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RELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVES ON HUMAN RIGHTS

E-Newsletter
Vol.3 No.37
September 10, 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) DALIT DRUM SOUNDED PROUD AT DURBAN By Basil fernando
2) EAST TIMOR: U.N. Officials Seek Resolution On Children
3) A GOODBYE TO FR. RUFUS HALLEY
4) "GENDER DIMENSIONS OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION"
5)Sri Lankan soldiers push for peace
6) MASS CHILD MARRIAGE IN RAJASTHAN
7) A PUBLIC PROTEST AGAINST THE PRICE of MILK POWDER
8) News in Brief

AHRC HOME NEWS

1) DALIT DRUM SOUNDED PROUD AT DURBAN By Basil fernando

A Statement of the Asian Human Rights Commission

The World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (WCAR), held in Durban, South Africa, from Aug. 31 to Sept. 7, 2001, has brought into sharp focus several extreme forms of discrimination. Among these is the issue of caste-more specifically, the issue of the Dalits- for caste became a highly visible issue during the international debate on racial discrimination.

It became obvious during the conference that Indian diplomats, in their extreme activism to keep caste out of the final declaration of this world gathering and its work programme, not only brought the Indian government into high disrepute, but also brought down the moral standing of India before the eyes of the world. India also lost any possibility of claming to be a world leader in the promotion and protection of human rights until it changes its public position on the caste issue. The international conscience, which is being awakened to one of the cruellest forms of discrimination after many centuries of neglect, is naturally questioning the Indian stand and is asking "What kind of nation is this?"

The greatest losers at this conference are those of the Indian upper caste-the Brahmins-who are represented by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. With the help of their diplomats, they lost a golden opportunity to tell the world that they deeply regret this historic practice and are genuinely concerned in eradicating it. Instead, the harangue about constitutional provisions and laws which exist to protect the Dalits only met with the retort: "How come this draconian discrimination still exists?" The lasting damage the Indian government caused to itself-thanks to its diplomats-can only be reversed through genuine countermeasures that are made known to the international community, which is now quite well-informed about the issue of caste in India.

The delegation of 200 Dalits, wearing their badges and headstraps with the words "Cast away Caste" and telling their histories, won the hearts of everyone. In their demonstrations, they sang, "Down, Down, Casteism; Up, Up, Humanism." Of their drums, an observer at a conference session said, "It was the Dalits' drum that helped all victims here at Durban dance together." These long-time sufferers of one of the worst forms of discrimination that humanity has known stole the hearts of everyone and became the humanising factor at this conference, a conference where a few powerful governments disgraced themselves by arrogantly walking away from the conference because they could not have their own way.

A little more should be said of the Dalits' drum, however. This was at one time called derogatorily the "scavenger's drum." After days of working under the most savage of conditions, these people, the poorest people of India, used to create a short spell of humanity in their own ghetto by dancing to the tune of their drums. The drum, therefore, was the sound of the ghetto and the sound of people who were silenced through the cruelest of punishments and religious sanctions. This drum now has become the symbol of pride of a newly awakened people who proudly sing, "We are Dalits; we are Dalits."

(The complete text can be sent on request)

2) EAST TIMOR: U.N. Officials Seek Resolution On Children

The United Nations has been seeking a meeting with senior Indonesian ministers in order to put pressure on Jakarta to return Timorese children kidnapped from West Timorese camps in 1999, the Sydney Morning Herald reported last week. U.N. administrator in East Timor Sergio Vieira de Mello said last week that the United Nations has repeatedly raised the issue with Indonesian officials.

3) A GOODBYE TO FR. RUFUS HALLEY : Judge not the day by the harvest reaped but by the seed sown.

Yesterday, Sept. 1, many Columbans from elsewhere and many, many other people said good-bye to Rufus who was our Columban brother. He had been shot the previous Tuesday in his place of Mission, Malabang, a remote town along the south coast of Mindanao. Rufus was a missionary in the Prelature of Marawi. Marawi is about 90% Muslim. Like the terrible conflicts associated with N. Ireland the Muslim/Christians in Mindanao have a 400 year history of conflict. The Muslims of Marawi, the Maranaos, are known to be the most aggressive of all the thirteen Muslim tribes. All priests, sisters and lay, who would work in the Prelature committed themselves to understand this vision and to work within it.

Rufus joined Marawi in 1980 having worked around Manila for nearly ten years. He was totally committed to the vision formulated by the bishop and set about learning the language and culture of the Maranaos. He started by having a small store in the market of Marawi, selling eggs and slowly learning to talk and become friends with his neighours, all Maranaos. Later he moved to the south coast, to the town of Malabang. Again, he focused on being simply present to the people, Muslim and Christian, learning the languages of the area and the culture. Rufus became the priest of the parish and of the local high school of the parish. Muslim students make up over 60% of the population of the school and Rufus made a point of visiting the family of every student in the school.

In the early 90's Bishop Tudtud was killed in a plane crash and Des Hartford, a Columban, assumed responsibility for Marawi. In 1998 Des was kidnapped by Muslims and was only released two weeks later after intense negotiations. A second missionary from Belgian was kidnapped soon after but was released fairly quickly. There is a clear policy that no money will be paid for any church worker who is kidnapped as this would endanger every single church worker in Mindanao.

The general feel about was Rufus was that he was so loved by both Muslims and Christians that he would be safe in Malabang. Then, last Tuesday, the terrible news reached us that he had been shot. The story emerging is that he was ambushed just outside Malabang by a group who may have been recruited by Abu Sayaf. That is the context of Marawi and of the actual death and the cause of our grief and pain. What happened after his death is the source of our hope and faith in the future.

The people of Malabang were in terrible grief. A man they deeply loved and who loved them so deeply and who had been so committed to peace had been killed so violently. Muslim and Christian grieved. On the Wednesday the body was in the Church and the Christian community and some Muslims came and wept and stayed with him. The Muslims asked if they could have him the next day and so, on the Thursday, he was transferred to the school. The stage was decorated with Islamic decorations and the school children made a guard of honor to receive him. All that day and night the Muslims came and grieved for their friend. Later in the day the whole of the Qu'ran was chanted over his body. A convoy of 37 vehicles accompanied him and the rest of Malabang, Christian, Muslim, rich and poor lined the streets, weeping, for their last farewell to their friend. Flowers were thrown as the hearse passed.

The celebration in Cagayan de Oro at which his five brothers were present was a mixture of tears, grief for the violent and sudden death of a brother and friend and rejoicing in a life lived so fully and so faithfully. The fruit of his life was shown in the great out pouring of love of the people of Malabang - they were one community.

Rufus' brother Gerry spoke a few words to the congregation on behalf of the family and he quoted a saying he had seen in the Columban House: Judge not the day by the harvest reaped but by the seed sown. May the seed sown, watered now by the blood of Rufus, draw us all into a deeper commitment to dialogue of life and to PEACE.

Courtesy Steve Alston , CAFOD Asia Section

4) "GENDER DIMENSIONS OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION"

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson launched a report, "Gender Dimensions of Racial Discrimination," which examines discrimination against women in the labor market, health care, armed conflict, criminal justice systems and other areas. The report recommends that governments gather data according to both race and gender in order to analyze such discrimination; consider the intersection of race and gender in drafting legislation and national policies; focus particular attention on affected groups, including women who are refugees, migrants, domestic workers and victims of trafficking; and promote human rights education among law enforcement officials, the armed forces, the media, health and immigration authorities, labor unions and educators (Angela Stephens, UN Wire, Sept. 4)

5) Sri Lankan soldiers push for peace

BBC, 6 September. An association representing 4,000 disabled soldiers in Sri Lanka has asked the leader of the Tamil Tiger rebel group for a meeting to discuss a citizens' peace initiative. One of Sri Lanka's most prominent businessmen, Lalith Kotelawala - who is helping to lead the ex-servicemen's initiative - said it was necessary because the politicians had abandoned all their peace efforts

6) MASS CHILD MARRIAGE IN RAJASTHAN (The Times of India of Sept 5th 2001)

It is reported that in a mass marriage ceremony about 80 children of Dewasi community, some of them sleeping in the laps of the parents tied the nuptial knot at Bali village of Pali district on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturdashi in Jodhpur. Though the marriages have taken place in violation of the Sarda Act, which prohibits child marriage, no case has been filed against anybody, according to the report.

7) A PUBLIC PROTEST AGAINST THE PRICE of MILK POWDER imported and distributed by Nestle, Anchor and Other Companies- In Sri Lanka

About 700 people arrived from different parts of the country to protest against the price hike. The protest took a 'cultural form' as against conventional or the leftist way. There was no shouting of slogans. Instead there were songs on motherhood sung by "Sadu Janaravaya Group". The street drama group of JK led the march up to the hall and entertained the gathering with their songs and short dramas. It was also a public demonstration against the government's policy that allows milk powder multinationals to exploit the hunger of the poor mothers and children to increase their profits.

A mother confessed that she only cheats her children. "I can not afford to give a full cup of milk. I spread a little milk powder just to make the cup of tea white. I am very much aware of the harm I am causing. But, the prices of milk powder are so high and I am forced to do that."

8) NEWS IN BRIEF

-Australian Catholic Social Justice Council urged the Government to receive Tampa refugees

Bishop William Morris Australian Catholic Social Justice Council had urged Australian government on behalf of the asylum seekers to receive the 430 people stranded on the Tampa, and he stated that " 'Mateship' does not apply only to Australians; we are our brothers' and sisters' keepers, wherever they live. We are one human family, whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic and ideological differences are.

-Child prostitution in Thailand is 'racism', pastor tells UN conference

Durban (ENI). Children lured into Thailand's sex tourism trade are mostly drawn from the country's indigenous minorities, a pastor has told the United Nations world conference on racism, taking place in South Africa. A five-minute video of the children, brought to Durban by the Rev Sirirat Pusurinkham, has shocked hundreds of delegates to the conference, which has otherwise been dominated by high-level political wrangling over Zionism and about reparations for the transatlantic slave trade. ENI

-1st round of peace talks concludes - Nepal

The first round of peace talks between the government and Nepal Communist Party (Maoist) concluded in the Kathmandu valley today with both parties agreeing to hold next round of talks in the near future.

AHRC HOME NEWS

1. Basil Fernando and Wong KaiShing leave for Bangkok to attend the ICC Asia Experts meeting
2. Lin Chew is attending the workshop against trafficking in persons in Nepal
3. Welcome to new Danish Intern William