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	The Philippines: Never Again, Never Forget by Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development Philippines   19 November 2016   The Philippines: Never Again, Never Forget   The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) strongly condemns the burial of Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, the cemetery of national heroes, in the Philippines. The burial of Marcos conveys a distressing message, not only to Filipinos but also to people’s movements all over the region that massive state-perpetrated human rights violations are being honoured. FORUM-ASIA extends its solidarity to all Filipinos who refuse to forget the past human rights violations, the plunder of the nation’s coffers, and the destruction of democratic institutions under the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos.   Ferdinand Marcos was the President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He declared Martial Law and ruled the country with an iron fist from 1972 to 1981. Upon the declaration of Martial Law, all fundamental freedoms were curtailed, the Congress was suspended, and media was completely shut down. The opposition leaders and activists were arrested, detained, tortured, and killed. The grave corruption and neoliberalism economic policy under his rule triggered widespread resistance in urban and rural areas.   In 1986, after the snap election, more than two million Filipinos occupied the street of EDSA for three days from 22-25 February. The People Power Revolution was successful in forcing Marcos to step down and restoring democracy in the Philippines.   The Task Force Detainee of the Philippines (TFDP), one of FORUM-ASIA members in the Philippines, documented 101,538 human rights violation cases perpetrated by Ferdinand Marcos under his dictatorship regime.   “The Philippines was considered as one of the most democratic countries in the region since Filipino people ousted Ferdinand Marcos by non-violent resistance in 1986. We are deeply disappointed by the Supreme Court’s decision and Rodrigo Duterte’s administration to honour the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos,” says John Samuel, Executive Director of FORUM-ASIA.   The Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013 recognises “the heroism and sacrifices of all Filipinos who were victims of summary execution, torture, enforced or involuntary disappearance and other gross human rights violations committed during the regime of former President Ferdinand E. Marcos covering the period from September 21, 1972 to February 25, 1986 and restore the victims’ honor and dignity.” The Act further states that “The State hereby acknowledges its moral and legal obligation to recognise and/or provide reparation to said victims and/or their families for the deaths, injuries, sufferings, deprivations and damages they suffered under the Marcos regime.”   The burial of Ferdinand Marcos today, thus, explicitly undermines the recognition of those who had lost their lives and freedoms fighting for human rights and democracy.   “The burial of Marcos today also reminds us all that the struggles for human rights and democracy is a never-ending battle. We, FORUM-ASIA, stand in solidarity with our Filipino friends in the fight for freedom and justice in the Philippines and in the region,” concludes John Samuel.   * FORUM-ASIA is a regional human rights group with 58 member organisations in 19 countries across Asia.   19 Nov 2016   Thousands march in ''Bersih'' protests calling for Malaysian PM Najib Razak to step down over corruption scandal. (Reuters)   Thousands of protesters gathered in Malaysia''s capital to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Razak over his alleged involvement in a multi-billion-dollar misappropriation scandal.   Clad in yellow shirts, protesters marched from various spots towards the heart of Kuala Lumpur amid tight security.   The mood among those gathered was festive, with drums and vuvuzelas heard along with speeches, songs and chants by participants calling for a "clean Malaysia" and "people power".   The protest came a day after the head of pro-democracy group Bersih, the organisers of Saturday''s rally, was arrested along with several other supporters of the demonstration, including opposition leaders and student activists.   "We are not here to bring down the country. We love this country. We are not here to tear down the government, we''re here to strengthen it," Bersih deputy chair Shahrul Aman Shaari told the crowds gathered at the National Mosque.   Another Bersih leader Hishamuddin Rais was arrested on Saturday at the rally, with police also issuing warnings to other participants.   Mr Najib, who is in Peru for the APEC Summit, said the protesters were "a tool of the opposition".   Mr Najib''s administration has cracked down on the media and civil society in an attempt to silence criticism over his involvement in a financial scandal at state fund 1MDB.   Lawsuits filed by the US Justice Department in July say more than $US700 million of misappropriated funds from 1MDB flowed into the accounts of "Malaysian Official 1", whom US and Malaysian officials have identified as Mr Najib.   Mr Najib has denied wrongdoing, but has taken steps critics say aim to limit discussion of the scandal, such as sacking a deputy prime minister and a former attorney-general, besides suspending newspapers and blocking websites. 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	We must bend the curve towards Justice by Stacey Cram Namati   It was in a small kitchen in Transylvania when I first felt the sting of injustice. I was sixteen, sitting across the table from Eta, a retired doctor in her 80s whose twinkly eyes and cheeky laugh reminded me so much of my grandmother. We sat chatting and she told me how much she loved talking with young people and how she would have loved to have had children of her own, “sadly, not possible because of the sterilizations”. She noted the shocked look on my face and met it with a smile, a squeeze of my hand, and the push of a second slice of plum cake onto my plate.   Eta was a survivor of Auschwitz and I was there to document her story. She continued to tell me how “that so-called doctor” Joseph Mengele had chosen her for his sterilization program and ordered 10 members of her family to the gas chambers. I listened, growing angry at the now-familiar story of the few neighbors who turned against her, the many more who turned a blind eye, and at the system which made this injustice legal. She had no anger left but she was worried the world would forget her family’s story. I promised her I would not.   I have carried Eta with me since that day, but in the last 12 months she has been all the more present as every day I feel that sting of injustice. With politicians scapegoating complex issues on minority groups, increases in vigilante justice, the birth of “alternative facts” and too many silently watching these events unfold, it is hard not to make comparisons between today and Europe in the 1930s.   Injustice is not new, but rather than making progress towards solving the issues, we are seriously at risk of sliding backward. In 2011, the United Nations estimated that 4 billion people lived outside of the protection of the law. Around the world, millions of people were unable to secure citizenship, healthcare or an education, others had their land stolen or destroyed by corporations or man-made environmental issues. What united them was a routine denial of their rights and an inability to access legal support.   In the years since, the world made significant strides towards increasing justice, culminating with the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in September 2015, which guaranteed “equal access to justice for all”. This was the first time that the global community acknowledged that justice was central for sustainable development and economic growth. Then 2016 happened.   With the refugee crisis growing in Europe we have seen many aid budgets reduced or reallocated to domestic refugees and vital new funding needed for justice has not materialized. With ‘America First’ policies we seem to have lost a strong and powerful ally for extending access to justice globally. In post-Brexit Britain, the government has recommitted to a 0.7% aid budget but it is unclear if the UK will prioritize fighting injustice abroad over negotiating new trade deals.   And with elections in France, the Netherlands, and Germany this year, populist movements may gain even greater ground. 2017 looks set to be another difficult year.   Populist leaders often run on the promise of addressing injustice and reducing inequality, but we know this to be a false promise. Instead, populist leaders reduce civil liberties and empower a small, elitist class who pass laws that codify injustice.   A functioning democracy which serves the needs of the people requires accessible and effective justice systems at every level of society. No one leader can deliver justice; we need millions of activists, community paralegals, lawyers, civil servants and government officials offering a spread of legal remedies. Around the world today, these are the people protecting and empowering their neighbors to understand, use and shape the law to reduce corruption and reform systems. Justice needs these people as much as people need justice.   Justice needs Hassan a 78-year-old man from Tawarka Bay, a small island off the coast of Lagos, who in his retirement years has trained as a community paralegal to fight against eviction notices illegally issued to his community.   Justice needs Marita, a dedicated US civil servant safeguarding funds in legislation to ensure immigrants do not lose access to legal aid with the new administration. Justice needs Ken and Elizabeth, respectively first and last term politicians in Kenya and the US, neither one need make a fuss or fight for the poor and the marginalized, but they do. They listen to slum dwellers and water protectors instead of their party, corporations, or lobbyists.   Justice needs the nameless Polish lady who passed a piece of soap through a barbed wire fence to Eta with a note saying “we are here for you”.   Justice needs the millions of people who marched to stand up and say that what is happening today is not normal. Justice needs you.   It can feel overwhelming to know where to make an impact. But now is not the time to look away. The fight for justice has never been an easy one – “the arc of the moral universe does not just naturally curve toward justice; we must bend it”.   We have a long road ahead but some key priorities I see are: we must build a vibrant global justice movement which brings together new activists with those already doing this work to learn from and support each other. We need legal providers to protect people when their rights are violated and fight back against discriminatory legislation.   We must support and recruit more individuals in office who will put conscience ahead of protocol or re-election. We need government, old allies, and new leaders, to prevent any slide backs on justice – the Dutch reaction to the global gag order is a wonderful example of a country taking a stance to protect women’s health. We need investment from governments, philanthropists, and the private sector to support this movement which is already chronically underfunded. We need to prioritize giving all individuals access to justice and fight together to make this a reality. Visit the related web page
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