DAY 88 – HONDURAS COUP RESISTANCE = URGENT CALL FOR UNITED NATIONS MEDICAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS MISSION

September 23, 2009 (11:40am), Alert#70

The oligarchic-military regime of Roberto Micheletti/ General Ramon Vasquez continues with a complete lock-down of the country.  An all- day military curfew is in effect; civil rights are not being respected.

BELOW:

An urgent call to the United Nations by Dr. Juan Almendares, on behalf of Honduran victims of repression, disease and malnutrition, for a United Nations Medical/ Human Rights Mission
Morning update
How to donate fund for the National Front Against the Coup & what to do?
INTERVIEWS & MORE INFORMATION:

Grahame Russell, Rights Action co-director, (860) 352-2448, c: (860) 751- 4285, info@rightsaction.org, www.rightsaction.org
Juan Alemendares, Honduran doctor and human rights activist, 011 [504] 9985-4150
Sandra Cuffe, freelance journalist in Honduras, 011 [504] 9525-6778
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HONDURAS: LETTER TO THE UNITED NATIONS

>From Honduran Doctor Juan Almendares, September 22, 2009
Tel: 011-504-9985-4150 / Email: juan.almendares@gmail.com
(Translated by Rights Action.  Original spanish version below)

Señor Miguel d’Escoto
President, General Assembly of the United Nations

Mr. President:

[….]

I write you as a Doctor who has long worked in service of the poor, in defense of human rights and the environment, and as ex-Dean of Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras.

[…]

The systematic violation of human rights in Honduras has increased.  Our nation has been converted into an immense jail in which no access is permitted to the wounded and the tortured, in which food and water cannot be taken to people who have been arbitrarily jailed, or detained in stadiums, sports fields, clandestine jails and army and police detention centers.

There is a situation of extremely high risk for malnourished children in various hospitals who are not receiving food due to the state of siege – many risk death due to hypoglycemia .

Thousands of tear-gas canisters and bombs have been fired from planes and troops.  There are hundreds of civilians who are wounded, detained and tortured.

There has been no respect for the immunity or territory of the Brazilian embassy in Honduras. The lives of the legitimate President of Honduras, his family and the diplomatic corp, are at risk.

[…]

We urgently call on your office to name a United Nations medical and human rights mission to come to the Brazilian Embassy to attend to the President and his family, to Brazilian diplomats and to guarantee respect for life and health.

We urge that such a medical and human rights mission visit stadiums, sports fields, police detention centers, hospitals and army barracks where their are hundreds of detained and tortured Hondurans.

We know there are United Nations offices working on these issues.  Nevertheless, their procedures are slow and the results of their work may be, with no exaggeration, post- mortem.

[…]

Thank-you, Dr. Juan Almendares, Tegucigalpa 22 de septiembre 2009

Director Ejecutivo del CPTRT (Centro de Prevención, tratamiento y Rehabilitación de la s Victimas de la Tortura y sus familiares)
011-504-9985-4150, juan.almendares@gmail.com

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HONDURAS: CARTA A LAS NACIONES UNIDAS
Tegucigalpa 22 de septiembre 2009
Del Doctor Juan Almendares
011-504-9985-4150
juan.almendares@gmail.com

Excelentísimo Señor Miguel d’Escoto

Presidente de la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas

Señor Presidente:

Respetuosamente me dirijo a usted apelando a su conciencia de respeto a la vida, la dignidad y de los derechos humanos de los pueblos y reconociendo en su digna persona a uno de los baluartes en la lucha por la paz y la justicia mundial.

Firmo en mi calidad de médico al servicio de los pobres, defensor de los derechos humanos y del ambiente, educador y ex Rector de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras.

Enviamos esta apelación a su digna persona tan rápidamente como podemos, aunque estamos seguros de que sería avalada por las organizaciones de derechos humanos y millones de hondureños (as), porque la esencia de la misma es el respeto a la vida; pero no es posible hacer las consultas en este caso porque Honduras se encuentra en Estado de Sitio, con la suspensión de todas las garantías constitucionales y con la seria posibilidad de que se cometa, en cualquier momento, un magnicidio en la persona del Presidente de Honduras, José Manuel Zelaya Rosales, actualmente alojado por el Gobierno de Brasil en su Embajada de Tegucigalpa.

Reconocemos los esfuerzos que usted ha realizado por contribuir a la solución de los conflictos tomando como base la paz, la justicia y el respeto a los derechos humanos.

La violación sistemática de los derechos humano en Honduras se ha incrementado, la nación se ha convertido en una inmensa cárcel sin permitir el acceso a los heridos, torturados y sin poder suministrar agua y alimentos a las personas que han sido arbitrariamente encarceladas o detenidas en estadios, canchas deportivas, cárceles clandestinas, centros de detención policial y militar.

La situación de las niñas y niños desnutridos en los hospitales es de alto riesgo ya que no reciben alimentos por el toque de queda y pueden sufrir de hipoglucemia con riesgo de morir.

Millares de bombas lacrimógenas se han lanzado desde aviones y desde la tropa, centenares de detenidos y torturados, heridos la mayoría corresponden a la población civil.

No se ha respetado la inmunidad ni el territorio de la Embajada de Brasil en Honduras. La vida del Presidente legitimo de los hondureños y su familia corre peligro, en igual forma el cuerpo diplomático, al que no se respeta la inmunidad.

Apelamos a usted con carácter de urgencia para que se nombre una misión medica y de derechos humanos de la ONU para que se presente a la Embajada de Brasil, atienda al Presidente y su familia, al cuerpo diplomático brasileño y se garantice el respeto a la vida y la salud de los seres humanos.

Que esta misión visite los estadios, canchas deportivas, los centros de detención policial, los hospitales y los batallones donde están encarcelados y torturados centenares de hondureños(as)

Sabemos que existen entidades específicas en la ONU sobre derechos humanos que están haciendo valiosos esfuerzos. Sin embargo los trámites son lentos y los resultados pueden ser, sin que esto sea exagerado en un ápice, postmortem.

Sin embargo un llamado a la conciencia mundial por parte del Padre Miguel d’ Escoto seria escuchado por su fuerza moral en todos los rincones de la tierra.

En caso contrario que no puedan organizarse de emergencia las citadas misiones, nosotros nos ofrecemos voluntariamente para prestar nuestros servicios médicos y derechos humanos; visitar al Presidente y su familia y al cuerpo diplomático en la Embajada de Brasil y con nuestros equipos de salud visitar todos los sitios de detención y tortura antes señalados.

Por el amor y la solidaridad humana y planetaria. Y al Dios al que usted le ha dedicado con gran fe y honestidad la mayor parte de su vida.

Con muestras de mi más alta consideración le salud fraternalmente:

Tegucigalpa 22 de septiembre 2009

Juan Almendares
Director Ejecutivo del Centro de Prevención, tratamiento y
Rehabilitación de la s Victimas de la Tortura y sus familiares (CPTRT).
juan.almendares@gmail.com

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UPDATE, September 23, 2009, 11:40am

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION – INCOMPLETE AND ARBITRARILY PRESENTED HERE - COMES FROM VARIOUS SOURCES: RADIO GLOBO, TELESUR & PHONE CALLS TO HONDURAS.

The oligarchic-military regime of Roberto Micheletti/ General Ramon Vasquez continues with a complete lock-down of the country.  An all-day military curfew is in effect; all civil rights have been suspended.

The regime maintains a complete military blockade of the Brazilian embassy … over 300 people, including President Zelaya and his famiy, remain inside with shortages of food, water, etc.

Military road-blocks are set up on major roads around the country.

Police are entering directly into people’s homes, with no justification – to detain, beat or intimidate.

In many neighborhoods of Tegucigalpa and other cities (San Pedro de Sula) and towns and villages around the country, pro-democracy, anti-coup people have gathered to carry out their own, local education activities and public manifestations.

Popular road-blocks have been set up in many places.  Last night, shooting was heard through much of Tegucigalpa, as soldiers and police were sent to break up the blockades and try and detain anyone they found in the streets.

Water and electricity are being intermittingly and arbitrarily cut or suspended, particularly in the poor barrios and colonias of Tegucigalpa.

100s of Hondurans are illegally detained in jails and concentration camps in sports stadiums, sports fields, police and army barracks.  There are numerous reports and testimonies about beatings and torture.

All or most businesses and offices in Tegucigalpa are closed. The regime announced a suspension of the military curfew from 10:00am – 4:00pm, so that stores can open and people can buy food.  Local stores (pulperias) are running out of food, as they stock up on a daily basis, so even with a break in the curfew, food is hard to get in poorer neighborhoods.

* * *

INFORMATION EN ESPANOL, EN VIVO

One can get up-to-the-moment information (when the regime is not cutting off broadcasting) from:

Honduran radio “Radio Globo”: http://www.radioglobohonduras.com/
Telesur TV: http://www.telesurtv.net/noticias/canal/senalenvivo.php
Radio Progreso: http://radioprogresohn.com/
TV Canal 36, Cholusat Sur: http://www.cholusatsur.com/

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WHAT TO DO?

SPEAKING TOURS: “RESISTANCE TO MILITARY COUPS & GOLD MINING DEVASTATION IN HONDURAS & GUATEMALA”

In October, activists with Rights Action will be on speaking tours in Ontario, Quebec and eastern Canada, and north-east USA, showing slides and short documentaries and speaking about the on-going pro-democracy, anti coup movement in Honduras and about indigenous and community resistance to Goldcorp Inc.’s open-pit, cyanide leach mines in Guatemala and Honduras.

Karen Spring (spring.kj@gmail.com) in Ontario
Francois Guindon (francois.guindon@gmail.com ) in Quebec and eastern Canada
Grahame Russell (info@rightsaction.org) in north-east USA

AMERICANS & CANADIANS should contact our members of congress, senators & members of parliament every day, day after day, send copies of this information, and demand:

unconditional and public support for the return of the entire constitutional government of President Zelaya
unequivocal denunciation of the military coup and no recognition of the oligarchic- military regime of Roberto Micheletti and General Romeo Vasquez
unequivocal demands, from “international community”, for regime to step down
no recognition of the November 2009 elections, that candidates from the traditional Nationalist and Liberal parties are campaigning for, even as the country is militarized and repression is widespread
an immediate suspension of the release of all international funds and loans to the regime, including targeted economic, military and diplomatic sanctions against the coup plotters and perpetrators
application of international and national justice against the coup plotters and perpetrators
reparations to the victims for the illegal actions and rights violations committed during this illegal coup
TO DONATE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE FUNDS to the people’s pro-democracy movement in Honduras, make check to “rights action” and mail to:

UNITED STATES:  Box 50887, Washington DC, 20091-0887
CANADA: 552-351 Queen St. E, Toronto ON, M5A-1T8
CREDIT-CARD DONATIONS:  http://rightsaction.org/contributions.htm

For foundations and institutional donors, Rights Action can (upon request) provide a full proposal of which organizations and people we are channeling funds to and supporting.

Thank-you for your on-going support for our work and for this struggle.