Volume X Number 5, May 2002
UPCOMING
EVENTS
Thursday,
May 23, 7:30 PM. Monthly Meeting 414 S.
Holliston, Caltech Y Lounge. Help us plan future actions for Earth Day, Tibet,
the abolition of the death penalty and more.
Monday, May 27, 2:00-5:00
PM. Tea with Tibetan Nuns, LA Friends of Tibet's office at 8333
Airport Blvd. in Westchester. See below for event details. Tibetan Tea for $2. Directions
to 8333 Airport Blvd., Westchester
(near LAX) 405 Fwy. to La Tijera exit. Head West. Left on Airport Blvd. Tibetan
flag outside building on right.
Free parking in rear.
May 30-June 2. Amnesty
International Film Festival at
the Directors' Guild. See below or
visit event website for details: http://www.amnesty-usa.org/filmfest.
Tuesday, June 11, 7:30 PM. Letter-writing Meeting at the Athenaeum. Corner of California & Hill in the basement recreation
area. An informal meeting, a great
place for first-timers to ask questions!
Sunday, June 16,
6:30 PM. Rights Readers Human Rights Book Discussion Group. Vroman's Bookstore (695 E. Colorado Boulevard in
Pasadena) This month we discuss Martyr's Crossing by Amy
Wilentz. (See inside for more information about the book).
TEA WITH TWO TIBETAN NUNS
Recently Released from Drapchi
Prison in Tibet
Join us on Memorial
Day to hear first-hand accounts of Tibet's infamous Drapchi Prison, where our
group's adopted POC, Ngawang Pekar, has been held since 1989 and subjected to
beatings and abuse and denial of medical treatment.
An afternoon tea will
take place on Memorial Day: To Remember the Victims of the Ongoing Struggle for
Human Rights, Monday, May 27th from 2:00 to 5:00pm at
the LA Friends of Tibet's headquarters at 8333 Airport Blvd. in
Westchester. The event is FREE.
Tibetan Tea for $2. (See Upcoming Events for directions.)
Two Tibetan nuns will
tell of their experiences in Drapchi and speak about political and religious
repression in Tibet. Chuye Kunsang, now 26, was arrested with 7 other nuns as
they shouted religious slogans for the long life of the Dalai Lama in the
central market area of Lhasa. She served four years in Drapchi and was released
in 1999. Passang Lhamo, 25, was a political prisoner in Drapchi from 1994 to
1999. Both Chuye and Passang participated in the May 1998 prison demonstrations
that resulted in severe beatings and the deaths of 5 nuns.
Drapchi is notorious
for abuse and torture of political prisoners. "The military exercises
began wiith daily sessions of standing in the direct sunlight... Sometimes the
guards would put books or cups of water on our heads to make sure that we were
not moving. When the book fell or when some water was spilled, then you would
be beaten."
More subtle means of
humiliation are also employed. Since Tibetan monks and nuns typically shave
their heads as a sign of their religious vocation, in prison they are forced to
grow their hair long.
After Chuye and
Passang were discharged from Drapchi in 1999, they had no political rights and
could not rejoin their nunneries. They were forbidden to speak of things that
happened in Drapchi, and they and their families were constantly harassed by
the authorities. For these reasons, they escaped from Tibet to exile in India.
Amnesty International
and other organizations are sponsoring the nuns' tour of Europe and the U.S.
The tour has been very stressful for the nuns, as at each event they re-live
their prison ordeals. They are doing only one public event in the Los Angeles
area, so even though it is a long drive to the location near LAX, please
consider attending in order to listen to these brave young women and be
inspired by their words.
"Even when we
were being beaten in prison, we felt compassion for the Chinese prison wardens
because of our faith. The most important thing is to be compassionate - even if
we suffer, it could be of benefit to others."
Also speaking will
be Megan Berthold, a therapist at
the Program for Torture Victims in Los Angeles which provides medical and
psychological services to survivors of torture from around the world. The award-winning documentary on Tibet
"Strange Spirit" by
Rebecca & Ronnie Novick will be shown.
After the program
traditional Tibetan tea will be served and the opportunity will be given to
meet with the speakers and members of Amnesty International & the L.A.
Friends of Tibet.If you can't come to the Memorial Day event, you can visit the
Group 133 website for more information about Chuye and Passang:
http://www.amnesty133.org/ai/gotb/nuns.html. And stay tuned for the next Group
22 newsletter, when we hope to have the answer to our big question: Did Chuye
and Passang hear anything about our Ngawang Pekar in Drapchi?
AMNESTY FILM FESTIVAL
May 30-June2 at Director's Guild
For complete schedule and film descriptions,
see
www.amnestyusa.org/filmfest
May 30-June 2, 2002
Directors Guild of America
7920 Sunset Blvd (at Hayworth)
Free Parking for festival Patrons
For information call 310-815-0450
Tickets (per screening):
$8 General Admission
$6 Amnesty International members
$4 Student/Senior/Disabled
Full-festival pass
$40 General Admission
$30 Amnesty International Members
$20 Student/Senior/Disabled
THURSDAY, MAY 30 2002, 7:00 PM
Special Opening Night Event
Launch Party for Artists for Amnesty
By Invitation Only -- RESERVATIONS REQUIRED!
(approx 200 tickets will be made available to be public on a first
come-first serve basis)
20th Anniversary Screening of Unviersal Pictures
"Missing,"starring Jack Lemmon and Sissy Spacek. Hosted by Gabriel
Byrne, followed by reception.
FRIDAY, MAY 31 2002
7:00 PM - THEATER 3/40 SEATS
"The Many Faces of Madness," (19 MIN.) plays with
"Freedom" (58 Min.)
8:00 PM-THEATER 2/150 SEATS
"Execution of Wanda Jean," 88 min, 2001. Followed by a
Discussion
9:00 PM-THEATER 3/40 SEATS
"The Pinochet Case," 110 min (Q&A on Pinochet Case
from Amnesty)
SATURDAY, JUNE 1 2002
3:00 PM -- THEATER 3/40 SEATS
"Missing Young Woman/Se–orita Extraviada," 2000. 74 min.
"Duhshomoy," 26 min 1999.
5:30 PM -- THEATER 3/40 SEATS
"6000 A Day: An Account of a Catastrophe Foretold," 55
min. 2001.
7:00PM - THEATER 3/40 SEATS
"The Inner
Tour," 94 min. 2001.
6:00 PM - THEATER 2/150 SEATS
"Uncle Saddam," followed by Q&A w/ Director
8:00 PM - THEATER 2/150 SEATS
"The Two Towns of Jasper" Followed by a discussion with
filmmaker (Marco Williams, co-director).
SUNDAY, JUNE 2 2002
3:00 PM -- THEATER 3/40 SEATS
"Presumed Guilty," 114 min, 2002
5:00 PM- THEATER 3/40 SEATS
"The Pinochet Case," 110 min followed by Q&A on
Pinochet Case from Amnesty
7:00 PM ? THEATER 2/150 SEATS
"The Hidden Half," By Tamineh Milani, 109 min. Iran,
2001. Followed byPanel Discussion.
ISRAEL/OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
US Should Stop Refilling Israel's
Arsenal of Weapons for Human Rights Violations
Be sure to visit www.amnesty-usa.org for additional
crisis response actions!
Since September 2000, violence in
Israel and the Occupied Territories has steadily escalated. By April 2002, more
than 1,300 Palestinians had been killed by the Israeli security forces, the
vast majority of them unlawfully. More than 300 Israeli civilians had been
killed by Palestinian armed groups and individuals the vast majority of them
unlawfully. More than 23,000 other people had been wounded, many maimed for
life. 2002 has seen an even greater intensification of violence and suffering.
These abuses have been fueled by weapons supplied to the Israeli Defense Forces
(IDF) and by the supply of arms via smuggling networks to Palestinian armed groups
such as Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Al Aqsa Martyr Brigades. The majority of
weapons used by the Israeli Defense Forces to commit human rights violations
are made or supplied by the US, in particular Apache helicopters and F-16
fighter jets.
Amnesty is appealing to President
Bush to suspend all transfers of those types of weapons and munitions used to
commit human rights violations until Israel is clearly in compliance with the
terms for arms transfers as expressed in US law and bilateral agreements.
There is a precedent: in 1978,
1979, 1981 and 1982, the President of the United States found Israel in
violation of the Arms Export Control Act or of bilateral defense agreements,
issuing a report to Congress with those findings. In 1981, transfers of F-15 and
F-16 aircraft were temporarily suspended as a result of Israeli violations.
The administration's failure to
restrict supply to Israel of weapons being used to commit human rights
violations is in sharp contrast to the European Union. The French, German and
UK governments have limited or suspended most arms sales to Israel, refusing to
export military equipment and materials since September 2000.
Amnesty International also
believes that the US (and in particular, the US Embassy in Israel) should be
collecting information on Israeli military and police units implicated in human
rights abuses, particularly units using US helicopters in extrajudicial
executions and US fighter aircraft strafing civilian areas.
Amnesty International also
believes that President Bush should report to Congress on whether US arms
transfers to Israel are in compliance with the Arms Export Control Act, the
Foreign Assistance Act, and bilateral defense agreements with Israel. A sample letter follows:
The Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President
I am writing
concerning the increase of mass human rights violations in Israel and the
Occupied Territories. I urge you
to take specific actions in order to ensure that US weapons are not used to
commit grave human rights violations and to encourage control of arms in Israel
and Occupied Territories in compliance with international human rights
standards and international humanitarian law.
Members of the
European Union including the German and UK governments have limited or
suspended most arms sales to Israel, refusing to export military equipment and
materials since September 2000.
In the period from
1995 to 2002, the US has licensed a total of $8,025,482,720 of weapons and
military equipment and components to Israel, including AH64 Apache helicopters,
F-16 fighter jets, Launch Rocket System (MLRS), assault rifles, missiles and
missiles launchers. US arms transfers should be in compliance with the US Arms
Export Control Act, the Foreign Assistance Act, and bilateral defence
agreements with Israel.
In January and March
2002 Amnesty International's delegates collected evidence of increased Israeli
Defence Forces air attacks against the Palestinian Authority's infrastructure.
In addition to tank fire, these IDF attacks are carried out with US-supplied
Apache Hellfire air-to-ground missiles and US-supplied F-16 laser-guided 500
and 1,000 lb bombs. The increased tonnage of high explosive that the IDF is
dropping from the air causes a greater risk of casualties. The Israeli Defence
Forces have used US-supplied flechette rounds against Palestinian residential
areas and unlawfully killed Palestinians. US assault rifles have also been used
by both sides to facilitate human rights violations.
I urge you to help
reduce the gross human rights violations occurring in Israel and the Occupied
Territories by:
-
immediately suspending transfers of the above US weapons and
ammunitions to the Israeli Defence Forces until it can be clearly demonstrated
that such arms will not be used to facilitate gross human rights violations in
the Occupied Territories;
-
if not already underway, instructing the US Embassy in Israel to
collect information on Israeli military and police units implicated in human
rights abuses, particularly units using US helicopters in extrajudicial
executions and US fighter aircraft strafing civilian areas;
-
preparing a report to Congress on whether US arms transfers to
Israel are in compliance with the Arms Export Control Act, the Foreign
Assistance Act, and bilateral defense agreements with Israel;
-
communicating to authorities in Israel and the Occupied
Territories that they should ensure that all arms are registered and only
authorized for use consistent with
international humanitarian law and the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force
and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials; the US and its allies should
encourage and support efforts by the Israeli government and the Palestinian
Authority to curb trafficking in small arms and light weapons used for grave
human rights violations to armed groups that are not members of official
security services.
Thank you for your
attention to my concern. I look
forward to a response and to learn of the steps that you intend to take to
address this issue.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS
SUCCESS STORY!
Ethiopian Educator Released!
Dr. Taye
Wolde-Semayat of Ethiopia, an Amnesty prisoner of conscience, was released from
prison on May 14, 2002. His release was ordered on May 9th after a court
reduced his sentence to an amount less than the time he had already served. Taye's
case has been featured in this newsletter and Group 22 members sent greetings
to him through AIUSA's annual Holiday Card Action. (Taye has said that he
received so many cards that it took two cars to help transport them from the
prison.)
Dr. Taye was
president of the Ethiopian Teachers' Association, the country's largest trade
union, when authorities arrested him in 1996. Following an unfair trial, Dr.
Taye was sentenced to 15 years in prison for conspiracy against the state.
However, Amnesty International considered Taye to be a prisoner of conscience
who had been jailed on fabricated charges in an effort to silence his
dissenting views regarding the government's education policies. Dr. Taye
studied or taught at several universities in the United States, including
Illinois State University, the University of Missouri, and Michigan State
University.
Thank you for your
help in bringing about this release.
JUST EARTH NETWORK
Shareholder Resolution Seeks Human Rights Policy
(See also the action
following this one for more concerns in the Mexican state of Guerrero)
In advance of
ExxonMobil's (NYSE: XOM) shareholder meeting May 29, Amnesty International is
seeking support for a shareholder resolution calling on ExxonMobil to adopt a
comprehensive, transparent, and verifiable human rights policy to guide the
company's business operations and protect communities affected by the company's
global operations.
"Multinational
corporations who ignore their social responsibilities for the protection and
promotion of human rights do so at the risk of damaging both their business and
the society in which they operate," said Dr. Morton Winston, Chair of
Amnesty International USA's Business and Economic Relations Group. "In the
current age of globalization, the social contract between business and society
is being re-negotiated. Global corporations can no longer ignore their
responsibilities regarding human rights: human rights are everyone's business.
AIUSA sees shareholder activism as an effective means of bringing this message
directly to America's corporate boardrooms."
ExxonMobil Chairman
and CEO Lee Raymond has made positive statements about the company's
recognition of human rights. In an April 2001 speech, he stated, "In
countries where there are local insurgencies and armed conflict, we have made
it clear that we condemn any violations of human rights and we try to be a
positive example by treating our employees with dignity and respect."
However, with this
shareholder resolution, Amnesty International is asking ExxonMobil to go beyond
general statements and adopt and implement specific policies that support human
rights principles and values in its global business operations.
ExxonMobil operates
in a number of countries with serious human rights problems, often closely
linked to the presence of multinationals in the extractive industries.
In Chad, ExxonMobil
leads a consortium that will build a 650-mile pipeline from the Doba oil fields
in southern Chad through Cameroon's Littoral Forest to the Atlantic coast.
Chad's abysmal record on human rights includes the reported killing by Chadian
security forces of more than 200 unarmed civilians in the oil-producing region.
To date, no investigation of the massacres has taken place. The pipeline may
exacerbate decades-old tensions between the government and opposition movements
and increase the militarization of the oil field region.
Cameroon's human
rights record is equally troubling, including torture and extrajudicial executions.
Journalists in both Chad and Cameroon have been detained for exposing
government corruption.
In Angola, Colombia,
Indonesia, Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria, ExxonMobil's operations cannot be
neutral on human rights. In particular, protection of facilities and operations
frequently results in interactions with security forces, armed groups or
private security personnel that have poor records on human rights.
Amnesty International
recently published a briefing entitled "Business & Human Rights: A
Geography of Corporate Risk," which noted that corporations that adopt
human rights standards for their operations significantly reduce the risk of
incurring damage to their corporate reputation (the briefing is available at www.humanrightsrisk.org).
"Enacting a
comprehensive corporate human rights policy isn't just a public relations ploy,
it's good business policy," said Winston. "Corporations benefit from
an enhanced reputation, stability in their investments, and better employee
relations, at the same time reducing the risk of negative publicity, boycotts,
divestment campaigns and law suits."
Amnesty International
recommends that companies include an explicit commitment to the principles and
values of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in their Code of Conduct or
Business Principles. That commitment should be followed-up by implementation
procedures that include: responsibility for ensuring enactment at the Board or
senior management level; annual reporting on the company's human rights
performance via independent audit; training and guidance on the company's human
rights policies for employees, joint venture partners, contractors, and
suppliers.
The human rights
organization has at least ten co-filers on the resolution, including the
AFL-CIO, the New York City Teachers' Retirement System, Trillium Asset
Management, Walden Asset Management, individual investors and religious
organizations.
You can write to
ExxonMobil, even if you own no share, and express your support of the
resolution submitted by Amnesty International USA. Write to:
Mr. Lee Raymond, CEO
ExxonMobil Corporation
6959 Las Colinas Boulevard
Irving, TX 75039
Dear Mr. Raymond:
I am writing to you
as a concerned citizen and an ExxonMobil customer. I want to express my support
for the shareholder resolution filed by Amnesty International USA proposing
that ExxonMobil create a comprehensive and verifiable human rights policy.
The general public is
increasingly interested in the role played by the energy and extractive
industries in protecting and promoting human rights. I believe that instituting
a human rights policy would serve ExxonMobil's own best interests. It would
create a positive public image as well as enhance shareholder value and benefit
the communities in which the corporation operates.
Respectfully,
YOUR NAME and ADDRESS
For more information
please visit:
www.amnestyusa.org/business/exxonmobil.html
MEXICO/GUERRERO
Indigenous Rights Defender Threatened
Amnesty International is concerned for the safety of
Joaqu’n Flores FŽlix and his family. He is an academic on indigenous issues and
a founder member of a leading human rights organization in the State of Guerrero
and has reportedly been receiving threatening phone calls at his home in Mexico
City.
On 27 March, Joaqu’n Flores reportedly received a phone
call from an unidentified individual who threatened to hurt his daughter and
ex-wife. On 2 May, his ex-wife's flat caught fire under suspicious
circumstances. The next day,
another phone call was made to Joaqu’n Flores' home in which the caller
insulted him before hanging up. Within a few minutes yet another call was made,
in which the caller pretended to be from a Mexican bank inquiring about an
outstanding debt. Joaqu’n Flores told the caller that he did not have an
account with that bank, at which point another person took the phone, and
insulted him adding 'take care of yourself because we are following you','cu’date
porque te estamos rastreando'. On 4 May, insults were left
on Joaqu’n Flores' answer machine
as well as a threat which said, 'there's not long to go now, because now we are
close', 'ya falta poco, porque ahora s’ ya estamos cerca'.
On 6 May, Joaqu’n Flores went to
the Attorney General's Office of the Federal District, Procuraduria General
del Distrito Federal, to report the threats. On 15 May, he reportedly
received another message on his answer machine that included the same insults
as before, as well as the threat 'we'll soon meet each other', 'pronto nos
encontraremos.'
Joaqu’n Flores is a founder of the
human rights organization, Centro de Derechos Humanos de la Monta–a
Tlachinollan A.C., Human Rights Centre of Monta–a Tlachinollan A.C., in
the state of Guerrero. He is a lecturer at the Metropolitan Autonomous
University in the Federal District and is closely identified with work on
indigenous issues in Guerrero.
RECOMMENDED
ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:
-
-expressing concern
for the safety of Joaqu’n Flores FŽlix and his family following several
threatening phone calls to their home;
-
-calling on the
authorities to guarantee the safety of Joaqu’n Flores and his family, in
accordance with his wishes;
-
-urging the
authorities to carry out a prompt, impartial and thorough investigation in
response to the formal complaint lodged by Joaqu’n Flores, to make the results
public, and to bring those responsible to justice;
APPEALS TO:
Jefe de Gobierno del Distrito Federal
Plaza de la Constituci—n esq. Pino Su‡rez
Piso 1, Col. Centro 06068(5)
MŽxico D.F.
MEXICO
Copies to
Ambassador
Juan Jose Bremer Martino
Embassy
of Mexico
1911
Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington
DC 20006
LETTER COUNT
Prisoner of Conscience Ngawang
Pekar 5
Israel/OT 1
Government Action Network 3
Death Penalty 9
Urgent Actions: 17
Total: 35
Want to add your letters to the
total? Get in touch with lucas.kamp@jpl.nasa.gov
DEATH PENALTY
Juvenile Scheduled for Execution
in Texas
Last month's action
concerned Chris Simmons, a juvenile case in Missouri. He received a thirty-day stay, but is scheduled for
execution on June 5, so there is still time to take action in that case. This month we return to the case of
Napoleon Beazley, aged 25, who is scheduled to be executed in Texas on 28 May
2002 for a crime committed when he was 17 years old. International law
prohibits the execution of those who were under 18 at the time of the crime.
Napoleon Beazley, who is black,
was convicted in 1995 of the carjacking murder of a white man, John Luttig, in
Tyler, Smith County, in April 1994. Citing 'substantial contact with the family
of the victim', the prosecution refused to consider a pre-trial plea
arrangement whereby Beazley would plead guilty in return for a life sentence of
40 years without parole. The same
prosecutors accepted such a plea bargain in the case of a white racist who was
sentenced to 45 years in prison, with parole eligibility after half that time,
for killing a homeless Tyler man in 1996 because he was black.
Napoleon Beazley's
jury was all-white despite Smith County's population being 20 per cent African
American, and it later emerged that at least one juror harboured severe racial
prejudice against blacks. In addition, one of the jurors appears to have been a
long-time employee of one of John Luttig's business partners, which was not
revealed during jury selection.
The jury's finding of
Napoleon Beazley's 'future dangerousness' - a requirement for a death sentence
in Texas - had little support. A stream of mitigation witnesses, including
teachers, fellow school pupils, and other members of the community, described a
respectful, decent, helpful teenager, whose involvement in the Luttig murder
appeared to be completely out of character. He had no prior arrest record, and
the prosecution produced no evidence of any other assaultive acts by him. It
therefore relied upon his two co-defendants' testimony - a notoriously
unreliable form of evidence - to assert that Beazley had planned the killing
and had no remorse for it afterwards. In later affidavits, the two
co-defendants stated that their testimony was given in return for a prosecution
promise not to pursue the death penalty against them, that they had been told
to 'make Napoleon look as bad' as possible to the jury, and that he had not
planned the murder and had been very remorseful after the crime.
Recognizing young
people's immaturity and potential for rehabilitation, international law
prohibits the execution of child offenders - those under 18 at the time of the
crime. This principle is respected by almost every country in the world. Since
1995 the only known such executions occurred in the USA (nine, five of them in
Texas); Pakistan (two); Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC - one); Nigeria
(one); and Iran (three). In 2001, the President of Pakistan announced that he
would commute the death sentences of all child offenders on death row in his
country. Amnesty International knows of no executions since December 2000 in
the DRC, where there is currently a moratorium on judicial killing.
Napoleon Beazley came
hours from execution in August 2001. Appeals for clemency had come from many
quarters. The District Attorney of Houston County, whose jurisdiction includes
the Beazley family's home town of Grapeland and who is a 'strong advocate' of
the death penalty, called for commutation. A former warden of death row in Texas, who oversaw 22
executions, also opposes the execution.
In a remarkable
development, Judge Cynthia Kent, who oversaw Napoleon Beazley's 1995 trial and
who set his execution dates, wrote to Governor Perry in August 2001 urging
clemency, citing the prisoner's age at the time of the crime as reason for
commutation. Eighteen members of the Texas legislature then wrote to the
governor: 'We join Judge Kent in her request for commutation of Napoleon
Beazley's death sentence because we are greatly disturbed by the fact that
Texas is now almost the sole executioner of child offenders in the world. We
desire Texas to be in the lead among states and nations in affording her
citizens the protection they deserve to be given under universally-recognized,
fundamental, human rights norms.'
At the recent hearing
at which his execution date was set, Napoleon Beazley spoke of his remorse. In
chains, weeping, he apologized to all who had been affected by the crime,
'first and foremost, to Mrs Luttig and her family.'
In Texas, the Governor can grant
clemency if the Board of Pardons and Paroles recommends it. In August 2001, it
rejected clemency by a vote of 10-6, an unusually high number of votes for
commutation. At the time the Board was unaware of Judge Kent's appeal.
RECOMMENDED
ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, IN YOUR OWN
WORDS:
-
expressing sympathy for the family and friends of John
Luttig, and explaining that you are not seeking to excuse the manner of his
death;
-
expressing deep concern that Texas plans to execute
Napoleon Beazley in violation of international law, which is respected around
the world;
-
noting the widespread support for commutation, even
from the trial judge, the Houston County District Attorney, and at least 18
Texas legislators;
-
noting the serious questions that have been raised
about the fairness of proceedings, including possible juror bias and the use of
unreliable co-defendant testimony;
-
noting that despite the jury's finding of future
dangerousness, Napoleon Beazley has been a model prisoner and has justified the
confidence that mitigation witnesses had in his capacity for rehabilitation;
-
calling on the Board of Pardons and Paroles - in the
interest of justice, decency and the reputation of the State of Texas - to
recommend that Napoleon Beazley's death sentence be commuted by the Governor.
WRITE TO all seven regional offices of the Board. Salutation
for all: Dear Board Members. Address for all: Texas Board of Pardons and
Paroles, followed by:
1.
Abilene Board Office, 100 Chestnut, Suite 105, Abilene,
Texas 79602 Fax: 1 915-676-4921
2.
Amarillo Board Office, 5809 S. Western, Suite 140,
Amarillo, Texas 79110 Fax: 1 806-358-6455
3.
Angleton Board Office, 1212 N. Velasco, Suite 201,
Angleton, Texas 77515 Fax: 1 979-849-8741
4.
Gatesville Board Office, 3408 S. State Hwy. 36,
Gatesville, Texas 76528 Fax: 1 254-865-2629
5.
Huntsville Board Office, 1300 11th Street, Suite 505,
P.O. Box 599, Huntsville, Texas 77342-0599 Fax: 1 936-291-8367
6.
Palestine Board Office, 1111 West Lacy St., Palestine,
Texas 75801 Fax: 1 903-723-1441
7.
San Antonio Board Office, 420 S. Main, San Antonio,
Texas 78204 Fax: 1 210-226-1114
COPIES
TO:
Governor Rick Perry
c/o Bill Jones, General Counsel
PO Box 12428
Austin, Texas 78711
Vroman's Bookstore
(695 E. Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena)
|
Martyr's Crossing by Amy Wilentz Martyrs' Crossing tells a stunning story of
love, fear, divided loyalties, ruined friendships, and personal sacrifice --
against a backdrop of raging war in the Holy Land. |
One rainy night at a
Jerusalem checkpoint, Israeli Lieutenant Ari Doron is ordered to refuse passage
to a young Palestinian mother and her sick boy. The incident leads to a series
of riots, and Doron finds himself pulled into the bitter political aftermath as
battles and bus bombs explode around him.
He is drawn to
Marina, the boy's American-born mother. And though she is on the other side of
the bloody struggle, she finds herself thinking of Doron as "her
soldier." In another place, at another time, they might have been lovers,
but here their story moves toward a tragic conclusion with the kind of
inevitability that war imposes.
-A New York Times
Notable Book for 2001.
Editor's Last Word:
Read us on line: http://www.cco.caltech.edu/~aigp22
Martha Ter Maat, 626-281-4039 / mtermaat@hsc.usc.edu
From the 210 exit on Lake Avenue, head south, turn left
on Del Mar
From the 110 continue on Arroyo Parkway north, turn
right on California
Street parking is generally available.
Amnesty International
Group 22 P.O.
Box 50193 Pasadena, CA 91115-0193 Amnesty
International |