Tag: Arbitrary Arrest and Detention
Myanmar: UN rep calls for end to release conditions
United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar Tomás Quintana has commended last week’s amnesty but called on the government to remove restrictions on former prisoners and ease their way back into society.
The government released 56 political prisoners on October 8, the latest in a series of amnesties...
Malaysia: Reject Police ‘Shoot First’ Policy
The Home Minister should be removed for disregarding the right to life and making racial claims, says Human Rights Watch.
The Malaysian government should act to ensure that the home minister’s support for the police to “shoot first” when apprehending criminal suspects is not police policy, Human Rights Watch has...
Vietnam’s repression extends to Catholics
WASHINGTON (BP) -- Catholics in northern Vietnam protesting against the long-term detention of two parishioners have run afoul of authorities in the Southeast Asian country.
"Anthony" Nguyen Van Hai, 43, and "Peter" Ngo Van Khoi, 53, were arrested May 22 for "disturbing the public order," according to World Watch Monitor....
INDONESIA: A Tortured Inmate and His Family in West Sumatra are Under Threat for Seeking Justice
According to the information obtained from LBH Padang, a 28-year-old inmate named Riko Yeyandra, was receiving the visit of a friend on 8 September 2013 at Class IIB Solok Correctional Facility (Lapas Solok) where he was being detained. Only a few minutes after he started talking to his friend,...
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...
Malaysia: ‘Drop charges against Pusat Komas’ Lena’
BANGKOK: The Malaysian authorities should immediately drop charges against a rights activist accused of showing a film about Sri Lanka’s civil war without Censorship Board approval, Human Rights Watch said today.
Lena Hendry, of the human rights group Pusat Komas, was charged under the Film Censorship Act for organizing a...
Myanmar: Stop arresting farmers, says 88 Generation
By arresting and sentencing so many farmers and activists for protesting land grabs, Burmese authorities are affecting the stability of the state, warned the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society.
At a press conference held at the 88 Generation office in Rangoon on Friday, various speakers complained about land seizures...
The Philippines: AFP will turn over officer tagged in Jonas Burgos abduction
MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will comply with a Quezon City court ruling ordering the arrest of Army Major Harry Baliaga Jr in connection with his alleged role in the 2007 abduction of activist Jonas Burgos, military officers said.
The AFP has not received the...
Detained Filipinos in Sabah doing well
MANILA -- President Benigno Aquino III believes the Filipinos detained in Sabah are doing well amid reports of human rights violations allegedly perpetrated by Malaysian forces.
Aquino told members of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) Wednesday there seemed to be a “wide” disparity between official reports and...
Vietnamese Court Orders Two Parishioners of Vinh Diocese Jailed
A court in Vietnam's North Central Coast region on Wednesday ordered two Catholic Christians who campaigned for religious freedom jailed for "disturbing public order," triggering outrage among family members, priests and parishioners.
The court in the Nghe An provincial capital Vinh sentenced Ngo Van Khoi, 53, to seven months in...
