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Tomorrow, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC) hosts a seminar at the Human Rights House in Oslo called ´Turkmenistan: Status Quo or hope for change?´. The seminar also marks the opening of a three-day photography exhibition with nique andpreviously unshown pictures from this very closed former Soviet republic, trapped between Islamic Republic of Iran and Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Right, former president Sapamuat Nyiazov. (13-MAR-07)
 

The Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC) left today on a fact-finding mission to Kosovo to investigate the human rights situation prior to the decision on the future status of Kosovo, expected to be ade later this year. In recent months, unrest has increased in the province. 10 February, the police killed two persons while breaking up a deminstration. (12-MAR-07)
 

Today, 10 March, marks the anniversary of the Tibetan uprising against the Chinese occupation of Tibet. 48 years ago to the day, Tibetans took to the streets of Lhasa, their capital, to protest the Chinese invasion and occupation. A week later, Dalai Lama had to flee to India. In the months following his escape, thousands of Tibetans were killed by the Chinese Army. Right, demonstrators outside the Chinese Embassy demanding a free Tibet. (10-MAR-07)
 

Amnesty International is seriously concerned about the sentencing on 6 March of two Sahrawi human rights defenders, Brahim Sabbar and Ahmed Sbai, to one year in prison by a court in Laayoune. The organization believes that they have been imprisoned for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly and may therefore be prisoners of conscience. If this is the case, they should be released immediately and unconditionally. (09-MAR-07)
 

The United States slammed the Burmese junta yesterday for gross violations of human rights and said it would use multilateral avenues to put pressure on the government. The condition in the country with regard to human rights has deteriorated, it said. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Barry F Lowenkron, right, told reporters: “I want to use all the multilateral tools to press for fundamental change in Burma and for the freedom of Aung San Suu Kyi, for her demands, for her requests to open up a dialogue.” (07-MAR-07)
 

Tomorrow, Wednesday 7 March at 11.30, the Norwegian Section of Amnesty International, the Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara and the Human Rights House Foundation co-host an open meeting at the Human Rights House in Oslo, with the well-known Saharawi human rights defender Aminatou Haidar, right. (06-MAR-07)
 

In its most recent newsletter, the Norwegian Burma Committee (NBC)highlights EarthRights International’s new report Turning Treasue into Tears, in which it is documented that the military regime and its trading partners are guilty of violations of human rights and severe environmental damage through uncontrolled deforestation, damming and gold mining in the Pegu province. (20-FEB-07)
 

Thailand and the Burmese military regime have plans to build several dams on the Salween river inside Burma (Republic of the Union of Myanmar). The Norwegian Burma Committee asks everyone to sign the universally distributed online petition to the Prime Minister of Thailand to withdraw from the cooperation project with the Burmese junta. Right, the numbers of internally displaced persons along the Salween river are on he rise. (15-FEB-07)
 

The Norwegian state pension fund has invested approximately 200 million Norwegian kroner (in excess of 32 million USD), in the South Korean company Daewoo. This company is known to have sold weapons and other equipment to the military junta of Burma (Republic of the Union of Myanmar), writes Inger Lise Husøy, Executive Director of the Norwegian Burma Committee. (14-FEB-07)