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RELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVES ON HUMAN RIGHTS
E-Newsletter
Vol.2 No.43
October 23, 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.
1)
SUCCESSFUL TOKEN HUNGER STRIKE FOR RESTORATION OF JOINT
ELECTORATE IN PAKISTAN
In response to a call from the Joint Action Committee for
Peoples' Rights a successful hunger strike was staged in Lahore
today (October 19, 2000). Thirty hunger strikers sat from 10.00,
a.m. to 5.00, p.m. at Cherring Cross, Lahore. Fr. Emmanuel Yousaf
Mani, Fr. Abid Habib, Fr. Rehmat Raja, Fr. Bonnie Mendes, Group
Captain (r) Cecil Chaudhry, Mr. Aftab Alexander Mughal, Mr.
Joseph Francis and Peter Jacob of the National Commission for
Justice & Peace represented religious minorities. The hunger
strike camp was visited by hundreds of persons including members
of civil society organizations and prominent political parties.
Addressing the gathering at the hunger strike camp Allama Zubair
Ahmed Zahir said that Separate electorate had created a sense of
deprivation among religious minorities. And, that a system that
failed to ensure equal rights to all citizens, is bound to fail.
He warned the military government against their stern and
inflexible
attitude towards peoples' rights.
Mr. Farooq Tariq, General Secretary Labour Party Pakistan
termed separate electorate a scheme of religious apartheid that
promoted intolerance and served the purpose of divide and rule
only. Ms. Sajida Meer, a leader of the Pakistan Peoples' Party
reiterated her party's stand for joint electorate and promised an
all out
support for the demand for restoration of Joint electorate. The
Hunger strike was closed by the thanking note from Ms. Shah Taj
Qizilbash, the Convener of Joint Action Committee..
Peter Jacob
Executive Secretary
NCJP
2)
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL GLOBAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST
Asia Pacific: The undercurrent of torture Amnesty
International's global Campaign Against Torture was launched
today, beginning with a press conference in Tokyo, Japan. The
organization is calling for worldwide action towards the
abolition of torture.
Many governments have not signed up to the UN Convention
against Torture, and those who have often fail to implement
its provisions.
During its year-long campaign, Amnesty International will be
mobilising its membership in 15 Asia-Pacific countries, and
working together with other organizations to change public and
official attitudes towards torture. It will be calling on the
region's governments to take real steps to prevent torture, and
to address
impunity and discrimination.
For more information on Amnesty International global Campaign
Against Torture, please or visit web : http://www.stoptorture.org
Editor's Note: A second workshop on the UN Convention Against
Torture will be conducted by us in Bangkok from 5-10 November
with participants coming from ten countries.
3.1)
ROAD TO RECONCILIATION in AMBON/ MOLUCCAS: report from
CRISIS CENTRE The chairman of the FBI = Front Pembela Islam
Maluku (Islam Front of Defense in the Moluccas), M.Husni Outuhena
SH (Sarjana Hukum / Lawyer), according to Suara Maluku
newspaper, urges all those who
are involved in the Moluccas conflict, not to allow that
religious issues are being used in order to attain certain
political advantages. Christians and muslims should respect each
others religion, they should not attempt to gain the other party
over to their own religion.Likewise the interim deacon of the
Pattimura University Law Faculty, Yanes Leatemia SH, MH,
expressed his conviction that religious difference up to now has
been used by certain politicians to accomplish their own
political goals. A dialogue among the conflicting parties will be
possible if only no outsiders meddle in such effort of
reconciliation. So the request that the laskar jihad should leave
the Moluccas before a dialogue will be possible, will not be
withdrawn.
3.2) NATIONAL
HUMAN RIGHTS AGENCY On October 19, the
National Commission for Human Rights opened an agency for the
Moluccas in
Ambon. To that purpose an operational team from this
Commission led by Mr. Bambang W.Soeharto came to
Ambon. They will recruit two local assistants, one muslim and one
christian. This agency hopes in cooperation with various other
agencies, even in cooperation with the whole populaton to
act as a mediator to end the conflict. However, the main task of
this agency will be the survey on violation of human rights.
4).
VISIT DELEGATION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION TO THE NORTH MOLUCCAS :
The 17 member delegation of 9 European countries, representing
the European Union, arrived at Ternate, the capital of the
province of the North Moluccas, in the late afternoon of Friday,
October 13. During their meeting with the responsible of the
Civil Emergency State, governor Muhyi Effendie and other
officials, they were
informed about the situation in the Province of the North
Moluccas. The situation was said to be under control, and
reconciliation efforts were underway. The total of casualties is
at least 2004 killed. refgees: at least 197.000. Houses
destroyed: 20.000. Churches and mosques destroyed: 144. School
buildings destroyed: 173. Also a not mentioned number of (other)
public facilities was destroyed.On this occasion Dutch
Ambassador, Mr. Schelto Baron van Heemstra, expressed the
illingness of the Dutch Government to assist the Indonesian
Government to end the conflict in the North Moluccas with its
expertise on matters of conflict like these.
5. NOTE: Information in the French and Spanish languages on the
situation in the Moluccas can ' among others ' be found at http://www.caritas.org
5)
INDONESIA URGED TO CALL OFF PAPUA ULTIMATUM
(New York, October 17, 2000) -- Human Rights Watch today urged
Indonesian authorities to call off an ultimatum to independence
supporters in Irian Jaya (West Papua) to take down all West
Papuan flags by Thursday, October 19. In the past two years, a
broad-based and increasingly well-organized West Papuan
independence movement has emerged, holding province-wide
congresses and petitioning the Indonesian leadership to hold a
popular referendum on independence.
The raising of the Papuan flag has been at the center of many of
the protests. Papuan civil society leaders say that the flag
symbolizes the frustrations of Papuans with decades of
discriminatory and often brutal misrule by Jakarta In place of
the ban on the flag, Human Rights Watch called for renewed
dialogue and a principled approach to Papuan independence
demands.
6) URGENT ACTION
Can You help Save Dr. Shaikh? From: "Ain o Salish Kendro
(ASK)" <ask@citechco.net>
Dr. Younus Shaikh is founder-President of 'Enlightenment', a
Pakistan based organization which is a member of the
International Humanist and Ethical Union (www.iheu.org). Dr. Shaikh is a
doctor and a teacher at a medical college in Islamabad. He lived
and worked in the UK before returning to Pakistan.. Worked
actively to promote Human Rights in Pakistan and Peace in South
Asia On 4 October 2000, Dr. Shaikh was arrested by the Islamabad
police and booked under the dreaded Section 295-C (Blasphemy) of
the Pakistan Penal Code. He is alleged to have defiled Mohammad,
the Prophet of Islam, by pointing out that the Prophet did not
become a Muslim till the age of 40 (ie. until he received the
first message of God), and that the Prophet's parents were
non-Muslims because they
died before Islam was proposed by the Prophet. It is for stating
these facts that Dr. Shaikh will be killed by the State, if he is
found guilty:
Today, 19 October 2000, Dr. Shaikh was presented before the
court, but he had no lawyer. Frequently lawyers are intimidated
by the mob, so they do not ake up blasphemy cases. Blasphemy in
Pakistan This law has a history of abuse : it is a convenient
means to settle personal scores. In this case, it is a
disgruntled student Mr. Muhammad Asghar Khan who complained to
the fundamentalists. Even those not present at the time of the
alleged 'offence' can file a complaint - this is the case as
regards Dr. Shaikh. A cleric, Maulana Abdur Rafoof, registered
the case in Islamabad's Margalla police station. Despite the
severity of punishment, Section 295-C the powers a police officer
to arrest, without obtaining a warrant from a judicial
magistrate. Dr. Shaikh is in custody
What Can you Do?
- If you live in the UNITED STATES, please write to the US
Commission on International Religious Freedom, and invoke the
provisions of the International Freedom of Religion Act, Fax 202
647 5283
If you live in a European Union Member State, ask your own
country's EU Ambassador to explore possibilities of asylum for
Dr. Shaikh. Ask your Minister to arrange for an observer at Dr.
Shaikh's trial, if he is not released immediately.
- Wherever you live, Fax your MP / Embassy in your country.
- Write to Amnesty International, asking them to adopt Dr.
Shaikh as a prisoner of conscience.
- Write to the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion
or Belief. The Special Rapporteur has the mandate to take
the matter up with the government on a diplomatic level.
Write to
Dr. Abdul Fatteh Amor
The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief
8-14 Avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Telephone Number (41-22) 917-9000
Fax Number (41-22) 917-9016
7)
MAYANMAR: UN Expert Says Human Rights Problem Worsening
Myanmar's human rights situation is persistently deteriorating
as the ruling military junta suppresses all opposition political
activity and inflicts "inhuman treatment" on opposition
members and ethnic minorities, UN investigator Rajsoomer Lallah
said in a report released yesterday. Meanwhile, suppression of
freedom of thought, expression, association and movement
continue. Unofficial child soldier estimates stand at 50,000, the
highest of any country in the world. Torture and abuse of
detainees is reported to "occur in a systematic and
widespread manner in military intelligence interrogation centers
and certain prisons" (Associated Press/CNN.com, 17
Oct).
8)
THAILAND: MORE PROTECTION URGED FOR REFUGEES- UNWire
(New York, October 17, 2000) Human Rights Watch today urged
the Thai government to take advantage of the final visit by the
current United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Sadako
Ogata, to Thailand to change its policies toward Burmese
refugees. Ogata is visiting Bangkok on October 17 and 18.
"Most refugees in Thailand are Burmese, and they're at
risk of being sent back to Burma where they face persecution and
human rights abuse," said Sidney Jones, Human Rights Watch's
Asia director. "Mrs. Ogata's visit offers an ideal
opportunity for the Thai government to show that it can and will
offer protection to those who need it."
For More Information: Sidney Jones (w) +1 212 216 1228
Posted on 2000-10-23
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