Helen is an asylum seeker from Cameroon. She has been living in Glasgow since October 2008. In her time so far in Scotland, Helen has been involved in local church and volunteer activities - she has been working as a volunteer in a charity shop, and has also been involved in British Red Cross projects. Helen is a peaceful and law-abiding woman who is simply needing help from UK government against political persecution in Cameroon. Helen is absolutely terrified of being sent back to her country.

Last week when Helen went to report at UKBA Immigration Reporting Centre in Glasgow she was arrested and taken into detention.

Helen sought asylum in UK on 14/10/08 because in Cameroon because of her association and support for Social Democratic Front - the main political opposition group in Cameroon. Helen and her father were members of CPDM whilst her aunt was very strong activist for SDF. Her aunt was arrested in 2007 for distributing leaflets regarding SDF cause. Eventually she was tortured and imprisoned, which led to her death. Helen and her father resigned from CPDM and became heavily involved in SDF politics - she became propaganda leader whilst her father took the post of active advisor. In 2007 Helen's father was warned several times as well as suffer vandalism to the house with slogans such as "judas" and "traitor" because he and Helen left CPDM to join SDF. CPDM supporters are angry that her father who held an important post in CPDM had defected to the opposition party.In December'07 Helen and her father were arrested because they had held a SDF meeting in their home - and were detained for 2 weeks. When released by police on 5/1/08, she was expected to renounce the SDF and return to the CPDM, as well as report weekly to the police. Helen fled to Bamenda. On 8/3/08 Helen and a large group of SDF women gathered together to march against the SDF members in detention (because they had participated in a strike in Feb'08). Police showed up at this march to arrest Helen and her father. On 20/8/08 a fire broke out in the prison which led to her father suffering burns and dying in hospital. Helen managed to break out from the prison at this time and fled to an aunt's home until she could arrange to escape from Cameroon on 11/10/08.

USA: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - Cameroon 2008
The government's human rights record remained poor, and it continued to commit human rights abuses, particularly following widespread February riots to protest increased food and fuel costs. Security forces committed numerous unlawful killings. Security forces also engaged in torture, beatings, and other abuses, particularly of detainees and prisoners. Prison conditions were harsh and life threatening. Authorities arrested and detained anglophone citizens advocating secession, local human rights monitors and activists, persons not carrying government-issued identity cards, and other citizens. There were incidents of prolonged and sometimes incommunicado pretrial detention and infringement on citizens' privacy rights. The government restricted citizens' freedoms of speech, press, assembly, and association, and harassed journalists. The government also impeded citizens' freedom of movement. Other problems included widespread official corruption; societal violence and discrimination against women; female genital mutilation (FGM); trafficking in persons, primarily children; and discrimination against pygmies, ethnic minorities, indigenous people, and homosexuals. The government restricted worker rights and the activities of independent labor organizations. Child labor, hereditary servitude, and forced labor, including forced child labor, were problems.

There is evidence to show that Helen will be in danger if returned to Cameroon by UKBA. The authorities are known to target SDF activists and those who have association with SDF members. As a victim of torture and detention because of her political beliefs, it seems unjust of UKBA to return Helen to Cameroon without giving her case due consideration especially on medical and torture grounds. She is not fit to fly to Cameroon at present time.

What you can do to help / Please take urgent action now

1) Email/Fax/phone, Virgin Atlantic Airways and urge them not to carry out the forced removal of Helen Ngwaneba Bih - you can use the model fax ' HelenBihVA.doc' attached. You can copy, amend or write your own version, if you do - please quote, Helen Ngwaneba Bih due to be forcibly removed from UK to Cameroon on Sunday 12th April 2009 19:15 on Virgin Atlantic flight VS671.

Tel: 08705 747 747 / Fax: 08701 900 959
Or
E-mail: Flight feedback form
 Customer.relations@fly.virgin.com



2) Please send urgent faxes immediately to Rt. Hon. Jacqui Smith, Secretary of State for the Home Office asking that Helen Ngwaneba Bih be granted protection in the UK. Please use the attached "model letter" (HelenBihJS.doc) which you can copy/amend/write your own version (if you do so, please remember to include her HO ref: B1261461).

Email addresses:
 UKBApublicenquiries@UKBA.gsi.gov.uk
"CIT - Treat Official"  CITTO@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk>

Fax Number: 020 8760 3132


Please send copies of campaign faxes and letters to :  g_macv@yahoo.co.uk
Helen Bih Campaign
c/o ANSU UK
15 Grafton Place
Glasgow
G1 2TE

For further campaign info contact Geraldine Agbor - tel 078 8194 8859

Thanks for your support,
ANSU UK

End of Bulletin:

Source for this Message:
ANSU UK