Tag: Freedom of Expression / Information / Speech
Laos: Anniversary of ‘Disappearance’ Demands Action
For Immediate Release
Laos: Anniversary of ‘Disappearance’ Demands Action
Government Should Disclose Whereabouts, Account for Sombath Somphone
(Bangkok, December 15, 2013) – The Lao government should immediately disclose the fate of prominent social activist Sombath Somphone, who was apprehended at a police checkpoint in Vientiane one year ago, Human Rights Watch...
Malaysia: 7 More Cabin Crew Suspended, Says Nufam
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has suspended another seven cabin crew members for posting comments on the union's Facebook page, the National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia (Nufam) said.
MAS had earlier suspended and subsequently sacked its chief steward and Nufam president Ismail Nasaruddin over his call for MAS CEO...
Viet Nam: Activist’s Facebook firestorm
A vicious backlash on social media has seen angry messages escalate to death threats against human rights activist Ou Virak in reaction to his call for opposition leader Sam Rainsy to stop inciting discrimination against the Vietnamese.
Virak, president of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, has been attacked on...
Thailand: Navy Lawsuit Threatens Media Freedom
(New York) – A Thai navy lawsuit against journalists reporting on official involvement in trafficking will curtail reporting on rights violations in Thailand, Human Rights Watch said today.
On December 16, 2013, the Thai Navy filed criminal defamation and computer crime charges against journalists for a story about abuses against...
The Philippines: Journalists rage on media killings, call on Black Friday
ILIGAN CITY -- Media practitioners in various parts of the country observe a “Black Friday” today to protest the recent wave of attacks on members of the press.
The campaign, spearheaded by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), aims “to show a solid front against the spate...
Joint Statement – Sombath Somphone one year on: 62 NGOs call for a new investigation into his enforced disappearance
We, the undersigned 62 regional and international organizations, express outrage over the Lao Government’s ongoing failure to shed light on the enforced disappearance of prominent activist and civil society leader Sombath Somphone.
To read the Lao version, click here.
December 15, 2013 marks the one-year anniversary of Sombath’s disappearance. Sombath was...
Singapore: Handling of riot aftermath exposes national laws and practices that violate international standards
On the night of 8 December 2013, an unfortunate fatal accident sparked off a spontaneous outbreak of rioting by migrant workers in Singapore. At least 28 persons involved in the act had been incriminated and are currently facing trial in the local courts of justice. Another 57 workers were...
Thailand: Human rights defenders and journalists, Mr Alan Morrison and Ms Chutima Sidasathian, charged under Computer Crime Act
23 December 2013
On 18 December 2013, human rights defenders, Mr Alan Morrison and Ms Chutima Sidasathian, appeared at the Wichit police station in Phuket province relating to charges brought under section 14 (1) of the Computer Crime Act. The two human rights defenders are accused of libel and violating the Computer...
Third week of protests in Cambodia
(Vatican Radio) Tens of thousands of protesters in Cambodia have been staging daily protests over the past three weeks. But Sunday’s demonstration was the largest to date. Observers say it was among the largest gatherings at any political event in the country’s history.
The protesters marched peacefully through the Cambodian...
Amid Cambodia protests, UN rights expert appeals for calm, urges meaningful talks’
Dec 30, 2013 (Menafn - M2 PRESSWIRE via COMTEX) -- An independent United Nations human rights expert today urged Cambodian authorities to continue to exercise restraint amid daily demonstrations in the capital of Phnom Penh, while also praising the increasing democratic space allowing people to comfortably express themselves in...
