An Oral Statement to the 29th Session of the UN Human Rights Council from the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) on Freedom of Expression and Opinion and Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association
ASIA: Freedoms of Expression, Opinion, Assembly, and Association being curtailed in Asia
Thank you Mr. President.
The Asian Legal Resource Centre welcomes the reports of the Special Rapporteurs. The ALRC, wants to inform the mandates and the Council about the latest factual information concerning the situation of the freedoms of expression and of assembly of some Asian countries, and is seeking intervention.
In Bangladesh, the government constantly denies the freedom of expression and assembly. Repressive legislations and “contempt of court” charges are being used as tools to suppress independent voices.
Dr. Zafrullah Chowdhury, a Laureate of the Right Livelihood Award, has been convicted last week, on June 10, by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal-2 for a statement supporting a British journalist, who was himself convicted by the Tribunal in a “contempt of court” charge. Both contempt convictions are significant blows to freedom of speech in Bangladesh.
The government is also curtailing the freedom of peaceful assembly and association of civil society organisations and the political opposition. There is a tangible fear that, in the absence of space for liberal voices, radical groups will proliferate.
Furthermore, a cyber security law is being promulgated in Bangladesh, which provides for between 4 to 20 years of imprisonment on conviction. Under this law, the police will be automatically authorized to break into any house suspected to hold a “cyber terrorist”.
Similarly, the government of Pakistan has drafted a Bill titled the “Prevention of Electronic Crime Act, 2015”. If promulgated, it is set to curtail the fundamental rights enshrined in Article 19 of its Constitution, even though these rights are non-derogable. Any citizen’s writing, speech, or blog against the “glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defense of Pakistan”, can be an excuse for arbitrary arrest and detention without court’s permission or warrant. The Bill proposes to cover every Pakistani citizen, even those living outside the State.
The Indonesian police in Papua and West Papua are denying the people’s freedom of peaceful assembly. In April and May this year, at least 200 students were arrested for holding peaceful demonstrations. Some of them are still in detention.
Foreign journalists are required to obtain special permits from the government to visit these places, despite a presidential announcement that such permissions will no long be a requirement.
Thank you, Mr. President.
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About the ALRC: The Asian Legal Resource Centre is an independent regional non-governmental organisation holding general consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. It is the sister organisation of the Asian Human Rights Commission. The Hong Kong-based group seeks to strengthen and encourage positive action on legal and human rights issues at the local and national levels throughout Asia.
