By Irving Feng
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have committed to signing the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration to combat the rampant disregard for basic human rights in the region.

Despite strong protest from rights groups that say the declaration adopted by ASEAN falls short of international standards on human rights, the countries plan to move forward with the adoption of the declaration.

The ASEAN Human Rights Declaration will not be legally binding and currently contain certain loopholes that allow the nations who sign it into “law” to escape penalty.  The document declares all citizens of the nations who sign the declaration into effect are entitled to equal protection under the law.

The declaration also provides special protection to marginalized groups such as women, minorities, disabled persons, and displaced migrants.  These groups are said to have certain “inalienable rights and freedoms” under the proposed human rights declaration.

Surin Pitsuwan, ASEAN Secretary General, has touted the declaration as representation progress in the realm of human rights for many of the ASEAN members.  However, Pitsuwan also acknowledges that inherent weaknesses exist within the declaration.

Deputy Director for Human Rights Watch Asia, Phil Robertson, has condemned the declaration, calling it an “ASEAN human rights feel-good show.”  Robertson believes that the declaration is nothing more than a “public relations game” to improve ASEAN members’ international perception because the human rights abuses in this area of the world have been so prevalent.

Vietnam has been guilty of imprisoning internet bloggers because of their criticisms of the Communist government’s policies.  Cambodia, the host for the declaration summit, has also been host to over 300 politically motivated killings in the past two decades alone.

Because the declarations are not binding, the provisions essentially have no weight in the context of improving human rights for citizens of these countries.  There are event specific omissions that show that this declaration is weightless such as the Muslim majority in Malaysia lobbying for gay rights to be omitted from the final draft of the declaration.

President Barak Obama of the United States is slated to visit the region, specifically Myanmar, to address these failures in adhering to the minimum international standards on human rights.  The president is under immense pressure by rights groups to persuade the region to raise their standards on human rights.

ASEAN members include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.  All member countries have struggled with promoting basic human rights and have all been guilty of violating international standards in recent history.

For further information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Calls mount to scrap ASEAN human rights plan – 17 November 2012

The Philippine Star – Territorial disputes, human rights top Asia summit – 17 November 2012

Reuters – Southeast Asia to adopt human rights platform; condemned by activists – 17 November 2012

The Washington Post – Southeast Asian leaders plan to adopt human rights declaration despite calls for delay – 15 November 2012

By Karen Diep
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

NEW DELHI, India – Today, the body of Bal Thackeray, a controversial Hindu nationalist and politician, was cremated in Mumbai.  Prior to the cremation, hundreds of thousands filled the streets to pay their respects.

According to Indian Express, political leaders, celebrities, allies and rivals attended the funeral, which took place at Shivaji Park.  This event marked as Mumbai’s first public funeral since 1920.

“As far as I know, this is the first time since independence that a person has been cremated at a public platform in the city,” shared former Mumbai Police Commissioner Julio Ribeiro.

Suffering from respiratory and pancreatic difficulties, Mr. Thackeray passed away on Saturday.

Mr. Thackeray founded the right-wing Shiv Sena party in 1966 and possessed a hefty following before his death.  He was also influential in the renaming of Bombay to Mumbai in order to separate itself from its colonial past.

According to BBC, Mr. Thackeray is one of the “most divisive figures in Indian politics” and has allegedly used the Shiv Sena party as vehicle to keep South Indian migrants out of Maharashtra and thwart the spread of Islam.

“Only Marathis [residents of Maharashtra] have the first right over Mumbai,” Mr. Thackeray wrote last year in the Shiv Sena newspaper.

In 2002 and 2008, Mr. Thackeray urged Hindus to create suicide squads to combat Muslims.  Furthermore, in 1992 and 1993, the Indian government launched an inquiry into the riots in Mumbai and subsequently attributed Shiv Sena members for administering attacks on Muslims.

Thus, Mr. Thackeray is accused of inciting and exacerbating tensions between Hindus and Muslims.

When accused of harboring anti-Muslim sentiment, Mr. Thackeray denied such allegations.  Moreover, authorities never convicted Mr. Thackeray of any offence.

 

For further information, please see:

BBC News – Bal Thackeray funeral: Thousands mourn right wing leader – 18 November 2012

IBNlive – Bal Thackeray’s funeral the first on public ground since 1947 – 18 November 2012

Indian Express – State funeral for Bal Thackeray, calm city lines – 18 November 2012