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Port of Call |
LAST UPDATE October 7, 2007
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| July 25, 2007 |
Copenhagen, Denmark – Taking action against torture: Peace Boat and Amnesty International join forces |
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| Participants came to protest against the use of torture in Guantánamo and around the world |
On 25 July Peace Boat called into Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark and home to one and a half million people. In this city stretching across two islands, participants heard about the use of torture on another island, far from Europe. Five and a half years since it opened, the US still detains some 430 people in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba – torturing its captives, ignoring their human rights. It is a fact that is being quietly overlooked by the Danish Government and those supporting the War on Terror. But torture is a global problem, still widespread in 70 countries. What can ordinary citizens do to stop the use of torture, not only in Guantánamo, but around the world? Peace Boat met with the Danish section of human rights NGO, Amnesty International, to find out. |
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| The group discusses how they feel about torture and whether they would condone it use |
Inside Amnesty’s offices in Copenhagen’s center, International Co-ordinator Joakim Lundström gets straight to the point. “If you think you can just sit back and listen, think again,” he rouses the group. “Today I want you to form an opinion about human rights and torture". Challenging the participants to explore their own feelings on the issue, he asks “Would you have tortured Hitler? Or the leader of Tokyo’s subway gas attack in 1995?”. After much debate, nearly everyone agreed there was no reason to use torture, even in these extreme cases. “We can always find another way,” commented one participant. |
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| Everyone listened to the reasons Amnesty gives in refusing to accept torture |
Amnesty International holds the same view. Not only is torture against everyone’s human rights, it is impossible to limit its use. “Where do you draw the line?” asks Mr. Lundström. If torture is accepted against terrorists, who is counted as a terrorist? Would supporters of democracy in a dictatorship be considered terrorists by those in power? Moreover, information obtained through torture is highly unreliable, with many victims saying anything to stop the abuse. |
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| Photos and reports record the acts of torture in Guantánamo and in the wider War on Terror |
As the War on Terror continues, Joakim fears the use of torture will increase. Guantánamo Bay is run by the world’s most powerful country, offering an equally powerful example with which other states can try to excuse the use of torture. Both the UN and International Red Cross have reported instances of its use at the camp. “Even the United States’ own Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has documented it,” Joakim noted, surprising the participants. Physical abuse, prolonged sleep deprivation and psychological torment have all been described by FBI workers. |
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| Joakim Lundström explained how Amnesty’s supporters fight for human rights |
At the global level, Amnesty has been campaigning to stop torture in the War on Terror through its support base of 2.2 million people from across more than 150 countries. This network of everyday people contact the media, write letters to authorities and hold public demonstrations, pressuring governments to respect human rights, including freedom from torture. Yet in this global fight, we must also look closer to home. In Denmark’s case, there is no law that directly forbids torture, but Amnesty International Denmark is trying to change that. |
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“It doesn’t happen here. But it happens now!”: one of AI Denmark’s posters juxtaposing Guantánamo captives with a Danish landmark. Photo: Amnesty International Denmark |
Drawing on the example of Guantánamo, Joakim and the team have been building public support to safeguard against torture. In one eye-catching poster campaign that shows Guantánamo prisoners placed in regular Danish settings, viewers are warned: “It doesn’t happen here. But it happens now”. Since the campaign began in 2005, 150,000 signatures of support have been collected, compelling the Government to draft a new law. |
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| Dressed as Guantánamo prisoners, participants demonstrated against torture on the city’s streets |
After hearing about the work so far, it was time to take action. Throwing on orange overalls like those worn by the captives of Guantánamo, the Japanese participants took to the central streets of Copenhagen to keep up the campaign against torture. “We say no to Guantánamo!” came the cries from the group, capturing the attention of local shoppers and workers, while individuals handed out nearly 800 flyers, urging passers-by to show their support via text message. |
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| Participants helped to inform more people about torture and gain support for the campaign |
For half of the group it was the first time to get involved in a street protest, but many participants could see the benefit of public awareness-raising. “I was a secondary school student during WWII and the Government controlled what we learnt,” recalls Kiyoko Kuwahata, aged 76. “It made us blind to what was happening outside of the country. I think it is so important that we can all learn about global issues such as torture in this way”.
You can join the campaign against torture and support human rights at:
www.amnesty.org
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