HIV & TB News

Posted by Bobby Ramakant (bobby)

The 4th Open Forum Conference was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 18th and 19th August to address key issues in developing new drugs for tuberculosis, which kills nearly 2 million people every year and is becoming increasingly resistant to the current drugs. Participants deliberated an innovative drug development model which will reduce the time taken to develop more effective TB drug regimens by almost 75%

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Thursday 19 August 2010

RELA's Director-General says the civilian volunteer corps is aiming to expand its membership by a million agents by the end of the year.

The Malaysian government should scrap plans to expand a state-sponsored security force of civilian volunteers with a long record of human rights abuses against refugees and migrants, Amnesty International said on Thursday.
 
Ikatan Relawan Rakyat, commonly known as RELA, aims to expand its membership from 1.6 million to 2.6 million by the end of the year, according to an interview given to the Associated Press by the organization's Director-General Zaidon Asmuni. However, Asmuni also said RELA would be unable to thoroughly train more than 8,000 new officers per year.

Amnesty International documented in two reports in 2010 how RELA volunteers regularly engage in physical abuse and extortion, and indiscriminately detained those with the legal right to be in the country.
 
"RELA agents are responsible for the most rampant human rights abuses against migrants and refugees in Malaysia," said Sam Zarifi, Asia-Pacific Director at Amnesty International.

"Instead of curbing their abuses, the government plans to let loose a million more ill-trained civilians with police powers."

RELA is a civilian volunteer corps, but the government authorizes it to exercise police functions, including raiding, interrogating and detaining suspected illegal immigrants. Some RELA members are authorized to carry firearms.

RELA's Director-General stated that new recruits will again be involved in the guarding of immigration detention centres, which has not been carried out on a large scale since mid-2009.
 
"Last year the Malaysian government promised Amnesty International that RELA would be stripped of its highly-criticized role in immigration enforcement, so it is very disappointing to see the force being handed back powers over immigration detention centres," said Sam Zarifi.
  
Amnesty International has found that RELA lacks a clear structure of command responsibility, allowing RELA members to commit abuses without being held accountable.

Abused and abandoned: Refugees denied rights in Malaysia (Report, 16 June 2010)
Trapped: the exploitation of Migrant Workers in Malaysia (Report, 24 March 2010)

RELA agents have a record of human rights abuses against migrants and refugees

Posted by chineduari

The number of women who do not know how to protect themselves from HIV or who have misconceptions about HIV transmission is staggering in Zambia. Without gender parity in education, empowering women and reducing their vulnerability to HIV will remain elusive. The notion that married women are safe is untrue as the risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections is so high within the marriage set-up.

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Posted by Bobby Ramakant (bobby)

"If theatre and media join hands I am sure that they will be able to shatter many myths that abound in society about AIDS," this is what Ms Tripurari Sharma, associate director, National School of Drama (NSD) said

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Wednesday 18 August 2010

The Philippine government should ensure that police officers responsible for torture shown in a video broadcast in the national media are brought to justice, Amnesty International said on Wednesday.

The Philippine government should ensure that police officers responsible for torture shown in a video broadcast on Tuesday in the national media are brought to justice, Amnesty International has said.

A video released to the Philippine media showed a plainclothes police officer torturing a suspect apparently held for petty theft in a police station, as uniformed police officers looked on. The video prompted the authorities to suspend all 11 officers of the Tondo precinct in Manila, who are now under investigation by Manila police authorities.

The footage showed the suspect naked, being yanked by a cord attached to his genitals, and whipped with rope. The anonymous informant who leaked the video told Philippine media that this type of degrading treatment was commonplace in police stations.  

“The Philippine police leadership have recently claimed that almost the entire police force have undergone human rights training. However, this message seems to have been lost in practice,” said Donna Guest, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Asia-Pacific.  

The Manila police station footage comes in the wake of recent allegations of police torture of five detainees held on suspicion of involvement in the Communist armed insurgency in the northern province of Pampanga. In a media interview while in detention, one of the detainees, Lenin Salas, revealed severe bruising and cigarette burns that he said were results of torture and other ill-treatment by the police.

Amnesty International is urging the Philippine government to investigate these cases under the new Anti-torture Law, passed in July 2009. The government has yet to prosecute anyone under the law.  

The Tondo police station case and the Lenin Salas allegations are the first reports of torture under the new administration of President Benigno Aquino.  

“This is the right time for the Aquino administration to take a stand against torture, by showing that perpetrators, particularly police officers who have been sworn to serve and protect the people, will be prosecuted,” said Donna Guest.

Protection of human rights was one of Aquino’s key campaign promises but Amnesty International is concerned that he has not done enough in the first fifty days of the administration.

For example, rather than establishing the promised “human rights superbody” to conduct investigations on all reported cases of political killings, Aquino’s government has established a ‘Truth Commission’, which will only focus on allegations of corruption by the previous administration, with no remit to examine human rights.

Wednesday 18 August 2010

Amnesty International calls on the Bahraini authorities to reveal the whereabouts of eight human rights defenders, political activists and Shia clerics arrested in a clampdown by the authorities.

Amnesty International calls on the Bahraini authorities to reveal the whereabouts of eight human rights defenders, political activists and Shia clerics arrested in a clampdown by the authorities amid fears that they could be prisoners of conscience.

Muhammad Saeed, a board member of the banned Bahrain Centre for Human Rights was arrested at his home in Sehla, northern Bahrain, in the early hours of yesterday morning by security forces.

Two others, Abdulhadi al-Mokhoder and Mirza al-Mahrus, both clerics, were also arrested yesterday at their homes in Sanabis, and Manama, respectively.

“The Bahraini authorities must make it clear why these eight men have been arrested, and either release them or charge them with recognizable criminal offences. It is unacceptable for them to be held merely because of their human rights activism, non-violent political activities or criticism of the government,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Director at Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa programme

“We are very concerned about the ongoing incommunicado detention of the detainees as this will increase their risk of being subjected to torture or other ill-treatment.”

The latest arrests mark an increased clampdown on opposition and civil society activists in the lead-up to the parliamentary elections in October 2010.
Jaafar Hisabi, a UK resident for the past 15 years who has been involved in political protests against the Bahraini authorities was arrested at Bahrain International Airport on his return to the country, on 16 August.

Three others were arrested on 15 August, including Abdulghani al-Khanjar, head of the Committee for the Defence of Martyrs and Torture Victims (which is not authorized by the Bahraini authorities to operate) and spokesperson of the Coalition for Truth and Reconciliation, who was arrested at his home in the town of Arrad.

Mohammad Habib al-Miqdad, a cleric and head of the Al-Zahra’ charity, was also arrested on 15 August at his home in Sehla, and Saeed al-Nouri, a cleric and activist from the opposition movement al-Wafa (which is also not authorized by the Bahraini authorities to operate) handed himself in to the Prosecutors Office in Manama, after security officials visited his home seeking his arrest.

Abdul Jalil al-Singaci, spokesperson for the Human Rights Bureau of the opposition movement Haq (which is not authorized by the Bahraini authorities to operate), who is disabled, was arrested at Bahrain International Airport on 13 August. His family told Amnesty International that they have not had any contact with him for the last six days and are concerned about this health.

Neither the families nor the legal representatives of the detainees have been informed of any formal charges.

“All of these detainees should be allowed to have immediate access to their lawyers, families and also to adequate medical care” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui

Some of the men have been detained in previous years in connection with their political or human rights activities. Muhammad Saeed was detained in November 2006, and Abdul Jalil Singaci and Muhammad Habib al-Miqdad were both previously detained in January 2009.

Many of the men have now been held for more than 48 hours without having been presented to the Public Prosecutor as required under the Bahraini law.
Bahrain’s Code of Criminal Procedure stipulates that detainees must be brought before the Public Prosecutor within 48 hours of arrest, but legal representatives have as yet been unable to obtain access to the detainees.

Posted by Bobby Ramakant (bobby)

(1.) Critical Path to TB Regimen: New hope of life for TB patients; (2.) Why TB matters to women's health?; (3.) University Engineering Student Invents Cheap Point-of-Care Fluorescence Microscope; (4.) BBC Health Check: Examining TB in Haiti; (5.) The end of antibiotics?

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Posted by Bobby Ramakant (bobby)

The era of antibiotics is 'coming to a close,' says the August 12th Guardian. With the once 'miracle medicines' now 'beaten into ineffectiveness by the bacteria they were designed to knock out,' we could be entering a 'post-antibiotic apocalypse' in which pneumonia could again become the 'mass-killer' it once was, especially among the old and frail; in which gonorrhea becomes extremely hard to treat; in which tuberculosis is simply 'incurable.' Need a transplant for a kidney or other organ? You'd best forget it, says the Guardian, as organ recipients' immune systems will be unable to fight off infections without antibiotics. And surgery for a burst appendix will again become 'dangerous.

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Posted by Bobby Ramakant (bobby)

Haiti had high rates of tuberculosis before the earthquake there six months ago, but it is not yet clear whether TB incidence has increased since. Dr Kevin Schwartzman, from the Montreal Chest Institute, takes a historical look into TB following other natural disasters and complex emergencies, and discusses whether it is inevitable that TB rates rise after such events.

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Posted by Bobby Ramakant (bobby)

Rice University biomedical engineering student, Andrew Miller, has developed a portable, battery-operated bright field and fluorescence microscope that rivals the performance of reference-standard devices retailing for as much as $40,000! He built it using off-the-shelf parts that cost just $240.

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Tuesday 17 August 2010

Reina Luisa Tamayo says she has been repeatedly harassed by the authorities and government supporters during the regular marches she carries out in her son's memory.

The Cuban authorities must act to end the harassment of the mother of a prisoner of conscience who died following a hunger strike to push for the release of other prisoners, Amnesty International said on Tuesday.

Reina Luisa Tamayo, whose son Orlando Zapata Tamayo died in February this year, told Amnesty International she has been repeatedly harassed by the authorities and government supporters during the regular marches she carries out in the town of Banes, in memory of her son.

"Reina Luisa Tamayo is simply paying tribute to her son who died in tragic circumstances, and that must be respected by the authorities," said Kerrie Howard, Amnesty International's Americas Deputy Director.

Every Sunday Reina Luisa Tamayo, who is usually accompanied by relatives and friends, walks from her home to the church of Nuestra Señora de la Caridad, to attend mass, from where they march to the cemetery, where Orlando is buried.

On Sunday, government supporters arrived early in the morning and surrounded her house, Reina Luisa Tamayo told Amnesty International, preventing her and her relatives and friends from marching and attending mass at the church.

Ahead of the march, Cuban security forces also allegedly detained some of the women due to attend in their homes for up to 48 hours, without any explanation being given for the measure.

Reina Luisa told Amnesty International that six loudspeakers were installed near her house and were used to shout slogans against her and the Ladies in White, an organization of female relatives of prisoners of conscience campaigning for their release.

On 8 August, Reina Luisa Tamayo was confronted by government supporters, who blocked her path and, according to her recount, beat relatives and friends of the family. She said a police patrol was parked nearby watching the events, but failed to intervene.

Amnesty International has also expressed its concern at a series of recent detentions by the police of independent journalists and dissidents.

Writer Luis Felipe Rojas Rozabal was detained by the police at 7am on Monday, at his home in the town of San Germán, province of Holguín.

Luis Felipe's family is unaware of the reasons of his arrest, but they have said they suspect this might be related to his criticism of the government. He has been arbitrarily detained on several previous occasions in similar circumstances.

Several members of the Eastern Democratic Alliance, a network of political dissident organizations, have also been detained.

"At a time when the Cuban government has begun to release prisoners of conscience, the campaign of harassment against Reina Luisa Tamayo and the arbitrary detention of journalists and dissident figures shows that the authorities are yet to make significant progress on human rights," said Kerrie Howard.

In March 2003, Orlando Zapata Tamayo was arrested and, a year later, sentenced to three years in prison for "disrespect", "public disorder" and "resistance".

This was the first of a series of convictions for "disobedience" and "disorder in a penal establishment".

Orlando was one of dozens of prisoners of conscience adopted by Amnesty International in Cuba at the time. The majority were among the 75 people arrested as part of the massive March 2003 crackdown by authorities against political activists.

In early December 2009, Orlando started a hunger strike to campaign for the release of prisoners of conscience held in Cuba. He died on 23 February 2010.

Currently there are at least 30 prisoners of conscience in Cuba's jails. Amnesty international calls for their immediate and unconditional release.

Cuban 'Lady in White' tells of police repression (News, 23 March 2010)
Cuba's 'ladies in white' at risk of beatings and intimidation (News, 18 March 2010)

Loudspeakers were used to shout slogans against Reina Luisa and the Ladies in White

Posted by Bobby Ramakant (bobby)

CNS writes from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: "The Open Forum 4 on key issues in tuberculosis (TB) drug development is all set to begin in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (18-19 August 2010). This Open Forum 4, will raise and address key issues in TB drug development, with a special focus on regulatory affairs"

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Posted by Bobby Ramakant (bobby)

Celebrated and award-winning CNS Writer Chief Masimba K Biriwasha (South Africa/ Zimbabwe) writes: "TUBERCULOSIS (TB) has a major impact on women's sexual reproductive health and that of their children. For pregnant women living in areas with high TB infection rates, there are increased chances of transmission of TB to a child...

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Monday 16 August 2010

Amnesty International condemns the executions of two people for 'eloping', carried out in a Taleban-controlled village in the province of Kunduz.

Amnesty International has condemned the first Taleban executions by stoning carried out in Afghanistan since 2001.

A couple were stoned to death on Sunday for "eloping", in a Taleban-controlled village in Kunduz, northern Afghanistan, Amnesty International confirmed on Monday.

"The stoning of this couple is a heinous crime. The Taleban and other insurgent groups are growing increasingly brutal in their abuses against Afghans," said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific Director.  

The stoning came two days after Afghanistan's highest Islamic religious body, the Council of Ulema, called on the government to more strictly enforce physical shari'a punishments, known as hudood, as a concession to the Taleban in an attempt to end the war.

Under the Taleban, hudood punishments included public stoning, amputations and lashing.

"The Afghan government and the Council of Ulema must condemn the use of stoning following this sickening Taleban execution," said Sam Zarifi. "Afghan leaders must stand against stoning and other appalling human rights abuses masquerading as 'justice', no matter how much pressure they are under to deal with the Taleban."
 
This stoning is the first to be confirmed in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taleban in 2001.

Local sources told Amnesty International that the couple had eloped to Pakistan, but returned to their village of Mullah Qulli in Archi district of Kunduz after being told that their families had agreed to marry them.

Instead, they were stoned to death on Sunday by a Taleban council.

One case of stoning for adultery was reported in Afghanistan 2005, allegedly ordered by local religious leaders, although Amnesty International has not independently verified this case.

On 9 August, a woman in Badghis province was shot dead in public by the Taleban for alleged adultery.

Amnesty International has warned that the Afghan government should not sacrifice human rights, particularly the rights of women and minorities, in the name of reconciliation with the Taleban and other insurgent groups.

The organization has recently called on the Afghan government to seek the assistance of the International Criminal Court to investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity by the Taleban and all other parties to the war in Afghanistan.

Taleban should be prosecuted for war crimes in Afghanistan (News, 10 August 2010)~
Afghanistan leak exposes NATO's incoherent civilian casualty policy (News, 26 July 2010)

The Taleban are growing increasingly brutal in their abuses against Afghans

Posted by wmawire

The Ministry of Health and Child Welfare (MOHCW) is planning to acquire new point of care (POC) CD4 machines especially for management of the prevention of mother to child HIV transmission (PMTCT) programme in Zimbabwe.

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Thursday 12 August 2010

Omar Khadr is facing five "war crime" charges, including a murder charge for allegedly throwing a grenade that fatally wounded a US soldier.

Amnesty International has condemned the US government’s decision to go ahead with the military commission trial of Omar Khadr at the Guantánamo Bay detention centre, describing the move as another violation of human rights by the USA in the name of countering terrorism.

Omar Khadr, a Canadian citizen, was taken into US custody as a 15-year-old in 2002 in Afghanistan, following a fire fight with US forces. He is facing five "war crime" charges, including a murder charge for allegedly throwing a grenade that fatally wounded a US soldier. The trial is due to begin on Thursday.

“The USA has turned a deaf ear to the repeated appeals of the international community, including senior UN officials, not to set this dangerous precedent of an unfair trial of an individual accused of alleged ‘war crimes’ committed when he was a child”, said Rob Freer, USA researcher at Amnesty International.

“After eight years of ignoring its human rights obligations, the USA is now set to try Omar Khadr under procedures that fail to meet international fair trial standards”, Rob Freer continued. “History will not judge its actions kindly”.

On Monday, a military judge ruled that statements made by Omar Khadr during his time in custody would be admissible during the trial, rejecting a defence motion that the statements should be excluded as the product of torture or other ill-treatment.

“It took this military judge about 90 seconds to rule, without explanation, that any statement this young detainee made during that time can be admitted against him.” said Amnesty International.

The selection of seven US military officers who will sit as a “jury” on the military commission was completed on wednesday and opening arguments in the trial are due today.

Omar Khadr faces the possibility of a life prison sentence if convicted. Even if acquitted he could be returned to indefinite military detention, according to the Manual on Military Commissions released in April this year.

"These military commissions are part of a system of detentions and prosecutions that from the outset have kept the USA on the wrong side of its international human rights obligations”, Rob Freer said.

“They should have been abandoned long ago, along with the unlawful Guantánamo detentions of which they became an integral part”.

Amnesty International, which has an observer at the Guantánamo proceedings, has opposed the USA’s use of military commissions since former US President George W. Bush initiated them in 2001. The military commissions are in their third incarnation, convened now under the Military Commissions Act (MCA) of 2009, signed into law by US President Barack Obama in October 2009, revising a 2006 version of the MCA.

“Under international law, the USA should have taken full account of Omar Khadr’s age at the time of his arrest, and treated him according to principles of juvenile justice,” Rob Freer said.
 
“It utterly failed to do so, instead holding him for more than two years virtually incommunicado, subjecting him to repeated interrogations without access to a lawyer or the courts, and is now putting him through a military commission trial that would fail to meet international standards even if it were being applied to accusations against an adult.”

Amnesty International says the commissions lack the independence of the US federal courts and fair trial protections that US nationals accused of identical conduct/crimes would receive. The military commissions deny the right of equality of all persons before the courts and equal protection of the law.

“The military commissions were the wrong choice in 2001 and are wrong now and justice will neither be done nor be seen to be done before them”, continued Rob Freer. “The trial of Omar Khadr for alleged ‘war crimes’ committed when he was a child – something that would not be countenanced by any existing international tribunal – will also set a dangerous precedent.”

Blog: Amnesty International follows the Omar Khadr trial from Guantánamo

Omar Khadr was taken into US custody as a 15-year-old in Afghanistan in 2002

Thursday 12 August 2010

Amnesty International criticized the TV “confession” of an Iranian woman in which Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, awaiting execution by stoning for adultery, appears to implicate herself in the murder of her husband.

Amnesty International criticized the TV “confession” of an Iranian woman on Wednesday night in which Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, awaiting execution by stoning for adultery, appears to implicate herself in the murder of her husband.

The interview was broadcast on Wednesday 11th August, on the '20:30' program by Seda va Sima, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.

Televised “confessions” have repeatedly been used by the authorities to incriminate individuals in custody. Many have later retracted these “confessions”, stating that they were coerced to make them, sometimes under torture or other ill-treatment.

“This so-called confession forms part of growing catalogue of other forced confessions and self-incriminating statements made by many detainees in the past year.” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

“Statements made in such televised exchanges should have no bearing on Iran's legal system, or the call to review her case.  This latest video shows nothing more than the lack of evidence against Sakineh Ashtiani”, said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

Amnesty International understands that last week, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani’s lawyer, Javid Houtan Kiyan, submitted a 35-page request for a judicial review of her case, a response is expected on or around 15 August.

“It appears that Iran’s authorities have orchestrated this “confession”, following the call for a judicial review and now appear to be inventing new charges of murdering her husband,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Director at Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa programme.

Unconfirmed reports that Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani has recently been tortured or ill-treated while in Tabriz Central Prison underscores Amnesty International’s concern.

“Having Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani broadcast in this manner calls into question the independence of the judiciary, at least vis-a-vis the state broadcaster, and its ability to adhere to Iran's own laws. If the judiciary in Iran is to be taken seriously, this “confession” needs to be disregarded and assurances given that it will not affect the review of her case” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

Iran: "Review" of stoning death sentence: Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani (Report, 9 August 2010)
Iran must end harassment of stoning case lawyer (28 July 2010)

There are unconfirmed reports that Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani has been tortured

Publication Date:  Thursday 12 August 2010

Amnesty International accuses the UK government of developing a "shadow justice system" that imposes severe restrictions on the rights of individuals suspected of terrorism-related activity.

Amnesty International Index Number:  EUR45/012/2010

Amnesty International has accused the UK government of developing a "shadow justice system" that imposes severe restrictions on the rights of individuals suspected of terrorism-related activity.

In a new report, Five years on: time to end the control orders regime, the organization repeats its call on the UK government to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 (PTA) and abandon the use of control orders that violate the individual’s rights to liberty, freedom of movement, expression, association and privacy.

"The measures used under the PTA have created a parallel, unfair and secretive shadow justice system for individuals who are suspected of terrorism-related activity," said Nicola Duckworth, Director of Amnesty International's Europe and Central Asia Programme.

"The effect of the control order regime has been to bypass the ordinary criminal justice system in order to impose severe restrictions on the rights of individuals. Five years on, it is time for an end to the control orders regime."

Control orders, which are imposed by a UK government minister, have been used as an alternative to prosecution or deportation of terror suspects who have not been charged with any criminal offence.

Restrictions can include house arrest, wearing an electronic tag, bans on contacting others and attending public events, limits on using bank accounts and restrictions on employment, academic study, travel, telephone and internet use. 

Amnesty International has opposed the control orders regime under the PTA since the legislation was drafted.

“Control orders, which are imposed by the executive with only limited judicial scrutiny in unfair procedures, can exert a profound negative effect on the lives of individuals subject to them and their families,” said Nicola Duckworth.

"The secret court procedures in control order hearings undermine the individual's right to a fair hearing and the restrictions the control order imposes on a person can amount to a deprivation of liberty."

The Office of Security and Counter-Terrorism in the Home Office has recently embarked on a “rapid review” of six key counter-terrorism powers, including the use of control orders.

Amnesty International has urged the UK government to fully consider human rights implications in the “rapid review” of counter-terrorism legislation.

"The UK has an obligation to prevent and protect against attacks on civilians but counter-terrorism laws must uphold and respect human rights and the rule of law, rather than compromising or eroding them, including by resorting to secrecy and using unfair alternatives to the ordinary criminal justice system."

Wednesday 11 August 2010

The two activists were abducted on their way to campaign against the bauxite mine project proposed by a subsidiary of UK-based company Vedanta Resources, and the Orissa Mining Corporation.

Amnesty International is calling on Indian authorities to urgently investigate the armed abduction of two indigenous leaders, who were on their way to campaign against the bauxite mine project proposed by a subsidiary of UK-based company Vedanta Resources, and the Orissa Mining Corporation.

The pair were abducted on 9 August in Orissa province, in the east of India. One of the activists, Sana Sikaka, was ‘released’ late last night by being thrown out of a van, and has alleged that the gunmen were police.  Lado Sikaka, the most senior leader of the Dongria Kondh indigenous community, is still being held by the gunmen.  

Orissa provincial police have remained silent on who was responsible for the abduction, and have not opened any investigation despite requests by activists.

“This allegation of arbitrary detention and abduction of activists must be immediately and transparently investigated,” said Madhu Malhotra, Amnesty International’s Deputy-Director for the Asia-Pacific.  "The Orissa police must show its good faith by securing the release of Lado Sikaka, immediately tracking down and arresting these gunmen."

Sana Sikaka told local media today that he and a group of activists were stopped by 15 armed plainclothes officers at the foothills of Niyamgiri mountain, as they were leaving in a van to travel to Delhi, where they planned to campaign against the bauxite mine project.  The gunmen confiscated the mobile phones of activists and their vehicle. They then detained Lado and Sana Sikaka, driving them towards the neighbouring district of Rayagada where Sana suspects Lado is being held.

The Dongria Kondh indigenous community is known for their activism to protect their sacred mountain Niyamgiri from the proposed bauxite-mine .

Amnesty International urges the Indian authorities to establish a process to seek the free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) of the Dongria Kondh before proceeding with the proposed mine project in Niyamgiri. This must include:

•  providing the Dongria Kondh with accessible and adequate information about the project;
•  undertaking, in genuine and open consultation with the Dongria Kondh, a comprehensive human rights and environmental impact assessment of the project and providing appropriate procedural safeguards to ensure their participation in the assessment process and that their knowledge and perspectives of the Hills are given due weight and respect and;
•  respect the decision of the Dongria Kondh if they do not provide consent to the project.

Lado Sikaka the most senior leader of the Dongria Kondh indigenous community

No description available