Stopping torture online

Kuala Lumpur, 17 Oct - In this age of fast-expanding technology, a click of a button could save someone's life out there.

This is what Amnesty International hopes to achieve when it goes 'live' on 18th October (0001 GMT) with a new website, www.stoptorture.org, to mark the launch of its global Campaign Against Torture.

In a press release, Amnesty said that this website will change the face of human rights campaigning, making it easier for people to join the struggle against torture.

Anyone who registers at the site can receive the latest cases by email or mobile phone text messaging, anywhere in the world. To makes things easier, respondents can use the online petition which uses a pre-written email directed at the relevant authorities by way of email or mobile phone. They can also send virtual postcards to family and friends to join in the campaign.

The website also sends updates to users on latest campaign information, activities and success stories.

Amnesty International had its humble beginnings as a small letter-writing campaign some 40 years ago. Today, it is known as the world's most respected authority on human rights campaigning, especially its pioneer "prisoner of conscience" campaign, with a membership of 1 million.

"Today, the organisation is expanding into cyberspace so that Internet users can be online human rights activists working on behalf of victims of torture electronically," Amnesty International said.

Elizabeth Wong