MPs pledge to protect freedom of religion or belief and combat rise in hateful narratives
Click here for a Bahasa Indonesian translation of this statement
Click here for a Bahasa Indonesian translation of the Sentul Declaration for Peace Building and Freedom of Religion or Belief
JAKARTA – Parliamentarians and religious leaders from Indonesia have signed the “Sentul Declaration for Peace Building and Freedom of Religion or Belief”. The Declaration enshrines moral commitments to promote and strengthen the protection of freedom of religion or belief (FORB) for all, and to counter the rise of hate speech in West Java. Further, on the occasion of Pancasila Day, which falls on June 1, they agreed to participate in Caucus Pancasila, a multi-parties platform for Indonesian parliamentarians to contribute in reviving the values of Pancasila.
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Ramadhan Dialogue: “The Future of Freedom of Religion in Malaysia Post-GE 15”
On 8 May 2021, Southeast Asia Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief (SEAPForB), in collaboration with Komuniti Muslim Universal Malaysia (KMU) and Sisters In Islam (SIS) organised a Ramadhan Dialogue aimed at fostering collaboration between parliamentarians, faith and CSO leaders to strengthen the protection of FoRB in Malaysia. The Dialogue was undertaken as part of a follow-up to APHR-IPPFoRB Fact-Finding Mission to Kuala Lumpur in January 2019 to assess FoRB situation, and how the political climate has changed since Pakatan Harapan government took office in 2018.
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Join us for our Ramadhan Dialogue!
SEAPForB, in collaboration with Komuniti Muslim Universal Malaysia (KMU) and Sisters In Islam (SIS) will organise a Ramadhan Dialogue aimed at fostering collaboration between parliamentarians, faith and CSO leaders to strengthen the protection of FoRB in Malaysia.
Please register at: http://bit.ly/RamadhanDialogue
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Kasthuri Patto's Quotes on on the suspected suicide bombing at a church in Makassar, Indonesia, today.
QUOTES: From Kasthuri Patto, a member of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), on the suspected suicide bombing at a church in Makassar, Indonesia, today.
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Women Parliamentarians as Peacebuilders: Displacing Hate Speech with the discourse of respect
Experience during the pandemic confirms that the deployment by political actors of hate speech in the digital space exponentially promotes real-time political violence, particularly in countries with populist or authoritarian leanings. It acts as a powerful gender-based disincentive to political participation, activism, and leadership at precisely the time when more diversity and inclusion is needed. In response, women champions of peace and inclusion within parliaments - and their male allies - are creating their own modalities for online engagement, brokering new partnerships for inclusive public debate to displace hate speech with the discourse of respect.
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[Joint Statement] Myanmar military should end its use of violence and respect democracy
The undersigned groups today denounced an apparent coup in Myanmar, and associated violence, which has suspended civilian government and effectively returned full power to the military.
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Quotes from Charles Santiago, chair of APHR and a Malaysian MP on Myanmar
QUOTES: From Charles Santiago, chair of APHR and a Malaysian MP regarding overnight developments in Myanmar, of the military arresting senior figures from the ruling National League for Democracy, including Aung San Suu Kyi.
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Amid ongoing concerns, MPs call for ASEAN's joint action in protecting FoRB in SE Asia
Lawmakers from across Southeast Asia called for ASEAN's joint action in ensuring freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all people in the region, amid ongoing inter-communal tensions, religious intolerance, as well as discrimination and persecution based on religion or belief.
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Six Years, Six Actions: What IPPFORB Does to Advance Freedom of Religion or Belief for All
Every year, on 8th November, we celebrate the founding of the International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief (IPPFoRB). Officially established in 2014, IPPFoRB became a reality when 30 parliamentarians from across the world signed the Oslo Charter, a document declaring commitment to the right to freedom of religion or belief, as defined in Article 18 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
On this six-year anniversary, we look at six ways IPPFoRB continues to advance the right to freedom of religion or belief for everyone, everywhere:
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Open Letter – Vietnam: Immediately and unconditionally release Mr. Nguyễn Bắc Truyển
JAKARTA, 13 August 2020 - More than 60 parliamentarians worldwide have signed an open letter to Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc calling for the immediate and unconditional release of religious freedom advocate, Mr. Nguyễn Bắc Truyển, and for all independent religious organisations in Viet Nam to be allowed to freely conduct religious activities without fear of persecution, harassment and imprisonment.
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An Oped by Hon Kasit Piromya; Why Are Peaceful Human Rights Activists Still Behind Bars in Vietnam?
Hon Kasit Piromya, a former Thai member of parliament and foreign minister, and a board member of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights wrote an oped on The Diplomat, calling for immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Nguyễn Bắc Truyển.
Please click this link to read the oped.
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Take Action by Adding Your Voice; Free Vietnamese FoRB Advocate Nguyễn Bắc Truyển
Dear Hon members of parliament,
It has been three years since Mr. Nguyễn Bắc Truyển, a long-standing defender of human rights, especially the rights of religious minorities was abducted by the Vietnamese police, on 30 July 2017.
We are extremely concerned that the charge against him is completely unfounded and his imprisonment is in direct breach of Viet Nam’s obligations under Article 24 of its Constitution and the various international instruments that Viet Nam has ratified.
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Parliamentarians must act to protect freedom of religion or belief
On the occasion of the International Day of Parliamentarism, the International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief (IPPFoRB), ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) and the African Parliamentarians Association for Human Rights (AfriPAHR) call on parliamentarians worldwide to work to protect freedom of religion or belief and combat hate speech.
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Consultant Vacancy; Mapping Legislations related to Freedom of Religion or Belief in Southeast Asia
APHR is hiring an external consultant to conduct a research project and write a report to map out all existing legislation that restrict FoRB in all ASEAN countries + Timor Leste, as well as positive legislative examples. The findings will be published in a number of comprehensive, yet accessible outputs.
Please see the Terms of Reference of the consultancy in this link.
Interested applicants are encouraged to apply by 26 June. Please send your CV along with a cover letter and a sample of research works on human rights or freedom of religion or belief to citra@aseanmp.org, and copy desi@aseanmp.org and elise@aseanmp.org.
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Indonesia: Don’t rush Penal Code revisions, ensure it respects human rights, lawmakers say
JAKARTA – As Indonesia’s parliament prepares to resume deliberation on the Draft Penal Code, regional lawmakers today called for substantial revisions of the bill to ensure that it protects religious minorities and meets international human rights standards. ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) also warned that the bill should not be discussed as the country deals with the crisis related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Media advisory - Digital Press Conference - Indonesian Penal Code
ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) and partners will host a digital press conference on Thursday April 9, 2pm Indonesia Western Standard Time (WIB), detailing concerns regarding Indonesia’s Draft Penal Code, as parliament prepares to resume deliberations.
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QUOTES: As Indonesian parliament debates changes to the country's Penal Code.
“As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, now is not the time for Indonesia to be pushing through major legislation such as the highly contested new draft Penal Code,” said Kasit Piromya, a former Thai Member of Parliament (MP), and Board Member of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR). “The decision to retable the draft Penal Code at a time like this, suggests that the government is trying to take advantage of the situation for political gain as the contested law might slip under the radar as people focus on responding to the pandemic.”
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ASEAN MPs urge governments to put human rights at centre of COVID-19 response
JAKARTA - 23 March 2020: As governments in Southeast Asia increase measures in response to the spread of coronavirus, regional lawmakers have today urged authorities to ensure that human rights are at the forefront of their responses.
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End online attacks against female MPs in SE Asia
By Risa Hontiveros, Senator of the 18th Congress in the Philippines and a member of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights
In a region where patriarchal and outdated sexist stereotypes remain prevalent, online attacks against women are a major problem
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KL Summit must raise Uyghur issue
COMMENT | Muslim countries are silent about the persecution of Uyghur "because China is a very powerful nation".
Can you remember who said this? It was none other than our Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
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