We Urge President Jokowi to Appoint Cabinet Officials with Clean Human Rights Records

The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD), calls on newly-elected Indonesian President Jokowi Widodo to appoint Cabinet officials with clean human rights record in keeping with his election promise of addressing the justice claims of victims of human rights violations in the past. 

AFAD is aware of the various interest groups that are now lobbying President Jokowi for key posts in his Cabinet. Based on the experiences of AFAD member-organizations from other Asia countries, addressing impunity for human rights violations proved difficult when representatives of groups responsible for human rights violations in the past are appointed to key positions in government because they block whatever measures undertaken to investigate and prosecute those from among their ranks.

20 years of struggle: Odhikar continues to fight for human rights

Today, 10 October 2014, is the 20^th anniversary of Odhikar. Odhikar was established by a group of young people who strongly believed in democracy, human rights and rule of law; who protested and fought against the autocratic regime of Lieutenant General Hussain Muhammad Ershad. Ershad was toppled by a mass movement in December 1990, mainly triggered by left leaning student organisations. In the 1990’s the people of Bangladesh believed that their dream of constituting a democratic state, based on equality, human dignity and social justice, would be realised. However, Bangladesh became trapped in dynastical, confrontational politics where human rights violations, impunity, nepotism and corruption persists; and where rule of law is constantly ignored.

Odhikar Bangladesh Human Rights Monitoring Report September 1-30, 2014

Odhikar believes that ‘democracy’ is a form of the State and presupposes that freedom and human rights are its foundations. Democracy is not merely a process of electing a ruler. Democracy is the result of the peoples’ struggle for inalienable rights, which become the fundamental premise to constitute the State defining collective aspirations and responsibilities. Therefore, the individual freedoms and democratic aspirations of the citizens – and consequently, peoples’ collective rights and responsibilities - must be the foundational principles of the State.

AFAD 5th Congress Statement

The fifth Congress of Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD), held in Manila from 22-25 September and attended by participants from ten countries – Bangladesh, Indonesia, Jammu and Kashmir in India, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Thailand and Timor-Leste renewed its commitment to fight against impunity and build a world without disappearances.

AFAD is strengthened by the solidarity messages of Mr. Ariel Dulitzky, Chair of the (UNWGEID) and Mr. Emmanuel Decaux, Chair of the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearance (UNCED) and friends from various regional and international organizations who recognized the significant contribution of AFAD in the fight against enforced disappearances in various ways.