The visit of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay is an opportunity to highlight concerns about discrimination against religious minorities and impunity for state security forces in Indonesia.
Disregarding the deep concerns expressed by senior United Nations officials, human rights experts and hundreds of civil society and grassroots organisations at the national, regional and international levels, ASEAN leaders nonetheless adopted yesterday an “ASEAN Human Rights Declaration” that undermines, rather than affirms, international human rights law and standards.
The visit of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay is an opportunity to highlight concerns about discrimination against religious minorities and impunity for state security forces in Indonesia.
Human Rights Watch regrets that the Indonesian government does not accept the recommendation made at the United Nations Human Rights Council to release from prison political detainees in Papua and the Moluccas Islands. Continuing to detain these non-violent activists, who Indonesia prosecuted under its treason articles, is contrary to international law.
The Australian and Indonesian governments should urgently take effective measures to protect migrant children at high risk of abuse while in Indonesia en route to Australia.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton should raise concerns about religious minorities and political prisoners with the Indonesian government during an upcoming visit to Indonesia. Clinton will be in Jakarta on September 3, 2012 for talks on the US-Indonesia Comprehensive Partnership.
Abbé Benoît Kinalegu from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Salah Marghani from Libya have been selected as recipients of the prestigious Alison Des Forges Award for Extraordinary Activism. Recipients of this award are leading voices for justice in their countries, working relentlessly to protect the rights and dignity of others.
Anis Hidayah, executive director of Jakarta-based Migrant Care, speaks out on behalf of the millions of Indonesian women and men who seek work abroad to feed their families and face serious risk of exploitation and abuse. As Migrant Care and Human Rights Watch have both documented, Indonesian women domestic workers in Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait often work up to 18 hours a day, seven days a week.
The Indonesian government should immediately drop all charges and release Tajul Muluk, a Shia cleric on Madura Island who was sentenced on July 12, 2012, to two years in prison for blasphemy.
Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should make a public commitment to ensure that the forthcoming ASEAN Human Rights Declaration will fully comply with international human rights standards.