SG Human Rights

Background

At the Sep 23 forum on the ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism, a human rights petition to the Singapore Government was mooted at the forum and sign-up sheets for the petition were passed around. Since then, developments unfolded to the creation of SG Human Rights whose members include M Ravi, convener of the forum and Isrizal, one of the forum speakers.

The original petition submission date (scheduled for a week after the Sep 23 forum) has been deferred to coincide with the ASEAN Summit as a more fitting and meaningful occasion. We intend to submit the petition to the Prime Minister's Office after the forum tomorrow.

At the same forum, we will open up the petition to anyone who wishes to enjoin his or her support to this cause. So come down this Sunday and sign the petition.

Petition Statement

We, the undersigned, hereby call on the Singapore Government to respect the rights of Singaporeans in concordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

In line with the expressed desire of ASEAN to provide for a regional human rights mechanism in its Charter due to be signed in November 2007, we urge the Government to:

1. Sign and ratify, first and foremost, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) as well as other key UN Human Rights Conventions (Convention against Torture, Convention for Social and Cultural Rights, Convention for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the Convention for the Protection of Migrant Workers and their Families);

2. Actively engage Singaporeans from all sections of society, on human rights issues through dialogues and other platforms (for example: a Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights, media and feedback channels, online avenues etc) including non-English ones;

3. Establish an independent national human rights commission. Currently, four of the five founding ASEAN Member Countries – Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand – have established and are running their respective national human rights commission, leaving Singapore as the remaining founding Member Country which has yet to initiate the process;

4. Endorse, support and commit to the formation of an ASEAN Human Rights Commission by the next ASEAN summit in 2008;

5. Allow for independent opinion and inquiry into local human rights issues and violations.

Explanatory notes:

For Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), please visit http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

For the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and other UN human rights conventions, please visit http://www.ohchr.org

Free Burma, Free Singapore

The speakers for this Sunday's public forum are:

1. Chia Ti Lik
2. M Ravi
3. Ng E-Jay
4. Chee Soon Juan

There will be a giant greeting card for the new Burmese prime minister who will be attending the ASEAN Summit that the forum participants will have a chance to sign.

There will also be a petition calling on the Singapore Government to respect the political and civil rights of Singaporeans.

So please make you way down to Quality Hotel at Balestier Road. Remember, wear red.

Update and Clarification: We are still in the process of arranging for foreign speakers to speak at the forum.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has promised to include provisions for a human rights mechanism in the charter which will be signed at the summit on 21 November 2007.

But then ASEAN has always made the right noises about respecting human rights but have done little to ensure their protection.

We have an opportunity to send a strong and unmistakable message to the ASEAN governments that we want to see concrete steps taken to promote human rights in our part of the world. SG Human Rights is organising a public forum to raise and discuss human rights issues.

This forum is one of our avenues to make a stand against the Burmese Junta and affirm our solidarity with the Burmese people in condemning the regime for its murderous assault on its citizens.

Human rights advocates from the region have been invited to speak at the forum, amongst other activities. Whether you are Singaporean, Burmese, ASEAN nationals or friends from around the world, you are invited. So make sure you keep the day free and make your way down to Quality Hotel at Balestier Road. Spread the message.