底下是剛剛收到、PHR寄來的信。

PHR就是PHYSICIANS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (醫師人權協會)，1986年成立於美國。我是1987年加入。算一算也27年了。

相關資料多不勝數，我常不敢看，因為看了會憂鬱。我知道這麼多事，卻每天只能為自己的生活疲於奔命；世上這麼多醜陋罪行，竟全以人權、民主之名為之，而人們卻絲毫不感痛癢，彷彿不干我事，甚且繼續助紂為虐，為虎作倀。

這篇電子報，不妨看看比方說 Don't let them get away with torture 這一篇。PHR 從2005年起開始調查美國從2001年起在國內外進行的各種慘無人道的刑求手法。在這些刑求過程中，常有醫療人員或心理學家參與，為CIA (中情局) 提供各種最殘酷、最疼痛、最痛苦但又不容易立即致死或留下永久傷口以便日後死無對證的醫學專業刑求手段。PHR要求應該追訴這些混蛋醫療人員，把他們繩以以法。

http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/issues/torture/us-torture/reports-on-torture.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/13/opinion/doctor-complicity-in-torture.html

這信裏及PHR網站上也提到敘利亞及巴勒斯坦的一些近來慘況，要求以色列軍隊停止對於醫院或救護車及醫療人員、醫療設施的攻擊，同時也報導一些敘利亞醫療人員在槍林彈雨中仍然冒著生命危險救助病患。

如果你有意想持續了解各地人權狀況，不妨常上他們的網站，或是訂閱電子報。手邊有錢，偶而就捐一點給他們。跟台灣一樣，美國掛羊頭賣狗肉的所謂人權組織或什麼民主基金會的一大堆，但PHR基本上是一個很正直的組織。

陳真

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PHR e-News
August 2014

Dear Emir,

Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) recently released our latest annual report. In it you will learn about our most recent work, such as how we’re pushing for accountability for CIA torture practices, documenting systematic attacks on medical personnel in Syria, and advocating for an end to violence against minorities in Burma. I know you are as committed as we are to exposing human rights violations and ensuring that those responsible are brought to justice. Many thanks for your continued support of PHR’s work.

Donna McKay
Executive Director

Guantanamo Detainee Being Transported
Don't Let Them Get Away with Torture
In his letter to the editor in the New York Times, Dr. Vincent Iacopino, PHR’s senior medical advisor, calls for accountability for health personnel and others who were complicit in torture. He writes, “Doctors, psychologists and other medical professionals played a central role in conferring a facade of safety and legitimacy to the C.I.A.’s illegal, immoral and unethical practices. In doing so, they betrayed the core ethical principle of the healing professions: Do no harm.” Read the full letter here.

Dr. B
On the Front Lines: A Syrian Doctor's Story
PHR has profiled the work of several Syrian doctors who are risking their lives to care for their patients as the country’s civil war continues. Dr. B (name withheld to protect his identity) has personally experienced the Syrian regime’s ongoing attacks on medical personnel and facilities; he works in two field hospitals inside Syria that been attacked multiple times. Having witnessed the fatalities and injuries from these targeted strikes, Dr. B lives in constant fear, anxious that another rocket will fall and demolish his hospital and kill those inside. Read his full story.

Airstrike in Aleppo, Syria
Take Action: Demand Justice for Syria
Syria’s civil war has led to the deaths of approximately 190,000 people and forced millions of others from their homes. While both the Assad regime and anti-government armed groups have committed war crimes, government forces are responsible for 90 percent of attacks on medical personnel and hospitals in Syria. The United States must support accountability for these violations. Ensure that the children, women, and men who have suffered in Syria see justice by urging your senators to support the Syrian War Crimes Accountability Act. Without urgent action, we risk that these rampant abuses may become the new norm in conflict.

Destroyed Hospital in Deir al-Balah, Gaza

PHR Calls for Protection of Medical Facilities and Personnel in Gaza

PHR recently called on the government of Israel to end its attacks on health facilities, ambulances, and health personnel in the Gaza Strip. We further requested that Hamas and other armed groups fully respect and protect patients’ safety and the neutral operation of medical personnel by ensuring that no military equipment or units operate in or near medical facilities. Read our full statement here.

Undocumented Immigrants from El Salvador
Vulnerable and Alone: Children Crossing the Border
Lisa Manrique of PHR’s Asylum Program tells the story of Maria, a 13-year-old girl who is one of the thousands of unaccompanied children who have recently fled El Salvador in search of humanitarian protection in the United States. Manrique writes, “The children at the U.S. border who are currently attracting so much attention deserve to have their stories heard and receive the help of trained professionals. Their trauma is real, as is the danger they could face upon being summarily deported.”

Another 13 Health Care Workers Killed in Syria
Syria Mapping Project

PHR is documenting attacks on Syrian medical personnel and facilities in this interactive map. Recent updates to the map illustrate that 13 medical personnel were killed in the month of July alone – increasing the total number of medical personnel killed since the beginning of the conflict to 541. There were also 11 attacks on nine separate medical facilities. Tweet a link to the map, using hashtag #DefendDoctors, to share details of the latest violence against Syria’s medical infrastructure.

PHR Welcomes New Chief Operating Officer
Christine Squires

We are excited to welcome Christine Squires to the PHR team as our chief operating officer. Squires brings a wide range of development and management experience having contributed to the success of a number of international NGOs, including Human Rights Watch, UNICEF, and the Women’s Refugee Commission. We’re thrilled to have her join the team.

Physicians for Human Rights
info@phrusa.org
phr.org