ALERT #3 -- Military Coup in Honduras
June 28, 2009
[CONTACT:  In Guatemala, Annie Bird (Rights Action co-director), annie@rightsaction.org, 011-502-5005-1530; in North America, Grahame Russell (Rights Action co-director), 1-860-751-4285, info@rightsaction.org]
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STATE OF SIEGE
COFADEH reports:  The Honduran National Congress has announced a 48 hour State of Siege for the whole country.  The State of Siege prohibits any presence or movement in the streets after 9pm, until 6am.  And then again for tomorrow night.
Under the State of Siege, individual guarantees are suspended: personal liberty (69), no limit to time of detencion (71), freedom of thought (78), freedom of association (81), freedom of movement (84), detention liberties (84), invioability of the home (99), right to private property (103).
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Since 1998, the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH) has been a partner group of Rights Action.  COPINH has been at the forefront of efforts to hold the June 28 referendum:
COPINH Statement: "WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED OR HUMILIATED"
"There Is Practically a State of Siege in Tegucigalpa, Honduras... Electricity Is Cut"
By June 28, 2009 (Translated to English by Laura Carlsen)
COPINH condemns the cowardly and dirty coup d’etat against the Constitutional President of the Republic Manuel Zelaya Rosales.  We denounce the fascist and terrorist role of the armed forces, of the national congress headed by Roberto Michellety Bain, of the communications media, of sectors of the ultra-right, and of the rest of the institutions submissive to the interests of the oligarchy and imperialism that this morning kidnapped the President and took him by the air force, prior to the initiation of the popular consultation in which the people actually are participating — even with the repression unleashed, even as the campaign of fear continues, and even when faced with the butt of the rifles of the soldiers.
There is practically a state of seige in the capital and the rest of the country; electricity is cut off, they have a list of leaders to be captured, and Hondurans who are bravely demonstrating in front of the presidential residence are surrounded by tanks and helicopters.
Even so they have installed the polls and are exercising their right to participate in the consultation as a form of rebellion. The Honduran people are mobilizing. Since early morning, our organization is calling out its members and has already begun the journey with representatives of the Lenca People on the way to Tegucigalpa.
We tell everyone that the Honduran people are carrying out large demonstrations, actions in their communities, in the municipalities; there are occupations of bridges, and a protest in front of the presidential residence, among others.
From the lands of Lempira, Morazán and Visitación Padilla, we call on the Honduran people in general to demonstrate in defense of their rights and of real and direct democracy for the people, to the fascists we say that they will NOT silence us, that this cowardly act will turn back on them, with great force.
We state that we do not recognize any “substitute” and WE WILL STRUGGLE FOR OUR PEOPLE, FOR OUR RIGHT TO DREAM OF A COUNTRY WITH JUSTICE, EQUITY, LIBERTY AND LIFE.
With the ancestral force of Iselaca and Lempira we raise our voices for life, justice, liberty, dignity and peace.
 
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CONTACT YOUR OWN MEDIA, MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, SENATORS, MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT, TO DEMAND:

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