Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances
(AFAD)
Latin American Federation of Associations of Relatives
of Disappeared - Detainees (FEDEFAM)
25 November 2009, Dili, East Timor
"Every family in my country has someone
disappeared. I myself have two brothers who
disappeared." These were words of Nobel Peace
Prize Laureate and Timor-Leste President Jose
Ramos-Horta in a meeting yesterday with the Asian
Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD)
whose local member is HAK Association.
The president made a clear commitment that he would
undertake all efforts to sign and ratify the
International Convention for the Protection of All
Persons from Enforced Disappearance before the end
of 2009. He noted that had he been alerted earlier,
the government of Timor-Leste could have already been a
state party.
The team, which included a representative from the Latin
American Federation of Associations of Relatives of
Disappeared - Detainees (FEDEFAM), asked the
President to facilitate that Timor-Leste be one of the
first 20 countries to ratify the international treaty
which provides the right to truth and the right not to
be subjected to enforced disappearances.
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If realized, the ratification [of the treaty
by] East Timor will go a long way towards
helping the victims of conflict who continue to
cry for truth, justice, reparation and the
reconstruction of their historical memory.
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The AFAD Chairperson, Mugiyanto said
that the Indonesian and the Timor-Leste- governments
established a Truth and Friendship Commission. The joint
commission, which recommends the establishment of a
Commission on Disappearances, would be guided by the
treaty, if ratified.
Khurram Parvez of the AFAD member-organization in the
disputed state of Jammu and Kashmir greeted President
Ramos-Horta with admiration as the latter is considered
by the Kashmiri people who are fighting for
independence, as an icon. Looking up to President.
Ramos-Horta as exemplary world leader, Parvez appealed
to the president to ratify the international treaty and
for the president to appeal to other Nobel Peace
Laureates and other Asian heads of states to endorse the
treaty criminalizing enforced disappearances. President
Ramos-Horta assured that he would write to other heads
of states and Nobel Peace Prize winners.
To date, the Convention has been
signed by more than 80 governments and 16 have ratified
the treaty. To enter into force, it needs 4 more
ratifications. If Timor-Leste is a party to this
Convention within this year, it will mark history to be
one of the first 20 countries to ratify it.
If realized, the ratification of East Timor will go a
long way towards helping the victims of conflict who
continue to cry for truth, justice, reparation and the
reconstruction of their historical memory.
The delegation is composed of Mugiyanto (IKOHI-Indonesia),
Mary Aileen D. Bacalso (Secretary-General, Philippines),
Khurram Parvez (APDP-Kashmir); Rosanna Santos Contreras
(Philippines); Ruth Llanos vda. de Navarro (FEDEFAM-Bolivia).
AFAD is a regional federation of human rights
organizations working directly on the issue of enforced
disappearances with nine members from seven Asian
countries.