Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances
Bangkok, Thailand
26 November 20ll
MRS. NAVI PILLAY
High Commissioner for Human Rights
Office of the High Commission for Human Rights
Her Excellency Navi Pillay,
Warm greetings!
The Asian Federation Against Involuntary
Disappearances (AFAD), a regional federation of human rights
organizations directly working on enforced disappearances from
Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand,
Timor Leste would like to congratulate you for your great contribution
to the protection of human rights. Our Federation is also the Focal
Point of the International Coalition Against Enforced Disappearances (ICAED),
which is a global coalition of 40 member-organizations campaigning for
the ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of
All Persons from Enforced Disappearances (the Convention). As we are
concluding our 201 1 Council meeting, we deem it appropriate to address
you with regard to the scourge of enforced disappearances in our region.
As we all know, such violations continue to take place through out the
continent affecting thousands of people and their families. As
underlined by the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary
Disappearances in its last annual report Asia has submitted the highest
number of cases.
On this occasion, may we call on you to continue
devoting particular attention to the Asian region and to spend your
effort to tackle the phenomenon of enforced disappearance, establishing
the truth on the fate and whereabouts of the disappeared and guarantee
redress to victims and their families.
Corollary to this, may we call your attention to the
2009 Report of the International People's Tribunal on Human Rights and
Justice, entitled: " Buried Evidence: A Report on Unknown, Unmarked and
Mass Graves in Indian Administered Kashmir," which concerns 2,700 graves
that contain 2,930 remains of victims of human rights violations, which
might belong to those who disappeared. This report was submitted to this
UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances in March
2010.
The AFAD appeals on you to reiterate the crucial
importance of States to seriously engage in the fight against impunity
and enforce by all means their obligation to investigate, prosecute and
sanction those responsible for enforced disappearance and serious
international crimes.
The AFAD urges you to call on all Asian States to
ratify and fully implement the Convention and to recognize the
competence of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED) pursuant to
Articles 31 and 32 of the Convention.
May we request you to further call on Asian States to
adopt domestic legislation to criminalize the autonomous offense of
enforced disappearance and to ensure &e prevention and punishment of
this practice.
Finally, we look forward to an active engagement with
you through a constructive and fruitful dialogue with the Office of the
High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) as it continues to respond to
the human rights situation, in particular in Asia.
Thank you very much.
