Sharing experiences and good practices in relation to oversight and monitoring police custody was a focus of the third regional workshop involving #SafeInCustody project partners from Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines.
The meeting brought together representatives from civil society partners - Cross Cultural Foundation (CrCF) from Thailand, SUARAM from Malaysia, and Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) – and from the national human rights institutions of each country.
A key objectives of #SafeInCustody project is to promote independent and effective monitoring of police custody, including through unannounced visits, to promote transparency, accountability and respect for legal and procedural safeguards in detention.
Participants discussed the methodology of monitoring police custody, in a session led by APT Senior Adviser Ben Buckland, as well as the experiences of the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines, in their role as interim National Preventive Mechanism, with a dedicated visitation team conducting over 600 visits per year.
The discussions provided an in-depth learning experience on the challenges that Commission monitors face in their work, including dealing with resistance from some authorities, fiscal issues, and the difficulties in creating a uniform practice and training method for many staff.
“This was an excellent opportunity for partners across the three countries to explore the importance of monitoring as a mean to advocate for legal and procedural safeguards in the first hours of detention, and what to expect in the lead-up towards such a process,” APT Regional Project Manager Nid Satjipanon said.
We are proud to see that our collaborative and cooperation efforts have exemplified our shared commitment to human rights and to ensure that Everyone should be safe in custody."
As part of the #SafeInCustody project, partners have incorporated hope-based communications into their respective outreach initiatives to reframe conversations around torture prevention.
One of the highlights was SUARAM’s two-day festival in Kuala Lumpur, held in collaboration the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM), with more than 200 people attending to see plays, public speeches, musicians and artists.
In the Philippines, TFDP collaborated with the Commission on Human Rights to host the BASTA Run Against Torture on 26 June. This large public event involved more that 400 participants, including representatives of Filipino law enforcement agencies, running together to reject the use of torture and showcase their commitment to positive change.
Finally, CrCF presented their national roadshow – organised with the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand – to empower young people to better understand their rights and promote the duties and obligations of the State under Thailand’s new anti-torture law.
“It was clear from this third hope-based communications workshop that the integration of hope-based communications in the way partners work and that it helps building bridges and bringing a positive message to the community,” Mr Satjipanon said.
The final session of the regional workshop was an opportunity for partners to review progress and plan activities for the concluding phase of the #SafeInCustody project, which will include, among other things, national and regional public speaking competitions for university students and a closing conference.
The third #SafeInCustody regional workshop was jointly organised by the APT and TFDP, and held in Quezon City, The Philippines, from 26 to 28 October 2023.
