PASAY CITY–Temporary Representative of the Philippines to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) and Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for European Affairs Jaime Victor B. Ledda urged the ASEAN human rights body to discuss developments on human rights in the region at the Special Meeting of the AICHR 01/2021 held from 12 to 13 and 26 July 2021 via video conference.
“Developments on the promotion and protection of human rights in the region should be discussed regularly during AICHR Meetings, to strengthen AICHR as a platform for candid and productive discourse on human rights concerns,” emphasized Assistant Secretary Ledda.
The Philippines underscored how AICHR, as the overarching human rights body of ASEAN, should pave the way to a more open, honest, and friendly discussion on current human rights developments that affect ASEAN as a family of nations; and shared the recently launched United Nations Joint Program (UNJP) on Human Rights as part of Philippines’ efforts of promoting the fundamental rights and freedoms of Filipinos.
The UNJP is a substantive and forward-looking program that seeks to further strengthen the capacity of national institutions and stakeholders to promote and protect human rights, and strengthen Philippines’ compliance with its international human rights obligations in a spirit of partnership, trust-building, and constructive engagement.
AICHR Representatives of ASEAN Member States provided updates on their respective efforts in upholding and protecting the rights of ASEAN peoples, especially the vulnerable groups such as children, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and migrant workers.
AICHR Representatives are scheduled to meet with the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) at the annual AMM-AICHR Interface next month.
Source: Republic of Philippines Department Of Foreign Affairs
The Police is investigating a 39-year-old man for his suspected involvement in a Computer Misuse Act offence, where he allegedly wrongfully gained access into his former employer’s computer system and deleted its records.
On 29 July 2021, the Police received a report from a representative of a local courier services company, informing that someone had purportedly illegally accessed their company’s server and deleted 190 digital records, resulting in the company not being able to fulfil their customers’ orders.
Through follow-up investigations, officers from Woodlands Police Division established the identity of the man on 30 July 2021, within 24 hours of the report lodged. A laptop which was used in the commission of the offence was seized.
The man is assisting with Police investigations. The offence of unauthorised modification of computer material under Section 5(1) of the Computer Misuse Act carries an imprisonment term of up to three years, a fine not exceeding $10,000, or both. Individuals also face a fine not exceeding $20,000, imprisonment not exceeding five years, or both, for the second or subsequent conviction.
The Police would like to alert the members of the public to the re-emergence of a variant of Government Officials Impersonation Scam (GOIS), where scammers allegedly posed as officers from the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and presented a fake SPF warrant card. Between January to July 2021, there were 16 victims cheated of such scams. The largest sum cheated in a single case during this period was $1.7 million.
In this variant, the victims had received unsolicited robocalls who claimed to be from the Singapore High Court. These calls were supposedly transferred to a “police officer”, who informed the victims that they were being investigated for money-laundering activities. The victims were instructed to download the “LINE” or WhatsApp messaging platform for further communication with the “police officer”. The victims would then purportedly be shown a fake SPF warrant card and a fake letter indicating that the victims were under investigation. For LINE, the victims would also be added into a chat group named ‘Reporting Platform’. The victims would then be instructed to surrender their monies for investigations by making transfers to various bank accounts controlled by the scammers. The victims were allegedly promised that the money transferred to these bank accounts would be returned to them upon completion of investigations. The victims only discovered that they had been scammed when the scammer requested for further fund transfer(s) and failed to return the earlier transfers.
The Police would like to emphasise that the Police will not instruct members of the public to transfer money to designated bank accounts for investigations. Police officers will also not identify themselves with the SPF warrant card on online platforms.
The public is advised to take the following precautions when they receive unsolicited robocalls to surrender money or banking credentials to others in order to avoid criminal investigations:
Ignore such robocalls and the caller’s instructions. No local government agency will contact the members of public using robocalls;
No local government agency will demand payment through an undocumented medium like a telephone call or other social messaging platforms, demand that you surrender cash to unnamed persons, or ask you for personal banking information such as your internet banking passwords;
For foreign residents receiving calls from persons claiming to be Police officers or government officials from your home country, please call your Embassy/High Commission to verify the claims of the caller;
Refrain from giving out personal information and bank details, whether on a website or to callers over the phone. Personal information and bank details such as internet bank account usernames and passwords, or One-Time Password (OTP) codes from tokens, are useful to criminals. Do not make any fund transfer(s) at the behest of such callers;
Call a trusted friend or talk to a relative before you act. Do not be pressured by the caller to act impulsively; and
If in doubt, call ‘999’ or approach a police office at the Neighbourhood Police Centre near you.
If you have information related to such cases, please call the Police hotline at 1800-255-0000, or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. Please dial ‘999’ if you require urgent Police assistance.
For scam-related advice, please call the National Crime Prevention Council’s Anti-Scam Hotline at 1800-722-6688 or visit www.scamalert.sg. Join the ‘Spot the Signs. Stop the Crimes’ campaign at www.scamalert.sg/fight by signing up as an advocate to receive up-to-date messages and share them with your family and friends. Together, we can help stop scams and prevent our loved ones from becoming the next victim.
The Police are appealing for the next-of-kin of 75-year-old Mr Lim Cheng Siang to come forward.
Mr Lim, a former resident of Bright Hill Evergreen Home, had passed away on 26 July 2021.
Anyone with information is requested to call the Police hotline at 1800–255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. All information will be kept strictly confidential.
The Police have arrested a 25-year-old man for his suspected involvement in a case of possession of offensive weapons and mischief.
On 2 August 2021, the Police received information that a man had cut down Singapore national flags displayed in the vicinity of Punggol Walk. Officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division swiftly responded to the incident and detained the man. The man was purportedly found in possession of a pair of scissors and a knife. Preliminary investigations revealed that the man had allegedly damaged multiple Singapore national flags and decorative banners displayed in the vicinity of Punggol Field, Punggol Central and Punggol Walk.
The man will be charged in court on 3 August 2021 for possession of offensive weapons under Section 6(1) of the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act and mischief under Section 426 of the Penal Code. The offence of possession of offensive weapon carries an imprisonment term of up to 3 years, and caning of not less than 6 strokes. The offence of mischief carries an imprisonment term of up to 2 years, a fine, or both.
Myanmar’s junta chief Sr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing on Sunday declared himself prime minister in a newly formed “caretaker government” and extended military rule through 2023, state media reported on Sunday, six months after he led a coup that ousted the civilian government.
In a state television statement and a speech by Min Aung Hlaing, the military regime extended army control over the country of 54 million people to two-and-a-half years, more than double the one-year emergency the junta announced days after it seized power from Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government on Feb. 1.
“In order to perform the country’s duties fast, easily and effectively, the state administration council has been re-formed as caretaker government of Myanmar,” a state-run Myawaddy TVpresenter said.
State media quoted Min Aung Hlaing as saying “We will accomplish the provisions of the state of emergency by August 2023,” 18 months after the coup announcement had said democracy would be restored.
“I guarantee the establishment of a union based on democracy and federalism,” he added.
Protesters make the three-finger salute beside a banner featuring junta leader Min Aung Hlaing in a demonstration against the military junta in Yangon, July 3, 2021. Credit: AFP
The general also said his administration was ready to work with the representative to be named by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The 10-nation bloc is expected to finalize a special envoy to deal with the crisis at a virtual meeting this week.
The announcement came exactly six months after the army seized power, alleging that Aun San Su Kyi’s landslide re-election victory in the country’s November 2020 election was the result of extensive voter fraud.
The junta, which has yet to produce evidence of its claims, on July 26 annulled the results of the 2020 election, drawing condemnation from political parties who condemned the move as illegal and said they will not honor it.
Analysts questioned the constitutionality of the newest move by a military regime that has presided over widespread violence and death, and is accused of mishandling the country’s worst COVID-19 outbreak.
“It has been six months since the military coup and they are yet to bring stability in the country,” said Than Soe Naing, a political analyst.
“What’s more, everything in the country is going down in all aspects. In their own words, Myanmar is ‘on the verge of falling off a cliff.’”
Min Lwin Oo, a Norway based Human Rights lawyer, told RFA the new arrangement announced on Sunday “is a violation of the Constitution” that was reminiscent of moves army generals took in 1958 when they “abolished everything and formed a new government.”
“There is no provision for forming a caretaker government in the Constitution,” he added.
The junta has violently suppressed mass protests against army rule, arresting at least 5,444 people and killing 940, according to the Bangkok-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.
Armed resistance by local People’s Defense Forces in urban and rural areas have killed hundreds of soldiers and police, according to the local fighters and citizen journalist reports.
The coup also dealt a serious blow to efforts to control the spread of COVID-19 in the country, whose healthcare system on the brink of collapse due to a poorly managed third wave of the coronavirus. The number of COVID-19 infections rose Sunday to 299,000, with at least 9,334 deaths.
“Judging by the speech Min Aung Hlaing gave today, the military council has upgraded itself as a civilian administration. This action serves as a road map for a delayed power transfer,” said Aung Myo Min, a human rights activist.
“They intend to remain as a government for some time and make the people adapt to the new normal under their rule. They will gradually move toward legalizing themselves as a legitimate government,” he told RFA.
“The other reason they changed themselves to a civilian government is to gain international recognition. They definitely want international recognition,” added Aung Myo Min.
“But they underestimate the truth that changing the appearance or name will not change the people’s opinions nor international legal actions,” he said.
Reported by San San Tin and Nayrein Kyaw forRFA’s Myanmar Service. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung and Khet Mar. Written in English by Paul Eckert.
