Honduras: Military Is Accused of Abuses

[Judi Lynn]

Source: New York Times

Honduras: Military Is Accused of Abuses

By MARC LACEY
Published: August 18, 2009

Amnesty International, in a report to be released Wednesday, accuses the Honduran military and police of using beatings and mass arrests to punish protesters for opposing the ouster of President Manuel Zelaya in June. “Mass arbitrary arrests and ill treatment of protesters are a serious and growing concern in Honduras today,” Esther Major, Amnesty’s Central American researcher, said in a statement. The government of Roberto Micheletti, the country’s de facto leader, accuses demonstrators of engaging in violent acts and provoking the authorities.


Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/19/world/americas/19briefs-Honduras2.html?ref=world

[Judi Lynn]

1. Protesters targeted, beaten in Honduras - Amnesty

Protesters targeted, beaten in Honduras - Amnesty

Agence France-Presse
August 19, 2009 10:40am

PROTESTORS in Honduras are being beaten and arrested by police and the military for opposing the de facto government, Amnesty International says.
The London-based rights organisation said today it had collected evidence of mass arrests and violence against protesters by authorities since the interim government came to power in the June 28 bloodless coup.

"Mass arbitrary arrests and ill treatment of protesters are a serious and growing concern in Honduras today,'' said Amnesty researcher Esther Major.

"Detention and ill treatment of protesters are being employed as form of punishment for those openly opposing the de facto government and also as a deterrent for those contemplating taking to the streets to peacefully show their discontent with the political turmoil the country is experiencing.''

Ms Major said interviews with protesters including students detailed how police beat them with batons after their arrest at a peaceful demonstration on July 30 in the capital Tegucigalpa.

In a statement, Amnesty said harassment and intimidation of human rights defenders and attacks as well as restrictions imposed on media outlets in Honduras were also concerns.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25951366-23109,00.html

[Judi Lynn]

2. Honduras govt: OAS mission won't be fair

Honduras govt: OAS mission won't be fair
Published Date: August 19, 2009

http://www.kuwaittimes.net.nyud.net:8090/upload/img_pict/internat33b249.jpg

TEGUCIGALPA: Honduras' coup-installed government said it does not expect to be judged fairly by an international panel that arrived Monday to investigate allegations of human rights abuses. The visit by Inter-American Commission of Human Rights monitors comes a week after the interim government charged 24 supporters of ousted President Manuel Zelaya with sedition in an intensifying crackdown on protests that have sometimes turned violent. Interim Deputy Foreign Minister Martha Alvarado said the government
expects a biased assessment from the panel because it is a branch of the Organization of American States, which has condemned the June 28 coup and is demanding Zelaya's reinstatement.

We must be very careful not to have great expectation of their reports," Alvarado said at a news conference. "We have great reservations." The monitors met Monday with members of the Supreme Court and will spend a week meeting with other officials and civic organizations. The OAS also plans to send a delegation of foreign ministers from Western Hemisphere countries later this week in a bid to revive negotiations to end the crisis.

The interim government has arrested more than 100 pro-Zelaya protesters, warning it will no longer tolerate street blockades and other disruptions. Most of those detained have been released, though two dozen were charged with sedition and damage to public property after violent protests. Pro-Zelaya television and radio stations have complained about being yanked off the air in the days immediately following the coup. Soldiers also briefly arrested several foreign journalists the day after the coup, including four from The Associated Press.

http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=MTQwNTc0NTU2Nw==

(In the photo, 2nd from the right, wearing the olive dress, and the red "Mel" hat, is Xiomara Zelaya, his wife.)

[Wilms]

3. k&r n/t

[formercia]

4. I suspect a lot, if not most of the violence

are provocations by right-wing reactionaries as an excuse to crack down on the peaceful protesters.

[Judi Lynn]

5. Honduras photos and protestor testimonies show extent of police violence

Honduras photos and protestor testimonies show extent of police violence

19 August 2009

Amnesty International published a series of exclusive photos and testimonies on Wednesday revealing serious ill-treatment by police and military of peaceful protesters in the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa. The organization warned that beatings and mass arrests are being used as a way of punishing people for voicing their opposition to the military-backed coup d’etat in June.

As human rights violations increase, the need for the international community to seek a solution to the political crisis becomes ever more urgent.

The photos and testimonies were gathered by an Amnesty International delegation who interviewed many of the 75 people who were detained at the Jefatura Metropolitana Nº3 police station in Tegucigalpa after the police, supported by the military, broke up a peaceful demonstration on 30 July.

Most detainees had injuries as a consequence of police beatings with batons and having stones and other objects thrown at them. When they were arrested, no one was told where they were being taken, the reasons for their detention or the charges against them. All detainees were released a few hours later.

“Mass arbitrary arrests and ill treatment of protesters are a serious and growing concern in Honduras today,” said Esther Major, Central America researcher at Amnesty International.

“Detention and ill treatment of protestors are being employed as forms of punishment for those openly opposing the de facto government, and also as a deterrent for those contemplating taking to the streets to peacefully show their discontent with the political turmoil the country is experiencing,” said Esther Major.

Amongst those held in detention on 30 July were 10 students. They had all been beaten with batons on the back, arms and backs of the legs by police. One of them said: “The police were throwing stones; they cornered us, threw us on the floor, on our stomachs and beat us. They took our cameras from us, beat us if we lifted our heads and even when we were getting into the police wagons.”

Several of those interviewed told Amnesty International that during the demonstration, police officers wore no visible identification. They said some police officers had told them, “do not look at us, sons of bitches,” and that others wore bandanas to hide their faces.

F.M., a 52-year-old teacher also detained on 30 July, told Amnesty International: “We were demonstrating peacefully. Suddenly, the police came towards us, and I started running. They grabbed me and shouted ‘why do you (all) support Zelaya’s government?’. They beat me. I have not been informed as to why I am detained.”

“Using excessive force and mass arbitrary detentions as a policy to repress dissent only serves to inflame tensions further and leads to serious human rights violations,” said Esther Major. “Force must only be employed in the most extreme of circumstances, and certainly not as a method to prevent people’s legitimate right to peacefully demonstrate.”

Amnesty International is also concerned by harassment and intimidation of human rights defenders; limits imposed on freedom of expression and the number of attacks against journalists - including the closure of media outlets, the confiscation of equipment and physical abuse of journalists and camerapersons covering events.

The human rights situation outside of Tegucigalpa is believed to be equally or even more serious. The checkpoints along the primary roads in Honduras are currently manned by military and police who often delay or refuse entry to human rights organizations to areas where human rights violations are reportedly occurring.

Concerns about human rights in Honduras have intensified since the democratically elected President José Manuel Zelaya Rosales was forced from power on 28 June and expelled from the country by a military-backed group of politicians led by Roberto Micheletti, former leader of the National Congress. There has been widespread unrest in the country since the coup d’etat with frequent clashes between the police, military and civilian protestors. At least two people have died after being shot during protests.

http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/report/Honduras-photos-and-protestor-testimonies-show-extent-of-police-violence-20090819

[Judi Lynn]

6. Honduras: Repression and Violence Continue

Honduras: Repression and Violence Continue
Brussels, 18 August 2009: The ITUC, together with TUCA, and the CUTH, CTH and CGT, its Honduran affiliates, have denounced the repression, forced disappearances, extrajudicial executions and the use of firearms suffered by those taking part in peaceful demonstrations held to protest against the coup d’état and to demand the restitution of the constitutional president, Manuel Zelaya. The international trade union mission, led by the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA/ITUC) and the Global Union Federations (GUFs), which visited Honduras between 5 and 8 August, called for, among other demands, an international day of solidarity with the Honduran people on 11 August as well as supporting the initiatives of the Honduran trade union movement to promote the construction of a new socio-political environment and the formulation of policy proposals to create a new future for the country.

On 12 August, tens of thousands of Hondurans took part in the national protest march against the coup, covering over 120 kilometres. The march unfortunately met with brutal repression by the de facto government.

Several people trying to escape the police brutality during the march took refuge in the STIBYS trade union office in Tegucigalpa, which was surrounded by the police and military forces for over two hours until the international press intervened and the demonstrators managed to leave the building safely.

On the same day, after curfew, unknown assailants shot at the office of Vía Campesina of Honduras, an organisation led by campesino leader Rafael Alegría, in another clear attack against the social organisations and leaders heading the resistance against the coup d’état.

"These attacks are inadmissible. Social and trade union organisations have an important role to play in the reconstruction of this country. The reconstruction of Honduras depends on the immediate restitution of the constitutional president, Manuel Zelaya," said Guy Ryder, general secretary of the ITUC.

Two crucial events are to take place in Honduras in the coming days: the visit of a mission from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and, shortly after, a mission of foreign ministers from the OAS and Secretary General Insulza, to promote the de facto government’s approval of the San José Agreement.

In a letter (in Spanich) to the Secretary of State for Public Security the ITUC called for respect for demonstrators’ rights, for the immediate, safe return of the almost 200 people who have been "disappeared", the restoration of constitutional order and the achievement of national reconciliation.

http://www.ituc-csi.org/spip.php?article4193

[Arctic Dave]

7. K&R Want to make sure a couple of people get their chance to read this.

[Boku-Wa]

8. Honduran leaders are arresting, abusing protesters

Source: Christian Science Monitor

Amnesty International says Honduran interim authorities conducted mass arrests and beatings of those who support ousted President Manuel Zelaya.

Mexico City - Amnesty International released a report today urging a solution to the political standoff in Honduras, warning that authorities there have resorted to mass arrests and beatings of those who support ousted President Manuel Zelaya.

"Mass arbitrary arrests and ill treatment of protesters are a serious and growing concern in Honduras today," said Esther Major, Central America researcher at Amnesty International, in the report.

"Detention and ill treatment of protesters are being employed as a form of punishment for those openly opposing the de facto government and also as a deterrent for those contemplating taking to the streets to peacefully show their discontent with the political turmoil the country is experiencing," Ms. Major said.
.........

Censoring the media?

Human rights allegations have also been lobbed at the interim government for media rights infringements. Groups such as Reporters Without Borders have denounced censorship and violence against media outlets critical of the interim government.

"The de facto government has again illustrated its concept of press freedom by pitting soldiers and police against news media that are critical of the coup," Reporters Without Borders said in a statement on Monday. "The attacks on community and education media are yet another sign of the deterioration in the general press freedom situation since 28 June."

Read more: http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0819/p06s09-woam.html

---

The complete report - Honduras: Human rights crisis threatens as repression increases - can be viewed at: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR37/004/2009/en

Contact your Congressperson and ask them to support House Resolution 630 which calls on the Obama administration to withhold non-humanitarian aid from the illegal de facto government until President Zelaya is returned to office.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[DissedByBush]

10. Now they've lost me

I was behind ousting Zelaya for an attempted unconstitutional power grab, but these guys are showing themselves to be thugs.

My rule #1: I always oppose a leader who stifles the freedom of the press. To me it is an absolute sign he wants to be an authoritarian dictator if he already isn't.

[harmonicon]

11. I'm glad that you now recognize that you were in the wrong

This shit is BAD. Just about as bad as it can possibly get in the overthrow of democracy.

[DissedByBush]

15. Not in the wrong about Zelaya

Kicking him out was right for what he was trying to do. From what I read in their constitution, Zelaya ceased to be the president as soon as he started putting out the feelers to hold a referendum to allow more terms. The Constitution said anybody who tries is ineligible to hold office for 10 years. I think it's a great clause in the Constitution to prevent those who have power from being able to extend it.

The problem is they just substituted one evil for another.

[harmonicon]

16. it was to be a non-binding public opinion poll

nothing more. I wish our leaders would do things like that, on, say, universal healthcare - nothing evil about that.

[Judi Lynn]

17. Haven't you taken the time to look for more information beyond the right-wing LIES?

How on earth you could have avoided learning more about this is a natural wonder.

He was ACCUSED by the criminals who kidnapped him and stole the people's elected presidency to be trying to extend his presidential term. That's impossible, as you should know by now.

If you had taken even a moment to THINK about what you had read, or should have read, you would have realized there was no chance whatsoever the constitutional rewrite would have affected Zelaya's presidential term whatsoever. He would have been gone well before there would have been any chance that rewrite could POSSIBLY accomplished. Each step of the process would take considerable TIME. He leaves IN NOVEMBER. How can you remain in the dark so long?

How could you avoid wanting to know more about the story you're attempting to spread? You need to get busy and start reading what's easily available, and THINKING, if it's not too much to ask, and spend less time repeating lies.

[DissedByBush]

18. The reason is obvious

The only relevant part of the constitution that he would need to convene an assembly for is to allow more terms. That is unless he wanted to eradicate the basic democratic system of government. Article 239 says that even trying to get that changed immediately kicks the president out of office.

The Supreme Court, the Congress and his own attorney general said it would be illegal, and his own military chief followed the law, and was fired. Then Zelaya and his supporters seized the ballots and started distributing them, basically trying to pull off an illegal referendum outside of the legal framework of elections.

Zelaya shouldn't be in a foreign country, that was illegal. He should be in a Honduran jail.

[Judi Lynn]

19. You simply should do some research. Others can't do it for you.

Here's an article which came out early in the game, many, MANY more have been published since then, as well:

~snip~
The Honduran Supreme Court of Justice, Attorney General, National Congress, Armed Forces and Supreme Electoral Tribunal have all falsely accused Manuel Zelaya of attempting a referendum to extend his term in office.

According to Honduran law, this attempt would be illegal. Article 239 of the Honduran Constitution clearly states that persons, who have served as presidents, cannot be presidential candidates again. The same article also states that public officials who breach this article, as well as those that help them, directly or indirectly, will automatically lose their immunity and are subject to persecution by law. Additionally, articles 374 and 5 of the Honduran Constitution of 1982 (with amendments of 2005), clearly state that: “it is not possible to reform the Constitution regarding matters about the form of government, presidential periods, re-election and Honduran territory”, and that “reforms to article 374 of this Constitution are not subject to referendum.”

Nevertheless, this is far from what President Zelaya attempted to do in Honduras the past Sunday and which the Honduran political/military elites disliked so much. President Zelaya intended to perform a non-binding public consultation, about the conformation of an elected National Constituent Assembly. To do this, he invoked article 5 of the Honduran “Civil Participation Act” of 2006. According to this act, all public functionaries can perform non-binding public consultations to inquire what the population thinks about policy measures. This act was approved by the National Congress and it was not contested by the Supreme Court of Justice, when it was published in the Official Paper of 2006. That is, until the president of the republic employed it in a manner that was not amicable to the interests of the members of these institutions.

Furthermore, the Honduran Constitution says nothing against the conformation of an elected National Constituent Assembly, with the mandate to draw up a completely new constitution, which the Honduran public would need to approve. Such a popular participatory process would bypass the current liberal democratic one specified in article 373 of the current constitution, in which the National Congress has to approve with 2/3 of the votes, any reform to the 1982 Constitution, excluding reforms to articles 239 and 374. This means that a perfectly legal National Constituent Assembly would have a greater mandate and fewer limitations than the National Congress, because such a National Constituent Assembly would not be reforming the Constitution, but re-writing it. The National Constituent Assembly’s mandate would come directly from the Honduran people, who would have to approve the new draft for a constitution, unlike constitutional amendments that only need 2/3 of the votes in Congress. This popular constitution would be more democratic and it would contrast with the current 1982 Constitution, which was the product of a context characterized by counter-insurgency policies supported by the US-government, civil façade military governments and undemocratic policies. In opposition to other legal systems in the Central American region that (directly or indirectly) participated in the civil wars of the 1980s, the Honduran one has not been deeply affected by peace agreements and a subsequent reformation of the role played by the Armed Forces.

Recalling these observations, we can once again take a look at the widespread assumption that Zelaya was ousted as president after he tried to carry out a non-binding referendum to extend his term in office.

The poll was certainly non-binding, and therefore also not subject to prohibition. However it was not a referendum, as such public consultations are generally understood. Even if it had been, the objective was not to extend Zelaya’s term in office. In this sense, it is important to point out that Zelaya’s term concludes in January 2010. In line with article 239 of the Honduran Constitution of 1982, Zelaya is not participating in the presidential elections of November 2009, meaning that he could have not been reelected. Moreover, it is completely uncertain what the probable National Constituent Assembly would have suggested concerning matters of presidential periods and re-elections. These suggestions would have to be approved by all Hondurans and this would have happened at a time when Zelaya would have concluded his term. Likewise, even if the Honduran public had decided that earlier presidents could become presidential candidates again, this disposition would form a part of a completely new constitution. Therefore, it cannot be regarded as an amendment to the 1982 Constitution and it would not be in violation of articles 5, 239 and 374. The National Constituent Assembly, with a mandate from the people, would derogate the previous constitution before approving the new one. The people, not president Zelaya, who by that time would be ex-president Zelaya, would decide.

It is evident that the opposition had no legal case against President Zelaya. All they had was speculation about perfectly legal scenarios which they strongly disliked. Otherwise, they could have followed a legal procedure sheltered in article 205 nr. 22 of the 1982 Constitution, which states that public officials that are suspected to violate the law are subject to impeachment by the National Congress. As a result they helplessly unleashed a violent and barbaric preemptive strike, which has threatened civility, democracy and stability in the region.

It is fundamental that media channels do not fall into omissions that can delay the return of democracy to Honduras and can weaken the condemnation issued by strong institutions, like the United States government. It is also important that individuals are informed, so that they can have a critical attitude to media reports. Honduras needs democracy back now, and international society can play an important role in achieving this by not engaging in irresponsible oversimplifications.

http://counterpunch.com/thorensen07012009.html

[DissedByBush]

22. That was quite biased

I was especially impressed with the logic in the third-to-last paragraph stating he couldn't be violating the constitution because they would be drawing up a new one. I would like to know how the new constitution would be more democratic. There are only a few things that need a new assembly to change, and those are good things like a democratic system of government and term limits.

"That is, until the president of the republic employed it in a manner that was not amicable to the interests of the members of these institutions."

You mean until he employed it in an illegal manner.

I would think that in a democracy when the "Supreme Court of Justice, Attorney General, National Congress, Armed Forces and Supreme Electoral Tribunal" say you're doing something illegal, then pretty much by definition you are doing something illegal. We know that would result in impeachment in this country, and that is what they were working on in Honduras before someone jumped the gun.

Like I said, he shouldn't be banished; he should be sitting in a jail cell awaiting trial.

By now you may have figured I have no tolerance for power-hungry politicians.

[timeforpeace]

12. Until they protest Chavez, Reporters Without Borders is just a bunch of agenda driven hacks.

[gorbal]

13. A Coup is a Coup.

If they had arrested him and put him to trial people wouldn't be discussing it so much. I don't know how many times I wish Bush had been arrested and put to trial, and IMHO he's done worse than try to arrange an election that people saw as "power grabbing".

[Judi Lynn]

14. They had every chance in the world, as his plane made pass after pass over the airport

several Sundays ago, trying to land, as the people stood on the ground and cheered, some having walked GREAT distances to get there, some not making it at all because the military shot out the tires on their buses on the roads leading to Tegucigalpa, and many of them scattering because the military shot into the crowds, instead of dragging trucks out and blocking the runway so he couldn't land.

http://img.timeinc.net.nyud.net:8090/time/daily/2009/0907/honduras_0706.jpg http://media3.washingtonpost.com.nyud.net:8090/wp-srv/photo/gallery/090706/GAL-09Jul06-2263/media/PHO-09Jul06-168477.jpg http://www.therightscoop.com.nyud.net:8090/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/blocking_runway_clear.jpg
Or, a week or two later, in a very highly publicized march in Nicaragua to the Honduras border, as thousands of Hondurans, including his is wife and very pregnant daughter, mother, and mother-in-law travellede in Honduras to meet him, he made himself available for arrest at that time. He even made it easy for them by stepping into his homeland and speaking with a general. They simply turned him back and refused to allow him to enter.

If they HAD anything they could use in court they would have done it, and he'd be in jail now. Instead, they chose to try it in the media after discharging a load of pure crap about the facts, and hope the right-wing idiots of the world would sell everyone else on their great lie. Instead, every country in Latin America has broken off diplomatic relations with Honduras until further notice.

[Judi Lynn]

20. Welcome to D.U., Boku-Wa, and thanks for the links.

Very good to see your post. :hi:

[Judi Lynn]

21. A coup for lobbyists at the White House

A coup for lobbyists at the White House
Saturday, August 8, 2009 11:08 PM CDT

Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, ousted in the middle of the night just over a month ago, enjoys global support for his return, with the exception of the Obama White House. While Barack Obama first called the Honduran military's removal of Zelaya a coup, his administration has backpedaled. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Zelaya's attempt to cross the Nicaraguan border into Honduras "reckless." Could well-placed lobbyists in Washington be forging U.S. foreign policy?

Lanny Davis was special counsel to President Bill Clinton from 1996 to 1998, functioning as lawyer, crisis manager and spokesman through Clinton's various scandals. Davis has developed a lucrative specialty as a partner at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, offering a "unique 'Legal Crisis Communications' practice," helping people embroiled in investigations or scandal. According to recent congressional filings, Davis is lobbying for the Honduran chapter of the Latin American Business Council. Zelaya had recently increased the Honduran minimum wage.

Davis testified before Congress on July 10, saying his clients "believe the best chance for a solution is the dialogue between Mr. Zelaya and President Micheletti, mediated by President Arias, that is now ongoing in Costa Rica." That is, until the Arias sessions resulted in a call for the return of Zelaya. Coup spokesman Cesar Caceres said, "The mediation has been declared a failure."

Davis continued before Congress, "No one wants bloodshed, and nobody should be inciting violence." Yet a number of Zelaya supporters have been killed, and there has been a crackdown on independent media, making information hard to obtain.

More:
http://www.thesouthern.com/articles/2009/08/08/opinions/guest_columns/29268288.txt