The Aids and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa (Arasa) has written the Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) to stop the idea of holding a public inquiry that is aimed to get the national views on whether or not Malawi should continue criminalizing same sex marriages.

Arasa is a regional network of civil society organization (CSOs) working with 115 CSOs in 18 countries in southern and eastern Africa to promote a human rights-based response to HIV and TB.

In the letter Arasa Director Michaela Clayton observes that while the network appreciates the objectives of the inquiry, it would discourage the use of a public inquiry to achieve these objective.

“Human rights are inalienable and their protection should not be determined by the vote of a majority,” she says.

The MHRC has suggested a public inquiry into the issue, a thing which some civil society organizations oppose.

Clayton suggests that while Arasa appreciate MHRC efforts in making life better for LGBTI people, the body would rather want to see the commission investigate abuses of key populations’ rights. Read more via Nyasa Times