ID :
47858
Fri, 02/27/2009 - 07:15
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/47858
The shortlink copeid
AMNESTY ASKS ASEAN PRIORITISE HUMAN RIGHTS
By D.Arul Rajoo
HUA HIN, Feb 26 (Bernama) -- Amnesty International (AI) Thursday called on Asean member states to move human rights to the top of the agenda of the 14th Asean Summit here if they are to demonstrate their commitment to the Asean Charter.
Donna Guest, AI's Asia Pacific Deputy Director, said in a statement that the
treatment of the Rohingya boat people had highlighted the urgent need for
regional action on human rights.
She said Asean must act now to address human rights concerns in Southeast
Asia, many of which are having a negative impact regionally and even globally.
All the 10 members have ratified the Asean Charter, which contains several
provisions addressing human rights, including one that calls for the
establishment of a human rights body.
Guest said that the body must be strong, professional, independent, and
representative and must apply international standards. She also called on all
Asean states to ratify key human rights treaties, which the human rights body
can then assist states in implementing.
"One of the challenges facing a future Asean human rights body is the dire
human rights situation in Myanmar. Violations in this member state have been
going on for decades, and include crimes against humanity," she said.
On Feb 21, the Myanmar government set 24 political prisoners free, but there
are still more than 2,100 political prisoners behind bars, the highest number
for more than 20 years.
She cited the recent crisis of the Rohingya boat people, Muslims from
western Myanmar who fled the country by boat but hundreds went missing, feared
drowned, while the Thai military forcibly expelled approximately 1,000, who had
arrived in southwest Thailand.
In the last year Asean governments had shown that they could work together
to solve regional problems, she said, citing Asean's lead role in forming the
Tripartite Core Group with the UN and the Myanmar government to provide urgent
assistance to the survivors of Cyclone Nargis in May 2008.
"Unless Asean seizes the opportunity to establish a robust mechanism with
powers to receive complaints, investigate, and publicly report on the human
rights situations in all 10 member countries, they will lose credibility," she
said.
-- BERNAMA
HUA HIN, Feb 26 (Bernama) -- Amnesty International (AI) Thursday called on Asean member states to move human rights to the top of the agenda of the 14th Asean Summit here if they are to demonstrate their commitment to the Asean Charter.
Donna Guest, AI's Asia Pacific Deputy Director, said in a statement that the
treatment of the Rohingya boat people had highlighted the urgent need for
regional action on human rights.
She said Asean must act now to address human rights concerns in Southeast
Asia, many of which are having a negative impact regionally and even globally.
All the 10 members have ratified the Asean Charter, which contains several
provisions addressing human rights, including one that calls for the
establishment of a human rights body.
Guest said that the body must be strong, professional, independent, and
representative and must apply international standards. She also called on all
Asean states to ratify key human rights treaties, which the human rights body
can then assist states in implementing.
"One of the challenges facing a future Asean human rights body is the dire
human rights situation in Myanmar. Violations in this member state have been
going on for decades, and include crimes against humanity," she said.
On Feb 21, the Myanmar government set 24 political prisoners free, but there
are still more than 2,100 political prisoners behind bars, the highest number
for more than 20 years.
She cited the recent crisis of the Rohingya boat people, Muslims from
western Myanmar who fled the country by boat but hundreds went missing, feared
drowned, while the Thai military forcibly expelled approximately 1,000, who had
arrived in southwest Thailand.
In the last year Asean governments had shown that they could work together
to solve regional problems, she said, citing Asean's lead role in forming the
Tripartite Core Group with the UN and the Myanmar government to provide urgent
assistance to the survivors of Cyclone Nargis in May 2008.
"Unless Asean seizes the opportunity to establish a robust mechanism with
powers to receive complaints, investigate, and publicly report on the human
rights situations in all 10 member countries, they will lose credibility," she
said.
-- BERNAMA
