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Australians join worldwide demonstrations in solidarity with Kenyan people

27 February 2008, 04:22PM

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Amnesty International Australia supporters will join with hundreds of activists around the world tomorrow in solidarity with the people of Kenya as part of an International Day of Action. The date Wednesday, 27 February marks two months since the disputed Kenyan election, after which the country was wracked by political violence that left more than 1,000 dead.

Amnesty International Australia supporters will stage an action in front of the Kenyan Embassy in Canberra at 1pm tomorrow, calling for an end to the violence. Events will also be held in Melbourne and Brisbane.

Australia will lead the worldwide wave of demonstrations, also being held in Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, UK, USA, Germany, Canada, Mexico, Uruguay, Uganda and the Netherlands. Amnesty International members across the world will also be participating in online actions on Amnesty International websites and Facebook, as well as posting photos and sharing their activities on flickr.com.

"The Kenyan Government and political leaders must take all appropriate steps to protect people from human rights abuses caused by politically-motivated and ethnic attacks," said Amnesty International Australia National Director Claire Mallinson.

"Those responsible for human rights abuses and violations must be brought to justice in fair trials and victims of the violence provided with reparations."

Thousands of Kenyans have suffered gross human rights abuses in politically-motivated and ethnic attacks since the disputed elections.

While recent attention has been directed at the negotiations between the two opposing party leaders – President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga – Amnesty International believes that the commitment to bring perpetrators of human rights abuses to justice during the elections must not be sidelined.

Wednesday's International Day of Action follows a recent Amnesty International fact- finding mission to Kenya, during which Amnesty International delegates visited some of the areas worst affected by the violence.

During the fact-finding mission, Amnesty International collected testimonies from victims of human rights violations and abuses during the violence, including those who were injured during the politically-motivated violence in parts of the Rift Valley, Nairobi and Western Kenya, where gangs of armed youth attacked people on the basis of their ethnicity. They also obtained testimony from victims of police shootings. Testimony will be available to download here.

International Day of Action for Kenya

Canberra When: 1pm Where: In front of the Kenyan Embassy, QBE Building, 33-35 Ainslie St, Civic Square What: Letter-writing to the Kenyan government in solidarity with the Kenyan people to bring an end to the violence.

Melbourne When: 6pm Where: Parliament House steps, East Melbourne What: Vigil calling for protection of the people of Kenya.

Brisbane When: 4pm Where: Reddacliffe Place, George St, Brisbane What: Vigil calling for protection of the people of Kenya.

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