Destination Justice, a key human rights organization in the region, released it recent report titled “Revealing the Rainbow: The human rights situation of Southeast Asia’s LGBTIQ communities and their defenders”. This report, which covers eleven countries in the region, narrates the strategies done by LGBTIQ human rights defenders in engaging the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). It provides baseline information on LGBTIQ related recommendations generated from the UPR.
“This Report aims to foster dialogue to improve the human rights situation of Southeast Asia’s LGBTIQ communities and their defenders. In particular, it hopes to empower civil society organizations (CSOs) and UN Member States to fully capitalize on the UPR process as a means through which such improvements may be achieved," says Celine Martin, Technical Advisor of Destination Justice and a key author of the report. She added that the report is one step towards strengthening capacities of local LGBTIQ human rights defenders to work around the UPR. Celine added, “in the next future, we will continue to technically advice the LGBTIQ community in Cambodia by providing research and assistance with advocacy at the national and international levels, especially during the UPR next circle.”
Ryan Silverio, Regional Coordinator of ASEAN SOGIE Caucus, emphasized the need for local LGBTIQ activists to engage in the UPR to fill in the void left behind by ASEAN human rights mechanisms. “ASEAN human rights mechanisms are very weak. They do not even have a mechanism to monitor and assess the human rights situation in each member state. More so, they are allergic to even tackle sensitive issues like those on SOGIESC,” Ryan added.
You may download the report here.
