Stand United Against Torture

The United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture once again reminds us of all victims and survivors of torture worldwide and of our corresponding responsibility to stand united against torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. It likewise reminds us of all those who disappeared, many if not all of them have been and continue to be victimized by torture.

Torture is an abominable offense under international law. It is absolutely prohibited and unjustifiable under any circumstances in any place in the world. After twenty-five years since the entry into force of the Convention Against Torture (CAT), as a legally binding international instrument against the act of torture, this odious practice is still taking a terrible toll on millions of people around the globe. But despite this global commitment of the United Nations, many States and private individuals or groups acting with the authority, support, or acquiescence of States, continue without qualms to use torture to inflict physical and mental harm on any person in order to get information, secure a confession, exact punishment or extort money – all in the guise of national security or simply form part of a regular conduct of police investigation.

One horrible form of torture is enforced disappearance - not only for the fact that the disappeared persons are often subjected to torture but also because their involuntary disappearance also brings unspeakable sorrows to their families who are tormented by the uncertainty of the fate and whereabouts of their disappeared loved ones and are usually harassed, intimidated and threatened in the course of their search for truth and justice.

What makes it even worse is that torture and enforced disappearance are often carried out under a climate of impunity which allows those responsible to walk free from criminal liability. Worse still, it blatantly denies the victims and their families their right to redress. Even the provision of a just reparation, tailored to the needs of the victims including compensation, rehabilitation and guarantees of non-repetition, is rarely provided or entirely non-existent.

Today, we pay tribute to those who have survived torture and courageously work to eradicate this inhuman practice from the face of the earth. As we work for the eradication of torture and enforced disappearances, we likewise reaffirm the value of human dignity and doing so, we commit ourselves to end torture.

The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD), a regional federation of human rights organizations and which presently is composed of eleven organizations from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri-Lanka, Thailand and Timor Leste, joins the international human rights community in a resonating call to bring this endemic and systemic practice of torture and ill-treatment in the region and all parts of the world to an end.

To note, on 22 June 2012, AFAD was represented in a 12-hour vigil in front of the White House in Washington DC organized by the Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition (TASSC). Such participation is a concrete form of solidarity with all victims of torture all over the world.

We also take this opportunity to once again call on all governments who have not yet acceded to the Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Punishments and have not yet signed and ratified the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance to do so without further delay. These international human rights treaties, complemented with pieces of domestic legislation criminalizing these offenses can serve as effective tools to prevent and eliminate the act of torture.

Only through empowering torture victims and survivors can they rebuild their lives. But rebuilding lives cannot be made possible without a society guaranteeing everyone the freedom from torture and other forms of violence. END TORTURE NOW!

Signed and authenticated by:

MUGIYANTO	MARY AILEEN D. BACALSO
Chairperson	Secretary-General