Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances

EDITORIAL

COVER STORY

Country Situation

India
Indonesia
Sri Lanka

FEATURE ARTICLE

JAKARTA CONFERENCE

BOOK REVIEW

FILM REVIEW

REPORT ON INTERNATIONAL LOBBYING

YEAR-END REPORT

Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances
Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances
Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances

YEAR-END REPORT:

2004 Year-End Report of the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

            According to the 2003 report of the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (UNWGEID), Asia had the highest number of reported cases of involuntary disappearance, with Nepal on top of the list.
Ironically, in the on-going session of the United Nations Open-Ended Working Group for a Draft Legally Binding Normative Instrument for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, Asian governments themselves are the ones which have shown lukewarm attitude in the process.

            Yet, while AFAD continues to project this regional phenomenon, no significant and concrete improvement has been achieved as far as individual cases and the general situation are concerned. The situation was even made worse by the death of two AFAD’s most active advocates—its Chairperson Munir of Indonesia who was poisoned during a Garuda flight from Jakarta to Amsterdam via Singapore on 7 September 2004, and Ms. Aasia Jeelani of Kashmir, India during as landmine explosion on 20 April 2004.

            Furthermore, the last week of 2004 brought untold sufferings to the Asian peoples due to the tsunami that affected 11 countries, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and India. The worst hit was Aceh with 200,000 people killed, followed by Sri Lanka with more 80,000 dead—more than 200 of whom are members of OPFMD. Another 10,000 were killed in Thailand, but there is no information as to whether thereare families of the disappeared.

            There were also minor changes in the composition of the AFAD Council. The organization from Pakistan for example is supposed to have two Council members—one as Treasurer of the Federation and the other as the representative of the Truth and Justice and Commission. But the latter is not able to attend the meetings, hence the elected Treasurer assumes his place.

            On the other hand, the representative of the Tiananmen Mothers’ Campaign Group (TMCG) based in Hongkong resigned due to security reasons. This matter would have to be further discussed, especially so that the TMCG withdrew its role as intermediary between AFAD and the Tiananmen Mothers in Beijing.

            With Munir’s death moreover, the AFAD Secretary General is faced with the multiple tasks of leading the Federation, representing it in functions at home and abroad, raising funds for the organizations and leading the AFAD Secretariat.

            Despite these difficulties however, the Federation was still able to project the phenomenon of involuntary disappearance, making 2004 another landmark year for AFAD. In terms of international lobby for instance, the activities were the following:

• participation of the AFAD Chairperson and Secretary General in the session of the United         Nations Open-Ended Working Group to Elaborate a Draft Legally-Binding Normative Instrument for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances in Geneva, Switzerland on 12-23 January 2004;
• co-sponsorship of the First Asian Victims’ Forum on the International Criminal Court in Manila, Philippines on 26-27 February 2004, along with Forum Asia and the Committee for the International Criminal Court;
• participation during the 60th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland on 30 March-10 April 2004;
• sponsorship of the Lobby Training and Planning on 3-5 April 2004 in Geneva, Switzerland with assistance from Linking Solidarity;
• diplomatic briefings with foreign offices and foreign embassies based in Manila and in other Asian capitals;
• visit to the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila, Philippines on 3 June 2004 and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo, Sri Lanka in June 2004;
• synchronized efforts of AFAD member-organizations to discuss the UN Draft Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances;
• lobbying tour to eight European countries to seek support for the UN Draft Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances; and
• visit to the office of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas Ham) in Jakarta, Indonesia on 7 December 2004.

In the field of international solidarity, AFAD made the following initiatives:

• sponsorship of the Gender- Sensitivity Conference held on 5-7 June 2004 in Baguio City, Philippines;
• direct assistance program for families of the disappeared in the Philippines, Kashmir-India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan;
• visits to member-organizations in Thailand (February 2004), Sri Lanka (June 2004), Indonesia (September 2004) and the Philippines; and
• holding of the First Sharing of Experiences of Asian Families of the Disappeared in Jakarta, Indonesia on 6-10 December 2004.

In the area of campaign and public information, the Federation ensured:

• the regular and timely production of the its official publication, The Voice;
• commemoration of the International Week of the Disappeared on the last week of May 2004;
• commemoration of AFAD’s sixth anniversary and the 15th anniversary of Tiananmen massacre on 4 June 2004 in Quezon City;
• commemoration of the International Day of the Disappeared on 30 August 2004;
• commemoration of the 64th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December 2004 in Jakarta, Indonesia;
• issuance of statements covering various relevant and burning issues;
• response to the death of AFAD Chairperson Munir and APDP volunteer Aasia Jeelani;
• initiation of a book and video project both entitled Healing Wounds, Mending Scars; and
• regular uploading of the AFAD website.