APSOC
expresses solidarity with the struggles of South peoples
Press release - December
10, 2004
The Asia-Pacific Solidarity
Coalition or APSOC, a regional formation started in May 2004, expresses
its solidarity with the struggling peoples of the south, specially those
in this region. We are re-birthed from the core of the 10-year old Asia-Pacific
Coalition for East Timor (APCET) to forge solidarity for peace, justice
and human rights in the larger Southeast Asian and Pacific region. We are
composed of regional groups and NGOs, national organizations and other
solidarity groupings.
We re-affirm our bond in
support for human rights of peoples in the region as enshrined in the human
rights conventions of the United Nations, for the rights to self-determination
of peoples in accordance with the UN general principles, and for the prevention
and resolution of armed conflicts in the region.
As a coalition, we hereby
announce the following calls for International Human Rights Day:
-
On Burma, to support calls for
a tripartite dialogue and to pressure the Burmese military government to
accede to a tripartite dialogue; and to support the forming of a regional
MP Caucus that will aim to involve parliamentarians to influence ASEAN
as well as their respective national policies on Burma. The priority campaign
however is NOT to allow Burma as a rogue state run by a military junta
to assume chairmanship of the ASEAN in 2006;
-
On Timor Leste, for the Australian
government to recognize and return Timor Leste's full control over its
offshore oil and natural gas reserves so that the new nation can enjoy
the revenues rightfully belonging to it; and for the United Nations to
create a commission of experts that will investigate the findings of the
ad hoc courts in Jakarta and determine accountability for the grave crimes
committed in East Timor from the period 1975-1999 and reiterate that justice
in Timor Leste can only be achieved thorugh an international tribunal;
-
Also for the Timor Leste government
to reverse its ominous tendency to craft potentially undemocratic laws,
such as its laws on immigration and now the Freedom of Demonstration and
Assembly Bill" which purports to regulate demonstrations and protect the
underlying rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression, but which
imposes a number of severe restrictions on those rights;
-
On the conflict in southern
Thailand, to lobby the Thai government to stop using the armed forces in
quelling dissent in the three Muslim-majority southern provinces, and to
engage in dialogue aimed at understanding the root causes of the problem.
Another immediate move is to conduct an impartial probe into the violence
and deaths this year in the southern region and to hold accountability
for authorities involved;
-
On Aceh and West Papua, to lobby
the Indonesian government to stop the militarization of Aceh and West Papua
and allow international humanitarian groups unrestricted access to the
civilian victims of the escalating conflict;
-
On Mindanao, for the Philippine
government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to resume formal peace
negotiations at the soonest time;
-
On Sri Lanka, for regional solidarity
to focus on the issue of anti-war and peace to address the conflict between
the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam;
-
On the Pacific Islands, to support
initiatives such as the Pacific Concerns Coalition which aims to secure
a peaceful Pacific covering Tahiti, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, and Guam.
-
For the region, to support ongoing
peace processes in the region especially the peace talks in Mindanao, Aceh,
Sri Lanka and others.
APSOC is enjoining kindred groups
to be part of this regional coalition for peace, justice and human rights
in the region. APSOC will hold its launch conference in early 2005 where
a Steering Committee will plan future activities.
Lastly, on the occasion of
International Human Rights Day today, we emphasize our call for respect
for human rights of all peoples in the region, as we emphasize the situation
of Burma, Aceh, West Papua and Southern Thailand as the most grave concerns
the region faces at present.
APSOC Founding members:
-
Initiatives for International
Dialogue (IID) - Philippines
-
Indonesian Human Rights Committee
(IHRC) - New Zealand
-
National Coalition Government
for the Union of Burma/National Coalition for the Union of Burma (NCGUB/NCUB)
-
Burma Alternative ASEAN Network
for Burma (ALTSEAN-Burma)
-
Timor Leste Coalition for the
Asia-Pacific (TILCAP) - Timor Leste
-
Friends of the Third World/Center
for Peoples Dialogue (FTW/CPD) Sri Lanka
-
Asian Students Association (ASA)
- Hong Kong
-
Mindanao Peoples Caucus (MPC)
- Mindanao
-
Philippine Solidarity for East
Timor and Indonesia (PHILSETI)
-
SUARAM Rakyat Malaysia
Yayasan Anak Dusun Papua
(YADUPA) - West Papua
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