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<font size=4><b>Take Action! End the Brutal Repression of the Honduran
Social Movement <br><br>
</b></font><font size=1>
<a href="http://upsidedownworld.org/main/honduras-archives-46/2667-take-action-end-the-brutal-repression-of-the-honduran-social-movement" eudora="autourl">
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/honduras-archives-46/2667-take-action-end-the-brutal-repression-of-the-honduran-social-movement<br>
</a></font><font size=3>Written by Honduras Solidarity
Network <br>
Monday, 30 August 2010 14:40 <br><br>
<br>
<img src="http://upsidedownworld.org/main/images/stories/hsnalert.jpg" alt="[]">
A coalition of U.S. organizations today denounced the exercise of violent
repression by Honduran military and police forces against members of a
striking teacher's union at a university in Tegucigalpa. The Honduras
Solidarity Network (HSN) declared that "the recent brutal attacks by
government forces against non-violent protests show that there has been
no reconciliation after last year's coup d'etat, and the U.S.
government's policy of support for the current government must be
changed. We call for an immediate end to the repression and human rights
violations against the opposition movement".<br><br>
The group referred to military and police attacks against members of the
teacher's union, COPEMH (<i>Colegio de Profesores de Educación Media de
Honduras</i> (Association of Secondary Teachers of Honduras)), and their
supporters, which took place at The National Pedagogical University
Francisco Morazan in Tegucigalpa on August 26 and 27. The union has been
on strike since May, and is generally viewed as opposing the regime of
Honduran President Porfirio Lobo. The HSN based its action on reports
received from the human rights group COFADEH and the General Workers'
Central Federation (CGT) labor organization, and corroborated by local
news from Radio Globo and eyewitness accounts that report the
following:<br><br>
On Friday, Aug. 27, police and military troops surrounded the National
Pedagogical University, responding to thousands of teachers and members
of trade unions, peasant organizations and other organizations supportive
of the teachers gathered on the university grounds. The police and
military forces sprayed tear gas from trucks and beat protesters with
truncheons before firing canisters of tear gas into the University
grounds. As people were overcome by the gas and tried to leave, they were
beaten and many detained. Among the injured were two well-known reporters
from Radio Globo, one of the few independent radio stations in the
country. Among those seriously affected by the gas were a number of
children and pregnant women.<br><br>
On Thursday, the police and military attacked the same group at a massive
protest near the presidential residency in the capital city. Television
stations aired video showing<br>
soldiers firing their rifles during the repressive action and police
beating protesters. Four teachers from the teachers' union were seriously
injured and, according to human rights organizations in Honduras, they
were denied medical care at the main public hospital in Tegucigalpa. The
teachers' union then took the men to a private medical facility.<br><br>
On Aug. 20, four leaders of the teachers' union were badly injured when
police attacked them during a union march. The men were detained at a
police station for 12 hours during which time they were denied medical
care and human rights observers were refused entry to the jail to verify
their condition.<br><br>
Throughout the month of August the level of conflict and the human rights
crisis in Honduras has deepened. Non-violent protesters in Choloma were
beaten, and three<br>
members of peasant organizations in Aguan were killed. Another
journalist, critical of the regime, was murdered bringing to ten the
total of journalists murdered since Lobo took over in January.<br><br>
Vicki Cervantes, a spokesperson for the Honduras Solidarity Network said,
"The United States government continues its support for the
oligarchy and Lobo in the form of aid and pressure on other governments
in the hemisphere to accept the illegitimate Lobo
administration."<br><br>
Meanwhile, on the ground in Honduras the opposition of the majority of
Hondurans to the coup and the subsequent regimes, including Lobo's, is
growing. For the first time since 1954, Honduran trade union federations
have all agreed to prepare for a general strike and nearly a million
Honduran eligible voters have signed letters demanding the convocation of
a constituent constitutional assembly with the peoples' participation and
leadership.<br><br>
The Honduras Solidarity Network, a nationwide coalition of non-profit,
human rights and educational organizations, and the Honduran Front for
National Resistance (FRNP) call for:<br><br>
· an end to police and military repression of the teachers and the
protesters at the university;<br><br>
· resumption of negotiations between the government and the Teacher's
Union;<br><br>
· payment of back wages and an investigation into the violation of the
teachers' human rights. <br><br>
<br>
<b>Call and Write the Obama Administration and Congress to demand that
until the brutal repression of social movements in Honduras ends, the
United States Government:<br><br>
</b>· Suspend all aid to the Lobo administration<br><br>
· Stop the U.S. State Department lobbying for recognition of the
undemocratic government of Honduras.<br><br>
· Recognize the Honduran people's demand for a Constituent Assembly to
establish a functioning, participatory democracy. <br><br>
<b>Contacts:<br><br>
</b>
<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103647056768&s=-1&e=001Ea_rSDPUvXQuh5d6gl41X9zDwVaRAxWYmhmH1Bbh91aU5pGjph2FMjTmM-uBdaSqssa3n3NhdTvrLSuZfDIjpCgHaYNsyujFI1Zm9NXUlfaDh7uHK44A6zWHVtYE4yY-">
Click here to contact Senators and Representatives.</a><br><br>
To contact the State Department: <br>
Fax: 202-647-8947, Voice: 202 647-8947, or Email:<br>
Maria Otero, Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs; c/o Laura
Pena, Assistant: <a href="mailto:PenaL@state.gov">PenaL@state.gov</a>
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript
enabled to view it <br><br>
Dr. Arturo Valenzuela:
<a href="mailto:ValenzuelaAA@state.gov">ValenzuelaAA@state.gov</a> This
e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript
enabled to view it <br>
Ambassador Craig Kelly, Principal Deputy Asst./ Secretary, Western
<br><br>
Office of Hemisphere Affairs:<br>
<a href="mailto:KellyC@state.gov">KellyC@state.gov</a> This e-mail
address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to
view it (Fax: 202-647-0834)<br><br>
Dan Restrepo, Special Asst. to the President, Western Hemisphere Affairs,
<a href="mailto:drestreop@nsc.eop.gov">drestreop@nsc.eop.gov</a> This
e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript
enabled to view it <br><br>
Paul Monteiro, Office of Public Engagement,
<a href="mailto:Darron_P._Monteiro@who.eop.gov">
Darron_P._Monteiro@who.eop.gov</a> This e-mail address is being protected
from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it <br><br>
To contact White House: <br>
<a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact" eudora="autourl">
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact</a> and White House Comment<br>
Line 202-456-1414. <br><br>
Sample Letter <br>
Dear ____________,<br><br>
Non-violent protests by striking teachers and democracy supporters in
Honduras have been attacked in recent days by the military and police
causing many injuries and detentions. On Aug. 26 and Aug. 27 the Honduran
military and police attacked demonstrators gathered at the National
Pedagogical University Francisco Morazan in Tegucigalpa firing many
rounds of tear gas and live bullets. When those trapped in the university
tried to escape the tear gas, they were beaten, including pregnant women
and at least two journalists.<br><br>
Until the brutal repression of social movements in Honduras ends, I
demand that the United States Government:<br><br>
· Suspend all aid to the Lobo administration<br><br>
· Stop the U.S. State Department lobbying for recognition of the
undemocratic government of Honduras.<br><br>
· Recognize the Honduran people's demand for a Constituent Assembly to
establish a functioning, participatory democracy.<br><br>
Sincerely,<br>
[name and address] <br><br>
<br><br>
</font><x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
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