Conference Statement: Sharing Best Practices in Advocating for Legislation Against Enforced Disappearances (Updated)

Conference Statement

September 17-20, 2014, Manila, Philippines - We, the participants in the conference on “Sharing Best Practices in Advocating for Legislation Against Enforced Disappearances” coming from organizations from Argentina, Bangladesh, Belarus, Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Lebanon, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste and the United States of America are convened in Manila, Philippines, the first and only Asian country that has enacted a law against enforced disappearances, but has not yet signed and ratified the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.

AFAD demands immediate arrest of the accused involved in the killing of Krishna Prasad Adhikary and take responsibility of forcing Nanda Prasad to death and protect the life of Gangamaya.

Asian Federation Against Enforced Disappearances (AFAD), gathered in Manila for the fifth congress is deeply shocked to hear that the government of Nepal forced Nanda Prasad Adhikary to die for continuously denying justice for the abduction and brutal killing of his beloved son Krishna Prasad Adhikary. AFAD is also seriously concerned about the critical state of Gangamaya Adhikary’s health and requests the Government of Nepal to take all the measures including the arrest and prosecution of those involved in the killing of her son. The couple was on hunger strike for more than 333 days for demanding credible investigation and prosecution of those involved in the killing of their son. Even after making repeated promises, the Government did not conduct credible investigation that could lead to the prosecution of those involved. The Government protected the perpetrators and condoned the attack on human rights activists who raised their voices for justice for the Adhikary couple.

Address 10 Years of Injustice for the Murder of Munir! Make Public the Result of the Fact Finding Team (TPF) and Re-open His Case!

Ten years ago today, the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearance (AFAD) lost its former Chairperson, Munir Said Thalib who died of arsenic poisoning while on board a Garuda Airways flight from Jakarta to Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Two civilians were convicted – Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto, a Garuda pilot and part-time intelligence agent who served the poisoned orange juice to Munir and Indra Setiawan, the former CEO of Garuda Airlines who ordered off duty pilot Pollycarpus to board the plane and execute the plan to murder Munir. Rohainil Aini, deputy of Indra Setiawan was later on acquitted.

However, AFAD believes the real masterminds of Munir’s untimely death remain scot free.

End the Victimization of Asian Peoples! States Must Sign and Ratify the Enforced Disappearance Convention Now!

AFAD STATEMENT FOR THE 2014 INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE DISAPPEARED

Asian peoples are the most victimized by the practice of enforced disappearance over the past years. The practice is still continuing with 14 Asian states out of 21 asked to respond to 93 new cases lodged at the UN

Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (UNWGEID), as contained in its August 4, 2014 report to the UN Human Rights Council. These Asian states are Bahrain, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Nepal, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

Urgent appeals were also sent by the UNWGEID to 16 States, eight of these from Asia (Bahrain, Bangladesh, China, Iraq, Kazakhstan, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the Syrian Arab Republic and United Arab Emirates) concerning the whereabouts of persons who were arrested, detained or feared to have been disappeared or at risk of disappearance. Communications concerning allegations of harassments of human rights defenders and relatives of disappeared persons were also sent to 12 states, five of these are from Asia (Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand).