DTP - BUILDING THE CAPACITY OF ASIA-PACIFIC HUMAN RIGHTS MOVEMENTS 1990 - 2022

This is the last DTP eNews for 2022. Publication will resume at the end of January. Don’t forget that the DTP new website is now live and provides an invaluable tool for human rights defenders and those seeking news about human rights in the Asia-Pacific region.

A heartfelt thank you to all the DTP trainers and partners, to our interns and volunteers, to our supporters and donors, and to the alumni and participants in our webinars. It is you that have made our work possible during 2022.

With season's greetings and best wishes for the New Year,
From Patrick, Clare, Andre and the entire DTP team

DTP PROGRAMS

RIGHTS OF THE CHILD WEBINAR: “The Convention on the Rights of the Child: Hearing and Listening to the Voice of Children and Young People” Wednesday 25 January 2023, 1:00-2:30PM. More information to follow.

RIGHTS OF THE CHILD WORKSHOPS: Sydney 28 February-1 March. Applications close 14 February 2023 FIND OUT MORE Perth 30-31 March. Applications close 16 March 2023 FIND OUT MORE

30TH ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND PEOPLE'S DIPLOMACY PROGRAM: Rescheduled to 23 Jan-3 Feb 2023, Bangkok, Thailand – in partnership with Forum-Asia, Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact, Migrant Forum in Asia, Pacific Islands Association of NGOs, Mahidol University, HRDF and SHAPE-SEA. Over 30 participants from 14 countries.

HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY CAPACITY BUILDING FOR NSW DIASPORA COMMUNITY LEADERS: Feb 10th - 12th in partnership with STARTTS for 30 migrant and refugee community leaders.

ENVIRONMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS WORKSHOP - FIJI: 14-16 February. 3 day workshop for Pacific EHRDs to strengthen capacity to hold governments and businesses accountable for human rights violations - in partnership with OHCHR Regional Office, the Pacific Human Rights Defenders Network, and the Hawai'i Institute for Human Rights. REGISTER INTEREST HERE

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES RIGHTS IN AUSTRALIA: Strategy Roundtable with Indigenous Law Centre, Nura Gili and Oxfam Australia – February 9th, Sydney.

MYANMAR DIASPORA HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY IN ASEAN: Rescheduled to March 2023, Bangkok, Thailand. Applications are still open FIND OUT MORE

HUMAN RIGHTS DAY

DTP's Mubashar Hasan participated in Metro Assist and Addison Road Community Organisation's International Human Rights Day celebrations in Sydney on 9 December

TRAINER PROFILE: NOAM PELEG

Noam is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Law and Justice, UNSW, Australia. Noam’s work focuses on international children’s rights law and its intersection with human rights law, childhood studies, and family law. He is one of the core team members for DTP's child rights program.

"DTP training is instrumental. We have engaged with thousands of people through our webinars and face-to-face workshops. Through this DTP training, we are raising awareness among those who work with children, we are introducing the concept of child rights to them, what international human rights law says about children."

ALUMNI PROFILE: CHERYL DAYTEC

Cheryl is the Head of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office, Geneva and Coordinator of the Asia-Pacific Group (ASPAG), International Labour Organization. A lawyer working for Indigenous peoples rights in the Philippines when she participated in DTP, her work today mainly focuses on the rights of migrant workers.

"DTP brings like-minded people from different parts of the globe together. And that is very important because when we create collective noise, we do more work, we can shake foundations and we can do wonders… DTP does not just train one person when it trains a community advocate; it trains communities as well. When we go back to them after the training, we disseminate the skills and knowledge we acquired.”

Address by Ms Cheryl DAYTEC, Chairperson, ILO Credentials Committee. Plenary sitting of the 110th Session of the International Labour Conference. Monday, 6 June 2022. Photo © Crozet / Pouteau / Albouy / ILO

DTP ALUMNI IN ACTION

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]

INDIA

Dilip Chakma shares briefing paper on criminalisation and prosecution of tribals in false cases in India, and calls for their immediate release

Fitria Sumarni speaking at the 15th Sessions on UN Forum of Minority in Geneva . Credit: UNTV

INDONESIA

Fitria Sumarni attended the 15th Session of the UN Forum on Minority Issues in Geneva to highlight the situation of Ahmadiyya Muslim communities

WATCH HER PRESENTATION

Norwegian Fund dumps Newcrest and Harmony over Wafi-Golpu DSTP plan poster. Credit: actnowpng.org

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Warime Guti shares a campaign update as local communities fight Australian gold mine pollution of the pristine Huon Gulf, PNG. Following the lodgement of an OECD Complaint is news that Norway’s largest private asset management company has announced divestment from companies with mining operations that use marine or riverine tailings disposal or companies involved in deep sea mining.

Photo of Waheed Ahmad. Credit: Waheed Ahmad

PAKISTAN

Waheed Ahmad shares the decision from the Lahore High Court ordering the federal government to formulate a system within 30 days for the implementation of the Anti-rape Act 2021. Justice Tariq Saleem linked the international human rights law with the Anti Rape (Investigation and Trial) Act, of 2021 in his judgment. He also enumerated all the legal rights that the law confers on the victims of GBV.

Photo of Anisur Rahman Khan. Credit: Anisur Rahman Khan

BANGLADESH

Anisur Rahman Khan has been re-elected to the International Coordinate Body of the International Migrants Alliances (IMA). Anisur is a Bangladeshi returnee migrant, migrant rights activist, and community organiser at home and abroad. Anisur’s persistent advocacy and commitment to reaching out to others has resulted in the return home of stranded and imprisoned Bangladeshi migrants in Asia, the Middle-East and Africa. His advocacy at both ends of migration corridors impacts the lives of many migrant workers.

PIANGO Deputy Executive Director Josaia Jirauni speaking at the plenary session on Effective Financing Climate Adaptation at the 2022 Effective Development Cooperation Summit in Geneva, Switzerland. Credit: PIANGO

PARTNER NEWS

PIANGO releases statement calling for the voice of communities to be heard and listened to on the financing of climate adaption READ MORE

FORUM-ASIA issues statement of concern about forceful and brutal mass eviction of landless squatters by the Kathmandu Metropolitan City READ MORE

MIGRANT FORUM IN ASIA: The John Kennedy Bingham Memorial Series Episode 4, Access to Justice for Migrant Workers (Wage Theft), 23 January 2023 REGISTER HERE

ASIA INDIGENOUS PEOPLES PACT and partners release statement that there can be no agreement to save nature without inclusion of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities at the opening of COP15 READ MORE

Heng Saphen estimates that her community lost 490 hectares (1,211 acres) to Sambath Platinum, but that doesn’t include the forest cleared by the company. Credit: Gerald Flynn/Mongabay.

NEWS FROM THE REGION

CAMBODIA After 10 years of struggle there is still no justice for Indigenous community taking on a Cambodian rubber baron backed by government authorities READ MORE

LAOS On the 10th anniversary of his enforced disappearance 66 CSOs sign statement calling for government to clarify the whereabouts of civil society leader Sombath Somphone and to provide reparation to his family READ MORE

INDONESIA UN human rights bodies express serious concerns about changes to the Criminal Code that will discriminate against women and girls, religious or belief minorities and LGBT persons READ MORE and HERE FROM HRW

ASEAN DTP would like to congratulate the regional human rights organisation Fortify Rights on receiving the 2022 Asia Democracy and Human Rights Award. DTP received the Award in 2019. READ MORE

CAMBODIA LICADHO joins civil society organisations to condemn the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank’s approval of US$175 million in financing to Cambodian microfinance institutions, despite years of widespread public reporting on human rights violations in the sector READ MORE

AUSTRALIA Young Indigenous people win case against Clive Palmer-owned Galilee Basin coal project on grounds of its contribution to climate change, its environmental impacts, and because it would erode human rights READ MORE

VIETNAM Renewed torture and ill-treatment of land rights defender Trinh Ba Tu detained with mother Can Thi Theu and brother Trinh Ba Phuong TAKE ACTION

Human Rights Day 2022 banner. Credit: UN

UN NEWS AND CALLS TO CONTRIBUTE

UDHR 75: Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All. A year-long campaign to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the UDHR in 2023 READ MORE

Call for input on “The impact of unilateral coercive measures on the right to health”, for the 54th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, deadline 28 February 2023 READ MORE

Call for input on “Secondary sanctions, over-compliance and human rights”, for the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly, deadline 28 February 2023 READ MORE

Working Group on Ageing calls for input on "Right to Health and Access to Health Services and Social Inclusion" and “Economic Security and the Contribution of Older Persons to Sustainable Development,” deadlines 20 February 2023 READ MORE

RESOURCES

AIPP's Communication Toolkit for Rights-Based Campaign of Indigenous Peoples in Asia READ MORE

CIVICUS has documented protests around the world from 2021 to 2022. Protests occurred in 131 countries while at least 92 countries detained protesters READ MORE

From New Tactics in Human Rights: 10 new and classic reads about prioritizing resilience, happiness, healing, and creativity in human rights work READ MORE

EVENTS

International Service for Human Rights, Human Rights Defender Advocacy Programme 2023 hybrid edition, deadline 10 January READ MORE

Photo of Trainer Virginia Dandan and participant from 2019 Annual Program

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. If you have news, opinion pieces, resources or examples of best practice to share, or have questions on human rights, please send them to us at [email protected]. Please stay safe.

Issue #164 December 2022

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