Report on the WSCF-AP Human Rights
and Solidarity Workshop 2000
“Militarization and Human Rights Violations in
The Militarism and the practice of Militarization
confront most of countries in Asia Pacific region. As a result of it, military
abuses, human rights violation, increased military budget and expenditures,
threatening of peoples lives, displacement from livelihood, suppression and
flagrant denial of justice and freedom to people is notoriously standing out
all over the region.
Given the ardent need to
intensify our respond, and to encourage the SCMs(Student Christian Movements)
on the national level to extend further efforts in addressing the issues related to militarization and
human rights violation, the World Student Christian Federation-Asia Pacific
Region (WSCF-AP) initiated the Human Rights and Solidarity Workshop(HRSW). The
theme was “ Militarization and Human Rights Violation in Asia Pacific”. This workshop was organized in
The Objectives of the Workshop are as
follows:
To enable the selected number of student leaders of SCM understand the
bitter reality of militarism and militarization, its effects and relevance to
the students.
To enable the participants to articulate the situation of the people and
the victims affected by militarization.
To provide the participants the opportunity to witness the situation of
the victims affected (e.g. victims of torture, illegal detention,
disappearances, harassment, displaced communities, etc.)
To provide the participants the skills in conducting fact finding or
investigative mission, solidarity activity to specific areas of concerns.
To enable the participants to identify critical aspects of possible
solidarity networking, investigative mission, and fact finding mission.
To encourage the participants to organize groups in the campus to
support the victims of militarization.
To encourage member movements to initiate solidarity activity in the
national level in order to response to the human rights violation caused by
militarization.
To facilitate the internship for exchange and joint solidarity actions
between different SCMs.
Prior to the actual workshop, the
participants from respective countries were asked to prepare a written document
on the result of their integration, research and interviews conducted in their
countries with the victims, communities, organizations concerned and affected
by Militarization and Human Rights violation. These paper were then used during
the country reports included as part of the workshop.
The actual activity was started by an opening worship and reflection led
by Rev. Richard Daulay, Associate General Secretary of the Indonesian National
Council of Churches (PGI). Two inputs were
provided for the participants before and after the exposure trip. A bible study and reflections was also done
as part of the activity. Before the
workshop ended, all the participants were able to come up with concrete plan of
action in the local, national, regional, and international levels.
Mr. Liberato Bautista, an SCM
senior friend from the
On the second part of Mr.
Bautista’s discussion, he underlined the Geo-Political, Geo-Economics and
Geo-Cultural implications to people’s lives since Militarism had assaulted
people in all directions in different forms justified as National Security
Doctrine. According to him, “the Geo-political and Geo-economic aspects of
militarization tends to control the distribution, allocation, production of specific
resources that in turn displaces people and violates their rights as human and
destroys their source of livelihood”. He
pointed out, “the geo-cultural implications on the other hand tends to control
the geo-graphic influences leading to cultural subjugation which affects the
mentality and penetrates peoples minds to justify its “irrelevance”.
The last part of the discussion
concentrated on how people countered militarism by encouraging people, to
understand militarism as a concept and frustrate militarization: “By
encouraging people, victims and non-victims learn each other from the pat
experiences. By uniting people’s ranks, it will muster the sophistication
needed to fight and or counter the sophistication of the forces of military”.
The 2nd
major input discussion was provided by Mr. Asmara Nababan, who is also a senior
friend from Indonesia SCM (GMKI). He is
currently the Secretary General of the Indonesian National Commission on Human
Rights. Mr. Nababan outlined the
interesting discussion, which focussed on the current human rights situation in
Mr. Ababan has reiterated that while
The
issue of
Nonetheless, the participants seemed to agree, “what the East Timor
needed the most is financial, material, political and economic support to build
and establish an independent
The exposure was divided in two parts. In the first half, all the participants went
together to visit different organizations formed by the families and victims of
torture, arbitrary arrests, falsely accused and dis-appearances during the
Suharto military regime. The victims
told the participants that around two million people between 1965-1968 who were
sympathetic to the Sukarno’s government were killed, imprisoned, tortured and
disappeared. The organizations are
demanding justice for the missing family members and compensation to the
victims and families.
On the 2nd half of the
exposure, participants were divided in two groups. The first group visited
several NGOs: i)East Timor Solidarity Movement
ii)the Papua Student Solidarity iii)the “Kontras” which is handling the
cases of involuntary disappearances and tortures. The other exposure group went to visit Labor
groups. Particularly, the participants
met one labor union activist who had been imprisoned for more than 3 years during
the Suharto government, and discussed how the military regime of Suharto
oppressed the just economic demands of Indonesian workers. Like the rest of the other NGOs and
Indonesian people, they have been subjected to harsh military persecution and
government repression. Aside from
demanding for justice for the human rights violations committed against them by
the Suharto regime, they have been also
clamoring for economic and political justice such as decent jobs, humane
working and living condition in the workplaces.
Each participant was asked to
share and report their respective country situation related to militarization
and human rights violation. The syntheses of the reports are as follows:
o
Most governments
in
o
Governments are
strongly influenced or dominated by the military.
o
Human rights
violation committed by military is affecting not only the livelihood of people but also the environment – it is a holistic violation
against humanity and God’s creation
o
The effects of
military atrocities is still affecting the victims and their families.
o
There is a large
budget allocated to military compared to other social services.
o
Militarism is
being used by the government to greatly influence culture, economic and
politics.
o
Militarization
is being used as instrument to serve the interests of those in power in the
government and manipulate the demands of the people.
o
Militarism and
Militarization is used to give way for MNC &TNC and the unjust economic
trends motivated by globalization and capitalism.
o
There are
efforts being done among the ranks of the SCMs and other NGO’s who are
struggling against militarization and fighting for justice to the victims.
o
Women and
Children have been and still affected by long term suffering caused by
militarization
o
Militarism is
promoting a culture of Death/ Killing.
o
o
Military is
serving as instrument to suppress and oppress people in assuring the
globalization scheme
Rev. Shin Seung Min, the WSCF Regional Secretary facilitated the bible
reflection. Participants were divided into groups and asked to reflect on the
bible text “Mathew 20:1-16”. After each
group presented their respective reflections, Rev. Shin reiterated three major
interpretations. He outlined the traditional, moderate, and radical
interpretations on the said text.
The participants were divided
into sub-regional groups, and asked to make appropriate action plans on the
national, regional, and international level. The following is the synthesis of
the action plans of all the groups:
o
Launch continuous
discussion and education work among SCM members and other student groups in the
universities and the churches
o
Link-up and work
with other NGOs and student groups, particularly with those NGOs who work for
women and children victims of militarization
o
Bible studies
and reflections
o
Release
statements; position papers to the media, the embassies, and to the government
o
Have worship
using traditional symbols to remind the militarization and the victims
o
Develop a
homepage for this issue
o
Conduct
exposure to areas affected by
militarization
o
Release
statements and posters in the universities, communities and churches
o
Recruit
volunteers for advocacy
o
Regular
integration to areas affected by militarization
o
Sign petition to
government particularly for
o
Organize a
simultaneous solidarity actions among SCMs in front of the embassies whose
countries violate human rights
o
Strengthen
exchange program among national movements on the regional and sub-regional
level
o
Release the
issue of militarization in the Praxis
o
Promote Peoples
Forum to be organized by SCM India,
o
Networking with
other anti-militarization student bodies
o
Raise fund for
the victims by the militarization
o
Organize the
Universal Day of Prayers for Women and Children victims of militarization and
human rights violation(SCM Australian and
o
Establish Links with
other SCM in other regions such as
o
Submit petition
to the UN pertaining to East Timor, Papua, and
o
Compile workshop
results and minutes and send to the SCMs who were not able to attend the
workshop (
o
Conduct research
and release position paper to the International networks on the effects of
“globalization” and how military is being used as instrument of economic
repression.