Human Rights Online Philippines

Asia Alliance Against Torture
http://antitortureasia.org/

Asia has high diversity on ethnicity, religion, and economic strata. These facts have been used by many authorities to compromised the violence for the one single order, despite maintaining the diversity. To this end, torture and other form of violence took place in many situations in Asia. The practice of torture has a long historical record. Many entities have been working to combat torture, such as survivor organizations, advocates, NGOs or even politician. However, none of them have been working specifically to combat torture in Asia region thoroughly.

Regardless campaign and legal challenges are raising widely; conscience is improving to minimize the practice of torture in Asia among the states. Many of them are abide or take parties to international standard which contained the prohibition of torture, such as

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, International Convention Against Torture, International Convention on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, and many more. Below is the list of the countries in Asia who
already ratified the Convention Against Torture.

The challenges are the implementation, either at the national level and at the international level to provide the report to the Committee Against Torture (CAT) as part of the ratification the CAT. At the national level, some of advocate, have indicated from their works that practice of torture deeply still took places with in the Asia countries. To this matter, since 2015, with the support of Open Society
Foundation, hold 3 rounds of discussions in Bali (Indonesia) and Kathmandu (Nepal) to discuss and checks the how torture happens and faced especially from the strategic litigation point of view. Torture is an issue that lacks public knowledge and needs to come

to the fore on the human rights agenda. This issue also needs to be socialized within the community so people are aware of its occurrence, the rights of individuals and the responsibilities of states in the face of this most heinous of human rights abuse.

In this context, solidarity is very important for and among victims, human rights defenders and the organizations they work for. Human rights defenders and the organizations are coming under significant pressure and work in dangerous and threatening environments. It is therefore important that support is provided in the form of having networks with others.

Upon the situation above, various NGOs from the Asia region initiated to build a coalition to combat torture specifically amongst the Asia countries. Asia Alliance Against Torture can have a positive impact on addressing thematic priorities of UN mechanisms, better leverage for UN advocacy level, also the fact finding mission and making a joint report would be very good for the network.

Visit  Asia Alliance Against Torture @http://antitortureasia.org/

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