Human Rights

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…

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…

Thai-owned mine in Myanmar investigated for human rights violations (CAN, 5 April 2017) The National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRC) has opened an official enquiry into the Heinda tin mine in Myanmar’s Tanintharyi region for alleged human rights violations. A delegation led by NHRC commissioner Tuenjai Deetes visited the area earlier this year to gather…

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…

UN rights expert calls on Myanmar authorities to protect Rohingya population (UN News, 27 February 2017) Following the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ (OHCHR) flash report in February, in which it documented mass gang-rape, killings, including of babies and young children, brutal beatings, disappearances and other serious human rights violations by…

UN rights expert to assess potential abuses in northern Myanmar (UN News, 6 January 2017) Yanghee Lee, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, will assess the human rights situation starting 9 January, following increasing concerns about civilians in Kachin State and the escalating violence in Rakhine State. The 12-day…

Persecuted Minority in Myanmar Is Escalating Its Armed Insurgency (NYT, 23 January 2017) The beginning of an armed resistance is just one of several developments that are reshaping the conflict over Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya minority with potentially far-reaching consequences. The group that attacked the border posts, Harakah al-Yaqin, is believed to have several hundred recruits,…

Malaysia: Myanmar pursues ethnic cleansing of Rohingya (Al Jazeera, 4 December 2016) Malaysia has accused Myanmar of engaging in “ethnic cleansing” of its Rohingya Muslim minority, as former UN chief Kofi Annan visits a burned-out village in violence-hit Rakhine state. Tens of thousands of Muslim Rohingya have fled their homes since a bloody crackdown by…

UN calls for protecting civilians as fighting, though reduced, continues in north-west Myanmar (UN News, 19 October 2016) According to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), border posts in northwest Myanmar were attacked on 9 October resulting in the displacement of several hundred people. Some 1,200 people are confirmed to have taken…

Human rights law targets N. Korean leader (Korea Times, 4 September 2016) South Korea’s new law aimed at documenting human rights abuses in North Korea went into effect in early September — the latest in a series of efforts to put pressure on the Kim Jong-un regime. Analysts say North Korea may react furiously because…

Global community must not mar human rights in Myanmar by rushing to forge economic ties – UN (UN News, 4 July 2016) “International actors must continue to prioritize human rights, particularly in business and investment relations,” said Yanghee Lee, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, at the end of a visit…

UN experts urge Sri Lanka to adopt measures to fight torture and strengthen justice system (UN News, 10 May 2016) Two United Nations experts have urged the Government of Sri Lanka to replace the legal framework that allowed human rights violations to occur and to establish democratic institutions in line with international human rights standards.…