Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) was delighted with the release of A Dao, a pastor of the Montagnard Evangelical Church of Christ. Pastor A Dao was had arrested by the Vietnamese authorities on August 18, 2016, after his return to Vietnam from a conference about religious freedom in East Timor.
To read the full release, please visit this link.
Read MoreSTATEMENT - On the 22nd August 2020, the International Panel of parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief (IPPFoRB) observes the second United Nations International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief.
This year, it comes at a time when the world is battling a global health crisis that has gravely impacted the lives of many, especially the most marginalized and vulnerable individuals and communities. In some countries, the pandemic has flared existing religious intolerance which has targeted persons and groups on the basis of their religion or belief. We are also concerned about the continuing intolerance and violence based on religion or belief against individuals, including persons belonging to religious and belief-based communities and minorities around the world.
Read MoreAPHR will be speaking at Webinar on Human Rights Mechanisms and Sanctions held by Boat People SOS (BPSOS) on Friday, 14 August 2020. APHR will speak about FoRB Protection inside and outside the ASEAN System; Transcending the Status Quo.
Please click the link to register.
Read MoreCRCS, ICRS, APHR, the National Commission on Human Rights, YLBHI, SEPAHAM INDONESIA, HRWG and SEAFORB Network are holding a series of Conferences on Freedom of Religion or Belief titled "Blasphemy Law: Protection or Criminalisation" on August 18-27 2020.
To register, please go to this link: https://s.id/BlasphemyLaw
For further information, please contact any.marsiyanti@gmail.com / +6281390574930 (ICRS) / +6282296060601 ichaalysa04@gmail.com (HRWG)
Read MoreHate speech is, sadly, nothing new in Southeast Asia
Hateful comments online have translated into violence, deep divides and atrocities
They contributed to the widespread vilification of the Rohingya in Myanmar
While other groups also face attacks
Things have grown worse during COVID-19, with minorities scapegoated
And the Rohingya have again been targeted, this time in Malaysia
ASEAN governments and parliamentarians must speak out against hateful rhetoric
An intervention from regional leaders could play a crucial role in ensuring unity and peace
Please watch social media campaign by APHR here.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 23, 2020
USCIRF Urges Thailand and Malaysia to Protect Rohingya Muslim Refugees Stranded at Sea
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) calls on the governments of Thailand and Malaysia to admit boats carrying Rohingya Muslim refugees stranded at sea.
“Thai and Malaysian authorities must recognize their obligations under international law to refugees fleeing ethnic and religious violence,” USCIRF Chair Gayle Manchin stated. “USCIRF urges them to grant refuge to Rohingya Muslims fleeing ethnic cleansing in Burma. If not, hundreds could perish at sea.”
Read MoreThe Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) report revealed that attempts for criminal resort to blasphemy are still prevalent amid the Coronavirus pandemic. Based on the report, “at least 38 cases of alleged blasphemy were reported to police or other institutions across 16 provinces in the first five months of 2020. Nineteen of the cases were filed before the first COVID-19 cases were announced on March 2, and the rest were filed afterward.”
Please see the news in the Jakarta Post in this link.
Read MoreZainal Abidin Bagir, Asfinawati, Suhaidi Cholil and Renata Arianingtyas co-authored an article on “Limitations to Freedom of Religion or Belief in Indonesia; Norms and Practices”. The article illustrate to elements that have shaped FoRB landscape in Indonesia, namely: (1) the progressive adoption of human rights in the new laws and amended constitution, as a result of the democratization which started in 1998; and (2) the old governance of religion which acknowledges limited religious pluralism and emphasizes harmony over freedom.
Read MoreGENEVA (22 April 2020) – States must ensure COVID-19 measures are not twisted for economic or political gain and clamp down on hate speech blaming religious or ethnic groups for the crisis, a UN expert said today.
Read MoreAnother saddening case illustrating the scrutiny and discrimination against religious minority in Indonesia with regard to their right to places of worship. The construction of a Baptist church in Semarang, Central Java, has been halted on the sentiment of the intolerant groups, despite that the construction project had already obtained the necessary building permit (IMB).
Please see the news in the Jakarta Post in this link.
Read MoreGENEVA (17 April 2020) – Antisemitic hate speech has risen alarmingly since the outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis and must be rejected, said the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Ahmed Shaheed.
Read MoreBy Andreas Harsono
In March, 15 Indonesians filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court arguing that the government’s shuttering of thousands of houses of worship was being done under a discriminatory law and therefore should not be allowed to happen.
Read MoreOp-ed by Rev Eugene Yapp, Senior Fellow, Religious Freedom Institute, South and South East Asia Team
A great concern in connection with the spread of the Corona virus/COVID-19 in many parts of the world, particularly in Malaysia arose from the large-scale gathering of people in connection with religious events .On 26 March, Malaysian national health director-general, Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah announced that five groupings of people infected with Covid-19 from the Seri Petaling tabligh gathering had been detected. This state of affairs present a significant challenge to the state and federal health authorities as it seeks to contain the virus from further spread.
Read MoreStop Promoting Hatred, Targeting Muslims, Foreigners
(Bangkok) – Cambodian authorities should cease using inflammatory rhetoric against vulnerable groups and foreigners in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, Human Rights Watch said today. In order to protect individuals with COVID-19 from discrimination and violence, the government should limit the release of personal information such as ethnicity, race, religion, political affiliation, and sexual identity.
Read MoreCOVID-19 fears should not be exploited to attack and exclude minorities – UN expert
GENEVA (30 March 2020) –The exploitation of COVID-19-related fears by groups and politicians to scapegoat minorities is leading to an alarming rise in verbal and physical abuses against Chinese and other minorities, with some even being denied access to health care and information about the pandemic, a UN rights expert said.
Read MoreA notorious joint ministerial decree that regulates the construction of houses of worship may be subject to a judicial review by the Supreme Court after going unchallenged for more than a decade.
The 2006 decree on places of worship, issued jointly by the Religious Affairs Ministry and the Home Ministry, has been criticized by activists for being misused by local communities to prevent the construction of places of worship for minority groups across the country.
Read MoreDefend the Defenders | March 22, 2020
Despite an increasing number of Covid-19 infectionnationwide, Vietnam’s security forces continue to intimidate and harass local human rights defenders for their peaceful activities.
Read MoreZacky Khairul Umam
Why do many among Indonesian elites view their own country with a superiority syndrome over those in the Middle East and South Asia? This tendency has been more notable since the political change and sectarianism after the Arab Springs in 2011.
Read MoreDutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima joined an interfaith discussion on religious tolerance, among other issues, during their meeting with members of the Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies (ICRS) in Yogyakarta, Central Java, on Wednesday.
Read MorePARIS, 11th March 2020 (VCHR-IBIB): In remembrance of the Most Venerable Thích Quảng Độ,renowned dissident and Patriarch of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) who died in Saigon last month, the Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) and the International Buddhist Information Bureau (IBIB) wish to present this video with the UBCV Patriarch’s last message to the international community.
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