GOPIO HUMAN
RIGHTS COUNCIL
A.
The mission of GOPIO’s
Human Rights Commission shall be to actively monitor all aspects of human
rights conditions and treatment of persons of Indian origin (PIOs) and non-resident
Indians (NRIs) living outside of India, and to seek prompt and full remedy and
redress from the respective governments, the United Nations, the Government of
India, human rights agencies operating locally and globally, and forums of
local and international jurisprudence, using
“The Universal Declaration of Human Rights” adopted by the United Nations on
December 10, 1948 and all subsequent amendments and changes as the basis for
fair and equitable treatment for all peoples.
Human rights conditions
to be actively monitored and addressed include, but are not limited to,
physical, social, economic, cultural, political, religious, and artistic
conditions affecting PIOs and NRIs in the respective countries.
The GOPIO Human Rights
Commission would engage the participation and support efforts of any and all
local Indian and non-Indian organizations and groups, where possible without
compromising their safety and well-being, to compile and report all human
rights abuses perpetrated against PIOs and NRIs.
B. Historical
Context
The
voluntary and indentured migration of Indians to many countries has resulted in
a population of over 22 million persons of Indian origin (PIOs) and
Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) living outside of India. This migration started early
in the nineteenth century when the British moved large numbers of Indians to
work on plantations in then British colonies of the Caribbean, Africa, Oceania
and other regions. It also includes large numbers of Indians who migrated
earlier and comprise a significant portion of a few country’s population. The
migration also includes those who went voluntarily to other countries and have
since settled there.
Whether
an NRI, first generation or PIO of several generations, Indians account for
less than 50% of the population of all the countries in which they settled,
with the exception of
While
Indians in some countries have experienced good human rights treatment from the
host populations, past and recent history have shown that Indians in most of
these countries have been the targets of very harsh human rights conditions.
These include targeted killings, rapes, physical harm, robberies, the
confiscation of property, unfair and unjust treatment, deprivation of
legitimate political rights and the other basic rights of citizens of the
country in which they were born. A prime and current example of human rights
abuse is
It
is under these past and current circumstances of treatment of Indians in
countries outside of Indian that the GOPIO Human Rights Commission would seek
to work closely with all local GOPIO chapters and global agencies for relief of
human rights abuses perpetrated against Indians living outside of
C. Council
Structure & Organization
The
GOPIO Human Rights Commission would be organized as a structured entity within
GOPIO International as shown in the organization chart below. The coordinators of
the five (5) designated regions could be expanded to smaller regions based on
activity and need.
¨
Reporting to the President of
GOPIO Int’l.
¨
Chairman of HRC
¨
Deputy Chairman of HRC
¨
Secretary of HRC
¨
Regional Coordinators of HRC:
o
o
Caribbean & South America
o
UK & Europe
o
Africa & Middle East
o
Asia & Oceania
D. Monitoring
& Reports
In
order to obtain current and valid information on human rights conditions in the
designated countries and regions, monitoring would be done simultaneously with
several parallel efforts wherever possible:
¨
Local GOPIO HRC coordinator
¨
Regional GOPIO HRC coordinator
¨
Global GOPIO HRC Chairman &
Deputy Chairman
¨
United Nations Human Rights Agency
¨
Other Local HR Organizations (Ex:
GIHA)
¨
Other Global HR Agencies (Ex: WMI,
HRW)
Accumulated
information would be used to develop the quarterly reports that would be
reviewed by GOPIO Int’l President and approve or request modifications before
final approval is granted.
Quarterly
reports would be filed as follows:
¨
Government of respective countries
¨
United Nations
¨
International HR Agencies
¨
Local HR Agencies
¨
Government of
¨
GOPIO Officers
¨
GOPIO Website
It
is also planned that an annual report would be compiled and promptly
distributed to all entities and agencies shown on the list above.
From
time to time as it becomes necessary, GOPIO Human Rights Commission would plan,
organize, convene and support local, regional and international symposia,
seminars and conferences on human rights of PIOs and NRIs, and other ethnic groups as well.
E.
Liaison To:
GOPIO Human
Rights Commission would establish an structured level of contacts within GOPIO
and its coordinators so that relevant information and requests can be easily
channelled in a timely and efficient manner.
¨ Local
GOPIO HRC Coordinator
¨ Local
GOPIO Chapter
¨ Regional
GOPIO HRC Coordinator
¨ Regional
GOPIO VP or Coordinator
¨ GOPIO
HRC Deputy Chairman
¨ GOPIO
HRC Chairman
¨ GOPIO
Int’l President
1. PIO
& NRI Countries
The
GOPIO Human Rights Commission would establish a well coordinated liaison with
the governments of all
countries where PIOs and NRIs reside so that there can be prompt contact when a
situation occurs or when a meeting is requested by GOPIO HRC to discuss such
matters or for preventative discussions as well. The primary levels of contacts
would be as follows:
¨ Appropriate
Government Ministry
¨ Minister
of Appropriate Government Ministry
¨ Attorney
General of the Government
¨ Head
of State of the Government
2.
International Agencies
The
GOPIO Human Rights Commission would establish a close working relationship
with
all human rights agencies and organizations on a local and international level
so
that
the mission of GOPIO’s HRC can be achieved with maximum coordination and
support
from those agencies:
¨ United
Nations Human Rights Agency
¨ Amnesty
International
¨ Human
Rights Watch
¨ International
Commission of Jurists
¨ The
Carter Commission
¨
3.
Government of India
GOPIO
International has just established its GOPIO – GOI Liaison Committee which
would
be the coordinating entity on behalf of GOPIO Human Rights Commission on
matters
of contact and reports to the Government of India.
F. GOPIO
Web Page
The primary composition of the ”Human
Rights Corner” would include the following:
¨
¨
HRC Organization
¨
HRC Quarterly Reports
§
Per region
§
Per Country
¨
News Items, Current
¨
Photo Gallery
¨
New Items, Previous
¨
Press Releases
¨
Letters & Commentary
¨
Calendar of Events
¨
Links
¨
Contacts
The
Chairman of the GOPIO Human Rights Commission would have decision making
responsibilities on content of letters, commentaries and news items to be
posted, consistent the mission, objectives and due consideration to current
sensitive issues which could be aggravated. In the absence of the Chairman, the
Deputy Chairman would assume the responsibilities.
GOPIO Human Rights Commission would develop a set of instructions and policy guidelines as part of the information and news gathering process from all the regional representatives and others so designated.
G. Budgets
& Financing
A comprehensive proposal of
actions and related budgets would be developed that would reflect actions based
on the approved mission and the necessary costs to achieve the objectives
defined. Suffice it to say, there would be travel and related costs that would
be incurred by the Chairman of GOPIO Human Rights Commission and other members
of the commission for meetings away from home, with human rights agencies and
among members of the commission on a semi-annual basis. It is also understood
that there is not paid salaries within this organization structure.
Funding would be determined
by the GOPIO Human Rights Commission’s annual budget and likely sources of
funding in order to sustain the organization and allow it to fulfil its
obligations.
H. Links
Important and useful web links and referral information would be
provided as part of the HRC’s effort to inform, educate and assist. These links
include GOPIO itself, the various governments of countries with significant PIO
and NRI populations, the government of
¨
GOPIO www.gopio.net
¨
GOPIO Human Rights Council ramsaran@aol.com
¨
Government of the
¨
Government of
¨
Government of
¨
Government of
¨
Government of
¨
Government of Other European
Countries
¨
The European Union (EU)
¨
Government of
¨
Government of
¨
Government of Other African
Countries
¨
Confederation of African States
(CAS)
¨
Government of
¨
Government of
¨
Government of
¨
Government of Other
¨
Organization of American States
(AOS)
¨
Government of
¨
Government of
¨
Government of
¨
Government of
¨
Government of
¨
Government of
¨
Government of
¨
Government of
¨
Government of
¨
Government of
¨
Secretariat of South East Asian
Nations (ASEAN)
¨
The United Nations
¨
Human Rights Watch
¨
Amnesty International
¨
International Commission of
Jurists
¨
The Carter Commission
¨
American Civil Liberties
¨
GIHA
¨
UHRC
¨
International Media Outlets: AP,
UPI, CNN et al