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RELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVES ON HUMAN RIGHTS

E-Newsletter
Vol.3 No.48
November 26, 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.

Religious Perspectives on Human Rights E-Newsletter Vol.3. No.48; November 26, 2001

(This weekly e-newsletter is issued by the Buddhist, Muslim, Catholic and Christian Groups on Human Rights initiated by the Asian Human Rights Commission)

CONTENTS

1) Bishops of Papua issue a statement: WE CONDEMN VIOLENCE.
2) U.N. OFFICIAL EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER BUSH ORDER
3) BURMA : report of the High-Level Team
4) END HUNGER! FIGHT FOR THE RIGHT TO LIVE!
5) INDONESIA/MOLUCCAS: UNREST IN AMBON - a JRS release
AHRC Home News


1) Bishops of Papua issue a statement: WE CONDEMN VIOLENCE.

Just as we had finished preparing a news-release on the human rights situation in Papua, especially in regard to the Wasior and Ilaga incidents, once again we have been shocked by yet another incident, namely THE ABDUCTION AND MURDER OF THEYS HIYO ELUAY, Chairman of the Presidium of the Council of Papua.

Yet again a human life has been destroyed due to a despicable, violent act. We are both shocked and saddened by this bitter incident which has overcome our brother, Theys Hiyo Eluay. We send our condolences to his family and pray for the peace of his soul. We condemn this brutal, uncivilised act which has shattered the noble dignity of a human being. This incident reinforces how far gone is the security situation and of such little worth is a human soul in the Land of Papua. Has our brother Theys been sacrificed because of differences in political aspirations? Is our nation so small-hearted that it cannot resolve differences peacefully, but only with violence?

Violence continually increases; previous cases have never been solved. Law is not respected and the legal authorities have lost all their authority. And if the case of Theys is also never to be solved according to law and justice, we are concerned that violence will increase even more. And so we underline our cry to all those with authority to form an independent team that can be trusted and believed in to uncover and examine the facts throroughly and to continue the legal process until this case is completed and justice is seen to be done.

All this we state for the sake of the noble dignity of the human person who yearns to live in peace and security.

Jakarta, 12 November 2001.
Mgr. J. Duivenvoorde, MSC Archbishop of Merauke
Mgr. Leo Laba Ladjar, ofm Bishop of Jayapura
Mgr. F.X. Hadisumarta, o.carm Bishop of Sorong

2) U.N. OFFICIAL EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER BUSH ORDER

U.N. Human Rights Commission special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers Param Cumaraswamy last week sent an urgent appeal to the U.S. government expressing concern over a military order signed Sept. 13 by President George W. Bush on the detention, treatment and trial of certain noncitizens in the context of the war against terrorism.

The focus of Cumaraswamy's concern was the establishment of military tribunals, the absence of the guarantee of the right to legal representation and advice while detained, the establishment of an executive review process to replace the right to appeal conviction and sentence to a higher tribunal, and the exclusion of jurisdiction of any other courts or tribunals and the wrong signals this may send in the United States and the world.

"The very fact that such powers are available to the executive strikes at the core of the principles of the rule of law, equality before the law and the principles of a fair trial," the special rapporteur wrote. Cumaraswamy added that he is not convinced that such measures are necessary (UNHCR release, Nov. 16).

3) BURMA : FOURTH ITEM ON THE AGENDA, Governing Body, 282nd Session, Governing Body, 282nd Session, Geneva, November 2001

1. Conclusions concerning the question of the observance by the Government of Myanmar of the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29): Adopted after examination of the report of the High-Level Team

2. The Governing Body acknowledges that the Myanmar authorities have fulfilled their commitments under the Understanding of 19 May 2001, but intends to remain vigilant with regard to the parallel commitment made by these authorities to refrain from taking any action against persons or organizations who may have directly or indirectly contributed information to the Team.

3. It also recognizes the efforts made by the authorities to disseminate the Orders among the population, although it considers that these efforts should be strengthened and extended to include all the media and the use of the appropriate languages, in accordance with paragraph 42 of the report.

4. Profound concern has been expressed, however, regarding the very limited impact of this new legislation to date and, in particular, the persistent impunity with regard to criminal prosecution of persons who have committed violations, despite the provisions of this legislation.

5. Consequently, urgent efforts should be undertaken by the Myanmar authorities to rectify this situation and provide more convincing evidence of their willingness to achieve this by the next session of the Governing Body.

6. To this end, the Governing Body requests the Director-General to pursue the dialogue with the authorities in order to define the modalities and parameters of continued and effective ILO representation in Myanmar, which should be put in place as soon as possible.

7. The Director-General is invited to report to the next session of the Governing Body. Depending on the progress or lack of progress achieved on the different points under consideration, including criminal proceedings concerning the allegations mentioned in paragraph 28 of the report if they are founded, it will be for the Governing Body to draw appropriate conclusions, both regarding action within its remit and that which it should refer to the Conference.

4) NGOs /CSOs Statement in the Asian Regional Consultation on the World Food Summit ?Five Years later Prince Palace Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand 28-29 August 2001

END HUNGER! FIGHT FOR THE RIGHT TO LIVE!

We, the representatives of more than 80 NGOs/Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) from 14 Asian countries are outraged that despite abundance of food to feed the world, more than 800 million, with two-thirds found in Asia, still go hungry everyday.

Food has been declared a basic human right by many international agreements such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Preamble of the FAO Constitution, the International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, among others. Yet, the right to food is continually denied. After five years, we demand that national governments and international institutions accept the responsibilities and consequences of their failed "experiments" and make this acceptance known to the poor.

The peasants must be empowered to ensure the achievement of our goal of food for all. Food security can only be achieved if the world's cultivating peasants themselves own the agricultural lands and have access to resources required for healthy and safe food production and sustainable livelihood with gender equity.

RECOMMENDATIONS -We recommend that our governments:

- Adopt an international code of conduct on the human right to adequate food to govern the activities of different actors including the state parties and international institutions to end malnutrition and hunger.

- Food aid should not be used as a political weapon. Governments should be accountable to guarantee the right to food of vulnerable populations including displaced persons, victims of disasters and internal conflicts, as well as refugees.

- Ensure policies and programs that enable communities to own and manage productive resources and disallow mega development projects, which displace populations and peoples, destroy the environment, livelihoods, and indigenous cultures.

As NGOs and CSOs. we commit to:

- Make the right to food and food security as central to national and regional agenda without forgetting that this is a principal issue of peasants

- Forge stronger alliance against anti-poor/peasant policies and put pressure against these entities including Transnational Corporations, World Bank, IMF, ADB and the WTO.

- Accelerate the process and implementation of genuine agrarian reform and other forms of resource rights entitlements for peasants to have control over their way of life and for the nation's sovereignty on its capacity to produce its own food

- Adopt a rights-based instead of the welfare approach to development work where entitlements for peasants are demanded on the basis of their rights and accountability of governments and other institutions are required because it is their duty to protect and uphold the rights of peasants.

- Work towards ensuring food security and promote partnerships and linkages between urban and rural poor.

5) INDONESIA/MOLUCCAS: UNREST IN AMBON - a JRS release

On 15 November, the Christian Churches of Amboina published a statement expressing their concern about renewed unrest and terrorist acts in Ambon. The Provincial House of Representatives also issued a statement, urging those responsible for the state of civil emergency and the chief commanders of the police and military to restore peace.

JRS Moluccas said five warehouses were burned down in Ambon on 21 October in an attack that comes less than two weeks after a bomb blast at a store next door to the JRS office. On 16 November, the Amboina diocesan crisis centre reported that shooting at night between Jihad, military and police forces had been going on for a week. The target, according to this source, was the predominantly Christian Ahuru neighbourhood. The crisis centre also reported that landmines have been planted in Ahuru. To add to prevalent tension, rumours are circulating about the recent arrival of 600 Jihad troops in Ambon, according to JRS. The Moluccas have been prey to sectarian violence between Christians and Muslims since January 1999.


AHRC home news:

Fr.Michael Rodrigo Memorial Monument
Sponsored by C.S.R. & Asian Human Right Commission

To be constructed at Centre for Society and Religion, Katuwapitiya Road, Negombo in Nov.2001