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PBI-Mexico accompanies media conference on death of mother and daughter

By
Brent Patterson
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The Peace Brigades International – Mexico Project accompanied the media conference convened yesterday by three organizations: the Centre for Women’s Human Rights (Centro de Derechos Humanos de las Mujeres), the Center for Justice and International Law-CEJIL and Mexicans in Exile (Mexicanos en el exilio).

PBI-Mexico notes, “They presented the petition filed with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to accept the case of Marisela Escobedo who was murdered for demanding justice for the femicide of her daughter Rubí.”

Rubi was murdered in 2008 when she was 16 years of age.

Her mother Marisela then devoted her life to discovering who had killed her daughter and determined that Rubi had been murdered by her partner who had by then feld Chihuahua.

Marisela demanded his apprehension, but she herself was then murdered in 2010 in front of the Government Palace in Chihuahua while demanding justice in this case.

PBI-Mexico comments in its Facebook post, “It is one of the most emblematic cases of Chihuahua.”

CEJIL adds, “The petition issued to the IACHR will allow the Inter-American Human Rights System to document the violations of human rights of which Rubí, Marisela and 17 members of his family have been victims.”

It explains, “Among them are the lack of protection that unleashed the sexist violence against them and the subsequent murder and disappearance of the young woman; the lack of investigation of these facts. Added to this is the lack of guarantees for Marisela Escobedo to exercise her role as a defender of human rights in a safe manner, which facilitated her murder and triggered the forced displacement of her family.”

#PBIAcompaña

PBI-Nepal supports NepalMonitor.org

By
Brent Patterson
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Peace Brigades International supports NepalMonitor.org, a Collective Campaign for Peace(COCAP) protection and conflict prevention initiative. COCAP is a Kathmandu-based national network of 43 peace and human rights non-governmental organizations.

As readers will know, Nepal is a country in South Asia bordered by China to the north and India to the south.

The Peace Brigades International – PBI 2018 Annual Review notes that, “Two international and five Nepali staff members based in Kathmandu coordinated the Nepal Monitor, an initiative established to provide protection and to prevent conflict by mapping security incidents and human rights violations in the country.”

The Nepal Monitor has just posted on its Facebook page, “Last week our Training and Outreach team led by Ambika Paudell celebrated the end of our first Peer Learning Programme for WHRDs [women human rights defenders].”

The “WHRD Peer Learning Programme Session Six: Proposal and Report Writing” took place from June 19-21 at the Hotel Pacific in Lahan.

Lahan is a municipality located about 260 kilometres south-east of the capital city of Kathmandu in the Siraha District of Province 2.

The Nepal Monitor adds, “Our graduating group; all from from either Dhanusa District Siraha District or Saptari District of Nepal Province 2 had sessions on proposal writing and report writing. We are also highly excited for the future of our WHRD Network in Province 2.”

Province No. 2, Nepal’s second most populous province, is located in the southeastern region of the country. PBI has commented that it is a region that faces significant challenges in dealing with high rates of gender-based violence and discrimination.

In June 2017, ahead of an election in Province 2, Amnesty International also noted that it is a region where it “has documented serious human rights violations, particularly at the hands of the security forces, including the unlawful use of excessive and lethal force, torture and other ill-treatment, and arbitrary detention.”

Human Rights Watch adds, “Nepal’s new constitution was adopted in September 2015, but violent protests over the lack of greater inclusion for minority communities have stalled efforts to enforce rights protections. Successive governments have made little progress on accountability for abuses during the 1996-2006 civil war, which claimed more than 13,000 lives.”

The ten-year long Nepalese Civil War, also known as the Maoist Conflict, was an armed conflict between the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and the government of Nepal. The insurgency overthrew the Nepalese monarchy and established a republic.

The current prime minister of Nepal is Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli of the Nepal Communist Party.

Peace Brigades International has previously noted, “Both the Maoist insurgents and government forces committed human rights and humanitarian law violations including extrajudicial execution, torture, displacement, arbitrary arrests and detention. None of those responsible have yet been held to account.”

PBI provided accompaniment to human rights defenders in Nepal from 2006 to 2013. During that time it developed NepalMonitor.org as a tool for the protection of human rights defenders. The website mapped human rights incidents and issued alerts.

As noted at the top of this post, the Nepal Monitor is now a COCAP initiative supported by Peace Brigades International.

PBI-Colombia accompanies CREDHOS to find grave site

By
Brent Patterson
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The Peace Brigades International – Colombia Project recently accompanied the Regional Corporation for the Defense of Human Rights (Credhos) to the dense forests of San Pablo in the San Lucas mountain area of the Sur de Bolívar region to locate the grave of a young man killed by an armed group likely 15 years ago.
 
According to the National Centre for Historical Memory, 82,998 Colombians were forcibly disappeared between 1958 and 2017 and are presumed dead. The United Victims Registry, the government body in charge of registering war victims, has registered 150,000 forced disappearances between 1986 and 2017.
 
PBI-Colombia field volunteer Yvonne Furrer notes, “More than half [of the disappearances] are attributed to paramilitary groups, followed by guerrilla groups, post-demobilization groups, state agents, and state agents in collaboration with paramilitaries.”
 
“A simple wooden cross announces that a body lies there. It is alongside a trail running between rural communities, a bit hidden, protected among the forest’s trees and undergrowth. The birds and the rushing river can be heard in the distance.”
 
“For CREDHOS, the next step is to find the family, displaced from the region years ago. Then, and only after interviewing and receiving the green-light from the family, will they contact the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) so that its specialized team of forensic anthropologists can carry out the exhumation, accompanied by CREDHOS.”
 
Peace Brigades International-Canada will be hosting a representative from CREDHOS at public forums in Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver and hopefully Nanaimo this coming November.
 
More details on that coming soon.
 
To read Yvonne’s beautifully crafted reflection on the accompaniment, please go to the PBI-Colombia website at https://pbicolombia.org/2019/06/14/the-grave-without-a-name/
 
PBI has accompanied CREDHOS since 1994.

 

Global Affairs releases “Voices at Risk” guidelines for Canadian diplomats to support human rights defenders

By
Brent Patterson
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On June 17, Global Affairs Canada released the 2019 edition of Voices at Risk: Canada’s Guidelines on Supporting Human Rights Defenders.

Their media release notes, “Voices at Risk offers practical advice for Canadian diplomats working around the world, and in Canada, to support human rights defenders who seek help. …The overall goal of the guidelines is to enable the ongoing work of human rights defenders, with the support of Canadian diplomats around the world.”

Indigenous human rights defenders

The “Voices at Risk” guidelines document notes, “Thousands of Indigenous peoples are criminalized and discriminated against, and alarming numbers of them die while defending their land and rights.”

“Indigenous peoples are often targeted for opposing large projects, including with the intent to discourage their participation in consultation processes.”

“Mission support for Indigenous HRDs should be informed by the principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), including equality, partnership, good faith and mutual respect.”

“When conflicts arise around the use of land and natural resources, especially when Canadian companies are involved, missions can advocate for meaningful engagement and partnership with Indigenous peoples on issues of concern.”

Land rights and environmental human rights defenders

The guidelines also note, “A land rights defender takes peaceful action to protect the land of a group of people …Land rights are often tied to the rights of Indigenous peoples, and in these contexts, individuals may face additional challenges, including marginalization.”

“Canadian companies operating abroad are expected to respect human rights and to operate lawfully and in consultation with the host government (national and municipal) and local communities.”

“All sections of Canadian missions abroad can advocate in support of human rights defenders working on land and environmental issues.”

The response from the United Nations

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, recently concluded a visit to Canada. During that visit, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland released the “Voices at Risk” report.

In response, a United Nations media release noted, “The High Commissioner stressed the importance of supporting the work of human rights defenders and journalists, and defending space for civil society participation in debate and decision-making, which she pointed out are vital to ensure more inclusive, healthier and fairer societies.”

“Bachelet welcomed Canada’s continued commitment to advancing responsible business conduct abroad and the recent appointment of an Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise. She encouraged the authorities to ensure the Ombudsperson will have sufficient powers to independently and effectively investigate allegations of human rights abuses under its mandate.”

During the visit, CBC reported, “The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is putting pressure on Canada to implement the findings of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, which concluded the issue amounts to genocide.”

At a public forum, Freeland commented, “I think that it makes Canada a more credible defender of human rights around the world when we acknowledge very openly and not defensively that we still have a long way to go at home.”

The response from Canadian civil society

Several Canadian civil society groups — including Amnesty International Canada and the Nobel Women’s Initiative — have commented, “For Canada’s new guidelines to be effective in helping to protect and support human rights defenders, they will need to be accompanied by a comprehensive implementation plan and increased Canadian funding going directly to human rights defenders and the movements they represent.”

“Canada also needs to take a stronger approach to support human rights defenders advocating for corporate accountability, for instance, by enabling robust investigations when defenders face heightened risks linked to private sector investments.”

Their statement adds, “It will also be critically important that Canada create an advisory body that includes the participation of human rights defenders with experience and first-hand knowledge of the threats facing human rights defenders.”

PBI-Colombia attends meeting with Danish ambassador and Inter-Church Justice and Peace Commission

By
Brent Patterson
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The Comisión Intereclesial de Justicia y Paz (Inter-Church Justice and Peace Commission – CIJP) has tweeted its thanks to the Danish ambassador to Colombia Mogens Pedersen (second from the left in this photo) for his dialogue at their headquarters.

In the same tweet, the CIJP also thanks the Peace Brigades International – Colombia Project and the British group Christian Aid “for their participation in such a significant meeting for human rights and peace in the territories of Bajo Atrato.”

The CIJP works to protect rural lands, the environment and forcefully displaced afro-descendant, indigenous and mestizo communities.

It was created in 1988 by 45 Catholic congregations and is led by human rights defender and Jesuit priest Father Javier Giraldo (third from the right in this photo).

The Atrato River and its tributaries are situated in Colombia’s Chocó department on the country’s northwest coast.

The Pulitzer Center has noted, “Rich in natural resources, over three-quarters of the land in Chocó is covered with tropical forests. But the forests are under threat from mining-related deforestation. Chocó is also Colombia’s top gold-producing region.”

Mongabay environmental news has noted, “During the country’s more than half a century-long internal conflict, guerrillas long used the river to move their troops.”

With the demobilization of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) beginning in 2016-17, the left-wing National Liberation Army (ELN) and the right-wing Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces (AGC) paramilitary forces have battled for control of this territory.

Mongabay adds, “At the moment, Colombia’s notorious paramilitary groups use the Atrato to get to the riverbank communities they terrorize and displace. The Atrato and its many tributaries also grant safe passage to smugglers who transport illegally-mined gold in their motorized canoes.”

Amazon Watch has reported, “According to CIPJ, cattle ranchers and palm oil and banana growers have counted on the support of the AGC to intimidate, threaten and kill the community leaders who are defending their land from the expansion of agribusiness and commercial logging interests in the region.”

PBI-Colombia has accompanied the Inter-Church Justice and Peace Commission (CIPJ) since 1994.

Yesterday’s tweet by the CIPJ can be found at https://twitter.com/Justiciaypazcol/status/1142150323181674499

#MakingSpaceForPeace

PBI-Guatemala accompanies BDH at CREOMPAZ hearing

By
Brent Patterson
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Yesterday, the PBI – Guatemala Project posted (in Spanish) on their Facebook page, “We accompanied the BDH and the surviving women and victims of sexual violence in the CREOMPAZ case (Military Zone 21 of Cobán) in the Femicide room, to deliver a memorial in which they demand that a writ of amparo be issued, given that they have been omitted the acts of sexual violence in that case.”

In terms of context to understand the background and importance of what happened yesterday:

1- BDH
BDH refers to the Human Rights Law Firm (Bufete de Derechos Humanos – BDH). PBI-Guatemala has accompanied this law firm since 2013.

2- Military Zone 21/CREOMPAZ
Military Zone 21 refers to a military base, located about 220 kilometres north-east of Guatemala City, that was the site of extreme state violence against men, women and children in the 1980s during the internal armed conflict.

The military base is now named the Regional Training Centre for Peacekeeping Operations (CREOMPAZ), a United Nations training base for peacekeepers.

In 2012, forensic anthropologists began to excavate clandestine graves at CREOMPAZ. They uncovered the remains of 558 people, 92 of whom have been identified.

3- INTERNAL ARMED CONFLICT
The internal armed conflict (1960-1996) followed the US-backed coup in 1954 that toppled a democratically-elected government that had introduced a minimum wage, near-universal suffrage, and began granting property to landless peasants.

The 36-year-long ‘civil war’ resulted in 200,000 deaths and up to 50,000 people forcibly disappeared.

The Commission for Historical Clarification found that the Guatemalan government was responsible for more than 90 per cent of the deaths, disappearances and other human rights violations during the war and that 83 per cent of the victims were Indigenous Maya.

4- LEGAL PROCESS
In January 2016, the Guatemalan Public Ministry charged a number of former military officials for crimes that took place at Military Zone 21.

Later that year, Judge Claudette Domínguez ruled that eight high-ranking former military officials would go to trial but accepted only 29 of the 154 witnesses proposed by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

All of the survivors of sexual violence at Military Zone 21 were excluded as witnesses.

5- FEMICIDE COURT
In December 2018, plaintiffs appealed to the Femicide Court to rule that military officials should also be tried for crimes of sexual violence.

The Criminal Court for Crimes of Femicide and Other Forms of Violence against Women was established in Guatemala in 2010.

These special courts deal with gender-based crimes and were developed after the Femicide Act was passed in 2008.

6- WRIT OF AMPARO
A writ of amparo is a legal remedy seeking a protection order. The writ of amparo, the subject of the demand made yesterday, was first requested in March 2017.

Peace Brigades International continues to monitor this situation closely.

PBI-Guatemala observes National Day of Forced Disappearance ceremony

By
Brent Patterson
-

On Friday June 21, the PBI – Guatemala Project observed a ceremony in which Indigenous Achi Mayan women commemorated the National Day of Forced Disappearance.

An estimated 45,000 men, women and children were disappeared during the 36-year-long internal armed conflict in Guatemala that began not long after a US-backed coup and ended in 1996.

The Commission for Historical Clarification found that the Guatemalan government was responsible for more than 90 per cent of the deaths, disappearances and other human rights violations during the war and that 83 per cent of the victims were Indigenous Maya.

The commemoration ceremony took place on the steps of the Supreme Court of Justice of Guatemala in Guatemala City prior to a court hearing on wartime sexual violence against 36 Maya Achi women in Rabinal, Baja Verapaz between 1981 and 1985.

The International Justice Monitor has reported, “In the late 1970s, the Guatemalan army created civil defense patrols (PACs) as a mechanism of social control and to combat the guerrillas.”

It adds, “The army appointed local military commissioners to organize and control the PACs, which became a central element of the Guatemala’s counterinsurgency strategy.”

That article highlights, “The Recovery of Historical Memory Project at the Human Rights Office of the Archdiocese of Guatemala found that military commissioners and PAC members were identified as perpetrators in one out of every four massacres.”

At the court hearing on Friday (June 21), the judge ruled there was insufficient evidence to send six former PAC paramilitary patrol members to trial for crimes against humanity in the form of sexual violence against the 36 Maya Achi women.

Al Jazeera reports, “Three of the six [former PAC members] were acquitted. The other three will also be released, but judge Claudette Dominguez gave prosecutors a month to present further evidence and will hold a hearing on August 5 to determine whether they will be acquitted or the case will proceed to trial.”

The article also notes, “Many of the women speak little or no Spanish, and no interpretation had been provided by the court. One of the women’s lawyers explained the outcome, as a mixture of grief, frustration and resignation settled in.”

And the Al Jazeera article highlights, “Plans are already in the works to appeal the judge’s rulings.”

In April 2019, the International Justice Monitor also reported, “The Attorney General’s Office has not yet filed any charges against mid-ranking or senior military officials in this case [of sexual violence against the 36 Maya Achi women]. However, it is known that the military base of Rabinal, Baja Verapaz, was under the jurisdiction of Military Zone No. 21, where the remains of 565 people were exhumed in 2012.”

On June 20, PBI – Guatemala Project accompanied the Human Rights Law Firm (Bufete de Derechos Humano – BDH) and survivors in the Military Zone 21 case to the Femicide Court to demand that a writ of amparo (protection order) be issued by the court.

In January 2016, the Guatemalan Public Ministry charged a number of former military officials for crimes that took place at Military Zone 21 (now CREOMPAZ, a United Nations peacekeeping training base).

Later that year, Judge Claudette Domínguez (the same judge who ruled against the Achi Mayan women last week) ruled that eight high-ranking former military officials would go to trial but accepted only 29 of the 154 witnesses proposed by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

All of the survivors of sexual violence at Military Zone 21 were excluded as witnesses.

To read Sandra Cuffe’s article ‘Guatemala survivors of wartime sexual violence fight for justice’, please go to https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/06/guatemala-survivors-wartime-sexual-violence-fight-justice-190621194734839.html

#JusticiaMujeresAchi

PBI-Guatemala accompanies Marcelino Xol Cucul and Jorge Coc from the CCDA at a court hearing

By
Brent Patterson
-

On Friday June 14, the PBI – Guatemala Project accompanied Marcelino Xol Cucul and Jorge Coc from the Campesino Committee of the Highlands (CCDA) at a court hearing in the city of Cobán.

PBI-Guatemala has explained, “The CCDA is a peasant organization that accompanies and advises communities, mostly indigenous, that fight for access to land and ownership to create dignified living conditions in the face of eviction and dispossession of their lands where these communities have lived for many generations.”

Cafe Justicia further explains that the CCDA “was founded in 1982 as an organization that works to defend the rights of workers on large coffee, sugar and cotton plantations, to recover lands taken from the Mayan communities over the past centuries, and to promote and recover Mayan culture and spirituality.”

Last year, Front Line Defenders noted that several members of CCDA, including Marcelino and Jorge, “have been detained and are facing criminalization processes, including long criminal procedures plagued with irregularities.”

Before the start of the hearing last week, Marcelino and Jorge were allegedly threatened by members of the Cooperativa Chilté.

Prensa Comunitaria has reported that the Chilté Cooperative was “formed by a group of businessmen from the region through paramilitaries.”

PBI-Guatemala explains, “There is a conflict of more than 10 years between the two communities.”

In June 2017, the Mesoamerican Women Human Rights Defenders Initiative (IM-Defensoras) noted that members of the Chilté Cooperative had intimidated members of the CCDA over disputed land in the community of Choctún in Nuevo Centro.

PBI-Guatemala notes, “We express our concern for the safety of the two companions and their families.”

In the very short period of time between May 9 and June 8, 2018, five members of the CCDA and two members of CODECA (the Campesino Development Committee) were killed.

After those deaths, the North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA) reported, “CCDA and CODECA, represent the two campesino-Indigenous organizations that have most actively supported community struggles and most consistently challenged successive governments.”

It also noted, “Both groups have worked tirelessly … presenting legal injunctions against extractive projects, organizing regular highway blockades, supporting land occupations, and demanding the resignation of presidents in the wake of corruption scandals…”

PBI-Guatemala began accompanying the CCDA in July 2018.

PBI-Colombia accompanies ceremony on new report on violence against women

By
Brent Patterson
-

On June 18, the Peace Brigades International – Colombia Project accompanied the delivery ceremony of a new report on the impact of the violence of the armed conflict on women.

On June 17, El Espectador reported, “The Special Jurisdiction for Peace and the Truth Commission will receive on Tuesday, June 18, five reports on violence against indigenous women, Afro-descendants, exiles and human rights defenders that collects more than 900 testimonies.”

That article adds, “The Constitutional Court will receive another document on the current situation of the social leaders.”

The news report also notes, “The reports give an account of sexual violence, forced displacement of indigenous and Afro-descendant women, exiled and refugee women, the gender-based violence that was experienced in the Montes de María during the armed conflict and the situation of women leaders and defenders of human rights in the country.”

At the ceremony, Roseli Finscue, who presented the report on the displacement of Indigenous women, stated, “Since the invasion of the territories, our bodies have also been invaded. Our ancestors were the first victims of sexual violence.”

The full El Espectador article titled ‘The truth of women in war, in the hands of transitional justice’ can be read in Spanish at https://www.elespectador.com/colombia2020/justicia/jep/la-verdad-de-las-mujeres-en-la-guerra-en-manos-de-justicia-transicional-articulo-866250

The PBI-Colombia tweet about the accompaniment of the release of this report can be read at https://twitter.com/PBIColombia/status/1141068717960388608

PBI-Mexico visits with the Casa Del Migrante de Saltillo shelter

By
Brent Patterson
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On June 12, the Casa Del Migrante de Saltillo posted on their Facebook page, “Today we had a visit from the Peace Brigades International – Mexico Project to continue with the accompaniment they always give us.”

They add, “Thanks and welcome!”

The Saltillo Migrant Shelter is situated in the state of Coahuila which shares a 512-kilometre border with Texas.

PBI-Mexico notes, “The Saltillo Migrant Shelter offers daily humanitarian assistance — including clothes, medicines, food, rest, and medical and psychological care — to hundreds of migrants crossing Mexico to reach the United States.”

It adds, “[The shelter] also defends migrants’ rights through the documentation of cases of kidnapping, extortion, abuses and violations that they suffer during their journey through Mexico.”

“The organization lodges complaints about violations after gathering migrants’ testimonies.”

Overall, the Saltillo Migrant Shelter provides support to more than 8,000 migrants each year.

Because of this migrant justice work, the staff and volunteers at the shelter have suffered harassment, surveillance and threats.

The Peace Brigades International – Mexico Project has provided accompaniment to the Casa Del Migrante de Saltillo since February 2014.

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