We, the undersigned international human rights organizations, are concerned that the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) has yet to take the necessary steps to ensure that the process of drafting the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD) is transparent and fully consultative with civil society organizations in the ASEAN region.
In a joint statement released on April 8th (full text below), over 130 local, national and regional civil society organizations across the ASEAN region called on AICHR to implement the following steps:
A Joint Open Letter produced by NGOs from around the world to the 18th Human Rights Council
To Permanent Representatives of all member states of the UN Human Rights Council
Geneva, 14 September 2011,
Excellency,
Asian Human Rights Commission:
About AHRC: The Asian Human Rights Commission is a regional non-governmental organisation monitoring and lobbying human rights issues in Asia. The Hong Kong-based group was founded in 1984
As civil society organisations, unified
under a common purpose of ensuring respect for international humanitarian
law and redress for victims of war crimes in Israel and Palestine, we would
like to draw your attention to the forthcoming dealing with domestic investigations
of war crimes in accordance with several UN resolutions which will be occurring
at the United Nations Human Rights Council (13 September - 1 October,
2010).
Context:
As the debates on the Post-Tsunami Operational
Management Structure (PTOMS, otherwise referred to as the 'Joint Mechanism',
or JM) continue, almost five months to the day after the tsunami, the south-west
monsoon is setting in and is bound to exacerbate the problems faced by
persons who were displaced by the tsunami. While the numbers still living
in tents is small, most of the temporary wooden shelters erected as a transitional
measure are incapable of withstanding the heavy monsoon rains.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The tumultuous political and deteriorating
human rights situations that started with an initiation of armed revolt
of the Maoists in 1996, has taken a sudden up-turn when King Gyanendra
seized the executive powers, thanks to the military force backing.
Nepal is currently recording a record
of human rights gross violations, which undermines the very dignity of
humanity and letting aside the basic principles of democracy after the
February 1, 2005 Royal Coup D'état. By pretending to control nearly a
Government and international responses
to the December 26, 2004 earthquake and ensuing tsunami have been swift.
From emergency relief to rehabilitation, concerted efforts have been made
to save lives and provide survivors with clean food, water and shelter.
However, FORUM-ASIA is concerned that
little attention has been paid to human rights issues that have arisen
in the tsunami's aftermath. Reconstruction authorities have a duty to guarantee
every survivor's economic, social and cultural rights. These human rights
As per latest media reports the death toll
in Aceh province has gone up to 94,000. The destruction in Aceh has been
massive and all infrastructures have been destroyed. The Indonesian public,
government agencies and international relief agencies have sent a tremendous
amount of aid relief. However according to local partners in Aceh, the
received aid is stuck at the military airport in Banda Aceh. Military control
is seriously hampering the distribution of aid, which in turn is putting
many more lives under serious threat.
At the same time the Indonesian army
Following the earthquake and tidal waves
which hit a large portion of Asia last week, a tremendous amount of aid
relief has been sent by the Indonesian public, government agencies, and
international relief organizations to Banda Aceh and Jakarta airports.
Media reports and witness accounts from
the ground indicate that survivors are again facing imminent threats to
their lives, this time due to relief operations which are being seriously
hampered by military control in Aceh. This means that the outpouring of
aid has been unable to reach the more than 200,000 affected inhabitants
Fear for Burmese Migrant Workers in
Thailand
There is fear that the deaths of Burmese
migrant workers in Thailand may go unaccounted because of their lack of
legal status. The lack of documents makes them hard to identify as Burmese,
reported the Irrawaddy. [Irrawaddy (2 Jan 04) In the Tsunami's Wake:
Burmese Workers Feared Dead] Thousands of Burmese migrants work in the
fishing, construction and rubber plantation industries along the Andaman
coast. Radio Free Asia reported that some of the bodies of Burmese victims
TSUNAMI IMPACT ON BURMA
The tsunami has highlighted the reality that Burma is a "failed state" unwilling to acknowledge the true scale of the disaster. Not only have the military authorities denied the severity of the effects of the tsunami and associated earthquakes, but the regime has been to slow to act to support its own citizens and has also hindered aid agencies and concerned people from providing direct assistance to the survivors.
