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Your Mind & Human Rights

Citizens' Initiative Omega | 16.08.2003 21:25 | Anti-militarism | Globalisation | Health | London | World

Debate stopped? - About children and antennas - Residents angry at go-ahead for mast - Re: Radar - Parkinson¹s Drug Linked to Gambling - AIDS - Toxic Cosmetics - Helping two indigenous communities of Mbya - OPERATION: IRAQI FREEDOM - The heavy cost of empire - Families Want US Troops Home From Iraq

Debate stopped?
---------------
Friends, Two weeks ago I told you about the public debate in Denmark on basestations. It started with a long talk I had with a young man, some free-lance journalist who wanted information about mobile phone masts and the new 3G/UMTS system. He was very mad, because he discovered that a 3G masts has been raised in front of his flat without notice. He then started this debate in the media. He sent out his message to all newspapers, radio, television, all health authorities and divisions, politicians etc. and he started a website. This was widely referred in all media. Never before there has been such an overall coverage in Denmark, more during these 2 weeks than in the past 10 years. People were very interested and it did not stop at basestations but, also EHS,
radar, microwave ovens came into focus.

Strangely enough the official health authorities and mobile phone companies were silent. Only on the first day I was contacted by the largest phone company in Denmark and they insisted that I withdrew all what I had said. After a long talk, the man admitted that they were only selling mobile phones for Ericsson on which it said that it was safe and raising "safe" basestations. They, both the staff and the engineers did not know anything about standards, health effects etc. at all. He then asked me to send him all my articles.

Yesterday the journalist in question had prepared a new press information and discovered that they had closed all his communication lines to the media and he was completely deleted from the system. Apparently he uses some kind of general press information system. They said they did this, because some people had complained! So now he cannot reach the public in this way any more and has more or less given up.

I had expected an attack on scientific basis, but of course this way is more effective and malicious.

A few weeks ago I was interviewed about EHS for the journal "The Engineer", widely read by people from industry and universities. The journalist, also a free-lance, was asked to write about it, because many members of the engineers' trade union are suffering from radio sickness and asked for it. Shortly after she told me that the article was now ready for printing and would appear middle of this month. After all the publicity about the masts, in which my name was mentioned as the only Danish expert, she told me that the journal would not publish this article about EHS. Reason: the journal's policy!

However, I think the debate has been started and hopefully it cannot be stopped.

Now a more sunny story from the newspaper about the case of the school in Ramloesa, North Zealand. During the summerholidays in 2002 a basestation was raised on top of this school without notice.

When the children came back to school the parents discovered this and a small group started to fight this. You might remember I wrote you about it.

The parents group has been extremely active, were in the media, put up a website and became known all over the country. A few days ago the mayor of this region said, that this basestation has to disappear or be moved elsewhere. He said that the 4 large mobile phone companies had not wanted to discuss this matter with them. All they said was that everything was safe according to ICNIRP standards. The mayor said, that he was not an expert, but though he was told that mobile phones were harmless, this was different.

Use of a mobile phone is voluntary, but in case of masts people are exposed to it all the time and cannot turn it off (do you recognize the argument!).

Another good story: EU's REFLEX project, probably you know all about it - I heard it was in German TV. The project was executed in a great number of European labs under controlled exposure conditions, double blind etc.

When they analysed the results there were positive effects in all experiments: i.e. significant changes in DNA, gene expression, cell proliferation etc. All this came as a big surprise, because the project was originally started with the intention to prove that microwave fields from mobile phones were harmless.

After my presentation at the latest BEMS meeting in Hawaii, the coordinator from REFLEX complimented me on my work and said that it (my work is in a different field) and fitted perfectly with their results. So next time I should join their project.

I do not think that there will be another REFLEX, if you realize where the money for it came from.

Kind regards
Sianette Kwee

Links:
 http://www.bioelectromagnetics.org/newsletter/news172.pdf?PHPSESSID
=c8438ace15a346739e1a4c4436eeab50
 http://www.bioelectromagnetics.org/newsletter/news172.pdf?PHPSESSID
=c8438ace15a346739e1a4c4436eeab50
 http://www.bioelectromagnetics.org/doc/bems2003-abstracts.pdf

--------

Some contributions about children and antennas
from Robert Riedlinger (excerpt)

Bases stations threaten Saint Cyr School Health
------------------------------------------------
Newspaper: Humanité
May 2002
France (Saint-Cyr L'Ecole, near Paris): Bases stations threaten Saint Cyr School Health. Two rare cases of infantile cancer and a series of serious illnesses worry the inhabitants of this town in the Yvelines department.

By Yves Gery (journalist)
Translated by AD (Priartem)

Anxiety is growing at Saint Cyr l'Ecole (Yvelines department). At its origin: the two cases of infantile cancer of a very rare form which have occurred in the space of three years in the town's small school complex (nursery school and primary school). In 1996, a little five-year old girl, attending Wallon Nursery School, dies of cancer,
more specifically a brain stem tumor, a very rare disease in children of this age group.

In 1998, just two and a half years later, an eight-year old boy attending the neighbouring Bizet Primary School contracts the same disease, and also dies. His mother Celia* tells us, "According to the specialist doctors at Villejuif Hospital, who looked after our son, there are only 80 similar cases in France every year." Eighty from a total of about 1500 cases of infantile cancer (0 to 15 years), of which 450 are leukaemia cases.

Although life has to go on at Saint Cyr l'Ecole, anxiety is mounting among parents, troubled by the number of people living in proximity of the school complex who suffer from serious health problems.

Worried gazes turn to the two poles installed on the school roof by France Telecom and SFR, each pole bearing two GSM base station antennas. Alerted early in 2001 by the work of the researcher Roger Santini (1), three Saint Cyr mothers begin to examine scientific literature concerning the possible harmful nature of base station antennas, all the more so since those at Saint Cyr school radiate within close proximity of buildings and playgrounds. This is undoubtedly one of the sites in France where the antennas are installed so close to children.

Another notable point is when the antennas were installed: the first two were set up in 1992, the following two in 1997. This means the children have been continually exposed for nearly ten years. Once again, this is not a common case.

Worried parents set up a public health study within the area. In November 2001, an initial list of serious cases was drawn up. Since then the list has grown, further increasing the anxiety. To date, fourteen serious cases have been established. Under these a bone cancer in a ten-year old child and a haemorrhagic colitis not responding to treatment in a nine-year old girl, both of whom have attended the nursery and primary schools. Amongst adults, at least ten serious diseases have been listed, several of which very recently, in particular three cases of cancer among the school canteen staff.

"Seeing the number of these cases multiply, I began to wonder about the antennas, just one year ago. And I wondered about our son," continues Celia. In January 2002, the announcement about the occurrence of infantile cancer at Valladolid stupefied her. "The attitude of the operators who insist that there are no health problems, who put forward that the locals suffer from psychosomatic complaints, with reasonings such as 'don't think about it and it will get better', convince me all the more that they are hiding something from us. And that there might actually be something."

Since then, Celia has been fighting, alongside various associations, for the dismantling of the antennas on the school, and for the principle of precaution to be respected. "We cannot allow other children to suffer. This disease is really too harsh."

Sure of their facts, the operators refuse to move their Bases stations for the moment, on the grounds that there is no proven risk. However, action on the part of parents has not been entirely fruitless; it led the Mayor to adopt an order in mid-2001 forbidding all base station antennas at less than 300 metres from any residence, and the dismantling of those in place. But the operators appealed and the order was nullified a month later by the administrative court, with a 6000 franc fine for the town council.

In 2001 these same parents intervened "physically" on two occasions in order to prevent the Bouygues Telecom operator from installing six new base station antennas on the roof of a private building at 310 metres from the school complex.

600 local residents signed the petition against the installation. October 2001 saw further action from the parents when they wrote to the ministerial delegate for health, Bernard Kouchner.

In reply, the minister sent them a technical report from the Health Department setting out the constant position of the French authorities for over a year, namely a generally reassuring message without excluding a possible risk: "There is currently no proof of the existence of an objective risk concerning the health of populations residing in the proximity of mobile telephone network base stations. Disorders of a purely subjective nature and of varying forms have been reported, for which it has not been possible to establish a link with this equipment. Given its recent installation, the existence or absence of risk linked to such equipment cannot be confirmed"

A reply which does not satisy these determined parents, who are calling for an epidemiological survey, at least at local level. "We will fight to the end," they promise.

*The real name has been replaced

(1) Doctor at the biochemical and pharmacological laboratory of the INSA, Lyon, Roger Santini is particularly noted for his work "Cell Phones and their Relay Stations: Health Risks?" The Medical Press, 1999.


Phone masts start child cancer scare
-------------------------------------
Giles Tremlett in Madrid
Saturday January 12, 2002
The Guardian
 http://www.guardian.co.uk/mobile/article/0,2763,631567,00.html
That's so great to hear !
-------------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: Robert Riedlinger
To: Roy Beavers
Cc: Klaus ; Don Maisch ; Sarah ; Iris
Sent: Friday, June 20, 2003 4:59 PM
Subject: Moratorium on cell towers near schools
Roy Remember Sullivan Heights School?Here are the lastest results of a battle to stop children from being fried by microwave near schools in BC Canada.

A information meeting at the school,earlier in the year, which was attended by Mary McBride of BC Cancer Agency,who told the people, in attendance, that there are no known health effects from cellphone towers,did not convince the people, and as a result the pressure from the students,teachers,and the Parent Advisory Council was enough to dissolve the 20 year contract to place antenna's on the school roof, that had been signed by the school, with the cellphone company. A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

Regards Robert


It was just today June 17, 2003 that my fax received a copy of a letter sent to Sullivan Heights PAC regarding Resolution #7, Prohibiting the Siting of Cellular Phone Masts
or Antennae on School Buildings and School Grounds.

Liz.


This resolution was passed by the 2,500 Parent Advisory Councils [Known as PTAs in the United States] in British Columbia, Canada at their Annual General Meeting. It puts a moratorium on cell towers near or on schools throughout our entire province. Our next step is to get those few antennae, which were erected before parents got wise, removed.

This should set a precedent throughout Canada and the rest of the world. If the health and well-being of our kids aren't important, what is?

Milt


Plug pulled on Sullivan Heights cell tower
------------------------------------------
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/world/2003/06/272899.html

By Sheila Reynolds

A girl of the school of Valladolid next to antennae of mobile phone system died of cancer
--------------------------------------------------
 http://www.grn.es/electropolucio/omega183.htm
SCHOOLS GIVE LESSONS ON MOBILE PHONE DANGERS
--------------------------------------------
The U.K. Mirror 17/1/00
 http://www.icswebsite.com/emf/public_relations/mirror_london_01_17_00.html


ASK THE EXPERTS: IS SCHOOL MAKING MY CHILD SICK?
------------------------------------------------
 http://www.environmentalhealth.ca/fall02school.html

--------

Planning committee meeting on August 7
Residents angry at go-ahead for mast
----------------------------------------
Councillors approved proposals from T-Mobile to install three additional masts and a transmission dish on the roof of Dartmouth Court, in Dartmouth Grove, Blackheath, at a planning committee meeting on August 7. August 12, 2003

NEWS SHOPPER
Residents angry at go-ahead for mast
By Adrian Kwintner

RESIDENTS campaigning against plans for mobile phone masts on their block of flats say they are "disgusted" at Lewisham Council's decision
to grant the application.

Councillors approved proposals from T-Mobile to install three additional masts and a transmission dish on the roof of Dartmouth Court, in Dartmouth Grove, Blackheath, at a planning committee meeting on August 7.

The council gave the go-ahead to the plans despite 120 letters from residents with fears about health risks, the visual impact and the impact on property prices.

Dartmouth Court Residents' Association says T-Mobile already has a mast on their roof and the only person to benefit from the proposals would be the freeholder whose interest is purely financial.

Dartmouth Court Residents' Association chairman Philip Bartlem said: "I'm pretty disgusted by the council's decision."

Gareth Scarlett, 34, who also lives in Dartmouth Court, said: "New antennas means extra income for the freeholder." "That makes it more expensive for us residents to buy the freehold."

John Bunker, who owns the freehold of the flats, said: "Anything that's put up there is put up there under the auspices of the Health and Safety Executive." The council granted planning permission on the grounds the installation would not have a significant effect on the appearance of Dartmouth Court and work will not be carried out until an approved sound insulation scheme has been adopted.

A T-Mobile spokesman said: "We've had the mast since 1992 and all we're doing is upgrading it to increase capacity and meet the demands of customers."

Meanwhile, Ladywell residents say they cannot afford to appeal to the High Court over Hutchison 3G's plans to erect antennae on Ladywell Water Tower, in Dressington Avenue.

Lewisham's planning committee had failed to make a decision on the application within the required eight-week period. This allowed Hutchison 3G to appeal to the Secretary of State. A Government-appointed inspector then overruled Lewisham Council's belated refusal of the
application.

Residents Against the Mast (Ram) will now challenge an application for a second mast on the tower by Vodafone.

 http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/lewgreennews/display.var.402389.0.
residents_angry_at_goahead_for_mast.php

Informant: Dr. Miguel Muntané

--------

Re: Radar
---------
Klaus,
This may be hard to believe, but in 1969/70 when I was working for Lufthansa in Frankfurt Main Airport, when I was on the ramp, I could close my eyes and always know where the field radar dish was as it turned -- I could FEEL the hot wash of the radar off my face and my body.

and


Parkinson¹s Drug Linked to Gambling
-----------------------------------
Reported August 13, 2003
Parkinson¹s Drug Linked to Gambling
(Ivanhoe Newswire) --

A new study finds an unusual side effect from drug therapy in some Parkinson¹s patients. Certain dopamine agonists show signs of causing some patients to become excessive gamblers. Dopamine is a chemical substance that is produced in the brain that allows people to have smooth movements.

Parkinson¹s patients have a severe shortage of dopamine. Drug therapies for Parkinson¹s focus on increasing dopamine. Researchers at Muhammad Ali Parkinson Research Center in Phoenix conducted a study to see if excessive gambling could be a side effect of one drug therapy.

For the study, researchers looked at the data of 1,884 patients who were seen at the center during one year. They found nine patients had gambling problems. All nine were taking levodopa and a dopamine agonist. In the brain levodopa is transformed into dopamine. The other study drug activates the dopamine receptor in the brain.
None of the patients had a previous history of gambling. Researchers say seven of the patients started gambling within one month after their dosage of the dopamine agonist was increased. All of the patients were in the advanced stages of the disease.

Study authors say the gambling was severe enough to cause financial problems and two of the patients lost more than $60,000. Researchers say after a caretaker or family member noticed the gambling problem, the patients¹ drug therapies were changed. For most of the patients the new treatment plan fixed the problem. Researchers feel higher dosages of dopamine agonist may be to blame for excessive gambling. They add while the risk of this side effect is small, doctors need to inform patients about this unusual side effect.

This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com .
SOURCE: Neurology, 2003;61:422-423

Informant: George Paxinos

--------

AIDS
----
Dear Klaus,

One of your readers/writers put a website about the chemtrails, anyway when I looked in the website, I found something important about AIDS.

The writer explains that AIDS is a man made virus. He writes: "On September 28, 1998 I filed suit against the United States for the "creation", "production" and "proliferation" of AIDS.

On November 7, 2000, the appeals court agreed with the lower court and held AIDS bioengineering as "frivolous." The world continues to wait for the court to rule on the resubmitted issues. The court can not continue to simply brush aside our experts and the government's flowchart." People should know.

 http://www.deepspace4 com/pages/diseases/pagediseases.htm
and

Toxic Cosmetics
---------------
Not too pretty-
Phtalates are chemicals that cause serious health hazards and yet, are inside our cosmetic products. This report brings data about which well known brands products that were tested, contained phtalates, and explains the risks, including Calvin Klein, Lancome Paris, Avon, and more.

www.nottoopretty.org/images/NotTooPretty_final.pdf

Informant: Iris Atzmon

--------

ACTION: Your Mind & Human Rights - 13 August 2003
-------------------------------------------------
 http://www.MindFreedom.org *** please forward! ***
Cyber Action: Please Forward.

This is a Three Day Count Down Until a Hunger Strike Begins for Human Rights in Mental Health! *Action*: You Are Encouraged to Phone *This* Friday, 15 August 2003, to the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. Ask for Any Evidence for Their Claim of the "Biological Basis of Mental Illness."

Please Keep Calling *Every* Weekday Until "Fast for Freedom" Requests Are Met!

This Saturday, half a dozen advocates for human rights in mental health will fly to Pasadena, California...gather in a rented building... and stop eating. Why? Choice is being squeezed out of the mental health system by the psychiatric drug industry and the organizations that they fund.

Families with a member in crisis increasingly have just one choice: Drugs, drugs, drugs, drugs and more drugs.

We are pro-choice. Many of our members choose to take prescribed psychiatric drugs. But true freedom means the right to *choose* from different alternatives.

For news and updates on the Fast for Freedom in Mental Health, including the latest news release, bio's & photos of fasters & the scientific panel, statement of demands, fact sheet and more, see:
 http://www.MindFreedom.org

--------

Helping two indigenous communities of Mbya
------------------------------------------
Dear Friends of Omega:

I know your list is linked with our common concern on radiofrequencies and microwaves. nevertheless, I will ask your support (and the support of Omegas' members) for helping two indigenous communities of Mbya, which lives in the subtropical rainforest of Misiones. I work with them, and I'm trying to help the Mbya in their battle to be recognized as the true owners of their current territory.

I enclose, in the attach, an explanation plus a letter, both in english.

Sincerely yours,
Dr. Raúl A. Montenegro, Biólogo. Presidente de FUNAM (Fundación para la defensa del ambiente). Casilla de Correo 83, Correo Central.
(5000) Córdoba, Argentina. Tel +54-351-4557710 y 4551441 (Particular)
Tel +54-351-4690282 (FUNAM) Fax +54-351-4520260 y 4557710
Radioaviso: Tel +54-351-4521313 (mensaje para Clave 2521)

E-mail:  montenegro@funam.org.ar Web: www.funam.org.ar


Dear friends:
Tekoa Yma and Tekoa Kapi'I Yvate are two Mbya Guarani indigenous communities that lives within UNESCO's Reserve of the Biosphere of Yaboti, in Misiones province, Argentina. The Guarani have been living in the subtropical forest during 3,200 years. Both communities are suffering the environmental damage produced by the Mocona Forest timber company, and cruel raids of foreign hunters. The Mocona Forest S.A. is extracting big trees throughout the Mbya territory, and opening and enlarging unnecessary roads. Their activities are disguised of "Management plans", in most of the cases approved by the government of Misiones. Even a new airport for small planes is planned within the Reserve.

I have been living with them, walking their trails in the forest, eating their food and jointly perceiving the environmental damage produced by the timber company Mocona Forestal S.A., other enterprises and hunters.

Next week I come back to Tekoa Yma and Tekoa Kapi'i Yvate. They have a short history of contacts with non-Mbya cultures. Until recently their kids were growing healthy. Now, medicinal trees are more and more scarce. We can listen the noise produced by the bulldozers and the falling trees. They don't speak Spanish. People from our colleague organization ENDEPA are helping them to defend their rights in the Court of Justice.

Now we are requesting your help. Sending an E-mail or letter you can save lives, antique cultures and trees. The communities of Tekoa Yma and Tekoa Kapi'i Yvate are obtaining their medicinal plants, food, materials and water from 5,000 hectares of
subtropical forest (the Paranaense ecosystem). For the timber company such surface belong to them, and not to the Mbya Guarani. Even having 40,000 hectares of lands, the Mocona Forest S.A. do not recognize the Mbya territory of 5,000 hectares, and is planning to push them into a 200 to 300 hectares property. Such silent genocide of trees and environment will produce a silent and unprecedented genocide of Mbya people.

We are asking you, and your organization, to support the struggle of the Mbya. During centuries they have been living as non-agricultural harvesters, fishermen and hunters. The biodiversity of the Yaboti Reserve cannot be reduced nor destroyed. If the forest survive, the Mbya will survive. If the Mbya survive, the forest will survive too.

Below you can find a draft of the letter of request. Such letter could be simultaneously send to the Minister of Ecology of Misiones province, the Undersecretary of Forests and the Undersecretary of Ecology (San Lorenzo 1538, N3300MDH Posadas, Misiones, Email:
ecología@misiones.gov.ar). We will appreciate if you can send to us a copy of your letter (E-mail:  funam@funam.org.ar ; Postal address: FUNAM, Casilla de Correo 83, Correo Centrral, 5000 Cordoba, Argentina. Telephone: +54-351-4557710 and 4551441).

The Mbya and ourselves we appreciate your support!

Sincerely yours,
Dr. Raúl A. Montenegro, Biologist
President of FUNAM and professor of Evolutionary Biology at the National University of Cordoba (Argentina). Global 500 Award from UNEP (1989).


LETTER OF REQUEST
Mr. M. Alterach, Minister of Ecology Mr. José Cabral, Undersecretary of Forests. Mr. Juan Pablo Cinto, Undersecretary of Ecology Ministery of Ecology, Misiones province, Argentina.
Address: San Lorenzo 1538, N3300MDH Posadas,
Provincia de Misiones, Argentina.
Telephone: +54-3572- 447591 Email: ecología@misiones.gov.ar


Dear Sirs:

The Mbya indigenous communities of Tekoa Yma and Tekoa Kapi'I Yvate are asking the restitution of their lands and forests. Under non-indigenous cultures such lands belongs to the timber company Mocona Forestal S.A.

This approach do not recognize 32 centuries of Guarani and subtropical forest symbiosis. The Mbya live in their original lands and forests, and use in a sustainable way more than 5,000 hectares of high biodiversity environments. Nevertheless, the timber company Mocona Forestal S.A. is extracting large quantities of subtropical trees, whose roots, barks and leaves are used as drugs for the treatment of diseases. When destroying their medicinal plants, the company is destroying the Mbya health, welfare and future. It´s necessary to stop the current degradation of the Yaboti Reserve, and to recognize the current 5,000 hectares territory of the Tekoa Yma and Tekoa Kapi'i Yvate communities as a Mbya property.
We ask your government:
1) To restore Parcel 7 and Parcel 8, which represent more than 5,000 hectares of Subtropical Forest in the Yaboti Reserve, to the communities of Tekoa Yma and Tekoa Kapi'i Yvate.
(2) To put in force Article 41st. (environment) and Article 75, paragraph 17 (indigenous rights), both from the Constitution of Argentina, and ILO
Convention 167 on indigenous rights.
(3) To effectively protect UNESCO's Reserve of the Biosphere of Yaboti.
(4) To stop the extracting of trees by the Mocona Forestal S.A. and the raids of hunters within the Reserve.
(5) To stop the opening and enlargement of roads. (6) To protect the culture of the Mbya and their relationship with the Paranaense Subtropical Forest, and
(7) To ban any attempt for building an airport within the Yaboti Reserve.

Sincerely yours,
Name of the signatory.
Name of the organization.
Address (including street, city, area code etc.).
E-mail, Web Page.
Please, send a copy of your letter to FUNAM (E-mail:  funam@funam.org.ar ; Postal address: FUNAM, Casilla de Correo 83, Correo Central, 5000
Cordoba, Argentina. Telephone: +54-351-4557710 and 4551441). Many thanks!. With your letter you have contributed to save lives, and to save forests.
--------

OPERATION: IRAQI FREEDOM $20,000 bonus to official who agreed on nuke claim
 http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=34042

CIA and DoD Attempted To Plant WMDs in Iraq - and Failed
 http://vancouver.indymedia.org/news/2003/08/61097.php

The heavy cost of empire
 http://www.counterpunch.org/worster08132003.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

--------

Families Want US Troops Home From Iraq
 http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/newsArticle.asp?id=972

UK Probe Uncovers Evidence that Blair "Sexed Up" Claims Against Iraq
 http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/newsArticle.asp?id=976

Citizens' Initiative Omega