Connect with us

Civil Society

Lawmakers from Southeast Asia urged to push for concrete action on Myanmar crisis

ASEAN parliamentarians attending the AIPA General Assembly have been urged to advocate for human rights-based solutions to the escalating Myanmar crisis. Malaysian lawmaker Wong Chen warned against engagement with the Myanmar junta, urging lawmakers to hold the junta accountable and called for an expedited review of the Five Point Consensus.

Published

1 year ago

on

JAKARTA, INDONESIA: Southeast Asian parliamentarians attending the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) General Assembly here have been urged to advocate for effective actions based on human rights principles, aimed at addressing the intensifying crisis in Myanmar.

ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights Board Member and Malaysian Member of Parliament Wong Chen, addressing the assembly, underlined the significance of the forum as a platform for regional lawmakers to collaborate on crucial issues, specifically the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Myanmar.

“The AIPA General Assembly is an important forum in which lawmakers from across the region can come together and work together on key issues, including the ongoing crisis in Myanmar,” Wong Chen said. He emphasized the responsibility of the attending representatives in influencing their governments to end the relentless suffering and death in Myanmar.

The AIPA General Assembly, taking place in Jakarta from 5th to 11th August, is themed “Responsive Parliaments for a Stable and Prosperous ASEAN.” The first plenary session was held today, with committee meetings scheduled for the 8th and the final plenary session on the 9 August.

Wong Chen further cautioned against relying on the Myanmar junta, given their persistent disregard for the Five-Point Consensus, a critical framework for peacebuilding in the region. He urged representatives to persuade their governments to engage with the National Unity Government, ethnic revolution organizations, and civil society groups in Myanmar.

Despite growing tendencies among ASEAN leaders to engage with the junta, as evidenced by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recent remarks, Wong Chen warned that this engagement could be manipulated as military propaganda and present the pro-democracy movement as an impediment to peace.

“We urge lawmakers to call on their governments to continue working towards holding the junta accountable for its widespread and systematic crimes against its own people,” said Wong Chen.

He also appealed to Indonesian lawmakers, as the current ASEAN chair, to expedite a comprehensive review of the Five Point Consensus, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. “Time is running out for Indonesia to make a real impact on the fate of Myanmar and leave a lasting legacy for its chairmanship,” Wong Chen added.

Myanmar has seen a significant surge in violence since a failed coup attempt on 21 February 2021.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners reported that the ensuing military crackdowns have resulted in over 3,850 deaths. 24,100 people have been detained, of which 19,710 are currently in custody, and 6,976 are serving sentences.

Myanmar’s military junta extended a state of emergency for the fourth time on 1 August, 2023, delaying the elections they had promised to hold after their takeover.

Moreover, on 2 August, the military pardoned Aung San Suu Kyi in five of the 19 charges brought against her, reducing her 33-year jail sentence by six years. Critics view this as an attempt to restart stalled diplomatic efforts.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment
Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Civil Society

Thailand withdraws reservation on refugee children’s rights, welcomed by UN Human Rights Office

Thailand’s withdrawal of its reservation on Article 22 of the CRC is hailed by the UN, marking a key step in enhancing protections for refugee and asylum-seeking children.

Published

1 week ago

on

6 September 2024

By

The UN Human Rights Office for South-East Asia (OHCHR) has praised Thailand for its decision to withdraw its reservation on Article 22 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), a move expected to improve the protection of refugee and asylum-seeking children in the country.

Cynthia Veliko, the OHCHR Representative for South-East Asia, hailed the decision, calling it “a significant, positive step” toward aligning Thailand’s laws with international standards. “This move helps protect the rights of all children on the move, no matter their nationality or origin,” Veliko said.

The Thai Cabinet’s decision to withdraw the reservation took effect on 30 August 2024. Article 22 of the CRC ensures that refugee and asylum-seeking children receive protection, humanitarian assistance, and equal access to services provided to national children, in line with international human rights laws to which Thailand is a party.

This withdrawal is also expected to strengthen the implementation of Thailand’s National Screening Mechanism (NSM), introduced on 22 September 2023.

The NSM grants the status of “protected person” to individuals who cannot return to their home countries due to the fear of persecution. However, despite these legal advancements, children without legal status in Thailand remain at risk of being detained in immigration facilities.

The UN has raised concerns over the continued detention of children despite the Thai government’s 2019 Memorandum of Understanding on Alternatives to the Detention of Children (MOU-ATD). The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has reaffirmed that every child has a fundamental right to liberty and should not be detained based on their migration status.

Veliko urged Thailand to focus on ending child immigration detention and adopting human rights-based alternatives.

“Children on the move are children first and foremost,” Veliko stressed, adding that detention due to migration status is never in the best interests of children.

The UN Human Rights Office expressed its readiness to assist the Thai government in developing alternatives to detention, ensuring that all children receive the protection and care they need.

Continue Reading

Civil Society

FORUM-ASIA condemns Myanmar junta’s forced conscription expansion, urges international action

FORUM-ASIA condemns Myanmar’s military junta for expanding forced conscription, calling it a desperate bid to maintain power. The policy, affecting men aged 35 to 60, adds to a long list of human rights violations, including forced labor and the use of civilians as human shields.

Published

2 weeks ago

on

4 September 2024

By

The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) has condemned the Myanmar military junta’s recent decision to expand the age limit of its forced conscription policy, calling on the international community to stand in solidarity with the people of Myanmar.

The move is seen as a desperate attempt by the junta to maintain control in the face of a growing pro-democracy resistance movement.

On 25 August 2024, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing announced the introduction of a new “security system with public participation.”

This system would require men aged 35 to 60 to serve as guards, potentially placing them on the frontlines of conflict. The announcement follows the formation of the Central Supervisory Committee for People’s Security and Anti-Terrorism on 16 August, tasked with organizing military training and overseeing “people’s security and anti-terrorism” groups at various administrative levels.

The junta’s plan builds upon the forced conscription policy it implemented on 10 February 2024, invoking the 2010 People’s Military Service Law.

The law mandates men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 to serve two years in the military, with professionals like doctors and engineers potentially serving up to five years. Those who evade service or assist others in doing so face up to five years in prison. As part of this policy, the junta planned to conscript 5,000 individuals monthly from April 2024.

Civilians as Human Shields and Forced Labor

FORUM-ASIA has condemned the junta’s forced conscription policies, highlighting the military’s history of using civilians as human shields and forcing them into hard labor.

The International Labour Organization’s Commission of Inquiry found in October 2023 that the military continues to impose forced labor amidst the ongoing armed conflict, a practice that has escalated since the 2021 coup attempt.

Local news and human rights groups have reported that the junta is also abducting and arresting citizens to use as human shields, further contributing to the human rights violations in Myanmar. Many youths, rather than being conscripted into fighting for a regime they oppose, have fled their homes to join the resistance.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed concern over the junta’s detention and recruitment of Myanmar youth. Meanwhile, Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar, noted the junta’s increasing use of powerful weapons against civilians as troop losses and recruitment challenges mount.

Call for Action

FORUM-ASIA is calling on the Myanmar military junta to immediately halt its forced conscription, abductions, forced labor, and the use of civilians as human shields.

“FORUM-ASIA urges the international community, including the UN and ASEAN, to thoroughly investigate the Myanmar military junta’s long list of human rights violations. The junta should be held accountable for all its crimes through sanctions and other punitive measures,” said Mary Aileen Diez-Bacalso, Executive Director of FORUM-ASIA.

“The international community must urgently isolate the junta and support the people of Myanmar in their struggle for justice and freedom,” Bacalso added.

Continue Reading

Trending