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[Asia-HR-Alert] AHRC's Human Rights



Subject: [Asia-HR-Alert] AHRC's Human Rights Day 1999 Message

Asian Human Rights Commission - AHRC <ahrchk@xxxxxxxxxx>@jca.apc.org on
09-12-99 11:22:07

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10 December 1999
HUMAN RIGHTS MESSAGE
1999 AHRC Human Rights Message
AHRC in its last year's human rights message commented on the democratic
movements rising its head in Asia. During the last year there ware some
significant achievements for democracy in some parts of Asia and some very
bad drawbacks.
East Timor: The Most Important Positive Event
The most important positive event was the achievement of independence of
East Timor. This historic event though accompanied with bitter most pain is
one of the great achievements of the human rights movement in the twentieth
century. This showed the determination of the ordinary and poor people to
assert themselves against tyranny and colonialism. The love of freedom and
search for treatment with human dignity is inherent in every person and it
is quite an Asian virtue as much as it is a virtue every where.
East Timor experience also showed the power of peoples diplomacy in
protecting human rights and promoting democracy. With proper information
and motivation created by concerned human rights groups, the international
media created one of the marvels in known history in not letting some
powerful countries escaping responsibility in the face of great human
rights disasters. A recurrence of Rwandan situation was thus prevented.
The Australian people who encouraged their government to respond to this
situation and have borne the burden of this mission deserve a special word
of appreciation.
Now, the East Timor must be rebuild; it involves physical reconstruction on
the one hand and building of the nation on the other. All this requires
international including regional solidarity. We hope that in the coming
year every one will help the East Timorese people to face up to the great
challenges they face. It is to be hoped that East Timorese experience will
enrich the human rights movement, particularly in Asia and that it becomes
a school for learning for future development of democracy and human rights
in Asia.
People Can Ensure Continuity of Democracy
Another great experience, this year, which is likely to continue to next
year, is the Indonesian struggle for democracy and human rights. At last
after brutal suppression since 1965, Indonesians people rose again and put
down the mighty dictator Suharto who was nothing more than a brutal
murderer and a corrupt politician.
His fall was dramatic and rapid. Then came the challenge to the military.
Now both the President and Vice- President are civilians. The elimination
of all military representation from the National Assembly has been
promised. Demilitarisation is at the core of democratisation process in
Indonesia. A spokesman for former President Habbie, told international
media, that the Indonesian military must be re-educated, as the practices
they are used to are not suitable for a democracy. It is hoped that such
reeducation will be rapid and thorough. It is only the people?s
participation that can ensure the continuity of democracy. The people
themselves must find ways to remain active all the time.
The religious tolerance will go long way enhance democracy. Religious
conflicts will be useful only to anti-democratic forces, which will
manipulate such conflicts for their own gains. Now, that election and the
choice of a President are over, there is the opportunity consolidates
democracy. If this succeeds, it will have an enormous impact in whole of
South East Asia. It is also hope that the democratic forces of Indonesia
and East Timor will unite in a common bond.

Malaysia: Democracy and Human Rights Sick Man
>From the point of view of democracy and human rights the sick man of South
East Asia is Malaysia. What exist in Malaysia is a sickening situation of
denial of human rights and democracy. The manner of the use of judicial
process and media against political opponents is savage and unbecoming of a
modern nation. It is to be hoped that the Malaysian will rebel against this
tyranny and recreate their democratic institutions. Particularly, the
persons who have before brought before courts on political motivated trials
call for a more firm support from the international community.
Burmese issue
Burmese issue is also high in the agenda of human rights in Asia. The
military regime has consistently obstructed all the attempts by the
international community to bring about a change into democracy, on the
basis of the will of the Burmese people expressed in 1990. The Regime has
held the position that the Burmese people are not ready for democracy. This
arrogant position is an insult to the Burmese people. Meanwhile the number
of political prisoners have increased. All activities of the Burmese
opposition have been obstructed.
Inside the country, living conditions have degenerated and hunger has
become a common phenomenon. In the recent report of the People?s Tribunal
On Food Scarcity and Militerisation in Burma, the deteriorating situation
regarding food security has been exposed. The international community need
to develop more effective strategy to protect the democracy and human
rights of the Burmese people
Dismal South Asian Situation
The South Asian situation on human rights and democracy is dismal. The
military take over in Pakistan without any resistance, demonstrated the
extent to which people are demoralised and are cynical about the merely
formal democracy. Two years ago a reputed Bishop, had demonstrate this by
sacrificing his own life as protest against religious discrimination. There
were no democratic means left for protest. The international community must
try to understand the extent of demoralisation that exists in South Asia.
The world is going to be very surprised by the sort of violence that can
come from situations like this. At the bottom of this demoralisation is the
failure of democratic governments ensure rule of law and elimination of
most crude forms of poverty. When rule of law fails there is anarchy and
crimes. For poorest, talk of democracy and human rights makes very little
sense. Without social rights, pure political rights have so little meaning
to the people. The international community can ignore this only at its own
peril.
Sri Lanka: The Most Violent Place
Sri Lanka is the most violent place in Asia in recent years. The primary
reason is the loss of democratic process, due to non-working of the
democratic system. In 1978, then President Junious Jayawardene acquired
Suharto like powers, through a tailor made constitution. The democratic
process was suppressed using democratic method. The country has not
recovered from this trap ever since. In fact situation is much worse.
Ethnic crisis has its roots in this collapse of democracy. The military
enjoys all the privileges , without needing to have recourse taking power
as in Pakistan. The civilian political leaders have only a limited space.
The real power has shifted in favour of democracy. With the use of high
tech methods both by military and the rebels, situation is likely be
worsen. The casualties from both sides are most rural youth from poorer
sections of society. The situation is routinely bloody.

Besides this, there is over 30,000 cases of disappearances which are not
properly investigated; thus it is not possible to prosecute most of the
disappearances cases. Besides, due to the collapse of the rule of law and
the criminal justice brutal crimes takes place daily and life has become
very insecure for the people. If there is no intervention by way of UN
mediation on the ethnic issue, there is no hope for democracy in Sri Lanka.
In fact, the international community will find, there are many more factors
other than ethnicity involved in this crisis. It is above all the primitive
nature of the Sri Lankan state, and out dated modes of ruling used by the
state agencies such as the police and bureaucracy , that change problems
from a solvable into insolvable ones. A most through going reform of the
police system is the most basic precondition for returning to normal life
in Sri Lanka. The international response to Sri Lanka?s continuing gross
violation of human rights must be reviewed in the light of the changes of
international considerations relating sovereignty, when gross abuses of
human rights have taken place in a country.
Kashmir Tension
The situation of Kashmir too remains tense and this has become even more so
after recent Indian election and the coup in Pakistan. What ignored most of
the time is situation of the Kashmirese living in their own country. They
have become victims of a power game. No political solution will emerge till
these peoples are left to live in their own land, as they have done through
out history. People must become the centre of debate on this issue.
Kashmir issue can not separated from the nuclear issue. Nuclear threat in
South Asia is real and not imaginary. If a military can take over power
with so little effort as it was done in Pakistan, how little value are
guarantees that nuclear weapons will be not used. India, which used Kargil
issue for elections, can easily look for some big catastrophe to re-enforce
their Hindutva philosophy. Recent interest on Godse who killed Gandhi by
some sections clearly shows that militant right wing Hindus are in search
of some drastic way to assert their position. It would not be surprise if
nuclear power is used for this purpose. Mass killings at the partition of
Pakistan and India, is grim reminder of the sad possibilities involved in
this crisis.
Caste Issue Most Brutal
The most brutal human rights issue facing South Asia, is the caste issue,
which known in India as the Dalit issue. The Dalits once known as
untouchables are the worse persecuted people in India. They constitute 20%
of the population of India. Together with associated groups such as tribal
people, they constitute nearly 40%. Up to date they receive animal like
treatment. The little reforms undertaken with the new constitution in 1950
are too little to make a significant change in their lives. Major reform
programme are necessary to rescue them. However, as Caste ideology is so
deep no one really comes forward to address this issue. The international
community owes a great obligation to the Dalits, whose condition is
similar, if not worse than slaves, or the blacks in South Africa, before
new South African constitution. There need to be an international debate on
this issue and international action and pressure to deal with the issue.

Refugees and Displaced
Another major and heart breaking situation is that of the refugees and
displaced persons in Asia. There are over 100,000 Bhutanese refugees in
Nepal. These in fact are a forgotten people. There is hardly any
international effort intervening on this issue. These refugees have been
pushed out of the country, on the basis of their ethnic origin. A rigorous
ethnic policy followed by the Bhutanese rulers has been the cause of this
crisis. The refugees who have languished for many years in camps want to go
back home. The children of refugees have suffered great losses by way of
education.
The Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in India and displaced persons in camps in
the North and East continues. The community organisations can have little
access to the displaced persons. The media has no access to them. In fact
their situation is very little known to the rest of the world. The Burmese
refugees in Thailand and India faces similar problems. It is essential for
the international community, as well as the people of the Asian region to
look into the issues of the displaced persons and refugees and to develop
news ways to assist them The final solution to their problems however, lie
in ending the conflicts that led to their fleeing.
Asian Women Suffer in Silence
Asian women continue to suffer both from their traditional societies as
well the changes taking place in the economies of the region. The customary
controls are excised on women, treating them as some sort of peculiar
beings who need to be kept under special controls. On the other hand,
violence used against them too has changed very little. Though there has
been greater education, there is very little acceptance of women as equals
and very little attempt is made to get them to play a leading role in
societies and communities. The discipline enforced on girl child retards
her growth as a human person. The women among the poor still are forced do
the menial jobs and are treated most inhumanely. The social controls and
ethical codes retard her capacity to rebel against such unjust treatment.
To suffer in silence has been raised to the position of an ideal. Though
women constitute the majority in most religions, the religions do very
little to over come their bondage. In fact, religions and moralities in the
Asian region continue to be engaged in a great conspiracy against women.
As the 2000 arrives, Asians look forward to possibility of great change.
The change has to occur mainly in the field of social equality. Every
little step in that direction would be considered a great leap.
People look forward to end the 2000 years of denial of their basic rights.


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