FOCUS

Focus
Asia-PacificNewsletter of the Asia-Pacific Human Rights Information Center (HURIGHTS OSAKA)

June 2020 Vol. 100

Editorial

Contents
HURIGHTS OSAKA in the Midst of the
COVID-19 Pandemic
This is a brief presentation about
HURIGHTS OSAKA, and its current
activities.
- Osamu Shiraishi
Page 2
Achieving SDGs through Local OrdinancesThis is a discussion on the effort of themembers of communities in Okayama
prefecture to ensure the safety of women
who take the trains and thus help achieve
the goals of Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs).
- Eiji Hamanishi
Page 4
SDGs and Southeast Asian Migrant Workers
This is a discussion of the situation ofSoutheast migrant workers who toil within
the countries in Southeast Asia. The existingcommitment of Southeast Asian states toprotect the rights of migrant workers would
help achieve their Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs).
- Jefferson R. Plantilla
Page 7
Countering Islamophobia in India
This is a discussion on the current events in
India that exacerbate the attacks against
Indian Muslims not only by some sectionsof the Hindu population but by law
enforcement agencies.
- Aditya Menon
Page 12Focus Asia-Pacific: 100th Issue
In celebration of the 100th issue of thisnewsletter, this article highlights the various
aspects of the newsletter in terms ofcontent, circulation and use.
- Jefferson R. Plantilla
Page 13

Celebrating the 100th Issue of FOCUS Asia-Pacificand Acting on SDGs
A celebration …
HURIGHTS OSAKA is celebrating the 100th issue of thisnewsletter. We sincerely acknowledge and appreciate theindividuals and institutions in Asia and the Pacific whose articles
for more than two decades shed light on emerging issues andconcerns on human rights of their peoples and project thediversity of views and invaluable experiences that sustain theprotection, promotion and realization of human rights in theregion. The article of Mr Osamu Shiraishi, the President of
HURIGHTS OSAKA, provides the context of this celebration.
On SDGs …
Are the Social Development Goals (SDGs) achievable? Are our
SDG achievements so far significant? Hard questions. There areanswers, but some are not pleasant to hear.
Sixteen global problems have to be solved, at least substantially,by 2030 with the help of international cooperation (Goal 17).
These global problems are well-entrenched in our systems thatthey remain a huge challenge to all. Yet we still have to do whatis needed. We still have to act to address them.
Problems ranging from abusive behavior of people in public
places that compromise women's security such as in Okayama
prefecture, abuse of foreign migrant workers who serve theeconomy in Southeast Asia, and deep-seated discrimination
against sections of society such as Islamophobia in India areproblems in our communities as much as global problems that
we have to face.
If we have to act on these problems, we have to take concrete
steps no matter how small. If our governments have to solve theproblems they have to have the political will to implement thepractical measures that have long been laid before them.

1

FOCUS ASIA-PACIFIC

JUNE 2020 VOLUME 100

HURIGHTS OSAKA in the Midst of the COVID-19
Pandemic
Osamu Shiraishi

S

ince the beginning of 2020,
the new coronavirus(COVID-19) started to spread inmany parts of the world at anincredible speed and thenumber of infected persons
exponentially increased. On 11
March 2020, the World HealthOrganization (WHO)recognized COVID-19 as apandemic. The entire world has
been seriously affected by the
pandemic. No country andsociety have been spared.
Responses to the pandemic andmeasures to contain the spreadof COVID-19 have been drastic
in many countries, including
lockdowns and quarantines. In
Japan, the government declaredon 16 April 2020 a state ofe m e r g e n cy f o r t h e e n t i r e
country that restricted people’s
movement and businessactivities.
Under the emergency measures,p e o p l e h ave e x p e r i e n c e dvarious difficulties, not only
being exposed to the risk ofvirus infection but also loss ofjobs and income, suspension or
restriction of civil, political,
economic, social and culturalactivities. Damages are widely
inflicted on people in general,but particularly and seriously on
the vulnerable and sociallymarginalized people.
From the beginning of thepandemic, the United Nations

High Commissioner for Human
Rights stressed that “humandignity and rights need to be
front and centre” in thegovernments’ effort to mitigate
the negative impact on people
and their lives provoked by theanti-pandemic measures. Other
United Nations agencies issued
similar statements andguidelines to deal with the
pandemic. International,
national and local nongovernmental organizations(NGOs) also take this crisis
caused by the pandemic as aserious human rights concern
and have appealed to thegovernments to protect andrespect human rights especiallyat this time of pandemic.
In this situation of thepandemic, civil society
organizations including NGOs
have important roles to play.
Acutely aware of this, the AsiaP a c i fi c H u m a n R i g h t s
Information Center (HURIGHTSOSAKA) has taken up its role asa human rights informationc e n t e r. I t h a s b e e naccumulating and posting as
much information as possible
on human rights and the newcoronavirus pandemic on its
Japanese-language website. It
aims to focus on the humanr i g h t s p e r s p e c t iv e o f t h e
information collected anddisseminated and to draw
attention of the national
government, local authorities,2

those working in the frontlines
and the general public in Japanto the difficulties experienced
by the affected people and also
to their appeals directed to theauthorities.
HURIGHTS OSAKA seriously
takes up this role as a humanrights information center.
HURIGHTS OSAKA - Inception
and Transformation
HURIGHTS OSAKA was notwhat it is now. It has comethrough a few substantialchanges since its establishment.
HURIGHTS OSAKA wasestablished in 1994 by the
initiative of a group of civilsociety organizations in Osaka,
joined by an association oflabor unions, a businessassociation, and the associationof mayors of cities andtownships of Osaka Prefecture.
Th e g o v e r n m e n t s o f t h e
Prefecture and the City ofOsaka supported its
establishment as a public
foundation with substantive
financial, administrative andlogistical contribution. At thetime of its establishment,
HURIGHTS OSAKA wasconceived as a human rights
information center aiming at
actively developing
international cooperation withhuman rights organizations in
the Asia Pacific region as well

FOCUS ASIA-PACIFIC
as cultivating awareness ofhuman rights among the local
general public in Japan, with ac e r t a i n d e g r e e o f o f fi c i a linvolvement of the Osaka
Prefecture and the City ofOsaka. In a way, HURIGHTSOSAKA acted as a close partnerof the Osaka prefectural andcity governments in
implementing human rightsrelated policies and projects.
The original aims of HURIGHTSOSAKA were set as wide and far
reaching as follows: 1. topromote human rights in the
Asia Pacific region; 2. tocontribute to the advancementof international human rights
protection and promotion with
Asia Pacific specific inputs; 3. toensure inclusion of humanrights perspectives in theJapanese official international
cooperation and contribution in
the Asia Pacific region; and 4. tobuild awareness among thegeneral public of theinternational standards ofhuman rights.
The situation surrounding
HURIGHTS OSAKA changed
drastically with the election of a
new Governor of Osaka
Prefecture in February 2008.
Th e G ove r n o r c o n s i d e r e d
support to a large number oforganizations incorporated andregistered in the Prefecture forsocial, cultural and humanrights purposes and activities asa “waste of public funds” andvo w e d t o d i s c o n t i n u e i t .
HURIGHTS OSAKA was one ofthese organizations. Stating thatno justifiable reason was foundto continue substantial support
to HURIGHTS OSAKA, thePrefecture decided to
discontinue completely its
financial, administrative and

JUNE 2020 VOLUME 100
logistic support to HURIGHTSOSAKA from the fiscal year of
2009. Without hesitation, Osaka
City also withdrew support to
H U R I G H T S O S A K A . Th e
sudden loss of substantial
support from both local
governments left HURIGHTSOSAKA with no choice but toreconsider its role and to workout its operational strategy.
Downsizing the organizational
setup and budget, it had toprioritize projects andoperations. It reached aconclusion that HURIGHTSOSAKA should focus more on
the needs of people, become
more actively responsive to the
local human rights situations
and issues and reorganize its
information management using
the information andcommunication technology.
Consequently, it had to reduce
its international engagements
such as organizing international
human rights conferences andseminars as well as participatingin human rights events outside
Japan. It came to concentrate
more on information
management and awarenessbuilding on human rights issues
and activities. Relying on its
own funds, HURIGHTS OSAKA
was reborn as a civil society
organization, no more
dependent on the support fromthe Osaka Prefecture and theCity of Osaka. It was a new startas an independent “humanrights information center.”
In 2011, HURIGHTS OSAKA
experienced anotherorganizational reform following
the revision of the law
g ove r n i n g p u b l i c i n t e r e s t
corporations. As an organization
incorporated and registered in
Osaka Prefecture, HURIGHTSOSAKA put more emphasis on

3

staying close to local humanrights issues and contributing to
the local needs. This included
responding to the needs of thebusiness sector in Osaka inbuilding human rights
awareness and incorporating
respect for human rights in thebusiness practice.
HURIGHTS OSAKA’s Role andthe COVID-19 Pandemic
HURIGHTS OSAKA is expected
to remain attentive to the needsof people.
In the crisis of the COVID-19
pandemic, the vulnerable andsocially neglected people havebeen suffering most. This iscertainly the case in Japan.
These people are, just to name afew: people with underlying
health conditions; people inp o v e r t y, i n c l u d i n g s i n g l emothers and children; children
without adequate schooling; theaged; people with disabilities;
homeless people; those withunstable employment and thejobless; migrants and theirfamilies; irregular immigrants
and applicants for refugee status
who are confined indefinitely inthe detention centers; womenfacing widespread gender
discrimination; those exposed tod o m e s t i c v i o l e n c e . Th e i rprecarious conditions require
the serious attention of thenational government, the local
authorities and the society ingeneral.
HURIGHTS OSAKA definitely isin a position to accumulate
information in cooperation withthose organizations wishing tos h a r e t h e i r fi r s t - h a n d
information on people who face(Continued on page 15)

FOCUS ASIA-PACIFIC

JUNE 2020 VOLUME 100

Achieving SDGs through Local Ordinances
Eiji HamanishiW

ith ten more years to go
before the deadline forachieving the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) in
2030, local ordinances are
extremely important inachieving those goals in thelocal community.
For several years, men in suit orcasual clothing would approachyoung women to recruit them towork in the sex industry at thetrain stations in Okayama andKurashiki cities in Okayama
Prefecture. Many women havebeen targeted day and night inan organized manner. Without
any ordinance in Okayama
Prefecture prohibiting theseacts, the police could not takeany action against these men.
Many students of a women’s
university pass through the
Okayama station on their way
to school. Since I teach in thisuniversity, I conducted a simple
survey among students in myclass on this problem and foundout that approximately twothirds of the students had
experienced aggressive acts ofrecruitment.
Their experiences included
escaping through the station
ticket gates because they werepersistently followed, being
closely followed all the way
from the West Exit to the East
Exit, being offered to work for ahostess bar once a week, being
called out five times by thesame person, being followed

around and persistently told that
she could make 500,000 Yen (ifshe worked in the sex industry).
Conflict with Goals 4, 5 and 11
The Okayama Prefecture isoften considered as having
advanced programs on SDGs.
Ye t t h e d a i l y p e r s i s t e n t
aggressive acts of recruitment
by men around the train stations
is nothing but “violence”
against the targeted female
students. This situation goesagainst Goal 5 of the SDGs
(gender equality), especiallyTarget 5.2 on elimination of “allforms of violence against all
women and girls in public andprivate spheres.”Also, the female students faceaggressive acts of recruitment
around the Okayama station on
their way to school every day.
This results in (1) feeling
uncomfortable when they go toschool, (2) having bad feelingabout this problem while
studying at the university, (3)and fearing the recruiters while
taking the train to go home. Thissituation also contravenes Target(4a) of providing “safe, nonviolent, inclusive and effective
learning environments for all”
of Goal 4 (education) of the
SDGs.
Furthermore, the situation
around the stations of Okayama
and Kurashiki, where blatantand pernicious aggressive actsof recruitment happen

4

continuously day and nightseven days a week, is against
Ta r g e t 1 1 . 7 o f p r o v i d i n g“universal access to safe,
inclusive and accessible, green
and public spaces, particularly
for women and children, older
persons and persons withdisabilities” of Goal 11(sustainable cities and humansettlements).
If Okayama Prefecture values its
image as a place with advanced
programs on SDGs, it should
improve this situation.
It can be argued that in a
democratic country such as
Japan these acts cannot be
restricted because they are
economic activities. But thenature of these activities should
be sufficient basis for theirprohibition. Indeed, this terribles i t u a t i o n a r o u n d t h e t wo
stations, which are gateways to
Okayama Prefecture for many
visitors for business andtourism, is damaging the imageof the prefecture as a whole that
leads to considerable economicloss.
The harm caused by theseaggressive acts of recruitment,
seen in urban commercial areasin the country, cannot be
addressed by a uniform nationallaw. Local ordinances areneeded to regulate or prohibit
these acts in a manner
appropriate to the area.

FOCUS ASIA-PACIFIC
Amending an Ordinance
The move to amend the Antinuisance Ordinance ofOkayama Prefecture by adding
a prohibition on aggressive actsof recruitment in the prefecture
began in 2018.
People in communities aroundKurashiki and Okayama stations
petitioned the Prefectural
Council and its members andthe prefectural government toprohibit the increasingly
aggravating “solicitations”
related to the sex industry. As
the harms of aggressive acts ofrecruitment targeting students
became apparent, thePrefectural Police prepared adraft amendment of theprefectural Ordinance.
In May 2018, a Member of thePrefectural Council raised theissue at the plenary session in aformal question to the Governor
and the Chief of the Prefectural
Police, with students watchingfrom the public gallery. The
issue was repeated in further
questions. The Prefectural Police
reacted positively, and foralmost a year since then, thepolice focused on patrollingareas around Kurashiki Station.
The Chief of the Prefectural
Police himself inspected thearea.
As a result, in November 2018,
the Prefectural Police submitted
an outline of the draft
amendment of the Antinuisance Ordinance to thePrefectural Council Committee
on Industry, Labor and Police.
The draft amendment included
an expansion of the scope ofprohibition of surreptitious
photographing, expansion ofbusinesses covered under the

JUNE 2020 VOLUME 100
prohibition of solicitation andrecruitment, prohibition ofrecruiting and standing by torecruit, as well as sanctions for
employers of persons engaging
in these acts.
The public was invited to submit
comments on the draft
amendment from 22 November
to 21 December 2018 resulting
in two hundred forty-six
comments, all supporting the
proposed amendment and no
single opposition. This was thelargest number of responses
received among the more than
three hundred invitations for
public comment on prefectural
policy plans including draft
ordinances. It seems that many
students at the university
voluntarily sent comments
through the prefectural website.
Finally, on 3 July 2019, as thestudents watched from thep u b l i c g a l l e r y, t h e d r a f t
amendment of the Antinuisance Ordinance wasadopted in full.
The Experience of “Changing”
the Ordinance
While the draft amendment was
being prepared and discussed,
the students participated insurveys, voluntarily observed
the Council sessions, andsubmitted comments. Theseexperiences seem to haveenabled them to gain politicalempowerment, and a sense ofbeing politically effective.
Majority of the students who
responded to a questionnaire
conducted soon after the
adoption of the amendment
expressed this view. Below aresome of their responses in thequestionnaire:

5

I was able to reaffirm thatwhen each of us raised our
voice, it would reach thegovernment, as it did in thiscase of the Anti-nuisanceOrdinance. So, I thought thatwhen more students vote,there may be more policies forstudents.
xxx

xxx

xxx

A year ago, when I was asked
to respond to the survey, I had
misgivings about whether it
was meaningful. But now that
the Anti-nuisance Ordinance
was adopted, I learned
firsthand that my views could
be reflected in public policy,
and so I thought I should go tovote.

Now students are moreinterested and actively studying
local Councils and ordinances.
One student wrote in her
response, “There is an areaaround the shopping arcade in
Takamatsu where I often go thatis dangerous … so I am thinkingof looking into the ordinancesin the place.”
Continuing Harm andUncertainties Ahead
The Ordinance will enter into
force on 1 October 2020. Until
then, the aggressive acts ofrecruitment continue. This was
expressed in the questionnaire:
Two men came up to me andasked whether I would like towork in Tokyo and Osaka.
They said they will contact methrough Line and Instagram.
xxx

xxx

xxx

A girl was approached at
Okayama Station, and was
being followed until she went

FOCUS ASIA-PACIFIC
through the ticket gate. The act
was blatant, even though it
was daytime. I really hoped
the Ordinance would be
enforced soon.

M a ny s t u d e n t s w e r e a l s oworried whether or not thepolice would seriously control
these acts after the Ordinancecame into force. Some wrote in
the questionnaire:
I am unsure whether thepolice will enforce theOrdinance after it is enacted. I
hope that it will not be just at
the beginning, when it would
have public attention.
xxx

xxx

xxx

I am concerned, whether thepolice will come and patrol
each time the recruitment
occurs.

It is therefore necessary tocontinue monitoring theactivities of these men andfollow-up on the issue.
After 1 October 2020, thePrefectural Police will be
responsible for addressing theissue, and the harms andburdens on the individual will
no doubt decrease significantly.
If the police are found to be
negligent, a complaint may be
filed (under Article 79 of the
Police Act) to the Okayama
Prefectural Public Safety
Commission (consisting ofacademics and lawyers) which
oversees the Prefectural Police.
The Commission also has a highregard for the draft amendmentof the Ordinance, calling it“groundbreaking.”1

JUNE 2020 VOLUME 100
Creating /changing Rules toAchieve SDGs
In order to achieve the SDGs, it
is certainly important to makevarious efforts under existing
ordinances. But in cases where
existing ordinances are causing
harm, or when SDGs could beachieved by changing
ordinances, there shouldd e fi n i t e l y b e a t t e m p t s a t
enacting and/or amending theordinances themselves. Calling
for the enactment/amendmentof ordinances would not requirea budget or subsidy. All that isneeded is to bring together thegeneral public’s dissatisfaction
and the voices of the victims
and appeal to the Council ortheir Members to act on theissue, and Members andgovernment officials who havethe expertise on the matter
would prepare the drafto r d i n a n c e . Th i s w i l l a l s ocertainly lead to politicalempowerment of the people.
With local ordinances, the sizeof the support does not have to
be as large as when enacting
national laws or theiramendments. They involve
concerns that are closely related
to daily life (including going toand from work, school andmarketplace), and with a little
effort, they can attract theattention of the residents andstudents. The outcome can also
be more easily felt. By enacting
and/or amending ordinances,
we can change the local
community for the better andmake progress in achieving theSDGs in the local areas more
efficiently as we near theachievement date.

6

Eiji Hamanishi is an Associate
Professor in the Department ofContemporary SociologicalStudies, Faculty of Literature,
Notre Dame Seishin University(NDSU) in Okayama City. He is
also the Chief of the NDSU
Center for Regional
Collaboration and SDGs
Promotion.
For more information, pleasecontact Eiji Hamanishi throughthis e-mail address:
hamanishi@post.ndsu.ac.jp.

Endnote1 Based on minutes of theregular meeting of the Public
Safety Commission, 25 April
2019.

FOCUS ASIA-PACIFIC

JUNE 2020 VOLUME 100

SDGs and Southeast Asian Migrant Workers
Jefferson R. PlantillaM

igrant workers, who toil insettings that make themvulnerable to abuse andexploitation, are entitled todecent work and fair migration.
The fair migration principle“takes into account labour
market needs while placing therights of all workers, including
migrants, at its core.” 1 The
International Labour
Organization (ILO) stresses twotargets of Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs)—8.8(Decent work and economic
growth - Protect labour rights andpromote safe and secure working
environments for all workers)
and 10.7 (Reduced inequalities orderly, safe, regular andresponsible migration andmobility of people)—that
specifically mention migrant
workers and migration.2
The recent COVID-19 infectionof significant number of migrant
workers in Singapore and thereported loss of job or nonpayment of salary in Thailand
and Malaysia3 illustrate thevulnerability of migrant workers
not only to exploitation but also
to spread of communicablediseases. The migrant workers
should definitely be covered inpursuing other SDGs such as
SDG 3 on ensuring healthy lives
and promoting the “well-being
for all at all ages.”
Southeast Asian Workers
The ILO reports that migrantw o r k e r s f r o m M y a n m a r,
Cambodia and Laos

“experience exploitation andabuse because of inadequate
protection of their labour rights
during recruitment andemployment,” “regardless of the
documents they hold.”4
Also, “[w]omen face additional
challenges in accessing safe andlegal migration opportunities,
with the type of work available
to them often paying less andaffording fewer legal protections
due to lack of formalization.”5
These migrant workers aremostly “employed in low-skilled,
l a b o u r- i n t e n s i v e j o b s i n
agriculture, fisheries, domestic
work, manufacturing,
construction, hospitality, andfood services.”6At the recruitment stage,7[l]ow-skilledworkersareparticularly
vulnerable
tofalling prey to unscrupulous
actors in the recruitment
process. Research show that
recruitment-related abuses
include: deception about thenature and conditions of work;
retention of passports; illegal
wage deductions; debt
bondage linked to repaymentof recruitment fees; and, veryc o m m o n l y, c h a r g i n g o f
exorbitant recruitment-related
costs and fees.

Resort to irregular means ofcrossing borders for work is alsoprevalent. In Thailand, whichhosts “some 2,877,000
documented migrant workers”

7

as of 2018 from Myanmar,
Cambodia and Laos and has
memorandums of understanding(MOUs) with these countries
governing labor migration,838 per cent of the surveyed
migrant workers [from the three
countries] entered Thailand
through the official channels,i.e., the MOU mechanism (36per cent) [and] the border
employment regulation (2 percent). The rest entered thecountry irregularly.

The ILO has pointed out that the“costs and fees related to therecruitment of migrant workers
should not be paid by theworker” in line with SDGs
Indicator 10.7.1 on recruitment
cost.9An ILO survey of workers from
Myanmar, Cambodia and Laosdone in 2018 and published inearly 2020 provides some details
on the employment situation:10
Survey respondents reported
benefiting from a very limited
number of labour rights. Noneor almost none reported having
the ability to join a union, haveseverance pay, or have (forwomen) paid maternity leave.
Only a small share, about one
in ten, have paid annual leave,
paid holidays, and paid sickleave. Only 36 per cent kept
their ID documents, andslightly less than one in four
reported being paid at least theminimum wage.

FOCUS ASIA-PACIFICASEAN Problem
In 2017, the United Nations
estimated that out of a total of“9.7 million” “internationalmigrants” working in Southeast
Asia, “nearly 6.9 million” areSoutheast Asian workers.11 2015
data show that “Malaysia,
Singapore, and Thailand [were]destinations for 91 per cent” of
the Southeast Asian migrant
workers.12 On the other hand,“the Philippines, Indonesia, Viet
Nam, Myanmar, Cambodia, and
Lao PDR are net-sending
countries.”13
Member-states of ASEAN havecommitments to address thelabor migration issue under the
ASEAN Declaration on theProtection and Promotion of theRights of Migrant Workers, 2007
(Cebu Declaration) and theASEAN Consensus on theProtection and Promotion of theRights of Migrant Workers, 2017.
Additionally, the ASEAN Human
Rights Declaration (2012) 14
provides that the “rights of …
migrant workers … are an
inalienable, integral andindivisible part of human rights
andfundamental
freedoms.” (Article 4)
Two other ASEAN documents(ASEAN Convention Against
Trafficking in Persons, Especially
Women and Children and
ASEAN Guidelines for
Corporate
SocialResponsibilities on Labour)
alongside “global frameworks
especially Sustainable
Development Goals and the …
Global Compact on Safe,
Orderly and Regular
Migration”15 are part of theASEAN framework on labor
migration.

JUNE 2020 VOLUME 100
Migrant Workers Rights and theASEAN Consensus
The ASEAN Consensus is set
against the general nonratification by ASEAN memberstates of three ILO conventions16
related to migrant workers (No.
97, Migration for Employment
Convention [Revised], 1949; No.
143, the Migrant Workers[Supplementary Provisions]
Convention, 1975; and No. 181,
the Private Employment
Agencies Convention, 1997)
with only the Philippines
ratifying two of them, and theInternational Convention on theProtection of the Rights of All
Migrant Workers and Membersof Their Families [1990] that only
the Philippines and Indonesia
ratified.
These international conventions
provide more rights andobligations than those provided
in the ASEAN Consensus (seeAnnex A).
A meaningful implementation of
the ASEAN Consensus at thenational level requires support
from existing domestic laws,
regulations, and policies that
affect the migrant workers. A
civil society baseline study of theexisting laws, regulations, andpolicies is a good start in thisdirection.17
F i n a l l y, c o n c e r n a b o u tcompliance by ASEAN memberstates with their commitment
under the ASEAN Consensus
arises since it is not a treaty andhas no sanction against memberstates that fail to respect andprotect the rights it provides.18
Implementing the ASEAN
Consensus
The key ASEAN body leading theimplementation of these8

instruments is the ASEAN
Committee
ontheImplementation of the ASEAN
Declaration on the Protection
and Promotion of the Rights ofMigrant Workers (ACMW). A
range of regional partners are
involved in migration
governance, including theASEAN Confederation of
Employers (ACE), ASEAN Trade
Union Council (ATUC), and theTask Force on ASEAN MigrantWorkers (TFAMW).19
To implement the 2007 Cebu
Declaration, ASEAN establishedin 2009 the ASEAN Forum on
Migrant Labour (AFML) which“brings together key stakeholders
in labour migration… [namely,]… government, employers’ andworkers’ organizations – as wellas the ASEAN Secretariat, civilsociety and internationalorganizations.”20 AFML holds its
annual forum as part of the
ACMW Work Plan.21
Concrete measures that would
protect the migrant workers from
exploitation and abuse havebeen recommended by AFML
since 2010, including thefollowing:22
1. P r o m o t e e f f e c t i v e
recruitment practices andregulation;
2. Enhance policy on andprotection of migrant
workers through data
sharing, and adequate
access to the legal andjudicial system during
e m p l oy m e n t , i n c l u d i n geffective complaint
mechanism;
3. Improve awareness andinformation services toprotect the rights of migrant
workers and to promote
understanding, rights andFOCUS ASIA-PACIFIC
dignity of migrant workers
in countries of destination;
4. S t r e n g t h e n r e t u r n a n d
reintegration programs anddevelop sustainable
alternatives in countries oforigin;5. Strengthen social protection
for migrant workers;
6. Work towards achieving
decent work for domestic
workers; and7. U s e d i g i t a l i z a t i o n t o
promote decent work for
migrant workers.
On the other hand, Southeast
Asian non-governmentalorganizations came up in 2018with a detailed set ofrecommendations on theimplementation of the ASEAN

JUNE 2020 VOLUME 100
Consensus.The civil society
organizations can use theirrecommendations in lobbying
the ASEAN member-states on
implementing the ASEAN
Consensus.23
Achieving SDGs and ASEAN
A study by the United Nations
E S CA P r e ve a l s t h a t t h erealization of SDG 8 inSoutheast Asia in 2018 had
regressed since 2000, while thatof SDG 10 was unclear due toinsufficient data. Additionally,
the realization of SDG 16(Peace, justice and strong
institutions) was also unclear
due to insufficient data.24 In thiscontext, the faithfulimplementation of the ASEAN
instruments related to migrant

workers, despite theirlimitations, would have asignificant impact on theachievement of the SDGs in thesubregion.
The existing AFML-proposed
concrete measures, and those ofother stakeholders,25 should
push the ASEAN member-states
to seriously fulfil their SDGs
commitment by protecting therights of migrant workers.
Jefferson R. Plantilla is the Chief
Researcher of HURIGHTSOSAKA
For further information, pleasecontact HURIGHTS OSAKA.

Annex A: Rights of Migrant Workers and Obligations of States
ASEAN Consensus (2017)
Fundamental rights to

Sending state
obligations

Receiving state obligations

1. Visit by family members (8)2. H o l d p a s s p o r t s a n doriginal government or
personal documents (9)Take action against employers who willfully
destroy, mutilate or confiscate a migrant
worker’s passport and work permit (32c)

3. Enjoy rights equal tothose of nationals of Receiving state in case of
imprisonment or detention (10)
4. File grievances with relevant authorities (11)a. Take actions against employers who- illegally detain migrant workers- willfully destroy, mutilate or confiscate a migrant worker’s passport and work permit (32)b. Make employers liable for illegal employment of migrant workers (32)c. Facilitate migrant workers’ access to legal
recourse and assistance, including language interpretation if necessary (42a)d. Facilitate the exercise of consular functions by consular or diplomatic authorities(42b)
5. Freedom of movement (12)9

FOCUS ASIA-PACIFIC

JUNE 2020 VOLUME 100

Specific rights to

Sending state obligations

Receiving state obligations

1. Access information on a.
matters pertaining toemployment andemployment-related b.
conditions (13)Organise a pre- departure Provide adequate information withinorientation/education pro- reasonable timeframe among others ofgramme (21)their rights and responsibilities, occupaEnsure migrant workers tional safety and health measures, avemeet the health require- nues of assistance after their arrival (34)
ments of the Receiving
State before departure (25)

2. Employment contract a.
or proper documentation (14)b.

Prohibit overcharging of placement or
recruitment fees by any parties (33)
Issue guidelines prescribing theterms and conditions of employmentthat must be included in employment
contracts or proper documentation(36) and (37)
Ensure migrant worker has a copy of
employment contract
or proper
documentation for their work (37b)Ensure workers are informed a.
and aware of terms andconditions of contract (22)b.
Set reasonable, transparent,
and standarised fees forpassport issuance and otherrelevant documents (23a)c. Prohibit overcharging of c.
placement or recruitment
fees by any parties (23b)3. Fair treatment in theworkplace (15)Ensure fair treatment in the workplace(30a) regarding
a. Working condition and remuneration;b. Occupational safety andhealth protection;c. Protection from violence and sexual harassment; andd. Gender and nationality (40)4. Adequate or reasonableaccommodation (16)Ensure adequate or reasonable accommodation (39)

5. Fair and appropriate
remuneration andbenefits (17a)a. Ensure fair and appropriate remuneration and other benefits (37)b. Regulate the employment of migrant
workers by ensuring clear employment terms and conditions, such as
wages, employment benefits, working conditions, health and safety,
employment dispute mechanisms
and repatriation (36c)

6. Benefits after leaving Develop a comprehensive rein- Ensure fair and appropriate remuneraReceiving state (17b) tegration and also employment tion and benefits (37)
programme (26)
7. Transfer earnings andsavings in any modesof transfer (18)
8. File a complaint or Provide information on access- a.
make a representation ing legal recourse and assisunder the law and tance in Receiving state (21)b.
allowed to stay pending complaint resolution (19a)Provide information on accessing legal recourse and assistance (34)
Facilitate migrant workers with access to legal recourse and assistance, including language interpretation if necessary) (42a)9. Obtain relief for loss ofrights arising from employment contract (19b)
10. Join trade unions and Ensure right of returned mi- Recognize the right of migrant workers
associations (20)
grant workers to establish as- to join trade unions and associationssociations (28)
(38)

10

FOCUS ASIA-PACIFIC
Endnotes
1 For the components of fair
migration principle, see “Box 1.
Fair migration agenda”
inInternational Labour
Organization (ILO), Promoting
D e c e n t Wo r k f o r M i g ra n t
Workers, Thirteenth Coordination
Meeting On International
Migration, Population Division,
Department of Economic andSocial Affairs, United Nations
Secretariat, New York, 12-13
Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 5 , p a g e 4 ,www.un.org/en/development/
desa/population/migration/
events/coordination/13/
documents/backgrounddocs/
GFMD_ILO_Discussion% 2 0 Pa p e r _ P r o m o t i n g%20Decent%20Work%20for%20MWs.pdf.
2 “Relevant SDG Targets related to
L a b o u r M i g r a t i o n ,” I L O ,w w w. i l o . o r g / g l o b a l / t o p i c s /dw4sd/themes/migration/
WCMS_558577/lang--en/index.htm:- 8.8 Protect labour rights andpromote safe and secure
working environments for all
workers, including migrant
workers, in particular women
migrants, and those in
precarious employment, and- 10.7 Facilitate orderly, safe,
regular and responsible
migration and mobility ofpeople, including through theimplementation of planned
and well-managed migration
policies.
3 For more information, see "Issueb r i e f s , " I L O, A p r i l 2 0 2 0 ,www.ilo.org/asia/publications/issue-briefs/lang--en/index.htm.
4 TRIANGLE in ASEAN,
International Labour
Organization, www.ilo.org/asia/
projects/WCMS_428584/lang-en/index.htm.
5 Ibid.
6 Th e f u t u r e o f w o r k a n dmigration, Thematic background
paper for the 12th ASEAN Forumon Migrant Labour (AFML),International Labour
Organization 2019, page 7. Fullreport available at www.ilo.org/
wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/--ro-bangkok/---sro-bangkok/
documents/publication/
wcms_733923.pdf.

JUNE 2020 VOLUME 100
7 Th e f u t u r e o f w o r k a n dmigration, ibid., page 19.
8 Recruitment fees and related
costs: What migrant workers
from Cambodia, the Lao People’s
Democratic Republic, andMyanm ar pay to work in
Thailand, International Labour
Organization 2020, pages xiii
and 81, www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/
groups/public/---asia/---robangkok/documents/publication/
wcms_740400.pdf.
9 Recruitment fees and related
costs, International Labour
Organization, ibid., page xiii.
10 Ibid., page xvi.
11 T h e f u t u r e o f w o r k a n dmigration, op. cit., page 6.
12 Marius Olivier, Social protection
for migrant workers in ASEAN:
Developments, challenges, andprospects, International Labour
Organization, 2018, page 23.
Full report available atwww.social-protection.org/gimi/
RessourcePDF.action?id=55654.
13 TRIANGLE in ASEAN Quarterly
Briefing Note (October–
December 2019), www.ilo.org/
wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/--ro-bangkok/documents/g e n e r i c d o c u m e n t /wcms_735103.pdf.
14 A S E A N H u m a n R i g h t s
Declaration, full text available athttps://asean.org/asean-humanrights-declaration/.
15 “ASEAN moves forward on
migrant workers’ safety and wellbeing,” ASEAN, https://asean.org/
asean-moves-forward-migrantworkers-safety-well/.
16 See page 19, Fair Migration Setting an ILO Agenda, ILO,
2014, www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/
groups/public/---ed_norm/--relconf/documents/
meetingdocument/
wcms_242879.pdf.
17 See Human Rights Working
Group (HRWG) Indonesia,
Migrant Workers’ Rights in
ASEAN Region: A Baseline
Study, 2018, Jakarta, available
at https://hrwg.org/2019/01/14/
migrant-workers-rights-in-aseanregion-a-baseline-study/.
18 S e e P R O J E C T R E P O R T “Regional CSOs Consultation
Meeting on the Implementationof ASEAN Consensus on the11

Rights of Migrant Workers,”
pages 14-19. Full text of the
document available atwww.spf.org/global-image/units/
u
p
f
i
l
e
s
/
51281-1-20181115134539_b5b
ecf9f38f491.pdf.
19 TRIANGLE in ASEAN Quarterly
Briefing Note, op. cit.
20 See "Participants to the AFML,"
The ASEAN Forum on MigrantLabour (AFML), Backgroundinformation booklet (4th edition),International Labour
Organization 2019, pages 3-4,
www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/
public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/--sro-bangkok/documents/
publication/wcms_733912.pdf.
21 The ASEAN Forum on MigrantLabour (AFML), Backgroundinformation booklet, ibid., page1.
22 Ibid., pages 13-49.
23 See recommendations of theSoutheast Asian civil society on
adoption of a legally binding
treaty on the rights of migrant
workers, “Regional Civil Society
Recommendations on the
Implementation of the 2017
ASEAN Consensus on theProtection and Promotion of theRights of Migrant Workers,”
Annex 3, PROJECT REPORT “Regional CSOs Consultation
Meeting on the Implementationof ASEAN Consensus on the
Rights of Migrant Workers,” ibid.,
pages 14-19.
24 See ANNEX 1 – FIGURES ON
SDG PROGRESS ACROSS ASIAPACIFIC BY SUBREGION, Asiaand the Pacific SDG Progress
Report 2019, United Nations
ESCAP, 24 May 2019, page 35,
www.unescap.org/sites/default/
files/Annex1_AsiaPacific_SDG_Progress_Report20
19.pdf.
25 “ R e g i o n a l C i v i l S o c i e t y
Recommendations on the
Implementation of the 2017
ASEAN Consensus on theProtection and Promotion of theRights of Migrant Workers,” op.
cit.

FOCUS ASIA-PACIFIC

JUNE 2020 VOLUME 100

Countering Islamophobia in India
Aditya Menon

as India continues to
En uvengrapple with rapidly risingmber of COVID-19

infections, the Muslim minority
in the country is facing an
additional threat—increasing
Islamophobia.
Instead of forging unity against acommon threat, the pandemic
ended up deepening the existing
religious divisions in the country
and adding to themarginalization of religious
minorities.
Muslim Congregation
Th e n a r ra t ive o f b l a m i n g
Muslims for the pandemic canbe traced to March 2020, whena number of people associatedwith the Islamic proselytizingorganization Tablighi Jamaat
were found to be COVID-19
positive.
It was found that they contracted
the infection at an international
congregation of the organization
held in New Delhi in the second
week of March. As Tablighi
Ja m a a t i s a t ra n s n a t i o n a lorganization, the congregation
was attended by representatives
from across the world.
This meet took place before theIndian government placed a
lockdown and before it began
actively screening people atairports. The government had
also given permission for thiscongregation to be held.
So instead of questioning thegovernment on why
international travelers —that too
from countries with a highnumber of COVID-19 cases—

were allowed to enter India,
much of the media narrative
focused on blaming Muslims.
Terms like "Corona Jihad" were
frequently used in television
media, in effect, projecting
patients as terrorists.
This led to an unprecedented
stigmatization of Indian Muslims
across the country. There werenumerous incidents of Muslims
being targeted in this period from Muslim fisherfolk beinga t t a ck e d i n t h e s o u t h e r nprovince of Karnataka to a
Muslim dairy owner committing
suicide in the northern provinceof Himachal Pradesh, after being
subjected to a social boycott by
local Hindus.
Citizenship Amendment Act
The COVID-19 lockdown also
witnessed another disturbing
trend—the arrest of several
Muslim civil society activists by
the law enforcement agencies.
One of the activists, a young
student from Jamia Millia
I s l a m i a U n ive r s i t y n a m e dSafoora Zargar, was put inprison despite being four months
pregnant. Another activist,
Khalid Saifi, founder of theorganization United Against
Hate, was beaten up by thepolice in custody.
All these activists have beenleading the protests against what
is known as the CitizenshipAmendment Act, a legislation
passed by the ruling government
led by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi.
The Act seeks to provide
citizenship to persecuted

12

minorities from India's
neighboring countries, except
Muslims.
Naturally, the Act is seen as
discriminatory by IndianMuslims and sparked protests indifferent parts of the country. The
protests began in December
2019 and protesters had to faceattacks from the police as well asfrom rightwing goons.
However, on 24 February 2020,
the attacks on the protesters
snowballed into full-fledged
sectarian violence in the
Northeast District of India's
capital Delhi, barely a few miles
from where US President Donald
Trump was meeting Indian
leaders during his visit to India.
The violence continued for twodays, killing over fifty people
and displacing hundreds. Over
two-thirds of those killed andnearly 90 percent of those who
were displaced happened to be
Indian Muslims.
However in its probe into theDelhi riots, the police pushed
the narrative that the violence
was a "pre-planned conspiracy"
by people protesting against the
Citizenship Amendment Act
and several people leading theprotests—like Zargar and Saifi
mentioned earlier—had beenarrested under the draconiana n t i - t e r r o r l aw, U n l aw f u l
Activities Prevention Act. In
effect, peaceful protests by
Indian Muslims have been
criminalized.

(Continued on page 15)

FOCUS ASIA-PACIFIC

JUNE 2020 VOLUME 100

FOCUS Asia-Pacific: 100th Issue
Jefferson R. PlantillaT

he Asia-Pacific Human
Rights Information Center(HURIGHTS OSAKA) celebrates
the publication of the 100th
issue of its newsletter.
The first issue of the newsletter
came out in February 1995. Itfeatured the proceedings of theformal inauguration of
HURIGHTS OSAKA on 7
December 1994. The newsletter
was named HURIGHTS OSAKA
Newsletter.
Speeches made during theinauguration ceremonies
stressed issues in the AsiaPacific region as much as
challenges that HURIGHTSOSAKA had to deal with infulfilling its role in the region.
Professor Kinhide Mushakoji,
then Chairperson of the Board
of HURIGHTS OSAKA, stressed
the universality of human rights“not because of the formal legal
style they are written in, but
because the idea … of humanrights itself is universal.” Heemphasized the need to take
into serious account thehistories and traditions of thepeoples in the region inpromoting the universality ofhuman rights. Mr Thomas
McCarthy, Senior Adviser for
United Nations HighCo m m is si oner for Hum an
Rights, stressed the importanceof regional and subregional
mechanisms that would
facilitate “broader regional
cooperation and informationexchange” within the region as

well as with the United Nations.
He cited the role of the
Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) and the South
Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation (SAARC) in thisregard. Finally, Ms Aurora deDios, Associate Professor in
Miriam College in thePhilippines, proposed that
HURIGHTS OSAKA establish acollection of materials on the“social, economic and politicalcondition of Asian peoples.”She also suggested thecollection of human rights
education materials. Mr Jose
Ayala-Lasso, the first United
Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights, sent a message
that stressed the importance ofhuman rights education andthat HURIGHTS OSAKA “willundoubtedly have an important
impact on the promotion andprotection of human rights
nationally, regionally andinternationally.”
These ideas would subsequently
be reflected in the contents of
the newsletter in the years tocome.
Widening Reach and Issues
The name of the newsletter waschanged to FOCUS Asia-Pacificin its third issue (March 1996).
The new name indicates thecharacter of the publication – amedium that examines AsiaPacific issues, brings out thedifferent voices of peoples in
the region on human rights

13

concerns, and promote theinternational human rights
standards. The name is alsomeant to emphasize
information exchange amongpeoples and institutions within
the wide Asia-Pacific region.
Printed copies of the FOCUS
Asia-Pacific newsletter are sent
mainly to non-governmentalorganizations, human rights
institutions, government offices/
libraries and human rights
centers in Asia and the Pacific.
The newsletter strives to coverissues from different subregionsof Asia (West, Central
Northeast, Southeast and SouthAsia) and the Pacific.
Aside from issues, the articles
cover almost the whole range ofhuman rights (civil, cultural,
economic, political and social
rights), human rights practice(local, national and regionalwork) and human rights
institutions (non-governmentalorganizations, museums,
human rights centers andnational/subregional humanrights institutions).
The newsletter features articles
grouped under specific themes.
The articles from Jordan,
Kyrgyzstan and Fiji on local
community human rights workin the December 2019 issue ofthe newsletter illustrate thisa p p r o a ch . 1 Th e s e a r t i c l e sprovide a variety of experiences
on local community human

FOCUS ASIA-PACIFIC
rights work in West and Central
Asia and the Pacific.
There are articles that highlightthe histories of communities.
This is the case of articles on
displaced communities such as
the Urdu-speaking people in
Bangladesh, the Vietnamese
community in Cambodia,
Indonesians in the Philippines
and Vietnamese refugees inJapan.
Series of articles on particular
topics such as the cultures in
Asia and the human rights
concept, human rights
education, Asia-Pacific intergovernmental human rights
workshops, national andregional human rights
mechanisms, access to justice,
the International Criminal
Court, human rights cities andbusiness and human rights arefeatured.
There are several articles about
refugees and asylum seekers,
indigenous peoples, children,
persons with disabilities,
women, minorities (social,
cultural, religious and sexual),
trafficking in person, migration,
discrimination and minorities,
health and human rights, andglobalization.
Common-themed articles fromdifferent subregions or networks
are published together in one ormore issues of the newsletter tostress diversity of perspectives
and richness of experiences in
Asia-Pacific. This approach also
facilitates the dissemination ofarticles/information outside thesubregion or organizational
network where they come from.

JUNE 2020 VOLUME 100
CitationsRandom o n l in e s e a rch o fmaterials that cite articles of thenewsletter provides informationo n t h e t y p e o f l i t e ra t u r e
involved as well as issues andrights being discussed.
Articles have been cited indifferent types of print andonline literature including
doctoral and masteral theses,
books, journals, reports, training
manuals, websites (databases,
libraries) and also blogs. There
are university syllabuses that list
articles as reading materials.
The cited articles discussdifferent human rights andhuman rights-related issues.
Many books and journals cite
articles on human rights
mechanisms including national
human rights institutions (inThailand, Malaysia, Timor Leste,
Korea, and Fiji) and asubregional human rights
mechan ism ( A S E A N I n t e rgovernmental Commission on
Human Rights). Some cite
articles on the lobby for theestablishment of a national
human rights institution in
Japan. Books and journals also
cite articles on indigenous
peoples, trafficking in persons,culture and human rights, childrights, human rights education,
violence against women,
domestic violence, Rome
Statute/International Criminal
Court, and business and humanrights.
On the other hand, reports andtraining manuals (produced byUnited Nations agencies, nongovernmental organizations andother institutions) cite articles
on economic, social andcultural rights (housing rights,
rights of farmers, rights of14

m i g ra n t wo r k e r s , r i g h t t o
h e a l t h ) , d e ve l o p m e nt a n dhuman rights, access to justice/legal assistance along withthose on minorities and specificsectors (women, children,
persons with disabilities, urban
poor, migrant workers, refugees,
indigenous peoples and sexual
minorities).
Many blogs cite articles on
minorities (non-nationals, andreligious, social groups),
indigenous peoples, children,
trafficking and human rights
mechanisms (national andsubregional). A few blogs cite
articles on human rights andculture, housing rights andsexual minorities.
Contributors
FOCUS Asia-Pacific thrives on
widely disseminating
information on the efforts andexperiences of individuals andinstitutions toward achievementof human rights in Asia and the
P a c i fi c . M o s t o f t h e mestablished their first contact
with HURIGHTS OSAKA
because of our request forarticles. Some of them havebeen recommended byindividuals and institutions
known to HURIGHTS OSAKA.
Ultimate Goal
One of the aims of HURIGHTSOSAKA is to contribute to thepromotion of human rights in
the Asia-Pacific region. This ismainly done through its
information/material gatheringand dissemination system. The
publications in English,2 its
English website3 and occasional
activities such as research
projects and workshops

FOCUS ASIA-PACIFIC
constitute the dissemination
system.
T h e F O C U S A s i a - Pa c i fi c
newsletter plays a big role inachieving this aim. It has shown
its capacity to cover humanrights issues from the subregionsof Asia and the Pacific, toengage individuals andinstitutions from many countries
in preparing articles, and to
facilitate the “crossing ofborders” that network andsubregional peculiarities havesomehow hindered.
The different contexts of Asiaand the Pacific define the

HURIGHTS OSAKA in the
M i d s t o f t h e C OV I D - 1 9
Pandemic(Continued from page 3)
extraordinary difficulty anddisseminate it widely so that thesociety is informed of theirplight and what needs to bedone with an emphasis on the
primary consideration of their
human dignity and rights.
Furthermore, together withother civil society organizations,
HURIGHTS OSAKA is able tosend out human rights alertm e s s a g e s t h a t e m e r g e n cy

JUNE 2020 VOLUME 100
articles that illustrate how theinternational human rights
standards are protected,
promoted and realized at the
local and national levels.
Twenty-five years after the firstissue came out, the FOCUS
Asia-Pacific newsletter continues
to promote human rights in Asiaand the Pacific.
Jefferson R. Plantilla is the Chief
R e s e a rch e r o f H U R I G H T S
OSAKAFor further information, pleasecontact HURIGHTS OSAKA.

measures taken by thegovernment and local
authorities may infringe thehuman rights of people throughunchecked utilization ofsurveil l an ce m e t h o d s a n doverwhelming control ofpeople’s behavior and theirpersonal data. The guarantee ofaccess to information,transparency and accountability
in the imposition of emergency
measures to deal with the
pandemic must be emphasized
in such messages addressed to
the government.
HURIGHTS OSAKA is expectedto actively assume the role of aCountering Islamophobia in
India

political demands has shrunkconsiderably.

(Continued from page 12)

Now, any mobilization by IndianMuslims will be seen with much
more hostility by law
enforcement agencies as well as
sections of the majority Hindu
community.

The crackdown on protesters aswell as the rising Islamophobia
during the COVID-19 pandemicpresent new obstacles for IndianMuslims. It is clear that the space
for articulation of Muslim
g ri e va nc e s and le gi t imate

Endnotes
1 See this issue of FOCUS AsiaPacific, March 2020, Volume
99 in www.hurights.or.jp/
archives/focus/.
2 The list of English publications
is available at the website of
HURIGHTS OSAKA.
3 The website of HURIGHTSOSAKA organizes the articlesof the newsletter in terms ofregion, country, issue, sector
and special concerns.

Therefore, the main challenge for
Indian Muslims would be how tofind their voice in these difficult

15

human rights information
center, even if it sometimes has
to disseminate information andmessages inconvenient to thegovernment and the local
authorities. After all,
HURIGHTS OSAKA has
committed itself to protecting
and promoting human dignity
and human rights of all.
Osamu Shiraishi is the Presidentof the Asia-Pacific Human Rights
Information Center (HURIGHTSOSAKA).
For further information, pleasecontact HURIGHTS OSAKA.

circumstances and counter rising
Islamophobia in the country.
Aditya Menon is an Indianjournalist.
For further information, pleasecontact Aditya Menon throughhis e-mail address:
amenon.india@gmail.com.

HURIGHTS OSAKA Calendar

DE
AU
OSAKA

ST
PO

BUR
E

For the 10th volume of Human Rights Education in Asia-Pacific, minority issues will be highlighted
through articles from Cambodia, India and Malaysia. Articles on other issues and human rights
education initiatives would come from Jordan, Timor Leste, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea,
Nepal and hopefully a few other countries.

JAPON

TAXE PERCUEPRINTED MATTERAIR MAIL

May be opened for inspection by the postal service.

HURIGHTS OSAKA, inspired by the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, formally opened in December 1994. It has the following aims: 1) to engender popular understanding in Osaka of the international human rights standards; 2) to support international exchange
between Osaka and countries in Asia-Pacific through collection and dissemination of information andmaterials on human rights; and 3) to promote human rights in Asia-Pacific in cooperation with nationaland regional institutions and civil society organizations as well as the United Nations. In order to achievethese goals, HURIGHTS OSAKA has activities such as Information Handling, Research and Study, Education and Training, Publications, and Consultancy Services.
FOCUS Asia-Pacific is designed to highlight significant issues and activities relating to human rights in
the Asia-Pacific. Relevant information and articles can be sent to HURIGHTS OSAKA for inclusion in thenext editions of the newsletter.
Sender: HURIGHTS OSAKA(Asia-Pacific Human Rights Information Center)
8F, CE Nishihonmachi Bldg., 1-7-7 Nishihonmachi, Nishi-ku, Osaka 550-0005
Japan
Phone: (816) 6543-7002
Fax: (816) 6543-7004
E-mail: webmail@hurights.or.jp Website: www.hurights.or.jp

HURIGHTS OSAKA