Human Rights // Current TV

Syria condemned by UN for Houla massacre

The United Nations security council has unanimously condemned the Syrian government... more

JanforGore
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BREAKING: NAACP Endorses Marriage Equality

"The NAACP’s move comes as attitudes about gays and lesbians in the African... more

ClassicalGas
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10 days ago
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The Hot Dog Stand: How Much Would You Charge?

by Amaterasu Solar Let Us presume a world where free energy is available to all.... more

Amaterasu
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21 days ago
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People Party for Jobs

New political party looks to foster business environment in Bristol Friday, 23, 2012... more

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The People Party Morality

On Sunday may 2012, American Flags were waving at the corner of 37 Center St Bristol... more

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People Party says thanks to Bristol Community

On behalf of the people party, we would like to thanks all of the people who sign and... more

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People Party for Honesty

People party had a special meeting on the topic of honesty in Bristol CT USA. We have... more

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Homophobia: Pathos and the Culture of Fear

“Homophobia” is an intensely dramatic short film by Austrian... more

disembedded
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6 days ago
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Problems in the New NDAA Bill

The repercussions from the contraindications in last year’s NDAA bill still... more

TomCat1948
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10 days ago
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NDAA Unconstitutional

One of Obama’s most controversial decisions was to sign last year’s annual... more

TomCat1948
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12 days ago
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Obama Publicly Endorses Gay Marriage: Same-Sex Marriage Should Be Legal

On Wednesday, President Obama publicly endorsed gay marriage in a television interview and took a definitive stand on one of the most politically charged social issues of the day. Includes photographs and a video of the interview.

“At a certain point, I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married,” Mr. Obama said in an interview that came after the president faced mounting pressure to clarify his position.

Public support for same-sex marriage is growing at a pace that surprises even professional pollsters as older generations of voters who tend to be strongly opposed are supplanted by younger ones who are just as strongly in favor. Same-sex couples are featured in some of the most popular shows on television, without controversy.

Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand, Democrat of New York, called the president’s statement “a watershed moment in American history” that would aid efforts to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act barring federal recognition of same-sex marriage. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York said, “No American president has ever supported a major expansion of civil rights that has not ultimately been adopted by the American people, and I have no doubt that this will be no exception.”

Chad Griffin, the incoming president of the Human Rights Campaign, said that, “President Obama’s words today will be celebrated by generations to come. For the millions of young gay and lesbian Americans across this nation, President Obama’s words provide genuine hope that they will be the first generation to grow up with the freedom to fully pursue the American dream. Marriage, the promise of love, companionship, and family, is basic to the pursuit of that dream.”

This piece includes photographs and video of the interview.

http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2012/05/09/obama-publicly-endorses-gay-marriage-says-same-sex-marriage-should-be-legal/On Wednesday, President Obama publicly endorsed gay marriage in a television interview... more

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20 days ago
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Administration Abandons Blind Chinese Dissident; Favors Economics over Human Rights

"Does the United States still stand as a beacon of hope to the oppressed around... more

Truthitswhatsfordinner
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25 days ago
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Toast to Freedom: Celebrating Amnesty International’s 50th Anniversary

“Toast to Freedom” is a music video dedicated to human rights activism... more

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26 days ago
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Chut Wutty, Cambodian forest activist assassinated

Chut Wutty, a dedicated Cambodian activist, was shot dead at an illegal logging site by military police, on Thursday. At the time Wutty was driving with two journalists, who wrote a shocking eyewitness account of his death, revealing that he was physically and verbally abused, then shot whilst trying to drive away, and left to die. His death reveals the brutal power of logging syndicates and companies, which are looting the country’s natural wealth, and employing the military to silence their opponents.

Wutty was the director of the Natural Resources Protection Group. He was the most vociferous activist speaking out against illegal logging, particularly active in the Cardamom mountains and in Prey Lang forest. He played a major role supporting the Prey Lang Network, a grassroots forest protection movement that spans four provinces.

Local authorities and officials offer little support in the fight against illegal logging. As Wutty explained, “civil servants, in their uniform, have not performed their role according to their mandate. The only role they play is facilitating business deals to make personal profit. With this they earn from more than one source. First, they get their salary from government, second, they get direct income from selling timber, and third, they make money facilitating business deals.”

“I understand that wealth is important and I want to be wealthy as well. But I also want to see people live with freedom, to be able to maintain their culture, their traditions, to be able to pursue their own life style.”

Deforestation in Cambodia is driven by a juggernaut of powerful interests. Collusion between officials, concessionaires, logging syndicates and the military creates a powerful front. The number of land concessions in Cambodia is rapidly increasing: rubber, mining and dams are major causes of large-scale deforestation. Despite losing out on valuable timber revenue from illegal logging in concession areas, the Cambodian government aims to expand rubber plantations to 400,000 hectares by 2020. Forest dependent communities face losing their land and independence, becoming poorly paid laborers in plantations owned by the wealthy.

Few activists or NGOs have the courage to voice their concerns about this widespread dispossession. Wutty was perfectly aware of the risks he was taking but he was determined to speak out. Sitting next to him as the military approached at the Prey Lang protest in November, Wutty was composed. "They are coming to catch me; should I run away? But where to go?" He looked around for a second, then mildly commented, "Well, I'd like to see what they do."

On Thursday, Wutty’s death showed just how far those people would go in the face of his courageous and untiring dedication to stop the destruction of Cambodia's forests. It is a triumph that he kept pursuing justice in the face of threats and violence.

The question now is, who sent the soldiers to apprehend Wutty?

Human rights groups have launched inquiries pursuing precisely this question. Cambodian Centre for Human Rights president Ou Virak said yesterday that his organization had strong leads on which company asked the military police to stop Chut Wutty.

Read more: http://news.mongabay.com/2012/0502-chut-wutty-oped.html#ixzz1tkKKo753
More at the linkChut Wutty, a dedicated Cambodian activist, was shot dead at an illegal logging site... more