Human Rights Watch (Washington, DC)
26 June 2009
press release
They might end up as costly baubles on sale in shops around the world. But for some diamonds mined in Zimbabwe, the journey begins in massive illegal pit mines where men, women, and children are forced to work long days under the brutal authority of government troops, who took over the mine in a spree of bloodshed.
"For two weeks in January 2009, I worked in the diamond fields together with several other children to carry sacks of diamond ore from the field and to fetch water to sieve the ore," a 13-year-old girl told Human Rights Watch. "I was too afraid to run away. Every day, I would carry ore and only rest for short periods when the men were digging. We always started work very early in the morning before 8 and finished when it was dark, after 6. All I want now is to go back to school."
Her story - and many others - of abuse and forced labor are recounted in a new report from Human Rights Watch. It outlines how control of the Marange diamond fields was handed over to the military by the previous government, which was run by the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF). Since February 2009, ZANU-PF has shared government power, but the military remains under its control.
The report, "Diamonds in the Rough," also suggests that revenue from the gems enriches senior ZANU-PF officials and provides significant revenue to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, which has underwritten some military operations. The Marange fields could potentially yield US$1.2 billion a year, according to one estimate, at a time when the country is broke, unable even to pay its teachers or for basic sanitation and health care, and begging the world for aid. The two other Zimbabwe diamond sites are deep mines run by private commercial enterprises.
After the Marange fields were discovered in 2006, they were open to anyone, and illegal mining and smuggling flourished. The army took control in October 2008 with an unrestrained assault, witnesses said. Troops in helicopters fired tear gas and machine guns at unarmed miners. Soldiers overran the fields and nearby villages. According to several villagers, they fired their AK-47 assault rifles indiscriminately, without warning. Over a three-week operation, more than 200 civilians were killed.
Since then, diamond mining - and smuggling - remain in the grip of the armed forces. The worst of the violence has ended, but Human Rights Watch found that the army continues to commit human rights violations, including beatings, torture, forced labor, and child labor in Marange.
"Zimbabwe's new government should immediately end all human rights abuses in the Marange diamond fields and remove the army from the area," said Georgette Gagnon, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "All soldiers and police officers responsible for horrific abuses must be held to account." The report also calls for a worldwide ban on diamonds from the Marange fields.
"Diamonds in the Rough" is based on two research missions to Zimbabwe in February 2009. Human Rights Watch researchers visited Harare, Mutare, and the Marange fields and interviewed more than 100 people - witnesses, local miners, local court officials, local community leaders, victims and relatives, lawyers, medical staff, soldiers, police, traditional leaders, and local human rights activists.
Fact File
Chief Recommendations
To the Government of Zimbabwe
Immediately end all human rights abuses in the Marange diamond fields, including killings, beatings, forced labor, child labor, and torture.
Remove the army from the Marange district, demilitarize the diamond industry, and restore security responsibilities to the police, but ensure that they abide by international law enforcement standards governing use of lethal force and illegal searches.
Begin an impartial and independent investigation into alleged human rights abuses, smuggling of diamonds, and corruption.
End diamond smuggling, urgently resolve the outstanding legal questions of control and title to the Marange diamond fields, and ensure that only licensed miners are permitted to mine and that all buyers of diamonds are properly licensed in compliance with the requirements of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme.
To the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme
Immediately investigate allegations of serious human rights abuses and smuggling of Marange diamonds outside Zimbabwe and any other violations of the Kimberley Process.
Immediately suspend Zimbabwe from participation in the KPCS until it satisfactorily addresses the violations set out in the report and puts in place genuinely effective and transparent measures to regulate its diamond industry and stop human rights abuses, and end smuggling.
Urgently review and broaden the definition of "conflict diamonds" or "blood diamonds" to include diamonds mined in the context of serious and systematic human rights abuses.
To States and Organizations that Are Major Consumers of Rough Diamonds
Support initiatives to speedily reform and broaden the mandate of the KPCS to include human rights concerns at the core of its mandate.
Guard against the purchase of rough diamonds from Marange and exercise greater vigilance through the use of the KPCS "footprint" of Marange diamonds, which enables buyers to identify diamonds originating from Marange more easily.
Take steps to inform consumers of polished diamonds that they should not buy, trade, or sell diamonds originating in Marange.
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- THE TRUTH ABOUT DIAMONDS –
Did You Know That The Robbers Have Warehouses Full Of 55 Gallon Drums Each Full Of Raw Uncut Diamonds ?
The Wicked Are Using The Same Schemes On Us. : 1) They Hoard Riches ; Controlling The Supply So We’ll Think The Supply Is Low 2) This Scheme Helps Them To Get A Higher Price & Deceives Most Of Us Into Believing That Things ( Such As Diamonds, Gold, Oil, Etc..) Are In Short Supply & Even Due To Run Out.
Diamonds Are In Abundance And Their Supply Is Being Controlled By Persons Under The Control Of Spiritual Wickedness In High Places (Ephesians 6:12) .
We Saints Serve An Infinite God, What He Placed Here On This Earth For His Children Is Also Infinite. When You See A Volcano Or Magma ; The Liquid Land Flowing Out Of Volcanos, Think Of Growth. The Earth Is Steady Growing.
Once God Settles Things With The Rightreous & Un-Righteous . [Definition – Righteous Means The Desire To Do Right ]
Diamonds Are In Abundance And Their Supply Is Being Controlled By Persons Under The Control Of Spiritual Wickedness In High Places (Ephesians 6:12) . [http://janineroberts.org/]
THEY COME TO :
STEAL OUR ECONOMY
KILL OUR INITIATIVE TO BE SELF-SUFFICIENT
DESTROY OUR FAMILIES
1) INFERIORITY = CURRENCY EXCHANGE
Currency Exchange is designed to puff up certain peoples and nations over others. The numbers are constantly telling some that they are inferior to others. The problem intensifies when those being manipulated by this financial scam buy in to this wicked scheme.
What’s the solution to INFERIORITY CURRENCY EXCHANGE ? Stop giving away our souls one piece of money ( dollar , pound, franc, rand, deniro, rupal, euro, Chinese renminbi, rupee, Russian ruble,etc..) at-a-time .
Do research on what price your product gets in the so-called First World countries. And demand that price. This will not work unless people at the local areas do this together. Form Co-Ops and agree to charge the prices you deserve.
2) INFERIORITY = Pay by Time
There is another system used to oppress people that feeds the business owners with a lust for MORE profit. One year they may have profits of 50%, the next year they may have profits of 100%, the next year their profits may only be 75%. The system in the world will consider that going from 100% profits to 75% profits is bad for business.
How is that bad ? Profits are profits ! Many businesses have different levels of pay for the same workers.; levels such as :
a) Top Salaries – Private and only known to each individual workers b) Medium Salaries – Private “ “ “ “ c) Lower Salaries – Private and only known to each individual workers d) High Hourly Wages e) Medium Hourly Wages f) Minimum Hourly Wages
I suggest that EVERY WORKER SHOULD BE PAID A LIVING WAGE. The Minimum Wage is like a financial ball and chain ; only giving those receiving it just enough to live to see the next day.
The Living Wage allows workers to live, invest, spend, save, and thrive. We can dream about having our own businesses , then wake up and attain our dreams. This is great for the businesses that pay Living Wages. For this creates new customers and new generations of customers.
As long as the system of Living Wages is in place, there will be a thriving economy and a blooming world full of optimistic activities. But it will only happen when business owners see the benefit of paying more pennies to make more dollars ! Which of you business owners will have the insight, recognition, roots, understanding, initiative, moxy, & compassion to make the step most are afraid to make.
1. The Bakken Oil Field Find
2. 55 gallon drums fulls of unprocessed diamonds.
* These are just a few of the suppressed world riches this beautiful world created by God (Jehovah, Father of Jesus Christ)..
3. Minister Lindsey Williams has known for 30 years of a major oil find in Alaska.
* He says that he sat in on meetings of the rich and powerful. These men decided not to use this oil to help America.
* Beware Africans, the wolves of deception are always around riches.
* Hosea said we perish for two reasons. Most people only remember one reason why we perish.
- Hosea said MY PEOPLE PERISH FOR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE
- AND…because they REJECT KNOWLEDGE
- In other words, they DON’T KNOW & THEY DON’T WANT TO KNOW !!!!
4. For those who want to know I suggest you guys who can get the Internet do these things :
a) Listen to broadcasts like : Alex Jones (Infowars), Derry Brownfield, The Power Hour
(Joyce & Dave), Jeff Rense, and other broadcasts on the Genesis Communications Network.
b) Here’s an appetizer of information on the subjects I have just written on :
• Do a search use IX Quick search engine .They don’t record your computer’s address ; protect your privacy [ http://ixquick.com/]
• Here are three(s) separate subjects that I mentioned that you can search for
(i) – Bakken Oil Field Find
(ii) – Lindsey Williams (YouTube videos)
(iii) – Janine Roberts :Glitter & Greed : The Secret World of The Diamond Cartel
Our only enemies are in Hell , waiting for their life-sentence of damnation.
You are in my prayers. Pray for each other too
Have Faith in God and Love for each other. May The Lord God Bless You real good
[This inspiring poem was featuring in the movie “Coach Carter ”]
Our Deepest Fear Is Not That We Are Inadequate, Our Deepest Fear Is That We Are Powerful Beyond Measure. It Is Our Light , Not Our Darkness That Most Frightens Us.
We Ask Ourselves, Who Am I To Be Brilliant, Gorgeous, Talented, And Fabulous ?
Actually Who Are We Not To Be ? You Are A Child Of God.
Your Playing Small Doesn’t Serve The World.
There Is Nothing Enlightened About Shrinking So That Other People Won’t Feel Insecure Around You.
We Are All Meant To Shine, As Children Do.
We Were Born To Make Manifest The Glory Of God That Is Within Us.
It’s Not Just In Some Of Us; It’s In Everyone.
And When We Let Our Own Light Shine We Unconsciously Give Other People Permission To Do The Same.
And As We Are Liberated From Our Own Fear, Our Presence Automatically Liberates Others
- Marianne Williamson -
[NOTE – BEING AFRAID AND REFUSING TO GET INVOLVED WON’T STOP US FROM DYING. BUT BEING AFRAID CAN PREVENT US FROM LIVING]
(Nkosi Sikeleli Africa )
God bless Africa May her glory be lifted high Hear our petitions .
God bless us, Your children God we ask You to protect our nation Intervene and end all conflicts Protect us, protect our nation, our nation.
From the blue of our heaven, From the depths of our sea, Over our eternal mountain ranges, Where the cliffs give answer.
Sounds the call to come together, And united we shall stand, Let us live and strive for freedom, In South Africa our land.
[Enoch Mankayi Sontonga]
WAKE UP !!! STAY UP !!!
[http://www.infowars.com/infowars.asx] / [gcnlive.com] / [http://alexjonesringtones.net/] Life Is A Game. Have Fun . Luke 18:17 - Isaiah 11:6