Message for Mr. Adilur Khan, AFAD Council Member By Angkhana Neelaphaijit, AFAD Council Member, Chairperson of Justice for Peace Foundation First and foremost, on behalf of the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD), I would like to thank Forum Asia for hosting this well-deserved dinner for Mr. Adilur Rahman Khan, AFAD Council member representing Odhikar in Bangladesh. I have just recently met Adil a couple of weeks ago in a conference on Psychosocial Support in the Search for Truth and Justice for Victims of Enforced Disappearances, Torture and Extrajudicial Execution held in Manila. It was the first time that I personally met him after we heard about his arrest, detention and continuing persecution in Bangladesh. In the conference, Adil was also introduced as one of our Council members and an honored recipient of the prestigious well-deserved awards, such as the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights from the 18 May Foundation; the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award and the human rights award from the International Bar Association (IBA). When the AFAD member-organizations heard about Adil’s arrest and detention, we were so worried of possible torture, prolonged detention and even risk of enforced disappearance. We were so revolted of the persecution by the government not only against the person of Adil, but also against his organization and his colleagues. We had to respond without further delay, using whatever resources we had, albeit limited, in order to tell the government of Bangladesh that Adil has our collective support. It was important for the government to know that no violation would be left unknown because, in neighboring and distant parts of the world. Adil has friends in the same struggle - friends who would never allow any harm to happen to him and his colleagues. As all of us concerned know, the condition of human rights defenders has been getting worse, with greater risks within restricting environment not only in Bangladesh but in many parts of the region and elsewhere in the world. In Thailand since 1995, 36 human rights defenders, women human rights defenders, journalists and community leaders were killed and disappeared without serious investigation by the State and impunity still remains in our country. Now a lot of human rights defenders, their relatives, colleagues and friends continue to suffer harassment and threats and face impending closure. The international human rights awards Adil has received and still has to receive manifest the correctness of the struggle for the transformation of the Bangladeshi society and the fight for human rights, which do not exist in the country. These awards contradict all the malicious accusations of the government against the person of Adil. These awards also serve as an important source of international protection from violations that the government of Bangladesh is capable of committing not only against Adil, but also against his organization and the lives of the people that he is serving. Moreover, these awards give honor to Adil, his family and to all of us, his bigger family. We take this opportunity to thank you very much, Adil for the work you are doing in your country – for championing the cause of the poor and the downtrodden; for linking arms with my co-families of the disappeared and for opposing all anti-people policies of a government that professes to be pro-human rights yet ironically violates these. As we express our warm gratitude for your solidarity with us, your co AFAD members, we salute you for your steadfastness and perseverance as we continue our common journey for a world without disappeared people. Long is the road to truth and justice. Difficult are the obstacles that we encounter in our dream for a world without disappeared people. Yet we are certain that a world where human rights are fully respected is possible. In the name of AFAD, I express our heartfelt congratulations to you and to Odhikar for strongly resisting against human rights violations amidst intense repression. We salute you for your courage amidst persecution. In as much as we thank you for your warm solidarity, we continue to forge our collective solidarity because by the strength of this solidarity, we shall overcome.
Posted on: Wed, 06 Aug 2014 01:20:01 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015