An Oral Statement to the 35th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council from the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC)
Mr. President.
The Asian Legal Resource Centre wishes to bring to this Council’s immediate attention the practice of summary executions, particularly in countries like Bangladesh, the Philippines, India, and Pakistan.
The incumbent government in Bangladesh continue killing the opposition activists for eight years for perpetuating its power. The government of the Philippines is engaged in summarily executing persons, accused of engaged in drug peddling or addiction. The call for execution of persons has come from nothing less than the President’s office. This has resulted in not less than 7000 murders so far, in which the Philippine National Police is reported to be involved in about half of the cases. The rest is attributed to those who have been killed by vigilante groups, that the President has personally called upon to rise up, in the country. And there are no indications that the killings are to end any soon or of accountability to the state-sponsored murders.
In Pakistan, persons are summarily executed after being accused of having links to terrorist activities. The Army and its manifold agencies engage in this exercise, for which there is absolute impunity. In India, the draconian, Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 in operation in states like Manipur is literally impunity to murder written into the statute. An armed soldier has the authority to shoot to kill anyone on mere suspicion, in states like Manipur where AFSPA is in force.
Mr. President, states that condone summary executions are engaged in the systematic negation of even the minutest possibility of fair trial and the rule of law.
The ALRC therefore wishes to enquire with the Rapporteur, what actions has his office taken to gain support from other member states of this Council to make Bangladesh, Philippines, Pakistan and India to immediately stop the practice, and how could the civil society assist the Rapporteur in the process?
Thank you, Mr. President.
Webcast video: Link (Please scroll down and click on clip number 31 to fine the statement presented by the Asian Legal Resource Centre)
