Very interesting:
http://www.leaderpost.com/news/Proposed+memorial+would+place+reflection+healing/1526255/story.html
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Voices of Our Sisters in Spirit: A Report to Families and Communities
Here is a link to the new Sisters in Spirit document.
http://www.nwac-hq.org/en/documents/VoicesofOurSistersInSpirit_2ndEdition_March2009.pdf
I encourage everyone to read it. I will be posting a sumamry of it soon!!!
http://www.nwac-hq.org/en/documents/VoicesofOurSistersInSpirit_2ndEdition_March2009.pdf
I encourage everyone to read it. I will be posting a sumamry of it soon!!!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Nikita Paige Peters- Update
This update is sort of late but if Nikita can be foudn maybe others can be too!!
Nikita Paige Peters was reported missing to Police on November 3rd. She was found, safe and unharmed, just before 10:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 5th by a Patrol Officer.
The Saskatoon Police would like to thank the media and the public for their assistance in locating Nikita.
Nikita Paige Peters was reported missing to Police on November 3rd. She was found, safe and unharmed, just before 10:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 5th by a Patrol Officer.
The Saskatoon Police would like to thank the media and the public for their assistance in locating Nikita.
Amnesty International's Public Statement about Atenco
Amnesty International
Public Statement
17 February 2009
AMR 41/008/2009
Mexican Supreme Court’s resolution on Atenco– the route to justice?
Amnesty International welcomes the Supreme Court’s acknowledged that serious human rights
violations were committed in San Salvador Atenco in May 2006 and its call for extended
investigations to establish criminal responsibility of those directly implicated. It is now imperative
that the government of President Felipe Calderón takes responsibility for guaranteeing justice and
compensation for the victims in the Atenco case.
The Supreme Court resolution comes two years after opening a non-jurisdictional investigation into
the police operation to quell a demonstration in San Salvador Atenco on 3 and 4 May 2006. The
operation resulted in the detention of more than 200 people and hundreds of allegations of
abuses, including sexual violence used as a form of torture against more than 26 women who
were arrested. Those responsible for the abuses have not been brought to justice and the victims
have not received any compensation.
In addition, Amnesty International believes that the Supreme Court resolution, in dismissing the
alleged responsibility of senior state and federal officials, fails to meet Mexico’s obligations under
international human rights law. According to international conventional law, Mexico is required to
investigate state officials suspected of ordering, instigating or inciting the use of torture or carrying
it out directly, as well as those who are in a position to prevent it and fail to do so.
The resolution appears to ignore the valuable work of the investigative commission and the report
presented to the plenary of justices by Justice Gudiño which concluded that even when there is
no evidence that senior officials ordered police to commit human rights violations, they may be
implicated by their failure to stop violations once they were aware of them taking place and by
their complete failure to ensure effective and credible investigations into the abuses. These two
principles are consistent with determining command responsibility under international human
rights law and must be upheld by those conducting the criminal investigations.
Amnesty International also regrets that the ruling does not acknowledge the quality and quantity of
evidence gathered by the investigating commission to establish human rights violations as
recognised in international treaties, such as torture. Rather, the court only refers to violations of
individual guarantees, and does not explicitly recognise the international treaties which are
binding on the Mexican State.
Furthermore, the organisation is concerned by the inclusion in the resolution of a proposal to draw
up general criteria on use of force by the State solely on the basis of constitutional principles of
legality, efficiency, professionalism and honesty. If situations such as Atenco are to be avoided in
the future, it is essential that these procedures are developed and implemented on the basis of
the international standards referred to in Justice Gudiño’s report, including proportionality,
necessity and accountability.
Despite the limitations of the Court’s resolutions, Amnesty International believes that President
Calderón’s government must show leadership in ensuring that criminal investigations are carried
out impartially and effectively into all those responsible for the human rights violations. Only a
commitment at the highest level will be enough to ensure justice, truth and reparations for all the
victims, from the women who suffered torture, including sexual violence, to those who have been
sentenced in unfair trials.
Background Information
On 3 and 4 May 2006 more than 2,500 federal, state and municipal police officers took part in an
operation to quell protests led by the peasant organisation, the Peoples’ Front for the Defence of
the Land (FPDT), in Texcoco and San Salvador Atenco, in the State of Mexico. The police
operation resulted in 207 detentions, the deaths of two people, dozens of protesters and police
being injured and several police officers being held hostage. In its report Violence against women
and justice denied in Mexico State (AMR 41/02/2006) Amnesty International documented the
sexual violence suffered by the women who were detained. In February 2007, in accepting Justice
Gudiño’s request to open an enquiry, the Supreme Court was exercising its constitutional authority
to order an investigation into “events which constitute a violation of any individual guarantee
Public Statement
17 February 2009
AMR 41/008/2009
Mexican Supreme Court’s resolution on Atenco– the route to justice?
Amnesty International welcomes the Supreme Court’s acknowledged that serious human rights
violations were committed in San Salvador Atenco in May 2006 and its call for extended
investigations to establish criminal responsibility of those directly implicated. It is now imperative
that the government of President Felipe Calderón takes responsibility for guaranteeing justice and
compensation for the victims in the Atenco case.
The Supreme Court resolution comes two years after opening a non-jurisdictional investigation into
the police operation to quell a demonstration in San Salvador Atenco on 3 and 4 May 2006. The
operation resulted in the detention of more than 200 people and hundreds of allegations of
abuses, including sexual violence used as a form of torture against more than 26 women who
were arrested. Those responsible for the abuses have not been brought to justice and the victims
have not received any compensation.
In addition, Amnesty International believes that the Supreme Court resolution, in dismissing the
alleged responsibility of senior state and federal officials, fails to meet Mexico’s obligations under
international human rights law. According to international conventional law, Mexico is required to
investigate state officials suspected of ordering, instigating or inciting the use of torture or carrying
it out directly, as well as those who are in a position to prevent it and fail to do so.
The resolution appears to ignore the valuable work of the investigative commission and the report
presented to the plenary of justices by Justice Gudiño which concluded that even when there is
no evidence that senior officials ordered police to commit human rights violations, they may be
implicated by their failure to stop violations once they were aware of them taking place and by
their complete failure to ensure effective and credible investigations into the abuses. These two
principles are consistent with determining command responsibility under international human
rights law and must be upheld by those conducting the criminal investigations.
Amnesty International also regrets that the ruling does not acknowledge the quality and quantity of
evidence gathered by the investigating commission to establish human rights violations as
recognised in international treaties, such as torture. Rather, the court only refers to violations of
individual guarantees, and does not explicitly recognise the international treaties which are
binding on the Mexican State.
Furthermore, the organisation is concerned by the inclusion in the resolution of a proposal to draw
up general criteria on use of force by the State solely on the basis of constitutional principles of
legality, efficiency, professionalism and honesty. If situations such as Atenco are to be avoided in
the future, it is essential that these procedures are developed and implemented on the basis of
the international standards referred to in Justice Gudiño’s report, including proportionality,
necessity and accountability.
Despite the limitations of the Court’s resolutions, Amnesty International believes that President
Calderón’s government must show leadership in ensuring that criminal investigations are carried
out impartially and effectively into all those responsible for the human rights violations. Only a
commitment at the highest level will be enough to ensure justice, truth and reparations for all the
victims, from the women who suffered torture, including sexual violence, to those who have been
sentenced in unfair trials.
Background Information
On 3 and 4 May 2006 more than 2,500 federal, state and municipal police officers took part in an
operation to quell protests led by the peasant organisation, the Peoples’ Front for the Defence of
the Land (FPDT), in Texcoco and San Salvador Atenco, in the State of Mexico. The police
operation resulted in 207 detentions, the deaths of two people, dozens of protesters and police
being injured and several police officers being held hostage. In its report Violence against women
and justice denied in Mexico State (AMR 41/02/2006) Amnesty International documented the
sexual violence suffered by the women who were detained. In February 2007, in accepting Justice
Gudiño’s request to open an enquiry, the Supreme Court was exercising its constitutional authority
to order an investigation into “events which constitute a violation of any individual guarantee
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Mexico: Mexican Supreme Court’s resolution on Atenco– the route to justice?
A link to Amnesty International's article on the Mexican Supreme Court’s resolution on Atenco. Check it out!:
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR41/008/2009/en
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR41/008/2009/en
Not Good in Mexico
By Jennifer Ditchburn, The Canadian Press.OTTAWA -
Things are getting ugly in parts of Mexico, and the federal government is warning Canadians not to get caught in the crossfire..The Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday updated its travel report onMexico in light of the bloody drug cartel wars that have thrown somecities into chaos..It recommends Canadians "exercise a high degree of caution" whentravelling to areas in northern Mexico along the border with the UnitedStates..Cities like Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez have become the frontline of a warbetween the government and increasingly powerful drug cartels. Mexicotripled its military presence this week in Ciudad Juarez, where even thepolice chief and the mayor's family have left town.."Armed clashes between security forces and drug groups are commonplacein certain areas and could occur at any time without warning," thetravel report reads. "Travellers could get caught in the crossfire.".Last year, 20 per cent more Canadians travelled to Mexico than the yearbefore, rising to 1.4 million people.But the cities in question are not generally where Canadians travel.Snowbirds flock to the idyllic beaches of the Mayan Riviera, PuertoVallarta, Hualtuco and other resort towns..None of those locations were singled out in the travel report, althoughCabo San Lucas and Acapulco are located in states that were mentioned -Baja California and Guerrero.."You can see that certainly the conventional tourist spots, the majortourist locations, don't have any more risk involved than at normaltimes," Peter Kent, Canada's junior foreign minister, said in aninterview.."But there are parts of Mexico off the beaten path . . . where therehave been incidents lately, and they're itemized on the (departmental)website.".Kent called the advisory "really just a heads-up to remind folks thereare situations in Mexico that can be risky, if not dangerous, and thatpeople should think before they get into certain situations, certainlocations.".Brad Miron, vice-president of business development at itravel2000, saidpeople have to be careful not to paint the entire country with the samebrush. He noted that the troubles in Ciudad Juarez are thousands ofkilometres away from the swaying palm trees of Cancun.."I spend about three-and-a-half months a year in Mexico. The southernbeach resorts are ... like anywhere in the world. You have to take yourown precautions, you have to be aware of your surroundings and not letyour guard down," said Miron.."Mexico, on a per capital basis, is one of the safest places in theworld to travel.".The U.S. State Department has gone further than Canada, issuing a travelalert. It has told diplomatic staff to curtail all non-essential travelto Durango and other hotspots..It has also warned spring breakers to keep their wits about them whentravelling into volatile Mexican border towns.."Ciudad Juarez, Tijuana and Nogales are among the cities which haverecently experienced public shootouts during daylight hours in shoppingcentres and other public venues," says the State Department.."Criminals have followed and harassed U.S. citizens travelling in theirvehicles in border areas including Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros, andTijuana."
Things are getting ugly in parts of Mexico, and the federal government is warning Canadians not to get caught in the crossfire..The Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday updated its travel report onMexico in light of the bloody drug cartel wars that have thrown somecities into chaos..It recommends Canadians "exercise a high degree of caution" whentravelling to areas in northern Mexico along the border with the UnitedStates..Cities like Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez have become the frontline of a warbetween the government and increasingly powerful drug cartels. Mexicotripled its military presence this week in Ciudad Juarez, where even thepolice chief and the mayor's family have left town.."Armed clashes between security forces and drug groups are commonplacein certain areas and could occur at any time without warning," thetravel report reads. "Travellers could get caught in the crossfire.".Last year, 20 per cent more Canadians travelled to Mexico than the yearbefore, rising to 1.4 million people.But the cities in question are not generally where Canadians travel.Snowbirds flock to the idyllic beaches of the Mayan Riviera, PuertoVallarta, Hualtuco and other resort towns..None of those locations were singled out in the travel report, althoughCabo San Lucas and Acapulco are located in states that were mentioned -Baja California and Guerrero.."You can see that certainly the conventional tourist spots, the majortourist locations, don't have any more risk involved than at normaltimes," Peter Kent, Canada's junior foreign minister, said in aninterview.."But there are parts of Mexico off the beaten path . . . where therehave been incidents lately, and they're itemized on the (departmental)website.".Kent called the advisory "really just a heads-up to remind folks thereare situations in Mexico that can be risky, if not dangerous, and thatpeople should think before they get into certain situations, certainlocations.".Brad Miron, vice-president of business development at itravel2000, saidpeople have to be careful not to paint the entire country with the samebrush. He noted that the troubles in Ciudad Juarez are thousands ofkilometres away from the swaying palm trees of Cancun.."I spend about three-and-a-half months a year in Mexico. The southernbeach resorts are ... like anywhere in the world. You have to take yourown precautions, you have to be aware of your surroundings and not letyour guard down," said Miron.."Mexico, on a per capital basis, is one of the safest places in theworld to travel.".The U.S. State Department has gone further than Canada, issuing a travelalert. It has told diplomatic staff to curtail all non-essential travelto Durango and other hotspots..It has also warned spring breakers to keep their wits about them whentravelling into volatile Mexican border towns.."Ciudad Juarez, Tijuana and Nogales are among the cities which haverecently experienced public shootouts during daylight hours in shoppingcentres and other public venues," says the State Department.."Criminals have followed and harassed U.S. citizens travelling in theirvehicles in border areas including Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros, andTijuana."
Links for Information Regarding Tara-Lynn Poorman
"Mayor Pat Fiacco, police chief Troy Hagen and FSIN vice-chief Morley Watson speak about the $25,000 reward offered by the Board of Police Commissioners to locate 17-year-old Tara-Lyn Poorman"- Star Pheonix:
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/Video+Reward+locate+Tara+Poorman/1320792/story.html
Regina Leader Post Article:
http://www2.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/story.html?id=97544fa3-2bca-498a-a572-6dc44bf75528
Calgary Herald Article:
http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/reward+being+offered+information+missing+Regina+teen/1320005/story.html
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/Video+Reward+locate+Tara+Poorman/1320792/story.html
Regina Leader Post Article:
http://www2.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/story.html?id=97544fa3-2bca-498a-a572-6dc44bf75528
Calgary Herald Article:
http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/reward+being+offered+information+missing+Regina+teen/1320005/story.html
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