Action Alert: United Nations Security Council to be briefed on the Zimbabwe crisis on Tuesday 29th April 2008
We encourage all Zimbabweans to start speaking out and lobbying people around the world in your individual capacities. Sokwanele has set up an ‘Action Contact Database‘ where we are collecting a range of contact names, useful for Zimbabwe email action initiatives, that Zimbabweans can easily find and use towards promoting non violent change in Zimbabwe. Please use it to find contact details so that you can speak out and tell people around the world what is happening in our country.
It is more than a month since the elections were held on March 29th 2008, and we are still waiting for the Presidential results.
Meanwhile, Zanu PF has embarked on a campaign of terror and intimidation in the rural areas against opposition supporters. There have been at least ten murders so far.
A report released on the 25 April 2005 by the ‘Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR)’ details violence and torture against 62 people they have treated, over a period of the three days between April 22 to April 24. They state that even this number “under-reports the true total as full documentation (e.g. confirmation of suspected fractures by x-ray) of a number of cases has not yet been completed”.
In these three days, ZADHR says:
Sixty two cases were assessed and treated, including 9 women, one of whom is 84 years old and sustained serious facial injuries when she was struck in the face with stones on opening her door to unknown assailants. The youngest patient seen was a one year old baby boy who suffered gastroenteritis with dehydration following sleeping in the ‘bush’ with his mother after their home had been burnt down. 23 cases were from Karoi; otherwise there was still a concentration in Mudzi, Mutoko and Murewa with 12.
It is against this backdrop of gross human rights violations that riot police invaded Harvest House, the MDC Headquarters, and arrested scores of people on Friday, 25 April 2008.
Many of those arrested are injured civilians who had fled the rural areas to seek safety and refuge in the only place they could turn to; namely, the opposition headquarters. Many of them were injured days ago and were only able to get medical treatment when they arrived in town.
The state-controlled press have deliberately gone on to misreport the arrests.
The government’s motive, through the state-controlled press, is to try and persuade the people in our country - who have little access to independent news - that the victims of these horrendous attacks are actually criminals. By arresting the injured, the state hopes to hide the evidence of their violence and silence the voices that shame them. On Saturday, The Herald wrote:
Police yesterday arrested 215 people after raiding MDC-T’s Harvest House headquarters in central Harare on allegations of committing acts of political violence countrywide and going into hiding. [...] Chief police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena said the information they had indicated that most of those who had participated in post-election violence had sought refuge at the MDC provincial and national headquarters.
“Police rounded up 215 people at Harvest House this afternoon and these will be screened against participation in politically motivated criminal activities around the country,” he said.
The Herald would like us to believe that these people are criminals; however, the full extent of their lie is exposed when we learn that among the injured people arrested are twenty-four babies and 40 children under the age of six:
“This is ruthlessness of the worst kind. How can you incarcerate children whose mothers have fled their homes hoping to give their children refuge?” asked an emotional [Nelson] Chamisa yesterday. “In Mugabe’s Zimbabwe even children are not spared the terror that befalls their parents.” [Nelson Chamisam is the MDC MT spokesperson]
The Herald might print lies, but the pictures the world has seen tell the truth. These are not pictures of criminals: they are the images of people who have been brutalised, tortured, murdered and had their human rights violated. They have been subjected to retributive persecution by a regime that fails to accept the simple truth that it has lost the elections.
It does not matter how many people the regime tries to arrest to cover up the reality that it is brutalising its own people; the world now knows the truth.
In a press release on Sunday the Institute for a Democratic Alternative for Zimbabwe (IDAZIM) announced that they had initiated, with full support from civil society, labour and legal organizations, a Truth and Justice Coalition on Zimbabwe. They have stated that:
Its objectives are to identify perpetrators and seek legal redress for the victims of crimes against humanity and other serious crimes in Zimbabwe [...] the coalition had now assembled over 200 names of ZANU (PF) military, militia, members of parliament and war veterans who in their personal and/or professional capacity have unleashed terror and tyranny against civilians in recent months. More importantly, their complicity with a cabal of high-ranking Zimbabwean politicians and military personnel with links to other countries is now documented for public release.
We need to Take Action!
On Tuesday, the United Nations Security Council will be briefed on the situation in Zimbabwe by the MDC Secretary General, Hon Tendai Biti. A statement issued today says:
The MDC will make its plea to the United Nations that the ZANU PF regime has unleashed brutal and fascist violence on the membership of the MDC and the generality of the people of Zimbabwe. The regime has declared war with the people, whose only ‘crime’ is voting for change, and change they can trust. We call on the United Nations to send an envoy, who will work with SADC to find a lasting solution to the crisis. This crisis can only end if Mr Mugabe accepts that he lost the election and allow a smooth transfer of power, leading to the formation of a government of national healing led by President Tsvangirai.
Under the Charter the functions and powers of the Security Council are:
- to maintain international peace and security in accordance with the principles and purposes of the United Nations;
- to investigate any dispute or situation which might lead to international friction;
- to recommend methods of adjusting such disputes or the terms of settlement;
- to formulate plans for the establishment of a system to regulate armaments;
- to determine the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression and to recommend what action should be taken;
- to call on Members to apply economic sanctions and other measures not involving the use of force to prevent or stop aggression;
- to take military action against an aggressor;
- to recommend the admission of new Members;
- to exercise the trusteeship functions of the United Nations in “strategic areas”;
- to recommend to the General Assembly the appointment of the Secretary-General and, together with the Assembly, to elect the Judges of the International Court of Justice.
What can we do?
It is very important to reinforce the message of non violence at every opportunity. Please do what you can to help our country maintain its committment to non violence through these difficult and distressing days. We have come so far, let us not be seduced into violence in the way that Zanu PF hopes we will be.
You can also:
- Send emails to Permanent Representatives to the United Nations of the United Nations Security Council and tell them, in your words, the truth about what is happening in Zimbabwe
- They are Jean-Maurice Ripert (France); Sir John Sawers (UK); Vitaly Churkin (Russian Federation); Johan C. Verbeke (Belgium); Marty Natalegawa (Indonesia); Dumisani S. Kumalo (South Africa); Marcello Spatafora (Italy); Le Luong Minh (Vietman); Jorge Urbina (Costa Rica); Giadalla A.Ettalhi; Ricardo Alberto Arias (Panama); Zhenmin Liu (China) and Wang Guangya (China)
- These are their email addresses (you can copy and paste them into your email software): france@franceonu.org; UK@UN.int; rusun@un.int; newyorkUN@diplobel.be; ptri@indonesiamission-ny.org; sacg@southafrica-newyork.net; info.italyun@esteri.it; info@vietnam-un.org; costarica@un.int; misioncostaricaun@yahoo.com; emb@panama-un.org; chinamission_un@fmprc.gov.cn;
- Because of the violence in our country, ask the UN Security Council to place a UN arms embargo on all trade in arms and ammunition with Zimbabwe until such time that a political resolution has been reached and there is peace and no more violence in our country.
- Ask them to call for an immediate end to the violence against the people of Zimbabwe, and to support the opposition’s request for special envoy to work with SADC to find a lasting solution to the crisis
- Ask them to call for an immediate release of the Presidential results. Remind them that it is now one month after we voted and the results have still not been officially released
- Send copies of your emails to SADC regional leaders. We recommend you focus your letters towards President Levy Mwanawasa who is the Current SADC Chairperson; President Thabo Mbeki, SADC’s appointed mediator in the Zimbabwe crisis; and President Jakaya Kikwete, the President of Tanzania who is also the current Chairperson of the AU. Their full details are provided below.
- Forward this email to friends, family and colleagues and ask that they Take Action too!
- Boycott the State controlled media! Don’t pay hard earned money to read lies.
Country: Zambia
Name: Mwanawasa, Levy
Job title: President of Zambia; Chairperson of SADC
Email: differmu@nkwazi.gov.zm
Telephone: +260 1 266147
Fax Number: +260 1 266092
Website address: http://www.statehouse.gov.zm/
Physical Address: Independence Avenue Woodlands Lusaka Zambia 10101 P.O Box 30135Country: Botswana
Name: Mothae, Tanki
Job title: Director of Politics, Defence and Security Affairs, SADC
Email: tmothae@sadc.int
Telephone: +267 361 1001 or +267 397 2848
Organisation: Southern African Development Community (SADC)Country: South Africa
Name: Mbeki, Thabo
Job title: President of South Africa
Email: president@po.gov.za
Telephone 1: +27 (0)12 300 5200
Telephone 2: +27 (0)21 464 2100
Fax Number: +27 (0)12 323 8246 and +27 (0)12 461 2838
Physical Address: Private Bag X1000, Pretoria, 0001 Union Buildings, Government Avenue Pretoria; Private Bag X1000, Cape Town, 8000 Tuynhuys Building, Parliament Street, Cape Town
Website address: http://www.gov.za/Country: Tanzania
Name: Kikwete, Jakaya
Job title: President of Tanzania and Chair to the African Union
Email: info@ikulu.go.tz
Telephone: 00 255 22 2 116 898 or 00 255 22 2 116 899
Fax Number: 00 255 22 2 113 425
Physical Address: State House Luthuli Road, Box 9120, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
All the contact information provided in this Action Mailing is stored on our Action Contact Database. There are many more contacts saved there and we will be continuously adding names and email addresses to the database to meet Zimbabwean requirements as circumstances change and evolve.
The database has been compiled with the help of the public who have searched for details on our behalf and sent them to us via our blog, and with the incredible support of a small dedicated team of volunteers who are working very hard to ensure that Zimbabeans have the necessary tools they need to speak out for themselves.
We are very grateful for everyone’s help, and for the way people have given up time to stand in solidarity with Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwean people.
To find the information you need, please click the button appearing in the sidebar of both our website and our blog. We hope that this tool will make it easy for you find the details you need without having to spend too much time hunting around the Internet for them. Please alert us to information you think should be included, and we’ll do our best to make sure we add that too.
Let’s bring about our bright and positive future together.
This article was emailed to our subscribers.
April 28th, 2008 04:53
Another suggestion might be …Rather than just sending emails to the same institutions like SADC and the EU, UN and the Chinese ETC who have done nothing.for the non-violent people of Zimbabwe.for 10 years…(remember that infamous ship)
Is anyone moved enough fly to Zimbabwe next week (or donate money for tickets) and actively try some of that much preached about ‘non-violence’ on the rampaging Zanu soldiers and militia…??? YES …WE DO WHAT WE CAN …but seriously any takers???
With all due respect…
People in Zimbabwe ARE NOT abused and killed because they tried to use violence, or didnt advocate ‘non-violence’
What happens takes place because there is no strong factor of deterrence stopping the violent perpetrators of these crimes.
(The UK and US are accused by Mugs & Co. of stirrng all the trouble yet no attacks on their embassadors…I wonder why… fear of consequences maybe???)
April 28th, 2008 05:52
What do you think you were voting for in 1980? You could have chose the Bishop, or Sitole, or heaven forbid, Smith. But no, you chose Bob. You had one vote, but only once. Just like the all of Africa before you. Welcome to what so many (so called racists) told you would happen. Now, enjoy your bed, you made it.
April 28th, 2008 09:46
I have added the following:
- offer UN assistance to neighbour states in managing Zimbabwean refugees and call on these states to respond ethically to the refugee crisis. Reports this weekend say that the South African Government has deployed trucks and buses to take them straight back to Zimbabwe without due processing. They must be fed, given water, medical care and shelter until they can prove their case as a refugee, it is immoral to round them up and send them home after what they have been through.
Any other ideas for submitting protests about the lack of support for Zim refugees? Home Affairs, and who else…??
April 28th, 2008 11:11
In any conflict its always good to follow the money…in this case the evidence trail will show that Zimbabwe is in the midst of a dirty power struggle between…the neo-liberal agenda hammer,banging away at an entrenched ZANU PF incumbency anvil…
I used to watch the endless failures and think that the opposition were merely incompetent, overly principled…but looking beyond the surface and understand the depth of what is really taking place I see some people on both sides have no shame.
In america theres a saying…’you dance with the one wut brung yah’
Translated it means the paymasters dictate the policy.
It was supposed to be a clever regime removal, no coups or insurgents, but theres NOTHING ‘peaceful’ or ‘non violent’ about it.
All over the world, form South America to the Middle East…Eastern Europe, the same pattern. Squeeze an economy, hire some protest groups and an opposition party or two, vilify the imcumbents as a new level of evil dictatorship…then wait until it all boils over into anarchy.
I hate what ZANU PF is doing to the country …and yet paid for sections of the oposition need to look in the mirror.
Its a pity…that moved by nothing but emdless images of terror… people cant jump off the bandwagon long enough to do some proper research into the background of all the players concerned …they will see the geo-political game being played…at the expense of Zimbabwes people.
April 28th, 2008 11:18
Larry, please go play in the traffic or something. This website is for people who want to do somthing constructive to help, even if it’s only to offer emotional support. I don’t know if you were there in 1980, I was, and it was a very different world then. I don’t live in Zim anymore but it’s still my home country (and also God’s country), not “their bed”. Enough said!!
Actually the idea of volunteer peace monitors is not a bad one, it has worked elsewhere. There would be brave people willing to go - just as people have been willing to act as ‘human shields’ in Israel/Palestine, Black Sash members and church leaders in apartheid SA… It’s just that organising this takes time.
An interesting point made by a contact who worked as a doctor in KZN during the state sponsored anti-UDF violence of the 1980’s. She says that the injuries described by ZDFHR are very similar to those she saw in Pietermaritzburg then. In particular, those that disfigure the face, hands, feet, arms, buttocks, skin etc. They are not the kind of injuries you would expect if the cause were faction fighting (as the SA Government of the time always tried to make out) - or as seen in Kenya. That would involve direct attempted murder, not torture and maiming. So according to a medical (forensic) viewpoint these injuries tell their own story and tell it quite plainly.
Interesting…how quickly we South Africans forget. My contact thinks Zuma has more sympathy for Zimbabweans because he and those close to him went through this horror in KZN. I hope she’s right.
April 28th, 2008 12:50
People are happy that MDC has retained its majority in Parliament its a disguise by ZANU for people to believe that there was no rigging in the recount whilst they are busy rigging the presidential elections.I understand that MDC is gong to present its case to the UN security counsel.This is not going to be of any help bcz MDC is folowing the procedure whilst ZANU is doing whatever to keep it on power, be it legal or otherwise. I urge however, the UN to act on its own and not to confer the responsibily to SADC. SADC will not act because they support Mugabe who is hiding behind the abused principle of sovereignty. Annan once said, “[Blame] [for inaction in the face of serious human rights violations] can be shared among those who value abstract notions of sovereignty more than the lives of real families; those whose reflex of solidarity puts them on the side of governments and not of peoples; and those who fear that action to stop the slaughter [violations] would jeopardize their commercial interests.” I therefore urge the UN to disregard whatever veil upon which ZANU is hiding and interfere for the interest of innocent people of Zimbabwe.
April 28th, 2008 12:56
@ Sally D
What time is needed??? As you say precedents do exist and Hope and others have the plan for blocking the militias and soldiers with ‘non-violence’.
The peace project could be organised 10-14 days at the latest.
1)Instead of just lobbying the same do nothing groups like the UN etc…emails of those willing to go to Zim can be collected and a list of the ‘willing to go’ made by FRIDAY.
2)Funds can be sourced for the tickets in the interim period from all the thousands and millions of global Sokwanele supports…’peace activists headed for Zim need funds’ will be a excellent campaign…put Scotch Cart onto it.
3) The money raised can be placed in a bank account for the project…for tickets, accomodation and supplies.
4) Peaceful non-violent advocates can fly to Zimbabwe..go to the rural areas and begin working on the ground….(I am sure people like Hope, Mike, Chimurenga 4 etc will demand a seat on that plane…)
April 28th, 2008 13:52
‘The EU/ACP joint parliament is also scheduled to meet on Tuesday [29 April 2008] as well as the Commonwealth, which is likely to meet in Namibia. Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba has refused to chair that meeting, which is now set to be chaired by Commonwealth secretary general, Don McKinnon.’
http://thezimbabwetimes.com/page1042.htm
Commonwealth Secretariat,
Marlborough House, Pall Mall,
London SW1Y 5HX, UK
Phone: +44 (0)20 7747 6500
Fax: +44 (0)20 7930 0827
Official Spokesperson and Director of Communications
Eduardo del Buey
Tel: +44 (0)774 045 0901
Email: e.delbuey@commonwealth.int
Deputy Spokesperson
Manoah Esipisu
Tel: +44 789 446 2021
Email: m.esipisu@commonwealth.int
Media & Public Affairs Enquiries
J Mucunguzi, Africa
Tel: +44 (0) 789 459 3517
Email: j.mucunguzi@commonwealth.int
G Goh, Asia Pacific
Tel: +44 (0)20 7747 6535
Mobile: +44 (0) 7894 593518
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7839 9081
Email: g.goh@commonwealth.int
Y Chin, Caribbean
Tel: +44 (0) 791 246 3750
Email: y.chin@commonwealth.int
Don McKinnon, former Secretary-General
And Deputy Secretaries-General
Mrs Florence Mugasha, Uganda
Mr Ransford Smith, Jamaica
C/o
Official Spokesperson and Director of Communications
Eduardo del Buey
Tel:+44(0)20 7747 6380
Email: e.delbuey@commonwealth.int
ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly
Chair
Glenys Kinnock, MEP
Labour European Office, Transport House, 1 Cathedral Road, Cardiff CF11 9SD
Tel: +44 029 2022 7654
Fax: +44 029 2022 4725
Email: glenys.kinnock@europarl.europa.eu
Email: contact@welshlabourmeps.org.uk
Secretary - debbie@welshlabourmeps.org.uk
Researcher - ruth@welshlabourmeps.org.uk
Press Officer - lisa@welshlabourmeps.org.uk
Vice-chair: michael.gahler@europarl.europa.eu
Members: astrid.lulling@europarl.europa.eu
jim.allister@europarl.europa.eu
other ACP-EU contacts at: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/expert/otherBodies/search.do?body=1558&partNumber=1&language=EN
General Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP Group)
Av. Georges Henri, 451
B-1200 Brussels
Belgium
email: info@acpsec.org
website: http://www.acpsec.org
Tel: +32 2 743 06 00
Fax: +32 2 735 55 73
April 28th, 2008 17:20
@anon
yo goin 2 zimbabwe 2day wldnt change anything much,wel atleast it wil change e fact that we wil be adressing u as THE LATE…..
I dont no but I wld lyk 2 believe thz coming from elsewhere are e targeted now ,eTHEY WIL PROBABALY DETAIN n COL U ONE OF THOZ JOUNALISTS.Thet can even forge papers to show u are a journalist.the best we can do is continue to send appeals to e U.N while we pray and wait for the Lord to hear us.
April 28th, 2008 19:01
Larry, I have to say that you must be one of those ’so-called racists’. You also cannot have been in Zim during the 1980 elections or the aftermaths. Mugabe was not expected to win, but was the US and UK favourite. Those elections were rigged too with their results being confirmed over the radio in the US before the Zim election crowd even knew what they were. There was flooding at the time in many areas and people could not get to voting stations, yet large percentage turnouts were celebrated etc. I have no problem with the USA but the ‘powers that be’ (ie.Carter et al) at the time are responsible for this and NOT the people of Zimbabwe.
Reading this site has made me even more proud to be a Zimbabwean. Thank you Sokwanele.
April 28th, 2008 19:15
Hi
I support Sally Ds idea of volunteer peace monitors - it is because Zanu Pf and co. think no one is watching that they are so brazenly abusing peoples rights. This can certainly go some way to reducing the level of violence. And so far civil society has been very instrumental in helping out much more than neighbouring governments. We would of course need to prepare them because i think non of them will be expecting what they will find when they arrive.
I would also suggest pushing for cvilian trained peace keepers from the UN and AU. I would stress civilians and not military peace keepers.
About the status of Zimbabwean refugees and asylum seekers abroad. I agree, this matter should be taken up seriously because this is not the time to be repatriating people in flight. So far, as far as I can see, most people have treated Zimbabwean asylum seekers as economic migrants, few have taken the uniqueness of the eonomic situation seriously because when your population is starving, can’t access medical care and treatment etc that is a silent war against the people of Zimbabwe in my view. But I would suggest for anyone who finds themselves in this situation get in touch with a good refugee lawyer who can at least give you some advise and a preliminary assessment of your individual case. Also it usually helps when you hand yourself to authorities if there is someone who knows you exist and can follow up on your case just in case. It will also help you understand what you would need to provide should you seek asylum and the process as it applies in that country as these can differ widely. It also helps you know your rights because immigration officials are seldom willing to explain those to you. These lawyers usually work without charging you a consultation fee but this may differ depending on the country. If you can’t get to a lawyer for some reason at least make sure that someone knows you have gone to the authorities for asylum - this way at least someone is there to follow up your case. I would say assert your right to asylum and be prepared for a difficult process.
I would suggest that people add contacts from their countries of contact persons for refugee issues aswell. Perhaps it is also an idea to raise the profile of and maybe highlight conditions of Zimbabwean asylum or illegal immigrants and campaign hard to make sure that states place a moratorium on the deportation of these refugees - also that they provide them with asylum because one thing states do not want to be seen to be doing is going against their international obligations. So I would suggest linking this action to the right against non refoulement.
I hope this helps and stimulates discussion around these issues.
April 28th, 2008 20:38
Shami - would the linking to the right against non-refoulement not entail defining Zimbabwe as a ‘war zone’? Would this hold? (I guess the UN Sec Council briefing will make this much clearer). Anyway, more resources for refugees sounds like a very good point - and the issue of non-refoulement an important and constructive one to discuss.. You’ve got me reading up on it right away.
(By the way, I wanted to clarify that the single post by CC above - responding to Larry the Racist - is not by me, the author of all the the other CC comments. It’s not particularly important, just wanted to clarify as I don’t necessarily want someone else’s experiences to be conflated with my own.
Hey it’s a valid enough point in some respects, just one I hadn’t thought of!)
P.S. Larry the Racist, go play in traffic..
P.P.S. HURRAY!!!!!!
April 29th, 2008 09:41
Hi
CC This is admittedly a difficult question. On a personal level because I hope that Zimbabwe has not come to a state of war. Am I in denial about this - probably. The consequences of war are just unfathomable. At the same time I am extremely concerned and alarmed at what is taking place in Zimbabwe at the moment. Moving away from the personal, war for me requires belligerents and at the moment we have one belligerent who has unleashed the full force of the illegitimate state apparatus and all its appendages on innocent civilians. On the otherhand peoples experiences especially after being attacked or having a loved one attacked by a group of “militia” might tell a different story - and it feels like war in that case.
I hope the Security Council does not get sidetracked with definitional issues though. What we know is that human rights in zimbabwe are being seriously and massively violated on multiple levels - this has grave consequences for the people of Zimbabwe, this should be taken seriously and steps taken to remedy the situation.
I think though non refoulement has also been used in situations were there is no war but there are massive and serious human rights violations taking place. This is the situation as it is in Zimbabwe.
I am wondering how you are doing with your research on non refoulement?
April 29th, 2008 13:49
Shami - yes, well whatever definition helps, as with the g word - ah yes I see what you mean there’s every reason to actually fear the Sec Council getting bogged down by definitions.. Better watch and campaign for balance then..
This has been interesting. I have learnt that, rather than being something arcane and esoteric, these basic international human rights laws are something which every citizen of the world should learn about, and that I want to make sure that my children have a basic confidence to refer to them in their relationship with the world.
My amateurish and possibly tragi-comical observations are these:
1.That the 1951 Refugee Convention only applies to persons who fear persecution on the basis of their ‘race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion’. The OAU definition, which is broader suggests that the term “refugee” shall also apply to every person who, owing to external aggression, occupation, foreign domination or events seriously disturbing public order in either part or the whole of his country of origin or nationality, is compelled to leave his place of habitual residence in order to seek refuge in another place outside his country of origin or nationality.
2.In cases of torture, no exceptions are permitted to the prohibition against refoulement.
3.“There is substantial, if not conclusive authority that the principle is binding on all states, independently of specific assent” and the UNHCR has even suggested that it is a jus cogens law. It has however been argued that when a state justifies of qualifies its expulsion - ‘we cannot accept these refugees because…’ [of internal special circumstances’, - they are implicitly acknowledging their breech of international law.
4.That non-refoulement has been breached increasingly frequently, but that it has not formally lost its status in international law. In contrast, human rights laws in general are often perceived to be increasingly adhered to.
5.That international pressure to heed non-refoulement has, historically, been effective in protecting refugees, until the host country starts facing its own problems at least.
6.That retrospective criticism of countries who violated non-refoulement has been harsh and stained the human rights image of the countries to some extent. And I don’t think that South Africa wants to damage their valuable ‘brand’.
7.That countries who violate non-refoulement are legally regarded as complicit in the crimes committed upon refugees on their return, but that no-one is ever prosecuted.
8.That refugees in breach of the security laws of the host country don’t stand a chance, either in spite of or because of ill-defined definition of ‘threat to national security’.
Outline of the consensus reached on “The Principle of Non-Refoulement”
http://www.unhcr.bg/global_consult/principe_non_refoulement_en.pdf
The UNHCR-funded ‘Refugee Law Reader’, a ‘model curriculum for the study of refugee law’
Anyway, thank you!
April 29th, 2008 13:50
http://www.refugeelawreader.org/index.d2
April 29th, 2008 14:46
Sorry CC. Never done this before. Wasn’t thinking.
April 29th, 2008 15:36
Oh my gosh no - your post wasn’t bad etiquette!! please keep posting, it was a very interesting point - be multi-post CC! LOL!!
April 29th, 2008 19:48
Kudos for you CC
I couldn’t agree more and I think this should apply in the situation of Zimbawean asylum seekers in the very least considering this reign of terror unleashed on innocent civilians
April 29th, 2008 21:41
ref: non-refoulement…
here in the UK there are a number of women who are survivors of rape, at the hands of police, military, and/or militias who are being denied asylum. In most cases the women have been targets of rape largely because of their husbands’ political involvement.
Shockingly, according to the immigration judges in the UK:
– being a women does not count as being a member of a particular social group.
– being a victim of rape at the hands of police, military, militias because of their own or their partners’ political activities (whether woman or man) does not constitute either a sufficiently compelling reason to flee, nor torture.
In the case of Zimbabwean refugee status was routinely being denied and folks were being sent back to Zim right up until just a short time before the elections. I understand that forced deportations are currently on hold.
However, the immigration directorate and the immigration judges continue making decisions about Zimbabweans’ applications for asylum all the time.
sad reflection of our country!
April 30th, 2008 12:39
http://www.sabcnews.com/africa/southern_africa/0,2172,168656,00.html
this is not very encouraging is it
April 30th, 2008 13:27
Not surprised which countries voted against - China and South Africa see http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7374014.stm but I am surprised that the vote was not reported by sabc news!
There is always a possibility that things will improve at the next ‘open’ session of UN.
I still have grave doubts that SADC will achieve anything of significance however much the world wants to see Africa take a responsible attitude to democracy and justice.
Well done MDC for giving peace a chance.
April 30th, 2008 13:30
China and S.African, and also, apparently, some other countries, actually opposed sending humanitarian aid and a special envoy to Zimbabwe. This is most disappointing diplomatic dithering. What are these countries motives for such blatant disregard for the worst humanitarian crisis ’since independence’ (in fact the worst crisis in its history)?
God only knows. What a missed opportunity for S.Africa to exert the influence one would have expected of it. According to the UN, however, the SADC will be able to ‘work together’ with the Electoral Commission to finalize the election results. This is simply back to square one. And now with more beatings and deaths the escalation of violence continues. Diplomacy on a world level seems to be failing. When will the wake up call come?
April 30th, 2008 15:12
Larry, it would be nice if indeed you did go and play in the traffic, but if you won’t oblige at least do us all a favour and shut your ignorant mouth. I’ll bet you still wear your camo shorts, vellies and combat cap as stand around your braai telling your “chinas” how the zimbos deserve what they got for voting for bob! Where have you been for the last fifteen years, were you involved in the previous or last elections? Have you any idea what the average zimbabwean wants or how he is suffering to try to bring about change. Zim has managed without the likes of you for a long time now so if you can’t help in any way, keep your pathetic, selfish, ignorant and rascist comments to yourself.
April 30th, 2008 17:43
Not sure the best place to post this, but:
FW: Attack - Wednesday
wayne munroe farmer in nymandlovhu has been under siege since early this morning. his property was encircled by in excess of 100 warvets 15:28
he phoned the police in nyama to inform them of the prob and was on the phone to them when 4 warvets entered his office. he immediately told the member in charge that they were there and a 303 was being pointed at his chest. he was forced to hang up. 15:30
a tussle ensued, munroe was injured on the hand with the head of an axe blade and he sprayed the attackers with pepper spray enabling him to escape. he was fired at 4 times, but they missed and munroe managed to get to the farm house where his mother and grandmother live. 15:31
the vets moved into the compound outsed the perimeter fence and are busy right now beating the workers. munroe’s wife and 2 children aged 4 and 5 are holed up in their own house some 100m away.
one of the workers managed to escape the beating at the compound (which is outside the perimeter fence of both farm houoses) and managed to get to munroe. he told mun that after they finished beating the workers, they were coming for the farm houses.
ursula managed to phone out that she was going to attempt getting to her husband but has failed because more armed vets have moved in. she is currently there now.
david coltart has repeatedly called chief inspector munyira at nymandlovhu to go and assist the munroes. coltart was told by the police they would send a detail out. at 3.10pm one ONE police officer arrived at the gate of the farm and then left. 16:01
to add to the sinister nature of the situation. this morning the regular member in charge and various other officers were replaced at nyamand police station. this points to the fact that the police were not trusted to carry out this brutal assault.
Obert Mpofu is the local ZanuPF MP who has probably ordered this. He needs to be contacted immediately to be asked why this is happening. 263 - 11 - 865601
yesterday munroe was warned that there had been a meeting at stops camp in byo where the decision to invade had been made. 16:06
April 30th, 2008 17:46
Action alert posted on the front page of our blog right now.
May 1st, 2008 13:02
@ Rob - i feel your anger, my family in zim feel the same way, really made me laugh, you’re so right..
@js re non refoulement: This is all just so shocking. I’m an arts/humanities academic in the uk and do quite a lot of research and teaching about gender theory. I understand that what they call the “weighted binary” (like white/black, man/woman) linguistically responsible for the kind of marginalisation we’re concerned with re refugee status run along vastly different lines, rooted in different things. But nobody, NOBODY disputes that it is the same mechanism at work (and a massively potent one, important to take into consideration alongside physical vulnerability), and I am astounded, absolutely astounded that UK Asylum law should not recognise gender vulnerability.
That said, technically, the AU actually draws this definition differently altogether: The AU focuses on the state of a person’s ‘place of habituation’, not on the person’s identity, as I understand it. Practically, this seems to make things even more difficult. I can imagine (and can see on the news) that women are still terribly, terribly vulnerable under this.
js, thank you. I’ve sent some emails to try and find somewhere to volunteer. I’m an immigrant and a woman and while I’d heard of some of these problems, it had never really viscerally sunk in. It has now.
One last thing - you say they have stopped forced deportations. Do you know how this applies to Simon ‘Dreadman’ Mudekwa and co?
Oh by the way Tara, thanks for the Ghandi. And Scotchcart, thanks for being the rather splendid you - we’re getting more effective all the time. Yes your points about openness, politeness and even gratitude on the phone are noted - it works an absolute treat doesn’t it!!