New Civil Rights Movement Headed by Undocumented Students

By Brenda Lopez Romero
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

WASHINGTON, D.C., United States – Last week marked the start of a new movement of students that are promoting the Dream Act.  Most of the student organizers are unique because they are undocumented.  The students see a link with the civil rights movement of African Americans and decided to start taking action during African American History Month.

This is definitely a new bolder movement.  As Nancy, media relations coordinator, from DREAM Team LA said, undocumented students are “willing to take the risk of putting ourselves out there and putting ourselves in danger, because for us it’s more of a risk to remain silent and not to speak about our realities and the everyday obstacles that we go through. Right now we are not afraid to speak up and to come out, because that’s what we need to do in order to be heard, in order to create change.”

A national umbrella organization, United We DREAM, coordinates some of the movement’s efforts and is run by many undocumented students who are affected.  They also see the timing of the events as parallel to the civil rights movement of the 1960s.  One of the DREAM Activist stated we “are constantly being denied certain rights in the U.S. and within our school campuses. We are fighting for our own humanity. A lot of tactics that we’re using as undocumented students are borrowed frameworks that were established in the 60’s with the civil rights movement.”  Furthermore, undocumented students are also victims of discriminatory law, segregation as a second class, and have been victims of violence and targeted crime including beatings and murder.

Tolu, from the National Immigration Law Center noted that the DREAM Act is not a Democratic or Republication issue; instead “it’s about finding a just and humane way for people who are in an untenable situation. It’s amazing what the students have been able to achieve even with this obstacle, imagine what they can do without that drawback. These are very passionate, involved, devoted, active, intelligent individuals and it would be a great loss to the country to give up on them. I believe that we’re better as a people having DREAMers amongst us and we would be a better country if we passed the Dream Act. It would affect the lives of hundreds of thousands, and we’ve put everything on the line to get this done.”

Longitudinal studies conclude activist young adults during the civil rights movement were more likely to be in leadership positions at all levels 20 years later.  We should expect the same from the DREAMers.

For more information, please see:

Indiana Daily Student – Students ‘DREAM’ for Congress to pass act – 24 February 2010

The Huffington Post – A New Civil Rights Movement: Undocumented Students for Immigration Reform – 24 February 2010

WSHV News – DREAM Act Advocates Lobby Congressmen – 24 February 2010

BRIEF: Rwandan Accused of Genocide Requests Defense case be Reopened

ARUSHA, Rwanda – Justin Mugenzi, the former Rwandan Commerce Ministe filed a motion February 25th to reopen his defense case in his trial for a 1994 genocide. Mugenzi’s defense filed a brief with the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) claiming that the prosecution withheld documents that might have an impact on a finding of guilt. The documents were given to Mugenzi’s defense February 18th, but the statements in the documents were allegedly made one-year before the trial began. The motion also requests that the prosecution be instructed to conduct a review of all materials in its possession to determine if additional disclosures to the defense are necessary.

For more information, please see:

allAfrica .com – Rwanda: Ex- Minister Wants His Case Re-Opened – February 29 2008

Devastation in Chile After Earthquake, 700 Dead

By Sovereign Hager
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

Photo Courtesy of BBC
Photo Courtesy of BBC

CONCEPCION, Chile-The search for survivors of the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Chile on February twenty-seventh continues, as the death toll climbs to over seven hundred people. Chile’s main highway was severed and over 1.5 million homes were damaged or destroyed. The epicenter of the quake was the coastal city of Concepcion, which is two hundred miles from Santiago. Coastal cities were also hit by a giant wave causing even greater devastation after the earthquake.

Chile’s interior minister called the disaster “a natural event the like of which none of us have experienced in our lifetime.” Field hospitals are being set up as the Chilean government awaits emergency supplies being sent by the United Nations. The Defense Minister Francisco Vidal told members of the press that the Army is deploying 10,000 troops to secure the most devastated areas. The hope is that the soldiers will be able to decrease the incidence of looting. So far troops have fired tear gas on looters in Concepcion. A curfew has been established to aid in these efforts.

Photo courtesy of San Francisco Sentinal
Photo courtesy of San Francisco Sentinal

While the earthquake was felt even in Argentina, more than fifty aftershocks measuring 6.0 have increased the devastation in Chile. The government has called on private companies to aid in the emergency efforts and reconstruction. Highways and airports are currently closed and there has been damage to some of Chile’s copper mines, prompting a spike in copper prices. Economic damage is estimated to be as much as $30 billion, or roughly fifteen percent of Chile’s gross domestic product.

The damage to infrastructure has slowed relief efforts. Food is reportedly running out because it is impossible for supplies to reach the city. A coastal town mayor stated that “people are running out of food at home and that encourages looting. If we don’t solve that problem . . . social tension will be very high.”

President Bachelet stated that about 2 million people have been affected by the earthquake, which is the fifth strongest world wide since 1900. President elect Pinera, to be sworn into office on March 11th, vowed to reallocate funds to reconstruction efforts.

For information about  groups you can support to help earthquake victims in Chile click here.

For more information, please see:

BBC-Chile Troops Tackle Quake Looters-1 March 2010

Business Week-Chile Deploys Soldiers to Quell Looting After Quake-1 March 2010

CTV News-Chileans Wait for Aid in Aftermath of Massive Quake-1 March 2010

The Economist-Chile’s Earthquake in Need of Repair-1 March 2010

ETA Leader Captured In France

By David Sophrin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

MADRID, Spain – The leader of the Basuqe separatist group ETA, which has fought for decades to establish an autonomous state in northern Spain, was captured in France today.

Ibon Gogeascoechea, 54, was arrested in the French town of Cahan in Normandy in the culmination of a long-term law joint enforcement investigation by French and Spanish officials.  Gogeascoecha has been wanted for twelve years for the killing of a Spanish police officer.  Benat Aguinegalde and Gregorio Jimenez Morales, both wanted by Spanish authorities, were also arrested in Cahan.  The three men had been using falsified license plates and passport identification, with caused suspicion.  According to Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, the three men were planning “to enter Spain almost certainly with the worst of intentions.”

Gogeascoechea is the latest in a string of arrests of high-ranking ETA leaders.  His arrest marks the fifth ETA  leading official arrested since May 2008.  Thirty-two ETA suspects were arrested overall in the last year.  Gogeascoechea has also been wanted by Spanish police for his aid in the bombing of the Guggenheim museum in Biblio, Spain in 1997.

The ETA separatist movement has existed in northern Spain and southwestern France since the 1960s.  The bombing and targeted killings carried out by ETA since then have resulted in approximately 825 deaths.  The ultimate political objective of ETA is the establishment of an independent nation in that part of the Iberian peninsula.

These arrests are believed to have dealt a significant blow to ETA, which has been categorized as a terrorist organization by both the United States and the European Union.  Rubalcaba warned, however, against the public becoming complacent.  “This does not eliminate the risk of an attack.  ETA has the worst intentions, so we can’t lower our guard.”

For more information, please see:

AP – Spain says ETA chief arrested in France – 28 February 2010

CNN – Spain: Basque ETA chief arrested – 28 February 2010

DEUTSCHE WELLE – Spain says top ETA rebel leader captured in France – 28 February 2010

TELEGRAPH – ETA leader arrested in France – 28 February 2010

South Korea’s Highest Court Upholds Death Penalty

By Hyo-Jin Paik
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

SEOUL, South Korea – Despite voices calling the holding by the highest South Korean court upholding death penalty a setback in constitutional court ruling, South Korea’s Constitutional Court ruled that the capital punishment system prescribed by the country’s criminal code does not violate its Constitution.

This five to four ruling comes 13 years after the last execution and amidst the ongoing national debate on whether to abolish capital punishment.  The Court specifically stated that the South Korean death penalty system does not violate “human dignity and worth” as protected under the Constitution.

Amnesty International said it was “deeply disappointed” by the Court’s decision, adding that the organization considers South Korea to be abolitionist in practice since the country has not carried out any executions since February 1998.

Amnesty’s Asia-Pacific Deputy Programme Director Roseann Rife said, “This is a major setback for South Korea and runs counter to the current abolitionist trend in the country…Any move backwards on this issue is extremely damaging to South Korea’s international reputation.”

Rife also commented that South Korea, as an economic leader, should also “lead by example of fully respecting every individual’s right to life.”

However, the Court stated that the capital punishment system is a “type of punishment anticipated by the Constitution.”

Moreover, the Court said, “The public good, including the protection of the lives of citizens through crime prevention and realization of justice, is not lesser than the protection of the right to life of a person who has committed a heinous crime.”

The Korean Bar Association (KBA) responded to the Court’s ruling by commenting that abolition of the death penalty is “not simply an improvement of the criminal justice system.”

KBA also released a statement saying, “It is highly regrettable that the Constitutional Court could not go so far as to issue ruling of unconstitutionality when South Korea has been classified as an abolitionist country in practice.”

South Korea currently has 57 people on death row.
For more information, please see:

Amnesty International – South Korea Death Penalty Abolition Set Back By Constitutional Court Ruling – 25 February 2010

The Hankyoreh – Constitutional Court upholds the death penalty – 25 February 2010

The Washington Post – South Korea court upholds death penalty – 25 February 2010