DTP E-Newsletter 115 - Working Together To Advance Human Rights Since 1989

DTP - BUILDING THE CAPACITY OF ASIA-PACIFIC HUMAN RIGHTS MOVEMENTS 1990 - 2020

DTP PROGRAM NEWS

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, HUMAN RIGHTS AND BUSINESS DTP's second online course begins on Monday 23 November. Participants from Asia and the Pacific will meet for nine sessions over a three week period.

CHILDREN’S RIGHTS The second in a series of DTP webinars on the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Australia will be held on 11 December at 12:00PM AEDT. Visit DTP's Rights of the Child page next week for more details.

SOLIDARITY IN ACTION FROM DTP ALUMNI

For information on our alumni, click here. If you want to get in contact with any of DTP's alumni, please contact the office at [email protected]

Alumni Profile: Boonthan T. Verawongse

Boonthan is one of Thailand and ASEAN’s most experienced and respected human rights defenders and leaders. With over three decades of experience in the field, he currently is Secretary General at Human Rights Development Foundation (HRDF) and Campaign Committee for Human Rights (CCHR).

Australia

Mother and son DTP alumni, Sandra Creamer admitted to the Queensland Supreme Court by her son Joshua Creamer.

Malaysia

Adrian Pereira, Director of North-South Initiative criticises Malaysia’s ban on UNHCR accessing refugees and asylum seekers in detention centres.

Myanmar

Flora Bawi Nei Mawi shares a manifesto by and for the marginalised multi-ethnic women in Rakhine and Chin States, calling on Myanmar government to stop discriminatory practices and ensure women’s human rights.

Photo of Awaj Foundation distributing food and supplies in Dhaka

Bangladesh / Jordan

Nazma Akter and Anisur Khan from the Awaj Foundation in Bangladesh distribute food and supplies in Dhaka and work with Mervat-al-Jumhawee in Jordan to secure return of four Bangladeshi migrant worker women held in police custody in Jordan.

South Asia

DTP congratulates Sushil Pyakurel on his appointment as a new Bureau member to South Asians for Human Rights

NEWS FROM DTP PARTNER ORGANISATIONS

ASEAN FORUM-ASIA issues statement calling on ASEAN governments to apply a human rights based approach in its recovery framework on Covid-19. READ MORE

COVID-19 The new AIPP briefing, “Under the Cover of Covid: New Laws in Asia Favor Business at the Cost of Indigenous Peoples' and Local Communities' Land and Territorial Rights” outlines the ways responses to the pandemic undermine the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities. READ MORE

MIGRANT FORUM IN ASIA launched their 5th Justice for Wage Theft campaign appeal, calling on COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN AND DESTINATION to honour their commitment to respect, protect and fulfill the rights of migrant workers, taking immediate and practical measures to remedy wage theft and to ensure justice for affected migrant workers. READ MORE

HUMAN RIGHTS NEWS

CAMBODIA The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor and other Special Rapporteurs express concerns about the persecution of human rights defenders. READ MORE

AUSTRALIA Australian Capital Territory government formally commits to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14 in accord with recommendation from UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. READ MORE

INDONESIA The UK calls for Indonesia to invite and allow the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit West Papua. READ MORE

BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS NEWS

PACIFIC The 1st Pacific Regional Forum on Business and Human Rights to be held on Dec 1 & 2. REGISTER HERE

THAILAND Court overturns the conviction and prison sentence of Suchanee Cloitre. She had posted a message on Twitter exposing labour abuses by poultry company Thammakaset. READ MORE

THAILAND/CAMBODIA Human rights NGOs criticise the granting of a human rights award by the Thai government to Cambodian sugar company Mitr Phol accused of land grabbing and the forced eviction of farmers. READ MORE

SRI LANKA Workers, the majority women, were forcibly quarantined in unsanitary, unsupervised premises following an outbreak of Covid-19 at Brandix garment factory. READ MORE

INDIA The South Asian Regional Trade Union Council (SARTUC) has issued a Charter of demands calling on governments to ensure the promotion and protection of rights of workers in South Asian countries. READ MORE

INDONESIA BBC documentary exposes destruction of important rainforest, traditional livelihoods and knowledge by South Korean palm oil company Korindo in West Papua – violating Indigenous peoples rights and contributing to climate emergency. READ & WATCH MORE

DTP's 2019 ANNUAL REPORT

Report is out now.

PLEASE DONATE

DTP relies on donations to provide quality training to human rights defenders so that they can promote and protect human rights effectively in their societies. Please help if you can and donate here. Donations over $2 are tax-deductible.

Participants on DTP's 2019 Regional Workshop on Ethical Business and Recruitment Practices, Dubai

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

One of DTP's strengths is you, our alumni and networks. As we see the Covid-19 pandemic spreading and the different responses of government, business and communities, you have never been more important in communicating impacts, and enabling/driving solidarity, action and accountability. If you have news, opinion pieces, resources or examples of best practice to share, or have questions on human rights and Covid-19, please send them to us at [email protected]. Please stay safe.

Issue #115 November 2020

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We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work, the Bedegal people of the Eora Nation