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Joint Statement by Asian NGOs to condemn arrest of peaceful protestors against LGBT discrimination in Singapore

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4 years ago

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Below is a Joint Statement by the ASEAN SOGIE Caucus, Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW) and Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) to condemn the arrest of peaceful protestors against LGBT discrimination in Singapore

(29 January 2021, Bangkok/Kuala Lumpur/Manila) — We, the undersigned, are alarmed by the arrest of the three individuals who were exercising their right to assembly in a peaceful protest against transphobia outside the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Singapore earlier this week on
26th January. We call on the authorities to unconditionally end any judicial harassment against the protestors, for the Government of Singapore to respect and protect the right to peaceful assembly for all, and for the MOE to swiftly act on the discrimination against transgender and LGBT students in schools and universities.

The protest stemmed from a student’s post going viral on social media after she wrote about being unable to begin hormone replacement therapy due to intervention from the MOE, whose interference resulted in her inability to receive a doctor’s referral letter.

The Right to Protest

Article 14 of the Constitution of Singapore, specifically Article 14(1), guarantees and protects Singaporeans the rights to freedom of speech and expression, peaceful assembly without arms, and association. Students have a right to dissent and protest policies which are unfair and
discriminatory and in this case – the alleged interference by the MOE resulting in the denial of the right to transition, access to education, as well as a denial of the right to healthcare and medical treatment of one’s choice.

MOE Must Safeguard Transgender Students

Transgender students in Singapore are not receiving the support and care they need in schools, which in turn leads to heightened levels of depression, anxiety, and mental health issues.

TransgenderSG, the Asia Pacific Transgender Network and Sayoni, a Singapore-based feminist, volunteer-run organisation released a UPR report in 2020 noting the high amount of discrimination and restrictions that transgender students face in Singapore. While, 77.6% of openly transgender students reported negative experiences in school ranging from bullying to sexual abuse, less than a third agreed or strongly agreed that they felt safe at school. Only 24% said they had a staff member they could go to for support.

Furthermore, the report also found that school administrators not only pressured transgender students to drop out of school, but also prevented them from transitioning or obtaining hormone replacement therapy, sometimes by going as far as contacting their healthcare providers without the student’s or their parents’ knowledge or consent.

The MOE must ensure that educational institutions are equipped to provide an affirming and supportive environment for all gender-diverse students that not only affirms their existence but also affords a safe space for dialogue. We call on the MOE to ensure that policies are implemented across schools to safeguard the physical and mental wellbeing of transgender students. This includes re-examining comprehensive sexuality education within school programming, and prioritising the inclusion of quality and nonjudgmental comprehensive sexuality education that takes into account the needs of gender-diverse young people.

These comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation and policies that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression need to be put firmly into place, and need to be a familiar part of the education system at all levels.

The Government of Singapore must uphold and protect the right to dissent and the right to peaceful assembly that belongs to all people as a building block for a healthy democracy. The Government must create effective redressal mechanisms that are accessible to students facing violence and discrimination in schools as a primary obligation in making educational institutions safe and inclusive for all.

We reiterate our call for the authorities to unconditionally end any judicial harassment against the protestors and for the MOE to swiftly act on the discrimination against transgender and LGBT students in schools and universities. As a member of the United Nations, Singapore has a duty to uphold Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states, “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” This includes transgender people. Trans rights are human rights.

 

 

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Civil Society

Thailand withdraws reservation on refugee children’s rights, welcomed by UN Human Rights Office

Thailand’s withdrawal of its reservation on Article 22 of the CRC is hailed by the UN, marking a key step in enhancing protections for refugee and asylum-seeking children.

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1 week ago

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6 September 2024

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The UN Human Rights Office for South-East Asia (OHCHR) has praised Thailand for its decision to withdraw its reservation on Article 22 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), a move expected to improve the protection of refugee and asylum-seeking children in the country.

Cynthia Veliko, the OHCHR Representative for South-East Asia, hailed the decision, calling it “a significant, positive step” toward aligning Thailand’s laws with international standards. “This move helps protect the rights of all children on the move, no matter their nationality or origin,” Veliko said.

The Thai Cabinet’s decision to withdraw the reservation took effect on 30 August 2024. Article 22 of the CRC ensures that refugee and asylum-seeking children receive protection, humanitarian assistance, and equal access to services provided to national children, in line with international human rights laws to which Thailand is a party.

This withdrawal is also expected to strengthen the implementation of Thailand’s National Screening Mechanism (NSM), introduced on 22 September 2023.

The NSM grants the status of “protected person” to individuals who cannot return to their home countries due to the fear of persecution. However, despite these legal advancements, children without legal status in Thailand remain at risk of being detained in immigration facilities.

The UN has raised concerns over the continued detention of children despite the Thai government’s 2019 Memorandum of Understanding on Alternatives to the Detention of Children (MOU-ATD). The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has reaffirmed that every child has a fundamental right to liberty and should not be detained based on their migration status.

Veliko urged Thailand to focus on ending child immigration detention and adopting human rights-based alternatives.

“Children on the move are children first and foremost,” Veliko stressed, adding that detention due to migration status is never in the best interests of children.

The UN Human Rights Office expressed its readiness to assist the Thai government in developing alternatives to detention, ensuring that all children receive the protection and care they need.

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Civil Society

FORUM-ASIA condemns Myanmar junta’s forced conscription expansion, urges international action

FORUM-ASIA condemns Myanmar’s military junta for expanding forced conscription, calling it a desperate bid to maintain power. The policy, affecting men aged 35 to 60, adds to a long list of human rights violations, including forced labor and the use of civilians as human shields.

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1 week ago

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4 September 2024

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The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) has condemned the Myanmar military junta’s recent decision to expand the age limit of its forced conscription policy, calling on the international community to stand in solidarity with the people of Myanmar.

The move is seen as a desperate attempt by the junta to maintain control in the face of a growing pro-democracy resistance movement.

On 25 August 2024, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing announced the introduction of a new “security system with public participation.”

This system would require men aged 35 to 60 to serve as guards, potentially placing them on the frontlines of conflict. The announcement follows the formation of the Central Supervisory Committee for People’s Security and Anti-Terrorism on 16 August, tasked with organizing military training and overseeing “people’s security and anti-terrorism” groups at various administrative levels.

The junta’s plan builds upon the forced conscription policy it implemented on 10 February 2024, invoking the 2010 People’s Military Service Law.

The law mandates men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 to serve two years in the military, with professionals like doctors and engineers potentially serving up to five years. Those who evade service or assist others in doing so face up to five years in prison. As part of this policy, the junta planned to conscript 5,000 individuals monthly from April 2024.

Civilians as Human Shields and Forced Labor

FORUM-ASIA has condemned the junta’s forced conscription policies, highlighting the military’s history of using civilians as human shields and forcing them into hard labor.

The International Labour Organization’s Commission of Inquiry found in October 2023 that the military continues to impose forced labor amidst the ongoing armed conflict, a practice that has escalated since the 2021 coup attempt.

Local news and human rights groups have reported that the junta is also abducting and arresting citizens to use as human shields, further contributing to the human rights violations in Myanmar. Many youths, rather than being conscripted into fighting for a regime they oppose, have fled their homes to join the resistance.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed concern over the junta’s detention and recruitment of Myanmar youth. Meanwhile, Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar, noted the junta’s increasing use of powerful weapons against civilians as troop losses and recruitment challenges mount.

Call for Action

FORUM-ASIA is calling on the Myanmar military junta to immediately halt its forced conscription, abductions, forced labor, and the use of civilians as human shields.

“FORUM-ASIA urges the international community, including the UN and ASEAN, to thoroughly investigate the Myanmar military junta’s long list of human rights violations. The junta should be held accountable for all its crimes through sanctions and other punitive measures,” said Mary Aileen Diez-Bacalso, Executive Director of FORUM-ASIA.

“The international community must urgently isolate the junta and support the people of Myanmar in their struggle for justice and freedom,” Bacalso added.

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