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[A
Public Forum]:
ASEAN
Human Rights Mechanism
Date:
23 September 2007, Sunday
Time:
2.00 pm
Venue:
Allson Hotel, Victoria Room, Level 2
Speakers:
J
B Jeyaretnam, veteran politician
M Ravi, human
rights lawyer
Jolovan Wham, social worker
Alex
Au, gay rights activist
Isrizal, arts community
representative
Chee Soon Juan, politician &
political activist
Admission: Free
and open to the public
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Let's
get busy on human rights
20 Sep
07
Angry about the compulsory annuity scheme? Ashamed that
our elderly poor continue to live a life of poverty? Feeling like
a alien in your own country?
If you are tired of having
policy after indigestible policy shoved down your gullet by the
Government and if you want to have a say in how our country is
run, then you do not want to miss the public forum on 23
September 2007.
ASEAN has announced that it is willing to
consider institutionalizing a human rights mechanism in a
historic charter that is due to be signed in November this year.
The group has been consulting existing human rights commissions
of the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Which
raises the troubling question: Why is it that Singapore, being
one of the five found members of ASEAN, not have our very own
human rights commission? (Read
here)
Rather
than look back, however, we have the opportunity this Sunday to
look ahead and constructively work towards ensuring that
Singapore establishes a national body to safeguard the rights of
citizens of this country.
While citizens' groups in other
ASEAN countries are already busy engaging their governments over
this idea of a regional human rights mechanism, Singaporeans
remain very quiet. (Read here)
Even
the Cambodians are making steady progress in establishing their
human rights commission.
And when the world's eyes are
focused on this nation of ours in November when ASEAN meets to
sign the charter, it would be tragic if Singaporeans should no
interest in speaking up for our human rights.
This forum
aims to get the ball rolling. It is an exercise to involve
ordinary citizens of Singapore in this historic opportunity to
tell the world that we, like any other people, want our
Government to respect our human rights.
Efforts will be
made to discuss how we can get the process of putting in place a
Singapore human rights commission underway. Its not going to
happen anytime soon, but you're familiar with what Confucius said
about the journey of a thousand miles…
So, no more
excuses and no more procrastination. Come to Allson Hotel,
Victoria Room, Level 2 (101 Victoria Street) at 2 pm this Sunday
and contribute to the cause of building democracy for our nation.
Free admission and everyone is welcome. Note: Mr J B
Jeyaretnam will join the list of speakers as announced here.
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