Asian Human Rights Commission executive director Basil Fernando says communication is crucial in the fight against state abuse
I GOT INVOLVED in human rights after graduating in law from a university in Sri Lanka. I have worked in the human rights field under increasingly difficult conditions. My main motivation continues to be the governmental abuse of the rule of law.
My day usually begins by communicating with our staff in the field. We have a number of local liaison staff, who work in different Asian countries supported by the Asian Human Rights Commission. It is important for us to maintain contact with our staff because situations in some countries can be difficult, making it essential for us to provide them with support.
Talking to the field staff gives me the best information about a situation. Maintaining contact can be difficult in some of the areas we work in. We have, therefore, adopted a flexible approach where I keep in touch through e-mail and instant messaging services.
Communication is the single most important tool we have. The abuse of human rights continues due to a lack of information.
As a result, networking with the press on a regular basis is very important. I spend most of my time dictating statements, either in response to press queries or to inform people about a situation. It is important that this information is given out because public pressure is the only way we can improve human rights situations.
After I check my e-mail and collect the information from our field staff, I prioritise the tasks that need my attention. The nature of the work in our organisation involves dealing with a variety of problems and I have to handle all of these.