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Watchdog goes to UN for help in 2010

VANOC isn't making a big deal of this week's six-month countdown to the 2010 Winter Olympics. But civil rights and housing advocates are.

They gathered at the Omega Countdown Clock yesterday to publicize their plea to the United Nations. They want observers sent to monitor the Olympic city next February to prevent evictions of the poor and violations of free speech.

"You can't suspend human rights just for the sake of the Olympic Games and tenants shouldn't be second-class citizens and people in the inner city shouldn't be disproportionately targeted in terms of policing methods," said Impact on Communities Coalition chair Am Johal.

Johal hand-delivered a 15-page complaint to the UN human rights commission on July 31 in Geneva, Switzerland. It alleges that VANOC, the International Olympic Committee and federal, B.C. and Vancouver governments have already breached several clauses in three UN accords, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

B.C. Civil Liberties Association executive director David Eby said Vancouver's omnibus Olympic bylaws, meant to stop ambush marketing, are unconstitutional and open to abuse.

"Laws that can be abused often are abused," Eby said.

Eby said there are worse human rights violators in the world, but Canada must be held accountable when it violates UN codes.

Bob Mackin reports for Vancouver 24 hours


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