We, the undersigned, join other voices from across Asia and the Pacific – and around the world – in calling upon the Government of Bangladesh to step up efforts to effectively address the horrific violence that has claimed the lives of several journalists, bloggers, academics, activists and other civilians who advocated for a secular, open, just and equitable society for all citizens — regardless of religion, ethnicity, sexuality or any other labels.
The latest victims of the carnage were the prominent LGBTI activists Xulnaz Mannan and Mahbub Rabbi Tonoy, both hacked to death by a group of assailants at Mannan’s home in Dhaka. So-called “Islamist” groups, including or linked to ISIS and Al-Qaeda, have claimed responsibility for these and previous attacks, but the facts surrounding many of these killings over the past year remain unclear.
The Bangladesh government has sworn to track down those responsible for Mannan and Rabbi’s murders. While we welcome that pledge, the international human rights organization Amnesty International has noted that “not a single person has been held to account” in the various killings so far.
In recent years, LGBTI activists in Bangladesh have sought to expand the space for dialogue and inclusivity for their communities even though they are criminalized by the country’s British-era penal code. These efforts in Bangladesh and other countries such as Indonesia have, on one hand, brought about acceptance and openness on some levels, but have also been met by an increasingly severe backlash as well from a range of actors including governments and religious institutions.
The escalating threats to civil liberties, including LGBTI rights, in so many places are all the more ironic – and dangerous – considering we are in the era of the Sustainable Development Goals that underpin the 2030 Agenda whose primary pledge is “to leave no one behind.”
How can we as a region, and indeed as a world, even begin to fulfil such a pledge if we do not collectively come together to address these threats that target our friends, families and fellow human beings? The rhetoric of the SDGs and 2030 Agenda will indeed ring hollow if we do not bring about genuine openness and understanding leading to an end to persecution and terror. Governments must be held accountable, but organizations such as ours, and each of us as individuals, must play our part as well.
Let us seize this opportunity then to bring about dialogue between governments and civil society, with the support of the United Nations, national, regional and global human rights networks and other facilitators, to tackle the mounting crises in Bangladesh and elsewhere
Together we call on the government of Bangladesh to bring justice and ensure that the rule of law is firmly in place and is implemented to provide safety to all citizens.
All individuals across Asia and the Pacific must not see these atrocities as isolated events, but must act in solidarity to uphold the rights of all human beings.
Ultimately, we must collectively work towards a world where enlightenment prevails, even as we vow never to forget the sacrifice that far too many have made to safeguard our shared humanity.
Signed By:
- Midnight Poonkasetwattana, Executive Director, APCOM
- Sattara Hattirat, Regional Coordinator, ILGA Asia
- Ryan Silverio, Regional Coordinator, ASEAN SOGIE Caucus
- Natt Kraipet, Network Coordinator, APTN
- Niluka Perera, Project Officer, Youth Voices Count
- Rima Ather, Coordinator, CSBR
- South Asian Human Rights Association of Marginalised Sexualities and Genders
Endorsed By The Following Organizations:
- Association of Transgender People in the Philippines (ATP), Philippines
- Blue Diamond Society, Nepal
- Central Initiative for Transgender, Young Gay, Lesbian Asylum Seekers (CITY GLASS), Kenya
- Consultation Centre of Aids Aid and Health Service, China
- EQUAL GROUND, Sri Lanka
- GAURAV, India
- GAYa NUSANTARA Foundation, Indonesia
- Haus of Khameleon, Fiji
- Health Options for Transgender (HOT GENDER), Tanzania
- Health Options for Transgender, Tanzania
- HIV YOUNG VOICES (Hi 5), Kenya
- Human Rights Working Group, Indonesia
- Human Rights- Youth Health Support Centre NGO, Mongolia
- I-Girl group, Việt Nam
- IDENTITY ETHIOPIA (ID ETHIOPIA), Ethiopia
- ILGA Oceania
- India HIV/AIDS Alliance, New Delhi, India
- Khwaja Sira Society, Pakistan
- LGBT Kiribati, Kiribati
- Life Gets Better Together (LGBT FOUNDATION), South Sudan
- Lighthouse club, Việt Nam
- NAZ Pakistan, Pakistan
- NGO Phoenix PLUS, Russia
- Oogachaga, Singapore
- Organization Intersex International-Chinese, Taiwan
- PinoyFTM (Filipino Trans Men), Philippines
- Project Mama, Rwanda
- QUEER ESCORT NETWORK (Quest Net), Madagascar
- Rainbow Pride Foundation Youth Wing, Fiji
- Safety Urban Network (SUN East Africa), Uganda and Kenya Chapter
- Samoa Faafafine Association, Samoa
- Sangama, India
- Sierra Leone Youth Coalition on HIV & AIDS, Sierra Leone
- SOMALI SOCIETY CARE (SSC), Somalia
- South Asian Human Rights Association for Marginalized Genders & Sexualities (SAHRA)
- SUNCITY AFRICA FOUNDATION, Kenya
- Taiwan Tongzhi (LGBT) Hotline Association, Taiwan
- Transgender Resource Center, Hong Kong
- Transgender Youth Revolving Fund (TRAY REFUND), Uganda
- Transmen Indonesia, Indonesia
- Transpiration Power, Thailand
- We are students club, Việt Nam
- Yourself Belize Movement, Belize
Endorsed By The Following Individuals:
- Abhina Aher, India
- Ahsan Ullah, Bangladesh
- AR Arcon, Philippines
- Idrissa A. Conteh, Sierra Leone
- Jake Oorloff, Sri Lanka
- Jofiliti Veikoso, Fiji
- Kemas Achmad Mujoko, Indonesia
- Masaki Inaba, Japan
- Nguyễn Đặng Duy Anh, Việt Nam
- Qasim Iqbal, Pakistan
- Raksak Kongseng Desaulniers, Thailand
- Sumit Pawar, India
- To’oto’oali’I Roger Stanley, Samoa
- Trung Tâm NT.LGBT, Việt Nam
- Tuisina Ymania Brown, Samoa
- Vaialia Iosua, Samoa
Media Contacts:
Midnight Poonkasetwattana, Executive Director, APCOM
[email protected], +66-85-360-5200 (Bangkok)
Sattara Hattirat, Regional Coordinator, ILGA Asia
[email protected], +66-82-339-5252 (Bangkok)
Ryan Silverio, Regional Coordinator, ASEAN SOGIE Caucus
[email protected], +63-917-879-7710 (Manila)
Natt Kraipet, Network Coordinator, APTN
[email protected].org, +66-82-653-3999 (Bangkok)
Niluka Perera, Project Officer, Youth Voices Count
[email protected], +66-94-835-1762 (Bangkok)
