Amnesty Group

Our latest session of letter writing was in support of 3 cases occurring in Myanmar, Ethiopia and Morocco. Approximately 14 letters were written in support of the cases detailed in the April/May edition of the AI "Human Rights Defender".

In Myanmar (Burma) we were protesting the continued detention of U Win Tin since 1989 - arrested because of his leadership position in the political party (National League for Democracy) which won a majority (82%) of the seats in the 1990 election.

In Morocco the cause was of 7 "prisoners of conscience" imprisoned for their peaceful resistance and persistence in publicising the brutal police tactics designed to silence protesters.

Professor Mesfin Woldernariam (75 years old) previously the Chair of the Ethiopian Human Rights Council has been detained since November 2005. Also detained are 85 others including: leaders of the opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy; anti-poverty activists; and independent journalists. There are also thousands still detained as a result of the November demonstrations at which 42 persons were shot dead.

Such are the cases we write about every second month in response to the bi-monthly publication of the cases raised by Amnesty International. If you are concerned by such cases join us in our next writing session on the 24th June at 11 am at the church. Draft letters are prepared to get you started in expressing, in your own way, your concern for these cases. If you don't feel able to write perhaps you would like to make a donation towards the cost of postage. We believe this is a practical way for showing our Christian concern for the oppressed of the world.