India
11.12.00
Urgent Interventions
India:Murder attempt
URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY
IND 002 / 1200 / OBS 123
Murder attempt
INDIA
11th December 2000
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the FIDH and the OMCT, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in India.
Brief description of the facts :
The Observatory was informed by People's Vigilance Committee on Bonded Child and Migrant Labour, of an attempt of murder against the human rights defender Mr. Jai Singh, Regional Co-ordinator South Asian Coalition on Child Servitude (SACCS) and who has actively worked for the liberation of bonded and child labourers for over two decades.
According to the information, on December 3, 2000 in Phillaur, Jalandhar, three farm owners, allegedly in connivance with the local police made a murderous attempt on the life of Mr. Jai Singh. This was the fourth attempt to his life.
The activist alleged that the farm owners hatched a conspiracy against him as he had last month rescued two victimised farm labourers, Rohi Ram and Birbal Singh, who were being exploited under the age-old 'Siri' system.
The Observatory is gravely concerned by this situation and for the security of all persons engaged in the defence of human rights in India.
Action requested :
Please write to the Indian authorities urging them to:
i.- order an immediate impartial and independent investigation into these facts and take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Jai Singh;
ii.- abide by the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9th 1998 (« Declaration on the Rights and Responsibility of individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognised Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms ») and more particularly article 12.2 which provides that « The State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration »).
iii.- more generally abide by the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the regional and the international covenants ratified by India.
Addresses :
H.E. President K.R. Narayanan, Office of the President, Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi 110 004, INDIA Fax: 91-11-301 7290 / 7824
H.E. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Prime Minister of India, South Block, Raisina Hill, New Delhi, India-110 011 Fax: 91-11-3019545 / 91-11-3016857 E-mail: indun@undp.org
Justice Venkatachellaih, Chairperson of National Human Rights Commission, Sardar Patel Bhavan, Sansad Marg, New Delhi 11001, India. Fax: 91-11-334 0016
Mr Ram Jethmalani, Minister of Law and Justice and Company Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice and Company Affairs, Shastri Bhavan, Dr Rajendra Prasad Road, New Delhi 110 001
Excellency Shri Ram Prakash Gupta, Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh 5, Kalidas Marg Lucknow, India. Fax: 91-522-239234 / 91-522-230002 Email: cmup@upindia.org E-mail: cmup@up.nic.in
Geneva - Paris, 11th December 2000
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken, quoting the reference number given above. The Observatory, an FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line: Fax: +033 (0) 1 55 80 83 92
Tel: FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 OMCT +41 22 809 49 39
E-mail: observatoire@iprolink.ch
IND 002 / 1200 / OBS 123
Murder attempt
INDIA
11th December 2000
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the FIDH and the OMCT, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in India.
Brief description of the facts :
The Observatory was informed by People's Vigilance Committee on Bonded Child and Migrant Labour, of an attempt of murder against the human rights defender Mr. Jai Singh, Regional Co-ordinator South Asian Coalition on Child Servitude (SACCS) and who has actively worked for the liberation of bonded and child labourers for over two decades.
According to the information, on December 3, 2000 in Phillaur, Jalandhar, three farm owners, allegedly in connivance with the local police made a murderous attempt on the life of Mr. Jai Singh. This was the fourth attempt to his life.
The activist alleged that the farm owners hatched a conspiracy against him as he had last month rescued two victimised farm labourers, Rohi Ram and Birbal Singh, who were being exploited under the age-old 'Siri' system.
The Observatory is gravely concerned by this situation and for the security of all persons engaged in the defence of human rights in India.
Action requested :
Please write to the Indian authorities urging them to:
i.- order an immediate impartial and independent investigation into these facts and take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Jai Singh;
ii.- abide by the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9th 1998 (« Declaration on the Rights and Responsibility of individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognised Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms ») and more particularly article 12.2 which provides that « The State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration »).
iii.- more generally abide by the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the regional and the international covenants ratified by India.
Addresses :
H.E. President K.R. Narayanan, Office of the President, Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi 110 004, INDIA Fax: 91-11-301 7290 / 7824
H.E. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Prime Minister of India, South Block, Raisina Hill, New Delhi, India-110 011 Fax: 91-11-3019545 / 91-11-3016857 E-mail: indun@undp.org
Justice Venkatachellaih, Chairperson of National Human Rights Commission, Sardar Patel Bhavan, Sansad Marg, New Delhi 11001, India. Fax: 91-11-334 0016
Mr Ram Jethmalani, Minister of Law and Justice and Company Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice and Company Affairs, Shastri Bhavan, Dr Rajendra Prasad Road, New Delhi 110 001
Excellency Shri Ram Prakash Gupta, Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh 5, Kalidas Marg Lucknow, India. Fax: 91-522-239234 / 91-522-230002 Email: cmup@upindia.org E-mail: cmup@up.nic.in
Geneva - Paris, 11th December 2000
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken, quoting the reference number given above. The Observatory, an FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line: Fax: +033 (0) 1 55 80 83 92
Tel: FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 OMCT +41 22 809 49 39
E-mail: observatoire@iprolink.ch