The Human Rights Channel on YouTube
Guatemala: The Trial of Efraín Ríos Montt
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by The Human Rights Channel on YouTube 2 weeks ago
FEATURED HUMAN RIGHTS STORIES
Syria: Where is James Foley?
May 22, 2013 - James Foley disappeared on Thanksgiving: six months ago, today. A young American journalist in Syria covering the civil war, he had just finished a reporting mission. He was on a major road, heading north toward the safety of the Turkish border. ...and he has not been heard from since.
The GlobalPost, his employer, believes that the Shabiha—a loosely affiliated group of fighters and thugs supporting the Assad regime— abducted him and turned him over to government forces. His family believes that he is alive and held in a government prison in the Damascus area. They fear the worst, hope for the best, and call passionately for his release.
James Foley, who is 29 years old if he is alive, had covered other war zones. He spent significant time in Libya during that country's revolution, and was even imprisoned by the Gaddafi regime for six weeks.
12 videos
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CITIZEN WATCH: May 2013
Daily updates of verified human rights video recorded by citizen witnesses. From Asia to America, elections to refugee crises, follow Citizen Watch for breaking footage from the citizen's point of view.
Follow @ythumanrights on Twitter for updates.
SUBSCRIBE:
http://bit.ly/Wfje4N
70 videos
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WATCHING SYRIA: May 2013
Daily updates of the uprising in Syria, from the shelling of civilians to the plight of refugees, and other images of human rights violations recorded by citizen journalists living, fighting, and witnessing the war firsthand.
For the latest, follow @ythumanrights on Twitter.
SUBSCRIBE:
http://bit.ly/Wfje4N
35 videos
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WATCHING ADVOCACY: May 2013
Regular updates of underreported human rights video recorded by activists and advocacy groups around the world. Check out the latest footage and share your thoughts.
Follow @ythumanrights on Twitter for updates.
SUBSCRIBE:
http://bit.ly/Wfje4N
32 videos
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Kachin vs Burmese army: A ceasefire that never came.
May 19, 2013 - As the only ethnic minority whose army has not yet signed ceasefire agreement with the current Burmese government, Kachin is witnessing "the hell of untold miseries." Despite Thein Sein's declaration of a ceasefire, the national military continued attacking the Kachins as the conflict within Kachin state enters the 22nd month. This armed conflict has caused tens of thousands of people to be displaced and multiple human rights abuses including systematic sexual attacks, torture, targeting of civilians, recruitment of child soldiers, etc.
The Burmese government has denied most of the charges; most of the time they also block human rights and other non-governmental organizations from accessing the war zone, including the UNHCR.
However, videos made by KIA (Kachin Independence Army) soldiers themselves, as well as advocacy groups' interviews with victims, tell a different story. These victims include refugees, survivors of sexual assault, and child soldiers.
The conflict between the Kachins and Burmese government dates back to 1947, when Kachin joined the Union of Myanmar. Although KIA signed the 1994 ceasefire agreement, trading access to mine sources for peace, nothing improved for the Kachins. After enduring years of environmentally destructive economic projects without compensation, and after being denied education and business opportunities based on their different language and religious beliefs, the Kachin were forgotten by mainstream society.
The grievances among the Kachins finally led to an open conflict when the national army conducted a military offensive against them in June 2011. Since then, thousands of lives were taken and over 100,000 refugees were forced to leave home. A large number of the escaped Kachins are displaced in China, where they live in a hardly viable environment with 24 hours security surveillance. They could be sent back to the war zone at any time.
It takes time for the wounds to heal, but first of all, the war must end so that the Kachins can go home to safety and start over. People around the world have been organizing protests calling for ceasefire. These videos made by citizen journalists and advocacy groups present evidence against Burmese government, in the hope that peace and justice will come in the very close future.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION:
TO LEARN MORE & TAKE ACTION:
HRW reports on Burma's indiscriminate attacks in Kachin state:
http://bit.ly/UTDUdU
The Irrawaddy Media Page:
http://www.irrawaddy.org
Democratic Voice of Burma Page:
http://www.dvb.no
Kachin Women's Association Thailand Page:
http://www.kachinwomen.com
16 videos
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Haiti: Forced Evictions from Tent Camps
May 16, 2013 - More than three years after a massive earthquake left one and a half million Haitians homeless, tens of thousands of Haitians are facing a new crisis: forced eviction. Without a comprehensive strategy to move earthquake victims from temporary to permanent housing, private owners and municipalities are losing patience with tent camps, and using pressure and violence to evict residents from shelter.
While many Haitians have moved into permanent homes, an estimated 320,000 continue to live in tent camps. Since 2010, residents have reported experiencing pressure and violence to force them out, despite the fact that they have nowhere else to go. In one case this April, two IDP camps in Port-au-Prince were set on fire. When residents protested the arson, they were attacked by police, and one man was fatally beaten.
The community media outlet, Bri Kouri Nouvel Gaye—"Noise Travels, News Spreads"—has reported the crisis through videos, photos, and twitter. This playlist features one of their videos of a protest for better housing and an end to illegal evictions. In another video, camp residents describe their fear after armed men threatened to kill children of families that didn't leave. The organization, Under Tents, has also recorded testimony from community activists.
The UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights states that forced evictions constitute gross violations of human rights, including the rights to adequate housing, food, water, health, education, security, and freedom of movement. Amnesty International concluded that the Haitian government has effectively allowed forced evictions to proceed. Furthermore, though Prime Minister Martelly stated that he does not condone forced evictions, local police have reportedly participated in some evictions, while other evictions have taken place on public land. The United Nations has called for an end to evictions until there is a better housing plan.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Global Post
"Haiti's Displaced People Speak Out"
http://bit.ly/159H72O
Amnesty International
http://bit.ly/13W5Zu3
Bri Kouri Nouvel Gaye
http://bit.ly/INYCrL
Under Tents
http://undertentshaiti.com/
UN - OHCHR
Forced Evictions
http://bit.ly/oD1rTB
8 videos
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Guatemala: The Genocide Trial of Rios Montt
May 7, 2013 - Since mid-March, Guatemalans and the international human rights community have watched an event many thought might never take place: the trial of former dictator José Efraín Ríos Montt for the genocide of Ixil Mayans in 1982 and 1983.
Mayan activists as well as lawyers, forensic archeologists, filmmakers, and others spent decades collecting evidence and witness testimony, and advocating within the international and domestic justice systems for accountability for crimes that took place during the Guatemalan civil war. Those crimes include the death or forced disappearance of 200,000 people, hundreds of massacres, sexual violence, and torture, adding up to what a UN truth commission determined constituted acts of genocide. Most of the crimes, the commission found, took place during Ríos Montt's two years leading a military junta.
For many Guatemalans, the trial of Ríos Montt and his then head of military intelligence, Rodriguez Sanchez, represents an end to the pattern of impunity that has characterized postwar Guatemala. Each day of the trial, the courthouse has filled with observers and news media. Judges have allowed filming in the courtroom, and the trial has at various times been streamed live online. The producers of Granito and When the Mountains Tremble, two films about the war and the pursuit of justice, have also filmed the trial, and this playlist includes some of their vignettes of the proceedings. Other videos document memorials to victims of the genocide outside the courthouse, and youth calling for justice during the trial's temporary suspension.
We will continue to update this playlist as more videos emerge of the trial and the response from Guatemalans. To send a video, tweet a link to @ythumanrights.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Open Society Justice Initiative
http://www.riosmontt-trial.org/
Granito Memory Project
http://granitomem.com/
Human Rights Channel
Voices of the Genocide
http://bit.ly/18JNUN5
13 videos
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BREAKING: Anti-Blogger Protest Turns Deadly
May 6, 2013 - A massive protest in Bangladesh's capital of Dhaka turned deadly Sunday night. While initial reports described deaths in the single digits, reports from protesters and human rights advocates describe a scene in which riot police led a violent pre-dawn crackdown, killing dozens.
The Asian Human Rights Commission reported on photos of dead bodies circulating the internet. Meanwhile, independent television stations broadcasting the clashes were shut down, and authorities imposed an effective state of emergency in Dhaka, in which gatherings of more than four people in public spaces are prohibited, and authorities can use deadly force against civilians.
The massive protest was held by members of an Islamist group calling for blasphemy laws and the arrest of "atheist" bloggers. See the playlist below for more information on the ongoing Shabagh and Islamist conflict in Bangladesh.
We will update this breaking playlist with more videos and information as they emerge. To send a video, tweet to @ythumanrights.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Asian Human Rights Commission
http://bit.ly/17Hr7mr
The Guardian
http://bit.ly/16c9kpk
Human Rights Channel
"Silencing the Bloggers"
http://bit.ly/18OPuNE
10 videos
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Greece: Xenophobic Violence
May 2, 2013 - Last month, when 200 migrant workers in the Greek region of Peloponnese demanded six months of unpaid wages, the foremen of their strawberry farm opened fire, injuring 28 Bangladeshi men. The shooting outraged the international community, but it is only the latest in a growing pattern of xenophobic violence and rhetoric in Greece. Targeted attacks, insufficient assistance for asylum seekers, and organized groups "cleansing" public spaces of foreigners are all indications of an environment in which foreigners fear for their lives and lack access to protection and justice.
In the last decade, Greece has become a principal European entry point for migrants and asylum seekers from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. The country hosts 44,000 asylum seekers and 1,500 refugees, and many languish in detention, hostels, or poverty while seeking asylum. As Greece struggles with an economic crisis, these foreigners have become easy scapegoats for problems of rising unemployment and urban crime.
Hostility toward immigrants has expressed itself in the rhetoric of the far-right Golden Dawn political party, as well as in violence. Human Rights Watch interviewed dozens of migrants who were attacked on the street, sometimes by gangs targeting foreigners. Last year, an Egyptian baker was found beaten and chained to a tree after seeking backpay from his employer. While the country has a hate crime law, it has rarely been implemented.
Advocacy organizations are calling on the Greek government to prosecute hate crimes. They also urge Greece, with the assistance of the European Union, to improve the asylum system to end what the UNHCR has described as a humanitarian crisis.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Human Rights Watch
"Migrants Describe Fear on the Streets"
http://bit.ly/12mtgl2
New York Times
Golden Dawn's attacks on immigrants:
http://nyti.ms/PIHuIV
Global Voices
reports on the shooting at strawberry farm:
http://bit.ly/17SZZ4Z
13 videos
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Syria: Videos Bolster Claims of Chemical Weapon Use
Apr 25, 2013 -- Since December 2012, Syrian filmers have recorded the aftermath of government attacks that show symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals. While it is nearly impossible for video documentation to provide irrefutable proof of chemical weapons, collectively these videos contribute to a growing body of reports that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons in attacks on the civilian population.
These videos are from three separate attacks in which survivors and doctors reported the likely use of toxins. The first is from a field hospital in Homs on December 23. Activists reported several deaths after victims inhaled poisonous gas in a rebel-held neighborhood. They described symptoms including nausea, relaxed muscles, blurred vision, and breathing difficulty. Analysts reviewing these videos concluded that the erratic and uncontrolled behavior exhibited by some patients could be the effect of a chemical agent, though they could also be the effect of a loss of oxygen to the brain.
On March 19, activists reported the use of "new types of weapons" including "chemical rockets" in an attack in the town of Otaybah, east Ghouta. They reported nausea, suffocating, headaches, vomiting, and hysteria. Videos show a patient with white residue around his mouth, and another with tremors in his lower body. An attack that same day outside of Aleppo also reportedly included chemical weapons.
A doctor who treated victims of an airstrike on Sheikh Masoud in northern Aleppo on April 13 stated that their symptoms indicate the use of chemical weapons. They include foaming at the mouth, rapid breathing, and convulsions—all consistent with the use of nerve gas.
Israel's statement this week that the Syrian government used chemical weapons has led the international community to closely scrutinize any indications that would validate or refute their claim. U.S. President Obama has said that such action would cross a "red line," though how his administration would respond is unclear. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has announced an investigation into the March attack on Aleppo, and Washington officials have stated that an investigation is necessary to determine with certainty whether chemical weapons have been used.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Council on Foreign Relations
"Probing for Chemical Attacks in Syria"
http://on.cfr.org/Zr9bJg
New York Times
"Israel Says Syria Has Used Chemical Weapons"
http://nyti.ms/15FsC5S
Independent
April Chemical Attack in Aleppo
http://bit.ly/10z06SW
Enduring America
Analysis of December Attack
http://bit.ly/Tk6eaa
10 videos
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BREAKING: Deadly Raid on Sunni Protest Camp
Apr 23, 2013 - Dozens of Iraqis were killed after security forces stormed a camp of Sunni activists in a village near Kirkuk on Tuesday. Security officials report at least 33 civilians and three soldiers dead, around 100 wounded, and 75 people arrested.
The raid is the most violent clash after months of protests across Iraq by Sunni Muslims who perceive marginalization by the government of Nouri al-Maliki, who is a Shia. Since December, groups of Sunnis have led massive and mostly peaceful protests after Friday prayers calling for greater inclusion in the government.
In recent days, Iraqi officials accused protesters in Hawija, near Kirkuk, of harboring gunmen responsible for killing security forces, prompting them to raid their encampment. These videos, uploaded by activist accounts that have been documenting the Sunni protest movement, show dozens of heavily armed security personnel lining up at the settlement facing Sunni protesters wielding batons, and the dead and injured being taken from the scene.
The BBC reports that following the raid, Iraq's education minister, a Sunni, resigned in protest.
We will continue to update this breaking playlist as more footage comes in, including responses from the government and the protest movement across the country. Tweet @ythumanrights to submit a video.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
BBC
http://bbc.in/11gvqkp
New York Times
http://nyti.ms/11AKR7n
11 videos
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Bahrain: Putting the Breaks on the Grand Prix
Apr 18, 2013 - As car racers and fans gear up for one of the biggest championships of the year, activists are urging organizers to cancel the Bahrain Grand Prix and renounce support for a kingdom engaged in numerous human right violations. Since the Bahrain uprising began two years ago, dozens of civilians have been killed by security forces during peaceful protests for democratic reforms, and civil society leaders have been rounded up, detained, and tortured. Human rights advocates assert that such a repressive regime should not be awarded the prestige and profits that the race will bring. Additionally, reports indicate that the race itself is resulting in an escalation of violence targeted at Bahraini civilians.
In the days and weeks leading up to the Grand Prix, scheduled to take place April 19 through 21, Bahraini pro-democracy activists have held rallies, painted murals, and created videos calling for the cancelation of the Grand Prix. "If the race goes ahead," local NGOs wrote in a letter to race organizers, "it will be taking place in a country whose government continues to commit gross human rights violations, from arbitrary arrests to torture. Bahrain's jails contain hundreds of political prisoners, police use excess force with impunity, and opposition members have been stripped of their citizenship." The race, they argue, is "used by the Bahrain government to broadcast a false picture of normality to the outside world." In fact, that has worked so far, as Formula One head Bernie Ecclestone was quoted saying that "there's nobody demonstrating" in Bahrain, on the same day a large pro-democracy rally took place.
Aside from supporting a repressive regime, the race appears to be exacerbating the danger for Bahraini civilians, as authorities attempt to shield the race and its news coverage from protests. Local sources report that police used teargas and soundbombs in dozens of raids in villages near the F1 track this month. They made at least 20 arrests, including that of 17-year-old Hassan Humidan. When his peers staged a protest calling for his release, armed police stormed their high school and fired teargas, injuring several students.
Such night raids, warrantless arrests, arbitrary detentions, and excessive use of force violate human rights under international law. In 2011, race organizers canceled the event amidst civil unrest. While the Grand Prix officials and Bahraini regime assert that such unrest and violence has died down, these citizen videos present a different reality.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Bahrain Center for Human Rights
Letters from Bahrain NGOs to race organizers
http://bit.ly/14p1MzD
Washington Post on police raid in high school:
http://wapo.st/12ihRUd
Human Rights Watch
http://bit.ly/17qwHHM
The Atlantic
http://bit.ly/16Y6l1t
13 videos
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Bangladesh: Silencing Bloggers, Reporters, and Activists
Apr 16, 2013 -- Clashes that began over the war crimes trial of prominent Muslim leaders have evolved into an explosive war of words involving Islamist political factions, religious leaders and online activists. Since February, one prominent blogger has been killed, another stabbed, and several arrested, creating an atmosphere in which Bangladeshis who question, criticize or report on religious conservatives must fear for their lives and liberty.
Tensions were fueled by the trial of Abdul Qader Molla and several other Islamic fundamentalist leaders for crimes committed during Bangladesh's 1971 war of independence from Pakistan. In February, a tribunal sentenced Molla to life imprisonment for crimes against humanity.
Many observers feared Molla would eventually receive a government pardon, and justice for victims of 1971 would be undone. A group of protesters comprised of young activists, students, artists, and bloggers began rallying at Shabagh Square demanding the death penalty for war criminals. Meanwhile, supporters of the accused saw the tribunal as politically motivated, and took to the streets demanding their freedom.
When the tribunal sentenced a co-defendant to death in late February, religious extremists turned their anger toward the Shabagh movement. They accused bloggers of blasphemy for calling for the death of their religious and political leaders, and in turn called for the arrest and even the death of bloggers. Prominent blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider was hacked to death outside his home, and Asif Mohiuddin was stabbed by religious extremists. Television reporters and a local press club have also been targets. After a group of clerics submitted to the government a list of 84 bloggers they accuse of blasphemy against Islam, authorities arrested seven of them, and warned of more arrests to come.
The blogging network, Global Voices, points out that Bangladesh is a secular democracy, and its own constitution protects online freedom of expression. They and others are calling upon the Bangladeshi government to protect its citizens and their right to free speech before any other targets become victims of violence or repression.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Interview with blogger Asif Mohiuddin:
http://bit.ly/XDs4WH
Committee to Protect Journalists:
"In Bangladesh Climate Worsens for Journalists"
http://bit.ly/16IVsQU
Global Voices:
"Global Voices Condemns Assaults on Bloggers"
http://bit.ly/10Dr6ga
Human Rights Watch:
"Crackdown on Bloggers, Editors Escalates"
http://bit.ly/17fsFC4
Human Rights First:
"Bangladesh's Status Quo on Blashemy"
http://bit.ly/XsRhWP
10 videos
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BREAKING: Election in Venezuela
Apr 13, 2013 - A month after Hugo Chávez died of cancer, Venezuelans go to the polls on Sunday to elect a new president. Chávez's legacy looms large over the election, in which his vice president and chosen successor Nicolás Maduro faces governor and previous presidential candidate Henrique Capriles, representing the opposition bloc.
Leading candidate Maduro has benefited from the popularity Chávez garnered in his 14 years in office, during which he focused on poor and working-class Venezuelans, and decreased economic inequality in the country. He also benefits from a press dominated by state-run media, after Chávez's administration debilitated independent outlets that gave voice to government investigation and criticism. Because of the resources of the incumbent, Capriles supporters, including the hunger strikers seen in this playlist, question the fairness and transparency of the election.
Venezuelans go to the polls highly divided. These citizen videos—of campaign rallies, personal testimonies, and arguments between voters—reveal the passion Venezuelan citizens share for politics and the future of their country. This playlist will continue to be updated during the election and as voting results come in. To add yours, tweet to the Human Rights Channel with a link at @ythumanrights or submit a video from the Human Rights Channel home page.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION:
Twitter: @ythumanrights
Google+: http://bit.ly/XyOE5L
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Americas Society/Council of the Americas
Explainer: Venezuela's 2013 Election
http://bit.ly/XiXJMV
16 videos
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Brazil: Eviction in the Name of Soccer
Mar 25, 2013 - As Brazil prepares to host the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, major infrastructure projects are coming at a high price: the human rights of some of the country's most marginalized communities. An estimated 170,000 Brazilians are at risk of losing their homes, if they have not already been displaced. The latest eviction came last week, when officers arrived at the shuttered Museum of the Indian in Rio de Janeiro, and violently removed the indigenous community that called it home for more than six years.
The Brazilian government describes the site, which residents named Aldeia Maracanã, as an eyesore—a dilapidated building casting a shadow over the famous Maracanã soccer stadium. But for the people who live there, representing numerous indigenous groups, the museum is home, and the last remaining vestige of a culture now almost forgotten.
On March 22nd, after months of legal arguments over the museum's future, riot police stormed the building and began forcibly evicting dozens of residents. Amid tear gas and baton beatings, the museum was cleared.
Forced evictions clearly trample the right to housing and political participation, but also threaten many other human rights, including the right to health, education, culture, livelihood, and security. As a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant of Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, Brazil has committed itself to protect these rights.
The Museum of the Indian was Brazil's first museum dedicated to indigenous culture and history. Now abandoned by government support and falling to ruin, it has become a rallying point for indigenous activists and those fighting evictions throughout the country.
Authorities plan to tear down the 147-year-old building, and the governor of Rio de Janeiro has proposed erecting an Olympic Museum in its place. These developments are part of renovations to the Maracanã stadium that the government hopes to complete in time for a June football match between Brazil and the UK. Former residents have been offered temporary housing.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION:
Twitter: @ythumanrights
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Global Voices:
"Brazil Violently Ousts Indigenous Village Ahead of World Cup"
http://bit.ly/XBANs9
Folha De Sao Paolo
(Portuguese)
http://bit.ly/14hWWDl
The Guardian:
"Brazilian Riot Police Evict Indigenous People Near Rio's Maracana Stadium"
http://bit.ly/14lSJyH
Avaaz Petition to Save Maracana:
http://bit.ly/NqtOhP
10 videos
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Togo: An Election-Year Crackdown on Opposition & Free Press
Mar 21, 2013 - In the run up to Togo's parliamentary elections, the ruling power has quashed anti-government protests, arrested opposition leaders, and cracked down on free press. Elections, previously scheduled for this month, are now on hold, leaving the West African nation in political disarray and the rights of Togolese people to representative government, freedom of expression, and a free press at risk.
For five decades, the small country of Togo has been ruled by the Rally of the Togolese People (RTP). In the 1990s the country adopted democratic reforms including multiparty elections. But it has yet to successfully execute those reforms, with each subsequent election marred by political disputes, violence, and repression of opposition parties.
This year has fared no differently. In February and early March, 27 members of the opposition coalition, including the president of the National Alliance for Change, were arrested on charges related to fires in the capital city, Lomé. Protests against the arrests have been met with teargas and rubber bullets.
In addition to the crackdown on opposition are new restrictions on the press. A law passed in February grants Togo's regulatory agency the power to punish, censor, and shut down news outlets and reporters without a court order. Journalists responded with a media blackout and sit-in in front of the Presidential Palace. Again, Togolese police responded to the peaceful demonstrations with excessive force, resulting in several arrests, teargas suffocation, and injuries caused by rubber bullets.
This playlist compiles testimony and citizen video (in French) of the recent political turmoil. In the final video, opposition leader Jean-Pierre Fabre reacts to the new media restrictions, asserting the government's intentions to hide its actions from the rest of the world.
Global Voices:
"Togo: An Open Letter to Denounce Violence Against Journalists"
http://bit.ly/13xLwIq
Global Post:
"Key Togo Opposition Figures Charged Over Market Fires"
http://bit.ly/ZOkFW2
All Africa:
"Media Blackout As Journalists Begin a 3-Day Protest Against New Repressive Law"
http://bit.ly/16rHbc7
Committee to Protect Journalists:
"In Togo, Police Attack Journalists Protesting Media Law"
http://bit.ly/Xsmvdp
26 videos
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Nigeria: Oil Extraction & Accountability
Jan 29, 2013 - A half-century of crude oil extraction in the Niger Delta has devastated not only the region's environment but also the livelihood, health, and security of the local population. Nigerian and international advocates have long complained of human rights violations in the region. Two pending court cases may finally hold the Dutch-based Shell oil company accountable to the community in which it works.
In an unprecedented case that began in 2008, four Nigerian farmers took Royal Dutch Shell to court in the Netherlands demanding the company clean up the Niger Delta and pay compensation to residents who have been impacted by oil spills.
In another case under deliberation by the U.S. Supreme Court, Nigerians accuse Shell of complicity in torture, extrajudicial killings, and crimes against humanity in the Niger Delta. Both cases are expected to be decided in early 2013.
These videos depict the range of human rights violations that have resulted from oil extraction in the Niger Delta, located in southeast Nigeria. Over the past 50 years, hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil have spilled, impacting the region of Ogoniland most severely. A UN assessment in 2011 determined that the full environmental restoration of Ogoniland would be "the world's most wide-ranging and long term oil clean-up exercise ever undertaken."
The contamination of water, land, and local ecosystems not only endangers residents' health, but threatens their livelihood. Fishermen and farmers in several communities have been unable to work since two large spills in 2008.
Yet Nigerian activists who have spoken out about the human rights violations in their communities have faced repression, torture, and even death. In the 1990s, writer and activist Ken Saro-Wiwa started the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) and led a non-violent campaign against environmental degradation. At the peak of his campaign against the Nigerian government and Shell, Saro-Wiwa was arrested, hastily tried by a military tribunal and hung along with eight others. The widow of one of them, Barinem Kiobel, is among the plaintiffs in the suit currently before the U.S. Supreme Court.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
The Guardian
"4-year delay in oil spill cleanup"
http://bit.ly/OQGE8t
UNEP Ogoniland Oil Assessment:
http://bit.ly/mUtIXw
Center for Constitutional Rights
http://bit.ly/XPxEUN
JOIN THE DISCUSSION:
Twitter: @ythumanrights
Google+: http://bit.ly/Way74V
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WITNESS | Human Rights Video 101
Tips on how to document and distribute powerful human rights video - for activism, journalism, advocacy and evidence. This playlist can help you film powerful videos safely and effectively. For more detailed information please visit http://videoplan.witness.org!
14 videos
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The Human Rights Channel on YouTube
Curating verified human rights video from citizens and activists around the world.
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