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RELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVES ON HUMAN RIGHTS

E-Newsletter
Vol.3 No.17
February 12, 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) TO GRANT SATELLITE STATUS TO THE GLOBAL CONFERENCE ON DALITS
2) KOREA: Koreas Reach Agreement on Rail Link
3) BUDDISM AND HEALTH IN CAMBODIA
4) AG indicts more than 600 police, service personnel ­Sri Lanka
5) TAKE THE PLUNGE ?TAKE THE PLEDGE ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAM

1)TO GRANT SATELLITE STATUS TO THE GLOBAL CONFERENCE ON DALITS

FA-01-2001: UN must give status to Dalit World Conference

INDIA - Social exclusion based on work and descent

We received the following Appeal from the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights. Dalits (meaning oppressed') are the group of some 160 million people in India formerly known as 'Untouchables', who STILL suffer extreme discrimination, exploitation and violence simply because they were born into an 'outcaste' family. The UN World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (WCAR) will be held in South Africa in August, and now that Slavery and Apartheid have been destroyed, it is time the world turned its attention to the terrible discrimination faced by Dalits.

The Dalits are holding a Global Conference on Racism and Caste-based Discrimination in the lead-up to the WCAR, and are asking for this conference to be officially recognised by the UN as a 'Satellite Conference' for the WCAR. However, the UN face a lot of pressure from powerful groups such as the Indian government, who want to silence this issue affecting so many millions of its citizens and others in places like Nepal, Sri Lanka and Japan.

Please read the following appeal, and write to the UN as requested, to ensure that the Dalit people - who have been oppressed and forgotten for so long - are finally allowed to have a voice. Our experience is that a letter from you can have a big impact, and can help the UN to be true to its mandate to end major forms of discrimination.

SUGGESTED ACTION

For these reasons, we urge you all to write a letter impressing upon OHCHR the importance of the Global Conference vis-?vis the WCAR and strongly urging them to do the following:
1. To grant Satellite Status to the Global Conference
2. To send a senior officer to be present at the Global Conference
3. To give serious attention and consideration to the findings and
recommendations of the Global Conference in its preparations for the WCAR. Friends, we all have worked so hard in our various capacities in recent years to raise this issue and bring it out of the shadows where it remained for so many years. Together we have made some major breakthroughs during the last year, but there is still a long way to go. The WCAR is a major window of opportunity to wake up our own governments and other governments of the world as well as their respective societies to take urgent action to eradicate this major, global form of discrimination. The Global Conference is a giant step on our way to the WCAR, but the lack of satellite status for this conference would limits its impact on the WCAR.

We urge you to express your solidarity at this crucial time.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS TO:
Ms. Mary Robinson
High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Fax: +41 22 917 9012
e-mail: webadmin.hchr@unog.ch

E-mail: ua@ahrchk.org
Please contact the AHRC Urgent Appeals Coordinator if you require
further information or to make requests for further appeals.
___________________________________________________________________
AHRC has an Urgent Appeal Programme which operates around the clock.
AHRC issues urgent appeals on behalf of persons or groups of persons
whose human rights have been violated. All urgent appeals released
by the AHRC since late 1997 can be accessed at our website:
http://www.ahrchk.net/appeal/index.html

2)KOREA: Koreas Reach Agreement on Rail Link
Posted Friday, February 9, 2001
North and South Korean defense officials agreed Thursday on safeguards and other protective arrangements to build a railway across their heavily armed border. The two sides agreed on a 41-point plan during talks at the border village of Panmunjom to prevent accidental clashes between rival troops as they work on restoring a railway and four-lane road inside the demilitarized zone that separates the nations, officials said.

Military cooperation is essential to reconnecting the rail line inside the 2.5-mile DMZ, the world's most heavily fortified buffer zone. Work inside the buffer zone is expected to start in March, beginning with the clearing thousands of land mines inside a corridor where the railway and a parallel four-lane highway will be built. The railway is due to be completed in September.

3) BUDDISM AND HEALTH IN CAMBODIA

A conference on Buddhism and human rights 2001jointly organised by the Khmer Institute of Democracy and Asian Human Rights Commission was held in Cambodia from 27-30 Jan.2001.During this conference practical ways of relating to Buddhism and human rights in the context of Cambodia was discussed. The following questionnaire indicate how for example issue of the "right to health" was discussed in relation to Buddhism.

(What is your view about health conditions in Cambodia)
1. Do you think a Buddhist should be concerned with other people's health?
2. How would you approach this problem from the position of Buddhist teachings?
3. What examples do you find from the history of Buddhism?
4. What examples do you find from the Khmer history?
5. In the future (taking all this into account) what do you want to do about this issue?
6. Can there be moral renewal without addressing this issue?

4) AG INDICTS MORE THAN 600 POLICE,SERVICE PERSONEEL in Sri lanka Courtesy "The Island" of 11th Feb.2001

"Attorney General K. C. Kamalasabayason has sent out indictments to the High Courts and instituted Criminal proceedings including non-summary cases against more than 600 police officers and armed forces personnel, senior departmental sources said yesterday.

These indictments were followed the recommendations made by a committee appointed to look into disappearances up to 1994. A special unit was set up in the Attorney General's Department to expedite investigations and institute criminal proceedings including non-summary cases against the personnel concerned. (F.R.S.)

5) TAKE THE PLUNGE ?TAKE THE PLEDGE
The Catholic aid agency CAFOD is asking supporters to join its new campaign on trade and food security.

CAFOD is asking people to sign a pledge to the world's poor: "I believe trade should work in the interests of all people. I promise to act with others to change the rules that govern international trade so that they work to eradicate poverty, protect the environment and ensure equal access to life in all its fullness." Thousands of CAFOD supporters have received the pledge card through the post, and cards are also available through churches, schools, and community groups.
Unfair rules rob the Third World of US0 billion a year. This is 14 times what it receives in aid. ishop John Rawsthorne of Hallam says, "The unfair trading structures at a global level are keeping millions of people trapped in poverty. It is a huge challenge to change this, but signing up to the pledge could be the beginning. By supporting this campaign, Catholics can make a real difference."

CAFOD is joining with others such as Christian Aid to make an impact. The main launch of CAFOD's campaign on trade and food security will be this autumn.

Please contact Patrick Nicholson on 020 7326 5559 or
pnicholson@cafod.org.uk09.02.01
www.cafod.org.uk