South East Regional Action Network Newsletter

8/8/2019 South East Regional Action Network Newsletter

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COUNTRYNEWS

•  Myanmarp.2

•  Cambodiap.3

•  Indonesiap.4

•  Laosp.4

•  Malaysiap.5

•  Philippinesp.6

•  Vietnamp.6

!

 AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

SOUTHEAST ASIA REGIONAL ACTION NETWORK 

CaseUpdate:Indonesia

SpecialFocusCase,

FilepKarmaandYusakPakage

AfteryearsoflittleresponsefromthegovernmentofIndonesia,

thecasesofFilepKarmaandYusakPakagesawsomemovement

duringthesummer:

•  YusakPakagewasreleasedfromprisononJuly7th

.•  AlsoinJuly,FilepKarmawasgrantedaccesstomedical

careinJakarta.HeisnowbackatAbepuraprison,and

“stronglikeayounglion.”

•  InAugust,FilepreceivedaquiltcreatedbySEARAN

Coordinator,ClaudiaVandermade,withsquaresfrom

membersoftheMid-AtlanticRegion.Ifyouhelped

designasquare,thankyouforyourcontributiontothe

quilt!

TakeActionHere

Forme,Amnestyis

everything…Amnestyisgod’sangel…Jesuswhoworksonearth

anddriesthetearsofthose[in

 pain].[It]becomesthestrengthfor

thosedrowning…cheeringupthose

whoaresad…beingthefriendof

theexcluded…theprotectorof

thoseinneed...theparentsofthose

whoarefatherlessand

motherless…andthehopewhich

keepsourhopealive.

YusakPakage

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Update:Myanmar(Burma)

Foractionsuggestions,readthedossierforthiscase.

Inthenews:

•  ThegovernmentofMyanmarwillbeholdingthecountry’sfirstelectionsin20

yearsonSunday7November.

However,unlessimmediateactionistaken,people’s

abilitytospeakoutandorganizethemselvesfreely

willcontinuetobeseverelyrestricted;political

prisonerswillremainbehindbars;andanyopposition

tothegovernmentonthestreetscouldbeviolently

suppressed.

Therearemorethan2,200politicalprisonersin

Myanmartoday–doublethenumberofpolitical

prisonerssincethestartofthe"SaffronRevolution"ofSeptember2007–ahuge

indictmentofthegrimhumanrightssituationthere.Thevastmajorityofpolitical

Wecannotdependon

internationalpressure

alone…wecannothave

changesunlessthereisinternalpressurethatwill

 forcetherulingjuntato

change.

ZayarThaw

Case:ZayarThaw

AmnestyInternational(AI)hasdesignatedZayarThawas

aprisonerofconscience.Thawisasinger,andaleaderofthestudentgroupcalledGenerationWave.

GenerationWavemobilizesstudentsandyoungpeopleto

peacefullyprotestagainstthemilitarygovernment

throughpostercampaignsanddistributinganti-

governmentleafletsandbannedvideorecordings.

Thawisamemberofthepopularhip-hopgroupAcid,

generallyregardedasthefirsthip-hopgroupinthe

country.Rapandhip-hophaveincreasinglybecome

associatedwiththepro-democracymovementin

Myanmar,sotheauthoritieshavebecomehighly

suspiciousofanyoneplayingthismusic.

ZayarThawwasarrestedon12March2008and

convictedon20Novemberof“forminganillegal

organization”andillegalpossessionofforeigncurrency.

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prisonersarebeingpunishedformerelyexercisingtheirrightstothe‘3Freedoms’–of

expression,assemblyandassociation.

WhatAmnestyisDoing:

AIwillbetakingactioninanticipationoftheelectionsbyschedulingvisitswithASEANmemberstates’embassies:Indonesia,Malaysia,Philippines,andSingapore.Amnesty

willaskthatASEANorindividualmemberstatesmakeapubliccallforthe3Freedomsto

beprotectedthroughouttheelectionperiod,politicalprisonerstobereleased,and

securitytobemaintainedimpartiallyandproportionatelyaroundthepolls.

Clickforaction.

Clickforthebriefing,Myanmar’s2010Elections:AHumanRightsPerspective

Update:Cambodia

AmnestyNews:

AIhasjustreleasedanewreportdetailingpersistenthumanrightsabusesinCambodia.

Highlightedinthereportareforcedevictions,theprecariousstatusofhumanrights

defenders,constrictionsoffreedomofexpression,resurgentviolenceagainstwomen

andgirls,andrecentdevelopmentsintheCambodianlegalsystem.Readthereport.

IntheNews:

•  ThefirstsentenceinthetrialofformerKhmerRougegenocidaireswasmadeon

25July2010inPhnomPenh.KaingGuek

Eav,alsoknownasDuch,whoranthe

notoriousS-21torturecenterandprison

wassentencedto35yearsinprison.Over

16,000peoplewereofficiallymurdered

underhiswatch.ReadthearticleinThe

Guardian.

•  Approximately200,000Cambodiantextile

workers,mainlywomen,havegoneon

strikeinthepastweeksinprotestoverlow

wages(GuardianWeekly ,9.21.10,storyby

FlorenceBeauge).AnannouncementinJulystatedthattheminimumwagefor

workersinthegarmentandfootwearindustrywouldrisefrom$50to$61a

month;theunionsdemandthatalivingwageis$93amonth.

AttentionStudentand

LocalGroups

Isyourgrouplookingfora

newfocus?Wouldyouliketo

becomemoreinvolvedwith

humanrightsinSoutheast

Asia?

Signuptobecomemembers

ofAIUSA’sSoutheastAsiaRegionalActionNetwork

(RAN).

[email protected]

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Update:Indonesia

IntheNews:

•  The JakartaGlobe(9.2.10)reportsthatPresidentSusiloBambangYudhoyonowill

demandaccountabilityforriotinginBuol,wheresixwerekilledand23others

woundedwhenpolicefiredintoacrowdofprotesters.Thecrowdwas

protestingthedeathofamotorcycletaxidriverwhowasinpolicecustody.

•  Inanarticleinthe JakartaGlobe(8.15.10),legislatorYorrisRaweyaiwas

reportedtocallonthegovernmenttoaddressthespreadofHIV/AIDSinPapua.

PapuahasthehighestinfectionrateamongallprovincesinIndonesia.

•  InavisittoOsloinMay,PresidentSusiloBambangYudhoyonoannouncedatwo-

yearmoratoriumonrainforestlogginginreturnforapproximately$1billioninaidfromNorway( Aljazeera5.27.10).AccordingtoGreenpeace,nearly300

footballfieldsworthofforestdisappeareveryhourinIndonesia.

Update:Laos

Case:ThreeLaoProtestors

Threemenremaininprison:ThongpaseuthKeuakoun,Seng-AlounPhengphanh

andBouavanhChanhmanivong.Theywereoriginallysentencedtotenyearsfortreason,thoughauthoritieshavenowsaidthatthesentencewas20years.Thethree

aredetainedinSamkheprison,Vientiane,whichisthemaindetentionfacilityinLaos.

Conditionsofdetentionareextremelyharsh,withpoormedicalcareandfood.Torture

andill-treatmentindetentioniscommon.Prisonersarereportedlygiventasksthatare

almostimpossibletocompleteandarepunishedharshlyifunabletodoso.

Clickformoreinformation

Fiveprotestorswerearrestedon26October1999

intheLaocapital,Vientiane.Theywerepartof

thegroup,LaoStudentsMovementfor

Democracy,andattemptedtounfurlpostersthey

hadmadecallingforpolitical,socialandeconomic

changeinLaos.

KhamphouviengSisaath

Diedinprison,September2001

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IntheNews:

•  Inthe1960stheUnitedNationsEconomicandSocialCommissionforAsiaPacific

initiatedtheTrans-AsianRailwayproject,theaimofwhichwastocreatea

114,000-kilometrerailnetworkbetweenAsiaandEurope(mb.com,9.20.10,storybyPeterJanssen).Theprojectlostmomentumduetowars,theChinese

CulturalRevolution,andlackoffinances.However,in2006,22Asian

governmentssignedacooperationagreementwhichwentintoeffectlastJune

afterChinaratifiedit.

Chinahassaidthattheprojectcanbecompletedwithinthreeyears.Laosisseen

asonepotentialstumblingblockfortheproject.InAugust,seniorofficialsfrom

ChinametwiththeLaoRailwayAuthority,andagreedtostudythefeasibilityofa

raillinkbetweenBoten,LuangNamthaprovince,andVientiane.

Update:Malaysia

AmnestyNews:

AIstatedthattheMalaysiangovernmentshouldscrapplanstoexpandastate-

sponsoredsecurityforceofcivilianvolunteerswithalongrecordofhumanrightsabuses

againstrefugeesandmigrants.AIdocumentedintworeportsin2010howRELA

volunteersregularlyengageinphysicalabuseandextortion,andindiscriminately

detainedthosewiththelegalrighttobeinthecountry.

AIreleasedareport, AbusedandAbandoned:

RefugeesDeniedRightsinMalaysia,to

coincidewithWorldRefugeeDay.Refugees

andasylum-seekersinMalaysiaaresubjected

toarbitraryarrest,detentioninappalling

conditions,caning,extortion,human

traffickinganddeportationbacktothe

persecutiontheyfled.Over90%ofregistered

refugeesandasylum-seekersinMalaysiaare

fromMyanmar.

Refugeesshouldbeabletolivewith

dignitywhiletheyareinMalaysia.The

governmentshouldmoveimmediatelyto

issuerefugeesofficialIDcardsandgrant

themtherighttowork.

ChrisNash,HeadofRefugeeandMigrant

Rights,AmnestyInternational.

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Update:Philippines

AmnestyNews:

ThePhilippinegovernmentshouldensurethatpoliceofficersresponsiblefortorture

showninavideobroadcastonTuesdayinthenationalmediaarebroughttojustice,AI

hassaid.Thevideoshowedaplainclothespoliceofficertorturingasuspectapparently

heldforpettytheftinapolicestation,asuniformedofficerslookedon.Amnesty

InternationalisurgingthePhilippinegovernmenttoinvestigatethisandothercases

underthenewAnti-torturelaw,passedinJuly2009.

DonnaGuest,AI’sDeputyDirectorfortheAsia-Pacificsaysthatthisistherighttimefor

theadministrationofPresidentBenignoAquinototakeastandagainsttorture.

ProtectionofhumanrightswasoneofAquino’skeycampaignpromises.

IntheNews:

•   AustraliaNetworkNews(9.23.10)reportedthatthousandsofsquattersresisting

evictionfromaroadsideshantytownhavewonatemporaryreprieveafter

fightingwithpoliceandshuttingdowntheManila’smainhighway.The

government,inajointventurewithaprivatefirm,wantstodevelopthesiteinto

abusinessdistrict.

Update:Vietnam

FromAI’sVietnamCountrySpecialist:

JeanLibby,AIUSA’sVietnamCountry

Specialist,recentlyreportedinherblogthat

humanrightsdefendershavebeenprevented

fromenteringThailandtoaddresstheForeign

CorrespondentsClub.(Clicktoseeherblog).

TheForeignCorrespondents’ClubofThailand

announcedthatithasbeenunderpressureby

theThaiMinistryofForeignAffairstocancela

pressconferenceonhumanrightsinVietnam,

organizedbytheInternationalFederationfor

HumanRightsandtheVietnamCommitteeon

HumanRights(VCHR).

VoVanAiandPenelopeFaulkner,respectively

PresidentandVice-PresidentofVCHRhad

plannedtopresentanewreport:From

VoVanAi,Penelope,andpoetNguyen

ChiThien,December2005.Photoby

JeanLibby.

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“Vision’toFacts:HumanRightsinVietnamUnderitsChairmanshipofASEAN.

Innextmonth’snewsletter,wewillfeaturetheVietnamesepoet,NguyenChiThien.

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QuestionsComments?E-mailSEARANCoordinator,ClaudiaVandermade,at

mailto:[email protected].