James Joyce Ramble 2010 Human Rights Dedication
Injustice may pain the body, mind and heart, but the soul shall heal all of these. Indifference—to not care, to just stand by, to look away—this bleaches the soul entirely and justice disappears, leaving the rest as invisible. W. Santiago
This year’s Ramble CONTINUES to focus on the plight of Sri Lankan journalist, J.S. Tissainayagam, who was arbitrarily detained by the police in Colombo on March 7, 2008 and subsequently indicted under the Prevention of Terrorism Act for two articles written by him in a monthly magazine. On August 31, 2009, he was convicted and sentenced to 20 years rigorous imprisonment. He is appealing his conviction. On January 11, 2010, the court granted his request to be released on bail while his appeal is pending. Amnesty International considers him to be a prisoner of conscience, imprisoned solely in connection with his journalistic activities.
For the past 26 years, Sri Lanka has been wracked by a civil war between the security forces and the armed Tamil opposition group, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who were seeking an independent state for the Tamil. A ceasefire was negotiated in 2002 but broke down in 2006. In mid-May 2009, the Sri Lankan government announced that it had defeated the LTTE, recapturing all the territory formerly controlled by the group and killing their leaders. Since 2006, journalists and other media workers have been prime target for attack. At least 10 media workers have been the victims of unlawful killings – one has allegedly disappeared in the custody of the security forces, while others have been tortured and arbitrarily detained. Emergency regulations issued by the Sri Lankan President have been used to silence critical media and generally violate freedom of expression in Sri Lanka, including detention without charge or trial for periods lasting up to 18 months.
We at the Ramble believe that our road race has consequence in the areas of fitness, athletic competition, cancer research, literacy, the arts, human rights and seeking community—all values of a vibrant democracy. The James Joyce Ramble takes the position that human rights are central to the sustenance of these democratic values.
Since the Iraq War began, we have been dedicating our efforts to the memory of the late Wall Street Journal writer Daniel Pearl, to the thankful release of Christian Science Monitor freelance journalist Jill Carroll, and Anna Politkovskaya, the Russian journalist who was shot dead in October of 2006 in Moscow. Last year we dedicated our memory to Lasantha Wickramatung, the latest in a long line of Sri Lankan journalists who have been murdered or silenced over the past two decades. We are saddened that Mr. Tissainayagam continues to suffer.
Beginning in 1989 the James Joyce Ramble added to its mission the effort to make people aware of the sanctity of human rights. We have petitioned on behalf of such writers as Vaclav Havel, Xu Wenli, Burma’s Aung San Suu Ky, and many others.
We join Amnesty International to call on the Sri Lankan government to strike down his conviction and grant him an unconditional release. Ask the Sri Lankan government to amend existing legislation so that it is not misused to arbitrarily restrict freedom of expression, and to strike down Tissainayagam's conviction and grant him an unconditional release.
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All Proceeds from the Ramble are donated to the Claudia Adams-Barr Program at Boston's Dana Farber Cancer Institute. This fund supports innovative basic research endeavors at Dana-Farber. Proceeds since 1984 have contributed well over $250,000 to this account.
"One Runner's Unsolicited Review"
-John Barbour - 3rd place/1st master,98 Ramble
The James Joyce Ramble has been recognized by a United States of America Congressional Resolution.
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