New York – Four courageous and tireless advocates for human rights are the 2016 recipients of the prestigious Alison Des Forges Award for Extraordinary Activism, Human Rights Watch said today.
Category: Human rights
US to help face terrorism, environmental threats – rights must with growth: Kerry
Dhaka – Bangladesh has been placed near the very top of the countries at climate risk, with an estimated 15 million people who could be displaced by 2050, said US Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday. “Now, the United…
Child’s ‘blackface’ tribute to AFL’s Naitanui sparks racism row
An Australian footballer has called for better education about race, after a mother painted her son’s skin brown as a tribute to him, drawing widespread criticism. The mother had intended for her son to look like his idol, AFL player…
Philippine police killing spree demands accountability: HRW
Hundreds Dead in “Anti-Drug Operations” Since July 1 Phelim Kine Deputy Director, Asia Division The Philippine National Police (PNP) confirmed today at a Senate hearing on extrajudicial killings the shocking human toll inflicted by the police in the “war on…
France’s Shameful and Absurd Burkini Ban
Banning Burkini in Wake of Terror Attacks Creates Dangerous Confusion Bénédicte Jeannerod, France Director A woman is confronted by state officials in a public place and forced to change her clothing, while another is fined for failing to wear “an outfit…
Himal Southasian magazine to suspend publication
The Southasia Trust regrets to announce the suspension of publication of Himal Southasian, the pioneering magazine promoting ‘cross-border journalism’ in the region. A decision to this effect was taken by the Trust’s Executive Board on 22 August, due to non-cooperation…
Cyber-security bill to threaten Bangladesh media freedom: CPJ
Bangkok – The Committee to Protect Journalists called Thursday on Bangladesh’s legislature to scrap proposed cyber-security legislation that would impose severe penalties for disseminating online material deemed to be anti-state or a threat to national security or public order, says…
Brother of Syrian boy wounded in Aleppo dies
Beirut (AP/UNB) — Opposition activists say the brother of a wounded Syrian boy who gained international attention has died. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Sunday that Ali Daqneesh, 10, died the day before from wounds sustained in…
UN chief: 130 million need assistance to survive
United Nations (AP/UNB) — Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in a message on World Humanitarian Day that a record 130 million people depend on assistance to survive, a staggering number that would comprise the tenth most populous nation on earth. At…
Amnesty charged for giving dissident Kashmiris platform
Police in the southern city of Bangalore filed criminal charges against the India branch of Amnesty International following complaints by a Hindu nationalist student organization whose members recorded the event.The criminal charges stem from the British colonial era and include…
Indian activist ends hunger strike after 16 years
One of India’s most prominent political activists ended a 16-year hunger strike Tuesday, licking honey from her hand and declaring “I will never forget this moment.”Irom Sharmila had been force-fed through a tube in her nose and held by police…
Shringla tells Khaleda extremism obstacle to region’s uplift
Indian High Commissioner Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Tuesday told BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia that terrorism and extremism are major impediments to peace and development in the region.
EU steps up efforts to promote, protect indigenous peoples’ rights
Dhaka – The European Union has reaffirmed its commitments to promote and protect the rights of indigenous peoples. A declaration in this regard was made by the High Representative, Federica Mogherini, on behalf of the European Union on the occasion…
Proposed contempt of court law threatens Singapore’s press freedom
Bangkok – Singaporean lawmakers should scrap proposed legislation on what constitutes contempt of court in news reporting and public commentary, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The draft law’s penalties for violations, including possible prison terms for criticizing the…
Olympic refugee team not just going for gold
Minky Worden When the Rio Olympics open this week, there will be teams representing more than 200 countries and territories. For the first time, there will also be one team representing the millions of people who have no country –…
Excessive police force protested in Armenia
Yerevan – Armenian police used excessive force against peaceful protesters on July 29, 2016 and assaulted journalists reporting on the demonstrations, Human Rights Watch said today. Police used stun grenades, which wounded dozens of demonstrators and some journalists, some severely.…
Philippines leader blows hot and cold on press freedom
Shawn W. Crispin – Senior Southeast Asia Representative Newly installed Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has sent mixed messages on his commitment to upholding press freedom and combating impunity in media murders, a mix of hope and fear that has broadly…
Inequality undermines rights of assembly, association
Geneva (Kanaga Raja) – The United States on 29 August last seemed to be at a moment where it is struggling to live up to its ideals on the often intertwined critical issues of racial, social and economic inequality, a…
‘Young, old, conservative, liberal’: Turkey in shock over journalists’ arrest
Turkish media are in a state of shock this weekend after the government arrested 17 journalists in recent days on terror charges and issued arrest warrants for dozens more, in what a press freedom group has warned is a “sweeping…
250,000 Syrian Children Out of School in Lebanon
Residency Rules, Child Labor Among Barriers for Refugees Beirut – More than half of the nearly 500,000 school-age Syrian children registered in Lebanon are not enrolled in formal education, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Although Lebanon,…
Turkey: Protect rights, law after coup attempt – HRW
Mass arrests, website shutdowns raise grave concerns Berlin – The response of the Turkish government to an attempted coup will be a critical test of its commitment to defend democratic principles and human rights, including media freedom and respect for…
Rights org ASK concerned as 2 Gulshan attack hostages ‘missing’
Dhaka – Rights body Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) on Wednesday expressed deep concern over the ‘missing’ of two rescued hostages of the Holey Artisan Bakery attack, UNB news agency reported. Abul Hasnat Rezaul Karim, a businessman and former teacher…
Three Cox’s Bazar journos sued under ICT Act
Dhaka – A case has been filed against three local journalists of Cox’s Bazar under the ICT Act for allegedly publishing false news in an online news portal. The three accused are ‘CTN24.com’ publisher and Editor Sarwar Alam, its executive…
Thailand harasses critical website ahead of constt’l vote
New York – Thai authorities should cease harassing independent news website Prachatai and drop all charges against one of its journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday.
Indian minister threatens regulators, media, civil society over ILR
On June 7, 2016, (as widely reported by media[i]) Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti “threatened to go on hunger strike if the Ken-Betwa river linking project is further delayed and termed the attempt to delay the project by environmentalists…
Int’l Criminal Court inquires UK forces’ HR abuses in Iraq
The long awaited Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq War released Wednesday contains stinging indictments of Britain’s role in the U.S.-led invasion, detailing failures starting with the exaggerated threat posed by Saddam Hussein through the disastrous lack of post-invasion planning. An…
UK needs compass of human rights
Benjamin Ward My country feels unmoored since the EU referendum decision. Prime Minister David Cameron has announced his resignation, the main political parties are internally divided, the markets volatile. What will happen next is unclear and people are anxious about…
79 custodial deaths in six months, says HR body ASK
Dhaka – Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), a legal aid and human rights organisation, Thursday published a report over the violation of human rights of the country. The report said at least seventy nine people were killed in police custody…
Protect freedoms as core value of democracy: UK Minister
Dhaka – The United Kingdom has urged Bangladesh, as a vibrant, modern and rapidly growing democracy, to protect and promote freedom of expression as one of its core values and rights of all citizens, Unb news agency reported. Addressing a…
Defending human rights values under attack
Kenneth Roth The human-rights building blocks of democratic society are the ideas that we should see the humanity in each individual, respect and value differences, and treat others with the respect that we want them to give us. Yet these…