What’s
Going On in Asia?
Hong
Kong
HK Justice
and Peace Commission conducts Series on Social
Justice
The Justice and Peace Commission of the Hong
Kong Catholic Diocese co-organized a series of
seminars on Catholic Social Teaching from April to
June 2006. Three monthly seminars were organized on
the topics of Business Ethics and Just Wage;
Christian identity, citizenship and role of civil
servants; and Evangelization and Living our Faith in
a Pluralistic society.
According to the
organizers, the series echoes Benedict XVI's latest
encyclical letter "Des Caritas Est":
"the Church wishes to help form consciences in
political life and to stimulate greater insight into
the authentic requirements of justice as well as
greater readiness to act accordingly, even when this
might involve conflict with situations of personal
interest."
To broaden
audiences' perspective, each seminar included
academics from other countries to share their
experience, such as Professor John Coleman and Prof.
Dennis McCann from the United States and Professor
Felix Wilfred from India.
Source: Justice and Peace
Commission of Hong Kong Catholic Diocese, Des Caritas
Est
A new Cardinal from Hong
Kong
Pope Benedict XVI, in his latest appointment of
cardinals has chosen 3 Asian bishops from South
Korea, Hong Kong and Manila, following the intuition
that dominated Pope John Paul II when he often
repeated that "Asia is our common task for the
Third Millennium."
A staunt defender of human rights
and religious freedom, Cardinal Joseph Zen, Bishop of
Hong Kong, has voiced out issues of different aspects
"deviating" from Catholic social teachings,
such as his concern about the Hong Kong government's
education reform package arguing that, once enacted,
the new legislation would downplay the role of the
Church in running Catholic schools and in promoting
Catholic culture.
During a homily given by Cardinal
Zen in a Mass celebrated at Chinese in the Vatican on
25 March 2006, he said: "My becoming a cardinal
shows how much the Pope values people in China. The
red colour I am wearing is meant to signify a
cardinal's willingness to shed blood. . . it is the
blood and the tears from the numerous, nameless,
heroes in both the official and underground churches
who have suffered for being faithful to the
church."
In an interview with the South
China Morning Post, a Hong Kong local newspaper, Mgr
Giovanni Lajolo, Vatican Secretary for Relations with
other States, affirmed that the "time was
ripe" to overcome differences and to open
dialogue aimed at establishing full diplomatic
relations between the People's Republic of China and
the Holy See.
Source: AsiaNews
Death Penalty for Hong Kong
People in China
The Joint Committee for the Abolition of the Death
Penalty in Hong Kong, of which the Justice and Peace
Commission of the Hong Kong Diocese is a member, has
submitted a suggestion paper to the 4 Hong Kong
representatives of the People's Congress of the
People's Republic of China. The committee urges the
authorities to respect the Hong Kong defendants'
right to legal aid and translation upon prosecution
in China; defendants' relatives should have the right
to immediate information and visits.
The spokesperson of the committee
reiterated that the death penalty runs in
contradiction to the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights. The committee thinks the Chinese authorities
should produce national statistics on death penalty;
cut down the crimes that are punishable by death
penalty, such as economic and non-violent ones, and
eventually abolish death penalty in the country.
Source: The Joint Committee for
the Abolition of the Death Penalty
Experience Poverty during
Lent
Hong Kong Catholic Commission for Labour Affairs
organized a meaningful activity for the faithful in
order to understand the suffering of the poor during
Lent. The faithful were invited to limit their
household expenses at HK$350 (USD44.8) for a 7-day
period (form 1-7 April 2006). The activity had a
3-fold objective, namely: feel, judge and, act &
reflect.
The commission wishes participants
to feel the desperate situation of low income
families in Hong Kong; analyze and judge the causes
of their situation and; reflect upon their mission as
Catholics and act accordingly in society.
Source: Hong Kong Catholic
Commission for Labour Affairs
Japan
Discussion on Article 9 and
Peace
Board member of Japan Catholic Council for
Justice and Peace (JCCJP), Fr. Michael Seigel, and
professor of Nanzan University Institute for Social
Ethics, has published a booklet on "Some
Considerations Regarding Article 9 of the Japanese
Constitution" which is based on the discussion
at the Joint Australia-Japan Workshop held on 12-15
September 2005. It was published both in English and
Japanese.
The discussion, with the theme
"Searching for Equitability and Peace in Post
9-11 World: Exploring alternatives for Australia and
Japan," brought together senior scholars and
experts from Australia, Japan, Malaysia and Pakistan,
to discuss the relationship of the two countries.
They concluded that:
- The real foundations for
sustainable peace should be founded on
cooperation instead of confrontation; a more
multi-lateral approach should be adopted.
- There is a gap between the
traditional notion of "national
security" and "human
security."
- Military confrontation and
integration into the military strategy of US
- implicit in the movement towards
constitutional change - is not an effective
means to security.
- Japanese security can only be
achieved by establishing a sustainable order
in East Asia. This requires resolution of the
history issue and commitment on Japan's part
not to become a military power again.
- Japan should take a leadership
role in promoting global security by making
human security an important focus, thereby
bringing about a world that is significantly
safer from threats which arise when people
are desperately marginalized.
- Security and stability can be
promoted by developing multi-level
relationships between countries, including
cultural exchange programs and joint civil
society activities.
English version of the booklet is
available upon request.
Source: JCCJP
Pakistan
Open Letter to Government
on the first UNHRC Election
The National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP)
Pakistan, together with the Asian Forum for Human
Rights (FORUM-ASIA), the Human Rights Commission of
Pakistan and the Human Rights Education
Forum-Pakistan, signed an open letter to the
Government of Pakistan on the first election of
membership for the new United Nations (UN) Human
Rights Council, which was held on 9 May 2006.
Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha,
Chairman, and Peter Jacob, Executive Secretary of
NCJP, stated in a previous press release that the
current pledges made by the Pakistani government
reflected a non-committal attitude towards human
rights as the country has not acceded to several
important human rights treaties.
This open letter campaign urged the
government to make specific and credible public
pledges and commitments in support of its candidacy
to the UN Human Rights Council and also urged the
government to listen to the voice of civil society.
Among the 18 candidates* for the
new UN Human Rights Council from Asia, some had not
submitted voluntary pledges, while pledges made by
many other countries remained empty. The open letter
was further disseminated by the Asian Center for the
Progress of Peoples (ACPP), encouraging others to
urge their own governments to make commitments to its
candidacy via that opportunity, and ultimately
improve the human rights situation in their
respective countries.
For more information, please refer
to the new website launched by FORUM-ASIA to monitor
Asian governments' candidacy to the new Human Rights
Council: http://hrc.forum-asia.org
*On 9 May 2006, 13 seats were
elected from Asia, including Bahrain, Bangladesh,
China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Malaysia,
Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Saudi
Arabia and Sri Lanka.
Source: NCJP Pakistan
Commemoration of Bishop
John Joseph
The Christian community in Pakistan paid tribute to
Bishop John Joseph on the 8th anniversary of his
self-sacrifice in a protest against discriminatory
laws and injustices to religious minorities. Seminars
and holy masses took place all over the country in
his remembrance.
On 5 May 2006, a special prayer
service was held in Khushpur, the native village of
Bishop Joseph in Faisalabad district, around 3,000
people gathered from all walks of lives. A film
depicting the bishop's contribution to the Christian
community was shown. A Eucharistic celebration was
held on 6 May in Faisalabad diocese where he was
bishop. The Most Rev. Joseph Coutts, Bishop of
Faisalabad, and Bishop Dr. Andrew Francis led the
prayer service. Thousands of Christians including
priests and sisters attended the Eucharistic service.
Fr. Aftab James Paul and Fr. Emmanuel Yousaf,
National Director of the National Commission for
Justice and Peace (NCJP) Pakistan laid a wreath on
his grave.
To mark this day, seminars were
held in Lahore and Sargodha on 6, 7 and 15 May by
minority organizations. In the seminar "Bishop
John Joseph and Protection of Religious
Minorities?", organized by NCJP's Faisalabad
office, Bishop Joseph Coutts, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel
Yousaf, Fr. Bonnie Mendes, Director of the Human
Development Centre, Fr. Khalid Rashid Asi, Mr. Peter
Jacob, Executive Secretary NCJP, Group Capt. (r)
Cecil Chaudhary, Dr. Shafiq Khan, Deputy Inspector
General Investigation Police Karachi, Mr. Joel Amir
Sahotra MPA Punjab, Mr. Yousaf Pirandita, General
Councilor and Catechist Gulzar Masih, highlighted the
contribution made by Bishop John Joseph in bringing
Christians, Muslim and Catholics and Non-Catholics
together for the struggle against injustice.
In this regard the Pakistani
Christian communities in Canada, UK and USA also held
special prayer services and sent their messages of
solidarity to the Pakistani Christians.
Source: NCJP Pakistan
Philippines
Religious communities'
response to the "1017"
In late February, Philippine president Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo declared a state of national
emergency (Presidential Proclamation # 1017). In its
response, the Justice, Peace and Integrity of
Creation Commission of the Association of Major
Religious Superiors in the Philippines (JPICC-AMRSP)
stated the situation was a crisis of faith.
The Commission believes that the
Christian faith and the values of truth, justice,
service and love are being attacked by lies,
inequity, corruption and self-aggrandizement and by
hatred of the President's action. "The
foundations of our faith which are love for thy
neighbor and justice and compassion for the poor are
being shaken by 'soulless development' and the drive
for profit," the statement affirmed.
The Commission appealed to its
member congregations and other like-minded persons to
pray and support the people's agenda.
On 3 March, the President lifted
the week-long state of national emergency.
Source: JPICC-AMRSP, AsiaNews
More activists killed in
Philippines
According to Amnesty International's latest country
report, the number of attacks on "leftist"
activists and community workers in the Philippines
rose sharply in 2005. People who are most at risk
include members of leftist political parties,
including Bayan Muna (People First) and Anakpawis
(Toiling Masses), other human rights and community
activists and priests, church workers and lawyers
regarded by the authorities as sympathetic to the
broader communist movement.
Most of the attacks were carried
out by unidentified assailants on motorcycles. In
2005, at least 66 fatal shootings and at least 25
alleged "disappearances" of leftists and
others were reported.
On 31 May 2006, the president of
Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
(CBCP), Archbishop Angel N. Lagdameo described the
situation as "a sad commentary on our country
and government which wants to abolish death
penalty" in the CBCP statement. He stressed that
all victims are subjects of human rights and are
entitled to due process in an unbiased court. A full
text of the statement is available at http://www.cbcponline.net/html/let_us_keep.html
Source: Amnesty International,
Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
South
Korea
History of US Military
Bases in Pyongtaek
There were violent clashes between residents of
Pyongtaek and the police in March and May 2006. Again
in early June, villagers launched a hunger strike to
protest against the government's plan to expand a US
military base, Camp Humphreys in Pyongtaek, and
against the arrest of Daechuri village head and
Chairman of Paengsung Counter measurement Committee,
Kim Ji-tae, on 5 May.
Fr. Mun Jeong-hyon (Bartholomew),
who heads the Pan S Korea Solution Commission against
US base expansion in Pyongtaek, said that it was not
a problem of compensation, but about the right of
farmers to remain on their lands. He said he would
not eat while Kim remains in prison; he has been on a
hunger strike for 7 consecutive days. Fifteen
activists who have remained in police custody since
March have also joined in the strike. Many people,
including civic leaders are visiting the hunger
strike site although the police are blocking them.
Supporters join the hunger strike in different
places, about 100 meters away from Fr. Mun's place,
sometimes staying overnight on the streets, in order
to inform people about the Pyongtaek US base.
In order to understand the
background of the people's struggle against the
expansion of the US military bases in the area, and
to lend better solidarity to them, below is a summary
of the history taken from <http://antigizi.or.kr/english/> for your information.
Pyeongtaek has a history of being a
military outpost since the Sino-Japanese war in 1894.
During the Second World War in 1941, the Japanese
established bases in Paengsong and Anjungri, built on
farms and hills. Residents were forced off the land
and not given any compensation.
As soon as Korea became liberated
in 1945, the Japanese base in Anjungri was taken over
by the US military which continues to expand their
units until today. As hills and farm fields were
converted into military facilities, the residents of
surrounding villages such as Daechuri and, Anjungri
(where Camp Humphreys is built), were not given any
options.
In August 2005, the Ministry of
National Defense (MND) announced its imminent domain
and takeover of land for base expansion in Pyongtaek
and Paengsong. About 200 families, a university and
ancestral lands are expected to be transferred.
According to the Base Structure
Report released in July 2004 by the US Department of
Defense, there are 108 US bases and facilities in
Korea. According to the Republic of Korea (ROK)
Ministry of National Defense 2004 Defense White
paper, 33,000 US Forces in Korea (USFK) troops are
stationed in the country.
The USFK are stationed in ROK based
on the Korean-US Mutual Defense Agreement 1953, while
the management of the military facilities and land
was stipulated through the Status of Forces Agreement
(SOFA) in 1966. However, the procedure for land lease
contract was not included in any agreement, thus the
conflict with land owners became aggravated.
Public criticism increased over the
US Administration's New Military Strategy -
"strategic flexibility" - which transforms
the USFK's defensive role for the country into a more
offensive task force (eg. as part of an unjustified
war) which the ROK government has no obligation to
provide for and is a violation to the Mutual
Agreement.
Military build-up is taking place
at different air bases including Pyongtaek and
Gwangju, which enhances the accessibility of forces
and munitions through the Pyongtaek harbour. In
Pyongtaek, which is strategically located to contain
or attack China (identified as potential threat to
the US), the bases will allow flexibility when
deploying troops. Moreover, it will put USFK outside
of the North Korean missile range. This will increase
the tensions between South and North Korea as well as
China, without provocation, and threaten the peace on
the Korean peninsula.
According to the enlargement plans,
large areas of rice lands will be handed over to the
US, raising concern about the destruction of homes
and lands and livelihood of residents.
Since 2002, when Pyongtaek was
selected as the new relocation site, residents began
their struggle to protect their land from US forces.
Several residents have died during the struggle.
Since January 2006, farmers drove their tractors and
visited farmers and citizens' organizations,
declaring their opposition and vowing to oppose the
forcible seizure of their land, to publicize the
issue and to create solidarity links. They want
Korean citizens and the international community to
know about the tragic situation of the farmers.
Meanwhile the Ministry of National
Defense and the Special Commission of USFK Affairs
appear to be determined to proceed with the land
takeover in spite of the residents' objections.
For more information, please visit:
http://antigizi.or.kr/english/nobasept3.htm
Source:
One World US
KCPT web site