FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 11, 2010

Washington D.C. - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomes recent steps by the government of Bangladesh to establish an official commission to investigate the violence that followed parliamentary elections in October 2001. The announcement came after a High Court order to establish such a commission. Following the October 2001 elections, there were numerous reports of killings, rape, illegal land-seizures, arson, extortion, and intimidation of members of religious minority communities, particularly Hindus.

USCIRF commends both the government and the High Court for taking this long-overdue action, suggested by commissioners in USCIRF"s first public hearing on Bangladesh, held in New York in April 2004, and called for repeatedly by USCIRF since then.

"USCIRF urges that this investigation be conducted in a fair, thorough, and timely manner; that its findings be made public; and that perpetrators of crimes uncovered by the investigation be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” said USCIRF chair, Leonard Leo. "Perpetrators of violence targeting individuals because of their perceived religious beliefs or affiliation should not be afforded impunity.”

In large part because of the anti-minority violence that followed the October 2001 parliamentary elections and the authorities" subsequent failure to investigate and hold perpetrators to account, USCIRF had, from 2005 until May 2009, placed Bangladesh on its Watch List of countries which require close monitoring due to the nature and extent of violations of religious freedom engaged in or tolerated by their governments. USCIRF removed Bangladesh from its Watch List following elections in December 2008 in which members of religious minority communities were able to exercise their voting rights freely and peacefully.

"Although Bangladesh is no longer on USCIRF"s Watch List, USCIRF continues to urge progress on a range of religious freedom issues in order to bring Bangladesh into compliance with international human rights standards,” added Mr. Leo.

Needed measures include government action to institute judicial and police reforms to ensure the fair treatment of all minorities; to rescind the ban, instituted by a previous government, on publications of the Ahmadi religious community; to uphold existing agreements to respect the rights of religious and ethnic minority communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region; and to restore to rightful owners property seized from Hindus under discriminatory legislation such as the Vested Property Act. Draft legislation regarding the last mentioned issue is reportedly now under consideration. USCIRF urges that the government of Bangladesh consult legal scholars with recognized expertise on this issue and representatives of the affected communities in order to devise effective remedies for past abuses and to prevent further property seizures based on the owners" religious affiliation.

USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission. USCIRF Commissioners are appointed by the President and the leadership of both political parties in the Senate and the House of Representatives. USCIRF"s principal responsibilities are to review the facts and circumstances of violations of religious freedom internationally and to make policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 31, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Abdurrahman Wahid (also known as Gus Dur), prominent religious reformer and former President of Indonesia, died yesterday at the age of 69. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) mourns the passing of this champion of religious freedom and determined opponent of radicalism and religious extremism.

"Gus Dur was a renowned religious reformer, a voice of moderation when his country needed it most, and a bridge between Muslims and people of other faiths. His unique voice and perspective will be missed," said Leonard Leo, USCIRF chair. "His life's mission was to increase religious understanding and reduce religious extremism worldwide. Though the world produces few men of his talents, the mission he lived for should be everyone's goal."

USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission. USCIRF Commissioners are appointed by the President and the leadership of both political parties in the Senate and the House of Representatives. USCIRF"s principal responsibilities are to review the facts and circumstances of violations of religious freedom internationally and to make policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress.

To interview a USCIRF Commissioner, contact Tom Carter, Communications Director at [email protected] This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or (202) 523-3257.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 24. 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is deeply concerned by reports that the National Congress Party (NCP), headed by President Omar al-Bashir, appears to once again be threatening Sudan"s fragile peace by reneging on previous commitments. On December 22, the NCP moved through the National Assembly, a body over which it has total control, the Southern Sudan referendum bill with new language that the Sudan People"s Liberation Movement (SPLM) did not agree to. Days earlier, on December 20, the NCP rammed through the National Assembly a revised National Security Act to which the SPLM had objected because the Act does not include any new measures that hold the security services accountable.

"Many in Sudan perceive that the U.S. Special Envoy, the European Union Special Representative, African Union countries, China, and others have emboldened the National Congress Party. These past weeks have shown all too clearly what actions an emboldened NCP will take,” said Leonard Leo, USCIRF chair. "USCIRF calls on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to stand with the peace process and play a leading role to ensure the full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.” The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA)is the fragile 2005 agreement that ended 20 years of a violent civil war between Northern and Southern Sudan.

"Once again the NCP has violated agreements it made with the SPLM, its supposed partner in the peace process,” said Mr. Leo. "These violations are threatening to derail the CPA which provides the only existing roadmap to peace in Sudan and it is now hanging by a thread.”

These most recent violations of the CPA took place mere weeks after government police and security personnel on December 7 arrested and abused opposition members of Sudan"s National Assembly during their attempt to peacefully present a letter urging the enactment of human rights reforms and other key legislation necessary to implement the CPA. A USCIRF delegation was in Khartoum at that time where they met with senior SPLM leaders and other members of parliament. The delegation was told about people being detained and beaten and saw the bruises of an SPLM official who had been struck with batons and kicked repeatedly.

"The NCP"s latest actions imperil the CPA. An emboldened NCP needs to hear directly from the Secretary that its violations of human rights and repudiations of agreements it made long ago to implement the CPA will not stand,” said Mr. Leo.

USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission. USCIRF Commissioners are appointed by the President and the leadership of both political parties in the Senate and the House of Representatives. USCIRF"s principal responsibilities are to review the facts and circumstances of violations of religious freedom internationally and to make policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress.

To interview a USCIRF Commissioner, contact Tom Carter, Communications Director at [email protected] or (202) 523-3257.