Myanmar Democracy Index is the second lowest in the world

According to a survey of 167 countries around the world, Myanmar's democracy index is 166, according to Economics Magazine's 2022 Democracy Index on February 9. For the second year in a row, the index is at 166, and below Myanmar is Afghanistan at 2021.

By 2020, the year before the 2021 military coup, Burma was not among the top five countries that did not meet democratic standards, with North Korea last at 165 for the second year in a row.

The index measures whether or not there is an election; peaceful coexistence; Operation of government machinery; Participation in politics; It is defined by the five principles of democratic political culture and civil liberties.

According to the survey, more than a third of the world's population is under authoritarian rule, with 6.4% enjoying full democracy.

Norway has the highest level of democracy in the world, followed by Taiwan at 8 in Asia. South Korea has 16 and Japan has 17. Burma's neighbors, Thailand, have an index of 72; India 46; China is at 148.

Burma held elections in 2020 but has lost the opportunity to live together peacefully since a military coup in 2021 on alleged voter fraud.

Since the military coup, the military junta has been unable to function properly, and there has been instability in existing ethnic armed conflict areas as well as areas where strong PDF militia groups are strong.

The emergence of people's administrations also affected the inability of the military council to function.

In Chin State, villages except Mindat are now managed by the Mindat Township People's Administration, according to the secretary.

"The impact on our administration is about 95 percent," he said. Except for Mindat. All other rural areas can be considered as administrative areas. In Mindat, there is a military council mechanism. But in some cases, we have to manage from this side. There is also a treatment center for health. We are trying to make public health services available to the rest of the country. The same is true of education. We can open schools in almost all townships. ”

Political participation, which falls under the five criteria set by the Democracy Index, has been lost since the military coup, and the other two, a democratic political culture and civil liberties, have faded.

A year after the military coup, the army's three-pronged ability to mobilize failed. Administrative capacity does not cover all areas. Air strikes are possible despite the use of heavy artillery in combat capability.

"The impact on our administration is about 95 percent," he said. Except for Mindat. ”

Sai Tun Aung Lwin, a political analyst, said that in the past, it was not easy to fight with heavy artillery, but it was possible to do so because artillery shells could be produced locally.

The market economy opened after a violent coup d'état overthrew the mass uprising.

Analysts say democratization will fall as the military and its leaders expand their economic empire, strengthen the military finances and stockpile more weapons.

Launched NKDB Human Rights Violation Support Center… “Expectation for a judicial role in violation of human rights in North Korea”

Anchor : The Human Rights Violation Support Center under the North Korean Human Rights Information Center was officially launched on the 16th to provide legal support for human rights violations experienced by North Korean defectors , POWs , and abductees .

Reporter Mok Yong-jae reports from Seoul .

From the 16th , the Human Rights Violation Support Center under the North Korean Human Rights Information Center (NKDB) , which consists of public interest lawyers in South Korea and North Korean human rights experts, will provide legal support for human rights and rights violations experienced by North Korean defectors , POWs , and abductees.

Yoon Seung-hyeon, the first NKDB Human Rights Violation Support Center Director, announced at the inauguration ceremony, “ We will do our best to treat our North Korean compatriots in a way that is not ashamed of the demands of the times for improvement of North Korean human rights . ”

Seung- hyeon Yun, Director of the NKDB Human Rights Violation Support Center : Our center can become a beacon of hope and protect the lives of North Korean defectors in South Korea ( China ) who are overcoming a difficult life away from their hometown, and North Koreans living in China who are living insecure lives while avoiding the eyes of public security. I hope to be there .

Regarding the occasion for the launch of the Human Rights Violation Support Center, NKDB Chairman Shin Young- ho said, “ There was a consensus that active remedies for human rights violations are needed beyond indirect activities such as investigation and recording of human rights violations in North Korea . ” After seeing cases of legal remedies appearing, we started the center, ” he explained .

Deputy Director of the UN Human Rights Office in Seoul, Imesh Pocarel, attended the inauguration ceremony today and announced that this year , a series of consultations will be held with civic groups and North Korean refugees to establish a strategy for determining responsibility for North Korean human rights violations. He said he expects to play a major role in judicial access to

Imash Pocarel, Deputy Director, United Nations Office for Human Rights, Seoul : The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has repeatedly requested that UN member states exercise judicial power in order to prosecute North Korean human rights violators and perpetrators of crimes against humanity . The Human Rights Violation Support Center, which will be launched in the midst of this process , will be used as an important resource for all who seek accountability, including lawyers and human rights defenders, in judicial litigation and non- judicial approaches .

Next, Deputy Director Pocarel emphasized the need to clarify the legal responsibility related to this, noting that there has been a recent legal lawsuit filed in South Korea for human rights violations of POWs and their victims' families .

Deputy Director Pocarel said, “ The establishment of the Human Rights Violation Support Center is meaningful in that it will strengthen exchanges between human rights and legal experts dealing with the actual conditions of human rights in North Korea . It will help, ” he said .

Ahn Myeong- cheol , a former North Korean political prison camp guard, also attended the launch ceremony and said that the activities of the Human Rights Violation Support Center could serve as a warning message to North Korean authorities .

Representative Ahn said, “When Amnesty International released the list of prisoners in political prison camps in the early 1990s , there was an order to refrain from beating prisoners in political prison camps without cause, ” said Ahn . It will be a clear message that my perpetrators can also be punished . ”

The Human Rights Violation Support Center will provide support to North Korean defectors , abductees , POWs , separated families , people who have lived in North Korea and their families in the future .

A case request can be made by the parties and related persons in the case of human rights violations . The Center will deal with incidents caused by the governments of North Korea, third countries , or South Korean governments or their nationals . North Korean refugees, abductees , and prisoners of war who have suffered human rights violations can report their human rights violations through the website of the NKDB Human Rights Violation Support Center . You can also apply by mail, fax , or in person .

When a human rights violation case is reported , support for victims is provided through counseling , case meetings , and the Deliberation Committee . In addition to legal support, psychological counseling and administrative support will also be provided .

The NKDB Human Rights Violation Support Center plans to raise operating funds through fundraising . We will not receive commissions from human rights victims who request cases of human rights violations .

The NKDB also aims to gradually convert the currently held information on North Korean human rights violations into official records of the South Korean government while carrying out judicial damage relief activities for North Korean human rights violations . Center Director Yoon Seung -hyeon said, “ We expect that the activities of the center will also have a preventive effect against human rights violations by the North Korean authorities . ”

Reporter Mok Yong-jae , Editor Oh Jung-seok

Mahfud MD: 3 Indonesia-Singapore agreements will be ratified soon

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD ensured that the government will immediately ratify three agreements between Indonesia and Singapore signed last month, namely on Adjustment of the Aviation Navigation Service Area (FIR), defense cooperation (DCA), and extradition.

Of the three agreements, two of them, namely those related to defense cooperation (DCA) and extradition, will be ratified in the form of law so that they require the approval of the DPR.

"In our legal system, international treaties must be ratified in order to be effective. Therefore, the Government has decided to immediately ratify, the second one must go to the DPR, namely the ratification of the DCA because of the defense sector and ratification on extradition," Mahfud said at the time. gave a virtual statement in Jakarta, Wednesday.

On that occasion, the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs explained that the extradition agreement between Indonesia and Singapore benefits both parties.

"Both countries certainly benefit from each other, and Indonesia itself will benefit because we have many violations of criminal law in which people flee to Singapore or store their assets in Singapore. Later, we can follow up on it for Indonesia's benefit in law enforcement," he said. Mahfud.

On the other hand, the Singapore government can also ask Indonesia to extradite its citizens who have criminal cases to be tried and punished in Singapore.

"The government is grateful that these three areas of the agreement can be finalized at the beginning of this year, because this is a long-standing problem. The debate is whether this (ratified in the form of) Perppu, whether this is a package or not is now understood by all," he added.

Indonesia and Singapore on January 25, 2022 agreed on three cooperation agreements, namely those related to FIR, DCA, and extradition.

Law No. 12 of 2011 stipulates that certain national treaties must be ratified in law. Certain international agreements cover, among other things, issues of politics, peace, defense, and national security.

Minister of Law and Human Rights (Menkumham) Yasonna Laoly on February 2, 2022 said that the government continues to communicate with the DPR to accelerate the ratification of the extradition treaty between Indonesia and Singapore.

The extradition agreement covers at least 31 criminal acts, including money laundering, terrorism financing, and corruption.

In the agreement, two countries agreed that extradition is retroactive for the past 18 years. Thus, requests for extradition of the perpetrators of the crime can be made as long as they are included in that time period.

So far, the DPR and the Government have not held a meeting to discuss the ratification of the extradition treaty and the DCA of Indonesia and Singapore in the form of a law.