Today,
in Jakarta, non-governmental organizations in Southeast Asia call on
the ASEAN Inter-Governmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) to
address severe violations of human rights in the South East Asia region.
"AICHR has to protect us, the peoples in ASEAN", said Khin Ohmar of
Burma. "For instance, crimes against humanity and war crimes such as
extra-judicial killing and military rape against ethnic minorities in
Burma occur on daily basis with impunity." 
JAKARTA,
INDONESIA, 28 March 2010.

Today,
in Jakarta, non-governmental organizations in Southeast Asia call on
the ASEAN Inter-Governmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) to
address severe violations of human rights in the South East Asia region.
"AICHR has to protect us, the peoples in ASEAN", said Khin Ohmar of
Burma. "For instance, crimes against humanity and war crimes such as
extra-judicial killing and military rape against ethnic minorities in
Burma occur on daily basis with impunity." 

From
Indonesia, a group of women survivors from the 1965 mass killing of
suspected communists expressed their frustration over the Indonesian
government for lack of acknowledgement and addressing the injustice. "We
want the AICHR to push the Indonesian government to answer our calls to
redress justice and reparation", said Sumini, 81 years old.

Sawart
Pramoonsilp, the representative of persons with disabilities from
Thailand said, "I would like the AICHR to push the ASEAN countries to
sign and ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities." She also calls on the AICHR to pressure the ASEAN
governments to provide equal access to facilities such as
transportation, education and employment for persons with disabilities
and elderly people.

Temme
Lee, the representative from APRRN (Asia Pacific Refugee Rights
Network) based in Malaysia briefed on the situation of refugees in the
SEA region and urged the AICHR to work towards a regional solution for
the protection of asylum seekers and refugees based on international
human rights standards including large population of Burmese refugees in
ASEAN states, stateless persons such as the Rohingyas and internally
displaced persons.

With
regards to migrant issue, the Task Force on ASEAN Migrant Workers wants
AICHR to engage with the civil society on the process of protecting the
rights of migrant workers and their families. "We want the Rules of
Procedure to formalize the engagement with civil society in their
planning and implementation of their mandate", said Ted.

Noemi
E. Parcon, the widow of Filipino journalist slaughtered in Ampatuan,
Maguidanao massacre said, "I appeal to the Commission to help our
families to seek justice. The killing of 32 journalists is the worst
ever happened in the world for journalists and the Philippines
government is not responsive to our petition. We, therefore, come here
to appeal to the AICHR."

Cambodia,
represented by Nay Vanda, proposed the AICHR to have a protection
mandate to deal with all human rights violations and the AICHR
representatives to engage with the civil society organizations at
regional and national level to discuss case submissions and on-site
investigations among others.

The
AICHR is set to meet today to draft the Rules of Procedure.  The
Solidarity for Asian Peoples' Advocacy Task Force on ASEAN and Human
Rights (SAPA TF-AHR) calls on the AICHR to adopt a set of RoP that will
ensure its own independence and effectiveness in dealing with human
rights protection and promotion in the region.

Among
the key mechanisms and procedures recommended by the SAPA TFAHR that
must be adopted in dealing with human rights include:

• Petition mechanism, which will receive and respond to
  cases of human rights violations;
• On-site observation;
• Public hearing or inquiry; and
• Friendly settlement.