Facilitators, resource persons and moderators of day 1meeting at 7:00 – 09:00pm

Venue: to be announced later

• Rapporteur of the day: Mr. Adrian Heok, Think Center (Singapore)
• Facilitator of the day: Ms. Yuyun Wahyuningrum, East Asia Program Manager, FORUM-ASIA

The aim of this session is to introduce participants, documents and the program for the three days gathering. This session also serves as objective setting and a venue to review the implementation of 1^st EAHRF action plan. 

Welcome Remarks (20 minutes)

• Ms. Urantsooj Gombosuren, Executive Committee Member of FORUM-ASIA
• Mr. Chia-Fan Lin, Chairperson, Taiwan Association for Human Rights (TAHR)

Introduction and Objective of the Forum (15 minutes)

• Mr. Yap Swee Seng, Executive Director of FORUM-ASIA

Reviewing the Implementation of 1^st EAHRF’s action plan (10 minutes)

• Ms. Yuyun Wahyuningrum, East Asia Program Manager, FORUM-ASIA

Moderator: Ms. Chi-Hsun Tsai, Secretary General, TAHR

This session particularly looks at the current situation of democratic rights such as freedom of opinions, expression, association, and assembly as stipulated in Article 19 of the ICCPR and UDHR as one of paramount importance elements in any democratic society and in the transition to democracy in East Asia countries.

While, freedom of opinion is absolute, freedom of expression is unfettered. Paragraph 3 of the Article 19 provides such restrictions for the purpose of – a) respect of the rights or reputations of others; and b) the protection of national security or of public order or of public health or morals. States in East Asia countries have been making different interpretation of the Article 19 for the purpose of maintaining national security and public order through different ways, including enacting the laws. Moreover, there is no accountability mechanism in place or the remedies for victims.

The main purpose of this session is to identify and provide a description on –

1. The way democracy rights had been violated,
2. The targets, victims and vulnerable groups of the rights (gender, age, ethnic, class, status),
3. The actors from security forces and its challenges,
4. Legislation guarantee of the freedom of expression and speech in constitution
5. Existing judicial and administrative remedies exist in the country,
6. Existing draft bill or laws (such as National Security Act, Lese Majeste Act, NGO Laws, State Secrecy Act etc) that have been used or to be used to justify restriction of the freedom of opinion, expression, association, and assembly,
7. Existing responses from government and civil society to date.

The analysis shall cover issues, opportunities, obstacles and challenges that faced by human rights defenders and organizations to promote and protect democracy rights and dealing with state actors (or non-state actors). Please see background note on what security actors entail. 

Country Presentation #1:

• Indonesia, Ms. Poengky Indarti, Imparsial (15 minutes)
• Philippines, PAHRA/TFDP/TK? (15 minutes)
• South Korea, KHIS/PSPD? (15 minutes)
• Taiwan, Dr. Ching-Yi Liu, TAHR, Taiwan (15 minutes)
• Japan, Mr. Atsushi Yasitomi (15 minutes)

Questions and Answer (15 minutes)

Moderator: Mr. Aung Myo Min, HREIB, Burma-border

Country Presentation #2:

• Malaysia by Mr. Tah Moon Hui, SUARAM (15 minutes),
• Mongolia by CHRD/Globe International (15 minutes)
• Thailand by People’s Empowerment (15 minutes)
• Timor Leste by Mr. Luis de Oliveira Sampaio, JSMP (15 minutes)

Questions and Answers (15 minutes)

Moderator: Mr. Vanda Nay, ADHOC, Cambodia

Country Presentation #3

• Burma by Mr. Aung Myo Min, HREIB (15 minutes)
• Cambodia by Mr. Vanda Nay, ADHOC (15 minutes)
• Singapore (15 minutes)
• Tibet (15 minutes)

Questions and Answers (15 minutes)

Moderator: PSPD

The great concern in the process of democratization is that the behavior and the use of intimidating tactics by security actors such as the national army and police forces. In fact, military and police forces are the one who deal with human rights defenders and organizations when they exercise their democratic rights. Military and police forces are often the perpetrator of serious human rights violation. Nevertheless, their role in society to uphold human rights is very important. Therefore it is important to reform security sectors to be more consistent to the democratic norms and to the principles of good governance. 

This session aims to provide a critical understanding on the connection of human rights and security reform in the context of democratization process in East Asia countries. The speakers will elaborate more on the argument of advantages of taking security sectors perspective to improve the accountability of security actors’ in order to minimize police brutality, end impunity, eradicate corruption and deal with terrorism issues. 

The session also will describe the coverage of security reform, its process and principles of security reform to include: a) people-centered, locally owned and based on democratic norms and human rights principles and the rule of law, b) as a framework to structure thinking to address diverse security challenges, c) underlying the principle of transparency and accountability, d) enhance the institutional and human capacity. 

Speakers: 

Civil society involvement to strengthen the democratization process

• Dr. Ching-Yi Liu, TAHR, Taiwan (20 minutes)

Scope of rights and key political and policy choices in security sector reform in the process of democratization (Why is it important to improve the situation of human rights through reforming the security sector and how? What security sector reform entails and coverage?)

• Dr. Francis D. Lee, ARENA, South Korea (20 minutes)

National Security Policy Making and Non-State Actors

• Mr. Mufti Makaarim, Executive Director, IDSPS, Indonesia (20 minutes)

Discrimination and Gender perspective of the security reforms

• Ms. Antarini Arna, INFID (20 minutes)

Questions and Answers (20 minutes)

Moderator: Ms. Urantsooj Gombosuren, Executive Committee Member of FORUM-ASIA, Mongolia

Protect Human rights and Human Rights Defenders  

Security sector reform must deal with effectiveness in the provision of security (capacity, efficiency) and the effectiveness of oversight in the security sector (accountability, transparency, control, responsiveness) in promoting and protecting human rights. 

This purpose of this session is to provide a venue to discuss – a) the importance of reforming security sectors for the work of human rights defenders and organizations, and b) the urgency of monitoring the accountability and effectiveness of the security actors in their role to promote and protect human rights. 

Speakers: 

International standards and general rules of the security sector reforms and human rights

• (15 minutes)

The Accountability and Effectiveness of Security Actors to uphold human rights

• Poengky Indarti, Imparsial, Indonesia (20 minutes)

Assessment, Monitoring and Evaluation of Security Reforms

• Dr. Francis D. Lee, ARENA, South Korea (15 minutes)

Redress mechanism for victims

• Ms. Indria Fernida, KONTRAS, Indonesia (15 minutes)

Questions and Answers (30 minutes)

Moderator: TAHR

Restaurant (address) + Film on Taiwan’s democratic movement

• Rapporteur of the day: Mr. Renato Mabunga, Secretary-General, PAHRA, Philippines
• Facilitator of the day: Mr. Han Tsou, TAHR

Although the term of security sector reform is still alien to East Asia countries, but he concerns are not. In many countries the reform activities are found without defining them as such. Civil society has been playing significant roles to monitor the reform. Obviously the extent of civil society role to the reform varies according to country and depends upon the sociopolitical context and the nature of democracy on the country.  

This session aims to share experiences, lesson learnt and best practices of civil society activism to the process of reforming the security sectors in the countries of Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia. It also provides insights on what security reform got to do with ensuring the promotion of democratic rights along with its gaps and challenges. It is also necessary to map out the opportunities and allies for civil society to work hand in hand to ensure the promotion of democratic rights as one of the best practices. 

Speakers: 

Experiences of civil society involvement in security reforms in Southeast Asia

• Mr. Mufti Makaarim, Executive Director, IDSPS, Indonesia (15 minutes)

Experiences of civil society involvement in security reforms in Northeast Asia

• Dr. Atsushi Yasutomi, Japan (15 minutes)

Engaging parliaments & Building Allies to promote security reform and human rights

• Mr. Rafendi Djamin, Coordinator, HRWG, Indonesia (15 minutes)

Media and Security Sectors

• Ms. Marina Caparini (15 minutes)

Questions and Answers (20 minutes)

Moderator: Mr. Tah Moon Hui, SUARAM, Malaysia

The main objective of this session is to map out the existing processes both in inter-governments and civil society for the purpose of influencing the discourse and set the agenda of ensuring the promotion and protection human rights through reforming security sectors. 

International Processes: International Conference on New or Restored Democracies (ICNRD) and International Civil Society Forum for Democracy (ICSFD)

• (20 minutes)

NEA-related Forums

• Mr. Bo Tedards, Director of International Cooperation from Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (20 minutes)

ASEAN Regional Forum and ASEAN Political Security Pillar, ASEAN Parliament of Freedom of Expression

• Ms. Yuyun Wahyuningrum, East Asia Program Manager, FORUM-ASIA (20 minutes)

Government and civil society processes in Asia - Bali Democracy Forum, WFDA,

• Mr. Rafendi Djamin, Coordinator, HRWG, Indonesia (20 minutes)

Questions and Answers (30 minutes)

Moderator: Ms. Sheila de Leon, Tanggol Kalikasan, Philippines

Group Discussion (3 groups) 

This session, participants will be divided into three groups based on the 1^st day country presentation. It allows participants to share their reflection after one and half day workshop and come up with suggestions for plan of actions. 

Guided Questions:

• Given the previous discussion on democracy, human rights and security sector reform, what issues that become our common concern in the region? (national security act, freedom of expression, police brutality, etc)
• What situation we want to see in the future when we pay efforts to address the issue?
• What is needed for human rights organizations in East Asia to work more effectively to address the concern?
• In what ways FA members support each other more effectively at a national and regional level for the said purpose?
• How can FA support members in addressing their gaps and concerns at a national, regional and international level?
• How FA members can maximize the existing intergovernmental and civil society process for the said purpose?

Facilitator: Ms. Tsai Chi-Hsun, Secretary General, TAHR

Group#1 – 10 minutes

Group#2 – 10 minutes

Group#3 – 10 minutes

Questions and Answers (10 minutes) 

Discussion(20 minutes)

Moderator: Mr. Emmanuel Amistad, TFDP (Philippines)

Facilitator: Mr. Yap Swee Seng, Executive Director, FORUM-ASIA

• Facilitator of the day: Ms. Gayoon Baek, East Asia Program Officer, FORUM-ASIA

• Mr. Renato Mabunga, Secretary-General, PAHRA, Philippines

• Ms. Yuyun Wahyuningrum, East Asia Program Manager, FORUM-ASIA

• Mr. Yap Swee Seng, Executive Director, FORUM-ASIA

• Ms. Keira Yeh, Campaign and Advocacy Program Director, TAHR
• Ms. Gayoon Baek, East Asia Program Officer, FORUM-ASIA

Organizer: Mr. Han Tsou, TAHR

Speakers:

• Mr. Yap Swee Seng, Executive Director, FORUM-ASIA
• Mr. Chia-Fan Lin, Chairperson, Taiwan Association for Human Rights (TAHR)
• Rep from SEA?

Organizer: Mr. Han Tsou, TAHR

Closing Remarks

• Mr. Arief Patra M. Zein, Executive Committee Member, FORUM-ASIA
• Mr. Chia-Fan Lin, Chairperson, Taiwan Association for Human Rights (TAHR)