[REPORT] Law Enforcement and Harm Reduction in Cambodia

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By Greg Denham

I have worked in the law enforcement field for over twenty five years, and a
significant part of my work has been in the drug policy area. I have come to
the conclusion that harm reduction services, particularly needle and syringe
programs, are an essential component of a comprehensive strategy designed to
reduce drug related harm in communities.

This view, however, is not always shared openly by other police. Privately, while many
police officers accept that harm reduction services are important, their attitude
is more likely to condemn than condone.

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[COMMENTARY] A Second Look at Korea’s “Lifting” of its HIV Travel Ban

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Thumbnail image for KoreaAIDS.jpg
By Ken Oh

Can rules be changed when they aren’t changed?
What may appear to be a purely metaphysical question is creating some
real-world confusion in the Republic of Korea.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon recently applauded South Korea’s announced lifting
of its entry ban on HIV-positive foreigners. UNAIDS executive director
Michel Sidibe also extolled the move, effective January 1, as an important step
in the effort to realize the global freedom of movement for people living with
HIV.  But the reality appears to be more
complex.

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[COMMENTARY] End Overcrowding in Indonesian Prisons

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By Ricky Gunawan

 

Up through 2009, Indonesia suffered a tremendous blow from the so-called
“judicial mafia”, the corrupt network that controls the criminal justice
system. Every sector of Indonesia’s legal system has been paralyzed by this
judicial mafia. It is made up of middlemen who, for a fee, can broker deals
between police, prosecutors and judges. In a late response to this dismal
situation, in late 2009 President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono established a task force to “eradicate the
judicial mafia in the first 100 days” of his administration.

 

Last week, the task force conducted a surprise visit to Pondok Bambu
Detention Facility, Jakarta. This visit revealed shocking – yet, to those in
the know, all too predictable — findings. Arthalyta Suryani, a high-class
criminal convicted of bribery, is imprisoned
in luxurious conditions. Her “cell” is an 8×8 meter room with a refrigerator,
flat TV with home theatre, air conditioner, and other facilities such as dining
tables, maids and a Blackberry.

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[REPORT] Nepal: Ensure rights for all castes

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By the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice at New York University School of Law, the Dalit NGO Federation (Nepal), and the International Dalit Solidarity Network. Republished courtesy Smita Narula, NYU.

In creating the new constitution for Nepal, the Constituent Assembly
has the opportunity to crystallize the country’s peace, advance Nepal’s
political, economic and social development, and demonstrate a
commitment to the inherent dignity of all individuals. In order to
fulfill these paramount goals, the rights of all of Nepal’s Dalit
population – especially women and “lower” Dalit castes – must finally
be realized.

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[REPORT] Asian Drug Users Unite

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An interesting development: drug users from around Asia met last week to formalize the Asian Network of People Who Use Drugs. ANPUD aims to create a network that can advocate for the rights of drug users. They’ll also, hopefully, provide some useful input into national and regional policies on narcotics, treatment, and HIV/AIDS. The full statement from ANPUD follows.

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