Maruah attends the Burmese community’s celebration of Aung San Suu Kyi’s 64th birthday

Wee Yeong Wei, Braema Mathi and Alex Au (not in picture) represented Maruah Singapore at the celebrations organised by the Burmese community in Singapore to mark the 64th birthday of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. The event was held at the Burmese temple on Tai Gin Road, on Sunday, 21 June 2009.

Statement by MARUAH on 64th birthday of Aung San Suu Kyi

We wish Daw Aung San Suu Kyi a birthday where she will take comfort that we are all from different parts of the world, hoping for her release and praying for her in our own way.

We from MARUAH also take this opportunity to state that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi should have been freed by now to enjoy her birthday in the company of friends and well-wishers. She has done no wrong other than to stand in an election. The government of Myanmar must release her. We urge all ASEAN leaders to secure her release and be committed to that end. It has gone on too long – not another day more, please.

Joint Co-Chairmen’s Statement of the 17th ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting

ASEAN and the EU released a joint statement at the 17th ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting. Below are 2 paragraphs from the statement relating to human rights in ASEAN.

24. The Ministers agreed to strengthen mutual cooperation in promoting and protecting human rights. In this regard, they welcomed the progress made by the High Level Panel on an ASEAN human rights body, which has already submitted the first draft of the terms of reference on an ASEAN human rights body to the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. The Ministers also looked forward to the adoption of the terms of reference and the eventual establishment of the ASEAN human rights body. The Ministers noted the outcome of the work of the High Level Legal Experts’ Group on Follow-up to the ASEAN Charter in drafting the recommendations on the issues of the legal personality of ASEAN, the establishment of dispute settlement mechanisms and other legal issues related to the ASEAN Charter.

Photos – In Unity for her Liberty: Peace Vigil for Aung San Suu Kyi

Sunday, 31 May 2009, Hong Lim Park, Singapore. Organised by Maruah Singapore.

Singaporeans from all walks of life, joined by the Burmese community in Singapore, hold a peace vigil for the freedom of Aung San Suu Kyi.

More photos after the break…

Video – In Unity for Her Liberty: Peace Vigil for Aung San Suu Kyi

Courtesy of Patrick Chng from MARUAH.

In Unity for Her Liberty: a Peace Vigil for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s Freedom

Join our facebook group here.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who won the democratically-held elections in 1990, has been under house arrest for almost two decades. On 18th May 2009, she was charged with breaching the terms of her house arrest and stood trial. She has borne her trials with dignity. Yet they continue unabated. The world has honoured her with a Nobel Peace Prize and lobbied tirelessly for her freedom but there is a growing helplessness towards the situation as the Myanmar junta continues to keep her in detention without trial.

We find the situation untenable. It will be a grave injustice if we all were to stand by and let this courageous citizen spend all her days as a prisoner. She is due for release at the end of May.

Many among us know that it will not happen. We need to show ASEAN solidarity at the civil society level and act together to ask for her freedom.

Let us then come together throughout ASEAN on the same day at the same time to demand for her freedom. Can we show solidarity by wearing some yellow in our clothing, hold a candlelight vigil and let off 19 yellow-coloured balloons (one for each year she has been under arrest) with her portrait, into the skies?

Come.
Have your silence heard.

This event is jointly organised by MARUAH(SWGAHRM) with other regional NGOs.

Attached is an advisory for all parties interested in joining us for the event.

Amnesty International’s 2008 report on Singapore

Amnesty International, in the section on Singapore, part of its worldwide review for 2008, highlighted “heavy penalties and restrictive measures imposed on opposition activists, journalists and human rights defenders”. It also noted Singapore’s formal dissociation from the UN General Assembly’s resolution calling for a worldwide moratorium on the use of the death penalty

Tex of report follows: 

Weekly Briefing Note on the Work of United Nations Special Procedures

From 25 April to 1 May 2009

COMMUNICATIONS from 22 to 28 April 2009

• 14 communications (10 Urgent Appeals and 4 Allegation Letters) sent to 12 countries
• 11 joint communications
• Of 14 individual cases, 4 concerned women

ASEAN People Deserves Full Human Rights—Romulo

Please see below for a press release from the Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto G. Romulo on the ASEAN Human Rights Body.

ASEAN People Deserves Full Human Rights—Romulo

April 8, 2009 by DFA-PISU

PR-169-09, 08 April 2009—Foreign Secretary Alberto G. Romulo called on the member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to hasten the creation of an effective and credible ASEAN human rights body to fully protect and promote individual and collective freedoms in the region.

Report on public consultation on ASEAN Human Rights Body

Please click here for the report on the public consultation organised by MARUAH on the ASEAN Human Rights Body on 11 March 2009.