Support the Empty Chair human rights campaign

Photo: Amnesty International USA Facebook page.

This afternoon, the Norwegian Nobel Committee confirmed during a news conference conducted by Thorbjorn Jagland, chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee and Geir Lundestad, Director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, that during the award of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize on 10 December 2010, there will be an empty chair in Oslo's City Hall; a chair reserved for this year's Nobel Peace Laureate - Liu Xiaobo - because he can't travel to Oslo for obvious reasons - he is imprisoned in China for peacefully advocating political reform and fundamental human rights. The inability of Liu Xiaobo to occupy his seat and receive the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo has sparked what I call the "Empty Chair" human rights campaign.

Earlier today, Amnesty International USA posted a photo of an empty chair on Facebook and urged supporters to show support for Liu Xiaobo and protest his imprisonment by using the picture of an empty chair as personal profile picture on Facebook, and take further action by signing a petition to free Liu Xiaobo.

You are encouraged to support the empty chair human rights campaign as requested by Amnesty International USA, and spread the word.

It is worth mentioning that supporters in China cannot join the Facebook campaign because the social networking site is banned in China, as part of a calculated attempt to limit freedom of expression and perhaps silence critics.

Liu Xiaobo was sentenced to 11 years in prison on 25 December (christmas day) 2009 for "inciting subversion of state power." His wife is currently under house arrest and can't travel to Oslo to collect the award on his behalf.

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Lapiro de Mbanga: Imprisoned Cameroonian musician speaks out

Lapiro de Mbanga. Source: Freemuse.

In April 2008, a renown Cameroonian musician and "defender of the common man" - Pierre Roger Lambo Sandjo, popularly known as Lapiro de Mbanga was arrested and imprisoned for criticizing - in his lyrics - a controversial constitutional amendment that eliminated presidential term limits in Cameroon. According to Freemuse, an organization that advocates freedom of expression for musicians and composers, the singer was accused of inciting demonstrations against rising cost of living and the 2008 constitutional amendment.

Recently, a video interview of Lapiro de Mbanga conducted by Freedom to Create, an organization that promotes creative expressions, surfaced on the internet.

In the interview, Lapiro speaks about the effectiveness of music in inspiring change, what he is trying to achieve with his music and the sacrifice he is willing to make on behalf of his children and the youths of Cameroon. Watch...



The imprisonment of Lapiro de Mbanga reveals limitations on freedom of expression and the right to hold and express opinions in Cameroon. No doubt, many people in Cameroon have been effectively silenced, and the few who dare to speak out do so at their own risk.

Lapiro the Mbanga was sentenced to 3 years in prison. Sources say the song that cost his freedom - "Constitution Constipée" (Constipated Constitution) - was banned.

In a press release, the Executive Director of Media Foundation For West Africa, Professor Kwame Karikari, encouraged rights advocates and supporters to help secure the release of Lapiro de Mbanga by sending letters to the nearest Cameroonian embassy.

It is worth mentioning that in 2009, Lapiro was awarded the Freedom to Create Imprisoned Artist Prize.

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West African girls enslaved in New Jersey freed

Almost every nation has outlawed all forms of slavery, but I was shocked this afternoon to learn that more than 20 West African girls were trafficked from Ghana and Togo, and held as slaves in the U.S., precisely in Newark, New Jersey, many years after the "land of the free" abolished all forms of slavery and servitude.

The girls were promised a world-class education and trafficked to the U.S., but upon arrival, they were held as slaves - working "7 days a week", sometimes "14 hours" a day in hair dressing salons for almost a decade. They lived in a middle class neighborhood and walked the streets, unnoticed, to and from work everyday. The traffickers collected all the money (including tips) the girls earned working as hair dressers.

After watching the report today on News Stream - a programme on CNN International anchored by Kristie Lu Stout - I managed to find a short video that briefly illustrates the plight of the young West African girls . Watch.



This case brings to mind the story of African women trafficked to Russia by a human trafficking and prostitution ring operating between Russia and Ghana (note that Ghana is mentioned in both cases of trafficking to Russia and the U.S.), and highlights the "slave owner" role played by Africans in modern-day slavery.

The traffickers in this New Jersey case are reportedly Africans - a husband, wife and son. A court recently sentenced them to 24, 27 and 4.5 years in prison, respectively.

Human trafficking is an unspeakable and intolerable violation of human rights, dignity and security of persons. Traffickers should bear the full weight of the law.

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