Padre Stan Swamy: El objetivo de las autoridades indias apuntan a uno de los defensores de derechos humanos más antiguos del país

El 8 de octubre, miembros de la Agencia Nacional de Investigación de la India arrestaron al Padre Stan Swamy, un sacerdote Jesuita y antiguo activista de los derechos tribales en el país. Si bien el objetivo de quienes defienden los derechos humanos en la India no es nada nuevo, el caso del Padre Swamy ha llamado especialmente la atención internacional porque, a sus 83 años de edad, es uno de los defensores de derechos humanos más antiguos del país.

“La persona más vieja acusada de terrorismo en la India”

El Padre Swamy ha estado trabajando con “Adivasis”(grupos étnicos registrados) de la India durante más de tres décadas. Incluso en su vejez, y a pesar de sufrir de numerosos problemas de salud, ha seguido abogando por este grupo hasta la actualidad. En un video publicado pocos días antes de su arresto, el Padre Swamy dijo que había presentado un caso en el Tribunal Superior de Jharkhand en nombre de 3.000 jóvenes “Adivasis” que habían sido encarcelados.

Fue arrestado en el centro social Bagaicha, propiedad de los Jesuitas, en Ranchi, la capital del Estado de Jharkhand, y posteriormente fue informado de que sería encarcelado en Taloja, cerca de Mumbai, hasta el 23 de octubre.

Lee mÁs

The COVID-19 pandemic could be an opportunity to save North Korean lives, if Moon Jae-In takes action

By Benedict Rogers

North Korea is ruled by the world’s most repressive, most brutal regime – one which does not allow any freedom whatsoever, one which violates every single article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights every day. It is also the world’s most closed nation – extremely difficult to get in or out of. Those who do visit – as I have done once – are tightly monitored and controlled, while those who try to leave the country without permission face imprisonment, torture and even execution if caught.

The COVID-19 pandemic has served to tighten the restrictions on access even further. Like many countries dealing with coronavirus, North Korea has sealed its borders. Britain’s embassy in Pyongyang has been closed since 27 May, with Ambassador Colin Crooks stating on his Twitter page: “Working from London pending my return to Pyongyang.” And last week, the North Korean regime warned its citizens to stay indoors over fears that a “yellow dust” blowing in from China could bring coronavirus with it. The so-called “hermit kingdom” has become the “hermetically sealed” nation.

And yet this offers a rare opportunity to save lives, because due to its COVID-19 restrictions, North Korea has told China it will not receive repatriation of North Korean escapees. In normal times, China has a policy of forcibly returning North Koreans who escape across its border, sending them back to face certain torture, detention and in some cases execution – in flagrant breach of the international principle of ‘non-refoulement.’ Now, Kim Jong-Un’s regime says it does not want them.

Continue reading “The COVID-19 pandemic could be an opportunity to save North Korean lives, if Moon Jae-In takes action”

Father Stan Swamy: The Indian authorities target one of the country’s oldest human rights defenders

On 8 October, members of India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Father Stan Swamy, a Jesuit priest and long-time activist on tribal rights in the country. While the targeting of those who stand up for human rights in India is nothing new, Father Swamy’s case has drawn particular international attention because, at 83-years-old, he is one of the country’s oldest human rights defenders (HRDs).

“The oldest person to be accused of terrorism in India”

Father Swamy has been working with India’s Adivasis (Scheduled Tribes) for over three decades. Even in his old age, and despite suffering from numerous health issues, he has continued to advocate for the group right up to the present day. In a video released just days before his arrest, Father Swamy said that he had filed a case in the Jharkhand High Court on behalf of 3,000 young Adivasis who had been imprisoned.

He was arrested at the Jesuit-owned Bagaicha social centre in Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand state, and was subsequently informed that he would be remanded in custody in Taloja Jail near Mumbai until 23 October.

Continue reading “Father Stan Swamy: The Indian authorities target one of the country’s oldest human rights defenders”

“I’m not buying it, China”: The cost of fast fashion for religious and ethnic minorities in China’s Uyghur region

A new cotton jumper arrived in my post this week, with three words on the label that sent my mind spinning: ‘Made in China.’ Whereabouts in China? Was it made in the Uyghur region? Was this jumper a product of forced labour? A token of a part I had played – albeit unknowingly – in fuelling an industry which I knew to be entrenched in the plight of China’s religious and ethnic minorities?

Where does China’s cotton come from?

China is one of the world’s largest cotton producers and most of its cotton is produced in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (Uyghur Region), referred to by many Uyghurs as ‘East Turkestan.’ Credible reports claim that the Uyghur Region produces 84% of China’s cotton output, and it is the main supplier and exporter of cotton, apparel, and textile products to Chinese factories, within China and internationally.[1] The Coalition to End Uyghur Forced Labour believes that 20% of the world’s cotton comes from the Uyghur Region.

Continue reading ““I’m not buying it, China”: The cost of fast fashion for religious and ethnic minorities in China’s Uyghur region”

Waiting for action: An interview with a victim of forced displacement in Mexico

On 28 July 2019 four Protestant Christians were forcibly displaced from the village of Cuamontax Huazalingo in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico. Community leaders told the victims that the expulsion was the consequence of their failure to sign an agreement that bans Protestants from entering the village.

Over a year after they were forced to leave their homes, CSW spoke with Uriel Badillo, who was among those displaced:

“My name is Uriel Badillo Lara. I am originally from the Cuamontax community, in the Municipality of Huazalingo, Hidalgo State, Mexico, but I am currently living in my sister’s house in Atlaltipa Tecolotitla, in the Municipality of Atlapexco, along with my parents, my wife and our new-born. I make a living doing odd jobs like helping with electrics and maintenance.”

Continue reading “Waiting for action: An interview with a victim of forced displacement in Mexico”