UNPO|NEWSLETTER

JUNE EDITION

BIRAM DAH ABEID

CANDIDATE

FOR CHANGE Mauritania’s Presidential Elections

UNREPRESENTED NATIONS AND PEOPLES ORGANIZATION

SPEAKOUT! COMMUNICATION & HUMAN RIGHTS

TRAINING PROGRAM

The Hague, Netherlands

CRISIS IN IRAQ MINORITY COMPONENTS UNDER THREAT

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

ACTIVITY OVERVIEW JUNE 2014

UNPO PUBLICATIONS UPCOMING EVENTS

JULY-AUGUST 2014 MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ‘ARE ETHNIC, RELIGIOUS AND LINGUISTIC MINORITIES

JUST PAWNS ON THE GEOPOLITICAL CHESSBOARD?’

Photo Credit: Pietro Bruni

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BIRAM DAH ABEID

THE HOPE FOR CHANGE FOR THE HARATIN POPULATION

ON 21 JUNE 2014,

Mauritanians went to the polls to choose their new president for the next five years. As expected, outgoing President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz won these elections in a landslide victory with 81.89% of the vote, according to CENI – the Independent National Election Commission of Mauritania. Biram Dah Abeid came out second with 8.67%.

The general pre-election atmosphere had been quite tense, with the opposition calling this race a losing battle even before a single vote was cast. Both civil society and political organizations deplored the lack of transparency of the elections. Presidential candidate Lalla Mariam Mint Moulaye Idriss, the only female candidate, who according to ‘official’ figures gained only 0.49% of the vote, admitted that total transparency could not be achieved in these elections, since Mauritania’s intricate social, ethnic and political reality would stand high above any electoral program.

Therefore, there had been a strong call for a boycott of the elections among the opposition, especially by the National Forum for Democracy and Development (FNDU), which was largely heard by Mauritanians, as 44% of them did not vote. Also, Biram Dah Abeid strongly criticized the frauds that undermined the electoral process in a statement published on 26 June.

Nonetheless, Biram Dah Abeid’s campaign has been historical and deserves recognition,

regardless of the outcome of the vote. It was the first time that a Haratin, son of a slave, ran

for presidency in this country. Having his candidacy accepted by the Mauritanian

Constitutional Court, while still under the threat of death penalty, was already an important

victory, far from assured a few months ago.

Biram Dah Abeid may have lost this time, but the battle for human rights is far from being

over. Biram Dah Abeid will remain the hope for change for the Haratin population, comprising

40% of Mauritania’s 3.5 million inhabitants.

IRAQI TURKMEN MINORITY COMPONENTS UNDER THREAT IN IRAQ

Over the course of the month of June tensions in Iraq have seriously escalated, with the ISIS/ISIL militia groups taking control over several key cities in Iraq.

As a consequence, Iraq’s minority components, the Iraqi Turkmen in particular, are in an increasingly vulnerable position: intolerant, violent and abusive attacks on civilians are reported on a daily basis. On June 19, ISIS militants attacked Biravcili village located in the Tuz Kharmatu region in Saladin province, and killed 23 Shia Turkmens - 3 out of which were reported to be women. Militants kidnapped two Turkmens after the attacks and left the village, while burning down houses prior to their departure. Villagers fled to the neighboring towns, taking the bodies of their relatives with them.

UNPO has been drawing international attention to the alarming situation in Iraq by issuing an appeal calling for immediate action to halt the violence, and issuing up-to-date information on the most recent developments on a daily basis.

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UNPO STATEMENT ON

TIANANMEN SQUARE MASSACRE

ON 3 JUNE 2014 UNPO published a statement in which it recalled that forgetting the Tiananmen Square massacre of 4 June 1989 means forgetting that the demands for democracy and the widespread condemnation of concentrated power, impunity and corruption have evaporated into thin air.

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FIRST LECH WALESA SOLIDARITY AWARD

ATTRIBUTED TO MUSTAFA JEMILEV

ON 4 JUNE 2014 Mustafa Jemilev, former head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, was awarded the first Lech Walesa Solidarity Award from the Polish Government for his service to democracy and the rights and freedom of citizens, and mainly Crimean Tatars, in Ukraine. Jemilev aims to use the grant of 1 million euros for the development of Crimea. The award was given by Polish President Komorowski, and the ceremony was attended by Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, and Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko.

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KAMPUCHEA KROM

65 YEARS OF

VIETNAMESE RULE

UNPO CALLS FOR URGENT ACTION FOR

IRAQ’S MINORITY COMPONENTS

ON 12 JUNE 2014 UNPO contributed to the World Day Against Child Labour by publishing a brochure entitled “Unmasking Child Labour in Nepal and Mauritania”, featuring the work of photographer Luca Catalano Gonzaga.

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UNPO RAISES

HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AGAINST

IRANIAN MINORITIES AT THE UN

UNPO CONVENES A CONFERENCE

IN MUNICH, GERMANY ‘ARE ETHNIC, RELIGIOUS AND LINGUISTIC

MINORITIES JUST PAWNS ON THE GEOPOLITICAL CHESSBOARD?’

ON 13 JUNE 2014 On the occasion of the 26th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, UNPO participated in a side-event on human rights violations against ethnic minorities in the Islamic Republic of Iran, to raise awareness of the discrimination Iranian minorities face on an everyday basis in all aspects of life.

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UNPO CELEBRATES WORLD DAY

TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION

SIDE-EVENT IN GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

MINORITIES IN CHINA

ON 17 JUNE 2014 To commemorate the occasion of the World Day to Combat Desertification, UNPO developed a brochure to introduce, and raise awareness about, the growing ecological threat of desertification in the People's Republic China, which has a serious impact on the natural environment and livelihood of many ethnic minorities.

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ON 20 JUNE 2014 On the occasion of the 26th Human Rights Council in Geneva, a side event took place addressing the situation facing minorities in China, including Tibetans, Southern Mongolians and Uyghurs. Among others, the speakers discussed the situation facing activists when exercising their right to peaceful assembly.

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COMMUNICATIONS & HUMAN RIGHTS

TRAINING PROGRAM : SPEAKOUT! 2014

FROM 26 TO 27 JUNE 2014 SpeakOut! 2014 took place in the International City of Peace and Justice – The Hague, Netherlands, and brought together UNPO members, youth and young human rights activists who were successfully trained to become reliable channels of human rights advocacy. With the support of interactive workshops and UNPO-designed study materials, participants gained knowledge of effective human rights advocacy, United Nations tools and mechanisms, grassroots funding and effective lobbying practices. Particularly, this year’s workshops focused on communication and human rights, ranging from internet security to human rights campaigning.

ON 12 JUNE 2014 After deadly clashes started in Mosul on 6 June, when vital areas of the city came under the control of jihadist militants from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS/ISIL). Following these alarming security circumstances, UNPO issued an appeal drawing attention to the situation of Iraq’s civilians and vulnerable components, and calling for immediate action to stop the violence by the international community.

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ON 8 JUNE 2014 On the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the colonization of Kampuchea Krom by Vietnam, a UNPO representative participated in a commemoration event organised by the Khmer Krom Federation (KFF) in Europe and delivered a speech highlighting the harsh cultural, religious, political and economic restrictions that the Vietnamese government imposes on the Khmer Krom communities. .

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ON 27 JUNE 2014 UNPO, in collaboration with Bündnis 90/Die Grünen–Bayern and the World Uyghur Congress, organized a conference centered on the idea that the struggles for territory, power and recognition render various nations, peoples and minorities as pawns or puppets of the international system, since they represent a threat to the status quo, which further vilifies the claims of communities on the margins. The conference was hosted by MEP Margarete Bause and MEPs Barbara Lochbihler, Jean Lambert and Bernd Posselt gave speeches.

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UNPO CELEBRATES WORLD DAY

AGAINST CHILD LABOUR

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Please send us your agendas for the coming months for inclusion

in our diary.

UNPO ADVOCACY OFFICE

Avenue Louise 52

Brussels B-1050, Belgium Tel: +32 (0)25 13 14 59 Fax: +32 (0)25 13 14 95

E-mail: unpo.brussels@unpo.org

UNPO SECRETARIAT Laan van Meerdervoort 70 2517 AN

The Hague, The Netherlands Tel: +31 (0)70 36 46 504 Fax: +31 (0)70 36 46 608 E-mail: unpo@unpo.org

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FROM 22 TO 24 AUGUST 2014 From 22 to 24 August 2014, UNPO will raise awareness of its work by setting up a stand at Fiesta Latina, a popular festival aiming to highlight Latin American culture through music concerts, shows, traditional food, dancing contests, etc. On this occasion UNPO will promote and raise awareness of its work defending minority and indigenous peoples’ rights, with a special focus on its Member in Latin America, the Mapuche. Fiesta Latina will take place in Bois de la Cambre, Brussels.

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9 AUGUST: International Day of the

World’s Indigenous Peoples

12 AUGUST: International Youth Day

19 AUGUST: World Humanitarian Day

23 AUGUST: International Day for the

Remembrance of the Slave Trade

and its Abolition

29 AUGUST: International Day

Against Nuclear Tests

30 AUGUST: International Day of the

Victims of Enforced Disappearances

ON 3 JUNE 2014 UNPO submitted an alternative report on the occasion of the 58th Session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which will take place from 30 June to 18 July. In accordance with UNPO’s goal to raise the voice of the unrepresented and marginalized communities worldwide, this alternative report aimed at evaluating compliance with and implementation of the provisions of the Convention by the Mauritanian government with regard to the particular case of the Haratin community.

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ON 17 JUNE 2014 UNPO and the Congress of World Hmong People submitted a joint Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights prior to the 21st session in order to draw attention for the situation of the Hmong people, the third biggest minority group subjected to the most severe persecution in the Lao’s People Democratic Republic (LPDR).

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ON 19 JUNE 2014 Drawing upon a conference organized by UNPO in cooperation with CIEMEN and Centre Maurits Coppieters at the European Parliament on 1 April 2014, UNPO released a report entitled ‘Redefining Self-Determination in the 21st Century’. This report addresses the concept of self-determination in today’s increasingly interdependent world, and explores new models to make the minority dimension work within the framework of multinational states, through the insights and exchange of ideas of policy-oriented and academic experts from across Europe. Self-determination is one of the fundamental concerns of UNPO’s Members and this report confirms the importance of engaging in constructive dialogue on this very issue in the 21st century.

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ON 19 JUNE 2014 UNPO expressed its support to the victims’ families in a statement, following last month’s violent answer of the Ethiopian armed forces against peaceful protesters in Oromia. UNPO strongly condemned the crackdown of the Oromo community and urged that those responsible be held accountable. UNPO furthermore called on the Ethiopian government to stop violating the fundamental human rights of its citizens, and to respect and abide by the international conventions it has signed and ratified.

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ON 20 JUNE 2014 UNPO expressed its sincerest condolences after the passing away of Mr. Ayamba Ette Otun on 18 June 2014. Chief Ayamba reached the blessed age of 91, and passed away at the New Life Hospital in Mamfe after briefly struggling with illness. The national Chairman of the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC), Chief Ayamba dedicated his life to protecting and promoting the rights of the Southern Cameroons and has vowed never to shave his beard until the Southern Cameroons is completely free. With the passing away of Chief Ayamba, the Southern Cameroon movement for self-determination has lost a great leader. UNPO stands with the people of Southern Cameroon in this difficult moment, and hopes the legacy of Chief Ayamba may inspire many.

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We rely on financial support from our Members and friends to continue our work each year. Such donations are crucial to ensure the continued full participation and engagement of a

great number of unrepresented communities, indigenous peoples, minorities and occupied or unrecognized territories.

The 2010-2012 Secretary General’s Activity Report provides an overview of the activities we

have been working on over the past years with the help of our partners and supporters. As an alternative to direct financial contributions, you can always spread the word about

UNPO or offer our 2014 calendar to your family or friends.

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UNPO WILL PARTICIPATE IN

FIESTA LATINA FESTIVAL IN BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

UNPO WILL CELEBRATE

INTERNATIONAL DAYS

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UNPO SUBMITTED

ALTERNATIVE REPORT TO CEDAW

UNPO SUBMITTED

JOINT UPR REPORT TO OHCHR

UNPO RELEASED

CONFERENCE REPORT ‘REDEFINING SELF-DETERMINATION

IN THE 21st CENTURY’

UNPO CONDEMNED

CRACKDOWN OF OROMO STUDENT

PROTESTS BY ETHIOPIAN

GOVERNMENT

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UNPO CONVEYED CONDOLENCES FOR THE

LOSS OF SOUTHERN CAMEROONS’

CHIEF AYAMBA

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