Important news from Sri Lanka

It's one of those things that can happen to any of us and perhaps something that we occasionally have nightmares about: someone gets access to our email account.

Such an unfortunate event happened this week to Walter Jayewardene, our contact with the Unitarian Universalist Association of Sri Lanka. He urges everyone to ignore messages from his old hotmail account and to change their records to include his new email address: <wijayasirij8@gmail.com> (updated address as of Sept 2009)

jcc

URGENT information: Olga Flores and Bolivia

Late update (1 June): The Bolivian government has apparently closed down the email address suggested in the links at the bottom of this article, so Olga has suggested that the following addresses be used: 

Señor Juan Ramón Quintana 

MINISTRO DE LA PRESIDENCIA

"Juan Ramón Quintana" <juraquita7@gmail.com>

and

Señor José Luis Vazque

PRESIDENTE DE LA COMISION DE DERECHOS HUMANOS DEL SENADO

<comision.constitucion@senado.bo>

and 

Señora Elizabeth Salguero

PRESIDENTA DE LA COMISION DE DERECHOS HUMANOS CÁMARA DE DIPUTADOS

"Elizabeth Salguero" <apuwara@yahoo.com>

with a copy to: 

Señor Santiago Canton

Secretario Ejecutivo Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos OEA

Washington DC

scanton@oas.org

cidhdenuncias@oas.org

&/or

Denis Racicot

REPRESENTANTE DEL ALTO COMISIONADO DE LAS NACIONES UNIDAS PARA LOS DERECHOS HUMANOS EN BOLIVIA

dracicot@ohchr.org

Olga Flores and two other women are now (30 May) into their fourth week of a fast attempting to get the Bolivian President to take effective action about the apparent impunity of the Bolivian junta authorities in causing men to just "disappear" during their period of rule.

The situation for the fasting women is serious, they are now reaching a point where long-term or even life-long damage will be done to their organs.  All ICUU contacts have just been circulated with information, which I add here for those whose email address we lack and for those who read this blog without having registered to be on our database.

Olga has a website with lots of information, suggested addresses to contact [see late correction above], and even a video-clip of the three women.  I suggest everyone who reads this visit this site immediately and also take the time to contact at least one of the addresses she suggests [above].

link: <www.noalaimpunidad.mamametal.com>

The International Convocation of UU Women has posted some information from Olga in English and this link is <http://www.icuuw.com/icuuw/flores.cfm>.  Time is urgent, so I am keeping this notice brief.

Please copy any messages you decide to send to the following: <Bolivianoalaimpunidad@gmail.com>.

Thanks for your attention.  If our community is to be a community, we need to find ways to express solidarity effectively with those at the sharp end of the struggle for justice.

jcc