Asia-Pacific Network Weekly Report (Jul 12) 1/1

Weekly human rights monitoring

1. Near neighbours
a) Fiji
 (no items)
b) Indonesia
 (July 9) Tama Satrya Langkun, an anti-corruption activist in Jakarta was attacked with a machete by
unknown assailants. Mr Langkun had recently produced a controversial report for Indonesia Corruption
Watch on bank accounts held by high ranking police
http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2010/3501/
 (July 6) Under Indonesian law, the government owns all the forests and can grant decades-long land
concessions to a community or private enterprise. Since 2006, 632 communities have clashed with
palm oil operators and in 2009; an estimated 1000 people were fighting for their land against such
operators. Indigenous Indonesians are most vulnerable to land-and resource-grabbing. To-date, 22
indigenous people have been arrested for taking resources such as wood from the forests which have
been licensed to palm oil operators according to Sawit Watch. Under the UN Declaration of the Rights
of Indigenous People, which Indonesia has signed in 2007, palm oil operators must have “free,
informed and prior consent” of indigenous groups before operating on the land they live on or regularly
use. http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?Reportid=89747
c) Timor Leste
 (no items)
d) PNG and Western Papua
 (Jul 9) Indonesian authorities have released two political prisoners jailed for pushing for the
independence of Papua. The AFP news agency reports that Yusak Pakage and Chosmos Yual were freed
from Doyo Baru prison in Jayapura. http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=54618
 (July 9) At least 50,000 Papuans marched towards the provincial parliament in Jayapura calling for
formal rejection of special autonomy status. They are calling for the upper house to endorse last
month’s decision by the lower house to reject the autonomy arrangement which they allege has failed
to ensure their basic rights. http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=54620

2. Asia
a) Nepal
 (July 6) Nepal’s 2008 Human Trafficking and Transportation (Control) Act mandates punishment for
human traffickers of up to 20 years in prison and USD2,600 in fines and provides for the compensation
of victims; but, the enforcement of the Act remains in effective according to SSANE. So far, the system
has only registered 123 cases in 2010. http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?Reportid=89750
b) Pakistan
 (July 8) Asian Human Rights Commission has learned that a trade union leader, Mr Mustansar
Randhawa and his brother have been gunned downed by unidentified men during strike negotiations.
Mr Randhawa was leading the protest against low wages, poor working conditions and the
inditimidation of workers in Punjab power loom mills.
http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2010/3500/
 (July 7) Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN), a coalition of 30 Pakistani civil society organizations has
highlighted the lack of female health workers in Pakistan to serve the primary health care needs of
women. http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?Reportid=89763
 (July 4) The Kihals is a nomadic community living along the river between Chashma Barrage and Taunsa
Barrage in Pakistan. Most Kihals are not registered as Pakistani citizens and do not have ID cards.
Because of the lack of registration, there is no official data on the size of the Kihal population. The
community has limited access to schooling, health care and adequate shelter. In addition, the Kihals
suffer from religious and ethnic prejudice from the dominant Sunni community.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?Reportid=89726
 (July 2) UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon condemned the suicide bombing at a religious shrine in
Lahore that killed more than 40 people and left dozens more injured.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=35228&Cr=pakistan&Cr1