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ORAL STATEMENT TO 57TH SESSION OF THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
(Statement by Jubilee Campaign)
Indonesia
In the Moluccas islands of Indonesia, thousands of Christians are currently living like prisoners,
forced to live as if they were Muslims by the Islamic militants controlling their areas. For
example, about 1500 Christians from the village of Lata-Lata in Bacan had been forced to
convert to Islam. Many Christians from other villages in Bacan island have also been forced to
become Muslims. The Christians who have been made to convert to Islam should be evacuated
by the Indonesian authorities to a safe area where they can freely practise their Christian faith.
We urge this Commission to appoint a U.N Special Rapporteur on Indonesia and to put
pressure on the Indonesian government to evacuate to a place of safety those Christians forced
to convert to Islam as well as to remove members of the Laskar Jihad and other Islamic
militants from the Moluccas.
Burma
The systematic atrocities by the Burmese military against the Karen, Karenni and Shan
minorities continue, creating a massive humanitarian disaster.There are over 300,000 internally
displaced Karen, over 42,000 internally displaced Karenni and more than 300,000 internally
displaced Shan people inside Burma. Many of them are hiding from the Burmese military in the
jungle and are killed on sight when found. Those not killed by Burmese soldiers run the real
risk of dying from starvation or disease or from stepping on landmines. The Burmese military
have deliberately created conditions of widespread starvation which have already resulted in the
deaths of many internally displaced people.
The killing of the Karen, Karenni and Shan people by Burmese troops is frequent , widespread
and systematic and constitutes genocide. The atrocities include forced labour, forced portering,
extrajudicial executions, torture, rape, forced relocations, destruction of crops, food stores and
livestock. For example, on May 23rd last year Burmese troops from Infantry Battalion 246 led
by Captain Htun Aung, seized and shot dead 64 internally displaced Shan people, including
women and young children aged 7 and 4. This massacre occurred at a place between Sai Mon
village and Kun-Hing town in Kun-Hing township, Shan state.
On February 12th 2000, 20 Shan villagers who were conducting an annual religious rite at an
altar at Loi-maak-hin-taang were massacred by a column of Burmese troops from infantry
battalion 246, in Kun Pu tract, Kun-Hing township.
On January 11th this year, soldiers from Burmese Light Infantry Battalion 101, led by Major
Aung Myint Oo, arrived at the Karen village of Taket Lor in Tenasserim Township, Mergui
District and opened fire, wounding four Karen villagers. After that the soldiers captured a 20
year old woman, Naw Thay Satin. They took her to a house and raped her then stabbed her to
death. This is the same Burmese army unit which killed more than 22 Karen villagers in Mergui
District in July 1999.
These are just a few of the many atrocities being committed against the minority peoples of
Burma. There are repeated and deliberate violations of the laws of war by the Burmese military
whose abuse and killing of unarmed Karen, Karenni and Shan civilians amounts to a grave
breach of Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions which specifically prohibits the killing of
persons taking no active part in hostilities.
We urge this commission and all its member states to put strong pressure on Burma's military
regime to stop its atrocities against the Karen, Karenni and Shan people and to set up an
international commission of enquiry to investigate the allegations against Burma's military
regime of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Turkmenistan
The harsh crackdown by the government against Protestant Christians in Turkmenistan
continues unabated with widespread church closures, confiscation of church property,
detention of Christians and deportations of foreign Christians.
Imprisoned Turkmen Christian, Shageldy Atakov, is seriously ill and even close to death as a
result of severe mistreatment in the Seydy prison labour camp in northeastern Turkmenistan.
Shageldy Atakov has been badly beaten and is currently detained in a punishment cell. Atakov
was imprisoned on false swindling charges in an attempt to stop his active Christian work.
We urge this Commission to appoint a U.N Special Rapporteur on Turkmenistan and to put
pressure on the Turkmen government to stop its campaign of persecution against Protestant
Christians and to urgently release Shageldy Atakov from prison.
Turkey
Fr. Yusuf Akbulut, an Assyrian Christian priest in southeast Turkey, has been charged with
crimes against public order simply because he affirmed during a newspaper interview that the
1915 Turkish genocide against the Armenians and Assyrians had occurred. This incident took
place in early October last year. We urge the Turkish government to drop the charges against
Fr. Yusuf Akbulut.
Received via email from: "Iwanov T" <iwanov_t@yahoo.com>
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