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RD Bal CEN TA har tA driv han bed Amnesty member | SOLER CE Re PA 4 v ; ' TN 4 ei SS. Asadsstiudismuonib sid aadanbind din AIEEE A EH I IE aa PORT PERRY STAR -- Wednesday, Jan. 11, 1978 -- 9 Cannington group seeks prisoners release It is estimated that throughout the world there are presently 500,000 pris- oners of conscience: men, women and even children in jail for their political, reli- gious, and social beliefs. Many are jailed without any formal charges and many more are held long periods without trial. Their treatment can be brutal. In Cannington, 20 miles north of Port Perry, a small group of people is actively working to secure the release of two of these pris- oners and the group is also engaged in fund raising for legal fees, the care of the families of these detained men, and to send such things as warm clothing to make detention a little more tolerable. The 17 people make up Group 31 of the Canadian Section of Amnesty Inter- national, an orgnization with headquarters in London, England, which has taken up the.cause of political prison- ers around the globe, and campaigns for the abolition of torture and the death penalty. The Canningtory Group which has "adap" the two prisoners, o n_JAIndonesia and one in Rhodesia, is led by Charlie Kitney, a retired United Church minister, who spent 25 years doing mission work on the West Indian island of Trinidad. A tall, gray-haired, plea- sant man in his late sixties, Mr. Kitney became a mem- ber at large of Amnesty while working on the Latin American and African desk of the United Church. After retiring to an old family house in Cannington, Mr. Kitney formed the adoption group in May of last year. The active members meet once a month in the back- room of the local library, and as part of the commit- ment to the parent organi- zation the group sends $700 each year to the London headquarters. In addition the group sends $50- per month to the family of the detained man in Rhodesia, and extra money for legal fees. There are no set fees for members of the local group; they simply contri- bute what they can. But Mr. Kitney says the '"'spon- taneous support" from various individuals and organizations within the community has allowed the group to easily meet its financial commitments in 1977. Amnesty - International was started in 1961 by a lawyer in England who ini- tially wanted to launch a six-month campaign to draw public attention to the plight of political prisoners. The organization now has some 2400 adoption groups world-wide including 31 in Canada working on behalf of prisoners in 112 coun- tries. Torture is used in more than 60 nations. The organization acts on behalf of prisoners who have not used violence and do not advocate violence as a means of gaining their poli tical or social beliefs. How- ever, Amnesty campaigns to abolish torture and capi- tal punishment for all pri- soners. In seeking the release of prisoners or the guarantee of a speedy and fair trial, Amnesty writes letters to top government officials within the country, and ini- tiates information cam- paigns to show the public the plight of the prisoners and cause embarassment to the national governments. The Cannington group for example has written to the Indonesian ambassador in Ottawa seeking the re- lease of. Bedjo Untung who was arrested in 1965 and has been held in detention since the late sixties. Indo- nesia is one of the worst offenders in the denial of human rights, where there are an estimated 100,000 political prisoners, many of whom have been detained without trial since 1965. From time to time the In- donesian government announces that groups of prisoners are released, but Amnesty claims that these "releases" often mean a transfer to another penal colony. With the denial of fundamental human rights (despite the Charter of the United Nations) seemingly * on the increase in more and more countries including the industrialized world, Amnesty's struggle is an up-hill one. The organiz- ation does claim success in its "prisoner of the month" campaign with about 50 Co untry C assics 179 Queen Street - [Port Perry Clearance STARTS THURSDAY, JANUARY 12 - 10 a.m. 0 Vd Balance of Winter Sportswear Some In-Store Specials Alterations extra. This sale does not include long gowns or evening dresses. up to Sales final. 0% OFF Al Beautiful Clothes for Beautiful People percent of the prisoners high-lighted in this way getting their release, a re- duction in sentence, or a transfer to better facilities. And a large number of these actions take place within four months of the R Amnesty Campaign. Last year Amnesty gained international attent- Ee Charles Kitney, a retired United Church minister is the founder of an Amnesty International group in Cannington, which has '"adopted" a political prisoner being detained in Indonesia and Rhodesia. BEY 64 Water St. -- Port Perry -- 985-3756 Clearance' Winter Fashions 25% OFF All sales final - No Refunds or Exchanges. This Sale Does Not Include Any Levi's or GWG's Prewashed TERNS or "Br IN Erk a --T----