On April 20, 1998, AI high school, college, and local activists from the Greater Boston area traveled to New York City for a day of action. Fellow activists from the NY area joined us at demonstrations at the Chinese Consulate, the United States Mission to the UN, and the Nigerian Consulate. In between demonstrations, we met with Florence Martin and Ian Levine from the AI Office at the UN, and Curt Goering, Sr. Deputy Exec. Director of AIUSA. We even visited another Tibetan demonstration while we were there. It was an action-packed day, and more than one of us ended the day a bit hoarse from all the protesting, but there was no doubt that all the hard work paid off. We raised our voices, and people were listening.
Click on any image below to view the larger version.
The GOTB III Activists
First stop: The Chinese Consulate
At the demonstration at the Chinese Consulate, we raised our
concerns about the situation in Tibet, with specific attention to
our current action file: the case of Gyaltsen Drolkar and the 13
other nuns in Drapchi prison who were given additional sentences
for singing Tibetan songs. A few group members entered the
building to deliver a large Gyaltsen Drolkar postcard which we
had all signed, but the consulate officials rather
undiplomatically refused to accept it.
Quite a bit of press showed up, and several people were interviewed. We really got the word out about Gyaltsen Drolkar!
Second Stop: US Mission to the United Nations
Our purpose at the US Mission to
the UN was to call attention to the present situation in Burundi,
where immediate action must be taken to ensure that human rights
are respected. We also raised our concern for our action file: José Lopez Herrera, a UNHCR official who was extrajudicially executed in
Burundi. Rick and Sofia met with someone from the US Mission, who
actually seemed interested in our concerns and has said she will
keep in touch.
Apparently, it is highly unusual that a group is allowed to protest where we did, right across from the US Mission and the United Nations. We were quite visible to all the tour groups going by, as well as any foreign press that happened to pass us. Sofia was interviewed by the Russian press!
An Unexpected Stop at a Tibetan Demonstration
Several Tibetans have been
demonstrating across from the UN Plaza to call attention to the
six Tibetans in New Delhi who are currently on an until-death
hunger strike. The six Tibetans started their hunger strike on
March 10, 1998 to urge the United Nations to re-open discussion
on the issue of Tibet.
You can help by sending a letter to the UN Secretary General asking for the United Nations to resume discussion on Tibet. sample letter and address info
Final Stop: The Nigerian Consulate
This was our third annual visit to the Nigerian
Consulate to voice our outrage over the executions of Ken
Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists in November of 1995. We
also called attention to the remaining 19+ Ogoni activists who
are still in prison, and to the case of Christine Anyanwu, a journalist who was imprisoned for reporting on human
rights abuses in Nigeria. Carl and Carla entered the consulate to
receive information and to deliver some information of our own,
including a large postcard about Christine Anyanwu. They were not
received very fondly, but the consulate officials did take the
information.
Each year that we return, we prove to the Nigerian Government that "we will not forget" Ken Saro-Wiwa, the Ogoni 19, Christine Anyanwu, and all the other grievous human rights abuses taking place in Nigeria.
Join us next year for Get On the Bus IV, and help keep the light on Human Rights!