Yong Vui Kong was a teenager when he was found guilty of carrying 47g of heroin from Malaysia into Singapore.  In Singapore there is a mandatory death sentence for all drug trafficking cases involving more than 30g of heroin leaving judges no discretion to consider factors such as age, background of the offender or other special circumstances

Youg Vui Kong is now 22 years old, he has exhausted his appeals and he is due to be hanged shortly.  The only hope for his life being spared is if he is granted clemency and his death sentence is commuted to a prison sentence.

Please take a few minutes to support this urgent APYN action by sending a message to the President of Singapore and to the Editor-in-Chief of the Straits Times.    Please create your own polite message; this is very important as inappropriate messages will be counter-productive.  Or you can use the model text below.

Express action option – send your messages by email

President of Singapore   e-mail address : s_r_nathan@istana.gov.sg

Editor-in-Chief of the Straits Times    stonline@sph.com.sg

Semi-express action option – please send tourist postcards showing a famous landmark in your country to the President and to the Editor-in-Chief of the Straits times so they are aware that people in lots of countries are concerned about this case. 

President
His Excellency SR Nathan
Office of the President
Orchard Road, Istana
Singapore 0922

Editor-in-Chief
The Straits Times
1000 Toa Payoh North
News Centre
Singapore 318994

What else can I do?

Take a photo of yourself holding a sign saying “Don’t Execute Yong Vui Kong” and upload it as your Facebook profile picture.   If you decide to do this please also keep a link to this action posted near the top of your Wall and/or use the Facebook Notes option to tell your Friends about the Youg Vui Kong case and include a link to this action at the end

• Please tell your friends about this case and invite them to take this action
• You can post a link to this action and a link to the Vui Kong’s Story video clip on your Facebook Wall (links below)
• Consider writing about Youg Vui Kong’s case on blogs
• You can confirm on www.apyouth.net which actions you’ve taken

Find out more about the Yong Vui Kong case

A Call for a Moratorium, Mandatory Death Penalty

Vui Kong’s Story

Singapore Anti-Death Penalty Campaign Facebook Group

AIHK Urgent Action for Yong Vui Kong

Everyday for your employer and their family:

• You generally need to cook, wash clothes, clean the house, look after children and do the shopping.
• You often work very long hours, being allowed little or no rest, reports indicate some domestic workers being forced to work 21-22 hours per day, seven days a week.
• You are likely to not be permitted to take holiday leave (even public holidays)
• You sometimes don’t get paid for months and when you do, often it is less money than you agreed to when you first were employed – and much less than minimum wage in Indonesia.
• You may also not be able to leave your employers house, or are prevented from joining meetings or social events outside the home. Perhaps you are even locked in your room at night.
• You live with a high risk of experiencing physical and sexual violence, and very limited opportunities to seek justice for this when it occurs, not only due to limitations in the law, but also as you are afraid to speak out against your employer as you may lose your job.

Imagine this, everyday…

Women domestic workers in Indonesia face human rights abuses at work including economic exploitation, poor working conditions as well as gender-based discrimination.  The approximately 2.6 million domestic workers are subjected to physical, psychological and sexual violence. In  Indonesia,  women  domestic  workers  are  not  protected  by  current  legislation safeguarding  workers  rights,  in  particular  the  2003  Manpower  Act  (No.13/2003,  Undang-Undang  tentang  Ketenagakerjaan).

For a number of years, civil society groups working on the rights of domestic workers have been campaigning for a specific law on domestic workers that will recognize them legally as workers and that will safeguard their rights.

Imagine for a moment, what you can do to change the everyday for domestic workers in Indonesia.

The Indonesian parliament has included a domestic workers bill in their legislative agenda for 2010.  Domestic worker groups coordinated by the domestic workers coalition Jala-PRT have planned a series of activities over the next few months to ensure the bill is debated and that it integrates international human rights standards. To support the initiative of Jala-PRT and its global friends, and to highlight the following concerns, we ask YOU to take action now by adding your name to the letter below.

Your name and details will be added to a copy of this letter and sent to the Chair of the Parliamentary Commission IX. This commission will initially debate and amend the draft bill.

Take action now and help create a better everyday.

Thank you

to all those who participated in the Asia Pacific Youth Network online survey and online focus group sessions to help inform the future directions of your Asia Pacific Youth Network.

Your ideas, thoughts and the experiences you shared have helped to shape the plans for APYN.  We are expecting to be able to update everyone in late June on what opportunities will be available through APYN from July 2010 onwards.

Stay tuned for more information and remember, you can always post an idea, comment, suggestion or concern here on www.apyouth.net

Are you interested in:

• Campaigns that make the link between human rights and poverty?
• Campaigning activities on Burma/Myanmar?
• Campaigning activities that you develop on human rights issues in the Asia Pacific Region?
• Developing your APYN locally through community human rights education projects?
• Developing your activism, leadership or campaigning skills?
• Sharing (or developing) your skills (Online technical skills? Design skills? Events management skills? Translation skills? or any others?)
• And so much more!

Answered yes to any of these… preregister your interest now by filling in below!

Around 200,000 young women and girls were forced into sexual servitude by the Japanese Imperial Army during the Pacific War. They survived years of rape and harsh treatment. Sixty-five years on, they are still campaigning for justice.

Send your e-butterfly message to the Prime Minister of Japan!

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Dear Prime Minister,

I am one of thousands of young people from across the Asia Pacific region who support the survivors of sexual slavery by the Japanese Imperial Army in their demand for justice.
I call on your government to:

• Accept full responsibility for the grave violations of the survivors’ human rights
  during the Pacific War;
• Make an official apology to these women for the crimes committed against them;
• Provide adequate compensation to survivors and their families;
• Accurately depict the sexual slavery system in all educational text books on the Pacific War.

These crimes against humanity will not be forgotten. We must address past injustices to prevent such crimes from happening again.

Find out more about this APYN campaign:

• Check out the Quiz we made to raise awareness about this issue
• Share your comments and feedback on the Quiz Wall or Discussion Board
• Let us know what you think of the Quiz by taking 20 seconds to do a Review
• Check out the more than 1000 pics on the butterfly photo petition
• And.. join the Asia Pacific Youth Network here

or download as an mp3 (file size: 41 mb)

We switched to text chat when one of our lines were breaking up towards the end, read the Skype School transcript for this additional section on 20 Jan 2010

APYN Skype Schoolmates attended the first ever APYN Skype School Session on 20th January 2010!

They explored the link between poverty and human rights in this session and invite you to join the discussion here:

The next three Wednesdays will see this group meet on Skype to learn about

• Using facebook for mobilizing and campaigning – the basics! Turning information into action… ideas and lessons!
• All about maternal mortality
• Security – online activism, what do I need to think about?
• The Asia Pacific Youth Network and how YOU can get involved!

Keep checking this space to see updates on APYN Skype School and access recordings and information about the sessions!

There’s been a HUGE interest in APYN Skype School, so if you have an idea about a topic, a skill you’d like to learn or can reccomend someone you know as a speaker, you are invited to post your comments and suggestions below.

For people who were unable to make this round of APYN Skype School, please register your interest for the next rounds here and you’ll be kept up to date on upcoming opportunities !

International Human Rights Day commemorates the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December 1948.
There are many ways to recgonise Human Rights Day , take action today!

•  sign an online petition
• update your facebook or twitter status,
•  join with APYN,
• volunteer for specific campaigns or initiatives ,
•  attend local events in your area by human rights organizations
• tell a friend about what you do to defend human rights or share this
• create a response to ‘what does living with dignity mean to me?’ (like the one above!) and email it to APYN : add your voice
• start a discussion at work or school about why human rights are important

… and so many more ways.

Leave a comment below on how you have recognized Human Rights Day today!

In the Philippines, the government’s policies on sexual and reproductive health services, in practice limit the opportunities of women to have control over whether and when to become pregnant and effectively deny them enjoyment of their sexual and reproductive rights. Women living in poverty are the most affected by these policies, which fail to support them in preventing mistimed or unwanted pregnancies, drive them further into poverty, and lead to harm to their health and wellbeing.

Government policies prioritise ‘natural’ family planning methods (periodic abstinence or withdrawal). Abortion is a crime in all circumstances. The Catholic Church strongly influences the government’s policy on contraception, leading the government, for instance, to ban the emergency contraceptive Postinor in 2001 as a result of scientifically false claims that Postinor induces abortion.

The example of Manila illustrates how, in the absence of national legislation regarding reproductive health, local government policy can lead to denial of access to reproductive health information and services. In 2000, an executive order by the mayor of Manila promoting ‘natural’ family planning led to an end to the provision of free condoms and contraceptive pills at city health centres and hospitals.

Denial of access to contraception provided free of charge by the government hits a larger number of individuals at a time of economic crisis which results in prices of all goods and commodities rising, impacting disproportionately on women.

Three quarters of sexually active adolescents do not use any contraceptive method. Even though many of them may be unwilling and ill unprepared to become parents, many do not have adequate information on how to prevent pregnancy. One in four girls and women begin childbearing before they reach the age of 20. 20% of Filipino women who die a maternal death are teenagers, and in 17% of foetal deaths the mother is a teenager.

According to the government, 400,000 Filipino women resort to clandestine abortions each year, though other estimates are higher. Many abortions are carried out by persons lacking the necessary skills or in an environment lacking minimal medical standards or both.  According to the latest estimates, around 800 women per year die from complications of unsafe abortion. The government also states that 17 percent of women aged 15-24 have had at least one abortion. According to research from 2006, 54% of women who end an unintended pregnancy by abortion were not using any family planning method when they conceived. Three-fourths of those using contraception at that time were using a ‘natural’ or folk family planning method.

About ten Filipino women die everyday from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, according to the Senate of the Philippines. Fourteen per cent of all deaths of Filipino women aged 15-49 are maternal deaths. The national maternal mortality ratio is 162 per 100,000 live births but for some regions the figures are much higher. The Philippines will likely not meet its Millennium Development targets on maternal mortality reduction. The large majority of the women affected live in poverty and are in the prime of their lives.

Likhaan is one of the organizations working at the grassroots level with women in marginalised communities to make reproductive rights real. The organisation runs community-based primary health care projects directed at women and young people. Helping women to organize their own advocacy for access to health care, Likhaan lobbies health policy makers to become responsive to the needs and rights of people in marginalised communities. The organisation also raises health care providers’ awareness of the rights of the women and trains them in the provision of women-centred primary health care. The organisation’s priority concerns for advocacy include access to contraception, maternal health, sexual and reproductive health services for young people, post-abortion care, therapeutic abortion and making the health system equitable.

In 2008, 20 people from some of Manila’s poorest communities, both men and women, filed a constitutional challenge against the Manila mayor’s executive order on family planning, relying on the findings of research by Likhaan and the Center for Reproductive Rights on how this order leads to violations of women’s human rights.

Likhaan and a broad range of other organisations and individuals are advocating for the government to pass a Reproductive Health Bill aimed at helping women avoid unplanned, mistimed and unwanted pregnancy. The Bill promotes both natural and modern family planning methods and post-abortion care as well as various maternal health measures and reproductive health education. A recent legislative victory for women’s human rights, the ‘Magna Carta of Women of the Philippines’ of August 2009, which requires the government to take measures towards the substantive equality of women and men, also has implications for women’s reproductive rights: in accordance with this law, discriminatory laws affecting women have to be amended or repealed within three years.

“What is also part of poverty is that people lack confidence in themselves. They do not see their social institutions as responding to them. They don’t know how to deal with social institutions. They do not have the skills that will make the local government officials or local government agencies accountable to their needs. It doesn’t matter if people are poor, in poor communities. They deserve the best possible health service that we can give then”, says Sylvia Estrada-Claudio, Likhaan co-founder and Chair of the Board. “Poverty is not a reason for second-grad health service.”

‘Filipino women claiming reproductive rights’ video highlights a broad range of sexual and reproductive rights issues in the Philippines through the lens of Likhaan’s work. The video is based on interviews with Likhaan activists and service providers, and women who have received the organization’s services. The women speak about both the transformative power of reproductive rights activism for women in marginalized communities and the challenges they encounter at family, community and government level.

We  support the work by Likhaan and other organizations that work for gender equality, sexual and reproductive rights and effective participation in decision-making and their call on the government to pass the Reproductive Health Bill and undertake all other measures required for individuals’ enjoyment of their reproductive rights.

Josephine’s partner beat her and her stepsons regularly. He beat them when he got drunk.
He beat her when she refused to watch him have sex with his girlfriends. Most of the time he beat her to force her to have unprotected sex with him so she could have his child.
In 2007, Josephine (not her real name) fell pregnant. She left her stepsons and her partner, seeking shelter with her parents. She was HIV-positive. After her baby was born, Josephine’s family discovered her HIV-status. Since then, she has received regular beatings from her brothers. Josephine desperately needs a place to stay. There are only three safe houses in the capital, Port Moresby, where she lives – each run without government assistance, and each struggling from a lack of resources. The situation is even worse outside the capital. There is an urgent need for more shelters for women fleeing violence in Papua New Guinea. Until then, Josephine will suffer the daily brutality meted out by her family members because she has nowhere safe to go.

DO SOMETHING!

PLEASE SIGN AND SEND THIS POSTCARD TO THE PRIME MINISTER OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA, URGING HIM TO PROVIDE MORE SHELTERS FOR WOMEN SUFFERING FROM VIOLENCE IN THE HOME.

PNG_postcard action

OR sign action online

Download, print, sign and send this postcard action calling for more shelters for women fleeing domestic violence in Papua New Guinea
Women suffering from violence in the home in Papua New Guinea do not have protection because there are too few shelters available. The few shelters that exist are by and large run without government assistance, and they have to rely on donors’ funding or international NGOs for resources. The severe lack of shelters for women in Papua New Guinea is a prime example of the government’s chronic inaction and failure to meet its obligations to protect women’s human rights in the country.

Call for action:
There is an urgent need for more shelters for women fleeing violence in Papua New Guinea. We can support the work of local activists who provide shelter support to women suffering from domestic violence by calling on the Papua New Guinean government to:

• Set up at least four new shelters across the country before the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November 2010 and expand funding for existing private shelters;

• Equip these shelters with a 24-hour hotline and counselling services.

A new Indonesia bylaw endorses stoning to death for adultery and caning of up to 100 lashes for homosexuality.

Town of Banda Aceh © PBI

The local Islamic Criminal Code was passed by the Aceh Provincial House of Representatives on 14 September. It forbids a number of acts including alcohol consumption, gambling, intimacy between unmarried couples, adultery and fornication, and homosexuality.
Local Islamic Law was gradually put in place in Aceh from 1999-2000 through various autonomy packages. Caning was introduced a few years ago as a punishment meted out by Islamic courts for offences such as gambling, theft and adultery.

At least 31 men and four women convicted of gambling were caned under local Islamic law in Aceh in 2005 and at least eight people (five men and three women) convicted for gambling or adultery were canned in 2006. However, this is the first time that local legislators have included stoning to death (rajam) as a penalty for those who commit adultery.

The governor of Aceh has indicated that they will not sign the Islamic bylaw because of their opposition to stoning as a form of punishment. However the law becomes effective after 30 days with or without the signature of the governor. The central government has also indicated that the law may contravene Indonesia’s existing human rights provisions under the country’s constitution and is considering filing a judicial review with the Supreme Court.

Info can also be found here:
Join the APYN Bahasa facebook group here:

Do Something!

Write/Email/Fax to the temporary Chairperson of the Aceh Provincial House of representatives:

Start your letter “Dear Chairperson”

Hasbi Abdullah
Chairperson of the
Aceh Provincial House of Representatives (DPRA)
Jln. Tgk. M. Daud Beureueh, No. 155,
Banda Aceh, Indonesia
Fax: + 62 651 21638
Email: dpr_aceh@yahoo.com

Dear Chairperson,

I am concerned about a new Indonesia bylaw, the Islamic Criminal Code, that endorses stoning to death for adultery and caning of up to 100 lashes for homosexuality and we call for it to be repealed immediately so that both the punishments and the crimes are abolished.

International human rights law and the standards oppose the extension of the death penalty to new crimes. Stoning to death is also particularly cruel and constitutes torture, which is absolutely forbidden under all circumstances in international law.

I am also concerned by provisions that criminalize adultery and homosexuality, sexual acts outside of marriage which are freely agreed to. Indonesian authorities must ensure that such provisions are repealed in conformity with international law and standards relating to physical and mental integrity and the right not to be discriminated against, the right to privacy, and freedom of expression.

I call on the new legislature which took office in October, to repeal the law as a matter of urgent priority.

I also urge the new legislature to ensure that all local regulations in Aceh are in full conformity with international human rights law and standards, and other human rights provisions set out in the Indonesian Constitution and in the 1999 Law on Human Rights.

Yours sincerely,

(add your name and country in here!)

Discrimination is a key driver of poverty and women often face discrimination on multiple grounds – they may be denied their rights because they are women and because they belong to a marginalized group. Women living in poverty also face discrimination simply because they are poor. This discrimination can mean that women are excluded from access to justice, protection or services. In some countries discrimination is built into the laws, while in many other countries it persists despite equality laws. Women are often responsible for providing for their families, though are often paid less than men for the same work, do work in the informal sector with no job security and have less access to resources such as land, credit and inheritance rights.

Many women living in poverty don’t have access to healthcare because they can’t afford to pay for it or reach health services. Women in South Africa, particularly black women, are disproportionately affected by poverty and the HIV pandemic. Transport costs are high in relation to people’s income and women living in poor rural communities often find it difficult to reach hospitals and maintain their treatment. Many women don’t have adequate food, which is essential for coping with the side effectives of anti-retroviral medication. Women’s low social status compounds the problem as when there’s not enough food to go around, they are likely to be the last to eat.

The discrimination women face is linked to violence against women. It shapes the forms of violence that a woman experiences. It also makes some women more likely to be targeted for certain forms of violence because they have less social status than other women and because perpetrators know such women are less likely to report abuse or seek assistance.

Caught in cycles of poverty and violence

Violence, for women, is both a cause and a consequence of poverty – violence keeps women poor, and poor women are most exposed to violence. Women who suffer from violence lose income and their capacity to earn a wage is impaired. Being poor may make women make difficult choices which puts or keeps them at risk from violence. A woman who is economically dependent on her abusive partner may see no way to support herself and her children if she leaves. A girl who becomes pregnant as a result of a rape may find herself excluded from school, with fewer prospects of finding safe work and an independent future.

Poverty is widespread in Haiti and many parents in rural areas make the choice to send their children to cities in the hope that their life chances will be improved. More than 100,000 girls between 6 and 17 in Haiti are in domestic service. Children in domestic service work long hours doing domestic chores, looking after other children in the family and selling goods in markets and are provided lodging. Far from their relatives and friends, and trapped in a situation of total dependence on their employers, many girls are exposed to physical abuse and sexual violence. With virtually no one concerned for their welfare and few prospects of finding safer work, these girls live a lonely, isolated and vulnerable existence.

Women’s lives, men’s decisions

Poverty can restrict women’s opportunities to make choices about their own lives. This can be exacerbated by law, custom, culture and religion which often combine to deny women access to decision-making processes and even crucial choices over their lives and bodies, such as whether to become mothers. In the Philippines, government policies limit women’s control over whether and when to become pregnant as the government prioritises ‘natural’ family planning methods such as periodic abstinence or withdrawal.

Especially at a time of economic crisis when the costs of goods and commodities are rising, many poor women have little control over the timing or spacing their pregnancies where the government fails to make effective contraception free or affordable.

Ten Filipino women die every day from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth that quality health care could prevent or treat. Abortion is banned in all circumstances, even in cases where the pregnancy puts the woman’s life at risk. At least 400,000 Filipino women resort to clandestine abortions every year, and estimates suggest that around 800 women die each year from complications from unsafe abortions.

Girls miss out on education

Violence and poverty often combine to trap women in difficult situations though education can provide an escape route. Getting an education can open up the possibility of economic independence, increasing women’s choices of how to live their lives. Education is a human right, yet more than 55 millions girls worldwide do not attend school as violence and discrimination impede girls’ access to education.

In Tajikistan, many families cannot afford the basic essentials needed for their children’s schooling – text books, clothes and transport. So rather than sending girls to school, they prioritize the education of boys, who are likely to earn more in later life. Many girls do not complete their education but instead care for family members, work in the fields or at the market, or get married at an early age. A lack of education not only reduces women’s chances of economic independence, but also the possibility of them learning about their rights.

Women Speak Out

When women know they have rights, they will claim them despite all the obstacles they face. There are inspiring examples to be found throughout the world. Whether acting as human rights defenders or simply as members of their families and communities, women drive social progress and human rights advancement for all. In numerous countries, women are active participants in the political process and have made significant strides towards political and economic equality.

Progress on Paper

Sustained progress by women’s rights activists over the past decade has brought significant advances in the international community’s commitment to the advancement of women’s rights. At the international level there are legally binding agreements to protect and promote women’s rights while equality between men and women is a key principle reflected in all human rights standards. At national level there are laws in many countries to protect women’s rights, though these laws do little to improve the lives of women if they are not enforced.

There are no legitimate excuses to explain why governments have failed to fully implement and make effective the national and international laws passed over the last few decades to end violence against women and end discrimination and despite the leaps forward, many women’s lives have hardly improved. Women continue to be the most affected by poverty, violence, environmental degradation and disease. One thing is certain: equality and rights can only be achieved when women actively participate in political processes and when their voices are heard.

The Way Forward

States and international institutions must work harder to protect women’s rights, but everyone one of us has a role in creating the political will for change. We can challenge our governments to improve women’s rights at home, and all around the world, through international cooperation.

In September 2009, all government agreed to the creation of a strong new United Nations agency for women. This agency will have greater capacity to help the UN and governments to ensure women and girls around the world enjoy their rights in practice. This new agency urgently needs sustained political commitment and funding to succeed. Take action now to support the creation of a strong new women’s agency at the UN!

TAKE ACTION!

We need to collect a lot of signatures for this to be effective! We’re going to deliver the petition to the President of the General Assembly in March, which is a crucial moment in the creation of the new women’s agency at the UN, when a big push for sustained political commitment from all governments and sufficient funding are crucial factors in ensuring the effectiveness of the new agency. Also, we need signatures from as many countries as possible

How to take part:  Sign the petition