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Global rights group says Malaysia’s human rights marked by ‘two Najibs’

An international rights watchdog has accused Putrajaya of backtracking on its human rights promises after its electoral setback in the 13th general election last May, despite unveiling a slew of reforms before the polls. “Malaysia in 2013 was marked by a ‘tale of two Najibs’ – promising legal reforms before...

Southeast Asia: 10 Trends to Watch For in 2014

As we move into 2014, it is useful not only to reflect on what happened in 2013, but to project what some of the key developments in 2014 might be. As I did last year, I have attempted to articulate the top 10 trends in Southeast Asia to watch...

A Promise Proves Not a Promise in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia—A recent report by a prominent human-rights group said Malaysia backtracked on promised legal reforms and restored repressive laws following an election that saw the ruling coalition return to power significantly weakened. In an annual report that assesses that state of human rights around the globe, New York-based...

THAILAND: Human Rights at Risk as State of Emergency Declared

Under the Emergency Decree on Government Administration in a State of Emergency (2005), the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra decreed a State of Emergency in Bangkok and surrounding areas on January 22, 2014. Under the Emergency Decree on Government Administration in a State of Emergency (2005), the government of...

Cambodian Activists Deliver Petitions to Foreign Embassies

More than 200 Cambodian activists and monks submitted petitions to foreign embassies in the capital Phnom Penh on Thursday calling for pressure on Prime Minister Hun Sen’s government to release 23 protesters More than 200 Cambodian activists and monks submitted petitions to foreign embassies in the capital Phnom Penh on...

Thailand: Obstruction of advance voting condemned

FIDH and its member organization Union for Civil Liberty (UCL) today condemn the illegal actions of anti-government protestors who prevented voters from casting advance ballots ahead of a general election scheduled for 2 February 2014. “Blocking citizens from exercising their voting rights is a serious violation of Thai laws and...

Malaysia: About this tale of two Najibs…

One of the books I enjoyed reading during my schooldays was Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. The story is set both in London and Paris, with the action moving from one city to the other. Today, of course, I think that the story is too neat; but at...

Thai protest leader shot dead as demonstrators block polls

BANGKOK – Anti-government demonstrators swarmed dozens of polling stations in Thailand on Sunday to stop advance voting for next week’s general elections, chaining gates shut, threatening voters and preventing hundreds of thousands of people from casting ballots. A protest faction leader was fatally shot in a confrontation near a voting...

One dead as Thai protesters force closure of advance polling stations

BANGKOK, Thailand — Anti-government demonstrators swarmed dozens of polling stations in Thailand on Sunday to stop advance voting for next week’s general elections, chaining gates shut, threatening voters and preventing hundreds of thousands of people from casting ballots. A protest faction leader was fatally shot in a confrontation near a...

Cambodia: New deadlock but old tactics, analysts say

Ahead of today’s hearing on Cambodia’s record at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, opposition figures and analysts said the ruling Cambodian People’s Party has reverted to familiar tactics of post-election suppression. Analysts yesterday said that the breaking up of Cambodia National Rescue Party-led protests at Freedom Park and...