Ask Secretary General of ASEAN, Dr Surin Pitsuwan, to:

•    Uphold ASEAN’s commitment to human rights among its member states, including Burma.
•    Work with all ASEAN states to pressure the Burmese authorities to ensure that the three freedoms – expression, association and assembly – are enjoyed by the people of Burma in the lead up to the expected 2010 elections.

You’ll add your name to a petition that people around the Asia Pacific region are signing. It will be delivered to coincide with a ministerial meeting on July 19 in Vietnam, so we need as many online petition signatures as possible by Monday 5 July , 2010.

In Burma, the first elections for 20 years are likely to be held towards the end of 2010. The repression of political opposition is on-going. Fundamental rights of association, assembly, and expression are not a reality in Burma. People who show any opposition face harassment, arbitrary arrest, torture, imprisonment and extrajudicial executions. When such oppression is occurring often ethnic minorities face human rights violations that go unnoticed. This is the situation for Burma’s 135 minority groups.

Together we can work for the day when not only the 2,200 political prisoners – but the whole of Burma is truly free.

What are the 3 freedoms?
1.    Freedom of Association
2.    Freedom of Assembly
3.    Freedom of Expression

Restrictions on political activists prevent them from participating in elections. This means that their freedom to associate, assemble and express themselves is not freely granted to them. Likewise, the restrictions on media prevent freedom of expression and large numbers of political prisoners remain imprisoned taking away all 3 freedoms; their freedom of association, assembly and expression.

How do these 3 freedoms relate to human rights?
These freedoms are found in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in articles 19 & 20:
Article 19.
•    Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
Article 20.
•    (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
•    (2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.

For more information on the UDHR, please visit here.

See YouTube clips of the UDHR articles on produced by APYN youth activists!

• In English
• In Malay
  
• In Thai
• In Tagalog
• In Chinese (traditional from Hong Kong)

How do these 3 freedoms relate to what is happening in Burma?
Burma is about to hold its first national election in over 20 years – and we want to use this critical moment to help bring about real and lasting change.

In the last election (1990) the National League for Democracy (NLD) won 80% of the parliamentary seats, but their party leaders were swiftly arrested and imprisoned. Since then the junta has continued to inflict the most horrific human rights abuses on it’s own people.

Repression, intimidation and a raft of new election laws effectively prevent anyone who opposes them from standing in this year’s election. People who oppose these restrictions face human rights abuse. The people of Burma do not have freedom of expression, assembly and association.

What can I do to change these human rights restrictions, you ask?
We believe we have a unique chance to stand up for the rights of the people of Burma and free Burma’s political prisoners.

Act now – sign the online petition! AND tell a friend about it by emailing them with this link !

You’ll add your name to a petition that people around the Asia Pacific region are signing. It will be delivered to coincide with a ministerial meeting on July 19 in Vietnam, so we need as many online petition signatures as possible by 30th June, 2010.

The establishment of an ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) is a positive development. We now urge ASEAN governments to make this a truly independent and robust body with full powers to monitor, investigate and report on the human rights records of all 10 member states.

Key concerns are a lack of a clear protection mandate for the AICHR; lack of binding requirements for independence and expertise of AICHR members; and an emphasis on “regional particularities” and “non-interference in the internal affairs” which could undermine respect for universal human rights standards.

The Terms of Reference also allow for decisions by consensus only, which means that each state would be able to reject any criticism of its own human rights record by veto. This which could lead either to paralysis or to the adoption of weak positions based on the lowest common denominator.

In particular Amnesty International is calling for a clear mandate for the ASEAN human rights body to protect as well as promote human rights.

The ASEAN human rights body must be empowered to investigate human rights abuses and be able to receive complaints of abuses. Without such powers the body will not be able to address serious human rights situations in the region, for example in Myanmar.

Amnesty International also urges ASEAN to ensure a transparent mechanism to select independent expert members to the human rights body. It is essential that the membership of the body is reflective of wider civil society.

Amnesty International calls on the ASEAN human rights body to uphold all human rights in accordance with universal principles and internationally agreed treaties and standards.