May 2023
Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN)
ADVANCING THE RIGHTS OF REFUGEES IN THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION
Our News Briefs bring you the latest highlights from the advocacy efforts of APRRN and our members, as well as keeping you informed on upcoming events and activities.
We strive to provide regular updates on the network’s activities and developments in the refugee protection sphere, alongside the emerging political climate in the Asia Pacific region.
We welcome contributions from members! Please share your updates, information, or resources with Sharon at msco@aprrn.org.
From the Secretariat
8-10th May: Members of APRRN’s Steering Committee met with the Co-Secretary Generals and Board Members in Bangkok to plan the future direction of the network. The three-day meeting was built on recent consultations with the secretariat and Steering Committee towards the development of APRRN’s Strategic Plan for 2023 to 2027.
A first draft of the strategic plan will be open for member input over the coming months. The final strategy will be presented to the membership for adoption at our general assembly in September 2023 during the 9th Asia Pacific Consultation on Refugee Rights.
An update from APPRN’s new Co-Secretary Generals - Hafsar Tameesuddin and Klaus Dik Nielsen
‘We are very excited to have begun our new roles as Co-SGs with APRRN. This is the 7th week of our journey which we look forward to undertaking together with you – our members, our network, the Steering Committee and Board, the secretariat and external partners. We are still finding our feet and are exploring the best ways to carry out our collective leadership, and dividing our work in terms of shared and individual responsibilities.
It was a great opportunity to be able to meet, in person, some of the Steering Committee members in Bangkok recently, and we are committed to doing our best – including seeking your input and advice - to ensure that APRRN will have an impactful new 4-year strategy from September this year.
We will be sending a direct message via email to you in the next few weeks, with our shared and individual responsibilities, and a reflection on our journey so far.
In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us collectively or individually at sg.hafsar@aprrn.org and/or sg. klaus@aprrn.org.
21st May: Our Co-Secretary General Hafsar Tameesuddin delivered a speech regarding an immigration bill to amend the immigration act in Japan. Hafsar highlighted APRRN's recommendations from our recent statement to consider adopting an independent Refugee Act with a primary focus on protection and revising detention legislation consistent with international standards.
The preparations for the Asia Pacific UNHCR NGO Consultations are underway. APRRN is co-organising the consultations together with APNOR, ICVA and UNHCR. This year's consultations will kick off with two Side Sessions on “NGO collaboration on the Global Refugee Forum” (14 June) and “Partnership with UNHCR” (15 June). The main regional consultations will be held in mid-September in a hybrid format, including in-person meetings in Bangkok.
APRRN's secretariat and members are engaged in preparations for the Global Refugee Forum (GRF), representing the region on the NGO Reference Group on the GRF. APRRN members engaged with the Government of Japan, a co-convener of the GRF in December, proposing pledges and encouraging Japan to step up leadership for our region. APRRN is also involved in planning regarding the continuation of the Meaningful Refugee Participation pledge and Legal Aid / Pro-Bono pledge.
Working Group Updates
28th April and 3rd May: Following APRRN's participation in the consortium for the Forging Intersectional Feminist Futures project, we collaborated with the International Women's Rights Action Watch (IWRAW) to deliver an online workshop on 'Introduction to the Convention of the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)'. The workshop identified the core principles and concepts of CEDAW and recognised intersecting and cumulative rights of forced migration/refugees highlighted in the treaty. The workshop was attended by 25 participants from civil society organisations with Bangla and Thai translations provided.
9-10th May: The Rohingya Working Group issued a Statement ahead of the 42nd ASEAN Summit on 9-10 May urging ASEAN Leaders to establish a regional protection framework, and to include Rohingya in the Five-Point Consensus. The statement highlighted the dire conditions faced by Rohingya including World Food Programme’s additional funding cuts in camps in Bangladesh, rising xenophobia in Malaysia, and the increasing violence in Myanmar. The ASEAN Chairs Statement was released following the Summit.
12th May: In light of some of the recent events along the Thailand-Myanmar border, the APRRN Southeast Asia Working Group conducted an information-sharing session with APRRN member, Centre for Social Integrity (CSI). CSI is currently working with and supporting individuals in Mae Sot.
Member Spotlight!
APRRN is excited to welcome our newest member Branches of Hope! Established in 2012, Branches of Hope (BOH) is a registered charitable organization in Hong Kong supporting refugees and asylum seekers, survivors of human trafficking, and communities at-risk through their Refugee Opportunity and Development (ROAD) and Stop Trafficking of People (STOP) programmes.
The ROAD programme supports over 600 refugees and asylum seekers, mainly from the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia. The mission of ROAD is to equip, educate and empower individuals and families to become positive and contributing members of the community.
Advocacy Highlights
From our Members
10th May: Najeeba Wazefrost, Chair of the Refugee Leadership and Participation Working Group and Founder of the Asia Pacific Network of Refugees (APNOR), emphasised the strong role of the upcoming Global Refugee Forum II in creating long-term solutions for the Afghanistan crisis. The Support Platform for the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees is strategically placed to re-ignite regional support for displaced Afghans in and outside the country. To be more effective, adjustments are in progress to be more inclusive of NGOs and to centre refugee perspectives. Read more here.
16th May: Najeeba Wazefrost delivered a speech at an event hosted by Welcome Japan titled “Meaningful Participation: The World and Japan Today”. The event highlighted good practices and efforts inside and outside Japan when it comes to meaningful participation.
National Updates
Australia
18th May: The Albanese Labor Government has allocated $136 million in a span of four years, and $36 million continuously for torture and trauma services to help support refugees with their psychological issues from their traumatic experiences prior to arriving in Australia. The Program of Assistance for Survivors of Torture and Trauma (PASTT) provides personalised counselling, advocacy and referrals to health and other services. Read more here.
20th May: Two Afghan refugees, Mirwais Janbaz and Najma Ahmadi, together with Australian psychologist Najma Ahmadi, have launched a six-episode podcast Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, produced in Dari. The programme particularly targets the older generation of new arrivals, aiming to provide a vocabulary for mental health in their native language. Read more here.
Bangladesh
3rd May: On World Press Freedom Day, The Daily Star published an article on the transformation of media portrayal of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, from genocide victims to threats and burdens, often echoing government sentiments. Read more here.
Myanmar
14th May: Cyclone Mocha made landfall near Sittwe, Myanmar’s Rakhine State, affecting millions of people including the Rohingya community. While initial reports indicate the worst of the cyclone spared Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char, many families from refugee and host communities in Bangladesh were affected, and thousands of homes and facilities were destroyed. Further details are available in UNHCR RBAP’s situational report. The AHA Centre confirmed 145 deaths in Myanmar. A multi-sectoral Flash Appeal of US$333 million targeting 1.6 million people across five areas of Myanmar was launched by the UN on the 23rd of May to address needs in all communities affected by the cyclone and its aftermath.
Thailand
14th May: Kannavee Suebsang a member of the Coalition for the Rights of Refugees and Stateless (CRSP) has been elected to parliament and invited to join the coalition. It is hoped that his election to parliament could create a path for positive refugee policy. Read more here.
Regional Updates
11th May: APRRN attended the 3rd Quarterly Regional Rohingya Advocacy Forum in Bangkok participating in information exchange on the Global Refugee Forum, the Rohingya repatriation pilot and activation of the Bali Process Consultation Mechanism.
16-17th May: APRRN’s Co-Secretary General, Hafsar Tameesuddin and Rohingya Working Group Chair, Lilianne Fan attended the twelfth Asia Dialogue on Forced Migration (ADFM) in Jakarta 16 - 17 May. The Track 1.5 Dialogue between government officials think tanks, the UN and NGOs included discussions around regional responses to the Displacement of Rohingya men, women and children. Participants welcomed the organisers' decision to include Hafsar, a Rohingya with lived experience of forced displacement in the dialogue, in what was a first in the history of the dialogue.
18th May: A controversial Rohingya repatriation pilot initiated by the Governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar with support from China implemented a ‘Go-and-See Visit’ by 20 Rohingya representatives to Rakhine. Human rights organisations and APRRN members raised significant concerns over a lack of transparency in the process and the persisting bad conditions in Rakhine state. Chris Lewa, of the Arakan Project and Deputy Chair of APRRN’s Rohingya Working Group, stated that nothing had changed for the Rohingya in northern Rakhine since 2017 and that “There is no safety". The planned return of around 1,100 Rohingya has been delayed due to Cyclone Mocha. Five Rohingya refugees who were part of a go-and-see visit to Rakhine State earlier in May told Human Rights Watch that the detention-like conditions and lack of full citizenship rights were not conducive to a safe return.
Global Updates
17th May: The Second Formal Preparatory Meeting on the Global Refugee Forum (GRF) 2023, saw Japan commit to continued support of Health and Child Protection efforts and Australia announce a refugee adviser will be part of its GRF delegation, a practice that APRRN and its members are actively promoting to state delegations to the GRF. Read more here.
Reports & Publications
18th May: The Azadi Project and Refugees Internation al released the report: Shadow of Refuge: Rohingya Refugees in India which was the culmination of a joint research trip to Rohingya refugee settlements in Delhi and Hyderabad in February and March 2023 to assess the conditions and challenges facing Rohingya living in India. The report includes targeted recommendations and a short documentary film Displaced and Detained - Rohingya in India.
24th May: APRRN member, the International Detention Coalition (IDC), in collaboration with ADSP, released the report Impact of Prolonged Immigration Detention on Rohingya Families and Communities in Malaysia. The research focuses on how Rohingya families and communities have been impacted in the immediate and longer term by Malaysia’s harsh and indefinite immigration detention policies. It also provides strategic and relevant recommendations for increasing access to protection and services for Rohingya refugees in Malaysia, not least the need for Alternatives To Detention (ATD) and a refugee-survivor-centred approach in policies and responses at both national and regional levels, in line with international protection and human rights standards.
24th May: A new study, Understanding the current and potential contribution of Rohingya refugees to the Malaysian economy presents evidence collected by the Rohingya community to inform policy-making on issues related to Rohingya refugees’ work rights in Malaysia. It was conducted in collaboration between Rohingya-led community-based organisations (CBOs), and the Mixed Migration Centre (MMC). The study aims to contribute to a better understanding of Rohingya refugees’ existing livelihood strategies and challenges in Malaysia.
On the Radar
Fellowships & Scholarships
The University of Auckland’s Centre for Asia Pacific Refugee Studies (CAPRS) is pleased to announce the Call for Applications for the third cohort of their Non-Residential Fellowship programme. This programme provides financial and mentorship support to masters and PHD graduates to convert their existing completed research into high-impact policy papers/projects. This year, they will be offering up to four fellowships. Deadline: 30 June 2023
Each year, STARTTS holds the Humanitarian Awards to acknowledge and thank the people who have made an exceptional positive contribution towards refugee issues in NSW. Individuals and organisations in various fields who are doing outstanding work to support refugees are eligible for the Awards. Deadline for nominations: 16th June 2023.
The Cookbook for Youth-Led Accountability captures and shares learning about how to design and run a youth-led accountability initiative. It is based on TDA research, evidence and learning and is intended for use by practitioners. It boils down to learning about the key ingredients for youth-led accountability, and how they can be combined into practical recipes. Read more here.
Funding Opportunities
The UNHCR Refugee-led Innovation Fund is open to applications from registered and unregistered refugee-led organisations in all countries. In the first stage, organisations should submit a brief expression of interest summarising the challenge and solution. Projects can be led by one organisation or several and should start in January 2024. Maximum Grant: $45,000 USD. Deadline: 30 June 2023.
Thailand
Minority Rights Group is seeking proposals for innovative local projects that work toward supporting the rights of minority or marginalised persons to mobilise their communities to facilitate engagement in processes of peacebuilding in Thailand's Southern Border Provinces. Projects can start from 1 July 2023 onwards and last 6 - 18 months. Amount: 5,000 EUR – 25,000 EUR. Deadline: 18 June 2023.
Training
OHCHR is accepting applications from Thai human rights defenders to attend a "Human Rights Defenders" Programme in Nonthaburi Province, Thailand. Training will take place from 3-6 July and 16-19 October 2023. Participation costs are covered. Applicants working on refugee and migrant rights are eligible to apply. Deadline: 2 June 2023.
The Building for Peace Scholarship invites young leaders supporting refugee communities to apply to participate in the upcoming One Young World Summit 2023 in Belfast, UK, as part of Holcim’s global delegation. Participation costs to the summit in October 2023 will be provided. Deadline: 7 June 2023
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