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Ghana: Demand Justice for Ghanaian AIDS Treatment Access Activists
 
10/17/2002

SUMMARY

The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) forwards this urgent action in support of Ghanaian activists in their demands for the right to health and life, and to protest peacefully.

Rapid response is essential. The global day of protest against Coca-cola is TODAY, Thursday October 17. Coca-Cola and the Ghanaian authorities must be made aware of the fact that activists are monitoring this situation closely, and will not tolerate any further repression and retaliation against the Ghanaian AIDS Treatment Access Group (GATAG).

ACTION

Concerned organizations and individuals can help Ghanaian activists in their effort to hold Coke accountable for their failings by contacting the following people, immediately:

1. Contact Ghana's Superintendent of Police, Special Operations Assistant to the Inspector General of Police:

   Mr. Kwadwo Oware (+4 hours, Eastern Standard Time)

   
   

   office: +233-21-773-900 ext 3044
   mobile: +233-28-210-020
   home telephone in Accra: +233-21-406-697
   mobile: +233-20-818-0363

   Request that Kwadwo Oware immediately grant GATAG a permit for their protest tomorrow, and publicly foreswear the use of violence, intimidation, force and arrest against a protesters participating in a peaceful rally.

2. Contact Coca-Cola and demand that the corporation publicly condemn police repression targeting AIDS activists in Ghana, and call on Coke to request publicly that the Ghanaian police issue a protest permit to GATAG and assure the protest will be peaceful and free from arrests, as GATAG has planned.

   Unless Coca-Cola takes these actions, they will be incriminated by any arrest or other act of violence against the AIDS activists protesting tomorrow.

   Richard Lindsay, Coca-Cola Africa Foundation

   
   

   email: rlindsay@eur.ko.com
   tel: +44 1753 626969

   Douglas Daft, CEO, Coca-Cola

   
   

   tel: (404) 676-4971
   Office of the Executive Assistant to Doug Daft, John Pope:
   Messages should also be left: 1-800-438-2653

3. When you are done, contact Health GAP, to keep us up to date about your actions.

   Asia Russell

   
   

   tel: +1 267 475 2645
   email: info@healthgap.org

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

GATAG, the Ghanaian AIDS Treatment Access Group, has been planning since September a peaceful protest in Accra, Ghana on October 17 2002. The protest is part of an international campaign to force Coca-Cola to provide free HIV treatment for all Coke workers in Africa--including all bottlers and distributors--and for Coke workers' families. (For more information see www.treat-your-workers.org)

Yesterday morning (Wednesday October 16, 2002) a GATAG activist involved in planning the protest was detained for his planning activities by the police. After several hours in detention and many phone calls from organizations and individuals trying to intervene, the activist was released.

The police have refused to grant GATAG a march permit, and insist that if GATAG doesn't cancel their march the activists will face the risk of brutality and arrest. The police claim this will be their response because the march has no permit.

The GATAG activist's detention happened after Coca-Cola officials communicated with the police about the GATAG protest in Ghana; Coke, however, denies any association with the activist's detention.

GATAG has requested that people support their efforts to move forward with their action--as planned--despite police intimidation. Events highlighting Coke's inadequate response to the AIDS epidemic will be happening simultaneously around the world October 17.

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