DTP - BUILDING THE CAPACITY OF ASIA-PACIFIC HUMAN RIGHTS MOVEMENTS 1990 - 2023

In this issue find news of recent and upcoming DTP courses, news from DTP alumni and a profile of DTP trainer, Nicholas Stewart and PNG DTP alumnus, Joseph Kena'e Ka'au -– as well as news from our partners and the region and new resources for human rights.

Participants with trainer Henry Zwartz on zoom at the Human Rights and Advocacy training. Credit: DTP

DTP PROGRAMS

30TH ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND PEOPLE'S DIPLOMACY PROGRAM (Jan 23-Feb 3): With 29 participants from 13 countries held in partnership with Forum-Asia, Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact, Migrant Forum in Asia, Pacific Islands Association of NGOs, Mahidol University, HRDF and SHAPE-SEA. READ SUMMARY REPORT

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES RIGHTS IN AUSTRALIA (Feb 9): Capacity Building Strategy Roundtable with Indigenous Law Centre, Nura Gili and Oxfam Australia with alumni and others, Sydney. READ BACKGROUND PAPER

HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY CAPACITY BUILDING FOR MIGRANT AND REFUGEE DIASPORA COMMUNITY LEADERS IN NSW/AUSTRALIA (Feb 11-12): 27 migrant and refugee community leaders attended the 2-day workshop in partnership with STARTTS WATCH PARTICIPANT VIDEO and READ SUMMARY REPORT

AUSTRALIAN RIGHTS OF THE CHILD WORKSHOPS: Sydney 28 February-1 March. Applications close 22 February FIND OUT MORE Perth 30-31 March. Applications close 16 March FIND OUT MORE

ENVIRONMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS WORKSHOP - FIJI: Rescheduled 28-30 March. Over 70 applications received for 3 day workshop for Pacific EHRDs in partnership with OHCHR Regional Office, the Pacific Human Rights Defenders Network, and the Hawai'i Institute for Human Rights. ENVIRONMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS TOOLKIT AVAILABLE HERE

MYANMAR DIASPORA HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY IN ASEAN: This program will bring members of the Myanmar diaspora community together with others to build capacity to engage more effectively with international human rights mechanisms, ASEAN, the media, and others to address the growing human rights crisis in Myanmar. Rescheduled to 27-31 March 2023, Bangkok, Thailand. Applications close 24 February FIND OUT MORE

HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY AND MIGRANT WORKERS IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION: in partnership with Migrant Forum in Asia. SAVE THE DATE May 8-12, Sri Lanka. Contact DTP for more information.

Photo of Nicholas Stewart. Credit: Nicholas Stewart

TRAINER PROFILE: NICHOLAS STEWART

Nicholas is the Vice President of Australian Lawyers for Human Rights and a partner at Dowson Turco Lawyers. He was awarded the prestigious Law Society of NSW President’s Medal for 2022, for playing an instrumental role in the establishment of a Special Commission of Inquiry into gay and transgender hate crimes.

"DTP’s training contributes to advancing human rights advocacy because, without it, many individuals or groups seeking to bring about human rights will not have the knowledge or skills to articulate their ideas, build frameworks for change, or identify human rights laws and systems that can be of use. The DTP teaches these principles, but also helps participants to manage complex negotiations with those in power."

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ALUMNI PROFILE: JOSEPH KENA'E KA'AU

Joseph is a former journalist who is an environmental justice and human rights advocate. He participated in a DTP course in the early 1990s. Now he works with several women’s movements in Baimuru, a remote village in the Gulf Province of Papua New Guinea (PNG) concerned about the impacts of major LNG developments. He assists local women’s rights advocates to address the community’s social and environmental issues.

"I joined DTP training with the belief that facilitating dialogues could solve the conflicts of the decolonization process and the struggle for self-determination. In the DTP training, I met many people struggling with human rights issues in their countries. Some far worse than what I was experiencing in my country. I thought then that dialogue could be a venue to solve conflicts...”

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Photo of Joseph Kena’e Ka’au. Credit: Joseph Kena’e Ka’au

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]

Photo of Sumitha Shaanthinni Kishna. Credit: Sumitha Shaanthinni Kishna

PHILIPPINES

Sumitha Shaanthinni Kishna shares news of the Philippines blacklisting Kuwait as a destination for women migrant workers following murder of domestic worker resulting in the exodus from Kuwait of Filipina domestic workers 

READ MORE
Photo of Adrian Pereira. Credit: MK News

MALAYSIA

Adrian Pereira shares news of PM Anwar Ibrahim’s directive to home ministry to cease using third party agents to recruit migrant workers.

READ MORE
Screenshot of HDRF video "Who Made My Flower". Credit: HRDF

THAILAND

Ganyaphak Sutphakde (Nan) sends video of the “who made my flower campaign” calling for the protection of the labour rights of migrant workers in northern Thailand VIEW THE VIDEO and article “Labour rights watchdog urge Thai government to amend laws that violate migrant worker’s rights at PEA”.

READ MORE
Photo of two frail inmates allegedly taken at the Kimanis Detention Centre in Sabah. Credit: SAYS via Facebook

MALAYSIA

Naweed Harooni shares account of Indonesian migrant workers starved during long-term detention at Kimanis Detention Centre in Sabah.

READ MORE
Kiwi pilot Phillip Mehrtens was photographed with his rebel captors in Indonesia's Papua region. Credit:  TPNPB

INDONESIA / WEST PAPUA

Alumnus shares news of kidnapping of New Zealand pilot by West Papua National Liberation Army who demand that Australia and New Zealand sever military ties with Indonesia.

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Participants at the state level CSO consultation on climate change in Assam. Credit: NEADS/Facebook

INDIA

Tirtha Prasad Saikia shares media release on state level CSO consultation on climate change in Assam.

READ MORE
Photo of Ripon Ronjon Das at Policy Dialogue on Indigenous Issues. Credit: Ripon Ronjon Das

BANGLADESH

Ripon Ronjon Das was active at the Policy Dialogue on Indigenous Issues hosted by Indigenous Peoples Development Services.

Tharindu Jayawardhana giving a press conference. Credit: Tharindu Jayawardhana

Sri Lanka

Tharindu Jayawardhana’s organisation held a press conference providing information on the April 2019 Easter Sunday bombing of churches and hotels in Colombo.

Poster for MFA webinar. Credit: MFA

PARTNER NEWS

MIGRANT FORUM IN ASIA “People's Migration Challenge Round 6: The John Kennedy Bingham Memorial Series” Part 2 of Episode 4 will focus on different aspects of access to justice from the perspectives of diasporas and migrants, 28 February REGISTER HERE

FORUM-ASIA condemns the Indian government’s ban on the BBC documentary “The Modi Question”, a film exploring Narendra Modi’s role in the 2002 Gujarat Riots READ MORE

FORUM-ASIA criticises proposed Pakistani law that could imprison anyone who “ridicules or scandalises” state institutions such as the Judiciary and Army for up to 5 years READ MORE

Police arrived at VOD's newsroom's Phnom Penh office Monday morning with an order revoking their operating licence. Credit: Hean Rangsey/VOD

NEWS FROM THE REGION

CAMBODIA Hun Sen closes down only remaining independent media revoking the operating license of the Cambodian Center for Independent Media, the parent organisation of Voice of Democracy READ MORE

PHILIPPINES Jennifer Awingan-Taggaoa, along with six other human rights defenders, faces charges accusing them of complicity in an ambush of soldiers by the New Peoples Army (NPA) TAKE ACTION

THAILAND Thai government postpones enforcement of articles 22 to 25 of the Act on Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance to October 1 2023 READ MORE

MYANMAR UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) latest humanitarian update READ MORE

VIETNAM Ministry orders detention of academic Nguyen So Lo for sending books on how to improve Vietnam’s politics and economics to senior Communist Party officials READ MORE

Exterior of the Palais des Nations, Geneva. Credit: UN

UN NEWS AND CALLS TO CONTRIBUTE

EMRIP Call for Inputs: Report on “Establishing monitoring mechanisms at the national and regional level for implementation of the UN Declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples” deadline 17 March READ MORE

OHCHR Call for inputs: “The relationship between human rights and technical standard-setting processes for new and emerging digital technologies” deadline 3 March READ MORE

UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment call for input: “Promoting Environmental Democracy: Procedural elements of the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment” deadline 1 May READ MORE

CALLS FOR INPUT

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre seeks input for a consultation on its Renewable Energy & Human Rights Benchmark READ MORE

EVENTS AND RESOURCES

ITUC, Migrant Justice Institute, Solidarity Center, the ILAW Network and MIDEQ webinar on unions support for migrant workers to achieve labour justice, 23 February REGISTER HERE

OHCHR and the Equal Rights Trust: Protecting Minority Rights – A Practical Guide to Developing Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Legislation READ MORE Webinars briefing on the Guide REGISTER HERE

UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues: Language Rights of Linguistic Minorities: A Practical Guide for Implementation 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 #167 February 2023

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

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