U.S. DIPLOMAT THANKS ARMENIAN HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS

Arka News Agency, Armenia
Dec 21 2006

YEREVAN, December 21. /ARKA/. U.S. Charge d'Affaires Anthony Godfrey thanked Wednesday Armenian human rights activists for their efforts to deepen democratic reformation in the country, U.S. Embassy in Armenia reports.

"In Armenia, the United States stands in solidarity with you--the country's brave men and women who are doing such essential work as supporting a free press, fighting against trafficking in persons, advocating for freedom of religion, and supporting women's rights. We thank you for your efforts to further Armenia's democratic reforms, and for your dedication to fighting for those people who often don't have a voice", the U.S. diplomat said.

Godfrey stressed the important contributions of human rights defenders throughout the world who risk harassment, beatings, detention, imprisonment and even death to practice or seek to secure fundamental freedoms. He remarked that without a vibrant civil society, democracy is incomplete.

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Thank you Anthony Godfrey for you kind words and commitment to stand in solidarity with me and those that defend the rights of those people who often donÂ’t have a voice.

ItÂ’s true that we risk harassment, beatings, detention, imprisonment and even death to practice or seek to secure fundamental freedoms. It is also true that we face many frustrations, but none are as disturbing as when those that claim to stand in solidarity with us, in fact work against us.

As you well know in 2005 with funding from the U.S. Embassy in Armenia, we were able to expose the trafficking of women and children to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which resulted in their placement on the Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP) Tier 3 list, which calls for the U.S. to place sanction against them for their crimes against those who have no voice.

Later that year, President George Walter Bush waived the sanctions, placing more importance on his War of Terror over the human rights of the voiceless victims in the UAE living in slave-like conditions.

If you truly stand with us in solidarity, you will sign our petition to President Bush and those involved in violating the human rights of the women and children who have been and will continue to be trafficked to the UAE in the future since there thoscommittingng the crime know from our lack of action that they will not be punished.

If you really believe in what you stated above, please click on the link below, sign the petition and pass this link on to all your associates in Washington to do the same and stand by what America claims to stand for.

Stop Trafficking of Humans to the United Arab Emirates Petition