News in Brief – Watching
- Worst EU lobbyists in 2010
- Forest sale could attract biofuel energy companies
- Serco Yarl’s Wood guards: 'Violent, racist, sexist and vindictive'
- Where are Jimmy Mubenga's alleged killers? Worst EU lobbyists in 2010 RWE (npower), Goldman Sachs and derivatives lobby group ISDA have been given the dubious honour of the Worst EU Lobbyists of 2010. The results of the dual climate and finance categories of the Worst EU Lobbying Awards 2010, organised by Friends of the Earth Europe, Corporate Europe Observatory, LobbyControl and SpinWatch, were revealed earlier this month during a ceremony outside the ISDA offices in Brussels. Watch the awards ceremony at
www.corporateeurope.org/lobbycracy/news/2010/12/02/worst-eu-lobbyists-revealed
Forest sale could attract biofuel energy companies Leaked plans to sell state-owned woodlands in England, which are currently managed by the Forestry Commission, in response to budget cuts have led to public fears of a rise in Centre-parcs-style holiday villages, golf courses and adventure sites. A sell-off of Forestry Commission lands was previously attempted by John Major's government in early 1990s but was abandoned after a public outcry. Although Defra has refused to reveal details, it is widely believed that commercial forestry companies will bid for the commission's timber-growing sites, some of which may then be snapped up by energy companies that simply want to burn the wood as a biofuel, alongside coal, which enables them to claim subsidies for 'green energy'. Scottish & Southern Energy has already assembled a portfolio of 3,000 hectares of UK forests. Link: www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/691054/englands_controversial_forest_sale_could_attract_biofuel_energy_companies.html
Serco Yarl’s Wood guards: 'Violent, racist, sexist and vindictive' The All African Women’s Group and Black Women’s Rape Action Project have published new stories of migrant women being subjected to violent, sexist and racist abuse by Serco guards in Yarl's Wood detention centre near Bedford. One of the women, Jane Uyi, says she was physically assaulted and verbally abused by two male and one female Serco guards during one of their routine monthly searches of inmates' rooms. An officer known as Clifford called Ms Uyi an "illegal immigrant" and "a prostitute," breaching her confidentiality by revealing aspects of her asylum claim to other women and officers present. The manager then arrived and, instead of asking what had happened, he bent both Uyi’s hands back and pressed her against the wall, pulling out some of her hair. Uyi was then taken into isolation, where she was denied food and kept in a cold room for two days. She called the police but these did nothing as there was "no blood." Other women locked up in Yarl's Wood are often more reluctant to speak publicly of their experiences as they fear retribution by private security guards who seem to get away with such brutal and abusive treatment as the Home Office turns a blind eye. Link: www.womenagainstrape.net
Where are Jimmy Mubenga's alleged killers? Attempts to establish whether the three G4S guards implicated in the death of Jimmy Mubenga during a deportation attempt in October are still involved in carrying out deportations or have been suspended, have been met with deaf ears. After a number of attempts to contact G4S and the Home Office, the Institute of Race Relations, which has conducted extensive research into death during forced deportations, and others were told that matters relating to Mubenga's death were "'sub judice" (under judicial consideration). The three guards were at the time questioned by police and bailed without charge pending further inquires. G4S has since lost its contract to manage 'detainee escort services' on behalf of the UK Border Agency and will be replaced by Reliance Secure Task Management from May next year. Earlier this month, at a public meeting at the House of Commons called by INQUEST and Medical Justice, the chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, Keith Vaz, reassured Jimmy's family that "we will not just pick up the issue and drop it," promising to take up the case as soon as the ongoing police inquiries had finished and the CPS had considered whether a prosecution should be brought. He also agreed that the committee should conduct an investigation into the wider issue of the use of force during forced deportations. Link: www.irr.org.uk/2010/december/ha000012.html
Background: www.corporatewatch.org/?lid=3739
- Forest sale could attract biofuel energy companies
- Serco Yarl’s Wood guards: 'Violent, racist, sexist and vindictive'
- Where are Jimmy Mubenga's alleged killers? Worst EU lobbyists in 2010 RWE (npower), Goldman Sachs and derivatives lobby group ISDA have been given the dubious honour of the Worst EU Lobbyists of 2010. The results of the dual climate and finance categories of the Worst EU Lobbying Awards 2010, organised by Friends of the Earth Europe, Corporate Europe Observatory, LobbyControl and SpinWatch, were revealed earlier this month during a ceremony outside the ISDA offices in Brussels. Watch the awards ceremony at
www.corporateeurope.org/lobbycracy/news/2010/12/02/worst-eu-lobbyists-revealed
Forest sale could attract biofuel energy companies Leaked plans to sell state-owned woodlands in England, which are currently managed by the Forestry Commission, in response to budget cuts have led to public fears of a rise in Centre-parcs-style holiday villages, golf courses and adventure sites. A sell-off of Forestry Commission lands was previously attempted by John Major's government in early 1990s but was abandoned after a public outcry. Although Defra has refused to reveal details, it is widely believed that commercial forestry companies will bid for the commission's timber-growing sites, some of which may then be snapped up by energy companies that simply want to burn the wood as a biofuel, alongside coal, which enables them to claim subsidies for 'green energy'. Scottish & Southern Energy has already assembled a portfolio of 3,000 hectares of UK forests. Link: www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/691054/englands_controversial_forest_sale_could_attract_biofuel_energy_companies.html
Serco Yarl’s Wood guards: 'Violent, racist, sexist and vindictive' The All African Women’s Group and Black Women’s Rape Action Project have published new stories of migrant women being subjected to violent, sexist and racist abuse by Serco guards in Yarl's Wood detention centre near Bedford. One of the women, Jane Uyi, says she was physically assaulted and verbally abused by two male and one female Serco guards during one of their routine monthly searches of inmates' rooms. An officer known as Clifford called Ms Uyi an "illegal immigrant" and "a prostitute," breaching her confidentiality by revealing aspects of her asylum claim to other women and officers present. The manager then arrived and, instead of asking what had happened, he bent both Uyi’s hands back and pressed her against the wall, pulling out some of her hair. Uyi was then taken into isolation, where she was denied food and kept in a cold room for two days. She called the police but these did nothing as there was "no blood." Other women locked up in Yarl's Wood are often more reluctant to speak publicly of their experiences as they fear retribution by private security guards who seem to get away with such brutal and abusive treatment as the Home Office turns a blind eye. Link: www.womenagainstrape.net
Where are Jimmy Mubenga's alleged killers? Attempts to establish whether the three G4S guards implicated in the death of Jimmy Mubenga during a deportation attempt in October are still involved in carrying out deportations or have been suspended, have been met with deaf ears. After a number of attempts to contact G4S and the Home Office, the Institute of Race Relations, which has conducted extensive research into death during forced deportations, and others were told that matters relating to Mubenga's death were "'sub judice" (under judicial consideration). The three guards were at the time questioned by police and bailed without charge pending further inquires. G4S has since lost its contract to manage 'detainee escort services' on behalf of the UK Border Agency and will be replaced by Reliance Secure Task Management from May next year. Earlier this month, at a public meeting at the House of Commons called by INQUEST and Medical Justice, the chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, Keith Vaz, reassured Jimmy's family that "we will not just pick up the issue and drop it," promising to take up the case as soon as the ongoing police inquiries had finished and the CPS had considered whether a prosecution should be brought. He also agreed that the committee should conduct an investigation into the wider issue of the use of force during forced deportations. Link: www.irr.org.uk/2010/december/ha000012.html
Background: www.corporatewatch.org/?lid=3739