ALERT #6 - Military Coup in Honduras, June 30, 2009

EXAMPLES OF REPRESSION
HONDURAN MILITARY REGIME DISAPPEARING YOUTH IN OLANCHO
According to information Rights Action has received from COFADEH (Honduran Committee of the Families of the Disappeared), beginning at approximate 2am, during the State of Siege declared by the defacto regime that has assumed control of Honduras, the military began breaking into homes across the department of Olancho (home of the democratically elected president Mel Zelaya) and kidnapping young people.
Reports have been received from the municipalities of Cuata, Salama, San Francisco, San Estevan, Manto.  The community of Cuacoca, a village in San Francisco de la Paz, seems to be particularly devastated.  These actions have forced many youth to go into hiding in the mountains in fear for their lives.
MOREOVER …
Military and police presence and checkpoints have increased throughout the country;  the State of Siege, established for 9pm in the evenings, is being enforced by police and soldiers at 6pm;  Police and soldiers continue to illegally detain members of social organizations;  Electricity is being cut off regularly around the country, interrupting people’s capacity to communicate;  In the department of El Progreso, peaceful demonstrators were set upon by the police with tear gas;
The human rights lawyer Marcelino Martinez has been illegally detained;
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The governments of the United States and Canada must explicitly denounce the coup and break relations until the democratic government is restored and there is a reconciliation and justice process in place.
FUNDS ARE NEEDED FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND LEGAL DEFENSE WORK IN HONDURAS Make tax deductible donations to Rights Action and mail to:
UNITED STATES:  Box 50887, Washington DC, 20091-0887
CANADA:  552 - 351 Queen St. E, Toronto ON, M5A-1T8
CREDIT-CARD DONATIONS: http://rightsaction.org/contributions.htm
CONTACT YOUR OWN MEDIA, MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, SENATORS, MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT, TO DEMAND:
• a return of the constitutional government
• no recognition of this military coup and the ‘de facto’ government of Roberto Michelletti
• respect for safety and human rights of all Hondurans
• justice and reparations for the illegal actions and rights violations committed during this illegal coup
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Please re-distribute this info all around.

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