Cambodia: Businessman Sues Villagers over Deforestation Allegations
PHNOM PENH - A powerful businessman is suing two villagers in Kandal province for defamation, after the two reported his alleged illegal logging to local human rights groups.
The Kandal provincial court has summoned the two villagers, Sen San and Ouk Sambo, to testify on Friday. But the two have...
Myanmar President Thein Sein: Listener-in-chief
There are no bullet-proof limousines, sophisticated communications systems, or media gaggles when you travel with Myanmar’s president. Instead of the lavishly equipped jets used by Western leaders, a humble European-made ATR-42 propeller aircraft and some ageing Russian helicopters recently carried President Thein Sein and his team of about 40...
Muslims in Burma lament siege of arrests, deaths
Noor Jaan lifted her black Islamic veil and recalled the last time she saw her husband. He was among more than 600 Rohingya Muslim men thrown in jail in this remote corner of Burma during a ruthless security crackdown that followed sectarian violence, and among the one in 10...
Indonesia: Protests over Minimum Wage Rage On
Thousands of workers rallied outside City Hall on Thursday as they once again protested against the Jakarta administration’s decision to ignore their demands for a higher minimum wage.
The protest, joined by some 13,000 workers across the Greater Jakarta area, followed a series of demonstrations in recent months by workers...
Indonesia: Ahmadiyah Flee Jambi Village Over Threats, Conversion Attempts
Two Ahmadiyah Muslim families left their homes in Jambi after members of a local Islamic boarding school offered the families an ultimatum: convert to Sunni Islam or face the possibility of violence.
The head of the Assalamah boarding school, in Palalawan Jaya village, led a group of 80 students and...
Myanmar’s Economy Needs Human Rights Reforms
After decades of political and economic isolation, Myanmar is making economic strides to address "underdevelopment," and companies, consultants, and cronies are rushing to help realize the dream.
But in Myanmar's ethnic states, underdevelopment is not only an economic problem. It's also a human rights problem, and now is the time...
Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi speaks to a packed Sydney Opera House
Amid a sea of brightly-coloured silks, tunics, academic gowns, and a smattering of headscarves, Myanmarese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi told a packed Sydney Opera House audience on Wednesday night of her ambition to become the country's president in 2015.
But she also spoke of the many constitutional road-blocks...
Indonesia Co-Sponsors UN ‘Right to Privacy’ Resolution
A United Nations rights committee on Tuesday passed a “right to privacy” resolution pressed by Germany and Brazil, who have led international outrage over reports of US spying on their leaders.
The resolution says that surveillance and data interception by governments and companies “may violate or abuse human rights.”
Fifty-five countries,...
Vietnam Blazes Trail for Gay Rights in Southeast Asia
Vietnam may be regarded as the most repressive Southeast Asian nation in its bid to muzzle dissenting voices and gag public freedoms, but the one-party Communist state is becoming a surprise torchbearer for gay rights in the region.
In the rapidly booming region, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Brunei outlaw homosexuality, while...
Indonesia: Rights abuse victims speak of atrocities
Victims of Indonesia Military (TNI) operations in Aceh, Timor Leste and Papua for the first time made public statements on Tuesday, speaking out about violent oppression and their struggle to overcome adversity.
One of the victims, identified only as M, became a victim simply by being a bystander. The 43-year-old...
