Asia-Pacific Network Weekly Report (June 11) 1/1

Task 1: Weekly human rights monitoring

1. Near neighbours
a) Fiji
+ Fiji’s UPR recommendations has been adopted and accepted at the Human Rights Council.
+ Activists will meet at the Pasifika Climate Leadership workshop beginning June 14 to discuss
challenges ahead with climate change eg increased frequencies of tropical cyclones.

b) Indonesia
Gender discrimination (Islamic law in Acheh)
x According to the International Crisis Group and Aceh Human Rights NGO Coalition, the “vice and
virtue” patrol task force in Acheh have been enforcing the three Acheh laws concerning (1) illicit
relations between men and women, (2) alcohol ban, and (3) gambling; beyond the scope of their
power. Women are mostly discriminated against and receive disproportionate sentences and
suffer from rapes while in the religious police custody.
Workers Rights
x Indonesian Parliament has postponed the drafting of the Domestic Workers Protection Bill. 2.6
million Indonesian domestic works (women and girls in particular) remain unprotected. The
Manpower Act discriminates against domestic workers leaving them without legal protection in
areas such as remuneration, working hours and conditions.
Prisoner of Conscience
+ Indonesian government has agreed to allow Filip Karma to receive medical treatment.

c) Timor Leste
Violence against Women
x Open Day Dialogue held on 9 June between the UN envoy to Timor-Leste, Ameerah Haq and
NGOs. After a meeting with Policia Nacional de Timor-Leste, an organization that runs the
Vulnerable Persons Unit, she highlighted that Timorese women have limited access to justice and
have nore al opportunity to present their cases to the police and also to press charges for domestic
abuses.

d) PNG
(no urgent items)

2. Asia
a) Kyrgyzstan – Ethnic violence
 (14 June) Inter-ethnic violence is Kyrgystan increases with tens of thousands refugees crossing
into Uzbekistan.
b) Sri Lanka – Workers Rights; Right to adequate standard of living
 (11 June) UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) will help Sri Lankan government to
provide jobs to 40000 widows in northern and eastern regions of Sri Lanka which bore the
brunt of the three decades of civil war.
c) Afghanistan – Protection of the girl child
 (13 June) 60 school girls in Balkh province appear to have been poisoned and required
hospitalization. This is the third suspected poisoning of girls attending schools in Afghanistan
this week. 90 people were poisoned in attacks I three school in April. The Taliban banned girls
from going to school between 1996 to 2001.
d) Afghanistan – Right to life; Protection of children
 (10 June) – Suspected Taliban militants in Helmand province executed a 7-year old boy for
“spying” for the government.