Posted February 2, 2013 So Brazil is trying to stimulate economic growth by building dams and roads. As a part of this, they have been building the Belo Monte Dam, a hydroelectric dam meant to provide more people with electricity. Sounds all good, right? Well, the building of the dam invades on the home of the Kayapo, and indigenous people along the Xingu river there. Article with some stuff on this: http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2013/01/...h_the_past.html and http://natureneedshalf.org/the-kayapo-indi...us-territories/ Here's an interview that Chief Raoni did in Paris about the various struggles his people already face: http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/...it-paris-147257 Continued building of the Dam has been approved. To go forward, they are pushing the Kayapo out of their home. Displacing them. Forcing them away. This is something they've been fighting for a long time: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/en...nte-dam-amazon/ It's not a pretty process. http://amazonwatch.org/work/belo-monte-dam This is important, so I'm quoting. In order to feed the powerhouse of the Belo Monte dam complex, up to 80% of the Xingu River will be diverted from its original course, causing a permanent drought on the river's "Big Bend," and directly affecting the Paquiçamba and Arara territories of the Juruna and Arara indigenous peoples. To make this possible, two huge canals 500 meters wide by 75 km long will be excavated, unearthing more land than was removed to build the Panama Canal. Belo Monte's two reservoirs and canals will flood a total of 668 km2 of which 400 km2 is standing forest. The flooding will also force more than 20,000 people from their homes in the municipalities of Altamira and Vitoria do Xingu. Hydroelectric energy is touted as both a solution to Brazil's periodic blackouts and as a "clean development" approach to global climate change. However, Philip Fearnside of the National Amazon Research Institute (INPA) has calculated that the forests flooded by Belo Monte's reservoirs will generate enormous quantities of methane, a greenhouse gas that is 25 times more potent than CO2. Belo Monte will also attract 100,000 migrants to the region. However, at the height of construction, only 40,000 jobs – only 2,000 of them long-term – will have been created. The remaining labor pool will be driven to resort to illegal logging and cattle ranching, the two main causes of deforestation in the Amazon. In addition, new migrants could fuel social tensions as they look for work, pushing into indigenous territories and protected areas to carve out a livelihood. Meanwhile, the needs of those who do find jobs will add pressure to an already weak infrastructure and social services in the largest cities. For the Xingu's poor farmers, temporary employment created by the dam is not a viable replacement for lost agricultural lands and the river's fish supply. Considered an "obstacle" to business interests, indigenous peoples are particularly vulnerable. Mega-projects typically confront indigenous communities with disease, loss of food and clean water sources, cultural disintegration and human rights abuses by illegal loggers, migrant workers and land speculators. The indirect and long term impacts of Belo Monte are of even greater concern as other unsustainable industries such as aluminum and metal refineries, soy plantations, logging, and mining expand into the area. There are other routes Brazil could take to achieve more electricity access and such. WWF-Brazil released a report in 2007 stating that Brazil could cut its expected demand for electricity by 40% by 2020 by investing in energy efficiency. The power saved would be equivalent to 14 Belo Monte hydroelectric plants and would result in national electricity savings of up to R$33 billion (US$19 billion).2 Retrofitting existing hydroelectric infrastructure would also add thousands of megawatts to the energy grid without needing to dam another river. A first step would be to reduce the startling amount of energy lost during transmission, replace energy-inefficient household products, and update old and failing generators. Rather than invest in large, inefficient dams, Brazil has the potential to be a global leader in energy efficiency and renewables such as wind and solar power, conserving the Amazon ecosystem and drastically cutting greenhouse gas emissions. But Brazil seems intent on going through with this. As I said, people like the Kayapo are being forced away from their home. Here is Chief Raoni learning of his and his people's fate: And when I say forced, I mean forced: To be honest, I don't know if we can do anything to help or what we can do to help at this point. I just wanted to spread awareness and perhaps spark discussion. What's happening here should be known. We can't just ignore stuff like this. I understand that countries grow and expand, but we're already screwing ourselves over environmentally with global warming. Do we really need to treat our neighbors like this in the process to further destroy ecology? Can we not respect cultural differences and share nature and supplies and technology and space - do we really just need to force uniformity and globalization like this? What are your thoughts? Share this post Link to post
Posted February 2, 2013 Well, all I'm going to say is that this is cruel and this shouldn't happen... They should at least get a say in what happens and all that jazz. /short and boring post is short and boring. Share this post Link to post
Posted February 2, 2013 This is quite heartbreaking. But unfortunately, this kind of injustice is human nature. It will never get better. People did these kind of things centuries ago, they do it today (in an age where we consider ourselves 'civilized' and 'advanced'), and they will do it centuries into the future. :/ It's partly done because they know they can get away with it (like a bully who bullies someone 'weaker' and never gets punished for it), the rest is selfishness born out of a desire to survive (the survival instinct) and thus to put the well-being and the future of the self (and one's own community) over the well-being of other people and other communities. That well-being and future is secured by lots of money (-> strong economy) of course, and they will literally mow down everything and everyone for that money. It's about you vs. me, it's a dog eat dog world. And in that sense, as a species we have still barely risen above from the primitive urges and instincts that we had when we were living in nature like our ancestors did. It's not going to get better.... for a very long time.... if at all. :/ In a nutshell: this is quite heartbreaking, but I feel powerless and pessimistic about this. I wish it could be better and be reversed, but knowing human nature and how hard it is to fight against a majority when you're a minority, I have little to no faith that this could ever get turned around. Share this post Link to post
Posted February 3, 2013 That is very true, Duysterwald. An eloquent summary of my feelings. =( Here's some more stuff: I don't have faith in petitions, but doesn't hurt to share: http://amazonwatch.org/take-action/stop-th...nte-monster-dam Related issues: Bolivian Government to Consult with Amazon Natives on Controversial Highway Police Oust Indigenous Group in Colombia Standoff New Amazon Highway Would Put Peru's Last Lost Tribes at Risk 'They're killing us!': World's Most Endangered Tribe Cries for Help And more. =\ Share this post Link to post
Posted February 3, 2013 I found that very distressing, heartbreaking I had no idea! Share this post Link to post
Posted February 3, 2013 I normally try to keep up to date on these sort of things, but I had no idea about this. Just terrible... I have no words. It's just wrong. Signed the petition, though I doubt their usefulness as well. Share this post Link to post
Posted February 3, 2013 Unfortunately millions of animals and plants, many endangered, will be affected, as well... I signed the petition... we need to stop ruining this planet. Share this post Link to post
Posted February 4, 2013 I normally try to keep up to date on these sort of things, but I had no idea about this. Just terrible... I have no words. It's just wrong. Signed the petition, though I doubt their usefulness as well. Exactly why I wanted to spread the word here. Even people who follow this kind of stuff are not hearing about this and that just doesn't sit right with me. D: Unfortunately millions of animals and plants, many endangered, will be affected, as well... Yeeeeep. There are absolutely devastating consequences all around. =( Share this post Link to post
Posted February 4, 2013 I guess because I live near Dallas, we always hear about people wanting to do things like change the Redskins name, due it being offensive. But, nothing about this at all. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Sending the link around to friends here too. Share this post Link to post
Posted February 6, 2013 I really hate the way humans treat others sometimes. Even the leader of my horses shows the lowest-ranking one compassion sometimes. Why can't the "higher species" as we call ourselves do the same? I've never liked the idea of forcing native tribes and such to leave their home or die as we ruin it. Even if some government has legal jurisdiction to the land, we should at least show the inhabitants respect and care for them. Humanity isn't going to change though. Pity. Share this post Link to post
Posted February 6, 2013 Even if some government has legal jurisdiction to the land, we should at least show the inhabitants respect and care for them. Said governments only have legal jurisdiction over the land because they stole it. Showing the natives respect is the least they can do. Share this post Link to post
Posted February 6, 2013 Thanks for posting this, Sock. I signed the petition. Why do people refuse to learn the lessons that both history and science make so clear? Greed is an insane killer. Share this post Link to post
Posted April 21, 2013 Links may contain language but all else should be appropriate for the board. Many images and stories are shocking. I've tried to include trigger warnings, but do be warned: these posts talk about racism, military violence, evictions, torture, inhumane conditions, violent medical procedures, abuse, and prison. If you need to skip something, please do. Changed the title of this thread because I have all sorts of happenings from not in the USA that I want to share, but I know the threads won't get many replies. Other people, please share anything you want as well. Discussion and critical thinking encouraged. We started with Brazil, so let's start with them again: Brazil! Here's the original story leading to the next one: Police Forcefully Evict Native Brazilian Squatters After Long Resistance Police evicted two dozen Amazon natives on Friday from an old native museum that will be demolished to clear areas adjacent to Brazil’s legendary Maracana soccer stadium, the main venue for next year’s World Cup. The natives from different Amazon tribes had been living on the grounds of the Rio de Janeiro museum since 2006 and were resisting its demolition, which caused further delays to the overhaul of the stadium complex. Riot police handcuffed the natives, some of whom wore feathered headdresses and body paint, and used tear gas to disperse street demonstrations by sympathizers trying to block the eviction. The museum area was originally planned to become a parking lot for the stadium, but after the protests Rio authorities decided to build a sports museum on the site. The Indians were taken to alternative housing provided by the city. Here's what the scene looked like [TW military violence]: http://24.media.tumblr.com/ae986f413632c7d...vpxio1_1280.jpg http://25.media.tumblr.com/0adc934fa6e2ef0...vpxio8_1280.jpg http://24.media.tumblr.com/e88ea4fb8d22aa5...vpxio2_1280.jpg http://25.media.tumblr.com/f9ab3d2776d5afc...vpxio4_1280.jpg http://24.media.tumblr.com/c9bce5e8f07168b...vpxio9_1280.jpg http://24.media.tumblr.com/882b86de0827acc...vpxio3_1280.jpg http://25.media.tumblr.com/df716334d225ae0...vpxio7_1280.jpg http://25.media.tumblr.com/018e1b951a2badf...vpxio5_1280.jpg http://25.media.tumblr.com/87e71d4c41245ae...vpxio6_1280.jpg From tumblr reblogs and such may contain language: [TW evictions, military violence] Here is the documentary. Thirteen minutes and well worth watching: Brazil’s Government Is Evicting People And Tearing Down Homes In Preparation For The Olympics And World Cup You may have heard about the dozens of indigenous people being evicted from an abandoned native museum just a weeks ago. The museum area was originally planned to become a parking lot for the stadium, but after the protests Rio authorities decided to build a sports museum on the site. Unfortunately, the violent evictions didn’t end their. In Rio de Janeiro, entire families are being kicked out their houses and watch as their homes are destroyed. “We’ve been living here for 30 years and now we have nowhere to go”, says Maria Estele, whose family is being evicted from their home. Behind the grand plans for stadiums, tourist attractions and new transport links lie whole communities being forcefully removed, often with less than 24 hours notice. “They call us invaders. We are workers of this city and we should have land rights”, says Altair Guimaraes, who has mobilised mass support with fellow residents. Please watch this documentary and spread the info. - For me, the most striking part of the video was when the government official outright said "Let them scream, and we'll go ahead" because this is just so representative of just how our governments see us (USA - this is how our government literally sees us and them): they are the calm, organized force for good and the people are just some hysterical, unorganized rabble and they don't have to listen to us because they 'don't know what we want'. You can see in the video that these people were given no warning, threatened against using any legal action, and given poor compensation that doesn't cover the cost of a new house along with offered housing that many of them aren't eligible to receive. The one housing group is organized enough they may be able to save their homes, but we'll see. Movements like this usually take years to accomplish anything. =X Next up: Venezuela! While the Boston bombing was going down, Venezuela was becoming a dictatorship. This was the scene in Venezuela [TW military, some blood]: http://24.media.tumblr.com/bd6be95a4a72b98...yjhpo1_1280.jpg http://25.media.tumblr.com/1f96b146612a79e...e3bpo1_1280.jpg http://24.media.tumblr.com/8a4245af94beb2a...je3bpo2_400.jpg http://25.media.tumblr.com/4f050065d12a6b1...je3bpo3_400.jpg http://24.media.tumblr.com/db01de5042fd71e...je3bpo4_250.jpg http://25.media.tumblr.com/e41d844ef563121...je3bpo5_250.jpg http://24.media.tumblr.com/e5f8d4b2549b2cb...bpo6_r1_250.jpg Blood: http://25.media.tumblr.com/6e5ee9a4cd55054...bpo7_r1_500.jpg http://25.media.tumblr.com/3b9efa6feb5e6ef...bpo8_r1_400.jpg Blood: http://25.media.tumblr.com/4601d78528e3d8c...po9_r1_1280.jpg What happened, you ask: This is happening right now in my country Venezuela. All around the country Militaries are killing people just because we are defending what is Good. We want justice! We were doing a pacific protest and then they came and started to shoot and use gas against people and the government says that people need to show respect for the militaries. People are being seriously injured and murdered. Respect? Democracy? Peace? NICOLAS YOU ARE NOT MY PRESIDENT YOU COWARD. ‘The CIA has been trying to destabilise Venezuela,’ Gonzalez said. ‘They want us to pump more oil so prices will be lower. They have no moral capacity to make statements about our democracy.’ The US quickly congratulated Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto after his election in 2012, despite widespread accusations of fraud, including ballot-stuffing, and well-documented cases of voters being given grocery vouchers in exchange for voting for Nieto’s party. From: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/...6504879826.html The US has a long history of intervening in Latin American presidential elections and it’s just hypocritical and ridiculous for this country to pretend they care about democracy or fair elections. So basically, nobody really believes their President-Elect was actually or fairly elected, so the citizens took to protesting, demanding recounts, and such, and the military responded thusly. It's a pretty scary scene. I've received no updates since that first day when these pictures came out. Went looking and this was the best I could find: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/20/world/am...be-audited.html President Nicolas Maduro has been sworn in and there's been a promise to look into the election for any suspicious activity. I fear for the people over there who were protesting and perhaps in jail now. I hope to receive more updates on tumblr from people who were involved. I have not looked into the President for myself, though, which I plan to rectify soon. And let's end this post with the USA and Gitmo or Guantanamo Bay! To start off: [The US] likes to talk about the rule of law and how we’re the champion of the rule of law, but at Guantanamo we’ve completed a grand total of 7 trials in a dozen years, out of 779 people. -Col. Morris Davis from Many Gitmo Detainees will never even be charged but may also never be released Gitmo is a disgusting pit of USA based terrorism. =\ I'm extremely beyond disappointment that Obama broke his promise and decided to let Gitmo go on as is. From tumblr [TW torture, violence, prison]: http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lx66idmH...4xznko1_500.jpg Above is a picture of Omar Khadr, abducted at 15, now 25 years old, he has spent a third of his life at Guantánamo Bay for a crime he never committed. “Khadr is accused of throwing a grenade that killed a U.S. soldier in 2002 and conspiring with Al Qaeda. There is no credible evidence to substantiate the charges, some of which date to when he was 11 years old. Charges were not even brought against him until 2007. If convicted, the Obama administration will seek a life sentence for Khadr, prosecutor David Iglesias indicated. Army Col. Pat Parrish, the tribunal’s presiding judge, on Monday denied defense appeals to bar confessions Khadr made under torture. In hearings held in May an unnamed U.S. military officer admitted that his interrogation unit threatened to gang rape and kill Khadr if he did not cooperate with an interrogation session at Afghanistan’s notorious Bagram air base in 2002. A U.S. military psychiatrist has said that Khadr, who has now spent a third of his life at Guantánamo, is under extreme psychological stress after years of living through torture, abuse and appalling conditions. He has been subjected to stress positions, beatings, humiliations—including being used as a “human mop” to clean up urine, threatened attack with dogs, long periods of extreme isolation and sensory as well as sleep deprivation. (Read more here) How come we barely hear about cases like these in the news? If it happend to a white christian male, we would constantly hear about it, but when it happens to a muslim from Afghanistan, silence. Omar Khadr has himself said: Khadr wrote to his Canadian attorney Dennis Edney, on May 27. “And if the world doesn’t see all this, to what world am I being released to? A world of hate … and discrimination.” Lt. Col. Frakt has said: “It is appalling that the Obama administration is allowing charges to go forward in the military commissions against Omar Khadr. Clearly, Omar Khadr, as a juvenile of 15 at the time of his alleged offences, could not be tried as an adult in federal court, so they are allowing him to be tried as an adult in the military commissions, potentially making him the first child soldier to be tried and convicted as a war criminal in world history.” (Read more here) ~ Have you heard about the hunger strikes? [TW hunger strikes, Gitmo] From tumblr: http://25.media.tumblr.com/bc3dc61d87042c6...6m2leo1_500.jpg 100+ Guantanamo inmates on hunger strike, possibly in grave condition March 12, 2013 Lawyers for Guantanamo Bay inmates have claimed “all but a few men” are on a hunger strike over their Qurans being taken away. The condition of the strikers “appears to be rapidly deteriorating and reaching a potentially critical level,” they said. Most of 130 people housed in Camp 6 of Guantanamo Bay may be involved in the strike. “My client and other men have reported that most of the detainees in Camp 6 are on strike, except for a small few who are elderly or sick,” Pardiss Kebriaei, a New York lawyer representing Yemeni detainee Ghaleb Al-Bihanim, told AFP. Men have reported coughed up blood, lost consciousness and were forced to move to other wings of the facility for observation. The first reports of the widespread hunger strike in Guantanamo emerged in early March. The protest was allegedly sparked by interference with the inmates’ personal belongings. “Since approximately February 6, 2013, camp authorities have been confiscating detainees’ personal items, including blankets, sheets, towels, mats, razors, toothbrushes, books, family photos, religious CDs, and letters, including legal mail; and restricting their exercise, seemingly without provocation or cause,” the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) said in a March letter to the US Military. They added that men’s Qurans were confiscated in a “desecrating”manner, and that prayer time was not respected. Most, if not all, of the Guantanamo detainees come from the Middle East, and are devout Muslims. Prison officials have acknowledged that the hunger strike is taking place. However, they deny that it is a large-scale event: Nine detainees are refusing food, five of whom are being fed through tubes inserted into their stomachs, according to Robert Durand, director of public affairs for the Joint Task Force Guantanamo. Durand also said that the claims of desecration of the Quran were unfounded. “To be clear: there have been no incidents of desecration of the Quran by guards or translators, and nothing unusual happened during a routine search for contraband,” he told AFP. Guantanamo Bay is a US Military prison facility opened on the wake of 9/11, as part of the George W. Bush administration’s ‘War on Terror.’ The prison currently holds 166 people, many of whom have spent over a decade there without official charges brought against them. Washington has alleged the inmates are terrorists who plotted or acted against the American people. Guantanamo Bay became a source of heated public debate after it was revealed that US forces had tortured detainees. Barack Obama promised to close the facility at the beginning of his first term as president, but the facility remains open. Source: http://rt.com/news/guantanamo-massive-hunger-strike-142/ [TW hunger strikes, torture, inhumane conditions] Guantanamo Hunger Strikers Denied water, heat: lawyers Prisoners taking part in a growing hunger strike at Guantanamo Bay complained Thursday that their handlers have denied them drinking water and kept their cells at “extremely frigid” temperatures. US attorneys claimed Thursday that the allegations were “false,” as they urged the US District Court in Washington to dismiss the emergency motion filed by Yemeni prisoner Musaab al-Madhwani. Madhwani, who has been held at the US naval base in southern Cuba for 11 years, is demanding “emergency humanitarian relief” in the form of drinking water and clothing to keep warm, according to his complaint. The detainee is only drinking water and not eating food as he is participating in a hunger strike that began seven weeks ago after a routine inspection during which prisoners claimed guards had mishandled their Korans. The US military said the Korans were in no way desecrated. Military officials said only Muslim translators at the camp handle copies of Islam’s holy book. Thirty-one detainees out of a total population of 166 are participating in the hunger strike, believed to be unprecedented in its scope and duration. Among the hunger strikers, 11 are being fed using a feeding tube. Prison authorities have denied Madhwani and other detainees access to potable water for at least three days, according to his complaint. “When Musaab and his fellow prisoners requested drinking water, the guards told them to drink from the faucets,” it added, noting that tap water at Guantanamo is not potable and residents there only drink bottled water. “The lack of potable water has already caused some prisoners kidney, urinary and stomach problems.” In addition, for the 10 days that preceded the filing, “prison authorities have maintained the air conditioning at extremely frigid temperatures, much colder than ever before,” Madhwani’s lawyers wrote to the court. “The cotton clothing provided to Musaab is insufficient to keep him warm under these super-cooled conditions.” The lawyers express concern that the lack of potable water could cause the prisoner “serious and potentially life-threatening physical harm,” and accused the jailers of imposing the harsher conditions “in an attempt to break the hunger strike.” “My clients are resolved to hunger strike until the military meets their demands, and are willing to risk death to achieve their goals,” said David Remes, who represents 15 Guantanamo detainees currently on hunger strike. “The military should not force-feed them to keep them alive or take other steps to pressure them into ending their hunger strike, such as by freezing them in their cells, withholding water or placing them in solitary confinement.” [TW hunger strikes, talk of death, abuse, violent medical techniques] Hunger strikers ready for death: lawyer His body ravaged and weakened by a 50-day hunger strike staged in protest at alleged mistreatment of Korans at Guantanamo jail, Abd al-Malik Abd al-Wahab has a message for his loved ones. “Tell my family if I die to forgive me,” said Abd al-Wahab, a 33-year-old Yemeni national who has spent 11 years — or a third of his life — behind bars at the controversial US detention facility in Cuba. Abd al-Wahab, whose comments were relayed to AFP by his lawyer, is among dozens of detainees who are staging a hunger strike at the military prison amid allegations — vehemently denied by US officials — that guards improperly handled Korans during searches in February. The scale of the protest is hotly disputed by officials at the camp and rights lawyers acting for detainees. Several attorneys representing prisoners say the majority of the estimated 130 prisoners at Guantanamo’s Camp 6 wing, which houses “low-value” detainees, are on hunger strike. US authorities put the number of hunger strikers at 37, a four-fold increase since the first tally released on March 11. Navy Captain Robert Durand, a spokesman for the prison, said 11 of the hunger strikers were being fed with feeding tubes, while two of those had been hospitalized for rehydration and observation. For David Remes, a lawyer representing 15 detainees, including 13 hunger strikers, the protest at the prison is “is unprecedented in its scope, in its duration, in its determination.” Remes spoke to Abd al-Wahab and another prisoner he represents, Uthman Uthman (formal name: Uthman Abd al-Rahim Muhammad Uthman), for approximately an hour and a half via telephone on Friday. The lawyer was adamant that the hunger strikers are prepared to die unless there are changes to the protocols that govern how Korans are handled at the jail. Uthman has lost more than 20 kilograms (44 pounds) since starting the strike. “It’s the ultimate expression of desperation,” said Remes. “It’s a matter of personal autonomy… the detainees are determined to take it all the way unless the military stops searching their Korans.” Uthman, meanwhile, said prisoners at Guantanamo had little faith in the camp’s new commander and did not trust International Committee of the Red Cross monitors who had visited them. “Nobody would talk to them,” Uthman was quoted as saying by Remes. Abd al-Wahab, meanwhile, told Remes that detainees feel “death is with them, death is coming to them” after more than seven weeks on hunger strike. He insisted that the only way a resolution can be found is if US authorities change the procedures for handling Korans. “I don’t want them to insult it (the Koran) even though I need it to live,” he told his lawyer. “We want a clear rule. No way we can hide anything in the Koran even if we wanted because the religion prohibits it.” Guantanamo officials have pointedly rejected suggestions that copies of the Koran have been mistreated at any time. In comments earlier this month, Durand said that there had been no incidents of desecration of the Koran by guards or translators, during a routine search for contraband. “No JTF-Guantanamo guard touches any detainee’s Koran at any time. The Koran is treated with the utmost respect,” he said. “We take allegations of Koran abuse seriously, and we also watch for manufactured claim of Koran abuse by detainees or outsiders.” [TW hunger strike, military violence] Gitmo prisoners clash with guards amid hunger strike - US military The US military says guards have clashed with prisoners at Guantanamo as officers were moving detainees from communal to single cells in attempt to end a hunger strike that started in February. The detainees used self-made weapons to resist the transfer, thus forcing guards to fire, the US military said in a statement. “Some detainees resisted with improvised weapons, and in response, four less-than-lethal rounds were fired,” Navy Captain Robert Durand said in a news release. Officials say no guards or detainees have been seriously injured. The reason for the move was explained because the detainees covered surveillance cameras, windows and partitions, preventing guards from observing them during a hunger strike that has been continuing for more than two months. “Round-the-clock monitoring is necessary to ensure security, order, and safety as detainees continued a prolonged hunger strike by refusing regular camp-provided meals,” Durand said. Each detainee has reportedly been medically checked after the sweep. The detention camp at the Guantanamo Bay US Naval Base in Cuba holds 166 men, most of them captured more than a decade ago in different counter-terrorism operations. Saturday’s early-morning sweep took place in Camp 6, a medium-security building where 80 to 100 detainees lived in cells that open into communal bays where they could eat, pray and watch television together. As part of the hunger strike, prisoners have been refusing to let food carts enter some of the bays. Lawyers say most of Gitmo inmates are currently participating in the hunger strike. The US administration, however, is only acknowledging 43 cases, including 11 people who are being force-fed liquid nutrients through tubes inserted into their noses and down to their stomachs. The hunger strike began in February in protest to the seizure of personal items from detainees’ cells. Some prisoners told their lawyers that their Qurans had been mistreated during the cell searches, which the US military denied. Lawyers say the hunger strike is caused by the fact that most detainees are held there without being charged, overwhelmed by the depressing feeling they may never leave the prison. Obama pledged to close the facility at the start of his first term, but has failed to do it so far. [TW hunger strikes, violent medical techniques] Gitmo is Killing me by Samir Naji ONE man here weighs just 77 pounds. Another, 98. Last thing I knew, I weighed 132, but that was a month ago. I’ve been on a hunger strike since Feb. 10 and have lost well over 30 pounds. I will not eat until they restore my dignity. I’ve been detained at Guantánamo for 11 years and three months. I have never been charged with any crime. I have never received a trial. I could have been home years ago — no one seriously thinks I am a threat — but still I am here. Years ago the military said I was a “guard” for Osama bin Laden, but this was nonsense, like something out of the American movies I used to watch. They don’t even seem to believe it anymore. But they don’t seem to care how long I sit here, either. When I was at home in Yemen, in 2000, a childhood friend told me that in Afghanistan I could do better than the $50 a month I earned in a factory, and support my family. I’d never really traveled, and knew nothing about Afghanistan, but I gave it a try. I was wrong to trust him. There was no work. I wanted to leave, but had no money to fly home. After the American invasion in 2001, I fled to Pakistan like everyone else. The Pakistanis arrested me when I asked to see someone from the Yemeni Embassy. I was then sent to Kandahar, and put on the first plane to Gitmo. Last month, on March 15, I was sick in the prison hospital and refused to be fed. A team from the E.R.F. (Extreme Reaction Force), a squad of eight military police officers in riot gear, burst in. They tied my hands and feet to the bed. They forcibly inserted an IV into my hand. I spent 26 hours in this state, tied to the bed. During this time I was not permitted to go to the toilet. They inserted a catheter, which was painful, degrading and unnecessary. I was not even permitted to pray. I will never forget the first time they passed the feeding tube up my nose. I can’t describe how painful it is to be force-fed this way. As it was thrust in, it made me feel like throwing up. I wanted to vomit, but I couldn’t. There was agony in my chest, throat and stomach. I had never experienced such pain before. I would not wish this cruel punishment upon anyone. I am still being force-fed. Two times a day they tie me to a chair in my cell. My arms, legs and head are strapped down. I never know when they will come. Sometimes they come during the night, as late as 11 p.m., when I’m sleeping. There are so many of us on hunger strike now that there aren’t enough qualified medical staff members to carry out the force-feedings; nothing is happening at regular intervals. They are feeding people around the clock just to keep up. During one force-feeding the nurse pushed the tube about 18 inches into my stomach, hurting me more than usual, because she was doing things so hastily. I called the interpreter to ask the doctor if the procedure was being done correctly or not. It was so painful that I begged them to stop feeding me. The nurse refused to stop feeding me. As they were finishing, some of the “food” spilled on my clothes. I asked them to change my clothes, but the guard refused to allow me to hold on to this last shred of my dignity. When they come to force me into the chair, if I refuse to be tied up, they call the E.R.F. team. So I have a choice. Either I can exercise my right to protest my detention, and be beaten up, or I can submit to painful force-feeding. The only reason I am still here is that President Obama refuses to send any detainees back to Yemen. This makes no sense. I am a human being, not a passport, and I deserve to be treated like one. I do not want to die here, but until President Obama and Yemen’s president do something, that is what I risk every day. Where is my government? I will submit to any “security measures” they want in order to go home, even though they are totally unnecessary. I will agree to whatever it takes in order to be free. I am now 35. All I want is to see my family again and to start a family of my own. The situation is desperate now. All of the detainees here are suffering deeply. At least 40 people here are on a hunger strike. People are fainting with exhaustion every day. I have vomited blood. And there is no end in sight to our imprisonment. Denying ourselves food and risking death every day is the choice we have made. I just hope that because of the pain we are suffering, the eyes of the world will once again look to Guantánamo before it is too late. Samir Naji al Hasan Moqbel, a prisoner at Guantánamo Bay since 2002, told this story, through an Arabic interpreter, to his lawyers at the legal charity Reprieve in an unclassified telephone call. Wondering about my comment on Obama? (Taken from tumblr) Not only has the facility remained open, Obama oversaw a $40 million renovation in July 2012. The prison has received more than $500 million in renovations since 9/11. Also, many Guantanamo detainees had been found to be innocent over the years, even though they served many years inside the prison. WikiLeaks released military files that revealed about 150 innocent men have been imprisoned in Guantanamo in the past few years. Most were Afghan or Pakistani farmers, drivers or working men who were arrested in an attempt at intelligence gathering & never had charges brought against them or were ever taken to court but held for lengthy periods of time. ~ And this is why I will never, ever, ever be for torture, disregard of warrants or a fair and speedy trial, or the call to violence. This is not okay. This is what the USA is doing to people, including innocent people. And it's not okay. Share this post Link to post
Posted April 21, 2013 So by 'foreign' are we talking about anything outside of the USA? Share this post Link to post
Posted April 21, 2013 I included Gitmo in here, so not really. Title suggestions welcome. It's just things really that US people don't think about because they happen elsewhere. [but yeah, basically US-based since we tend not to think outside of the US and I'm not sure how other countries are on this.] Apologies for the bad and narcissistic title. Definitely willing to take suggestions for a better one. Share this post Link to post
Posted April 21, 2013 Apologies for the bad and narcissistic title. Definitely willing to take suggestions for a better one. "World News" would be a more inclusive one; that way you won't upset anyone who actually does care that this sounds too American-centric, whereas I just found it funny :~) Share this post Link to post
Posted April 21, 2013 Duh. *facepalm* Thanks, updated. ~ I do have to apologize for shoving this on people all at once. I've been planning to do this for a while but school caught up to me, so I had a bunch of stories all at once. And of course, now I just saw this: [TW racial violence, death, shootings, massacre] Link contains pictures with blood. I don't think they're too gory not to be able to link, but do be warned if you can't stand that type of stuff. At least 28 immigrants shot at Greece strawberry plantation after not being paid for six months April 19, 2013 Greek police are hunting three strawberry plantation foremen, who are suspected of shooting nearly 30 workers, mostly Bangladeshi, after immigrants demanded wages they had not been paid for six months. Officials have promised “swift and exemplary” punishment for the three foremen who disappeared after the incident that took place on April, 17 in Nea Manolada, about 260km (160 miles) west of Athens. So far police arrested the owner of the farm, in the rural south of the country and a local man on suspicion of hiding the three foremen. The violence allegedly occurred when one of the supervisors opened fire on a crowd of about 200 foreign workers gathered to request their unpaid salaries. According to one of the immigrants, they were promised wages of 22 euros ($28.70) a day. “They keep telling us that we will get paid in a month, and this has been going on for more than a year,” Reuters quoted a man who refused to be identified. The conflict resulted in at least 28 people being injured. Seven Bangladeshi workers are still receiving treatment in local hospitals, but none of them has life-threatening injuries. The Greek government has condemned the “inhuman, unprecedented and shameful” shooting. “This unprecedented and shameful act is foreign to Greek ethics,” government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou said. At the same time, the country’s main labor union, GSEE, has accused the government of failing to properly investigate conditions at Manolada. “The criminal act in Manolada … shows the tragic results of labor exploitation, combined with a lack of control” [by the government labor inspectorate]”, a GSEE statement said. “In Manolada, and particularly in the strawberry plantations, a sort of state within a state has been created.” Wednesday’s attack has been called the worst of all recent attacks on migrant strawberry workers in Greece, the country that mostly Asian and African asylum seekers see as a gateway to the European Union. The Greek department of the Doctors of the World medical aid group suggested the shooting should be treated as a case of racist violence, a felony which carries more severe penalties. “The protracted financial crisis, combined with a constantly growing mood of xenophobia and tolerance for racist violence, is leading to incidents of barbarity and brutality that … insult Greece,” the group said. Following the violence, local supermarkets, Vasilopoulos and Chalkiadakis, announced that they would stop selling strawberries from the company that employed the alleged shooters. Activists are now calling for a boycott of what they call slavery, by not buying Manolada berries. “By boycotting #Manolada’s #bloodstrawberries you’re sending a clear message that you do not condone slavery,” reads the statement on Twitter. However, there are some who believe that illegally hired immigrant workers should be deported from crisis stricken Greece. With unemployment hitting a record 27 percent, anti-immigrant sentiment has been rising in the country. Right-wing extremist political party, Golden Dawn, which holds 18 seats of the 300-member Parliament, said in a statement Thursday that they “condemn those who illegally employ illegal immigrants, taking the bread away from thousands of Greek families.” “All illegal immigrants must be immediately deported,” it said. ~ So it seems migrant workers all over are treated pretty poorly. We exploit these people and for what? To make ourselves an extra buck? Pretty disgusting. We just watched a video on a migrant worker striker over here in the US to gain Mexican-Americans more rights - better wages and a labor union, for one. It took them years of actively protesting to get anywhere. I just don't understand how we can treat people so and think how they don't deserve rights or necessities for living and ignore them when they demand better treatment. And that these foremen went so far to slaughter that many people... Despicable. Seriously, unemployment is not the fault of immigrants. It's the fault of big corporations controlling government and taking their business off national soil in order to exploit workers elsewhere and whacking away at rights citizens do have so they don't have to pay high wages or support healthcare. >.> Share this post Link to post
Posted February 13, 2014 #prayforvenezuela Has anybody else been trying to follow what's happening in Venezuela? Here's what I gathered after scouring personal accounts of this on tumblr: Due to a tyrannical and oppressive government, students organized a protest to ask for a better future. At some point, pro-government groups armed by the government as well as police and National Guards showed up and then the violence started. At least 3 people have died and 23 were injured. I suspect the injury count is really low, but the Venezuelan government is not allowing any media to report on this. Yesterday, when the protest was mobilized was Youth Day. All channels except for one were reporting regular happy Youth Day stuff. The one channel that was reporting on the protests (NTN24, an international news channel) was quickly removed.. So Venezuelans have largely turned to the internet to try and spread their story. There's tons of pics up on tumblr, but I do warn you, there's lots of blood and gore and gun shot wounds. It's not easy to look at. There's videos of cops beating and robbing women up, accounts of hunger in Venezuela, and other text posts of what's going on in Venezuela and why they're doing it. Here's two personal accounts: I know that maybe I will lose lots of followers for this but, I need people to know what’s happening in my country, Venezuela right now. It is awful, we are doing protests against our corrupt government and they are killing our Protestants!! We had a rally today, to commemorate a national festivity and also to protest peacefully against the people in power. But as soon as the rally ended and people started living, some decided to stay and keep protesting till the end of the day, but they were soon attacked by military forces and other “authorities” that the government has implanted here. Those “authorities” are criminals. Criminals who were given the power to kill anyone they want. There are lots of dead and injured people getting rushed to the hospital as I post this, because the protests continue but now they are all around the country, to complain about the damage the government caused today. Most of the people who went out today were young university students who decided to go to the streets to ask for a better future, and some ended with none. Some of those young students ended up without a future to look at, because now they are dead. (I cut out the end which was just a cry to reblog and spread this information.) I’m venezuelan. My country has the potential to give every single one of us a great life style, but unfortunately, reality is far away from that. It’s extremely hard for us to find products like milk, butter, sugar, and many others. The thing is, when you finally find them, you can’t afford them because they’re too expensive. Here, everything is expensive. Besides, to actually buy one of the above, you have to stay on a line for hours, being treated like an animal by the police. In Venezuela, hunger, is a reality. But that’s just one thing. There are many othes that make it almost impossible to survive here. You can’t go to school, withtout being robbed, you can’t eat properly, and most importantly, you can’t say what you think. This is a dictatorship. Right now people are being killed, college students are being killed and harmed because they organized protests to complain about insecurity. But, who is doing that? Who could kill future doctos and engineeers? The venezuelan government. Why? Because they hate it when we express ourselves, that’s why I’m not giving out my name. The government censored almost eleven venezuelan tv channels and radio stations, so they they wouldn’t show the protests. And we don’t have any other way to tell the world what’s happening here, besides the internet. Most part of venezuelans don’t even know this is real. YOU can help us. Share these pictures, tell our story. Make sure everyone knows what’s happening here. Three kids died today fighting for my country, and YOU can make them count, because we’re counting on you. Here's the piece BBC wrote on it: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-26166094 Share this post Link to post
Posted December 9, 2015 So i'm reviving this thread that i didn't find when i posted a new news thread, because i'm on really bad terms with the search function....I'm soo sorry Sock! If no one else is interested in sharing news, i'll just put mine here. I probably will not go into deep and will not comment the news, just write the headlines. I'm really interested to see, if the news are all the same, or if it's different for different countries/ continents. Here's what was of interest yesterday in the german TV: Donald Trump from US proposed, that muslim people should be prohibited to enter the US... The pope opened the "Holy Year" in Rome as a "Signal of mercy for the world" Massive smog in Bejing Critic concerning the departement for refugees, because the departement works to slow and people have to wait weeks in the cold before they get to fill in their forms report about the actual Champions league soccer (german Fussball/football) games The "Eagles of Death Metal" had a very emotional performance with U2 Todays news in the TV: After 2 and a half year without saying anything, Beate Zschäpe, accussed of working with the nationalistic "NSU" Terror group, who murdered 10 people between 2000 and 2007, finally let her lawyers read a statement about her role in the group. She denied knewing about the murders being planned. The german ministerium for transportatin stated that there are probably not so many vehicles affected by the VW exhaust scandal as feared before. The 3rd assassin from the assault on the "Bataclan" club in Paris has been identifird as the 23 year old Foued Mohamed Aggad from Straßburg. The number of registrated refugees in germany has reached 1.000.000 people. Russian president Wladimir Putin recived the blackbox from the jet that was shot down by Turkey military. Now, i'm curious.....let me hear your news! Share this post Link to post
Posted December 10, 2015 And what's the news today Dec. 10th in Germany? Two reconnaissance jets have started to Syria, to help the troups in their fight against the IS. The World Climatic Conference in Paris is still discussing the amount and the mode of financial help for third-world- countries. According to the plans the 196 participating countries should agree on a contract this Friday. A cold weather front has blown away the Smog from Bejing. Diverse political debattes on the SPD party convention in Berlin. CSU minister for development calls for help from all european countries: he wants a refugee financial fond from all member countries, to help the people in their home countries. this list is of course just an extract from all the news i found today.Feel free to add. Share this post Link to post
Posted July 24, 2016 In South Korea, one of main issue in these days is THAAD. Someone who lives in place where THAAD will be placed appealed their refusal in violent way. http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/militar...-site/87130442/ Their protest in Seoul was peaceful though. And US military opened their THAAD base to Korean journalist. http://www.kuam.com/story/32475094/2016/07...-missile-system China always deny this because its rader range will be includes their territory. http://www.defenseworld.net/news/16609/Chi...otential_Threat Article about arguments about THAAD in Korea. http://www.voanews.com/content/south-korea...od/3428548.html Share this post Link to post
Posted August 14, 2016 "Over 7,000 people have been rescued and over 5,000 people are in shelters unable to return to their homes. In addition, over 1,000 drivers are stranded on Interstate 12 between Baton Rouge and Slidell, who today received supplies flown in via helicopter. AT&T service has been down throughout the Baton Rouge metro area. One of my former professors told me he’s been living in Louisiana for 44 years, and has never witnessed flooding this severe. In Denham Springs (about 10 miles from Baton Rouge), the Amite river is currently at 46′ and rising. Flood stage for the river starts at 29′. This is bad, really bad. Places that only flood once every 500 years are flooding. Unfortunately, these are also places where people don’t have flood insurance because they don’t live in a flood plain. There was no warning for this, at least with hurricanes we can see them coming and have time to prepare or evacuate. Please, if you can, donate to the victims through the Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/local/louisiana Or, if you are interested in helping with post-flood disaster assistance, please sign up with Volunteer Louisiana: http://www.volunteerlouisiana.gov/ " Post includes pics of the flooding: http://almalexias.tumblr.com/post/14894116...rst-flooding-in Share this post Link to post
Posted August 15, 2016 My entire paternal extended family lives in the Baton Rouge/Denham Springs/Walker area of Louisiana. My cousin and his children had to swim out of their apartment complex to reach safety and my aunt has standing water 6 inches deep under her carport (luckily her house is elevated, but that's no guarantee of safety). Please donate to the Red Cross if you can, it's really really bad out there. Share this post Link to post
Posted August 16, 2016 My entire paternal extended family lives in the Baton Rouge/Denham Springs/Walker area of Louisiana. My cousin and his children had to swim out of their apartment complex to reach safety and my aunt has standing water 6 inches deep under her carport (luckily her house is elevated, but that's no guarantee of safety). Please donate to the Red Cross if you can, it's really really bad out there. Geez. I'm glad your family managed to get out safely. <3 Share this post Link to post
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