks on death row. Despite poor weather, over three dozen signatures were collected and transmitted to members of the Committee.
Korean Prisoner of Conscience The meeting of October 15, 1997, was largely devoted to the Chapter's prisoner of conscience, Lee Jang-hyong, who has been imprisoned by the Republic of Korea for 14 years on a dubious charge of espionage. Details of his trial and conviction have never been released. A petition on his behalf to the Korean embassy has been prepared and several dozen signatures have been collected and sent to both the current president and the president-elect. The president-elect, who was once a political prisoner himself, was felt to be more likely to be sympathetic to human rights issues. In an Amnesty report received March 16 it was learned that Lee was among five POC' s whose sentences were reduced.
Our efforts on behalf of Lee culminated on August 15, 1998, when his release was announced.
Romanian Victim On September 11, 1998, Chapter 228 was assigned a Romanian victim of police brutality, Adrian Matei, who was severely beaten by police in January, 1997. A major letter-writing campaign was launched in September. Letters were written to members of Parliament, senior government officials, and officials of the European Union. In February, 1999, word was received from the Romanian Ombudsman, Ruxandra Sabareanu, that Matei, who was alive and well, had commenced his own legal action against the Bucharest police.
Refugees Linda Rabben's umbrella refugee group held a joint meeting with Chapter 228 on August 20, 1998. The topics discussed included finding the best means of obtaining access to refugees held at the Howard County Detention Center, as well determining what services can be made available to them. On October 14, Ms. Rabben met with several Chapter members to plan a meeting with the director of the Howard County Detention Center. The meeting was held on December 17 and hopefully will lead to further meetings.
Membership Drive In conjunction with the national membership drive conducted in April, the Chapter organized two showings of the movie Calling the Ghosts, which deals with rape in Bosnia, on April 11 and 12.
Haiti Program On June 17, 1997, Chapter 228 co-sponsored, together with the Howard County Friends of Central America and the Caribbean, a talk and slide show by Dick Vanden Heuvel, a retired educator and soil scientist, about his visit last fall to Haiti. The purpose of his trip was to meet with peasant, union, human rights, and government groups who are trying to find ways to improve conditions in that country. The meeting was held in the East Columbia Branch Library at 7:00 PM.
Turkish Campaign In addition to individual activities of its members, this Chapter is currently focusing on Turkey and has assembled an archive on this country. At the meeting on April 17, 1996, our Chairman David Harris presented a video of an interview of Bill Schultz, AI's Executive Director, discussing Turkey on the TV program "60 Minutes". At some point in the future it is hoped to get a member of the Aegean Co-Group to talk with us at a monthly meeting. At our October 16, 1996, meeting, a planned visit to the Turkish embassy was discussed.
On November 14 the meeting took place. Lane Hart and Robert Steiner represented the Columbia Chapter and Kristina Loehr the National Organization. They met with Sina Baydur, who represented the embassy. The issues discussed included the erosion of personal liberties in Turkey, the frequent resort to extrajudicial measures, and the grave abuses in Turkish prisons. Ms. Baydur was supplied with details of the torture of three female inmates, with which she was unfamiliar. The delegation left with the feeling that, while no concrete changes were likely in the immediate future, a useful contact had been made.
Click here for information about the Amnesty campaign for human rights in Turkey
Click here for general background material on Turkey
Click here for material on mothers protesting "disappearance" of their sons
Click here for a representative case of torture.
Click here for background material on a continuing policy of denial in Turkey.
Click here for information about a major government scandal in Turkey, which links security officials with a known criminal.
The following hypertext link provides background information about Turkey, including external relations and human rights.