Last Meeting

NagaLand
There have been some developments in Nagaland. Two of the factions have been involved in negotiations and discussions to end the fighting between them that has claimed so many lives in this small nation.
Many problems face Nagaland in their attempts to win independence from India, but the lack of unity and tribal based factional violence between independence groups has made the task even more difficult.
These talks are a sign of hope for peacemakers and the general population.

East Timor
For those interested in East Timor there is a group that meets out of the Victorian office. There are other specialist groups dealing with women's issues, the religious network and a professionals group. If you have an interest in human rights in a particular area these groups can be an excellent way of following up this interest.
As a local-area based group, our group has a more general focus with a special interest in East Timor and Nagaland. If you are interested in different approaches ring the Victorian office for details on 9427 7055.

Movements of Members
Carly sent a greeting to all in the group. The joys of technology allow us to hear from members overseas, wherever they are! Richard we hope you are recovering from exam stress and see you at meetings soon.

Perception of Australia's changing approach from overseas
A view from the UN. The group heard news of Claire Harris, who was convenor of the group for many years and is now working in Geneva on the tribunal looking into war crimes in Bosnia. She gave her impression of what others are saying about Australia now and how we are being perceived overseas.
The Australian government appears to lack commitment to the UN at the committee level and its approach regarding asylum seekers and mandatory sentencing is seen as indicating an isolationist trend. At worst we are compared to the pre Mandela South Africa and run the risk of being regarded as a villain on the international stage.
An example was given of one Australian judge whose term is ending at the UN. He has not been renewed or replaced. No one knows whether the spot will be filled or not. Such work is vital to the globalization of justice; the setting of at least minimum standards for human behaviour and recognition of basic human rights the world over.
We hope that the government will reassess its position with regard to its international commitments.

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Candle Day!
Amnesty's major yearly fundraiser is upon us again. We need collectors at as many locations as possible to raise money for the year ahead and promote Amnesty's work.
Friday 20th October and Saturday 21st October
5 Boxes are still available at Marg and Nathan's 18 Surrey Road South Yarra. This year we are giving badges as thanks for donations. We are not selling badges! This is to avoid the need to charge GST on each badge.
If you have never collected before
We can arrange to share collecting. Richard would appreciate assistance at South Yarra Station Friday morning, especially between 7.30AM and 8.45AM. It gets very busy. Other locations covered so far are Phyllis at Balaclava station Friday morning.
Jude and Richard at Malvern Central on Saturday morning if clearance can be arranged, Glenferrie Rd Malvern otherwise. In the past Ackland Street St. Kilda has been very successful. If anyone can cover this, check with the branch office Hazel Maynard (or 9427 7055) that we have clearance then pick up your tray at Nathan and Margie's, or else you can pick up trays from the branch office (14 Risley Street Richmond North 3121) during working hours.
For more details please contact Richard or phone 0403 194 512 or Meg .
Hang on to the money you collect and any leftover badges and give it to Steve at the next meeting. If that is not convenient we can organize to pick it up for you

Ugent Actions
We have current Urgent Actions on East Timor and Aceh. If you are interested in pursuing these actions please contact Dayo and he can email this info to you. Please quote the numbers if you are interested.
UA 174/00 East Timorese refugees 100,000 without protection in West Timor following the withdrawal of humanitarian workers.
UA 283/00 Fear of disappearance in Aceh.
There are new Amnesty member ship forms available from the branch office with stands. These can be left around your workplace/ school/uni etc. Dayo is to investigate our next movie night with the Lumiere. If anyone has any time to assist in this please contact him.

Own Country Rule
We have received an update on this rule from the Victorian Office. The International Secretariat has changed the rule so that now individuals within countries can work on issues within their country.
The Secretariat distinguishes between working on individuals within your own country, which is not allowed, and general work on issues which is acceptable.
This does still raise several problems. It may be hard to explain to the individual on the street how you can retain your impartiality in working on general issues but not if working on individual cases. On the other hand, in circumstances where Amnesty has limited resources and volunteers is it sensible to make more use of local knowledge and commitment?
This is a difficult issue and we welcome your opinions on this matter.

Media Watch
There has been some criticism of Amnesty in the media by various members of parliament over the focus on Australia, the US and other Western countries. They argue that Amnesty should be focusing on countries where there are more serious abuses, like disappearances, torture and killings. But Amnesty in the past had been criticized for ignoring the wrongs of Western nations and the US campaign was particularly designed to combat these criticisms.
Despite the serious human rights abuses elsewhere we should not ignore those happening on our doorstep. Forced detention, the death penalty, unfair and inadequate trial processes, and many other type of abuses all endanger the freedoms that we often take for granted.
Human rights are universal rights and should be defended wherever they are under threat.

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Asylum Seekers
The campaign continues. There are further developments in domestic politics unfavourable to Australia's international obligations. These are worrying trends. There seems to be a lack of political will on the part of both major political parties to make human rights and international obligations a priority.
But this also raises the issue of what Amnesty's role is in these domestic situations. One of the Amnesty's basic rules is not to work on your own country. This is for the protection of members in places where they would be in physical danger. But it is also so Amnesty has credibility as a non-partisan, non-political organization. If we start working on our own issues such as mandatory sentencing and not ratifying treaties will we be seen as just another political pressure group and dismissed as being from a different political background? The asylum seekers issue was justified on the basis that people are coming from other countries where human rights abuses occur and therefore in being concerned for their rights it is not so much of a domestic issue but part of our international commitments.
We are checking with the Victorian office with their views on what is Amnesty's rightful role where it comes to local issues. Do you have any opinions on this matter? Please let us know and we can discuss them at our next meeting and if you are willing publish them in this newsletter. We are not trying to be controversial or push any point of view. It is perhaps just that this issue needs some consideration.

Urgent Actions
Apart from discussions about our domestic issues there are many Urgent Actions. In West Papua 36 people are missing after tension between Indonesian military and independence protesters. There are problems in Mexico and Saudi Arabia for immediate attention also. If you are interesting in receiving Urgent Actions speak to Dayo or Richard or ring the Victorian office on 9427 7055. You can have Urgent Actions sent direct to your residence.

Videos
We also watched an excellent video on the work of Amnesty that aired a month ago on Compass on the ABC. It showed the difficulties that face Amnesty in dealing with complex situations of conflict between different groups and factions like in Cambodia when each groups commits human rights violations. To try and impartially report on abuses when each group is trying to manipulate the circumstances for their own political ends is very difficult. One of the workers pointed out that groups only want to talk to Amnesty when they are out of power. Once in a stronger position access to officials is denied.
Then there was the example of working in Yemen where there is some government tolerance of Amnesty's work but cultural differences in punishment and accepted standards also make conditions difficult. One court case involving a man accused of drinking beer led to a mob attacking his lawyer, the judge, the accused and the Amnesty researcher who had come to observe the trial. When the verdict was against public punishment as the mob demanded they turned on the officials. Yet despite the daily personal threats people continue to work for human rights in the region. The video also gave the example of the US and their system of capital punishment and treatment of suspects in prison. The problem here is not active antipathy but indifference. Most of the general public support the death penalty and are not interested in stories of abuse and injustice. There were some parallels with Australia in that it is easy to point the finger at other nations and be complacent about your own country's record on human rights. But nothing should be taken for granted. Rights if not exercised and defended can easily be lost.
If you are interested in seeing the video there are copies available for borrowing from the Victorian office ph. 9427 7055.

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Asylum Seekers
This is the current campaign and we are happy to see that some sympathetic attention is being paid to this matter by responsible media organizations. Instead of the stigmatic “illegal immigrants” the term “asylum seekers” is being used more often. This recognizes the fact that it is part of conventions on human rights for individuals and groups to seek asylum from persecution. Australia's unique system of detention of asylum seekers is coming under increasing fire by community groups within Australia and from overseas. In response the government has been talking of scaling down its international commitments. Australia is a signatory to various conventions that guarantee the rights of people to seek asylum. The government is reconsidering its obligations under these treaties. Both the government and opposition who in essence support the system of mandatory detention need to be made aware that there is strong and vocal community commitment to human rights for all in this country, (not just those who can vote!)
Extra Information: Sorry to those who may have asked for more campaign information on this area and have not yet received it. If you are still interested in receiving a detailed campaign kit or just some extra background on the whole issue please contact Megan via email or phone 9543 1926.

Nagaland Update
Neichu Angami who spoke to us about her personal experiences being under army occupation in Nagaland in July has returned from Adelaide. We hope to see her at one of the pub nights soon. She talked of the latest killings in July; just as the ceasefire between the Indian army and one of the factions was due to expire. It was a tense situation for many days as violence escalated into retaliation between factions and the army, threatening the fragile efforts towards peace. But fortunately the peacemakers prevailed and another ceasefire was signed in the beginning of August. Many problems remain but there is a semblance of stability once more.

Office Holders
We now have a new convenor and treasurer, thankyou very much to Dayo for taking on the task of convenor and many thanks to Richard for his sterling work over years as temporary(?) convenor. But he does not get away without at least a semi official position – New Members Co-ordinator! Thankyou also to Steve for taking up the role of treasurer again and to Nathan for his efforts in keeping the books all this time. Megan remains secretary and will continue to produce this newsletter but if anyone has any news or matters of human rights interest that they think should be publicized please let us know so we can include them. This should be a newsletter for all members so any contributions will be gratefully accepted.

Asylum Seekers
We are hoping to meet with our local member Michael Danby about the oppositions position on asylum seekers as well as further updates on East Timor.

Fundraisers
Still hoping to get a film night organized for September! If anyone has any spare time to help, it just requires checking on Palace or Lumiere cinemas for availability and then emailing the list to see who can attend. Nathan is exploring the possibility of a pain-free fun run. We remain involved in the promotion of amnesty but don't have to organize the nuts and bolts of the event. Candle day is fast approaching and we need volunteers! If you can be available Friday or Saturday morning in October we need people to seek donations. The GST means that we are not selling badges but giving badges as a gift of appreciation for donations received. There are also Amnesty cards for sale, if interested contact Megan.

Last Meeting

Nagaland
Niechu Angami spoke to us about her homeland, Nagaland. It was a great opportunity to hear at first hand about the problems and complications of trying to live torn between the demands of the Indian military and the different underground factions.
Before the current fragile cease-fire killings, torture and abduction were a daily occurrence. But the situation has only improved marginally. Niechu told us of regular visits by security forces, invading houses late at night.
She had a coat that was suitable to be worn by men or women. One night when she was away, security forces raided her family home while only her grandmother was there. The forces refused to believe the coat was Niechu's and demanded to know where they were hiding a male fugitive. When she returned her grandmother told her to get rid of the coat because it was putting them all in danger!
Because Nagaland is classified by India under the Disturbed Areas Act the humblest member of the military has the right- on suspicion- to shoot anyone on sight. The Underground factions also make demands, such as for money. A relative of Niechu recently had to pay a large amount or they would abduct him. But that was only one faction and now he must pay again to another faction.
Niechu's office driver was also kidnapped. One minute Niechu was getting ready to leave and the next the car had been taken with the driver in it. Luckily in this case the driver eventually returned unharmed unlike others who have been killed or have simply disappeared.
The territory that makes up Nagaland is 60% in India (including some territory in other Indian states) and 40% in Burma. The latest moves towards achieving peace and independence have been a journey of conscience by non-factional groups such as the Mothers Union through India. These groups seek to publicize their situation and begin dialogue with non-governmental organizations and people in India.
Our group hopes that with this new direct contact we will be able to improve communication and documentation of human rights abuses in Nagaland so the International Secretariat can build up a dossier and bring the situation to the attention of members worldwide.

Nagaland Special Event
Hear Niechu Angami speak on her first-hand experience of human rights abuses and the struggle for justice and peace.
Nagaland, a territory in northern India, wants independence. But factional warfare and disputes within Nagaland and with the Indian army have taken a heavy toll. There have been killings, torture and other reports of violence. Attempts have been made to reconcile the factions but all efforts have so far been unsuccessful. This is an issue and an area of the world that gets little attention in our media.
Come and hear Niechu Angami talk about her experiences of living in a divided nation. She is the daughter of the President of the Nagaland Women's Union, one of the few non-factional pressure groups in the region. As reported in last months newsletter, when fighting broke out between 2 Naga faction members of the Women's Union moved between the groups, amidst gunfire and begged the protagonists to stop fighting. Such actions remind us of the courage of individuals working for peace and justice.
Don't miss the opportunity to learn about Nagaland and support Amnesty's work in the region. Niechu will be speaking at our next meeting:
Sunday 9th June 7.30pm 18 Surrey Road South Yarra
All Welcome!!!

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New Members!!
We would like to welcome Toby Hemming, Noreen Dempsey, Debbie Clift and Caroline Evans who have been in contact over the last months. Thank you for your interest and we hope to see you at the Sunday meeting and forthcoming events. If there are any ideas or areas you are particularly interested in let us know.

Summary of our Group Focus
The Inner South Group has a particular focus on Nagaland through the personal contacts of some of our members. We have been authorized by the International Secretariat to collect information on the region.
East Timor is out of the news but there is still a need for justice for the victims of abuse in the region. Amnesty advocates an independent international tribunal to investigate abuses and institute real sanctions against the perpetrators
Refugees and Asylum seekers are often stigmatised as “illegal immigrants”. Amnesty's next campaign focuses on the treatment, processing and detention of asylum seekers in Australia.
Our system of detention breaches international conventions of which Australia is a signatory.

Asylum seekers
Very little is known about the state of asylum seekers and the system of detention practiced in Australia which is unique in the world.
Carolyn Graydon, an immigration lawyer and Amnesty Victoria's regional and group co-ordinator, spoke to us at the last meeting about human rights abuses in this area, the problems with making people aware of our global responsibilities and the right of people whose lives are threatened, to seek asylum. The Refugee Convention that Australia has signed and our current Immigration minister is threatening to withdraw from guarantees this right. In a wide ranging and fascinating discussion we looked at how the government attempts to stigmatise the victims and make detention as harsh as possible to deter future asylum seekers. Carolyn pointed out that this strategy is both cruel and ineffective. Desperate people will not be deterred from coming to Australia by advertising campaigns when they face death and torture in their own country.
Many asylum seekers have no way of getting to Australia 'legally' because of the breakdown of society in their own country (as in Somalia where there is no actual central authority to issue passports) or because they have no opportunity of being accepted owing to the quota system which restricts visitors from Africa and other parts of the world seen as “risks”.
Meanwhile Carolyn pointed out the largest groups of people overstaying their visas are from the United Kingdom and the United States. When did you last hear of a backpacker being sent to Port Headland? This is not an easy issue to tackle and there is much fear and distrust in the community towards asylum seekers. Fears of the “hordes” waiting to “invade” our shores are often stirred by authorities and sometimes repeated by the media, making calm and considered debate on these issues impossible.
Both major political parties support our current system of detention that denies asylum seekers access to legal counsel and contact with local communities or family members often for months at a time.
Additionally, the process of granting refugee status is secretive and unlike other areas of government policy not subject to independent review. Few groups are interested in looking at this area because, as one politician said to an Amnesty member, “There are no votes in it”.
This is Amnesty's next campaign and Carolyn's talk was an excellent way to learn more and become aware of the issues. Refugees and displaced persons are a global problem and there is no simple solution.

Next meeting is a SPECIAL EVENT with Carolyn Graydon speaking on East Timor and human rights issues.
Details:
Sunday 4th of May at 8pm
Community Baptist Church Hall
12 Surrey Rd South Yarra
Marg and Nathan would like to invite anyone who is interested to share in the worship service beforehand at 6.30pm and/or a light meal at 7.30pm, just before the talk. The service is in an unusual style expressing ancient forms of mystical spirituality in contemporary language.
We are also planning drinks and nibbles after the talk, if people can please bring some light refreshment. We hope to have a short meeting, time permitting!
We appreciate the participation and support of the community of the South Yarra Baptist Church for this event.

Last Meeting

East Timor
We have a list of politicians to target about Amnesty's continuing concerns on the fate of refugees in West Timor, now suffering from the floods in the area. The role of the military and the need to bring the perpetrators of violence to justice may no longer be in the headlines, but is still a concern to Amnesty.
International pressure is needed to ensure that the past human rights abuses are not forgotten. Michael Danby, local member for Melbourne Ports, is involved with the opposition's policy on East Timor and International Relations. After meeting Mr. Danby in March, he has expressed interest in speaking to us on his experiences in these areas.

Nagaland
The latest peace efforts in this region has seen large demonstrations in New Delhi in an attempt to raise awareness of this area in India, the continuing factional strife, and the Naga's struggle for independence from India.
These demonstrations have been peaceful and an example of cooperation between the factions. Tragically, human rights abuses in the area continue.
We are now going to be able to receive more up-to-date reports from the region via a new contact. This will help us to document any human rights abuses occurring. There is little known about this area in the world community and our group is the only Amnesty connection.
We have been given permission by the International Secretariat to collect information on human rights abuses in this area for verification and classification, so this new source of information will be invaluable. We also discussed the possibility of subscribing independently to the Naga Times, another good source of information on the situation there.
The daughter of the President of the Women's Union is visiting Australia currently. The Women's Union appears to be one of the few non-factional bodies in Nagaland that is working for peace. In Nagaland recently a struggle broke out between 2 factions and gunfire was exchanged. Members of the Women's Union went out, placed their bodies between the factions in the line of fire and begged them to stop.
They did.
Experiences like this bring the reality of human rights struggles home to us. We hope to have her talk to us in July.

Afghanistan and Pakistan
We thank Kirri for her participation in this group and wish her the best in her efforts with the Women's Group.

OUR WEBSITE is finished but needs a home. Megan plans to investigate the joys of the net and find a free, convenient server. The Victorian Government is rumoured to have a free server for community groups. This would be ideal so that we may maintain and update the information ourselves.

Email petitions
For those with email, many petitions are circulating on the net asking you to add your name to an already existing list and circulate it to friends and acquaintances. We discussed their value compared to more traditional forms of communication, including the value of Amnesty letter writing. Although different forms of petitions may be useful, the duplication of this particular type of email petition may reduce its effectiveness. Most importantly, letter writing can show a greater degree of effort and may not be so easily dismissed. Keep writing!

News

Videos
Relevant to our current concerns, the State office has provided us with the following titles:
· Afghanistan : Civilian victims of war
· Colours of Hope : Amnesty’s goals
These give a well informed and concise background to our ongoing projects. The videos will be available for viewing on the night.

WELCOME BACK to Richard our convenor who has been climbing mountains in Portugal.
SORRY TO SAY GOODBYE to Carly Hammond, our previous Secretary who did a wonderful job and has gone to Laos for 18 months. We wish her well.

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We discussed future projects including more fundraisers such as Movie Nights with Palace cinemas. We just need helpers to organize the details. Volunteers will be greatly welcome.
The subgroups on Afghanistan and Nagaland planned to meet mid monthly to keep in touch with the latest developments and compile information on the human rights situation in the sub continent.

An internet web page for the Inner South group, currently being developed with the approval of the Victorian Branch office, was discussed. Any further suggestions or ideas will be welcome.

The East Timor subgroup’s meeting with Michael Danby, Federal member for Melbourne Ports (our local area) was discussed. We hope to contact more politicians to make them aware of the human rights agenda and Amnesty’s concerns on the issues.
We discussed ways to invigorate the group and increase the number of active members.

Carolyn Graydon is coming to speak to our group in June. It would be good to have as many people as possible attending.
We need to publicize this event. On the back of the newsletter is an information flyer that people may copy and distribute.
Feel free to place them at your workplace, local library or anywhere else that would help bring it to the attention of the public.