HUMAN RIGHTS AGENDA FOR EUROPE AND

[082903@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: HUMAN RIGHTS AGENDA FOR EUROPE AND ASIA 



	HUMAN RIGHTS AGENDA FOR EUROPE AND ASIA
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     Sunday, February 9, 1997 00:01 GMT
     
     
     For Further Information:
     Lotte Leicht, Brussels                     (32) 2-732-2009 [w]         
        (32)2-640-3459 [h]
     Sidney Jones, New York:            (212) 972-8400, ext. 290 [w]    
     (718) 788-2899 [h]
     Mike Jendrzejczyk, Washington:     (202) 371-6592, ext. 113 [w]    
     (301) 585-5824 [h]
     
     
                HUMAN RIGHTS AGENDA FOR EUROPE AND ASIA
     
     (New York, February 9, 1997)--Human Rights Watch today called on Asian 
     and European foreign ministers meeting Thursday and Friday in 
     Singapore to address four critical human rights issues. The ministers 
     could make a major contribution to the protection of human rights by 
     including in their final communiqu? a public condemnation of attacks 
     on international humanitarian and human rights workers; support for a 
     global initiative to ban land mines worldwide; support for measures to 
     protect migrant workers and their families against discrimination, 
     abuse and racist violence; and support for United Nations access to 
     Burma. The four issues were all ones on which joint Asian-European 
     leadership could be key, the organization said.
     
     On February 13, the 12th ministerial meeting between the European Union 
     (EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will take 
     place in Singapore, followed by an Asia-Europe (ASEM) meeting the next 
     day, which will include twenty-five foreign ministers from ASEAN 
     countries, the European Union, and China, Japan and South Korea. 
     Discussions have been underway on the agenda for the meetings, and 
     ASEAN governments have already signaled that certain subjects -- such 
     as East Timor -- would be ruled out, but others such as Burma might be 
     included."This is an opportunity to make progress on some crucial 
     issues," said Sidney Jones, executive director of Human Rights 
     Watch/Asia. "With the killings of U.N. human rights personnel in 
     Rwanda, the kidnappings of UNHCR workers in Tajikistan and the killing 
     of staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Chechnya, 
     it is critical for all governments to signal their condemnation of 
     these attacks and their determination to protect the lives of 
     humanitarian and human rights workers everywhere. The Singapore 
     meetings would be a great place to start."
     
     On the land mines issue, some European and Asian governments, such as 
     Cambodia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Austria and Belgium, have 
     strongly supported the international campaign to ban the weapons that 
     have maimed and killed millions of civilians long after the end of the 
     conflict for which they were originally used.  But others, such as 
     France, the United Kingdom, China and Korea have failed to support a 
     Canadian initiative to hold a conference in December 1997 that would 
     lead to a treaty banning anti-personnel mines worldwide. "The 
     Singapore meetings bring some of the strongest advocates of a global 
     ban together with some of the world's major manufacturers of mines," 
     said Jones. "If the latter could be convinced to support the ban, they 
     would be making an extraordinary contribution to human welfare and 
     economic development in some of the world's poorest countries." 
     
     Human Rights Watch urged the EU and ASEAN governments to discuss 
     concrete steps to improve the human rights situation in Burma.  ASEAN 
     is considering bringing Burma into the organization as a full member 
     this June, and both European and ASEAN governments -- including 
     France, the United Kingdom, Thailand and Singapore -- have major 
     investments in Burma.  The harsh military government there, however, 
     continues to engage in forced labor, use children as soldiers and as 
     porters for military equipment, and arbitrarily detain its political 
     opponents. Moreover, it has thus far denied access to the Special 
     Rapporteur on Burma appointed by the U.N. Commission on Human Rights, 
     as well as representatives of other U.N. bodies including the ILO. 
     "European investors and Burma's Asian neighbors have a joint stake in 
     seeing this country become more open and more transparent. A critical 
     first step in that process is to have regular visits by U.N. 
     representatives. If even that simple step is rejected, what kind of 
     political or economic partner is Burma going to be?" said Jones. She 
     noted that there was a growing opposition to Burma's proposed ASEAN 
     membership among non-governmental organizations and political figures 
     in ASEAN countries such as Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia.
     
     Human Rights Watch noted that every country attending the ASEM summit 
     in Singapore is facing problems with migrant workers, and 
     increasingly, the problem crosses regional boundaries: Vietnamese 
     nationals in Germany and Filipina maids in Italy have faced 
     discrimination and physical abuse, as have migrants who move across 
     boundaries within Europe or within Asia.  The Singapore meeting could 
     produce, at a minimum, mechanisms for addressing common problems such 
     as discrimination in the labor market, racist violence and xenophobia, 
     family reunification, and abuses committed against migrants by police 
     and immigration authorities. It could also produce a commitment by all 
     countries present to ratify the Convention on the Protection of the 
     Rights of All Migrant Workers and Their Families, a U.N. treaty that 
     is not yet in force because too few countries have become party to it. 
     The Philippines, which is a party, could take the lead on this issue.
     
     
     Human Rights Watch
     Human Rights Watch is a nongovernmental organization established in 
     1978 to monitor and promote the observance of internationally 
     recognized human rights in Africa, the Americas, Asia, the Middle East 
     and among the signatories of the Helsinki accords.  It is supported by 
     contributions from private individuals and foundations  worldwide.  It 
     accepts no government funds, directly or indirectly.  The staff 
     includes Kenneth Roth, executive director; Michele Alexander, 
     development director; Cynthia Brown, program director; Holly J. 
     Burkhalter, advocacy director; Barbara Guglielmo, finance and 
     administration director; Robert Kimzey, publications director; Jeri 
     Laber, special advisor;  Lotte Leicht, Brussels office director;  Susan 
     Osnos, communications director; Dinah PoKempner, acting general 
     counsel; Jemera Rone, counsel; and Joanna Weschler, United Nations 
     representative.  Robert L. Bernstein is the chair of the board and 
     Adrian W. DeWind is vice chair.  
     

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