What’s
Going On in Asia?
Hong
Kong
“Poverty
amid Globalization” Series and “Christmas
without Consumption”
The Justice and Peace Commission of Hong Kong
Catholic Diocese (HKJP) has launched the
“Poverty amid Globalization” series, which
aims to raise awareness of the issue. Four workshops
were held in November, along with educational
pamphlets and homilies suggessed for Advent.
The 4 workshops
discussed market monopoly, labour rights,
privatization of public services and migration. Part
of the series was a reflective session through
visiting communal economic initiatives in Hong Kong.
The series is
highlighted by a campaign on “Christmas without
Consumption”. HKJP is encouraging the faithful
to turn their festival consumption into donation for
refugees detained in Hong Kong. Donation will be
collected through parishes.
Source: HKJP
AIHK &
HKJP together against Death Penalty
On 10 October 2006, the "World Day Against the
Death Penalty", Amnesty International, Hong Kong
(AIHK) and HKJP displayed exhibition boards,
distributed leaflets and collected public opinion
survey to mobilize opposition against death penalty.
According to HKJP,
China is one of the countries that uses death penalty
liberally. Sixty eight crimes in the Chinese legal
system are punishable by death penalty, ranging from
tax evasion, financial fraud and trafficking to
copyright infringement.
Although the
Legislative Council has abolished the draconian
punishment in Hong Kong in 1993, there are, however,
many Hong Kong people facing this detrimental
punishment in various Asian countries, especially in
the Mainland China. In the past 7 years, 110 Hong
Kong citizens were sentenced to death, many of them
due to the mere fact of improper access to legal
assistance.
The 2 groups urge
the Hong Kong government to play a more active role
in assisting the convicted Hong Kong citizens in
China, such as setting up a team of China law experts
to assist the accused Hong Kong citizens.
Source: HKJP
India
Capacity-building
Workshop at Hyderabad
The workshop on Rights Based Approach (RBA) to Social
Advocacy was successfully held at the SVD Provincial
House in Hyderabad, India from 22-26 October. There
were 30 participants, including 8 women, religious
and lay people from all over the country,
representing the 12 ecclesiastical regions. They were
mainly from agencies involved in social action or
human rights advocacy and from development agencies.
The main objective of the workshop was to introduce
the RBA and apply it with relevance to the Indian
situation. Participants were expected to apply RBA to
their work and contribute to social justice advocacy
in their locality as partners of the National
Commission for Justice, Peace and Development
(NCJPD).
Through
participatory and experiential methods, discussions,
group work exercises and case studies, principles of
the RBA, including human rights framework,
international human rights mechanisms and human
rights definition of poverty were imparted to the
participants. These were complemented by inputs on
the Catholic Church’s teaching on social
justice, present challenges encountered by the
Catholic Church in India, particularly in carrying
out this work, and human rights in the Indian
context. Participants were encouraged to learn by
experience and apply their learning on economic,
social and cultural rights, and right to housing to
the case studies and to their own areas of work.
At the end of the
workshop, participants expressed their enthusiasm to
apply RBA to their work, identified further needs in
this area and wanted to participate in a second phase
of the workshop, while others requested exploratory
discussions about organizing similar workshops in
their locale. They also started to discuss about how
to coordinate their work with participants from the
same region. Discussions have started on a Phase II
of the workshop on “RBA in Action” planned
in mid-2007 and an annual Phase I workshop.
This workshop was
organized by the NCJPD, designed and delivered by the
Asian Center for the Progress of Peoples (ACPP) and
the Human Rights Council of Australia (HRCA), and
resourced by the Chairman Bishop Yvon Ambroise of the
NCJPD, by an alumnus of a previous workshop, and by 2
Holine-India (HLI) Extension Workers. It is
successful in helping to strengthen social justice
work of NCJPD and is expected to have a significant
multiplier effect. The organizer and facilitating
team gratefully acknowledge the financial support of
Cordaid, CRS India and Taiwan Foundation for
Democracy.
Source: NCJPD
Anti-Conversion Bill
The Anti-Conversion Laws in India have been enacted
more stringently in more states recently.
In July, Madhya
Pradesh state government amended its Freedom of
Religion law which would require potential converts
to apply to authorities about their decision one
month in advance. An official would then investigate
if the conversion was done under duress or deceit
before allowing the ceremony. There were also demands
to increase jail term and fines. The Catholic Church
and Christians are worried by such rules in a
democratic state. Activists have slammed the proposed
changes for violating freedom of conscience
guaranteed by India’s Constitution which could
adversely affect scheduled castes and scheduled
tribes. As definition of allurement is vague, the
amended law tends to become a tool of oppression in
the hands of those who perpetuate attacks against
Christians.
In September, the
amendment to the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act 2003
was passed by the Gujarat Assembly. It allows
conversion among Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism
(which they consider as same religion of different
sects) but disallows conversion from these religions
to Christianity or Islam. Conversion by the use of
force or fraudulent means could be imprisoned for
three years with a fine of up to 100,000 rupees, or
four years imprisonment if the converted person is a
minor, woman, dalit or tribal.
However, in
Rajasthan, a state ruled by Bharatiya Janta Party
(BJP), the governor did not sign the anti-conversion
bill, due to protests from the Congress Party and
Christian groups.
In November, the
state of Himachal Pradesh is also considering to
examine thoroughly the anti-conversion bill proposed
by Hindu nationalist faction to determine if it
should become law. Archbishop Stanislaus Fernandes,
Secretary General of the Bishops’ Conference of
India (CBCI) has expressed concern on the degree of
mistrust in Church activities and decried
misconstruing such activities as attempts at forced
conversion through fraud. He re-iterated that the
Church has always been against forced conversions:
“Conversion is the work of the Holy Spirit and
the Church is merely at the service of all people
irrespective of caste and creed.”
It was observed
that whenever elections are due, the government came
up with these bills, this time, targeting the 2007
Assembly elections.
Sources:
AsiaNews, CBCI web site, Local sources
Recent
activities at NCJPD
National Forum of Justice and Peace
Launched
The National Commission for Justice, Peace and
Development (NCJPD) convened the ten allied
Commissions of Catholic Bishops' Conference of India
(CBCI) in August for networking on justice and peace
issues. These Commissions work on youth, women,
labour, prison ministry, health, dialogue and
ecumenism, media, scheduled castes/ scheduled tribes/
backward classes, laity and education, and were
joined by other Catholic organizations like Caritas
India, Catholic Relief Services, Conference of
Religious, India.
This meeting was a
sequence to the process of Strategic Planning
initiated during the Delhi consultation of 15-17 May,
as well as the Bangalore Consultation on 13-14 July.
The idea of the Forum is to create a networking space
for justice and peace groups and others who are
interested in creating a just society.
During the meeting,
each participant shared her/his work, aspirations on
justice and peace and possible areas of
collaboration. Main decisions include: write up to be
prepared by each allied commission on their work to
be collected by NCJPD to publish as a book; and joint
efforts to be taken to join the diocesan perspective
planning of each social service society for effective
cooperation at the grassroots level.
The Forum,
consisting of the 10 allied commissions engaged in
socio-pastoral work, would meet every four months to
discuss joint actions. It is hoped that the joint
actions would lend a louder voice to the society on
situation of human suffering.
The National
Resource Team Meeting
The National Resource Team met at Bangalore on 6
November to deliberate on the Church's sensitivity
and action on the plight of the poor, restoration of
people's confidence in the Church’s commitment
to justice and resources available to promote justice
and peace in the society.
At the end of the
meeting, the group came up with the following
activities:
1) publication of a suitable literature to popularize
and disseminate Catholic Social Teaching,
2) launch a weekly e-bulletin to sensitize the Church
to issues of justice,
3) empowerment of the victims of injustice,
4) influencing the Education Policy of the CBCI in
favour of the marginalized, and
5) re-orientation of Diocesan Social Service
Societies (DSSS).
NCJPD Speaks On
Triple Discrimination of Dalit Christians
The NCJPD had a chance to present a paper on the
issue of oppression of Dalits in South Asian
countries, both at the European Parliament and at the
International Conference on Dalit Women's Rights in
the Netherlands on 20-22 November 2006. The NCJPD
took up the issues of land alienation of tribals and
discrimination against Dalit as national priority and
works to address these issues at the national and
regional levels.
The paper described
how the caste system oppressed dalits economically,
socially, culturally and structurally. Many embraced
Christianity in hope of gaining dignity and equality,
but Christians of dalit origin face triple
discriminations by the society, by the government and
by "upper caste Christians". As most dalit
and tribal Christians are in remote areas, they
remain marginalized, illiterate and unemployed. They
easily become victims of trafficking and child
labour. The plight of dalits calls for a radical
change in the social system.
The flaws of the
current Church services (education, social welfare
schemes, etc.) were analysed in hope of reviewing the
commitment of individuals and groups to work on the
liberation of dalit and tribals' empowerment. It was
observed that despite the huge amount of funds spent
by the Church for schools, hospitals, social work,
etc, the empowerment of dalits remain a distant
dream.
NCJPD recommended
donor agencies to critically evaluate and monitor the
funds they have sent in the name of the marginalized
people. Regarding the rights and guarantees due to
dalits, it is necessary to destroy any system that
prevent them from getting their equal rights in
developmental activities, educational and medical
facilities and leadership positions.
Source:
CBCI-NCJPD
Japan
Article 9
Campaign
In an interview with the Catholic News Service in
August, president of Japan Catholic Council for
Justice and Peace, Auxiliary Bishop Michael Goro
Matsuura of Osaka expressed concerned over Article 9
of the Japanese Constitution. "More people are
beginning to think we shouldn't have Article 9,”
he said, referring to the anti-war provision in the
Japanese constitution.
He said that if
Article 9 is changed or revoked, Japan will be
perceived as a great military threat in Asia and that
perception will destabilize the region. "The
arms race will be intensified and the arms industry
(in Japan) will prosper," he said, because the
ban on exporting weapons of war would be lifted.
Activities for
protection of Article 9 are conducted mainly by civil
groups. Lectures, demonstration parades, and
signatures campaigns were carried out throughout the
year. One of such groups is "Peace 9 Group,
Article 9 as a World Treasure" which composes of
mainly Catholics with about 4,000 individuals in
Japan and other countries. They united their force
under the theme "Let us make Article 9 of
Japan's Constitution a World Treasure". Other
like-minded groups includes "Interfaith unity
for Article 9", an ecumenical group consisting
of 300 Buddhists, 200 Protestants and 500 Catholics,
including 13 Catholic bishops. These groups, together
with secular groups work actively, especially around
May 3, Constitution Day.
Article 9 of the
Japanese Constitution is a "No War" clause.
It dates from 1947 at the end of World War II. It
states that “land, sea, and air forces, as well
as other war potential, will never be
maintained” in the country.
Source:
Catholic Online
US Military Bases in Okinawa
The victory of Mr. Hirokazu Nakaima over a staunch
campaigner against the new US base, Ms. Keiko
Itokazu, for the office of Okinawa governor in
November, was billed as a milestone in the future of
Japan's goal of emerging as a regional military
power.
Experts pointed out
that by selecting Nakaima, the message by the
electorate was a call for economic revival over
military issues, marking a step away from the
traditional issue that has consumed Okinawa for
decades. The ‘Asahi' newspaper, Japan's second
largest, pointed out that voter turnout, despite
hitting over 63 percent was not strong among the
younger generation. Some experts contend that it is
an indication that the base issue may not be as
strong a concern as before. ''After years of fighting
with the central government, the new election is a
sign of fatigue in Okinawa,'' Fumio Matsuo, a
political writer commented.
Japan Catholic
Council for Justice and Peace (JCCJP) shared the view
that people in Okinawa had to vote for the candidate
who allows hosting US bases in Okinawa out of
economic consideration. Otherwise, Okinawa would face
disadvantage in attracting companies and employment,
which have been stagnant for the past 8 years.
However, JCCJP also
reminded an observation that although huge amount of
money was allocated to spur Okinawa development,
local economy benefited little from it. It is said
that the money is kept by companies, such as major
construction companies, in Tokyo and other parts of
the country.
75% of all US
military bases in Japan are located in Okinawa. Even
after ending its 27-year postwar occupation of
Okinawa in 1972, the US continues to take advantage
of the systematic discrimination of the Okinawans by
the Japanese government, institutionalized via
Japan's formal colonization of the Ryukyu Kingdom in
1879, to maintain their activities in Okinawa.
Sources: Inter
Press Service, JCCJP
JCCJP on
Nuclear Issue
Japan Catholic Council for Justice and Peace (JCCJP)
issued a statement on 2 November protesting against
North Korea’s nuclear test in October. It also
urges world leaders, especially the Japanese
authorities not to possess nuclear weapons.
Bishop Goro
Matsuura, president of JCCJP recollected the cruelty
and devilish sights after the atomic bombs were
dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He stated that
“it is our minimum responsibility not to repeat
the same mistakes in order to compensate all the war
victims whose dignity as human beings was trampled.
It is impossible for any reason to justify possession
of nuclear weapons which should be called the
ultimate weapons of indiscriminate mass
destruction.”
For a copy of the
statement, please contact ACPP at hotline@acpp.org.
Source: JCCJP
Pakistan
Parliament
Approves Amendment to Hudood Ordinances
The National Assembly of Pakistan (lower house of
parliament) has approved amendments to the
controversial Hudood Ordinances, which was later
passed by the upper house on 23 November. The new
legislation, introduced as "Women Protection
Bill -2006", has long been a subject of debate.
The Hudood
Ordinances, approved in 1979 under military regime
(Gen. Zia ul Haq), include regulations on adultery,
alcohol prohibitions binding to non-Muslims, and on
non-Muslims being required to have Muslim lawyer and
tried by Muslim judge. It also does not distinguish
between adultery and rape, requiring a woman rape
victim to bring 4 adult Muslim males to testify if
she wants justice from the state. If no such
witnesses are produced, she may be accused of
adultery and be imprisoned.
Although the new
Bill retains all Islamic punishments of the
Ordinance, it brings significant changes with regards
to the crime of sexual violence against women,
including extra-marital sex. Under the new Bill, rape
and adultery would be taken out of the sphere of
religious law and will be judged in civil instead of
Islamic courts. This will allow convictions to be
made on the basis of standard evidentiary procedures.
It also declares it illegal to have sexual relations
with women aged less than 16.
The movement to
repeal Hudood Ordinances has been a long struggle. In
September 2006, the government abandoned debate about
the amendments to the Hudood Ordinances, allegedly in
face of tough opposition from Islamic parties which
claim the idea of changing laws inspired by the Koran
is a sacrilege. This new Bill is a step towards a
society free from all discriminations. Even the
Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has ruled that the
Women Protection Bill 2006 does not violate
injunctions of the Quran.
Meanwhile, human
and civil rights groups continue to call for the
total repeal of the laws considered draconian and
being increasingly used as a pretext to settle
personal scores.
Sources:
AsiaNews, Minorities Concern Pakistan
NCJP urges
the Government to take Concrete Steps for Human
Rights
In a statement issued on the occasion of
International Human Rights Day (10 December 2006),
the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP)
called upon the people and the government of Pakistan
to face the challenge of inculcating a culture of
human rights and eradicate abuses through effective
implementation of laws and standards of human rights.
In the wake of different human rights challenges,
they urged the government to take immediate steps
towards laws and policy reforms, giving positive
encouragement to civil society, building and
strengthening the national institutions for human
rights.
Among the struggles
mentioned were: lack of law and order, violence in
the name of sect, religion, ethnicity and class, and
violence against women, which are caused by lack of
respect for rights and freedoms of the people. The
NCJP also re-iterated the unsolved issues of bonded
labour, disparity in distribution of resources among
provinces, extra-judicial killings, involuntary
disappearances, discriminatory laws, which continue
to exist in the society.
While the effort of
the government to upgrade the status of women in
recently passed law is welcomed, the pace of reform
has been considered slow by the local activists.
Thus, NCJP continues to urge the government to remove
all discriminations in the policies regarding
education and social services and take pro-active
measures for the protection of rights of marginalized
people of Pakistan. They also called upon all
sections of the society to work together to foster a
culture of tolerance, peace and human rights in order
to build a society based on sound principles of
justice and fairness. Seminars and rallies were
planned in Hyderabad, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi to
highlight human rights issues.
Source: NCJP
Philippines
The destruction to environment brought by economic
development has become one of the most urgent agendas
in the Philippines. The religious leaders and groups
have been expressing their concerns over the issues.
Full statements of
the following can be requested at jpicc_amrsp@yahoo.com, or downloaded from below.
Concern on Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership
Agreement (JPEPA)
In the statement issued on 6 November 2006,
Justice, Peace & Integrity of Creation
Commission-Association of Major Religious Superiors
in the Philippines (JPICC-AMRSP) expresses its
dissent on the possible entry of Japan’s wastes
like medical and municipal waste and sewage sludge or
any biological or ecological wastes.
The import of such
hazardous wastes would be allowed after the signing
of Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement
(JPEPA) in Helsinki by President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi
on 9 September 2006.
JPICC-AMRSP
criticizes that the import of such wastes into the
Philippines is a monumental ecological scandal which
violates Republic Act 6969, or the Toxic Substances
and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990;
Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste
Management Act of 2000; and the Basel Convention of
1989, an international treaty controlling the
movement of hazardous wastes. The JPEPA states that
“Each Party shall examine the possibility of
amending or repealing laws and regulations that
pertain to or affect the implementation and operation
of this Agreement…” (Article 4)
On 15 December,
JPICC-AMRSP sent an appeal letter to the Senators
after the transmittal of the JPEPA to the Senate by
the Executive department. It urges the Senate to
thoroughly study the agreement and exercise its role
especially in favor of the vast majority of Filipinos
and the environment. It also urges them to ratify the
“Basel Ban Amendment” so that the country
can prohibit the exportation of hazardous waste (for
recycling or disposal) from Annex VII countries to
non-Annex VII countries (developing nations).
JPICC-AMRSP Statement on JPEPA (Full version)
Source:
JPICC-AMRSP
Concerns on
Unregulated Mining Activities
In the Boac Declaration 2006, the participants of the
Mining Study Conference, held at the Sacred Heart
Pastoral Centre, Boac, Marinduque from 3-5 October,
showed their determination to defend the environment
and the national patrimony. Among them are the
representatives of the local communities, various
peoples organizations, Social Action Centres of the
affected dioceses, non-governmental organizations,
local government of Boac and Church leaders,
including Most Rev. Reynaldo G. Evangelista, D.D,
Bishop of Boac, Most Rev. Edgardo S. Juanich, D.D.,
Vicar Apostolic of Taytay.
They expressed
their concern upon the continuous influences brought
by the unregulated mining activities in the country:
continuous displacement of the Indigenous Peoples;
destruction of natural water bodies, forest,
mountains and other natural resources, which also
ruined the livelihood of the local people;
dislocation of farmers and destruction of their
farmlands; influences on the health of people due to
heavy metal contamination; and serious human rights
violations, such as kidnapping and summary executions
of environmental activists and those directly
opposing the mining operations.
They called for
justice and compensation to the affected, proper
investigations into the issues, banning of
large-scale mining operations and implementation of
moratorium in granting mining permits etc.
The issue also
raised international concern. In his message in
November, His Eminence the very Reverend Cardinal
Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga, Archbishop of the
Archdiocese of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Central
America, urged the Canadian mining companies
operating overseas to have a greater practice on the
social responsibility.
He said that the
environmental, economical and social costs of the
exploitation of natural resources have been borne by
the poor and the vulnerable. The existing tension
between environment and the expansion of trade, as
well as the increasing conflict between the mining
companies and the affected communities should be
addressed by ethical values.
Therefore, he
called for a move towards a vision of Corporate
Social Responsibility. It should not be limited to
corporate voluntarism, but must be complemented by a
social responsibility regulated by the state and
international organizations. Trade treaties must be
accompanied by ethical agreements and codes in order
to resolve the current contradictions.
Boar Declaration 2006: The Present Situation under
the Mineral Policy Revitalization Program of the
Government (Full
Version)
Message from Cardinal on Social Responsibility of
Canadian Mining Companies Overseas (Full
version)
Source:
JPICC-AMRSP
South Korea
Pyongtaek
Activist as Prisoner of Conscience
Mr. Kim Ji Tae (47), leader of the village of
Daechuri was designated as a prisoner of conscience
by Amnesty International (AI) on 30 November. This is
the first time that a Korean person other than those
imprisoned under the National Security Law, has been
designated a prisoner of conscience by AI.
Fr. Moon Jeong-hyon
Bartholomew, President of the Korea Coalition against
Base Expansion in Pyongtaek welcomes the decision,
“Mr. Kim has never made use of violence… in
fact, it is the police and Ministry of National
Defense who have used excessive violence.” He
believes that AI’s decision will make the
movement to free Mr. Kim even stronger.
On 3 November, Mr.
Kim was sentenced to 2 years in prison on charges of
obstruction of civil affairs for his leadership role
in demonstrations protesting the expansion of an
American base, Camp Humphrey, in the area. He was
arrested in July on charges related to his role in a
demonstration held on 10 July. Villagers are
demanding the release of Mr. Kim.
Source: The
Pan-S Korea Commission against US base expansion in
Pyongtaek
Taiwan
International
Day of Peace
On 21 September 2006, the International Day of Peace,
the Association of Major Religious Superiors –
Justice Peace and Integrity of Creation group
(AMRS-JPIC), held a prayer gathering “Reject
Violence, Pray for Peace”. 120 Buddhists,
Catholics, Muslims and Christians of different
denominations participated in the activity.
Representatives of
different religious groups joined together in
prayers, songs and sharing for world peace.
Coordinator of AMRS-JPIC, Fr Willy Ollevier CICM gave
the welcome speech. The evening was joined by Msgr.
Ambrose Medtha, the representative of the Holy Father
in Taiwan, Abbot of Dharma Drum Mountain Venerable
Guo Dong, Imam Ma Xiao Qi and representatives from
the National Church Council of Churches of Taiwan and
Buddhist Association of the Republic of China.
Source:
Association of Major Religious Superiors in Taiwan
Thailand
CCJP
Thailand Goes Online
It has been more than 15 years since the Catholic
Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) of Thailand
has published their JP Newsletter to share news on
various activities they implement. The Newsletter
helps readers to know more about CCJP, hoping they
would be part of the commitment to bring about
justice, peace and human rights to Thai society.
With the intention
to continue developing its work, and to inform and
invite the public to take part in the promotion of
justice and peace and human rights more broadly, CCJP
has recently developed a web site www.jpthai.org.
It contains updated
contents of activities and an attractive format to
make it useful for the public as the source of
information on human rights and application of
religious teachings in daily life, inviting them to
play a part in building justice and peace in the
society.
The web site of
CCJP is currently in Thai version, but English
version is being developed so that more people can
follow their work and activities, as well as
situation on human rights in Thailand. The web site
would also replace the postal version of the JP
Newsletter. Those interested to receive the
Newsletter by email can send their addresses to jpthai@jpthai.org.
Source: JP
Newsletter
CCJP
celebrates 40th Anniversary of Populorum Progressio
Next year, 2007, will be the 40th Anniversary of the
Populorum Progressio (26 March 1967). This encyclical
of Pope Paul VI reflected the Church’s concern
on:
- the widening
gap between “hungry and impoverished
nations” and the nations “blessed
with abundance”
- the felt need
to “add another pontifical commission to
the Church’s central administration. . .
the name of this commission, Justice and
Peace. . .” and
- the importance
of “authentic development” which
“cannot be restricted to economic growth
alone. . . but foster the development of each
man and of the whole man.”
The Catholic
Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) of Thailand
takes this opportunity to celebrate the 40th
Anniversary by conducting a one-year community study
program on “Development Policy: a Promotion of
Human Development according to the Teaching of the
Church?”
The study will look
at development projects from four villages and four
dioceses: Tharae-Nongsaeng, Chantaburi, Surathani and
Chiangmai.
It is expected that
this study will provide a reflection of the Catholic
Church in Thailand regarding lessons learned from the
development program, strengthen the villagers and the
Diocesan Social Action Center on their working
capacity towards sustainable development, and provide
guidance for improvement.
This study is a
joint project between CCJP and the Catholic
Commission for Human Development (CCHD).
Source: CCJP
Thailand