Human Rights

Myanmar’s Suu Kyi denounces terrorists, silent on Rohingya exodus (Channel News Asia, 6 September 2017)

Myanmar’s Suu Kyi denounces terrorists, silent on Rohingya exodus (Channel News Asia, 6 September 2017) Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi on Sep 6 blamed “terrorists” for “a huge iceberg of misinformation” on the violence in Rakhine state but made no mention of the nearly 125,000 Rohingya Muslims who have fled over the border to Bangladesh…

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ASEAN MPs Warn of Rights Deterioration in Cambodia Amid NGO, Media Crackdown (Radio Free Asia, 31 August 2017)

ASEAN MPs Warn of Rights Deterioration in Cambodia Amid NGO, Media Crackdown (Radio Free Asia, 31 August 2017) Southeast Asian members of parliament expressed “grave concerns” over what they called a “worsening human rights situation” in Cambodia, where the government has launched a crackdown on NGOs and independent media outlets ahead of general elections next…

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Australia’s offshore refugee processing causes ‘extensive suffering’ and must end, says UN agency chief (UN News, 24 July 2017)

Australia’s offshore refugee processing causes ‘extensive suffering’ and must end, says UN agency chief (UN News, 24 July 2017) Four years on, Australia’s offshore processing has left some 2,000 people languishing in unacceptable circumstances – causing physical and psychological harm, according to the United Nations refugee agency, which has called for an immediate end to…

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Back from visit to Myanmar, independent UN rights expert says situation ‘worsening’ (UN News, 24 July 2017)

Back from visit to Myanmar, independent UN rights expert says situation ‘worsening’ (UN News, 24 July 2017) In a statement from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee accused national authorities of “presiding over a worsening security and human rights situation” in the country. Ms. Lee said she catalogued…

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Human rights defenders in Viet Nam should ‘never be treated as criminals,’ says UN rights office (UN News, 24 July 2017)

Human rights defenders in Viet Nam should ‘never be treated as criminals,’ says UN rights office (UN News, 24 July 2017) Noting that well-known activist Tran Thi Nga was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment and five years’ house arrest for so-called “anti-State propaganda” for comments posted online, Liz Throssell, spokesperson for the Office of the…

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Thailand: Junta Entrenched 3 Years After Coup (Human Rights Watch, 21 May 2017)

Thailand: Junta Entrenched 3 Years After Coup (Human Rights Watch, 21 May 2017) Thailand’s junta has failed to fulfill pledges to respect human rights and restore democratic rule three years after the military coup, Human Rights Watch Asia director, Brad Adam, has said. The ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), led by Prime Minister…

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ASEAN human rights law’ taking shape (Bangkok Post, 10 May 2017)

ASEAN human rights law’ taking shape (Bangkok Post, 10 May 2017) Established in 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year celebrates its 50th anniversary. In retrospect, the organisation has progressed well in accommodating differences between countries and has contributed much to fostering peace and cooperation in the region. We should also not forget the…

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Australia’s Aboriginal children ‘essentially being punished for being poor’ – UN rights expert (UN News, 4 April 2017)

Australia’s Aboriginal children ‘essentially being punished for being poor’ – UN rights expert (UN News, 4 April 2017) Stressing that the rates of incarceration for Australia’s indigenous peoples have reached astounding, “tsunami” proportions, a United Nations human rights expert called on the authorities to respect the peoples’ right to self-determination, to full and effective participation…

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Vietnam’s Quiet Human Rights Crisis (The Diplomat, 17 April 2017)

Vietnam’s Quiet Human Rights Crisis (The Diplomat, 17 April 2017) According to most metrics commonly used to measure level of human rights abuses, Vietnam boasts one of the world’s most authoritarian police states. But activists say that far too little attention is paid to Vietnam even as other Southeast Asian countries are routinely condemned by the…

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