Tag: Freedom of Religion
Myanmar, religious minorities and geopolitics: US, China, India and Japan vying for influence
The nation of Myanmar (Burma) appears to be at a major crossroads because past intransigence is now being followed by a possible thaw, whereby this nation comes in from the “international cold.” Of course, for nations like China then issues related to human rights was never on the agenda....
Myanmar: Do ‘rapidly breeding’ Rohingya Muslims really threaten Myanmar’s Buddhist identity?
BANGKOK, Thailand — Along Myanmar’s crescent-shaped western coast, Buddhist communities fear their dominance is under siege.
As in parts of Europe — such as The Netherlands and France — Myanmar’s riled-up patriots warn of a population time bomb: A demographic explosion of Muslims 'breeding' them into oblivion.
The Muslims in question...
Malaysia: Upko to Continue Defending Rights of all Malaysians to Use ‘Allah’
KOTA KINABALU: United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (UPKO will continue to defend the rights of Malaysians to use the term ‘Allah’ in their worship, said its president, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok.
This is because it is within their human rights to use the word that has been part of their...
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....
Malaysia: Muslim groups laud Allah decision
There are greater challenges ahead for Muslims, said former PAS deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa (pic) after the Court of Appeal verdict today that banned Catholics from using the word "Allah" in the Herald, the church’s weekly newspaper.
He said the court's ruling that Allah was not a fundamental word...
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...
Echoes of Indonesia in Myanmar transition
RAKHINE STATE - The brutal images and survivor accounts show a dreadful synchronicity. Once again families huddle around what possessions they salvaged from their homes before they were torched. Children scamper between rows of hangdog wood and bamboo huts. Adults appear frightened and listless.
It is as if the hatred...
Myanmar must fight religious violence, says UN
Violence against Muslims in Myanmar has triggered international outrage. A report by UN Special Rapporteur Tomas Ojea Quintana stresses the necessity and urgency for the government in Naypyidaw to find a solution.
"It is always the same pattern. A few days ahead of time, there are rumors about which mosques...
Violence against Muslims threatening Myanmar reforms: UN
UNITED NATIONS - Violence against a Muslim minority in Myanmar is feeding a wider anti-Muslim feeling that poses a serious threat to the country’s dramatic economic and political reforms as it emerges from half a century of military rule, a UN envoy has said.
The government says at least 192...
Myanmar: Aung San Suu Kyi and EU leaders urged to place human rights, anti-Muslim violence at the top of the agenda of European visit
BANGKOK – (October 18) Legislators from across Southeast Asia today called on Aung San Suu Kyi and European Parliamentarians and leaders to use the National League for Democracy (NLD) leader’s visit to Europe to secure greater commitments to tackle persistent human rights concerns in Myanmar, and draw particular focus...
