Tag: Freedom of Expression / Information / Speech
Cambodia Vows to Bring Perpetrators of ‘Racist’ Killing to Justice
Cambodian authorities on Thursday gave assurances they would carry out a thorough investigation into the beating death of a Vietnamese-Cambodian man in what is believed to have been a racially-motivated attack, following concerns expressed by the Vietnamese government.
Nguyen Yaing Ngoc, 28, was chased and attacked by a group of...
Viet Nam: Arbitrary detention and ongoing judicial harassment of human rights lawyer and blogger Le Quoc Quan
The Observatory has been informed by the Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) about the arbitrary detention and ongoing judicial harassment of Mr. Le Quoc Quan, a human rights lawyer and blogger.
According to the information received, on February 18, 2014, the Hanoi Court of Appeals upheld the conviction of...
Myanmar President’s Office Concerned Over Disruption of Literary Events
Myanmar President Thein Sein’s office has expressed concern over the recent disruption of literary events in the country following objections that the speakers were Muslims or opposition members or those affiliated with the two groups.
Presidential spokesman Ye Htut said it was “against the constitution” to prevent people from...
Myanmar: Token and insignificant changes to repressive anti-protest law
The Myanmar parliament has reportedly only made token and insignificant changes to a draconian anti-protest law, raising serious questions about the authorities’ commitment to human rights reforms, Amnesty International said.
The contentious Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law places far-reaching restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful...
Philippines: Extra-judicial killing of land and housing rights activist Mr. Sixto V. Bagasala Jr.
The Observatory has been informed by Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) about the killing of Mr. Sixto V. Bagasala Jr., a community leader and land and housing rights activist in Malabon city, after he attended a meeting on low-income housing for informal settlers. Mr. Sixto V. Bagasala...
UN Chief Calls for End to Thai Political Violence
BANGKOK — United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is calling for an end to political violence in Thailand and respect for human rights and the rule of law. At least 20 people have been killed and hundreds injured since the widespread protests began last year. The Thai Army chief...
Malaysia: Conviction of Karpal Singh a setback for the rule of law and freedom of expression
Paris, Kuala Lumpur, February 24, 2014 –The Malaysian government must stop using colonial-era repressive laws to harass political opposition leaders, FIDH (International Federation for Human Rights) and its member organization Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) said today.
On February 21, 2014, the Kuala Lumpur High Court found Democratic Action Party (DAP)...
Vietnamese Blogger to Stand Trial on ‘Abusing’ Freedom Charges
A prominent Vietnamese blogger arrested nine months ago after he published articles critical of the government will face trial next week on charges of “abusing democratic freedoms,” according to an official indictment his family received Tuesday.
Truong Duy Nhat, 50, was taken into custody on May 26 after police searched...
Vietnamese Dissident, Wife Attacked En Route to Meeting With Diplomat
A prominent Vietnamese dissident and his wife were dragged from a taxi and beaten by suspected police agents this week while traveling to meet with an Australian diplomat in Hanoi to press for the release of fellow activists detained after a police raid on his house.
Nguyen Bac Truyen,...
WHAT THINKS EX-JUDGE THE PERAK SULTAN? Int’l human rights group & Suaram SLAM Karpal’s conviction
Paris, Kuala Lumpur – The Malaysian government must stop using colonial-era repressive laws to harass political opposition leaders, FIDH and its member organization SUARAM said today.
On February 21, 2014, the Kuala Lumpur High Court found Democratic Action Party (DAP) Chairman Karpal Singh guilty under Section 4(1) (b) of the...