To All Living
Things
Last Week's Column
"He has been attacked and threatened in the past; his name was even included on a death list found some years ago in an army barracks. " |
Amnesty
Action:
Fear for
Safety in Honduras
Kathy Gay
his week’s action from
Amnesty International concerns
the safety of a human rights activist who went into
hiding following an attack that took the life of his
3-year-old son.
The attack occurred late last month as the man and his wife and son were leaving their farm. Three men armed with automatic weapons opened fire on their truck. One bullet went through the boy's head and then through his father's hand. The family managed to break away from their attackers and get the boy to a medical clinic, but he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Amnesty International is
very concerned for the 
safety of this man and his family
and is urging the Honduran government to take all
necessary steps to guarantee their safety. The
organization is also calling for a thorough investigation
into the attack which killed the man's young son and
urges the authorities to bring the perpetrators to
justice.
Background Information
This man who was the
target of last month's 
attack has been working with human
rights organizations and others trying to improve the
living conditions for people in very poor areas in San
Pedro Sula and Yoro in Honduras. He has been attacked and
threatened in the past; his name was even included on a
death list found some years ago in an army barracks.
This most recent attack is believed to be related to his attempts to mediate between two parties involved in a dispute over land that formerly belonged to banana-growing companies. Local sources suspect that the shooting was carried out by, or on the orders of, one of the parties to this dispute who is reportedly a former member of Honduran military intelligence with links to the military.
How you can help
Please send a letter to
the President of Honduras as soon as possible, but no
later than October 25, 1997. 
You
may use the sample letter linked below or use it as a
model to write your own letter. If you choose to use the
sample letter, please cut off or delete all website
information at the very top of the letter. If you prefer
to write your own letter, please keep in mind that its
intent is to improve the human rights situation in
Honduras. Make sure the letter is politely worded,
non-partisan (i.e., not used as a vehicle for political
expression) and written with respect for the recipient.
Be sure to include both your name and address, as well as
the date, on your letter.
U.S. airmail postage to Honduras is 60 cents.
Questions?
If you have any questions, just post a message to me (Kathy Gay) on the Activism Board, and I will respond as soon as I can. I greatly appreciate your interest and support.
To see the sample letter for this action, please click here.
__________________________________________________
Kathy Gay is a vegan, and has been a member of Amnesty International for nearly 10 years, where she has worked on numerous campaigns. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and is a business analyst for a leading California bank.
Kathy's column, To All Living Things, is a regular feature of VegSource On-Line Magazine.