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RELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVES ON HUMAN RIGHTS
E-Newsletter
Vol.2 No.13
March 27, 2000
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Religious Perspectives on Human Rights is now available online at: http://www.rghr.net
Religious Perspectives on Human Rights is a weekly e-newsletter issued by Buddhist, Muslim, Catholic and Christian Groups on Human Rights, initiated by the Asian Human Rights Commission.
Dear Friends,
The yearning for peace is innate and if the right atmosphere
is created it will surface itself and this is what we are
beginning to observe in Jaffna as reported by Reid Shelton. While
this may be one of the initial, potentially significant gestures,
Sri Lanka has still along path to tread particularly in
addressing the issue of disappearances. Hence the plea to the
international community.
We also would like to share with you another perspective on
China. It by no way is an attempt to defend the dismal human
rights record of China, but more to appreciate some of the
difficulties that are encountered and to invite the international
on its responsibility to work out strategies in promoting rights
in the country.
Pakistan, which was created to ensure the rights to the
minorities has in fact failed to live up to its expectations as
has been witnessed in the creation of separate electorates for
the minorities. A petition requesting the abolition of separate
electorates is published here for your information and eventual
support - the editor
Please notify us in case your e-mail address is changed.
1)
Some Hopeful Signs : Report by Fr. Reid Shelton
2)
To the need to appoint an independent and credible commission
3) Human Rights
and Asian Values
4)
abolition of separate electorate, in Pakistan
1)
Some Hopeful Signs : Report by Fr. Reid Shelton
Herewith I am reporting to you about a peace-march in Jaffna
today (25th) It will begin at Nallur Kovil at 9.00 am and will
proceed to St.Patrick's College Jaffna. It was reported that the
clergy, peace activists and governmen officers do hope to join in
this march. It is the first time that silent majority or the
moderates do attempt to express their opposition to he war and
that they want peace.
In view of this Jaffna peace, there will be a reciprocal peace
meditation Colombo at the Vihara-Maha Devi park from 9.00 am to
10.00 a.m.
2)
To the need to appoint an independent and credible commission
Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances in Sri Lanka
- According to United Nations Working Group on Enforced and
Involuntary Disappearances, Sri Lanka is second only to
Iraq in terms of number of disappearances caused in a
country. In terms of official statistics three government
appointed commissions have reported on about 26,000 cases
of disappearances
- The major obstacle to the prosecution of the perpetrators
is that there had been no criminal investigations into
the disappearances when they occurred. The criminal
investigation was prevented by special emergency
regulation laws, which were passed to create the
background for causing large-scale disappearances.
- Added to all this is the general collapse of the criminal
justice system in Sri Lanka.
- It remains a fundamental human obligation towards the
families of the disappeared to respond to the issue of
disappearances and make it a fundamental issue of concern
to the community at large as well as to the state.
- In spite of many protests by the local people and
organizations, by the international community, by the UN
Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances
and the UN Commission on Human Rights itself in several
of its sessions, the matter of prosecution of offenders
of over thirty thousand offences has reached a dead end.
- If the matter is to be resurrected, the first step to be
taken is to appoint an independent and credible
commission for criminal investigations into
disappearances cases. A credible inquiring commission
needs to have an adequate legal mandate and resources.
However, the appointment of such a commission can only
happen if the international community, UN Working Group
on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances, UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Commission on
Human Rights itself take a serious interest in this
matter. They have every reason to take such an interest;
what has taken place in Sri Lanka in terms of mass
disappearances is a crime against humanity. The local
commissions have concluded that most disappearances,
which occurred in Sri Lanka, were killings after arrest;
they have further concluded that disappearances were
carried out as a part of plan approved by the highest
political authorities. In terms of number of persons
dead, the situation of Sri Lank is much worse than that
of East Timor. It is also much worse than the situation
of Chile under the dictator Pinochet.
Written statement submitted by the Asian Legal Resource Centre
(ALRC) a non-governmental organization with general consultative
status
3)Human Rights
and Asian Values
Professor Xin Chunying
Institute of Law, Chines Academy of Social Sciences
[22 March 2000, HKU Law Faculty. Notes taken by Tim Gill]
Things have moved a long way in China - 20 years ago
there were only 17 law graduates a year in all of China, and no
laws for them to work on!
Description of Asian Values
One description is that 'the individual is linked to the
family; the family is linked to the whole society, and this is
the basis of the society. Instead of a contract between people
and the government, we need a wise leader and an elite who
sacrifice themselves for the good of society.' Li Gong Yao
(?)
It is possible to summarize what are commonly thought of as
Asian Values in 5 points:
- The state and the society enjoy priority over the
individual
- The family is at the centre of society
- The State should respect the individual
- Harmony takes precedence to conflict
- Religious and ethnic groups should be able to live
together peacefully.
Asian Values and Human Rights
In the West, individual rights are more important than
government. People have the rights to overthrow the government if
they feel it is usurping the rights of the individual.
In Asia, the individual can suffer at the expense of society's
goals. If ORDER is the number one priority, then other things can
be compromised at the expense of this.
Human Rights were used as a political weapon by both sides
during the Cold War. Now Asian Values vs. human Rights is the
battle.
In the early 90's, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore felt
economically strong enough to speak out for Asian Values, eg.
"if people have no bread, you can't expect them to be
worried about voting." They used Confucius as a weapon for
their own purposes. But China has never done this, even though
Confucius was Chinese. Socialist leaders believed Confucius was
holding China back. People in China don't think that Asian
Values have created the economic boom - rather they think it
is due to Deng Xiaoping's policies.
Human rights dialogue and discussion has been promoted, but
there is still no regional HR structure in Asia, when all other
regions have one. But until recently even discussion was rare and
seen as separate to Regional Issues. Consensus on Human Rights by
Asian countries can equate with a regional commitment to Human
Rights.
Question Professor Xin left us with:
Is it proper to use 'economics' in Human Rights
dialogue?
4)
Abolition of Separate Electorate, in Pakistan
His Excellency,
Gen. Pervaiz Musharaf,
Chief Executive of Pakistan
Your Excellency, March 23, 2000
I have just finished watching your press conference regarding
Devolution of Power on television. I appreciate that the
government has worked out a detailed plan for devolution of power
to the masses. However I would like to convey my disappointment
about the halfhearted commitment made regarding abolition of
separate electorate, a system based on religious apartheid. It
was sad to note that your government is 'still thinking'
about one of the gravest of the problems of the religious
minorities. The non-Muslim citizens had to face discrimination
and a sense of being left out in an important national plan.
The minorities in Pakistan have not only protested about this
separatism but have clearly demanded restoration of Joint
electorate, ever since the principle of equality of citizens was
undermined 1979 and 1985. There is unanimity of thought among the
human rights organizations about the detrimental characters and
features of this electoral system. The indecisiveness of the
government on issue is disturbing for religious minorities in
Pakistan.
We have always contributed to development and building the
nation, and I personally believe that minorities would be able to
o more in nation building if only their belittled status as
citizens is restored. I expect that your Excellency will soon
make an announcement to remove doubts and to revive confidence,
and due placement of he minority communities in the scheme of
devolution of power.
My prayers and best wishes.
Fr. Emmanuel Yousaf Mani,
Vicar General, Archdiocese of Lahore,
Director,
National Commission for Justice & Peace
(Catholic Bishops' Conference of Pakistan)
Posted on 2000-03-27
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