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Hong Kong's High Court on Tuesday sentenced 45 pro-democracy activists to jail terms of up to 10 years in a landmark national security trial that has damaged the city's once feisty democracy movement and drawn international condemnation.

A total of 47 pro-democracy activists were arrested and charged in 2021 with conspiracy to commit subversion under a Beijing-imposed national security law and had faced sentences of up to life in prison.

Sentences imposed ranged from just over four years to 10 years.

Benny Tai, a former legal scholar who was labelled as an "organiser" of the 47 pro-democracy activists, was sentenced to 10 years in jail.

The charges related to the organising of an unofficial "primary election" in 2020 to select the best candidates for an upcoming legislative election. The activists were accused by prosecutors of plotting to paralyse the government by engaging in potentially disruptive acts had they been elected.

The US has criticised the trial as "politically motivated" and said the democrats should be released as they had been "peacefully participating in political activities" that were legal.

US President-elect Donald Trump's nominee as secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has been a staunch critic of the trial and in an earlier open letter criticised the convictions of the 47 democrats as evidence of the national security law's "comprehensive assault on Hong Kong's autonomy, rule of law, and fundamental freedoms".

The Chinese and Hong Kong governments say the national security laws were necessary to restore order after mass pro-democracy protests in 2019, and the democrats have been treated in accordance with local laws.

• Closely watched trial -

Hundreds of people had queued from the early hours outside the court, many holding umbrellas in light rain as they tried to secure a seat within the main courtroom and several spillover courts. Authorities deployed a tight police presence outside the West Kowloon Magistrates Court and for several blocks in the vicinity.

"I feel such an injustice needs witnessing," said Margaret, 59, dressed in a white raincoat and black facemask, who was in the queue since Sunday afternoon. "I've long followed their case. They (the democrats) need to know they still have public support."

After a 118 day trial, 14 of the democrats were found guilty in May, including Australian citizen Gordon Ng and activist Owen Chow, while two were acquitted. The other 31 pleaded guilty, including student activist Joshua Wong and Tai.

Activist and conscientious objector Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal has been charged with draft evasion after he refused to participate in the military conscription process.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said that Netiwit reported to the police at Bang Pu Police Station in Samut Prakan last Friday (8 November). He was charged with draft evasion under Section 45 of the 1954 Military Service Act.

Netiwit denied the charge and will submit his testimony in writing later. TLHR said that he is required to report to the public prosecutor on 3 December, and that it is possible he will be indicted then.

On 5 April, Netiwit went to a military conscription centre in Samut Prakan, where he was supposed to take part in the draft. In an act of civil disobedience, he read a statement in front of the centre saying that he will not be reporting for the draft in protest at compulsory military conscription in Thailand, which he said is a violation of human rights and personal moral beliefs. It is outdated, ineffective, and undermines democracy. Not only does it not promote equality, it also enforces a system of oppression, he said.

The 27-year-old is an education reform activist and has also worked with communities surrounding Chulalongkorn University facing eviction and rising rent prices. He has been vocal about his objection to compulsory military conscription, and on his 18th birthday, he published a declaration saying that he is a conscientious objector and will not participate in military conscription, which he said is obsolete, and asking why supporters of peace and nonviolent action cannot reject conscription.

All Thai men over 21 years of age who have not completed reserve officer training are required by law to participate in the draft, and join the military either voluntarily or by participating in a lottery, unless they do not meet the physical and mental health standards. No exception is made for conscientious objectors.

During his 5 April protest, Netiwit said that although he could have found ways to avoid being drafted, it is necessary to directly confront the issue for the improvement of civil rights and freedom. By presenting himself and protesting publicly, he said he is showing that he has never intended to evade the draft or flee. He is aware of the legal consequences of his action and is willing to face them.

A famous blogger who had been a political refugee in Germany for 12 years went missing for several days while returning to Vietnam to visit his seriously ill mother and has just reappeared in Hanoi.

Mr. Bui Thanh Hieu, born in 1972, (also known as blogger Nguoi Buon Gio) specializes in writing about Vietnam's internal politics, flew from Germany to Bangkok then flew back to Noi Bai airport around October 20.

His friends then alerted social media that he was missing, suspected of being detained by Hanoi police.

On November 3, Facebook Oanh Kim Bui (Mr. Hieu's sister) posted a photo on her personal Facebook, showing Mr. Hieu sitting next to his elderly mother.

On November 4, Ms. Oanh confirmed to a reporter from Radio Free Asia that Mr. Hieu was at his family's home but did not say anything more.

On the same day, she posted photos and videos showing Mr. Hieu visiting relatives, friends and old neighbors.

In a video he confirmed to his friend that:

"My wife and children came back first. They only let me in after my wife and children left Vietnam. I was only in for three days."

He added, "They said that if you come back once and then come back (Duc-PV), if you know what's good for you, they will consider it ," referring to the Security Investigation Agency, Ministry of Public Security.

The reporter called the on-duty officer of the Security Investigation Agency, Ministry of Public Security to ask for information about Mr. Hieu's case but could not connect.

Mr. Le Trung Khoa, editor of Thoibao.de in Germany, told RFA that he knew Mr. Hieu when he was sent from Hanoi to the German city of Weimar under a "writers in exile" scholarship from PEN Germany.

Mr. Khoa, a famous journalist after the kidnapping of Trinh Xuan Thanh in Berlin, added that a few days ago he had written a report about the disappearance of Mr. Bui Thanh Hieu (a German citizen) in Vietnam to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the German police agency because Mr. Hieu had a contract to write articles for his newspaper.

However, according to Mr. Khoa, the German government only confirmed that it had received the document and did not provide any further information.

A disabled man convicted of incitement for comments he posted on Facebook about Prime Minister Hun Manet was sentenced to 18 months in prison on Tuesday.

Phon Yuth, who has never had use of his legs and uses a wheelchair, was arrested in March after he posted and shared several messages that criticized the existence of undocumented Vietnamese people living in Cambodia.

He also posted comments about a Cambodian businessman who was accused of cheating people out of their money and mentioned Senate President Hun Sen in other posts that were published just months after Hun Sen stepped down as prime minister.

The resignation in August 2023 paved the way for his son, Hun Manet, to be appointed to the position.

“I want a new leader,” Phon Yuth wrote in one message earlier this year.

The 40-year-old was held without trial in southern Takeo province until this week. His wife, Mom Vith, told Radio Free Asia in September that the provincial court repeatedly extended his detention while delaying scheduled court hearings.

“Don’t leave him and abandon him in jail quietly and indefinitely like that,” she said.

After Tuesday’s sentencing, Phon Yuth was returned to Takeo Provincial Prison.

The harsh sentence could further dampen the exercise of freedom of speech in Cambodia, said Kim Piseth, a senior investigator for human rights group Adhoc.

“In this case, the authorities should have set up an investigation into the concerns, rather than blaming the people’s expression,” he said. “It doesn’t have any positive impact for people to express themselves.”

Phun Yuth was previously jailed for five months in 2019 on charges of incitement and publicly insulting officials after he criticized the government’s inaction and demanded Hun Sen’s resignation.

RFA was unable to reach court spokesman Nget Davuth for comment.

Authorities across China are cracking down on thousands of college students who took part in mass night-cycling events that commentators said could be seen as a new form of protest against the ruling Chinese Communist Party.

The police department in Henan’s Zhengzhou city issued a warning to students on Nov. 9, following a mass “night ride to Kaifeng” by thousands of young people a day earlier, as a social media video about riding to the city in search of dumplings spawned dozens of copycat outings, eventually expanding to a mass cycle ride that some observers said left the authorities rattled, concerned that it could turn into a political protest like the “white paper” movement two years ago, or Halloween in Shanghai.

Video footage of the rides uploaded to social media of the Nov. 8 event showed phalanxes of cyclists riding abreast across several lanes of a highway, flying the Chinese national flag and singing the Chinese national anthem, many of whom were riding bikes from urban sharing schemes.

Police didn’t take action at the time, but they announced a ban on cycles from downtown Zhengzhou on Nov. 9 and Nov. 10, reserving main roads for motorized traffic only, according to Jimu News.

Cycle-hire companies Hello, Qingjue and Meituan responded by banning the riding of their bikes between city jurisdictions, saying anyone who defied the ban would have their hired bike locked remotely.

A retired teacher from Zhengzhou who gave only the surname Jia for fear of reprisals said she saw the road from Zhengzhou to Kaifeng “packed” with cyclists on Nov. 8.

“I would say there were more than 200,000 people,” Jia said. “Zhengzhou to Kaifeng Boulevard was so crowded that ... there were no shared bikes left and a lot of people had to walk instead.”

“[The authorities] are very nervous,” she said.

The cycling bans came after the Nov. 8 ride was joined by more than 600 students who traveled down by train from Beijing to take part, and also by military veterans, a group regarded as highly politically sensitive by the government, who carried flags and shouted slogans calling for “freedom,” according to social media reports.

“Eight years in the Rocket Force, night ride to Kaifeng -- charge!” a person shouts in one video clip. “Five years in the Air Force, retired but still got it, night ride to Kaifeng, let’s go!” shouts someone else.

One Douyin user from Shandong posted a video saying the authorities in Henan were now cracking down on “night rides” by students in universities across the province, as well as in the northern provinces of Shanxi and Shaanxi.

“One video I saw showed students from Shandong and Tianjin also took action, with some waving national flags,” the user said.

According to other social media posts, some students who tried to form a mass ride to Beijing’s Tiananmen Square were stopped and turned away at a police checkpoint, so they rode the 138 kilometers (86 miles) to the northern port city of Tianjin.

In the eastern city of Nanjing, tens of thousands of college students rode to Chaohu Lake 140 kilometers (87 miles) away or Ma’anshan, 59 kilometers (37 miles) away, while students in Sichuan’s provincial capital Chengdu role to Dujiangyan 70 kilometers (43 miles) away and students from Xi’an rode 28 kilometers (17 miles) by night to Xianyang.

According to Jia, authorities in Zhengzhou also locked down college campuses across the city and wouldn’t let students leave.

“All students were told to return to campus, and then not allowed out again for a certain period of time,” she said. “The universities sent out a lot of internal notices to counselors and other staff, which you can seen online.”

Jimu News reported that students at the Henan Institute of Science and Technology in Zhengzhou were required to get a special pass to leave campus, citing campus officials.

Zhengzhou-based teacher Li Na said she was amazed at the students’ actions.

“Let’s not impute a political stance to this, but at the very least it shows that young people in mainland China are very eager to take part in public life,” Li said. “Secondly, they are very organized.”

“I don’t know how they are communicating with each other given how tight the controls are, and yet it’s gotten so big that students all over the country have responded,” she said.

Li cited local media reports as saying that universities in Shanxi and other places had gone as far as to label the bike rides a “political movement,” and warn students not to take part on pain of having a black mark on their record.

University staff were also working “ideologically” with students to persuade them not to take part, she said.

“This isn’t the first time we have seen the capacity of young people to organize,” Li said. “The first time was the white paper movement, and the second was Halloween.”

Li Meiyao, a psychologist from Shanxi, said the initial bike ride in June was described as a way to alleviate mental health problems by the young woman who posted about it first.

“I rode a bike to Kaifeng to eat dumplings, because I haven’t found any other way to release the depression caused by the three-years of pandemic restrictions,” she paraphrased the original post as saying.

University students endured months of lockdown on campus during the three years of zero-COVID restrictions, which ended in December 2022, and were sent home en masse when they gathered to protest, with the authorities blaming instigation by “hostile foreign forces” for the protests.

A Henan-based commentator who gave only the surname Gong for fear of reprisals said the rides likely started out as a way for young people to let off steam.

“At the outset, this was about having fun, with a few young students going to Kaifeng, but why did they get such an instant response?” Gong said. “Because college students have been isolated and shut off from society for such a long time, and rarely had the opportunity to take part in any public events.”

“It was an important opportunity for them to let off steam, express themselves, and affirm their values in a public setting,” he said.

Prominent Tibetan language rights advocate Tashi Wangchuk was detained for 15 days on charges of ‘disrupting social order’ and allegedly spreading false information on social media and is now under strict surveillance, RFA Tibetan has learned.

Wangchuk’s detention comes as China intensifies its policies to suppress — or even eradicate — Tibetan and other ethnic languages and cultures and replace them with Mandarin and Han Chinese customs.

According to a release notice issued by the Yulshul (in Chinese, Yushu) City Detention Center obtained by RFA, Wangchuk, 39, was arrested by the Internet Police Unit in China’s Qinghai province on Oct. 20. After an investigation, he was detained for 15 days in the Yulshul Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture until his release on Nov. 4.

The document, dated Nov. 4, said Wangchuk -- a former political prisoner -- was accused of posting “false information” on social media platforms since June, for “repeatedly insulting and ridiculing government departments” and “negatively impacting the online environment and public order in society” by allegedly distorting and rejecting government policies.

Despite his release, Wangchuk remains under strict surveillance and is being subjected to ongoing interrogation, said a source familiar with his situation, who spoke to RFA on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

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A shopkeeper from the Yulshul township of Jyekundo, also called Gyegu, said Wangchuk was released from prison in January 2021 after he completed a five-year term for discussing language restrictions with Western media, but rights groups had continued to express concerns about his health and safety amid ongoing controls on his freedom.

‘Forced assimilation’

Maya Wang, associate China director at New York-based Human Rights Watch, said Wangchuk’s case reflects the Chinese government’s broader efforts toward assimilation.

“Tibetans who have pushed back for Tibetan language rights – notably Tashi Wangchuk – and for their rights to express themselves, practice religion and culture in the way they prefer, have been imprisoned and harassed for doing so,” Wang told RFA.

“This is all part of the Chinese government‘s efforts to forcibly assimilate what they consider to be ’ethnic minorities' and subsume them into what [Chinese President] Xi [Jinping] considers to be a rising Han Chinese nation,” she said.

Wang noted that the Chinese government has systematically replaced the Tibetan language with Mandarin as the medium of instruction in primary, middle and secondary schools, except for classes studying Tibetan as a language - treating it akin to a foreign language.

While China claims to uphold the rights of all minorities to access a “bilingual education,” Tibetan-language schools have been forced to shut down and kindergarten-aged children regularly only receive instruction in Mandarin Chinese.

Observers say such policies are aimed at eliminating the next generation of Tibetan speakers and part of a broader effort by the government to destroy Tibetans’ cultural identity. Similar policies are deployed against Mongolians in Inner Mongolia and Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

Earlier prison term

Since 2015, Wangchuk has been advocating against China‘s policies undermining the Tibetan language, calling for language protection as guaranteed in laws governing the country’s autonomous regions.

Wangchuk rose to prominence that same year through an interview with The New York Times about his efforts to sue local authorities in eastern Tibet after Tibetan language classes were canceled.

After the release of The New York Times documentary featuring his interview, Wangchuk was arrested in 2016 and tortured by Chinese authorities.

Since his release in from prison in 2021 Wangchuk has traveled throughout Tibet raising awareness of Chinese authorities’ suppression of the Tibetan language in schools, as well as petitioning government officials to defend and preserve Tibetan language and culture.

Activists and his lawyer say that Wangchuk has been under continued surveillance since his release.

In July 2023, human rights lawyer Lin Qilei said in a post to the social media platform X that he had met Wangchuk in Yushu, but their meeting and time together was cut short due to restrictions on their communication and local police pressure.

“Tashi Wangchuk’s case makes the harassment and scrutiny that former political prisoners face even more evident,” said Tenzin Khunkhen, researcher at the Central Tibetan Administration’s Human Rights desk.

Khunkhen also raised concerns about Wangchuk’s well-being, stating that his arrest and detention reflects the Chinese government’s ongoing crackdown on political prisoners in Tibet.

Free Tibet’s research partner, Tibet Watch, has learned that Tibetan language advocate Tashi Wangchuk was detained last month on 20 October. The Yushu City Police Detention Centre released him last Monday after 15 days.

The organisation responsible for his detention was the ‘Cybersecurity Brigade’ (网安大队).

Tibet Watch obtained the official arrest warrant dated 20 October 2024 by the Yushu City Public Security Bureau, which states that Tashi Wangchuk was given 15-day administrative detention penalty for having supposedly fabricated and spread, since June this year, “unconfirmed, false, and untrue videos and speeches” that slander and defame the government organs on social media platforms such as Douyin and Kuaishou.

The notification further stated that his posts distorted and denied the decisions and policies implemented by the government and seriously disrupted the cyberspace environment and social public order.

Tashi Wangchuk’s social media accounts show that since June, he had reposted Gonmo Kyi’s documents which demanded for fair retrial of her brother and political prisoner Dorje Tashi, video of police personnel taking off Tibetan prayer flag from the rooftop of his home, as well as a photo of a renowned Tibetan school which was forcibly shut in mid July.

Tashi Wangchuk is a herder-turned-shopkeeper who came to international prominence in late 2015 after appearing in the New York Times article and documentary about his solo advocacy to file a lawsuit against local authorities after local Tibetan classes were shut down. Even after serving a five-year sentence, he continues advocating for the Tibetan language at government offices and monitoring schools that are replacing Tibetan textbooks in favour of Chinese.

A year ago, he was detained and beaten by Chinese police personnel after he posted a video of government staff refusing his request for business license registration. The same year, he was attacked by a group of unidentified, masked men after he posted a video of himself near a Tibetan school.

On November 6, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Chung Chia-pin, aggressively checked the identification of China Times News Network reporter Guo Jiquan, grabbing at his interview pass and questioning his identity as a reporter. International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate, the Association of Taiwan Journalists (ATJ) in condemning the politician’s behaviour and calling on the Legislative Yuan to protect the safety of journalists on duty.

During a financial committee meeting of Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan on November 6, politician Chung Chia-pin forcibly grabbed the interview pass of journalist Guo Jiquan, questioning its validity. The reporter had been accepted into the legislature after an inspection by law enforcement, a requirement prior to entry, and was filming Chung and other politicians amid minor physical clashes between elected officials.

Despite Chung’s attempts to explain the misunderstanding, Chung refused to return the reporter’s identification. The matter was only resolved following intervention from fellow journalists. Representatives from opposition political parties have condemned the incident, while Chung has claimed that he want to speak with the journalist privately to resolve the matter.

This altercation follows a similar case in September 11, amidst anti-corruption investigations into People’s Party Chairperson Ko Wenzhe. During the political commentary program ‘Lu Xiufang Evening News’, former legislator Cai Zhengyuan claimed that Sanli News reporter Ma Yuwen had received exclusive interviews and information through sleeping with key figures. The ATJ rebuked the remarks as sexist and undermining Ma’s personal dignity, calling on Cai to issue a public apology.

The ATJ said: “The Journalists Association believes that as a political figure, this move is obviously excessive. The Journalists Association reaffirms its position of fully safeguarding journalists’ reporting rights and independent space. If relevant persons question a journalist’s identity and qualifications, the relevant review should return to the authority and responsibility of the Legislative Yuan.”

IFJ said: “In a democracy’s legislative assembly, it is unacceptable that a journalist be subject to aggressive behaviour. Chung’s conduct must be investigated, and authorities must ensure the security of media workers.

In the past two weeks, three radio stations in Khost province have been banned from broadcasting by local authorities. Their return to to the airwaves is conditional on their compliance with repressive rules: no music or calls from female listeners. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the Taliban Minister of Information and Culture to end the oppression of the right to information in Afghanistan.

The office of the privately-owned radio station Lawang has been sealed since 6 November. Located in Khost province in southeastern Afghanistan, the station was targeted by the tyrannical policies of the provincial authorities for the Promotion of Virtue and the Repression of Vice, which accused the station of violating its new rules. On 26 October, media outlets in Khost province were banned from broadcasting music. The provincial authorities had already banned women's voices from being aired on the radio in February. A news station launched in January 2024, Lawang also played a role in public education, broadcasting learning programmes aimed at young girls, who have been banned from secondary and higher education since March 2022.

A few days before Lawang was shut down, Zhman Radio experienced a similar disruption for violating the ban on broadcasting music. Founded in 2017, the local media outlet mainly broadcasts political, social, cultural, and educational programmes. The station was eventually allowed to resume activity on 11 November — provided it complied with the new restrictions. This also happened to Gharghasht Radio, which was closed on 31 October before resuming operations three days later, on the condition that it stopped broadcasting music.

"Since their return to power in August 2021, the Taliban have been conducting a brutal crackdown on the Afghan media, stifling all independent voices and plunging the country into a silence fostered by fear. Their crackdown on Khost radio stations is a worrying sign that the ideologies inflicted on the media are hardening. We call on the Taliban authorities in Khost to reopen Radio Lawang immediately, to stop forcing radio stations to close, and to respect the right to information. Radios must continue to broadcast freely.

Célia Mercier Head of RSF's South Asia Desk The repression of media outlets on "morality" grounds is particularly intense in Khost. Three radio journalists, Ismail Sadat of Radio Naz, Wahidullah Masoum of Radio Iqra and Ehsanullah Tasa of Radio Walas Ghazh, were arrested and detained for several days last April, accused of broadcasting music and airing telephone calls from women.

Five union leaders have been detained under the Public Safety Act in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district for allegedly attempting to “obstruct” the construction of hydropower projects in Chenab Valley, the Kashmir Times reported on Monday.

Those detained were identified as Mohammad Abdullah Gujjar, Noor Din, Ghulam Nabi Choppan, Mohammad Jaffer Sheikh and Mohammad Ramzan.

They had flagged issues related to environmental degradation, damage to property, health hazards caused due to the ongoing construction of these projects and inadequate compensation for those affected, reported The Wire citing unidentified sources.

An official spokesperson for the district administration said that the detained persons were “not desisting from their illegal acts” despite prior warnings. Kishtwar District Magistrate Rajesh Kumar Shavan had taken a strong stance against “anti-national activities”, the spokesperson added.

“There were apprehensions of disturbing public order and putting threat to the security of the state by them,” the Kashmir Times quoted the unidentified spokesperson as saying. “As soon as the warrants were received, the police took them into custody and executed the warrants.”

The Public Safety Act is a preventive detention law that allows persons to be taken into custody to prevent them from acting against “the security of the state or the maintenance of the public order” in the Union territory.

Twenty-two other persons were also placed under surveillance for allegedly attempting to obstruct projects of national importance in the region, according to the Kashmir Times.

The district magistrate directed agencies to monitor persons who “try to disturb the public order by false propaganda and keeping an anti-national attitude of slowing pace of mega projects,” the spokesperson added.

Responding to the detention of the union leaders, Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti said that many across Jammu and Kashmir had been booked under draconian laws like the Public Safety Act and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act on “trivial charges” in the past five years.

In a post on social media, the former chief minister said: “This latest case of slapping PSA [Public Safety Act] on 5 people for raising their voice against the exploitation of our water resources by NHPC [National Hydroelectric Power Corporation] to fill in their own coffers is shocking because people have high expectations from the newly elected government.”

She added: “Hope they look into it immediately and see that these draconian laws are not used arbitrarily against our own citizens for raising genuine concerns.”

The Chenab Valley comprises the Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts.

Experts have warned about several potential dangers, including environmental damage and natural disasters, associated with about six hydropower projects that are in various stages of development on the Chenab river.

Activist detained under PSA in Doda Another 25-year-old environmental activist, identified as Rehmatullah Ahmed, was also detained and booked under the Public Safety Act for allegedly challenging the district administration in Doda over civic issues, the Kashmir Times reported on Monday.

On November 9, Ahmed was booked under the Act for allegedly being an “overground worker and sympathiser of militants” who posed a “threat to the security of the state”, The Wire reported, quoting from the documents concerning his arrest.

The documents accused Rehamatullah of being “in continuous touch with ISI [Inter-Services Intelligence]/PAK [Pakistan] based settled militants”.

A young activist from Doda, whose detention under the Public Safety Act (PSA) was quashed in 2016 by J&K high court, has again been booked under the controversial law, with his family and a member of J&K legislative assembly alleging that he was targeted by the authorities for his activism.

The action comes days after five trade union leaders from the adjoining Kishtwar district of Chenab Valley were slapped with the PSA and taken into preventive custody, allegedly for raising concerns over the increasing health risks and environmental degradation caused by the construction of power projects in the region.

The controversial legislation, which has been dubbed as a “lawless law” by Amnesty International, has been widely used to silence political dissidents and government critics in Jammu and Kashmir by the Union government after the reading down of Article 370 in 2019, according to free speech activists.

Though the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir now has an elected government, the police report to the Union ministry of home affairs via the lieutenant governor since the UT government’s limited mandate does not extend to law and order.

‘Sympathiser of militants’

In its latest action on November 9, Rehamatullah, 25, who lives in Dessa Bhatta of Doda, was booked under the PSA on charges of being an alleged “overground worker and sympathiser of militants” who posed a “threat to the security of the state”. The dossier (PSA 02 of 2024) also accused Rehamatullah of being “in continuous touch with ISI/PAK based settled militants”.

However, the five-page dossier, which has been prepared by the Senior Superintendent of Police (Doda) and approved by deputy commissioner Doda Harvinder Singh, does not refer to any formal anti-terror charges under which Rehamatullah has been booked in the past.

The dossier stated that the young activist has been booked in five FIRs (two of them for his speeches, one each for wrongful restraint, abduction and criminal trespass) and he has got bail from the courts in all the cases. It also referred to a Daily Dairy entry (No. 5 of August 2, 2024) against Rehamatullah at Doda police station.

The DD entry accused the young activist of purportedly using VPN for accessing the internet “so that his anti-national activities and his links across the border with PAK/POK based militant cannot be detected”.

“As evident from the above, it can be…concluded that the subject has maintained his links with the PAK/ POK based militants, which may have been used by foreign terrorists in killing defense forces personnel in multiple attacks in the district in the last 6 months. It is clear that the subject…has become a great threat to the security of the State,” the dossier noted.

Rehamatullah is the father of two minor children and the youngest among three siblings.

‘A big scam’

However, Doda MLA and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, Mehraj Malik sought to link the detention of Rehamatullah under the PSA with a video interview on November 6 in which the activist had accused the Doda deputy commissioner of failing to enforce the rules governing the disposal of solid waste in the town.

Against the backdrop of plumes of smoke rising from mounds of garbage, which he claimed had been set on fire by Doda town’s municipal authorities, Rehamatullah can be heard saying that the unscientific disposal of garbage was causing health issues for the residents. A Solid Waste Management Project was approved by the National Building Construction Corporation Limited in 2008 for Doda to collect garbage from 17 wards of the town and convert it into manure.

“The plant was supposed to minimise the negative impacts of solid waste on environment, quality of life and health. Why is the magistrate not taking suo moto cognisance? Why is the pollution control board and municipality silent? It is a big scam. Crore of rupees are being swindled. The government should look into it,” the activist had asked.

In another video on September 16, Rehamatullah can be heard appealing the people to use their democratic right to vote to give a “befitting reply” to the “forces of tyranny” and “those targeting the identity” of Jammu and Kashmir, “I appeal people to throng the polling booths and give a befitting reply to the tyrants by raising the slogan of ‘Inquilab zindabad’,” he said.

The Wire has reached out to the deputy commissioner, Doda, Harvinder Singh for comment. This story will be updated as and when the response is received.

‘Only raising his voice on public issues’

Fayaz Ahmad, Rehmatullah’s elder brother, said that there was a knock on their door at around 5 am on Sunday morning, “When my brother opened the door, the cops told him that he was wanted by one of their officers. Our elderly parents tried to protest but the cops warned them not to raise an outcry and go back inside,” he said.

Ahmad said that a team of nearly three dozen police personnel, including female officials, had cordoned their home before his brother was whisked away to Doda police station. “Just a day earlier, he had raised some uncomfortable questions about the poor quality of construction material used for building a sewer line near our home,” he said, adding that he was away in Jammu at the time of the raid at their home on Sunday.

Ahmad said that his brother’s activism had become a cause of anxiety for their parents also due to which he had handed the charge of his readymade garments store in Doda to his younger brother in order to keep him busy. “He was not doing anything wrong. He was only raising his voice on public issues. If asking the government officials and contractors to follow the rules is a crime, then he is guilty,” he said.

According to Ahmed, Rehamatullah was first booked under the PSA in 2016. He had recently started Urban Insights, a web portal which was registered as a micro enterprise (UDYAM-JK-05-0011305) with the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises under the Union government in the information services sector. Through it, Rehamatullah had aimed to amplify the voices of people on civic issues in Doda.

Quashing his PSA in 2017, the J&K high court had observed that Rehamatullah was deprived of his “fundamental right” to make “effective representation” against his preventive detention.

Charges against five trade union leaders

The detention of Rehamatullah came days after five trade union leaders in the adjoining Kishtwar district were booked under the PSA amid growing concerns over the environmental degradation caused by the power projects in the district.

The detention of the five leaders was condemned by the Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti, among others.

According to reports and several social media posts from journalists and activists in Chenab Valley, which comprises Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts, the five detainees had been flagging the issues of environmental degradation, poor compensation and health hazards triggered by pollution due to the ongoing construction of these power projects.

However, the administration has accused the five men of “anti-national activities” and “disturbing public order”. Doda-based journalist and editor of The Chenab Times, Anzer Ayoub said that the fact that the detainees were trade union leaders “is a gross abuse of power.”

Luu Van Vinh‘s wife, Le Thi Thap, told Project88 that during her visit on Nov. 11, Vinh told her that two officials from the Ministry of Public Security had come to see him a few days earlier and warned him that if she kept “causing trouble” on Facebook, Thap might end up in prison herself. This really surprised her because, as she reported to Project88, she only posts about the personal burdens and hardships she has to bear, but never anything about the party or the government.

Land rights activist Trinh Ba Phuong‘s wife, Do Thi Thu, visited him at An Diem Prison in Quang Nam province on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 — a back-to-back two-day visit practiced by those who can’t visit imprisoned family members once a month due to the distance or cost (or both). Things went smoothly on the first day. But when Thu arrived on the morning of the second day, she was told by an official that Phuong could only receive visitors once every two months because he had been disciplined for 10 days in September 2023 (more than a year prior). The official added that it was also because the prison authorities “did not see any improvement in his behavior,” and so his visitation rights were reduced in accordance with the law.

They asked Thu to sign a form acknowledging this. Thu said she would not sign it without her husband’s knowledge and approval. It was only then that prison officers let Phuong come out to talk to her. Phuong told the official that he was “wrong about the law.” Phuong added that, “According to regulations, once a prisoner finishes his disciplinary punishment, he will be monitored for a period of six months for any potential violations. If violations occur, a new disciplinary order shall be issued. Otherwise the prisoner is considered to have made improvements. I have neither violated any rules since that time nor have any new disciplinary orders been issued. In order to save the little amount of time I have with my wife, I will file a complaint about this later.” Thu reported that she later did research on prison regulations regarding this matter (Article 23, Section 1, Order 133/2020/ND-CP) and found that her husband is correct. Thu says she will file a separate complaint against An Diem officials for their arbitrary and illegal application of the law.

The Ho Chi Minh City Police Department on Nov. 9 announced the arrest of Tran Khac Duc, 29, a member of the pro-democracy group Tập hợp dân chủ đa nguyên (Pluralistic Democratic Association), established in 1982. State media reported that Duc was charged with “making, storing, and distributing materials and information aimed at opposing the Socialist Republic of Vietnam” under Article 117 of the Penal Code. He was detained and indicted on Sept. 20.

Nguyen Gia Kieng, the leader of the French-based Pluralistic Democratic Association, confirmed Duc’s arrest with Radio Free Asia (RFA), saying that he has been detained for over 45 days. However, the police only announced his detention recently. Kieng added that the police had started to harass and assault many members of this organization over the past 12 months. This pro-democracy group’s mission is to advocate for the democratization of Vietnam through nonviolent, peaceful means.

According to the police, Tran Khac Duc has contacted and received directives from leaders of the Pluralistic Democratic Association to conduct anti-state activities. Duc was accused of managing this group’s website and drafting, posting, and sharing articles that contained content that insulted state leaders and revolutionary heroes, distorted history, denied revolutionary achievements, and sabotaged the “great national unity.” The police also alleged that Duc had developed a network of domestic personnel for this organization, which “directly affected national security and Ho Chi Minh City’s internal security.”

The Security Investigation Bureau of Ho Chi Minh City Police declared they were continuing to investigate the activities of Tran Khac Duc and other individuals related to this organization.

Criminal defamation charges against two students, Christina Rumahlatu and Thomas Madilis, for protesting outside of the headquarters of the Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park (IWIP) should immediately be dropped, Climate Rights International said today.

On August 1, members of the Mining Advocacy Network (JATAM) and three youth and student groups – Enter Nusantara, Front Mahasiswa Nasional (National Student Front), and Serikat Pemuda Nusa Tenggara Timur – gathered outside of the Sopo Del Tower in Jakarta to ask IWIP to address its impacts on the environment in Halmahera, North Maluku, improve workplace safety, and take responsibility for recent flooding that has inundated villages near the industrial park.

“Supporters of IWIP shouldn’t overreact to protests and attempt to criminalize people who are rightly upset about the damage the nickel industry has done to their land and water,” said Brad Adams, executive director at Climate Rights International. “They should instead commit to addressing environmental damage, including preventing flooding and cleaning up streams and coastal areas so that people can live in a safe and healthy environment.”

The students face charges for allegedly insulting Suaidi Marasabessy, a retired Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) General and a local of North Maluku, for stating that he is failing to use his position to address the harms posed by IWIP to local communities and the environment and that he has no intention to help impacted communities. A 2021 report by JATAM states that Suaidi Marasabessy has stakes in several mining companies, potentially creating a conflict of interest.

Criminal defamation violates international norms on freedom of speech that hold that defamation should be considered a civil matter, not a crime punishable with imprisonment. The United Nations Human Rights Committee, the independent expert body that monitors compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, states in its General Comment on freedom of expression that “imprisonment is never an appropriate penalty” for defamation. In addition, “all public figures…are legitimately subject to criticism.”

In addition to the defamation charges, Christina Rumahlatu and Thomas Madilis are facing potentially violent threats from Ali Marasabessy, Chairman of Bravo 5, a community organization that consists of retired military generals. In a Tiktok video, Ali Marasabessy has called for the students to immediately apologize or face a “risk.”

IWIP is one of Indonesia’s largest industrial complexes for nickel processing, a transition mineral used in electric vehicle batteries and in the production of stainless steel. In a January 2024 report, Climate Rights International documented serious human rights and environmental harms linked to IWIP and nearby nickel mining.

“The exercise of the rights to freedom of speech and peaceful protest are among the most important tools local communities have for advocating for more effective environmental protection,” said Brad Adams. “The defamation charges against Christina Rumahlatu and Thomas Madilis should be immediately dropped, and IWIP should take responsibility for the harms its operations pose to local communities and the environment.”

The five Acehnese students who participated in the demonstration rejected the Pilkada Bill which was arrested by the police in the Aceh People's Representative Council (DPRA) building area, were confirmed to have been released after several hours of being questioned at the Banda Aceh Police Headquarters.

"Alhamdulillah, the five people who were arrested during the action have all been released," said the Director of the Aceh NGO HAM Coalition who accompanied students, Khairil Arista, in Banda Aceh, as reported by ANTARA, Saturday, August 24.

Previously, thousands of students from various campuses together with civil elements on behalf of the Aceh Indonesian Guard Alliance for Democracy (API-Democracy) came to the Aceh DPR office to call for the rejection of the Pilkada Bill because it was considered to annull the decision of the Constitutional Court (MK).

The action that lasted until that night ended in chaos, so the Banda Aceh Police arrested five demonstrators from the students who carried out the action.

Those arrested during the demonstration were two UIN Ar-Raniry students on behalf of M Defri Siregar and M Haikal, one UBBG student Habib Rizki, one USK Banda Aceh student Azhar Maulana.

Then, another participant in the action who was arrested was a member of the Banda Aceh Legal Aid Institute (LBH), Rahmad Maulidin.

Khairil said, after being taken information by the police, the demonstrators were released at around 01.20 WIB. Welcomed by members of students and other Acehnese civilian elements.

Khairil ensured that all the students arrested were in good condition. While at the Police Headquarters, they were only asked for information.

"Only information was taken what happened in the field, and Alhamdulillah, everything was free and still in good health," he concluded.

Chinese rights lawyer Wang Yu has been hospitalized after her health deteriorated following a nine-day hunger strike, which she began in protest during her detention following an Oct. 23 altercation with police outside a court building in the northern province of Hebei.

Wang was released from Weicheng County Detention Center on Nov. 1 after a brief administrative detention for “disrupting public order” following the fracas, and was taken straight to hospital by her husband and fellow rights attorney Bao Longjun, Bao told RFA Mandarin in a recent interview.

When she got out, Wang was “completely hunched over and unable to walk” on her release from the detention center, and he carried her on his back, shocked at how little she weighed.

“It felt like carrying a sack of cotton wool; she was so light,” he said, adding Wang likely weighed around 70 catties, or 40 kilograms.

Scans at the Wei County People’s Hospital revealed a “shadow” on Wang’s liver, so Bao had her transferred to the highly regarded Handan Central Hospital where she was placed on a drip and gradually started to eat solid food again, he said.

Targeting rights lawyers

Bao and Wang, who were among the first to be targeted in the July 2015 arrests, detention and harassment of more than 300 rights lawyers, public interest law firm staff and rights activists across China, are now staying in a hotel while they plan further medical treatment, he told RFA Mandarin on Nov. 1.

Police detained Wang along with fellow rights attorney Jiang Tianyong after they showed up to defend their client Liu Meixiang against corruption charges at the Wei County People’s Court.

A scuffle ensued after police snatched away the camera of a family member who tried to take photos of them, according to a lawyer at the scene who declined to be named for fear of reprisals.

Bao submitted a legal opinion through legal channels out of concern for his wife’s health on day 7 of her hunger strike, but nobody would accept the document, he said.

“I asked them to send Wang Yu to the hospital, and I went to the detention center and rang on the doorbell, saying that I wanted to meet with Wang Yu to get her to eat and drink,” Bao said.

“They lied to me, saying there was no need for that, and that she had eaten something the night before, but she hadn’t eaten anything at all, actually,” he said.

Wang‘s hunger strike was in protest at the authorities’ refusal to allow her to meet with her lawyer or family members, as well as their refusal to provide adequate medical treatment and to let her take a shower, among other things.

Bao said he plans to take Wang to seek further medical opinions in Beijing and Tianjin.

He also plans to appeal her administrative sentence as a form of public protest at her treatment.

“There’s no rule of law in this country, so all we can do now is to use it to speak out on our own behalf,” Bao said.

‘Heartbreaking’

U.S.-based rights lawyer Yu Pinjian said he had seen a photo of Bao Longjun carrying Wang Yu to hospital, which he described as “heartbreaking.”

“Human rights lawyers should be allowed to fight their cases using evidence and the law to defend their clients in court, but now they’re forced to go on hunger strike to defend their own human rights,” Yu told RFA Mandarin. “This shows that the legal system that human rights lawyers depend on for their survival has collapsed.”

Wang’s hunger strike came as authorities in the southwestern region of Guangxi released rights attorney Qin Yongpei at the end of a five-year prison sentence for “incitement to subvert state power,” people familiar with the case told RFA Mandarin.

Qin returned to his home in Nanning city following his release on Oct. 31, but his wife declined to comment when contacted by RFA Mandarin, saying it was “inconvenient,” a phrase often used to indicate pressure from the authorities.

Qin Yongpei was detained in November 2021 by the Nanning municipal police department during a raid on his Baijuying legal consultancy company.

His wife has previously said that Qin had spoken out many times about misconduct and injustices perpetrated by police and local judicial officials, and had likely angered many within the local law enforcement community.

U.S.-based rights lawyer Wu Shaoping said Qin hadn’t broken any laws with his consultancy activities, despite having been stripped of his lawyer’s license.

“He was accused of inciting subversion of state power only because he posted a lot of his personal opinions on the internet,” Wu said. “Everything he did was in compliance with the law and human justice in any normal country.”

“So he was wrongly convicted,” Wu said, calling on the authorities to restore his legal career and allow him to make a living.

“The most worrying thing is his physical condition,” he said, adding that the authorities typically continue to “stalk and harass” people on their surveillance blacklist even after their release from prison.

Authorities in the northern province of Hebei have detained prominent rights lawyers Wang Yu and Jiang Tianyong after they showed up at a local court in a bid to represent a client.

Wang, Jiang and several other lawyers arrived at the Wei County People’s Court near Hebei’s Handan city on the morning of Oct. 23 to defend their client Liu Meixiang against charges of corruption.

A scuffle ensued after police snatched away the camera of a family member who tried to take photos of them, according to a lawyer at the scene who declined to be named for fear of reprisals.

Jiang, 53, stepped in to protect the client’s relative, but was later accused of attacking Xiao Junfei, whose identity was unclear, a police document showed.

“Jiang Tianyong was involved in a scuffle while trying to stop them, but he didn’t fight back,” the lawyer said.

Police also shoved and hit Wang Yu, after she told them they were breaking the law by taking the person’s camera, the lawyer said.

“They took her into their room where they hit her and shoved her with some force,” they said. “Wang Yu called them hooligans, so they said she had a bad attitude and detained her for nine days.”

“She went on hunger strike in detention,” the lawyer said.

‘Forcibly restrained’

Jiang Tianyong, 53, is being held under an eight-day administrative detention order after being detained by police outside the Wei County People’s Court on Oct. 23, according to a copy of the detention notice shared with RFA Mandarin, which accused him of “beating” another person outside the court.

“Jiang Tianyong will be detained for eight days under the Public Security Administrative Punishment Law, and fined 300 yuan (US$42),” the notice issued by the county police department said, adding that Jiang would be held in the Wei County Detention Center near Handan city.

Liu Meixiang’s husband Qiu Bin was also put in administrative detention, while a fourth person was detained briefly and released on the same day.

Lawyers Peng Peng, Duan Hanjie and Shi Yu tried to meet with the three detained lawyers on Oct. 25 at the Wei County Detention Center, but were denied permission by the authorities and later filed a complaint with the local police department about it.

Wang Yu’s husband Bao Longjun told RFA Mandarin that the three were eventually permitted to meet with their lawyers on Oct. 26.

“We met with Wang Yu, who was on hunger strike,” Bao told Radio Free Asia on Tuesday. “The authorities are accusing Wang Yu of disrupting the work of the Weicheng police station, but she did no such thing.”

In fact, Wang was assaulted and humiliated by the police, he said.

“More than a dozen police officers came and forcibly restrained Wang Yu, pushing and shoving her into an iron-barred cell and stripping her top off,” Bao said.

According to Wang’s account cited by Bao, police officer Cao Ran twisted her arm and treated her “improperly” as she was being taken away.

Repeated calls to the Weicheng police station rang unanswered during office hours on Tuesday.

Wang told Bao she was finding it hard to get hold of drinking water in the detention center.

The Committee to Protect Journalists is highly concerned after Indian investigative journalist Rana Ayyub’s personal number was leaked online and, separately, local intelligence personnel followed and repeatedly questioned her throughout a four-day reporting trip in the northeastern state of Manipur in early October, according to three people familiar with the situation who spoke to CPJ on condition of anonymity, citing fear of official retaliation.

“The relentless targeting of Rana Ayyub, one of India’s most prominent journalists, is shameful,” said CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Beh Lih Yi. “Indian authorities must swiftly investigate the doxxing of Ayyub and hold the perpetrators accountable. Using surveillance and intimidation to deter journalists from reporting effectively has no place in a country that prides itself on being the mother of democracy.”

Security personnel stopped and questioned Ayyub, a global opinion writer at the Washington Post, at checkpoints during her trip, according to those sources and CPJ’s review of video and audio recordings.

Officers asked Ayyub about who she was meeting and what she was reporting on. They said they followed her for her “safety,” and the measure was ordered by “higher office.”

Ayyub said on Friday, November 8, that a right-wing account on social media X shared her personal phone number and asked followers to harass the journalist. She told CPJ she received at least 200 phone and video calls and explicit WhatsApp messages throughout the night, including repeated one-time password requests from various online commerce platforms.

Ayyub filed a complaint with the cybercrime police in Mumbai, India’s financial capital, on Friday.

CPJ’s separate emails requesting comment about the surveillance and harassment complaint from the Manipur police and the Mumbai cybercrime police did not immediately receive a response.

Ayyub’s reporting has previously led to online trolling and official intimidation. She previously faced criminal investigations, received rape and death threats, and is currently fighting a money laundering case in court.

The protest against mining and the nickel industrial area in Halmahera, resulted in legal action against female activist, Cristina Rumalatu.

The environmental activist received a summons from the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency, Cyber ​​Crime Directorate, on August 27 on charges of violating the Electronic Information and Transactions Law (ITE).

Muhammad Jamil, Head of the Legal Division of Jatam, assessed that the threats and intimidation to criminalize the two Maluku students were an attempt to silence public participation (strategic lawsuit against public participation/SLAPP).

The Civil Society Coalition demands that the central and regional governments, as well as nickel mining companies, immediately take responsibility for the flood disaster and environmental damage that occurred.

The government is asked not only to provide social assistance to affected residents, but also to stop all forms of extraction that damage the environment and sources of life for the Halmahera community.

Andi Muttaqien, Executive Director of Satya Bhumi believes that the summons to Christine is an attempt to silence her through legal traps. He also urged the police not to be careless and to look at the case as a whole.

The criminalization efforts emerged after Cristina, together with Thomas Madilis, took action in front of the PT Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park (IWIP) Head Office on August 1.

They joined the action together with a coalition of civil society organizations including the Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam), Enter Nusantara, the National Student Front, and the East Nusa Tenggara Youth Union to highlight the environmental impacts of mining operations, especially flooding in Halmahera.

The demonstration by students and community groups in South Kalimantan (Kalsel) aimed at monitoring the Constitutional Court's ( MK ) decision regarding the Pilkada Law, ended in chaos on Friday (23/8/2024). The action involving 35 mass elements took place from 14.00 to 21.00 WITA in the yard of the South Kalimantan DPRD Office, before finally being forcibly dispersed by police.Thousands of demonstrators rejected the revision of the Regional Election Law initiated by the Indonesian House of Representatives and supported by the Advanced Indonesia Coalition (KIM) - with the exception of the PDI Perjuangan Faction. The revision is considered to only benefit certain groups, especially regarding the requirements for political party support and the age of candidates.The initially peaceful demonstration turned into a clash after riot police began using batons and tear gas to disperse the crowd."The police broke up the mass action that lasted until the evening," said M Jefri Raharja, one of the protesters to IDN Times, Saturday (24/8/2024).

Jefri explained that the masses only wanted to read their three demands in the yard of the South Kalimantan DPRD Office so that they could be conveyed to the central government. However, until the evening, not a single member of the South Kalimantan DPRD was willing to meet them. The South Kalimantan DPRD Chairman was reported to be in an unhealthy condition."The masses only wanted to read out their three demands in the yard of the South Kalimantan DPRD Office or meet directly with the South Kalimantan DPRD Chairperson. However, these wishes were not fulfilled," complained Jefri.

The three main demands that the elements of South Kalimantan society want to convey are: Reject the revision of the Regional Election Law initiated by the Indonesian House of Representatives minus the PDI Perjuangan Faction and comply with the Constitutional Court's decision. Urge the General Election Commission (KPU) to issue KPU Regulations (PKPU) in accordance with the Constitutional Court's decision. Urging the Indonesian House of Representatives to focus on completing laws whose discussions are pending, such as the Indigenous Peoples Bill, the Asset Confiscation Bill, and the Domestic Workers (PRT) Protection Bill.

According to Jefri, the police had negotiated for the masses to disperse considering that the action had lasted until the evening. However, the masses chose to stay while waiting for the decision of the South Kalimantan DPRD to allow them to read the three demands.Because they did not receive permission from the legislature, the police finally took repressive action to disperse the crowd."After Isya prayers, there was pushing between the masses and the police until the students were beaten and kicked. The student coordinators tried to calm the masses, but they were also hit," said Jefri.Jefri, who is also an activist with the South Kalimantan Environmental Forum (Walhi), noted that 17 protesters had to be rushed to the nearest hospital due to the incident. This included the Head of the Student Executive Board (BEM) of Lambung Mangkurat University, Syamsu, who suffered a wound to his back."Dozens of demonstrators suffered injuries from punches, kicks and being trampled," he said.

The Student President (Presma) of UIN Datokarama Palu, Moh. Syawal condemned the repressive actions of the police against the masses of demonstrators, a demonstration rejecting the revision of the 2024 Pilkada Law (UU) which was carried out on Friday (23/08/2024) in front of the Central Sulawesi Provincial DPRD Building.

It is known that during the demonstration carried out by the student alliance throughout Palu City, there were repressive actions against the demonstrators which resulted in several students being injured and some of them being in critical condition.

UIN Datokarama Palu Student Council President, Moh. Syawal said that the police's violent actions against the demonstrators were very bad actions.

"The actions taken by the police against yesterday's action, I consider very bad because the police are the guardians of the community and protect some of the community. Yesterday they should have been on duty to be able to oversee the orderly flow of the protesters, so that they could enter the DPRD Building according to the demands they have," he said when interviewed by the LPM Qalamun Crew, Saturday (08/24/2024).

"In fact, it ended up with many demonstrators being hit, shot, and even having their ears torn off. I think that was a very bad action," he added.

Furthermore, the DPRD asked the Student Representative Council from each campus to mediate or represent 50 demonstrators.

"The President of each campus who can enter or 50 representatives to enter, but the student group did not accept any representatives, they asked to be able to enter all because they came together from the beginning of the action. When the police were asked why not all were allowed to enter, the police's answer was unclear and convoluted," he said.

In addition, Syawal said the demands submitted have not been heeded, because of the chaos. However, this decision will always be monitored until the Central Sulawesi Provincial DPRD completely rejects the DPR's decision to try to fulfill the decision of the Constitutional Court (MK).

Finally, he hopes that in every action carried out by students and the community, the police will no longer carry out repressive actions, because the police are the guardians and protectors of the community and what happened in the previous action did not reflect their duties and responsibilities.

Thousands of demonstrators calling themselves the Palu City Student Alliance held a demonstration to oversee the Constitutional Court's decision in front of the Central Sulawesi Provincial DPRD office, Jalan Samratulangi, Palu City, Friday (23/8) which ended in a clash.

The demonstrators took turns giving speeches in front of the Central Sulawesi DPRD office, asking to be able to enter the office to convey their aspirations to the council members.

However, the demonstrators' wishes did not receive approval from the police, because the demonstrators did not want only representatives to hold an audience and asked all demonstrators to enter, so the demonstrators tried to break through to enter the police guard line.

The pushing and throwing action caused the officers to paralyze the demonstrators using tear gas and asking the demonstrators to retreat. In the security led by the Palu Police Chief, Senior Commissioner Pol Barliansyah, they continued to ask the demonstrators to disperse.

Radar Sulteng's monitoring showed that hundreds of personnel who were prepared continued to ask the demonstrators to retreat, until they reached the S.Parman intersection. The police set up a fortification so that the demonstrators could disperse.

Clashes between the police and students were inevitable, stones were thrown, tear gas was fired by the police, a number of police personnel became "ferocious" chasing students and making the students scatter and were followed by the police chasing the students, until a number of students were successfully secured and several students were injured, both minor and serious injuries.

Four students who were secured by the police have been sent home by signing a letter of agreement.

Based on data obtained by Radar Sulteng, the injured students were named Thoriq Gifani, a student of the FISIP majoring in Government Science who suffered a wound on his left temple, Rafi Akbar, a student of the FISIP Untad majoring in communication who suffered a torn wound on his left ear almost severed and Ayub, a student of the Faculty of Forestry Untad, was treated at the Bhayangkara Hospital unconscious.

Meanwhile, the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs of Untad, Sagaf, said that three Untad students were victims during a demonstration to monitor the Constitutional Court (MK) decision in front of the Central Sulawesi DPRD Building, Palu City, Friday (23/8).

"One person is still being treated at the Bhayangkara Hospital in Palu," he said.

He explained that the victim was a new student from the Faculty of Forestry, Untad. Meanwhile, another student has returned to his residence.

The student who was being treated at that time was already conscious and received intensive care from the hospital. The student was taken to the Bhayangkara Hospital in an unconscious condition.

"I also had time to communicate with the victim. I told the hospital to please treat him optimally," said Sagaf.

Meanwhile, one of the students who was suspected of being hit in the ear is currently being treated at the Undata Hospital in Palu. Sagaf reiterated that the university had told the hospital to provide the best possible health services.

Until this news was published, the police had not provided a statement to journalists.

The Bandung City Legal Aid Institute ( LBH )noted that 138 participants in the demonstration in front of the West Java DPRD, Jalan Diponegoro, Bandung City, were injured. The victims were injured and are suspected of having sustained injuries due to violent actions carried out by police officers during the demonstration which lasted for two days, namely August 22-23, 2024. "There were 138 who entered our hotline. The majority were injured," said the Head of LBH Bandung City, Heri Pramono to the media crew at the Bandung Islamic University (Unisba) campus on Jalan Tamansari, Bandung City, Saturday (24/8/2024).

Heri explained that one student of Bale Bandung University (Unibba) suffered serious injuries to the left eye. As a result of the injury, the victim's left eye even had to be removed. Not only that, there were also victims who suffered head injuries, lacerations on their hands, and bruises allegedly due to repressive actions by the authorities.

"One of his eyes is not functioning (Unibba student). Many other victims, their heads are leaking, their bodies are injured and so on," said Heri. In addition, as many as 16 demonstrators were arrested by police after the demonstration that took place on Friday (23/8/2024) evening. Currently, dozens of participants in the action have been returned to their respective families by the police on Saturday (24/8/2024) morning.

Heri stated that he would provide assistance to the participants who were victims of the demonstration. Each assistance provided cannot yet be disclosed in detail. LBH Bandung will investigate the matter by communicating with each family. But what is certain is that currently the injured victims have received medical treatment. "Earlier, we approached the injured first to find out what was needed. Maybe there are several things that we need to identify first," he concluded.

In addition to YouTuber Andovi da Lopez , comedian Pandji Pragiwaksono was also terrorized by a man via WhatsApp message. The man whose profile photo is wearing an army uniform named Peter asked Pandji to immediately go to the Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) office.

Through the X account, Pandji claimed to have received a message from a man who was asked to come to the National Police Criminal Investigation Unit. Pandji was sent from 10:03 to 10:08 WIB.

"Pandji, please come to the Bareskrim office," the message read.

"Please inform Mr. Peter, Pandji is busy," wrote Pandji Pragiwaksono on his X account.

Then, Peter called Pandji again for the second time and sent the text “Read This Message”

Previously, Andovi da Lopez received terror while demonstrating in front of the DPR building today, Thursday (22/8). Andovi admitted to being contacted by an unknown number via Whatsapp, claiming to be from Bareskrim.

In the message, Andovi admitted that he was accused of spreading a call for action to demonstrate in front of the people's representative building.

"This morning I got a WhatsApp from an unknown number," said Andovi.

"'Please come immediately to the Central Jakarta Bareskrim Office, you are charged with spreading calls for violent action in demonstrations,'" the WhatsApp message read.

As if denying the accusation that he was spreading calls for violent action, Andovi immediately showed the large number of demonstrators.

"No one is calling for violence, right? We are proud of the DPR here. Because they can hold meetings quickly, very quickly," he continued.

Not only Andovi, there are a number of celebrities who demonstrated in front of the DPR RI building. Among them are Reza Rahardian, Abdel Achrian or Abdel Temon, Rigen Rakelna, Arie Kriting, Ebel Cobra, Bintang Emon, Mamat Alkatiri to director Joko Anwar.

A number of officers are suspected of doxing participants in the demonstration rejecting the Pilkada Bill at the DPR on August 22, 2024. Based on a screenshot from social media user X, one of the officers suspected of leaking the protesters' personal data was just appointed as a Police Non-Commissioned Officer in July 2023. Several accounts that allegedly belong to the authorities have uploaded photos of protesters in blue suits giving speeches in front of the DPR fence while also including crucial data belonging to the victims. It didn't stop there, they also made fun of the protesters, while writing intimidating messages in their uploads.

The BEM SI Alliance together with the Labor Party and other groups conveyed several demands to the DPR . BEM SI Central Coordinator Satria Naufal stated that the government and DPR must obey the constitution and not ignore the Constitutional Court's decision. "BEM SI urges the DPR not to oppose the Constitutional Court's decision Number 60/PUU-XXI/2024 which is final and binding," said Satria in his speech in front of the DPR RI Building, Jakarta, Wednesday evening, August 21, 2024. In addition, BEM SI invites all students and communities in various regions to participate in this protest. They called for demonstrations to be held simultaneously in 14 regions in Indonesia, with the main focus of the action at the DPR RI Building.

The Labor Party also voiced its demands to the DPR and the General Election Commission (KPU). They urged the DPR not to change the Constitutional Court's ruling on the 2024 Pilkada and asked the KPU to immediately issue a General Election Commission Regulation (PKPU) in line with the Constitutional Court's ruling no later than August 23, 2024. The labor party demands that 1) Urge the Indonesian House of Representatives not to oppose and change the Constitutional Court decision No. 60/PUU-XXII/2024, and 2) Urge the Indonesian General Elections Commission to issue a PKPU in accordance with the Constitutional Court decision No. 60/PUU-XXII/2024. On the other hand, the Student Executive Board of the Padjadjaran University Student Family (BEM Kema Unpad) through their Instagram account, @bem.unpad, expressed their concern about the situation of democracy in Indonesia. "Democracy is increasingly threatened, the constitution is ignored, and the supremacy of law is dead. We invite all Unpad students to participate in voicing their rights and aspirations for the safety of democracy," wrote BEM Kema Unpad.

The People's Movement to Sue (Geram) which was attended by thousands of students from various campuses in Semarang City was marred by violence, when they held a demonstration in front of the Semarang City Hall and DPRD Building, Monday, August 26, 2024 afternoon.

In the demonstration titled “Central Java Moves; Bring Jokowi to Justice and Bring Down”, a campus journalist was allegedly subjected to violence by police officers.

A student journalist at a state campus in Semarang City with the initials RAA (20) experienced violence from officers while covering the action. It started when he was looking for a strategic position to take pictures from above the gate.

He explained that when he was taking photos, suddenly the protesters from outside the building pushed the entrance gate of the Semarang DPRD. To be safe, he then joined the other journalists who were inside the building.

Unfortunately, the police officer thought she was part of the protesters. Her bag was pulled until it fell. In that position, RAA received various acts of violence from the police.

"When the crowd pushed the gate, I joined the journalists who were inside the building, then the police pulled my bag and I fell," he said.

He admitted that when he fell, he was surrounded by a number of police officers. His neck was pinched. Not only that, even his back and other body parts were also hit and kicked many times.

"I was pulled to the side by a policeman and then my neck was pinched, then I was hit and kicked repeatedly. Finally, other media friends said that 'this is a journalist from the student press' and then I was released," said RAA.

Due to this incident, he admitted that his back felt sore after being hit by the officers. After that, he was invited by other journalists to take a break in the Semarang City DPRD media center room.

Responding to the incident, the Head of the Alliance of Indonesian Journalists (AJI) of Semarang City, Aris Mulyawan, condemned the repressive actions of the police against journalists who were covering the action. According to him, the press is the fourth pillar of democracy and journalistic work is protected by law.

"We ask the police not to take repressive action against students who speak out for truth and justice in this country," he said.

He said, in the previous action, police officers also committed violence against a campus journalist in front of the Central Java DPRD Building on Thursday, August 22, 2024.

"This clearly violates Law Number 40 of 1999, where Article 18 states that obstructing journalists from reporting is subject to criminal penalties," said Aris Mulyawan.

Director of the Lokataru Foundation, Delpedro Marhaen, was arrested by the police and allegedly assaulted during a demonstration rejecting the Pilkada Bill at the DPR Building, Senayan, Jakarta, which turned chaotic on Thursday (22/8).

Lokataru founder Haris Azhar confirmed the information. "That's right," said Haris when contacted, Friday (23/8). He allowed Kumparan to quote information conveyed via the Lokataru Foundation Instagram. Previously, Delpedro Marhaen's whereabouts were previously unknown after being arrested. The latest information is that Delpedro Marhaen is at Polda Metro Jaya and is in the process of being assisted by the Advocacy Team for Democracy (TAUD). "Delpedro Marhaen has been taken to Polda Metro Jaya and is in the process of being assisted by the Advocacy Team for Democracy (TAUD), even though he was previously blocked when he was about to provide legal assistance," quoted from Instagram @lokataru_foundation.

The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) provided a report on the demonstrators who were arrested after the demonstration to reject the Pilkada Bill on Thursday (22/8).

"From the total complaints received by the Democracy Advocacy Team call center, as of 11.00 WIB, there have been 51 complaints. At the West Jakarta Police and Tanjung Duren Police, we found 39 people who were arrested and questioned," said YLBHI Deputy Chairperson of Advocacy Arif Maulana in a press conference attended online, Friday (23/8). But they also received reports from a number of networks and government agencies such as the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI). A total of 105 people, including children, were processed at the West Jakarta Police and Tanjung Duren Police.

However, this data has not been confirmed because there has been no explanation from the police. "There are 105 people, consisting of 27 adults and 78 children, being processed at the West Jakarta Police Resort and 3 people who are still children at the Tanjung Duren Police," explained Arif.

The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Jakarta and the Press Legal Aid Institute (LBH Pers) noted that at least 11 (eleven) journalists who were reporting in the Jakarta area became victims of violence by members of the Indonesian National Police (Polri) and the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) while covering the demonstration rejecting the Pilkada Bill in Jakarta, August 22, 2024.

Irsyan Hasyim, Chairman of AJI Jakarta, explained that the number of journalists or reporters who became victims is likely to continue to increase considering that the activities of covering demonstrations and data tracing are still ongoing.

"Fellow journalists who were victims of intimidation and violence by the authorities experienced almost the same and similar patterns. Starting from psychological intimidation, death threats, abuse, beatings resulting in serious injuries to bleeding heads," said Isryan in his press statement, Saturday (8/24/2024).

In addition, said Irsyan, the scheme of using excessive force such as tear gas is also a violation of the provisions of the Chief of Police Regulation Number 1 of 2009 concerning the Use of Force in Police Actions.

He said, AJI Jakarta and LBH Pers are trying to document the chronology of cases experienced by a number of journalists.

Through X's post, the @iyaslawrence account , it was discovered that two Makna Talks Podcast cameramen - Edo and Dory were injured due to the actions of the police who forced, without warning, threw tear gas and forcibly attacked.

A similar incident was also experienced by Angga Permana – a journalist from statistik.com who suffered a head injury while covering the action in front of the DPR.

M and H, TEMPO journalists, were hit by tear gas and beaten by police for recording the mass arrest incident. TNI and Polri personnel allegedly beat and threatened to kill Tempo journalist with the initials H who was covering a demonstration at the DPR RI Parliament Complex on Thursday, August 22, 2024.

"The violence began when journalists were recording TNI and Polri officers who were suspected of abusing a demonstrator who was slumped near the fence on the right side of the main gate of the DPR RI Building which was broken through by the masses at around 17.00 WIB," he explained.

Meanwhile, an IDN Times journalist said that he experienced threats, intimidation and his cellphone was almost confiscated by officers at the scene.

Live coverage conducted by one of the Narasi.tv journalists at around 20.30 WIB also recorded the incident of intimidation and being forcibly pulled away by officers.

"He (narasi.tv journalist) was forcibly pulled by officers to leave the location and pushed until he fell while covering the event. Another Narasi.tv journalist also experienced intimidation while covering the persecution carried out by officers against demonstrators in the Pedestrian Bridge (JPO) area around the DPR-RI building," said Irsyan.

"The same pattern was also experienced by Gita, a Deduk journalist who was again forcibly pulled away by the authorities. Journalists from Konteks.co.id and IJTI also suffered injuries and lacerations to their heads while reporting in front of the DPR," he added.

AJI Jakarta and LBH Pers emphasized that physical, mental and psychological violence against journalists carried out by the Police in order to hinder and obstruct the work of journalists is a violation of the provisions of Article 4 of the Press Law which guarantees the right to freedom of the press to seek, obtain and disseminate ideas and information as well as the provisions of Article 18 paragraph (1) of Law Number 40 of 1999 concerning the Press "Any person who unlawfully intentionally carries out an action which results in obstructing or obstructing the implementation of the provisions of Article 4 paragraph (2) and paragraph (3) shall be punished with a maximum imprisonment of 2 years or a maximum fine of IDR 500 million."

The finding of acts of violence by police officers in the form of abuse resulting in serious injuries to journalists while carrying out their profession is a criminal act regulated in Article 351 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) with a penalty of 5 (five) years in prison.

Based on documentation routinely carried out by AJI Jakarta and LBH Pers, violence against journalists by police officers seems to have become a deep-rooted culture.

Throughout 2023, at least 89 cases of violence against journalists were recorded. This condition is exacerbated by the presence of impunity practices through a protracted delay scheme, where until today reports of attacks experienced by journalists while covering have not been completed even though they have been officially reported to the National Police. The National Police's ethical sanctions are not enough to punish the alleged perpetrators of violence and indicate that the National Police are immune to the law considering that none of them have ended up in court.

Even though journalists have equipped themselves with press attributes and distinguishing identities at the demonstration location, they are still the target of police violence. The police's excuse that 'journalists' press cards are invisible', as well as the plan to use the Red and White Ribbon that was once proposed by the Police as a distinguishing feature, have not been realized until now.

A television journalist is suspected of being the victim of abuse while covering a demonstration rejecting the revision of the Regional Election Law in front of the West Java DPRD Building, Thursday (22/8).

The mass of action from various elements of society filled the area since noon. Initially, orations and criticisms were delivered in turns by orators.

Towards the evening, the atmosphere began to heat up. Throwing objects began to be seen. Explosions were also heard, suspected to be from flares or firecrackers.

When entering the Maghrib prayer time, the protesters forced their way into the West Java DPRD building by damaging the front fence. The police on guard then formed a barricade.

At that time the atmosphere began to get chaotic. Explosions from empty tear gas shots were a sign from the police when asking the demonstrators to disperse.

Both sides were involved in the chaos. Tear gas to water cannons accompanied the situation. The masses were in disarray and dispersed

At that moment, a television journalist named Ervan David (28) was allegedly assaulted . Luckily, a number of friends saved him from the attack.

"I ran to avoid tear gas. Suddenly I was beaten, accused of being an intelligence officer. I said I was from the media, and I was also wearing an office uniform. But I was still beaten," he said.

"Luckily, someone I know helped separate them. These are just bruises on my face," he continued.

In addition to journalists, several demonstrators were also allegedly abused by the police. The action was recorded in a video that was uploaded and went viral on several social media accounts.

The demonstrators finally dispersed after the police fired tear gas.

The polemic of land conflict between the people of Topogaro and Tondo Villages and PT IHIP has not ended. On August 15, 2024, Rahman Ladanu, Safaat, Hamdan, and Imran. Received a summons from the Poso District Court (PN), regarding the lawsuit of PT Baoshuo Taman Industri Investment Group (BTIIG).

The contents of the lawsuit, the four people are suspected of committing an Unlawful Act (PMH ), for the action of blocking the production road in Topogaro Village, PT IHIP area. The defendant's demand is to pay a material loss of Rp 4,325,235,948, which is accumulated from the calculation per day for three days of the road blockade. The amount per day is Rp 1,441,745,316. ​​As well as immaterial losses of Rp 10,000,000,000 for defamation of the company's good name.

The blockade action carried out by residents of Topogaro Village was the result of anger after the circulation of a video of PT IHIP's External Legal on behalf of Riski, stating that the farm road currently being used as a holing road is legally owned by PT IHIP, based on the MoU for asset exchange with the Regent of Morowali. The action was carried out for three days, June 11-14, 2024 and continued for two days, June 21-22, 2024.

Topogaro Farm Road – Folili Hamlet, long before there was a nickel company, was already used by the community in the form of a dirt road. Access to Topogaro Cave (cultural site) and gardens such as coffee, cocoa, and rice fields.

PT BTIIG sent a summons No. 10/BTIIG-Legal/VI/2024 to Rahman Ladanu, Safaat, Sadam, and Imran. For their actions regarding "blocking roads in objects that have been cleared" . On June 20, the four people received another summons from the Central Sulawesi Regional Police, on suspicion of "disturbing or obstructing mining business activities of IUP, IUPK, and IPR holders as regulated in Article 162 of Law No. 3 of 2020."

Efforts to suppress the community continue to be carried out by PT BTIIG. On June 23, 2024 with letter number 14/BTIIG-LEGAL/VI/2024, regarding "Blockade Actions Resulting in the Cessation of PT BTIIG's Activities (Investment) , five residents of Ambunu Village Moh Haris Rabbie, Makmur Ms, Abd Ramdhan, Hasrun, and Rifiana Ms. Received a warning for the blockade action carried out.

Public anger over the unilateral claim of the farm road spread to Ambunu Village. The blockade action was also carried out from 13-23 June 2024 involving 100 residents. The farm road claimed by PT IHIP also connects Topogaro Folili Village, Sigeno, and Ambunu Village. On the Ambunu Village farm road, there are currently company buildings such as warehouses, etc. As a result, farmers in Ambunu Village have to make a long detour of approximately 3-4 KM to their gardens. Previously, it was only 1-2 KM.

Until now, PT IHIP has never shown the MoU for the claim of the farm road. Several times the community demanded and even carried out a blockade. PT IHIP has not shown it. In fact, during the struggle carried out by the community in Ambunu, Tondo, and Topogaro Villages. It is recorded that PT BTIIG has made efforts to criminalize 7 residents starting from summonses, police summonses, to lawsuits for unlawful acts.

Wandi, the Walhi Sulteng Campaigner, assessed that this was an attempt by PT IHIP to silence the community in fighting for their RIGHT to live. Similar actions are also likely to occur in other villages, along with the expansion of the area that will be carried out. Coupled with the weak government control over cases of violations committed by the company.

"The forced eviction of 14 hectares of productive oil palm land belonging to 12 families in Ambunu Village, at around 02:00 am on October 17, 2022 without the owner's knowledge, is a depiction of the company's arbitrary actions. Even though the community was forced to accept compensation, the company's practices are no different from the colonial era."

PT BTIIG is a nickel smelter-based management company in the IHIP area. The composition of PT IHIP shares consists of Zhensi Indonesia Industrial Park 51%, Beijing Shengyue Oriental Investment Co., Ltd 10.28%, PT Kejayaan Emas Persada 27.45%, and PT Himalaya Global Investment 11.27%. With an investment value of 14 trillion rupiah.

The area is 20,000 Ha, located in Wata, Tondo, Ambunu, Topogaro, Upanga, Larebonu and Wosu Villages. The development of this area is part of a high-quality international cooperation pilot zone under the “One Belt, One Road Initiative.”

Around 14 environmental activists from the Land for the People Coalition (Titura) have been released, after being "taken" to the Penajam Paser Utara Police office, East Kalimantan, Saturday (17/08).

"There was nothing in the BAP (Examination Report) that they were taken to the Penajam Paser Utara Police. Then at 7pm they were immediately taken home. So they are no longer detained, and they have returned to Jakarta," said environmental activist from Greenpeace Indonesia, Arie Rompas to BBC News Indonesia, Sunday (18/08).

Arie said that most of those taken to the PPU Police were environmental activists who put up large banners on the Balang Island Bridge.

Previously, it was reported that dozens of activists from civil society organizations were taken to the police station after they celebrated the 79th anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia in the Lango Beach area - around 40 kilometers from the center of the Indonesian Capital City (IKN).

In a video received and viewed by BBC News Indonesia, there was a debate between police officers and environmental activists. The police banned the activity with arguments related to permits, including safety.

Meanwhile, environmental activists said they were holding the event as a form of "celebration of August 17" and that the safety risks were "ours to bear".

"We said that this is part of the August 17 celebration and we are together with the community... so there is no reason (to arrest), when there was no criminal act, violation of the law, because indeed during the action, our friends were professional and did not damage any property," added Arie.

The day before, Head of Public Relations of the East Kalimantan Regional Police, Senior Commissioner Yuliyanto, denied any arrests. "No arrests were made, our officers are discussing with them," he said as quoted by Tempo.

This coalition consists of the Residents of the IKN Project Victims, the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi) East Kalimantan, Jatam East Kalimantan, Working Group 30, the Indonesian People's Faction (FRI) East Kalimantan, the Legal Aid Institute (LBH) East Kalimantan, the Balikpapan Coastal Working Group, PBH Peradi, Greenpeace Indonesia, Trend Asia, the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), the National Executive (Eknas) of Walhi, and PBHI.

They unfurled a giant red cloth measuring 50×15 meters with white writing that read “Indonesia is not for sale, Merdeka!” on the Balang Island Bridge.

A number of other banners were also unfurled from wooden boats that were carrying out the independence parade in the waters under the bridge.

Some of them read “Save Balikpapan Bay”, “Land for the People”, “Evicted by PSN, Not 100% Independent”, “Not Yet Free to Speak”, “79 Years of Independence, 190 Years of Colonization”, and others.

Arie said, the message of this celebration is clear, "because we see that the development of the IKN is very reckless without any process without fulfilling environmental and social prerequisites."

"On the contrary, the government is giving out large sums of money and most of it is for the interests of a handful of people, including issuing a 190-year HGU policy for investors. This is contrary to independence, especially regarding social justice for the Indonesian people," said Arie.

Meanwhile, on various occasions, the IKN Authority said that the government was preparing empowerment programs for local communities, such as "advancing local education".

"Measuring the success of the Authority, the success of the development of the IKN should not be now, but 2045," said the Secretary of the IKN Authority, Achmad Jaka Santos Adwijaya, last March .

Meanwhile, the Head of the task force for accelerating the development of the Indonesian Capital City, Danis Sumadilaga, said that the investment push to the IKN was for the sake of the future.

"We hope that it will encourage as many investors as possible to invest in the IKN, because investment in the IKN is an investment for the future, not now," he said .

The Chair of the Student Executive Board ( BEM ) of Yogyakarta State University or UNY , Farras Raihan (21) admitted to experiencing repressive actions from a lecturer at his campus when delivering a speech at the orientation or Introduction to Campus Life for New Students (PKKMB) activity, Tuesday (6/8) afternoon. Farras claimed to have been strangled by the lecturer. In addition, other BEM members were pinned to the floor by campus security officers and event committee members. The incident went viral on social media.

"Strangling, (the one being strangled) was me," said Farras when met at UNY, Sleman, DIY, Wednesday (7/8).

Farras revealed that the incident began when a number of BEM elements intended to deliver a national oration in front of new students. The location of the event was at the campus GOR.

Farras said, the national oration is routinely delivered by the university and faculty BEM chairpersons at every PKKMB implementation. The exception for this year, the agenda was eliminated because the committee was fully held by the campus.

The national oration, said Farras, contained among other things the problems at UNY, PTNBH, facilities and so on. He emphasized that BEM had no intention of inciting the students.

"What we convey is for intelligence, education about the student movement," he said.

Because it was not included in the agenda, they tried to deliver the speech at the end of the event. However, they were not allowed to enter the GOR area.

Several times BEM tried to enter but were continuously blocked. Until they finally tried with a little force. However, one of the members was knocked down and crushed by campus security officers and event security who were also students.

"They gave a very strong response, even one of our friends was crushed by several people, which resulted in abrasions, it must have hurt when someone was dropped and crushed," he added.

Feeling that things were no longer conducive, the BEM members withdrew and moved to the GOR yard while continuing to deliver speeches together with the new students who were about to move to their respective faculties.

The BEM members then moved to the gate because this location was considered suitable for delivering speeches. Farras denied that his party at that time tried to close access or the path of new students.

"When we had been walking for a few minutes, there was a lecturer who grabbed us by the neck or strangled us. The incident was quite shocking for our friends and that's where there was a bit of a commotion," he said.

Farras said, his party could not understand because from the beginning they did not want any commotion, but a free platform to voice their aspirations. In order to avoid more unwanted things, the BEM moved to the side of the road and continued to deliver their speeches.

Farras said that his party plans to report this incident to LBH Yogyakarta.

UNY FEB lecturer, Arwan Nur Ramadan did not deny that he was the lecturer recorded in the viral video. However, he who was appointed as the chairman of the PKKMB committee denied that he had strangled Farras.

"There was no strangulation, no intimidation from the lecturer," said Arwan when met at UNY.

Arwan said that at that time the BEM who were giving speeches blocked the access road for new students to exit the GOR. Meanwhile, the new students, according to him, were already tired and hungry after participating in the PKKMB series.

Arwan then tried to take the megaphone that Farras was holding, not to strangle him.

"Because it was disrupting the road, the eight lanes should have become four rows because they were closed earlier. Rather than prolonging it, we wanted to take over the megaphone so that it could be untangled so that it would not be at the gate, so that later the gate could be used by the eight lanes. It should have been clear at 13.00 but it had not been finished untangling," he explained.

He also has a chronology of the incident of the BEM members being crushed in his version. According to Arwan, the event committee initially found the BEM members disguised as new students wearing alma mater jackets.

"They wanted to force their way in with their team as if they were new students. They were old students wearing alma mater jackets as if they were new students coming from the toilet," he said.

Arwan said, they were also chased away by students as the event committee because they were caught and tried to break into the GOR area. The BEM members were not allowed to enter because they were not on the event schedule.

The student organizer of the event was alone and outnumbered, so he was assisted by campus security officers. The pushing incident was unavoidable.

"They wanted to force their way in with their team as if they were new students. They were old students wearing alma mater jackets as if they were new students coming from the toilet," he said.

"In the (viral) video that was cut off, he (the BEM member) was crushed," he stressed.

Police arrested eight students after breaking up a demonstration rejecting the People's Housing Savings ( TAPERA ) policy and a number of policies that are not pro-people in front of the Muhammadiyah University (Unismuh) campus in Makassar , South Sulawesi. "Yes, that's right, 8 students were arrested," said Makassar Police Chief, Senior Commissioner Mokhamad Ngajib, Monday (8/7).

During the process of breaking up the student demonstration, said Ngajib, one of the police officers allegedly fell after being involved in pushing with students until he was lying on the road.

"There was 1 victim, a member of the National Police, who was injured on his head and had to have 2 stitches. He is currently being treated at the Bhayangkara Hospital," he said.

In their action, the students closed access to Jalan Sultan Alauddin which connects Makassar City with Gowa Regency, resulting in long traffic jams. The students also burned used tires during the action.

In addition, students also took hostage a container truck that was used as a place to convey aspirations that rejected the TAPERA policy and draft laws that silence democracy in Indonesia.

"Strongly reject the TAPERA policy that causes misery to the people. Stop silencing democracy. Realize free education and reject political dynasties," said the action coordinator, Ahlus in his speech.

The action of students holding a truck hostage and causing traffic jams on the Trans Sulawesi road became a pretext for the police to take firm action by dispersing the crowd.

While sleeping on Monday (22/07) early morning, the indigenous people of Sihaporas claimed to be shocked by the arrival of dozens of people they did not know. Five residents were then forcibly taken from their village located in Simalungun Regency, North Sumatra.

It was only a few hours later that they learned that the five people were actually arrested by the Simalungun Police. The five were Jonny Ambarita, Thomson Ambarita, Giovani Ambarita, Prado Tamba, and Dosmar Ambarita.

Through a press release, Simalungun Police Chief, AKBP Choky Sentosa Meliala, said that they were arrested in connection with the alleged assault case reported by PT Toba Pulp Lestari (TPL) partner workers.

Jonny, Thomson and Giovani have been named as suspects, while two others are “under investigation to determine their status in this case”.

PT TPL is a pulp manufacturing company whose management area overlaps with the area claimed by the community as their customary land.

PT TPL spokesman Salomo Sitohang told BBC News Indonesia that the company was “not connected” to the arrest. He said the case was reported to the police “personally by the victim.”

"TPL respects indigenous communities and emphasizes that this case is purely criminal and has been handled by the police and has nothing to do with any indigenous community," Solomon told BBC News Indonesia.

However, the Tano Batak Indigenous Peoples Alliance (AMAN) — a civil society organization that assists residents — said that this case cannot be separated from the presence of PT TPL and the agrarian conflict in this area.

According to AMAN, the Sihaporas indigenous community is fighting for their rights to land that overlaps with the company's concession area. However, they have not received recognition from the government.

"If the company says they are not involved in this incident, that is also impossible, because it is because of them that this incident occurred," said Hengky Manalu from AMAN Tano Batak.

The Sihaporas community is not the only indigenous community defending their land rights around PT TPL's operational area. This case is also not the first time indigenous people in Simalungun have faced the law.

In March 2024, a grandfather named Sorbatua Siallagan from another indigenous community in Simalungun, Ompu Umbak Siallagan, was also arrested by the police on charges of destroying forests in the company's concession area. Sorbatua is currently on trial at the Simalungun District Court.

The Sihaporas indigenous community is part of the Toba Batak tribe who inhabit Sihaporas Village, Pematang Sidamanik District, Simalungun, North Sumatra.

According to AMAN , this indigenous community is the descendant of Ompu Mamontang Laut Ambarita who has inhabited this area since the 1800s. They have lived in the area for generations.

The Indigenous Territory Restoration Agency (BRWA) —a civil society initiative to document indigenous peoples—recorded that this community has an indigenous territory of 2,093 hectares.

As many as 1,345 hectares of it are included in the PT TPL concession area.

The Sihaporas indigenous people claim that there are traces and heritage of their ancestors in the forest.

During this time, they also lived off the forest by farming and tapping sugar palm trees.

Medicinal plants used to make potions in traditional rituals also come from this forest.

In 1992, PT TPL received a concession permit of 269,060 hectares from the government. However, after the concession permit was revised several times, they now have the right to manage 167,912 hectares of industrial plantation forests.

The Sihaporas indigenous community began to fight against the company's presence in 1998, after the fall of the New Order regime.

For more than 25 years, conflicts have repeatedly arisen between the community and company workers.

Jonny and Thomson Ambarita, who were also arrested on Monday (22/07), were previously sentenced to nine months in prison in 2019 for an assault case reported by a company employee.

Although they claim to have also been abused by company employees, their report to the police has not been resolved clearly.

The Central Coordinator of the All-Indonesian Student Executive Board Alliance (BEM SI) Herianto admitted that he was kicked by the police during the disbandment of a demonstration next to the Arjuna Wijaya Statue, Gambir, Central Jakarta, Monday (22/7/2024) evening. As a result, Herianto is now being treated at a hospital in Central Jakarta. "I was given an IV drip because I was tired and had stomach cramps. I was kicked during the clash with the police last night," said Herianto when contacted by Kompas.com on Tuesday (23/7/2024). Not only Herianto, at least three other student protesters were also treated in hospital due to clashes with the police. In fact, one of the students was said to have suffered a head injury that required stitches.

"There was a friend whose head was leaking (to the point of) having to be stitched. Then, there was a friend who suddenly had a panic attack and fainted (because) there was also someone who had stomach acid," said the Coordinator of the BEM SI Women's Forum, Finkan Sri Pratiwi Rambe, when contacted. In addition to the three people, Finkan said, there were several student protesters who were also injured in the clash, but were not hospitalized. Currently, BEM SI is still recording the number of students who are being treated. According to Finkan, several participants were injured after being beaten by police while trying to defend themselves next to the Arjuna Wijaya Statue. "It could be a blow from a piece of wood, it could also be a throw, because yesterday we had a shirt so we didn't have time for that, the field conditions were uncontrolled," he continued.

Meanwhile, Central Jakarta Police Chief Kombes Pol Susatyo Purnomo Condro denied that any of his members had carried out the beating. However, Susatyo confirmed that his party pushed the masses when trying to disperse the demonstration. "There was no beating, there was just dispersing and pushing because it was already past 18.00 WIB," said Susatyo when confirmed. According to Susatyo, the police moved forward because the crowd refused to disperse despite repeated warnings. Susatyo also said that one of his members was rushed to the Kramat Jati Police Hospital because he was hit by a stone in his right eye during the action.

Meanwhile, in yesterday's demonstration, the masses expressed criticism of President Joko Widodo's 10-year government. The masses demanded to be able to meet the President directly. If Jokowi is unwilling, the masses ask that anyone from the Palace meet and listen to their demands directly. However, until the masses were forcibly dispersed by the police, not a single person from the Palace met with the masses from the BEM SI alliance. The demonstration turned chaotic when police tried to disperse the crowd. Water cannons were used and a platoon of police with shields and batons were deployed.

Violence by police officers against civilians has occurred again. Now the victims are two cadres of the Pinrang Branch of the Islamic Students Association (HMI), South Sulawesi (Sulsel).

The two HMI Pinrang Branch cadres are named Khaidir and Umar. Both were allegedly beaten by police until they suffered serious injuries.

The HMI activist was allegedly abused by the police while accompanying residents whose houses were being evicted in Maroneng Village, Duampanua District, Pinrang Regency, Monday (29/7/2024).

Khadir said the alleged assault began when he and Umar approached Pinrang Police Chief AKBP Andiko Wicaksono at the eviction site. They asked the police not to fire tear gas because there were many children and parents.

"Umar and I approached the police chief and the head of operations. I said, 'Don't release tear gas, commander, because there are many children and parents there. That's what I said," said Khaidir in an interview with Berita Sulsel , Wednesday (7/31/2024).

Not long after asking the police not to fire tear gas, suddenly an officer hit Khaidir from behind until he fell.

"Then the police pulled my legs into the Brimob personnel line. That's where I was beaten black and blue," added Khaidir, agreed by Umar.

Khaidir suspected that the assault was ordered by Pinrang Police Chief AKBP Andiko Wicaksono. The two-flower police only watched as two HMI activists were attacked by members.

"He did not intervene or forbid his members from abusing me. After they were satisfied with abusing me, the village head came and took me to the health center," he continued.

As a result of the beating, Khaidir suffered serious injuries to his head and face, while Umar suffered abrasions on his elbows and bruises on his body.

Khadir, who is the Head of the Legal and Human Rights Division of the HMI Pinrang Branch, plans to report the alleged assault to the Propam of the South Sulawesi Regional Police or the Propam of the National Police Headquarters.

"I will report it and I hope that all personnel who abused me and Umar will be punished and the Pinrang Police Chief will be removed from his position," said Khaidir.

The eviction of dozens of residents' houses in Maroneng Village, Duampanua District, Pinrang, on Monday (27/7/2024) turned chaotic. Residents refused to have their houses evicted on 4 hectares of land.

The land that has been inhabited by residents for decades was executed on the orders of the Pinrang District Court Number: 9/Pdt.G//2017/PN.Pin, in conjunction with the Makassar High Court Decision Number: 210/Pdt/2018/PT Mks in conjunction with the Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia Number: 1381/K/PDT.2019. This land dispute has been rolling since 2012.

Pinrang Police Chief AKBP Andiko Wicaksono confirmed the assault of two HMI activists who were guarding residents rejecting the eviction. Andiko claimed Khaidir and Umar were arrested because they were suspected of throwing objects at officers.

"Intelligence information stated that Umar and Khaidir were quite active in mobilizing the masses and throwing things, so security was carried out by members," said Andiko.

"I emphasize that the action is in accordance with standard operating procedures, field observations, and security against indications of provocateurs," he added.

The former Parepare Police Chief admitted responsibility for the incident that occurred and injured the two activists.

"We certainly regret the impact that this has caused and I take responsibility for it," said Andiko.

In a press conference held by YLBHI-Project Base LBH West Kalimantan regarding the criminalization of Human Rights activist Mulyanto, KontraS (Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence), KASBI (Confederation of the Indonesian Trade Union Alliance Congress), and YLBHI (Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation) highlighted evidence of violations and intimidation experienced by Mulyanto and Duta Palma Group workers, they strongly condemned the efforts of the authorities and the company in suppressing the labor movement. The speakers called on the Pontianak District Court to acquit Mulyanto of all charges that were considered a form of abuse of human and constitutional rights.

Mulyanto, a human rights activist, was criminalized and sentenced to two years in prison after fighting for the normative rights of PT. Duta Palma workers who had been absent from their responsibilities for dozens of years. Mulyanto was charged with Article 160 of the Criminal Code on charges of incitement to damage police vehicles during the chaos during the strike on August 19, 2023.

In reality, not a single witness heard Mulyanto directly incite. In fact, the chaos occurred because the authorities forcibly dispersed the strike with tear gas and rubber bullets. This case is a serious attack on workers and human rights defenders.

YLBHI-Project Base LBH West Kalimantan submitted several considerations to the Pontianak District Court, especially the Panel of Judges examining case number 157/Pid.Sus/2024/PN Ptk, to examine and decide the case fairly and acquit Mulyanto of all charges. Several points that were taken into consideration include:

1. Mulyanto has fought with PT. Duta Palma Group workers to fight for normative workers' rights that have been violated by PT. Duta Palma Group for 16 years. Violations committed by the company include wages that do not comply with the UMK, no premium payments, violations of leave rights, and inadequate working conditions.
2. The strike carried out by Duta Palma workers on August 19, 2023 was legal and guaranteed by law. However, this action was forcibly and brutally dispersed by the police using excessive force, including the shooting of tear gas and rubber bullets.
3. The attack carried out by the police on August 19, 2023 against the workers who were carrying out the strike showed an abuse of power.
4. The initial accusation against Mulyanto regarding firearms was then changed to a different article after it could not be proven. This shows a clear attempt to criminalize Mulyanto.
5. Mulyanto's activities in fighting for human rights should be protected by the constitution and various legal instruments based on Human Rights.
6. The accusations against Mulyanto are not supported by strong evidence and are more of an unfair form of criminalization.
7. Until now, the normative rights of Duta Palma workers have not been fulfilled, and the company responded by terminating the employment of critical workers.

Firmansyah, one of the coordinators of the ongoing strike at the Wirata Daya Bangun Persada Palm Oil Factory (PKS), stated that the police and the Indonesian National Army (TNI) continue to guard the plantation and factory areas with full weapons.

"They are on guard carrying long-barreled weapons and sharp weapons, they come almost every day and are facilitated with company vehicles in the form of dump trucks and stay overnight at the PKS which is operating," he explained.

Yahya from KontraS emphasized that the involvement and intimidation of the military in the Duta Palma company must be reviewed in accordance with Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 34 of 2004 concerning the TNI. He also emphasized the need for comprehensive reform, supervision, and legal action against the violations that occurred.

"The increase in violence and criminalization by 100% from 2022 to now, with a total of 52 acts of violence. The lack of human rights knowledge of the officers and the economic and political interests of the company are the main causes. The police who should protect the community are actually siding with the company, sacrificing the interests of local and indigenous communities," he said.

Asep, one of the coordinators of the labor action, explained that currently he, Firmansyah and Kasmir, who are also coordinators of the action, are also facing criminalization efforts. They just received a summons from the West Kalimantan Regional Police on Saturday (27/7/24) regarding alleged forgery that they were unaware of. He emphasized that he felt that he had never committed any forgery.

Sunarno, the General Chairperson of KASBI responded that the criminalization of Duta Palma workers was inseparable from the company's normative violations. The government should take firm action against the violations and provide support to the workers. He also urged the judge to be objective in viewing the trial facts and support the struggle of the Duta Palma workers.

"The Mulyanto case is a bad example of criminalization carried out by companies against workers," he concluded.

Meanwhile, Arif from YLBHI highlighted the practice of criminal reporting, intimidation, and terror by the TNI/Polri as a form of silencing trade unions or union busting. This practice has not received serious attention from the state. Arif invited all parties to condemn the practice of criminalizing Mulyanto and criticize the police who should protect the community but instead protect capital. He also criticized the involvement of the military in civilian areas and emphasized the need for firm action against officers who commit human rights violations.

This press conference is expected to increase public attention to the Mulyanto case and encourage justice for human rights activists and workers who fight for their rights.

Monitor Mulyanto's verdict hearing together on Monday, July 29, 2024, at 09.00 WIB at the Pontianak District Court.

Chinese authorities in Tibet have denied to retry an envirnomental activist who is serving a seven-year sentence for campaigning against government corruption, his lawyer said on social media.

Anya Sengdra, 53, a resident of Kyangchu township in Gade (in Chinese, Gande) county in the Golog (Guoluo) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture has already served six years of his sentence for “disturbing social order” after he complained online about corrupt officials, illegal mining and the hunting of protected wildlife.

He was convicted and sentenced in 2019, and has attempted to appeal the decision twice before, his lawyer Lin Qilei said in a post on X on Tuesday.

“This marks the third appeal for a retrial submitted to the Sixth Circuit Court of the Supreme People’s Court in Xi’an,” Lin said on X.

“As usual, I filled out the necessary forms and waited in line. After some time, a judge came out and informed me that they had decided not to review Sengdra’s case,” Lin said. “He advised me not to return to the court regarding this matter in the future.”

In 2020, a group of UN human rights experts appealed to the Chinese government, urging them to dismiss the charges against him.

Earlier this month, the Chinese authorities detained Tsogon Tsering, a Tibetan environmental activist from Sichuan province after he made a rare public appeal on social media for action against a company he accused of illegally extracting sand and gravel from a river.

Tsering has remained in custody since then and his whereabouts are still unknown.

A 57-year-old jailed pro-democracy activist faces serious health issues in detention in the Bangkok Remand Prison, raising concerns over the adequacy of medical care for detainees.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported that Chen Chiwobancha, a 57-year-old detainee who was sentenced to three years and six months in prison for royal defamation, was found to have serious health issues since last Friday (1 November). He informed his lawyer that he felt weak and experienced numbness throughout his entire left side.

On Wednesday (6 November), he showed symptoms, such as a drooping eyelid and mouth on the left side and numbness in his feet. These ongoing symptoms caused trouble in his daily life, making it difficult for him to chew or speak clearly.

Chen had previously requested a health check-up at the Corrections Hospital, but at that time, the Bangkok Remand Prison had not issued a transfer order.

After learning of Chen’s health problem, the lawyer on 6 November urged the prison to expedite his transfer to the hospital. Chen was transferred to the Corrections Hospital the following day. However, after a check-up, he was sent back to the prison, with a follow-up appointment scheduled for 13 November.

According to TLHR, the lawyer also plans to submit a bail request along with a petition to question the Corrections Department’s doctor and Chen’s personal doctor. Chen remains detained at the Bangkok Remand Prison until the court decides on his bail request.

The detainee said he was aware that medical treatment in prison was slow and not as good as that available outside, noting that all detainees face the same situation - when they fall ill, all they can do is wait. He asserted that detainees deserve the right to timely medical care.

Today (8 November), TLHR later reported that Chen was hospitalised and under close observation after it was found that he had suffered an ischemic stroke in the left side of his brain.

Chen, along with two other activists, were found guilty on four charges: royal defamation, contempt of court, defamation by publication, and unauthorised use of a sound amplifier. The charges stemmed from a protest on 28 July 2022 in front of the Bangkok South Criminal Court where participants demanded bail rights for two detained pro-democracy activists, Nutthanit Duangmusit and Netiporn Sanesangkhom, who later died during detention.

Chen has been detained since 18 September and was denied bail since the court deemed the case severe and was concerned that he might flee.

The company that produced the animation “2475 Dawn of Revolution” has filed a defamation lawsuit against Prachatai, its editor-in-chief, and three other people, claiming that a news article from March 2024 contained false information about the company’s relationship with the Army.

Launched on 9 March 2024 and later released online, the animation was produced by Nakra Studio. The copyright is owned by Nakraphiwat Company Limited. After its release, the animation was criticized by pro-democracy netizens for misinterpreting the events of 1932 and for painting those behind the revolution in a bad light.

There were also reports that several army units were screening the animation to conscripts and officers, including the 2nd Signal Regiment, which wrote on its Facebook page that the animation was screened to soldiers in the Regiment and their families to raise the “right awareness” about the revolution and build a “love of the nation, religion, and King.”

On 15 March 2024, Prachatai reported that, according to the analysis of the Anti-Corruption Organization of Thailand, the Army had previously commissioned 11 media production projects from the Nakraphiwat Company. The report noted that the animation was not named on the list and that its producers also said that they did not receive government funding to make the animation.

On 23 October, Prachatai received a court summons stating that the Nakhrapiwat Company has filed a lawsuit against the Foundation for Community Educational Media (FCEM), the foundation which runs Prachatai, its former editor-in-chief Senator Tewarit Maneechai, former FCEM President Dr Kasem Sirisampan, and three other people who shared the 15 March news article, for defamation by publication and bringing into a computer system and sharing false information.

The company said that the lawsuit was filed because the 15 March article falsely claimed that it received funding from the Army to produce the animation.

Petronila Guzman and Lenville Salvador, board members of Kaduami (Katinnulong Daguiti Umili ti Amianan), and Myrna Zapanta, a lay worker and member of the secretariat of the Ilocos Regional Ecumenical Council (IREC), received subpoenas from the Department of Justice (DOJ) last month directing them to answer trumped-up charges of allegedly violating the terrorist financing law. They are set to submit their counter-affidavits on November 7, 2024 at the DOJ.

“Targeting grassroots development workers, especially now that the country has been ravaged by drought from El Niño, then by successive destructive typhoons, betrays the anti-people character of this regime,” said Karapatan deputy secretary general Maria Sol Taule. “The Marcos Jr. regime is doing a great disservice to the impoverished and marginalized communities that have been benefiting from the projects implemented by these persecuted development workers.”

“We are in solidarity with Guzman, Salvador, Zapanta and all other development workers who are now under fire for espousing genuine people’s empowerment through community-based disaster preparedness and response as opposed to the Marcos Jr. regime’s trickle-down approach,” concluded Taule.

Journalists reporting a protest were injured in a police attack in Kaski on November 5. Kaski lies in Gandaki Province in Nepal.

According to information provided by FF province representative Rajan Upadhyay, correspondent at Kantipur Television Indra Poudel, Public 4K Television’s cameraperson Rajkumar Majhi and editor at drishyamkhabar.com Binod Lamichhane were attacked while reporting protest of the Rastriya Swatantra Party cadres at Shahidchowk, Pokhara. Police baton charged the journalists while controlling the mob. Journalist Poudel received injury on his hand and his mobile fell into drain. Cameraperson Majhi and editor Lamichane also sustained minor injuries as police kicked with boot.

Representative Upadhyaya also quoted Superintendent of Police at District Police Office Shyam Babu Oliya as saying the attack was not targeted towards journalists.

Moreover, journalists had not worn press jackets and carried visible identity cards which made it difficult to differentiate them while controlling the mob, according to police.

The party cadres have been protesting against the arrest of their leader Rabi Lamichhane.

However, a fellow journalist Apil Tripathi commented that cameraperson Majhi was attacked even though he was carrying an identity card and a camera with the clear logo of media house.

A Hong Kong legal body has issued warning letters to lawyers linked to a defunct fund set up to help protesters arrested during the 2019 protests.

In a Chinese statement on Monday, Law Society of Hong Kong President Roden Tong said the group had completed an investigation into 16 lawyers in relation to the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund.

The lawyers investigated included those who had received money from the fund, which provided financial and legal assistance to individuals detained in connection with the protests and unrest in 2019.

According to Tong, those lawyers had engaged in acts that could compromise their integrity and the reputation of the profession, potentially breaching the Solicitors’ Practice Rules.

The society sent out warning letters of varying severity to the lawyers. According to local media outlet Ming Pao, no cases had yet been transferred to the disciplinary committee empowered to revoke their licenses.

“As the regulatory body for Hong Kong lawyers, the Law Society of Hong Kong attaches great importance to the conduct of members. We have established and effective mechanisms for handling complaints,” Tong added.

In January, then-president of the Law Society Chan Chak-ming, said it had concluded investigations into 10 out of the 16 lawyers. He said at the time that those 10 cases included “unsubstantiated” and “substantiated” cases.

Set up during the 2019 unrest, the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund provided legal assistance and funds for psychological counselling, medical treatment and emergency relief to protesters.

The fund ceased operations at the end of October 2022, making it among the dozens of civil society groups to disband in the wake of the Beijing-imposed national security law. Ahead of its disbanding, five prominent activists who served as trustees of the fund were arrested, including Cardinal Joseph Zen, barrister Margaret Ng and singer Denise Ho.

They were apprehended by national security police on suspicion of conspiring to collude with foreign powers, but were later charged with failing to register the fund under the Societies Ordinance.

The activists pleaded not guilty but were convicted in November 2022 and fined up to HK$4,000 each. They have sought to challenge their conviction, with the High Court set to hear the appeal next January.

Separately, the Hong Kong Bar Association said in January that it had completed its investigations of 38 barristers linked to the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund. None were found to have engaged in professional misconduct.

Protests erupted in June 2019 over a since-axed extradition bill. They escalated into sometimes violent displays of dissent against police behaviour, amid calls for democracy and anger over Beijing’s encroachment. Demonstrators demanded an independent probe into police conduct, amnesty for those arrested and a halt to the characterisation of protests as “riots.”

On November 7, the Almaty regional court left the verdict against journalist Duman Muhammedkarim unchanged. His lawyer Galym Nurpeyisov informed Azattik about this. In August of this year, the court of the first instance sentenced Duman Muhammedkarim to seven years in prison . In addition, he was banned from engaging in social and political work for three years.

"The seven-year prison sentence remained unchanged. The additional sentence was increased. The prosecutor requested in the court to ban Duman from visiting public places, meetings, participating, giving interviews to the media and other restrictions for three years. The judge complied with this request," lawyer Galym Nurpeyisov said on November 8. To freedom.

We asked the lawyer, "The court of the first instance banned Duman Muhammedkarim from engaging in social and political work for three years. And how does it differ from the ban imposed by the appeals court?" he asked.

Based on the court documents, the lawyer said that the restrictions imposed on Duman in the court of first instance: the types of services were not clearly specified, but this time they were clearly written. Among the places or platforms a journalist cannot participate in are "conferences, debates, television programs, including media, social networks and other telecommunications networks, strikes, peaceful gatherings, political parties, religious organizations, social movements, trade unions."

"This will actually be house arrest," said the lawyer.

According to the lawyer, at the appeal stage, Duman did not allow Muhammedkarim to fully familiarize himself with the case materials. Both the journalist and the lawyer consider the sentence illegal and plan to file a cassation appeal.

"The court did not consider our requests at all. The right was violated. We believe that the court fulfilled a political order," said the lawyer.

The Court of Appeal was closed. Supporters and media could not enter it. In the video published by the YouTube channel of The Qazaq Times, it is seen that activists gathered in front of the court building. They said "Freedom to Duman!" shouted. A special squad guarded the vicinity of the building.

According to the lawyer, the defense side left the journalist in Kapshagai, and then wrote a request to Astana asking to be transferred from there to Zarechny. No answer yet. Before that, the journalist was in Taldykorgan detention center.

There is no information about the court on the website of the Almaty regional court.

46-year-old journalist Duman Muhammedkarim worked in state channels for about 20 years. Worked as a press secretary of the akim of the West Kazakhstan region. From 2021 on YouTube "Ne Deidi?" opened a channel and began to publish various materials about social and political events in the country.

Duman Muhammedkarim became widely recognized in the political environment after the January 2022 incident. He is one of the few journalists who reported from the center of the chaos in Almaty during the massacre in which at least 238 people were killed.

Duman Muhammedkarim was arrested last June on charges of "financing extremism" and "interfering with the work of a banned organization." The reason for the criminal case was the journalist's interview with Mukhtar Ablyazov, an opposition politician who has been living abroad for many years, the leader of the "Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan" movement. In 2018, the court of Kazakhstan recognized the "KDT" movement as an "extremist organization" and banned its activities on the territory of the country. The European Parliament called the organization a "peaceful opposition movement".

Kazakh human rights defenders recognized Duman Muhammedkarim as a "political prisoner". Official Astana says "there are no political prisoners" in the country.

On 5 November, Chief Judge of the Capital City Court of Criminal Appeals announced that the entire appeal trial of Unurtsetseg Naran, editor-in-chief of the news website Zarig.mn, scheduled for 7 November, will be held behind closed doors.

The journalist was sentenced to 4 years and 9 months in prison in July after a closed-door trial held at the Criminal Court of First Instance of Sukhbaatar District in the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar. Unurtsetseg was found guilty of five charges: “tax evasion”, “disclosure of personal information”, “illegal acquisition of state secrets”, “money laundering”, and “spreading false information”. While the court stated that its decision to hold the trial behind closed doors was based on the grounds of national security and protecting the sensitive information of a minor, its complete gag on disclosing any information about the proceedings is a worrying sign.

The initial proceedings were widely criticised by civil society groups in Mongolia, who pointed out that, despite the serious nature of the charges brought against this journalist, the court had conducted the trial behind closed doors. A joint statement by Mongolian press freedom NGOs declared that the decision goes against the principle of an open, transparent court, and could potentially result in “unpredictability of the media industry’s process, intimidation, and foster self-censorship among journalists.”

“By sentencing a reporter to nearly five years in prison mainly on national security charges after a closed-door trial — and providing no information on the evidence produced — the Criminal Court of First Instance of Sukhbaatar District created a dangerous and concerning precedent that could deter Mongolian journalists from investigating topics of public interest. We urge the Capital City Court of Criminal Appeals, which will revisit the case, to ensure transparency and open as much of the trial as possible to the public." said Cedric Alviani, RSF’s Asia-Pacific Bureau Director.

Unurtsetseg Naran is well-known for her investigations exposing the corruption and money laundering of high-ranking Mongolian officials, work that previously led to at least 16 defamation charges against her, according to RSF’s information. In this ongoing case, she was first investigated for “spreading false information” following her social media posts criticising the Mongolian judicial system, then later charged with more serious offences. She was arrested in December 2023, detained for over two months, and then placed under house arrest before being sent to jail.

Press freedom has recently deteriorated in Mongolia, despite the government's claims that it is committed to democratic values. In May 2024, journalist Bayarmaa Ayurzana was arrested, detained and subsequently charged in connection with investigations into alleged misconduct by the country’s former deputy prime minister, who is now a member of parliament.

Mongolia, ranked 109th out of 180 territories in RSF’s 2024 World Press Freedom Index, has plummeted down 36 places since 2020. The press freedom situation is considered “difficult” due to frequent abusive legal proceedings against journalists, the concentration of media ownership, and growing political pressure and corruption among political elites that impact the media.

Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported that the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department had reportedly detained and interrogated around 20 individuals, including several former political dissidents and relatives of political dissidents after they gathered to attend a party hosted by a Vietnamese-Australian friend. According to some individuals who attended the meeting and requested anonymity, the incident occurred around 10 p.m. on Nov. 1, when they returned home after having a party at a restaurant in District 12.

The traffic police pulled them over on their way home, saying they needed to check the drug and alcohol concentration in their blood, and then divided them into smaller groups and took them to different police stations for questioning. An anonymous source told RFA that after the police forced them to go to the police station, they did not conduct the testing. Instead, the police interrogators reportedly questioned the attendees about the purpose of the meeting and their social connections.

According to RFA, among those taken to the police station were two former prisoners of conscience, Do The Hoa and Ho Dinh Cuong, who finished their sentences in 2023. Nguyen Thi Chau, wife of political prisoner Nguyen Ngoc Anh, was also detained and questioned. Many of these detainees were freed between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. the following day, and some were forced to write a commitment “not to share information critical of the party and the state” on their social media accounts. Two other individuals, including a Vietnamese-Australian citizen, were held for at least 24 hours before being released.

The Quang Nam and Thanh Hoa Provincial Police have arrested two social media users and charged them with “abusing democratic freedoms to infringe on the interests of the state and the legitimate rights of other individuals” under Article 331 of the Penal Code. Both of these internet users were accused of sharing information or hosting live streams on Facebook that contained defamatory details about Communist Party leaders, government officials, and local cadres, which allegedly violated Section 2 of Article 331.

The Nhu Xuan District Police Department in Thanh Hoa Province on Nov. 4 prosecuted Bui Van Tuan, 41, under Article 331 after their investigation found that the internet user had used his Facebook account, “Tuan Dung,” to live stream and purportedly “make false statements to slander and damage the reputation, honor, and dignity of officials in Nhu Xuan District.” According to state media, Tuan also incited the public to protest the construction of several projects in the locality, but it did not state if there was any conflict between residents and the constructors.

Meanwhile, the Department of Cyber​security and High-Tech Crime Prevention of Quang Nam Provincial Police on Nov. 5 coordinated with Dai Loc District Police to prosecute and impose a house arrest order on Le Manh, 73, who lives in Dai Loc, to investigate his alleged “abusing democratic freedom” activities. The police announced that between 2018 and October 2024, this senior resident had used a Facebook account named "T.N.D." to publish more than 300 articles with false information to defame state leaders and distort the history of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. State media reported that the police gathered evidence and is continuing to investigate both cases.

Article 331 of the Penal Code is a vague and broadly defined provision that the government frequently uses to stifle freedom of expression. Individuals prosecuted and imprisoned under this controversial law are diverse, including social activists, land rights petitioners, social media users, and journalists.

Samsung Workers in Sriperumbudur near Chennai in India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu have been on strike for over two weeks, withstanding threats from management and attacks by the security forces. According to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) out of the 1,800 total employees in the factory, over 1,300 have been participating in the strike led by the Samsung India Workers Union (SIWU).

Workers are demanding wage revisions and increases, better working conditions, and recognition of their union SIWU, which has been delayed due to objections raised by the company.

The protest started at Echoor, at least a kilometer away from the Samsung plant at Sriperumbudur on September 9 after management failed to respond to the strike notice served by the workers in August.

The Samsung India Electronics Private Limited was established in 2007, and has operated without a union since then. The factory in Sriperumbudur is one of the two factories Samsung has in India. The factory makes Samsung’s electronic appliances.

Workers have complained of mistreatment and discrimination by the management. The factory presently has a nine hour workday and SIWU has demanded it be reduced to eight hours. They are also demanding a raise in various allowances and the equalization of wages for workers with the same qualifications and duties. Workers at the factory have also raised the issue of not being permitted to properly use their sanctioned leaves from work.

CITU, one the largest trade union organizations in India with over four million members, claims that Samsung has failed to address the basic demands of their workers, including concerns over low wages. CITU claims that the company spends less than 0.3% of its total annual production value on labor costs.

The workers highlight that even after a decade of experience at the plant, most of the workers earn less than Rs 30,000 (USD 359) per month, not enough to cover their basic needs and the cost of living.

The SIWU was formed in July 2023, with over 1,400 workers of the unit. E Muthukumr, the union’s president, claims the membership has now increased to over 1,700. However, its registration was delayed after an objection was raised by Samsung management. The management objects to the company’s name being used in the name of the union.

The delay is more than double the stipulated time limit of 45 days set up to process such applications under the Indian union act. Management has refused to talk to the union and objected to its registration. Instead, it has forced some workers to become members of a “workers committee” constituted by management. It has conducted some talks with the committee which, SIWU claims, has no legal validity.

Samsung uses threats to break the strike

On September 16, over 100 SIWU workers were detained by police after attempting to march to the district collectors office in support of their demand for registration of the union.

On Monday, management claimed more workers joined the workforce. However, according to the SIWU, 80% of production at the factory has been impacted due to the strike.

After failing to win over the workers utilizing tactics such as sending gifts, last week, Samsung management sent a notice to workers invoking its “no work, no pay” stance. However, workers have claimed that management cannot declare their strike illegal and withhold their wages as the call for the strike is in line with the law.

The workers had presented their demands to management in July, and after they failed to get a positive response, they gave the notice for their strike in August, as required by law.

Several other unions have extended support to Samsung workers.

Sriperumbudur is an industrial town near the capital Chennai. CITU claims the delay caused by the Samsung management to address the genuine demands of the workers has already stirred workers in other nearby factories, as they have held solidarity gate meetings last week.

The National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) in South Korea, which conducted Samsung’s first ever strike in July has extended its support to the demands raised by striking workers in the Tamil Nadu plant

Soundarajan, president of the Tamil Nadu section of CITU, questioned the arrest of workers by the police last week, asserting that forming a union is not a crime. Talking to the press, he warned that if the government does not change its stance on the issue of unionization at Samsung, CITU will launch a statewide movement against it.

The state government has initiated a reconciliation between the union and the management on Tuesday, September 24. A CITU leader told Peoples Dispatch that they are hopeful that Samsung management will agree to the union’s demands.

Koet Saray, president of the Khmer Student Intelligent League Association (KSILA), was convicted of incitement this morning by the Phnom Penh Capital Court and sentenced to four years in prison for comments he made earlier this year about a violent eviction in Preah Vihear province.

Saray, who was forcibly defrocked by Cambodian authorities in 2021, was arrested outside the association’s office in April 2024 after he spoke to the media about a land conflict in Preah Vihear province during which authorities burned down people’s homes. He was charged with incitement to commit a felony under Article 494 and Article 495 of the Criminal Code. He was also charged for “committing a misdemeanour after sentencing for a misdemeanour” under Article 88 of the code, which allows for a doubling of a defendant’s prison sentence if they have been convicted of the same misdemeanour within five years. This article was applied to Saray’s four-year prison sentence, who will also pay an around US$500 fine.

The youth leader was commenting on a land dispute involving an Economic Land Concession (ELC) granted to Seladamex in Preah Vihear. Shortly before his arrest, Saray met with villagers who were involved in the dispute and urged officials to resolve the issue.

Saray was previously arrested in 2020 alongside eight other activists, all of whom were charged for incitement for peacefully protesting the arrest of former union leader Rong Chhun. In that case, Saray received a 14-month prison sentence, a $500 fine and was placed under a two-year probation period with restrictive conditions lasting until November 2023.

A Burmese-Indian activist who went missing after slamming a Myanmar film as racist toward Hindus is in the custody of authorities, who are investigating him for “instigation,” the junta announced Wednesday.

Hindus have faced decades of discrimination in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar, where they endure restrictions on religious practice and travel, according to the U.S. State Department’s International Religious Freedom Report.

Shine Htet Aung, 33, disappeared on Oct. 26, days after posting a review of the Myanmar rom-com “Jar Kit Sar Pu Thee” (Have You Ever Ridden a Jeep) on Facebook, in which he described the film as racist toward Hindu culture. The review went viral on social media, garnering thousands of likes and shares.

His family and friends had expressed concern for his safety in interviews with the Mizzima media outlet after he was reportedly abducted by individuals in plainclothes while volunteering at a school for the blind in Yangon region’s Mayangone township.

On Wednesday evening, the junta announced that Shine Htet Aung, the owner of the Facebook account “Her Sal Yon (Ko King),” was detained at the police station in his home township of Hlaing in Yangon region.

The announcement said police are investigating Shine Htet Aung, also known as Vuy Htet Kumar, for “inciting propaganda through social media to undermine national stability.” It provided no details of the reason for his arrest.

In his Oct. 24 Facebook post, Shine Htet Aung had expressed concerns about the title and promotional attire in a poster for Jar Kit Sar Pu Thee, which is due to be released next month.

He said the poster portrayed Hindu culture in a stereotypical and offensive manner and noted that Jar Kit Sar Pu Thee is a mock Hindi word used to greet Hindus in an offensive manner.

After the post went viral, pro-junta channels on the social media platform Telegram called for his arrest for “instigating racial and religious” hatred.

His Facebook account has since been deactivated.

Prior to the announcement of his arrest, a source close to Shine Htet Aung’s family called his likely detention as “unfair.”

“Almost everyone in this country dislikes the dictators, except for the lobbyists and their supporters,” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns.

According to Myanmar’s 2014 census, Hindus make up only 0.5 percent of the country’s population, whereas 88 percent of the people identify as Buddhist and 4.3 percent as Muslim.

From late September, Red News Agency reporter Tar Lin Maung and freelancer Naung Yo have been detained by prominent armed opposition group, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in the Hpakant Township of the northern Kachin State. Their whereabouts or status remain unknown.

On October 23, Maung posted on Facebook stating “I am fine and healthy”. However, family members of both journalists confirmed that they have been unable to communicate with them since their arrests.

The reasons for their detention are unclear, but however media reports have claimed that Maung was arrested following critical social media posts in late September. The Democratic Voice of Burma reports that Maung could not be contacted after meeting with a member of the People’s Defence Force (PDF), an ally of the KIA in Myanmar’s ongoing civil war, at a restaurant on September 29. Naung Yo was reportedly arrested while investigating Maung’s disappearance the following day.

Colonel Naw Bu, a KIA spokesperson, claimed that he was not aware of the journalists’ arrest and will investigate the matter before making any comments. The Independent Press Council Myanmar attempted to contact KIA through the National Unity Government in early October, but the journalists remain uncontactable.

The KIA is a prominent EAO in northern Myanmar that seeks greater autonomy for the Kachin ethnic minority, and has been engaged in conflict with the Myanmar military since the country’s independence. Maung and Yo are the first Myanmar journalists to be detained by an opposition group since the 2021 military coup.

MJN said: “MJN denounces any killing or arrest of journalists and requests every armed group to respect press freedom. It should not set a precedent for any armed group to suppress the freedom of the press.”

The IFJ said: “The IFJ condemns the unlawful arrests and arbitrary detention of journalists Tar Lin Maung and Naung Yo. This act undermines press freedom and poses a serious threat to the fundamental rights to freedom of expression. We urge the Kachin Independence Army to immediately release both media professionals and uphold the principles of a free and open media.”

The Independent Myanmar Journalists Association (IMJA) has called on the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) to immediately release two journalists detained by the group. IMJA officials stated that they will formally request the KIA to free the journalists as soon as possible.

IMJA is working with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) to secure the release of the two detained journalists. A letter will be sent to the KIA today (23 October, 2024), according to IMJA Vice Chairman Ko Naing.

“We will send a direct letter to the KIA today, requesting the release of the two journalists. We are also cooperating with CPJ. Regarding support, assisting journalists detained by the military junta involves a different approach, so we are discussing the best course of action,” Ko Naing told MPA.

IMJA Chairman Ko Kyaw Min also urged the KIA, as a democratic organization, to respect the value of journalists.

“KIA is a democratic organization, which means it should uphold press freedom. In a democracy, press freedom is essential, so we will call for the immediate release of the journalists,” he said.

Journalist Ko Thurain stated that since journalists serve as the eyes and ears of the public, it is inappropriate for the KIA to detain them.

“If the journalists were detained without committing any crimes, it is equivalent to silencing the eyes and ears of the people. While I do not know the details of the case, that is my stance,” he said.

Currently, one of the detained journalists, Ko Tar Lin Maung, posted on Facebook on October 23, saying, “I am fine and healthy.” However, he has not been able to communicate with his family or news agency.

The two journalists detained by the KIA are Ko Tar Lin Maung, a reporter for the Red News Agency, and freelance journalist Ko Naung Yoe. They were arrested on 29 September, 2024, but their whereabouts remain unknown to their families.

On 26 September, during a clash in Sein Taung village, Ko Tar Lin Maung reported on the rescue of staff trapped in the Jade Garden restaurant by the KIA, which was carried out on orders from senior officials. He was arrested the following day.

KIA spokesperson Major Naw Bu told The 74 Media that the journalists were detained for questioning by frontline commanders.

Ko Tar Lin Maung previously worked as a reporter for the government’s Department of Public Relations and Communications before joining the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) and later becoming a freelance journalist at Red News Agency after the 2021 military coup.

Ko Naung Yoe was also previously detained by the military junta on 9 March , 2021, under Section 505(a) of the Penal Code and was released in October 2022. He is currently working as a freelance journalist based in Hpakant.

Since the military coup on 1 February, 2021, more than 15 media outlets have been shut down, and seven journalists have been killed. By July 2024, 172 journalists had been arrested, with 52 still imprisoned, according to Detained Journalists Information Myanmar.

On 29 October 2024, the Suzhou Intermediate Court in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, convicted human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng and woman human rights defender Xu Yan for “inciting subversion of State power”. Yu Wensheng was sentenced to three years in prison while Xu Yan was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison. They have both been arbitrarily detained since April 2023 when they were arrested by public security agents while en route to an event in Beijing organised by the European Union Delegation to China.

Between 28-30 August 2024, Yu Wensheng and Xu Yan were put on trial separately at the Suzhou Intermediate Court. Diplomats from concerned countries went to Suzhou to observe the trials but were not allowed to enter the courtroom on the pretext of there being no available seats. Other human rights defenders who went to the court or attempted to travel to the court were either barred from entering or intercepted on the way by public security agents.

Dozens of people braved the rain and defied an official ban to turn out in Halloween costumes ranging from Buddha to Batman in Shanghai at the weekend, as the authorities cracked down on those who used the fall festival to take subtle aim at the ruling Chinese Communist Party, complain about the state of the world, or just have some fun.

Despite heavy police patrols in the downtown area, video footage showed a large crowd of mostly young people under umbrellas, some in costume, and some cheering them on and filming their performances on their phones. In separate clips, revelers were shown being taken away, some in full costume.

Video and photos uploaded to the Instagram account @drinkdownccp captioned “Halloween in Shanghai” showed people dressed in a huge variety of cosplay outfits including a Chinese emperor and his concubine, Jesus in an LED halo, the scissor-toting eponymous character from the 2007 Japanese horror movie “Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman,” No Face from the Hayao Miyazaki anime hit “Spirited Away” and Huawei smartphones.

Police, urban management officials and business owners in downtown Huangpu district last week warned of “strict controls” on cosplay activities, saying anyone breaking the rules would be subject to “coercion” if they didn’t lose their make-up or costume when told to remove it by the authorities.

People were banned from wearing costumes and elaborate make-up in public, while buildings in the district are also banned from displaying any form of Halloween decoration, including bats, pumpkins, ghosts, coffins and skeletons, while “horror or violence-related elements” will not be allowed, according to a directive from local authorities.

Yet many defied the ban, often to make a point to the authorities, according to social media footage and photos posted from the streets of Shanghai, which saw mass protests against the government as recently as November 2022.

In one photo, someone wears a mask emblazoned with the words “save the leeks!” in a reference to online slang that refers to ordinary Chinese people as resources to be used or harvested by those in power to suit their own purposes. Two people turn up dressed as Lenin and Stalin, waving to the crowd.

In another sign of public dissent linked to the flagging economy, a young woman dresses as “the Ghost of Poverty,” wearing a sign that reads “whatever you try, there’s still no money.”

Another reveler dresses in a traditional robe referencing the 1919 May 4th youth movement, carrying a copy of the New Youth magazine used by young people to express political dissent, another as the Statue of Liberty, while another holds a sign that reads “Police warning: homosexuals!” in a likely reference to recent crackdowns on the LGBTQ+ community.

In another clip on the same account, someone in a Trump mask wearing the red neckerchief of the Chinese Communist Party youth organization Young Pioneers dances to the Village People’s 1978 hit “Y.M.C.A.”

Reuters video footage from Shanghai at the weekend showed police on patrol, and a line of police mini buses parked along a street in the downtown area.

“Unless they’re from Happy Valley or Disney, costumes and make-up are not allowed,” a young woman says in a social media video clip circulating at the weekend, in a reference to China’s chain of homegrown amusement parks. “Especially when it comes to certain neighborhoods in the downtown area.”

“There’s no way they’re letting anyone do that.”

In a separate social media clip, another person cosplaying as former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is taken away from a store by security guards, as a commentator announces: “Breaking news: Trump gets chased by security guards!”

A Shanghai resident who gave only the surname Wang for fear of reprisals said he saw several people taken away by police.

“Some of the women were wearing Qing Dynasty costumes, while some men were dressed as emperors,” Wang said. “They were all taken to the police station.”

“The main reason is that they’re afraid that too many people will gather,” he said. “They get particularly worried about large gatherings, particularly spontaneous ones.”

A Taiwanese national who runs bars in Shanghai’s Jing’an district and Julu Road, where much of the cosplaying took place, said they had been contacted by police last week and warned not to encourage any Halloween-themed activities.

“The local police told us ... there were to be no Halloween activities, no displays, and nobody in weird costumes, on pain of them shutting the bars down,” the person said. “It was so sad.”

Some cosplayers gathered in Hangzhou, a one-hour high-speed railway trip away, after social media posts suggested it as an alternate venue to Shanghai, propelling “Halloween in Hangzhou” to the top of social media search results. Yet some cosplayers there were also asked to remove their costumes and taken away by police for questioning, according to social media footage.

Similar scenes were reported in Dongshankou, the artists' district of Guangzhou.

A resident of the southern province of Guangdong who gave only the surname Chen for fear of reprisals said many young people see costumes as a way to express dissatisfaction with the government.

“Dongshankou is a downtown area, and part of the old city,” Chen said. “The costumes they wear express dissatisfaction, and such dissatisfaction can easily evolve into a demonstration.”

“The government fears this more than anything,” he said. “So many images are sensitive under the current regime, which has so many sore points and sensitive topics.”

One sensitive topic appeared to be the fact that Sunday marked the anniversary of former premier Li Keqiang’s death, which prompted a wave of spontaneous national mourning that many saw as an indirect criticism of Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping’s handling of the economy.

According to social media posts from local residents, police were patrolling the streets around Li’s former residence in downtown Hefei, capital of the eastern province of Anhui, where local people left thousands of floral tributes a year ago.

Authorities in Anhui and Henan provinces meanwhile canceled two major marathon events originally scheduled for Oct. 27, citing unexplained “reasons,” postponing them to early November instead.

Nguyen Thi Tam, serving a six-year sentence for “propaganda against the state” at a prison in Vietnam, said her cellmate threatened to kill her, Tam’s daughter told Radio Free Asia.

Since April, she has been sharing a cell with a woman jailed for drug offenses at the prison in Thanh Hoa province.

Tam told her daughter the woman, who Radio Free Asia is not identifying given the sensitivity of the situation, swore at her, kicked her legs when she was trying to sleep at night and threatened to “beat her to death.”

She complained to prison guards and asked them to move the woman to another cell but said officers only tried to reassure her, saying they had already “disciplined and educated” her cellmate. However, Tam said the problems didn’t stop.

“My mother sleeps a lot during the day and doesn’t dare sleep at night because she’s afraid that when everyone else is asleep, she might be in danger,” her daughter, Nguyen Thanh Mai, told RFA on Monday following a phone call with Tam.

Mai said her mother’s mental and physical health were under a lot of strain because of her cellmate’s behavior. She is already suffering from uterine fibroids and stiff joints.

RFA Vietnamese called Prison No. 5, where Tam is being held, but no one answered the telephone.

Tam said she thought prison authorities were punishing her for speaking out against officers’ behavior, such as unreasonably confiscating personal belongings, and poor conditions, such as overcrowded cells.

On Oct. 20, two officers took Tam to the communal hall to watch a Vietnam Womens’ Day performance, during which a female officer sat next to her. Whenever a fellow inmate started talking to Tam, the officer moved them away.

Former political prisoner Dang Thi Hue, who was held at Prison No. 5 from May 2021 to January 2023, said she had also shared a cell with the woman who threatened Tam.

She told RFA the abusive prisoner is protected by guards who use her to try to destroy the will of other inmates, particularly political prisoners.

Chinese authorities are confiscating the cell phones of Tibetan Buddhist monks in Sichuan province, accusing them of having shared news about the recent closure of schools linked to monasteries, two sources with knowledge of the situation said.

Under Chinese government rules, ethnic Tibetans are banned from contacting or sharing news with people outside the region.

Traditionally, many Tibetan children are sent to schools at monasteries to be educated in the Tibetan language in regular subjects as well as in Buddhism.

But Chinese authorities have closed schools at the Lhamo Kirti Monastery in Sichuan’s Dzoge county and the Kirti Monastery in Ngaba county, claiming that the young monks were too young to receive monastic education.

The closure of the Lhamo Kirti Monastery school former affected nearly 600 students.

Instead, parents were required to enroll their children in state-administered residential schools, where the instruction is in Mandarin.

Suspicious that monks were sharing news about the closures with the wider world, authorities have been checking their phones since Oct. 1, said the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. Those found to have done so had their phones confiscated.

Authorities also have held frequent meetings with monastery management to emphasize the need for monks to study regulatory rules for Buddhist monasteries, citing religious affairs regulations and the prohibition of “separatist activities” by monks, they said.

“Despite the closure of the monastic schools, strict controls have been imposed, and restrictions have intensified with authorities claiming the spread of information about the monastic school’s closure to the outside world is a serious issue,” the first source said.

“Officials are also conducting regular meetings with monastery staff, prohibiting ‘separatist activities’ and enforcing strict adherence to state regulations,” he said.

According to Beijing’s regulations on religious affairs, students at monastic schools must be 18 or older, display patriotism and be compliant with national laws.

Tibetan advocates see these regulations as part of broader government efforts to suppress Tibetan culture and enforce “patriotic education.”

Founded in 1986, the Lhamo Kirti Monastery school initially offered three classes held in the monastery’s hall and monks’ residences.

In 1993, a separate school called Taktsang Lhamo Tibetan Culture School was established, but it faced interference from the Chinese government when officials ramped up restrictions on the study of the Tibetan language and Buddhist philosophy, ultimately leading to its closure.

The monastery’s primary school later reopened and served novice monks under the age of 18 and children from nearby nomadic areas.

In July 2024, authorities issued new orders requiring the closure of the school. Families were compelled to sign agreements ensuring that their children would be enrolled in government-run schools, where they would undergo state-approved “patriotic education.”

KARAPATAN denounced the recent arrests and harassment of peasants in Hacienda Almeda in Occidental Mindoro and in Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac City.

At least 31 Iraya Mangyan residents, including 16 elderly individuals and 15 minors, were reported to have been illegally arrested and detained by seven private goons and four members of the Police Regional Mobile Group in Hacienda Almeda, Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro on October 18, 2024. As of this writing, reports reached the human rights group that the 31 are facing charges of trespassing and malicious mischief.

According to the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, Hacienda Alameda covers 1,546 hectares of land in Mamburao and Abra de Ilog, which were placed under agrarian reform coverage in 1988 under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). In 1992, the Department of Agrarian Reform ordered the inclusion of the Almeda family’s landholdings under CARP, and Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOAs) were issued to 58 farmer-beneficiaries including the Iraya Mangyan tribe. At least 31 hectares of the said land are considered ancestral domains of the tribe.

The indigenous peasants have persistently asserted their claims to the land which they have tilled for decades, despite numerous attacks against them. In 2017, around 100 policemen and private guards demolished 20 makeshift homes of indigenous peoples in the area.

At around 9 p.m. of October 19, 2024, four armed men in plain clothes believed to be from the 3rd Mechanized Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army entered the compound of Francisco Dizon, chair of Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Asyenda Luisita (AMBALA), in Barangay Mapalacsiao, Tarlac City, and tried to force him to go with them. Dizon’s staunch refusal to go with the men, whose faces were masked, as well as the intervention of other AMBALA officers and barangay officials averted what would have been Dizon’s abduction or illegal arrest.

Meanwhile, elements of Philippine National Police-Tarlac and the 31st Mechanized Infantry Company of the 3rd Mechanized Infantry Battalion blocked one of several vans carrying peasants from Hacienda Luisita who were on the way to a rally commemorating National Peasant Month. Soldiers have also been going house to house and surveilling other leaders of AMBALA to intimidate them from joining the scheduled protest actions.

AMBALA is recognized by the Supreme Court as the only legitimate organization representing the interests and welfare of the agricultural workers and peasants of Hacienda Luisita.

The hacienda, a 6,453-hectare sugar plantation spanning 11 barangays in three towns of Tarlac, is owned by the Cojuangco family., The Cojuangcos have, for decades, resorted to various legal maneuvers such as the bogus stock distribution option scheme to prevent the distribution of the hacienda land to the tenants and workers.

On November 16, 2004, the sugar estate was the site of the Hacienda Luisita Massacre where seven persons were killed, 121 people, including children, were injured and 133 arrested and detained after soldiers and paramilitaries violently dispersed some 1,000 striking workers of Central Azucarera de Tarlac Labor Union and the United Luisita Workers Union.

KARAPATAN condemns the arbitrary arrest of two Southern Tagalog trade union organizers on October 27, 2024.

Arrested in Makati City were Gavino Panganiban, Director for Campaigns of the Kilusang Mayo Uno-affiliated Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan (PAMANTIK), and Maritess David, a labor organizer of the Organized Labor Association in Line Industries and Agriculture-Kilusang Mayo Uno (Olalia-KMU). David faces trumped-up charges of murder while Panganiban faces charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

David’s case stems from the Bloody Sunday raids on the former office of the Alyansa ng mga Manggagawa sa Engklabo in 2021 where the arresting team planted several firearms and explosives before serving their search warrant.

Since yesterday afternoon, KARAPATAN paralegals and David’s family have also been illegally blocked by elements of the Philippine National Police from entering the rented house in Makati, where the two were arrested, to safekeep the personal belongings of both David and Panganiban. No warrants have been issued to search the said house.

Tsongon Tsering has been arrested and detained in Khyungchu County for voicing a complaint against rock and sand mining in Tsaruma Village, Khyungchu County, Ngaba.

According to information received today from a reliable source, a native of Tsaruma Village, Khyungchu County, in Ngaba, Tsognon Tsering, recently published a video which appealed for attention and action towards the issue of ongoing rock and sand mining activities in the village on social media platforms. Although, along with him, several other people from the village were summoned for interrogation, the source informed us today that the other people returned home later, but Tsongon Tsering was held in detention in Khyungchu County.

The same source said, “ Tsongon Tsering has been arrested and detained. He remains in detention at Khyungchu County. Yet, his family and village people are hoping for him to be released as soon as possible. Maybe they will release him tomorrow or the day after.”

According to information received by the Tibet Times, on 22nd October, the Khyungchu County Police summoned and interrogated Tsongon Tsering and some people from the village at Khyungchu County. Even though the other people from the village were released, Tsering’s condition remains unclear. On top of that, the appeal video and voice messages published on his Kuaishou social media account have been restricted and deleted. His Kuaishou account (搓俄) does not appear when one searches for it.

Tsering published an almost five-minute video complaint on his Kuaishou account. In the video, he discussed in detail that from May 2023 onwards, the Anhui Xianhe Construction Engineering Company, while working on the construction of the new highway in Tsuruma village, began to engage in illegal rock and sand mining and transportation on the banks of Dhangchu River near the road. He further stressed that the large-scale mining and transportation have caused serious damage to the local ecology. Heavy sand mining has caused damage to the river and poses great danger to the local residential area.

The local Tibetans of Tsaruma village submitted photos and videos documenting and highlighting the damage caused to their residences in a legal complaint that they filed to the Tsaruma local government, the Khyunchu County Disciplinary Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Water Resources Department and other related government bodies of both Khyungchu county and Ngaba prefecture. Yet, none of the government bodies responded to the complaint.

In September 2023, the local people of Tsaruma filed the first legal complaint against Anhui Xianhe Construction Engineering Company. Even though, at that time, the Khyungchu Environmental Protection Agency investigated the damaged area, the results of the investigation and the subsequent findings were not publicised. From October to December 2023, the local people appealed to the Ngaba prefecture Water Resources Department to request clarification on the results of the investigation and the findings. They did not receive any response from the Department.

Recently, a source informed tibettimes that the issue of sand mining in Tsaruma village stems from the government-level construction projects in Ngaba prefecture. As such, even as it is a fact that the Anhui Xianhe Construction Engineering Company has illegally engaged in sand mining in Tsaruma, the prospect of the complaint filed by the local people of Tsaruma bearing any result remains very bleak. The source also voiced suspicions about the Company illegally mining for other minerals in the same area.

Tsering is currently 29 and the only son of Phurkho and Wangdon. His father, Phurko, is around 60 and Wangdon, his mother is around 50. Tsongon Tsering is someone who has always actively taking the responsibility of local and public issues.

Activist Sopon Surariddhidhamrong has been sentenced to 2 years in prison on a royal defamation charge for a protest speech criticizing the government’s Covid-19 vaccine programme and the royal family’s use of taxpayer’s money, bringing his total prison sentence to 8 years and 6 months.

Sopon was charged with royal defamation and using a sound amplifier without permission after he gave a speech during the 1 May 2022 Labour Day protest at Government House, during which he spoke about the lack of access to Covid-19 vaccines and how certain privileged groups are getting access to vaccines ahead of everyone else.

The public prosecutor indicted Sopon because he said that Princess Sirivannavari, King Vajiralongkorn’s youngest daughter, and her friends were getting the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine before everyone else, and that members of the royal family are getting the AstraZeneca vaccine while the people are denied access to it because the King is a shareholder in Siam Bioscience, the only company licensed to produce the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine in Thailand.

The public prosecutor said that Sopon’s speech violated the royal defamation law because he insulted Princess Sirivannavari, who the prosecutor sees as the heir to the throne, caused a misunderstanding about members of the royal family’s access to Covid-19 vaccine, and defamed the monarchy by claiming that donations to hospitals were from taxpayers’ money.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported that the Criminal Court yesterday (29 October) found Sopon guilty of royal defamation and sentenced him to 3 years in prison, later reduced to 2 years because he gave useful testimony. The charge under the Sound Amplifier Act was dismissed.

Sopon is currently facing a total prison sentence of 8 years and 6 months for three counts of royal defamation. He has been detained pending appeal since 24 August 2023.

TLHR reported that, before the judge read out the verdict, Sopon asked to make a declaration to the court. He took off his shirt, showing cuts in his chest in the shape of the number 112. He told the Court that it might seem unusual for him to cut himself or take his shirt off, but what is more abnormal is that people are being prosecuted for royal defamation and denied bail when neither the Bureau of the Royal Household nor the King is involved in filing charges. He hopes that the court’s ruling would be a lesson for himself and other observers in the courtroom.

A note from Sopon was later published on his Facebook page, stating that, although he hurt himself cutting the numbers into his chest, he wanted to do something to show those in power that something is wrong with the justice system when it comes to the royal defamation law.