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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).

The Rafto Foundation welcomes Bush’s recognition of Rebiya Kadeer and her struggle for democracy and the human rights of the Uighur people. At a conference on democracy and security on June 5, President George W. Bush met with Rafto Laureate Rebiya Kadeer (2oo4) and praised her as human rights defender, an individual who has struggled for freedom, democracy and human rights in the face of tyranny. (JUN-08-07)
 

Freedom House in Seoul launched on 21 May a new report detailing the Kim Jong Il regime´s crimes against humanity. Based on recent interviews with former North Korean political prisoners in the kwan-li-so or “control zone” labor camps, Concentrations of Inhumanity details the criminal acts that are being carried out in North Korea on a massive scale. (30-MAY-07)

Over the last two weeks, Sahrawi students at colleges and universities across Morocco and Western Sahara have been subjected to serious human rights violations. On May 23, 2007 fourty three (43) Norwegian civil society organisations, including the Rafto Foundation, signed a letter to the Moroccan government. On the right – Seltana Khaya (24-MAY-07).