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Only two years have passed since a Norwegian delegation was expelled from Western Sahara. Sad memories resurface now as the two Norwegian youth politicians Andrea Gustavsson and Kamilla Eidsvik were detained and interrogated by Moroccan security forces earlier this week after meeting with Saharawi youth activists, among them Rabab Amidane, right. (23-AUG-07)
 

Former Kurdish deputy Leyla Zana (right), the Rafto Prize Laureate 1994, faces an investigation after she called for division of Republic of Turkey into administrative states, including a “state of Kurdistan.” Zana spoke at a rally before elections in the Republic of Turkey in support of pro-Kurdish independent candidates for Parliament. The investigation will determine whether Zana violated laws on incitement and state unity (06-AUG-07).

Thich Quang Do, the 2006 Rafto Prize Laureate, addressed farmers demonstrating in Ho Chi Minh City against power abuse and state appropriation of lands on July 17. “To solve these problems, we must work together for political pluralism, democracy and human rights, especially freedom of expression. There can be no justice under the one-Party state”. This is the first time in 26 years of detention and house arrest that prominent dissident Thich Quang Do has addressed a public demonstration (30-JUL-07).

The Norwegian Ambassador to Vietnam, H.E. Kjell Storløkken and the First Secretary of the Norwegian Embassy in charge of Political and Economic affairs, Mr. Fredrik Steen, paid a visit to Venerable Thich Quang Do (right), the 2006 Rafto Prize Laureate and Deputy leader of the outlawed Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV). The meeting took place on 2 July at the Thanh Minh Zen Monastery in Ho Chi Minh City, where Thich Quang Do is currently under house arrest (04-JUL-07).

AFS International Exchange marks 60 years in 2007. The organization launched an international peace appeal that will be delivered to UN this autumn. The petition encourages the world leaders to increase support to international exchange programs. AFS has a local office at the Rafto Human Rights House in Bergen (30-JUN-07).

Ever since the Moroccan invasion in 1975, Western Sahara has suffered tremendous hardship under the rule of its northern-bordering neighbor. Despite international opinion demanding sovereignty for Western Sahara, the territory today still remains occupied. The Norwegian authorities have, among others, repeatedly dissuaded Norwegian companies against doing business with the occupying power. According to Norwatch, this policy has now failed (27-JUN-07).

The Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) in Norway organized International Conference on “Peace through Human Development” in Oslo on 5 May. The Rafto Foundation participated at the conference. The Conference was attended by Norwegian, Vietnamese and international participants, scholars, Buddhist monks from Norway, Sweden and from chapters of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam in Europe, Australia and the USA (25-JUN-07).

On 19 June, Aung San Suu Kyi (right) will celebrate her 62nd birthday. But she will be celebrating her birthday alone, under house arrest. A world-wide campaign each year takes place on her birthday. There will be a gathering at the Rafto Human Rights House on 19 June at 19:00, arranged by the Amnesty International Bergen office and Burma room at the Rafto House (18-JUN-07).

The Burmese freedom fighter Aung San Suu Kyi’s personal assistant, Myo Thant (right), visited the Rafto Human Rights House on 14 June. Mr. Thant was sent into exile in 1999. He has since then kept residence in the United States, and today is in the forefront of Burmese liberation organization abroad, attempting to unite the dispersed oppositional groups around the World (18-JUN-07).