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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.