1999 AHRC Human Rights Day Message

[burma@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION

AHRC UA Index:991209
************************************************************************
UA62/99: 9 December 1999

HUMAN RIGHTS DAY MESSAGE: 1999 AHRC Human Rights Day Message
************************************************************************

HUMAN RIGHTS DAY MESSAGE:  1999 AHRC Human Rights Day 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, 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.

Democracy Ensured by People

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.


======================================================================
Sinapan Samydorai
AHRC UA Programme Coordinator
Asian Human Rights Commission
Unit D, 7th Floor, Mongkok Commercial Centre,
16 - 16B Argyle Street, Kowloon, HONGKONG
Tel: +(852) - 2698-6339
Fax: +(852) - 2698-6367
E-mail AHRC UA: ua8@xxxxxxxxx
Programme Coordinator: samysd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
______________________________________________________________________

AHRC has an Urgent Appeal Programme which operate 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 access at our website.
<http://www.ahrchk.net/hrappeal.htm>http://www.ahrchk.net/hrappeal.htm
______________________________________________________________________





---------------------------------------------------------------------
Please note: Press releases by other organizations distributed in this
mailing list do not necessarily imply the endorsement of Derechos
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, e-mail: hr-news-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxx
For additional commands, e-mail: hr-news-help@xxxxxxxxxxxx