Meeting to focus on human rights violations in Colombia

[Judi Lynn]

Meeting to focus on human rights violations in Colombia
Published Date: 10 January 2008
Source: Evening Leader Wrexham
Location: Wrexham
By Laura Hughes
HUMAN rights violations in Colombia will be the topic of a discussion attended by an MP in Cefn Mawr tomorrow.

Clwyd South MP Martyn Jones will be attending the Dee Valley Community Partnership Building in Cefn Mawr to discuss the topic of justice for Colombia.

Trade Unionists and human rights workers face brutal dangers when working in Colombia. Since the right-wing president, Alvaro Uribe Velez, took power in August 2002 there has been a 600 per cent increase in human rights violations perpetrated against women trade unionists, and 68 female trade unionists have been assassinated. In 2002, 184 trade unionists were killed in the Colombia.

The event in Cefn Mawr is linked to the Justice for Colombia movement which is continually trying to help those who are trying to secure democracy in the South American state.

Mr Jones said: "I have long been a supporter of Justice for Colombia as well as Unite,the union's hard work on this cause.

"It is easy for us to take our own democracy for granted; we too often forget the priceless nature of the right to speak out against the government of the day.

"President Kennedy once stated that those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable. It is vital we work to prevent the hardships and democratic suppression that is the average daily experience in Colombia so that peaceful rather than violent self-determination can take place.

http://www.eveningleader.co.uk/news/Meeting-to-focus-on-human.3658750.jp