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RELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVES ON HUMAN RIGHTS

E-Newsletter
Vol.3 No.33
August 13, 2001


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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) MIXED-CASTE COUPLE HANGED BY OWN FAMILIES
2) FIRE SWEPT THROUGH A PRIVATELY ­RUN HOME FOR THE MENTALLY ILL KILLING AT LEAST 25 INMATES MANY CHAINED TO THEIR BEDS.
3) 'ROLE OF RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY TO ESTABLISH PEACE'- Nepal
4) SRI LANKA: CONCERN EXPRESSED ABOUT ARMED GROUPS
5) STRANGERS IN OUR MIDST
6) RIGHTS GROUPS SAY MILITARY RELATIONS WITH INDONESIA HURT, NOT HELP OPPOSE ANY RESTORATION OF U.S. MILITARY TIES
7) HOME NEWS:

We are forwarding an Urgent Appeal related to caste discrimination - please act on this if you can.
ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAM
9 August 2001

1) UA-28-2001 - MIXED-CASTE COUPLE HANGED BY OWN FAMILIES

INDIA: Caste based discrimination - a distinct form of racial discrimination on the basis of work and descent; right to life & marriage In a stark reminder that caste discrimination is still rife in India, a pair of mixed-caste lovers were hanged in public last Monday by their own family members in Alipur village, Muzaffarnagar district, in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

According to the Muzzaffarnagar district police chief, a 20-year-old man Vishal (a high caste Brahmin) and an 18-year-old woman Sonu (from the lower caste Jat community) were hanged to death because they belonged to different castes and were in love with each other. The families of both the boy and girl brought them to the roof of a village house and hanged them one after the other in front of hundreds of villagers supporting the murder.

Seven people have been arrested by the police, but this is not the first time there have been such murders in the district of Muzzaffarnagar. In 1993, a pair of mixed-caste lovers were set upon by their local community and killed, while another couple were hacked to death in a rickshaw in March this year.

(For full details contact: timgill@ahrchk.org

Chennai (Madras), August 6:

2) FIRE SWEPT THROUGH A PRIVATELY ­RUN HOME FOR THE MENTALLY ILL NEAR RAMANTHAPURAM DISTRICT, KILLING AT LEAST 25 INMATES MANY CHAINED TO THEIR BEDS.

The victims at the home in Erwadi in southern Tamil Nadu, who were chained to their beds for the night as is the practice, were trapped in the iron shackles and their cries for help were dismissed by the staff and neighbours as the lunatic wails. "They could not escape as they were tied to their beds," an official at the Ramanthapuram district collectorate informed over telephone.The dead included 15 men and ten women, including two 16-year- olds.

Background - ERVADI DHARGA TRAGEDY

Erwadi Dharga is situated at 1Km away from the Erwadi town. It has been established at the burial site of one Saint Sayyad Abdhahir Oliyullah. After the death of the Saint, the residents of this locality (158 families around) established this Dharga. Due to the belief and the faith that by visiting/staying at the Dharga, one can get rid of any kind of disease, the people of varied cultures has visited it..

Following are the allegations over the inhuman conditions prevailing in the Mental Asylums situated around Dharga. Even then these religiously significant places which attract large mentally/physically affected population don't have any mental hospitals to take care. The views expressed by the Sub-Inspector

1. There are 17homes being run mostly by privates and individuals. Another point to be noted that, most of these asylums are run or managed by the people who were once being the inmate of these asylums. After their recovery, they are in this service.

2. Among these inmates, the majority forms of the Alcohol and drug addicts and remaining are the mentally depressed people due to their family and other personal problems.

3. We do get complaints/informations about the women inmates that they are being abused and misused. Following that, we have tightened up our night para security around these asylums.

The private individuals run all these 17 asylums situated around the Dharga. Each one of the asylums has inmates in varied numbers. Generally the homes/asylums lack adequate space and necessary facilities like toilets bathrooms etc. Most of them are sheds made up of thatches. All the patients are chained together and being kept in the sand lying outside asylums. Due to that patients suffer since the sand particles enter into their ear, nose, mouth and eyes. Since they are all chained together if one person has to go toilet, the others also have to go along with him/her.

After this event a co-ordination committee was formed and the Collector heads it, Medical Inspector, the police, NGOs and Dharga committee to monitor the situation and it had sent a report after an enquiry. Till now no action had been taken. The committee recommends that the Government take proper action to ban private asylums and the existing have to be taken over by the Government to avoid such untoward events.

Chennai (Madras), August 6

3) 'ROLE OF RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY TO ESTABLISH PEACE'- Nepal

From: "Fr. Silas Bogati "

I wanted to let you know about a meeting I attended recently. I was invited to a meeting organized by a Human Rights organization called 'Forum for protection of Human Rights,Nepal'. It was chaired by Mr.Padma Ratna Tuladhar who is trying to mediate between Maoist and the Government.The theme of the meeting was 'Role of Religious community to establish peace'.The Religious leaders of four major religions were present, namely Hinduism, Islam ,Buddhism ,Christianity.I was the one who spoke on behalf of Christianity.We all four religious leaders stressed for working towards lasting peace in Nepal. We appealed both the Government and the Maoist to shun violence and come for a healthy diaiogue to solve our country's problems. It was told violence is not the way;it will lead to more violence and bloodshed.Our country has suffered enough in these five years.

Now as the Maoist and the Government are preparing themselves for talk whole country is waiting in great hope that we will have peace once again in Nepal.

Mr.Padma Ratna Tuladhar was suggesting to take a religious delegation to meet the Prime Minister and to stress the need for a dialogue and come to some peaceful solution to this present crisis.

4) SRI LANKA: CONCERN EXPRESSED ABOUT ARMED GROUPS

A local human rights worker in northern Sri Lanka recently drew attention to illegal detention, 'disappearances' and recruitment of children by government-backed Tamil armed groups. In a letter to Sri Lanka's president, Chandrika Bandaranayake, the human rights officer, who works with the local church, described the armed groups as

"anti-social, anti-human and arbitrary" and urged the government to disarm the groups.

"They (the armed groups) are a law unto themselves, they intimidate citizens at gunpoint to make them comply with their schemes, very often in open connivance with government law officers, or at least with their knowledge," said the human rights officer. "Human life and freedom are too precious to be entrusted to the caprices of

armed groups."

( Courtesy JRS)

5) STRANGERS IN OUR MIDST - Radio National, on Sunday 29/07/01, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's

In Western Australia various churches have combined their human and physical resources to help people who have fled oppression in Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries and made the long and often dangerous journey to Australia. What help do these 'strangers in our midst' receive when they leave Port Hedland or Curtin Detention Centre with only Temporary Visa status? Not much from the government, it seems!

CARAD (The Coalition Assisting Refugees After Detention) tries to plug the gap helping families and individuals find accommodation, providing English instruction and employment assistance where possible. It's been a journey too for CARAD volunteers as they extend their Christianity to help the stranger in need and come closer to dialogue with other faiths. Their help to the refugees has sometimes tested their personal friendships. Not all are sympathetic to people they describe as "queue jumpers".

Media Release

Contact: Kurt Biddle (IHRN); (202) 544-1211; kurtbiddle@earthlink.net

6) RIGHTS GROUPS SAY MILITARY RELATIONS WITH INDONESIA HURT, NOT HELP OPPOSE ANY RESTORATION OF U.S. MILITARY TIES

August 9, 2001 The Indonesia Human Rights Network (IHRN) and the East Timor Action Network (ETAN) today urged the Bush administration to scrap any plans to strengthen ties with the Indonesian military. Citing ongoing human rights abuses and lack of accountability for violations, the groups said renewing military relations with Indonesia would set back reform efforts and democracy in Indonesia while undermining East Timor's security.

"The Indonesian military has answered to no one for their crimes against humanity and continues to kill hundreds of civilians. Nothing has changed as far as human rights are concerned now is not the time to reward this brutal force," stated Kurt Biddle, Washington Coordinator for IHRN.

The installation of Megawati Sukarnoputri as president of Indonesia has been used by some in the U.S. to press for a closer relationship between the Pentagon and the Indonesian military (TNI).

7) HOME NEWS:

- The two interns Maya and Shakirah completes their internship and return to their respective countries
- We welcome Ms. Hae Young the new intern from South Korea
- A workshop on ICC is on progress in Hong Kong for the East Asian participants
- A workshop by HRSCHOOL is scheduled from 16-21 August in Hong Kong