Posted on 05/06/2002 8:41:27 AM PDT by dead
The alert from Amnesty International flashed across the Internet, warning that a United States human-rights worker monitoring Guatemala was facing death threats.
The bulletin of April 25 called for "urgent action" and said Barbara Bocek, who had reported for Amnesty since 1997, had been left bound, gagged and blindfolded in her car by two men who said she would die if she returned to Guatemala.
The Amnesty appeal set off an unusual alarm because it said Ms Bocek was attacked not in Guatemala, but on a rural road near her home in Washington state.
At a time when human rights workers are increasingly coming under attack in Guatemala, one of the most respected international human-rights organisations was alleging that thugs linked to a murderous network of former military officials there were operating in the US.
However, local police officers who investigated Ms Bocek's allegations about the attack said the evidence did not support her account and that they were no longer pursuing the case.
"I think it was staged," said Detective Randy Pieper. "I'm positive."
The doubts that officers raised about Ms Bocek's claims represent an important challenge for Amnesty.
The group, founded in 1961, bases its reputation on dispassionate investigation of rights violations around the world. Governments whose abuses are exposed by Amnesty and other monitors of human rights often seek to defend themselves by accusing the groups of political bias and inaccurate reporting.
In Guatemala, during 30 years of civil war in which 200,000 people were killed, Amnesty doggedly defended workers and rallied its members to demand justice from the government.
Ms Bocek's work included reporting on a resurgence of violence in recent years, after peace accords in 1996.
Officials at Amnesty International USA said at the weekend that they had no reason to doubt Ms Bocek's credibility or her account. They stood by their warning about the perils she was facing, but were continuing to investigate her case.
"Amnesty International takes every report on alleged human rights abuses extremely seriously," said Charles Brown, a deputy executive director at Amnesty USA.
"When one of our own people receives threats we are going to take that particularly seriously."
The alert about Ms Bocek was based largely on her description of threats, he said.
Amnesty officials acknowledged they had not spoken with the police in Washington and were unaware the police had doubts.
Ms Bocek has told local and federal law enforcement authorities of about 15 threats she says she has received in the US over the past year.
Silly, pathetic hippy.
All those organizations that might do a lot of good in the world--charitable foundations, conservation organizations, even outfits like Catholic Charities--have been twisted from their original purposes by a bunch of left-over hippies who want to feel good about themselves and pat themselves on the back for being so politically virtuous.
Some of the work that Amnesty International does could be very helpful. It's too bad that the considerable good they might accomplish is counterbalanced by their ideological tilt.
You’re absolutely right.
I feel the same way about the ACLU. Imagine if they actually defended the entire Bill of Rights, in a non-partisan, politically-neutral way. Instead, they twist the 1st amendment into a religion-quashing mandate (rather than the reverse) and completely ignore other amendments (such as the 2nd and the 10th).
The crafty left have infiltrated most of our society including the schools, the black churches, and especially the media. I am baffled, an easy thing to do, that those who pride themselves as intellectuals doggedly pursue a foolish and always-failed philosophy rather than to see and appreciate the beauty and subtlety of free enterprise and religion, two things they hate.
That's why we give directly to Catholic Medical Mission Board. They give direct services to people in poor countries who need the help. They don't go through the governments which steal most of what is supposed to go to the poor, they send money and supplies directly to the religious and lay people actually doing the work!
I wonder why this rural Washington State road and the police department are not named? Why not tell us where this alleged crime happened - or are they protecting this "endangered" Amnesty liar worker still?
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