Media Coverage

The UN human rights office warned on May 24 of “frightening and disturbing reports” about the impact of new violence in Myanmar’s western state of Rakhine, pointing to new attacks on Rohingya civilians by the military and an ethnic armed group fighting it.  Spokesperson Liz Throssell of the office...

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s newly-created “super body” will not succeed in addressing the human rights issues in the country because it will be composed of agencies that contributed to the problem. In a joint statement on Tuesday, May 21, civil society organizations said that “the...

Fighting between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army (AA) has escalated in the western state of Rakhine in recent days, putting thousands of mostly Muslim Rohingya who live in the area at increased risk. Based on interviews with Rohingya activists who have spoken to witnesses in Buthidaung...

A leading international human rights organization on May 16 urged the Thai government to stop forcing political dissidents who fled to Thailand for safety to return to authoritarian home countries, where they may face torture, persecution, or death. In a new report, Human Rights Watch said Thai...

Police in Vietnam have arrested a senior official involved in talks with international organisations on labor reforms, state media said on May 9, adding that the action was linked to disclosure of classified information. The detention of Nguyen Van Binh follows months of arrests of prominent experts...

A powerful ethnic minority armed group battling Myanmar’s army in the country’s west claimed on May 6 to have taken hundreds of government soldiers prisoner when it captured a major command post. The Arakan Army, the well-trained and well-armed military wing of the Rakhine ethnic minority movement...

India on May 1 deported the first group of Myanmar refugees who had sought shelter after a 2021 military coup, a top state minister said, following weeks of efforts that were hampered by fighting between Myanmar's rebel forces and the ruling junta. Thousands of civilians and hundreds of troops from...

A Thai court sentenced the prominent human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa, 39, to a further two years and 20 days in prison and a fine of 100 baht ($2.70) for royal insult, breaching of an emergency decree, and other charges related to a speech he made at a political rally in 2021. Arnon is currently...

Indonesia’s electoral commission has formally declared Prabowo Subianto president-elect in a ceremony, after the country’s highest court rejected challenges to his win by rival candidates. Prabowo, 72, a former general dogged by allegations of human rights abuses, won a landslide victory in February...

Voters at a handful polling places in a northeastern Indian state went back to the polls amid tight security on April 22 after violence disrupted the vote last week. Indian election authorities voided the results at 11 of Manipur state’s nearly 3,000 polling stations after armed men damaged election...