By Pia Lee-Brago
The Philippine Star
MANILA, Philippines - A New York-based human rights watchdog said security forces in the Philippines and in three other Southeast Asian countries continue to commit serious abuses with impunity and US President Barack Obama should tackle the issue with the leaders involved in the first ASEAN-US Summit today in Singapore.
The Human Rights Watch said the Philippines, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Thailand have largely ignored or may have encouraged abuses by their security forces.
“US President Barack Obama should urge ASEAN leaders when he meets them for the first ASEAN-US Summit in Singapore to resolve ongoing human rights problems in their own countries for ASEAN to be an effective force for human rights,” the Human Rights Watch said.
“Obama should let ASEAN know that the regional grouping can be a formidable force for human rights,” said Elaine Pearson, Human Rights Watch deputy Asia director.
“But this means the new ASEAN human rights commission should have the power to protect people from abuses, not just pay lip service to human rights,” she said.
“Obama should use his first trip to Southeast Asia as president to put human rights on the ASEAN agenda,” Pearson said.
“Burma is the obvious place to start, but media repression and unpunished rights violations are rampant throughout the region,” she added.
“ASEAN leaders have long sent mixed messages on Burma, so Obama should encourage them to unite in a strong statement of support for real democratic reforms,” she said.
“All ASEAN countries should oppose repression in Burma and adopt basic refugee protections to promote the rights of the Burmese people,” she pointed out.
The rights group said perpetrators of abuses in the four countries are rarely prosecuted and some remain in their positions or are even promoted.
On Tuesday, the group urged US State Secretary Hillary Clinton - before her arrival in Manila for a two-day visit - to press President Arroyo to help prosecute soldiers and policemen responsible for politically motivated killings.
In the Philippines, the Human Rights Watch cited the government’s weak action against the Davao “death squads,” which have victimized mostly petty criminals and even young vagrants.
The group also cited the widespread use of the legal systems in Southeast Asia to silence peaceful government critics, journalists, and human rights workers.
In Cambodia, the Human Rights Watch urged Obama to openly challenge Prime Minister Hun Sen’s administration’s increasingly authoritarian practices and its use of the country’s notoriously corrupt judiciary to silence and imprison opposition party members, journalists, land rights activists, and other government critics.
Human Rights Watch also called on Obama to urge Vietnam, which will assume the chairmanship of ASEAN in 2010, to set an example by improving its human rights practices.
In Thailand, the group said military and police officers known to have been involved in abuses during the 2003 war on drugs and counterinsurgency operations have been promoted rather than punished.
In Indonesia, human rights violators belonging to special forces Kopassus as well as the masterminds in the 2001 murder of the human rights advocate Munir bin Thalib remain free.
The ASEAN has ratified a human rights charter, but the Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, introduced during the 15th ASEAN Summit in October, is weak.
Many of the commissioners lack independence from their governments, and the commission’s mandate is largely limited to allowing members to promote human rights, rather than protecting them.
Senior US State Department officials visited Burma earlier this month, and on Nov. 11, Clinton told the APEC summit that “we would like to see countries individually and through ASEAN reach out to the Burmese leadership, persuade them that it’s time to start planning for free, fair and credible elections in 2010.”
But she stressed that sanctions will not be lifted until there is democratic progress in Burma.
Human Rights Watch also urged Obama to call on all ASEAN leaders to forcefully call for the release of all political prisoners in Burma, including democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
US invitation
The Obama administration wants members of the first ASEAN human rights body to visit the US next year to consult with international experts.
The invitation was contained in the draft Joint Statement on the first ASEAN-US Leaders’ Meeting, a copy of which was obtained by The STAR.
The Joint Statement is expected to be adopted by the ASEAN leaders today.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said President Arroyo appointed Ambassador Rosario Manalo to represent the Philippines in the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights.
The Human Rights Watch said the Philippines, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Thailand have largely ignored or may have encouraged abuses by their security forces.
“US President Barack Obama should urge ASEAN leaders when he meets them for the first ASEAN-US Summit in Singapore to resolve ongoing human rights problems in their own countries for ASEAN to be an effective force for human rights,” the Human Rights Watch said.
“Obama should let ASEAN know that the regional grouping can be a formidable force for human rights,” said Elaine Pearson, Human Rights Watch deputy Asia director.
“But this means the new ASEAN human rights commission should have the power to protect people from abuses, not just pay lip service to human rights,” she said.
“Obama should use his first trip to Southeast Asia as president to put human rights on the ASEAN agenda,” Pearson said.
“Burma is the obvious place to start, but media repression and unpunished rights violations are rampant throughout the region,” she added.
“ASEAN leaders have long sent mixed messages on Burma, so Obama should encourage them to unite in a strong statement of support for real democratic reforms,” she said.
“All ASEAN countries should oppose repression in Burma and adopt basic refugee protections to promote the rights of the Burmese people,” she pointed out.
The rights group said perpetrators of abuses in the four countries are rarely prosecuted and some remain in their positions or are even promoted.
On Tuesday, the group urged US State Secretary Hillary Clinton - before her arrival in Manila for a two-day visit - to press President Arroyo to help prosecute soldiers and policemen responsible for politically motivated killings.
In the Philippines, the Human Rights Watch cited the government’s weak action against the Davao “death squads,” which have victimized mostly petty criminals and even young vagrants.
The group also cited the widespread use of the legal systems in Southeast Asia to silence peaceful government critics, journalists, and human rights workers.
In Cambodia, the Human Rights Watch urged Obama to openly challenge Prime Minister Hun Sen’s administration’s increasingly authoritarian practices and its use of the country’s notoriously corrupt judiciary to silence and imprison opposition party members, journalists, land rights activists, and other government critics.
Human Rights Watch also called on Obama to urge Vietnam, which will assume the chairmanship of ASEAN in 2010, to set an example by improving its human rights practices.
In Thailand, the group said military and police officers known to have been involved in abuses during the 2003 war on drugs and counterinsurgency operations have been promoted rather than punished.
In Indonesia, human rights violators belonging to special forces Kopassus as well as the masterminds in the 2001 murder of the human rights advocate Munir bin Thalib remain free.
The ASEAN has ratified a human rights charter, but the Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, introduced during the 15th ASEAN Summit in October, is weak.
Many of the commissioners lack independence from their governments, and the commission’s mandate is largely limited to allowing members to promote human rights, rather than protecting them.
Senior US State Department officials visited Burma earlier this month, and on Nov. 11, Clinton told the APEC summit that “we would like to see countries individually and through ASEAN reach out to the Burmese leadership, persuade them that it’s time to start planning for free, fair and credible elections in 2010.”
But she stressed that sanctions will not be lifted until there is democratic progress in Burma.
Human Rights Watch also urged Obama to call on all ASEAN leaders to forcefully call for the release of all political prisoners in Burma, including democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
US invitation
The Obama administration wants members of the first ASEAN human rights body to visit the US next year to consult with international experts.
The invitation was contained in the draft Joint Statement on the first ASEAN-US Leaders’ Meeting, a copy of which was obtained by The STAR.
The Joint Statement is expected to be adopted by the ASEAN leaders today.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said President Arroyo appointed Ambassador Rosario Manalo to represent the Philippines in the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights.
1 comment:
How one can talk about human right while Thailand as a chair of ASEAN killing its neigbour on daily basis, latest one burned 16 years boy Yon Rith alive? Anybody heard the agony crying of Yon Rith? It disturbed Heaven why not on earth?
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