{"id":1278,"date":"2016-05-02T18:36:12","date_gmt":"2016-05-02T18:36:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.csbronline.org\/?p=1278"},"modified":"2016-05-26T07:03:27","modified_gmt":"2016-05-26T07:03:27","slug":"safeguarding-individuals-civil-society-our-shared-humanity-an-urgent-plea-to-the-government-of-bangladesh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/csbronline.org\/?p=1278","title":{"rendered":"Safeguarding Individuals, Civil Society & Our Shared Humanity: An Urgent Plea to the Government of Bangladesh"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"JointStatement-Bangladesh\"<\/a><\/p>\n

2 May 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n

SAFEGUARDING INDIVIDUALS, CIVIL SOCIETY AND OUR SHARED HUMANITY:
\nAN URGENT PLEA TO THE GOVERNMENT OF BANGLADESH<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We, the undersigned, join other voices from across Asia and the Pacific – and around the world – in\u00a0calling upon the Government of Bangladesh to step up efforts to effectively address the horrific\u00a0violence that has claimed the lives of several journalists, bloggers, academics, activists and other\u00a0civilians who advocated for a secular, open, just and equitable society for all citizens — regardless of\u00a0religion, ethnicity, sexuality or any other labels.<\/p>\n

The latest victims of the carnage were the prominent LGBTI activists Xulnaz Mannan and Mahbub\u00a0Rabbi Tonoy, both hacked to death by a group of assailants at Mannan\u2019s home in Dhaka. So-called\u00a0\u201cIslamist\u201d groups, including or linked to ISIS and Al-Qaeda, have claimed responsibility for these and\u00a0previous attacks, but the facts surrounding many of these killings over the past year remain unclear.<\/p>\n

The Bangladesh government has sworn to track down those responsible for Mannan and Rabbi\u2019s\u00a0murders. While we welcome that pledge, the international human rights organization Amnesty\u00a0International has noted that \u201cnot a single person has been held to account\u201d in the various killings so\u00a0far.<\/p>\n

In recent years, LGBTI activists in Bangladesh have sought to expand the space for dialogue and\u00a0inclusivity for their communities even though they are criminalized by the country\u2019s British-era penal\u00a0code. These efforts in Bangladesh and other countries such as Indonesia have, on one hand, brought\u00a0about acceptance and openness on some levels, but have also been met by an increasingly severe\u00a0backlash as well from a range of actors including governments and religious institutions.<\/p>\n

The escalating threats to civil liberties, including LGBTI rights, in so many places are all the more ironic\u00a0\u2013 and dangerous \u2013 considering we are in the era of the Sustainable Development Goals that underpin\u00a0the 2030 Agenda whose primary pledge is \u201cto leave no one behind.\u201d<\/p>\n

How can we as a region, and indeed as a world, even begin to fulfil such a pledge if we do not\u00a0collectively come together to address these threats that target our friends, families and fellow human\u00a0beings? The rhetoric of the SDGs and 2030 Agenda will indeed ring hollow if we do not bring about\u00a0genuine openness and understanding leading to an end to persecution and terror. Governments\u00a0must be held accountable, but organizations such as ours, and each of us as individuals, must play our\u00a0part as well.<\/p>\n

Let us seize this opportunity then to bring about dialogue between governments and civil society,\u00a0with the support of the United Nations, national, regional and global human rights networks and\u00a0other facilitators, to tackle the mounting crises in Bangladesh and elsewhere.\u00a0Together we call on the government of Bangladesh to bring justice and ensure that the rule of law is\u00a0firmly in place and is implemented to provide safety to all citizens.<\/p>\n

All individuals across Asia and the Pacific must not see these atrocities as isolated events, but must act\u00a0in solidarity to uphold the rights of all human beings.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, we must collectively work towards a world where enlightenment prevails, even as we vow\u00a0never to forget the sacrifice that far too many have made to safeguard our shared humanity.
\nSigned By:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Midnight Poonkasetwattana, Executive Director, APCOM<\/p>\n

Sattara Hattirat, Regional Coordinator, ILGA Asia<\/p>\n

Ryan Silverio, Regional Coordinator, ASEAN SOGIE Caucus<\/p>\n

Natt Kraipet, Network Coordinator, APTN<\/p>\n

Niluka Perera, Project Officer, Youth Voices Count<\/p>\n

Rima Athar, Coordinator, CSBR<\/p>\n

South Asian Human Rights Association of Marginalised Sexualities and Genders<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Endorsed By The Following Organizations:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Association of Transgender People in the Philippines (ATP), Philippines<\/p>\n

2. Blue Diamond Society, Nepal<\/p>\n

3. Central Initiative for Transgender, Young Gay, Lesbian Asylum Seekers (CITY GLASS), Kenya<\/p>\n

4. Consultation Centre of Aids Aid and Health Service, China<\/p>\n

5. EQUAL GROUND, Sri Lanka<\/p>\n

6. FORUM-ASIA<\/p>\n

7. GAURAV, India<\/p>\n

8. GAYa NUSANTARA Foundation, Indonesia<\/p>\n

9. Haus of Khameleon, Fiji<\/p>\n

10. Health Options for Transgender (HOT GENDER), Tanzania<\/p>\n

11. Health Options for Transgender, Tanzania<\/p>\n

12. HIV YOUNG VOICES (Hi 5), Kenya<\/p>\n

13. Human Rights Working Group, Indonesia<\/p>\n

14. Human Rights- Youth Health Support Centre NGO, Mongolia<\/p>\n

15. I-Girl group, Vi\u1ec7t Nam<\/p>\n

16. IDENTITY ETHIOPIA (ID ETHIOPIA), Ethiopia<\/p>\n

17. ILGA Oceania<\/p>\n

18. India HIV\/AIDS Alliance, New Delhi, India<\/p>\n

19. Khwaja Sira Society, Pakistan<\/p>\n

20. LGBT Kiribati, Kiribati<\/p>\n

21. Life Gets Better Together (LGBT FOUNDATION), South Sudan<\/p>\n

22. Lighthouse club, Vi\u1ec7t Nam<\/p>\n

23. NAZ Pakistan, Pakistan<\/p>\n

24. NGO Phoenix PLUS, Russia<\/p>\n

25. Oogachaga, Singapore<\/p>\n

26. Organization Intersex International-Chinese, Taiwan<\/p>\n

27. PinoyFTM (Filipino Trans Men), Philippines<\/p>\n

28. Project Mama, Rwanda<\/p>\n

29. QUEER ESCORT NETWORK (Quest Net), Madagascar<\/p>\n

30. Rainbow Pride Foundation Youth Wing, Fiji<\/p>\n

31. Safety Urban Network (SUN East Africa), Uganda and Kenya Chapter<\/p>\n

32. Samoa Faafafine Association, Samoa<\/p>\n

33. Sangama, India<\/p>\n

34. Sierra Leone Youth Coalition on HIV & AIDS, Sierra Leone<\/p>\n

35. SOMALI SOCIETY CARE (SSC), Somalia<\/p>\n

36. South Asian Human Rights Association for Marginalized Genders & Sexualities (SAHRA)<\/p>\n

37. SUNCITY AFRICA FOUNDATION, Kenya<\/p>\n

38. Taiwan Tongzhi (LGBT) Hotline Association, Taiwan<\/p>\n

39. Transgender Resource Center, Hong Kong<\/p>\n

40. Transgender Youth Revolving Fund (TRAY REFUND), Uganda<\/p>\n

41. Transmen Indonesia, Indonesia<\/p>\n

42. Transpiration Power, Thailand<\/p>\n

43. We are students club, Vi\u1ec7t Nam<\/p>\n

44. Yourself Belize Movement, Belize<\/p>\n


\nEndorsed By The Following Individuals:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Abhina Aher, India<\/p>\n

2. Ahsan Ullah, Bangladesh<\/p>\n

3. AR Arcon, Philippines<\/p>\n

4. Farid Ahmed, Bangladesh<\/p>\n

5. Idrissa A. Conteh, Sierra Leone<\/p>\n

6. Jake Oorloff, Sri Lanka<\/p>\n

7. Jofiliti Veikoso, Fiji<\/p>\n

8. Kemas Achmad Mujoko, Indonesia<\/p>\n

9. Masaki Inaba, Japan<\/p>\n

10. Nguy\u1ec5n \u0110\u1eb7ng Duy Anh, Vi\u1ec7t Nam<\/p>\n

11. Qasim Iqbal, Pakistan<\/p>\n

12. Raksak Kongseng Desaulniers, Thailand<\/p>\n

13. Sumit Pawar, India<\/p>\n

14. To\u2019oto\u2019oali\u2019I Roger Stanley, Samoa<\/p>\n

15. Trung T\u00e2m NT.LGBT, Vi\u1ec7t Nam<\/p>\n

16. Tuisina Ymania Brown, Samoa<\/p>\n

17. Vaialia Iosua, Samoa<\/p>\n


\nMedia Contacts:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Midnight Poonkasetwattana, Executive Director, APCOM:\u00a0midnightp@apcom.org, +66-85-360-5200 (Bangkok)<\/p>\n

Sattara Hattirat, Regional Coordinator, ILGA Asia:\u00a0sattarah@gmail.com, +66-82-339-5252 (Bangkok)<\/p>\n

Ryan Silverio, Regional Coordinator, ASEAN SOGIE Caucus:\u00a0rsilverio@aseansogiecaucus.org, +63-917-879-7710 (Manila)<\/p>\n

Natt Kraipet, Network Coordinator, APTN:\u00a0natt.kraipet@weareaptn.org, +66-82-653-3999 (Bangkok)<\/p>\n

Niluka Perera, Project Officer, Youth Voices Count:\u00a0niluka@youthvoicescount.org, +66-94-835-1762 (Bangkok)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

2 May 2016 SAFEGUARDING INDIVIDUALS, CIVIL SOCIETY AND OUR SHARED HUMANITY: AN URGENT PLEA TO THE GOVERNMENT OF BANGLADESH   We, the undersigned, join other voices from across Asia and the Pacific – and around the world – in\u00a0calling upon the Government of Bangladesh to step up efforts to effectively address the horrific\u00a0violence that has … Continue reading Safeguarding Individuals, Civil Society & Our Shared Humanity: An Urgent Plea to the Government of Bangladesh<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,5,8,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1278","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-activities","category-featured","category-news","category-statements","no-featured-image"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/csbronline.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1278","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/csbronline.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/csbronline.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/csbronline.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/csbronline.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1278"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/csbronline.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1278\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1282,"href":"https:\/\/csbronline.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1278\/revisions\/1282"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/csbronline.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1278"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/csbronline.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1278"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/csbronline.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1278"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}