Cambodians Refuse to Accept Rigged Elections
WASHINGTON: Cambodia’s parliamentary elections were supposed to be another boring and tainted exercise to ensure that the party of Prime Minister Hun Sen, already in office for 28 years, remained in power for another five years.
Instead, the flagrant vote rigging failed, and the opposition may even have won. Officially,...
Myanmar: 56 Political Prisoners Freed, but Section 18 Law Stays in Place
In a move praised by local and international rights groups, Burma’s government, led by ex-general Thein Sein, has released 56 political prisoners.
However, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) noted in a statement to the media that 133 political prisoners were still languishing in the country’s prisons.
“Their release does...
Abbott Urged to Focus on Asia Human Rights
Sydney - Human Rights Watch on Tuesday said it was concerned Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott failed to discuss rights with Asian leaders, saying he shouldn't give them a "free pass" on the issue.
In a letter to the new conservative leader, the group said Australia could make a significant...
Myanmar: Locals not consulted on resettlement plan for Thilawa SEZ project, says DRDO
Local residents who will be displaced by the Thilawa Special Economic Zone (SEZ) project say they were forced to sign the SEZ resettlement action plan without knowing its contents.
“They ordered us to sign the RAP. But we don’t know what data is included in the RAP,” a local...
Brunei could see more capital punishment as Sultan plans to introduce sharia law
The leader of a moderate Muslim organisation says the the introduction of sharia law in Brunei could mean there will be more capital punishment.
The Sultan of Brunei plans to enforce the tough Islamic penal code in phases over the next six months.
Punishments under the Hudud code, which applies only...
Myanmar: Rights groups urge tough line on new UN resolution
International rights groups are calling for the European Union to take a hard line against Myanmar’s human rights violations in a new United Nations resolution that the 27-member bloc is drafting.
As The Myanmar Times has previously reported, in the first week of September the EU received a démarche from...
Helicopters supplied to Indonesia by Australia used in military operations amounting to genocide: Report
Research to be released Thursday into one of the most violent episodes in the history of West Papua claims that helicopters provided to Indonesia by the Australian government were used in military operations in the 1970s that amounted to genocide.
According to a report by the Hong Kong-based Asian Human...
Myanmar: Residents Protest Letpadaung Copper Mine Resumption
The China-backed Letpadaung copper mine in northern Myanmar’s Sagaing region has resumed operations without fulfilling conditions imposed by lawmakers, residents said in a meeting with top government officials Tuesday, lodging fresh calls for a halt to the project.
The complaints were made at a meeting in Sarlingyi town with Hla...
Cambodia: Ethnic villagers point finger at land official
Rights group Adhoc is investigating claims that a Ratanakkiri province cadastral officer is illegally grabbing and selling off forest land, officials at the organisation said.
Khin Sophal, a director of the O’Yadav district cadastral office, bought land titles from 50 families in the province and sold the parcels to a...
ASEAN drives a ‘not so obvious conversation’ with Persons with Disabilities
Bangkok, 12 October 2013 - Disasters impact everyone, but in different degrees. This year, the ASEAN Day for Disaster Management (ADDM) celebrates the resilience and role of people with disabilities before, during and after disasters. “Innovating Together Towards a Safe ASEAN Community” is this year’s theme for ADDM with...
