Cambodia: No Progress Reported as Political Parties Meet Over Deadlock
PHNOM PENH & WASHINGTON DC - Cambodia’s ruling and opposition parties returned to the negotiating table on Tuesday, seeking to end a political impasse stemming from an election the opposition says was deeply marred by fraud.
The two sides met for three hours at the National Assembly, the main legislative...
Malaysia: Rights of faithful protected, says UN
PETALING JAYA: The United Nations (UN) refuted allegations that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) denied the people from practising their faith.
“The values enshrined in the UDHR are universal values that are at the core of all faiths which include respect for the dignity of a person.
“The UDHR...
Malaysia: As activists clash over human rights, PM says country big enough for all
PUTRAJAYA, Nov 5 — Malaysia can be accommodating when it comes to discussions over human rights, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today, as activist groups from opposing ends of the spectrum lock horns over safeguarding minority and majority interests.
The prime minister said that his administration is willing to listen...
Erosion of religious freedom in Malaysia – Proham
Proham views with grave concern the recent judgment by the Court of Appeal in its interpretation of Article 11 of the Federal Constitution as eroding religious freedom in Malaysia.
In this connection, Proham makes reference to the views of the Bar Council on this matter in which it stated that...
Malaysia: Deregistering Muslim lawyers group against civil rights, LFL tells Karpal
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 — Civil rights group Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) disagreed today with Karpal Singh’s suggestion to deregister the Muslim Lawyers Association (MLA) and all other race-based bodies, reminding the DAP chairman that freedom of association is a basic human right.
Taking to Twitter to voice its objection...
Malaysia: Act against fanaticism and racism, govt told
PETALING JAYA: The government has been urged to play a more proactive role to curb the increase of racism and fanaticism as witnessed recently, in the country.
Pusat Komas’ human rights programme coordinator Lena Hendry said that the government should not just claim to be moderate and tolerant in the...
Malaysia no place for LGBT rights, religious freedom, says Islamist group
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 — Malaysia has no room for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights or religious freedom, Islamist group Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) said today as it lobbied Putrajaya to ignore the proposals put forth by a local human rights activist coalition in Geneva recently.
Isma deputy...
PHILIPPINES: Overt surveillance on a religious group assisting farmers in Mindanao
On 30 September 2013, Sr. Ma. Famita N. Somogod, Sub-Regional Coordinator of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines in Northern Mindanao (RMP-NMR), was visited by a certain ‘Francis’ at her office who introduced himself as a staff member of Australian Aid or AusAID.
‘Francis’ discussed about the ‘work’ of AusAID,...
Vietnam, Laos: Officials Involved in Abduction, Trafficking, and Sex Slavery of Women, Children
WASHINGTON & HANOI, Vietnam — Ethnic Hmong, Lao and Montagnard girls, including children, are being abducted and forced into marriage and prostitution at an alarming rate by corrupt government and military officials in Vietnam and Laos according to statements issued jointly today by non-governmental organizations.
The Lao Human Rights Council,...
Vietnam’s Insane Ban on Sharing News Online
To say Vietnam has a troubled relationship with the Internet would be an understatement. Despite government efforts to repress it, social media, especially Facebook, is immensely popular in Vietnam, with an estimated 70 percent penetration of the total Internet-using population. (About one-third of Vietnam's 90 million people are online.)...
