Weekly Action and News 20/05/2022
Manchester Amnesty Weekly Action and News
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Freedom from Torture Action on UK connection to torture in Xinjiang.
FfT’s investigative team has recently exposed something repulsive: the UK government has funded a private company to train a Chinese police trainer linked to torture in Xinjiang. Boris Johnson has publicly condemned torture in China. But now it turns out his government could quietly be aiding brutal repression tactics. More information can be found here.
You can read more about the repression and torture of Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other predominantly Muslim minorities in Xinjiang in Amnesty’s report from last year. We can’t allow our country to prop up torture in China. FfT want to put this scandal at the top of the news agenda with a huge people-powered petition. Add your name now so the government has to ensure this scheme is shut down for good. It only takes 30 seconds.
Save the date!
Our next Manchester Amnesty letter writing session will take place at Manchester Central Library 2-4pm on 28th May. We meet in the area near to the café, where there are tables and booths. Look out for the Amnesty sign. Materials and information will be provided. If you would prefer to type your letters or to write emails, please bring your laptop. We will be focusing on Mohammed Al-Roken and Osman Kavala, but there will be information about many other cases. If you would like us to focus on any other particular case or cases, please let Anne Walker (anne.walker9@ntlworld.com) know at least a few days in advance. Otherwise, just drop in, and do feel free to bring a friend!
We still need volunteers to help run a Manchester Amnesty stall focusing on defenders of environmental rights at a sustainability conference at Manchester Metropolitan University on Friday 17th June. The conference will run from 10am to 6pm.. Please contact anne.walker9@ntlworld.com
The UAE subgroup are planning to hold an event in Manchester on 17th July, the date on which Dr Mohammed Al-Roken is due for release from his ten year sentence in the UAE. This event may be held jointly with the Liverpool Amnesty group, in parallel with an event in London. More details to follow in due course.
The Refugee rights subgroup are planning three events which aim to reach members of the public with some myth-busting information about asylum and refugee rights. These events will take place in Didsbury on Sunday 19th June 2pm, in Chorlton on Saturday 2nd July, 2pm, and in town on Sunday 14th August, starting in St Peter’s square at 2pm (place and time TBC). In conjunction with the Craftivism group, we are currently making 100 orange hearts with a QR code linking to information about refugees an Amnesty. These will be displayed and distributed at our events. If you can come along for half an hour to support any of these events, it will be great to see you.
Events
Thursday, May 26th, 7pm Friend’s Meeting House, Mount Street, Manchester. Public Meeting hosted by Manchester Stand Up to Racism, “End the Hostile Environment: All Refugees Welcome.” Speakers include Dianne Abbott, MP and David Walker, Bishop of Manchester. More information available here.
https://twitter.com/Manchester_SUTR/status/1522628953382559745/photo/1
June 8th-12th, The Manchester Histories Festival programme on the History of Climate Change has many events which will be of interest, ranging from talks, panel discussions, music, poetry and even a cookery session. See the full programme here https://manchesterhistories.co.uk/our-festival/manchester-histories-festival-2022/
18th June, 1-5pm, Manchester Central Library. Trailblazers! Women of Greater Manchester is the group promoting commemoration of other women in Greater Manchester who were on the list for the Womanchester statue. The link is now live to the free event on 18 June, including the first Margaret Ashton Memorial Lecture to be given by Kate Green MP:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/trailblazers-women-of-greater-manchester-tickets-334673215597
Manchester Amnesty Subgroups and other work
If you would like to join any of our subgroups, please contact the current convenors for joining details.
UAE – Kathryn Fletcher, bussk@btinternet.com. next meeting Monday 30th May, 6.30pm, Zoom
Anti-racism – Hazel Errey, hazelerrey@gmail.com, next meeting Monday 27th June, 6.30pm, Zoom
Refugees – Alison Wearden, alison.wearden@gmail.com, next meeting Monday 6th June, 7pm, Zoom
HR in UK – Matthew Sherwood, m.j.sherwood@outlook.com, next meeting Monday 23rd May 7:30pm, Zoom
Craftivism - Kathryn Fletcher bussk@btinternet.com. next meeting TBA
Other areas of work are led by:
Crisis and Tactical Afghanistan, Myanmar, Syria, Ukraine, Yemen Rebecca Shaw, r.h.shaw.7@gmail.com
Europe/ Turkey, Fatih Segmen, fsegmen@yahoo.com
Israel's Apartheid Against Palestinians Mike Reed mikewreed101@gmail.com
Good news
Nigeria - On May 7, 2022, the Supreme Court finally ordered the release of Enobong Isonguyo, sentenced to death in 2013 after being found guilty of the murder of her husband. The Court ruled that the previous verdicts had been based on "speculations and imaginations, which are not part of the penal code".
Ukraine – As the first trial of a young Russian soldier for war crimes in Ukraine started (read this article from the Guardian), Amnesty report that a poll of the UK public found that four out of five people think that the war in Ukraine has demonstrated the importance of Human Rights and that two thirds think that the proposed government reforms to the Human Rights Act would undermine the ability of the UK to stand up for human rights globally.
Alison Wearden
Communications Secretary
Manchester Group of Amnesty International
Please contact me with items for our Weekly Action and News email, or with ideas for longer articles for the quarterly Manchester Amnesty Group Bulletin.
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