Uwazi

The Court of Appeal has denied bail for anti-government protest leader Arnon Nampha, who is charged with sedition over the rally at Thammasat University’s Tha Prachan campaus and at Sanam Luang on Sept 19-20.

The court upheld the lower court's refusal to allow the temporary release of the human rights lawyer. The decison was read out at the Criminal Court on Wednesday, according to Thai media reports, but not made public until Friday.

Mr Arnon, 37, is charged with sedition under Section 116 of the Criminal Code in connection with the anti-government demonstration at Thammasat University's Tha Phrachan campus and Sanam Luang on Sept 19-20.

On Oct 27, Chana Songkram police took him to the Criminal Court and obtained permission to detain him. His lawyers applied for bail, but it was denied. They appealed.

The Court of Appeal denied bail on the grounds the alleged offences could lead to damage or disruption with a wider impact. In taking to the rally stage, the accused had persuaded people to destroy state property without respect for the law.

The court also took into consideration police investigators’ opposition to the suspect's release on bail because he also faced similar charges filed by other police stations.If he was released on bail, he might cause more damage or try to flee.

The court found the lower court's decision to refuse bail was justified.

Mr Arnon is being detained at Bangkok Remand Prison.

On Sept 20, pro-democracy protesters staged a ceremony to install a plaque at Sanam Luang declaring the people’s power and ownership of the country. It was removed by unknown people next morning.

The original plaque marked the 1932 Revolution, which overthrew the absolute monarchy and ushered in a constitutional monarchy, and was planted on the ground at the Royal Plaza.

It was removed without explanation in 2017, three years after the military took power in a coup, and no one in authority has ever said why or what happened to it.

Bangkok Post

A court in Ayutthaya on Saturday rejected a police request to detain three protest leaders currently in a Bangkok hospital after an eventful night that followed their temporary release from custody.

The court said the investigation was already done, so police could proceed with the case without having to detain them, and since they were in hospital they were not flight risks.

Doctors at Praram 9 Hospital said that the three — Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak, Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul and Panupong “Mike” Jadnok — would need two or three more days to recover from their recent experiences with law enforcement.

Police still have ample opportunity to make fresh arrests once the three are discharged. All told, there are 80 active warrants related to various offences connected with recent pro-democracy protests, according to Pol Maj Gen Piya Tawichai, deputy metropolitan police chief.

Pathumwan police, it turns out, were already on the case. Their officers were en route to the hospital around 6pm to charge Ms Panusaya, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (THLR). It said on Twitter that its lawyer, who represents Ms Panusaya, had been informed.

Six police oficers were standing guard near the three suspects' hospital rooms on Saturday.

Mr Parit and Ms Panusaya were taken to Praram 9 Hospital at around 4.45am on Saturday after they had been questioned by Ayutthaya police at the Pracha Chuen police station in Bangkok following their release from remand prison.

Mr Parit was injured with several glass fragments on his body and Ms Panusaya was exhausted. They joined Mr Panupong, who had been released at the same time and brought to the hospital earlier after fainting while in police custody.

At a briefing on Saturday, a team of doctors at the hospital said Mr Panupong suffered several minor cuts from glass fragments. He was very weak and physicians are checking what caused his blackout.

Mr Parit, who has asthma, also had cuts on his limbs and some glass fragments were found on his body. Ms Panusaya was suffering from severe dehydration and chronic sleep deprivation and was on a saline drip.

All three need at least two to three days to recover, the doctors said.

Pheu Thai MP Tossaporn Serirak and Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, a former MP of the now-defunct Future Forward Party and cofounder of the Progressive Movement, accompanied them to the hospital in the same van.

Their supporters who had been waiting at the police station left after the leaders told them to return home.

Ayutthaya police on Saturday morning visited Mr Panupong, who was suffering from a lack of oxygen, at the hospital, seeking to detain him. Mr Panupong refused to be held, saying the arrest began at the Bangkok Remand Prison, not at the hospital, and he had the right to be treated there, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR).

Late Friday afternoon, the Criminal Court had granted bail to the three student activists and Patiwat Saraiyaem, another protester, after repeated appeals by their lawyers. They had been in jail for 16 days.

Mr Panupong, Mr Parit and Mr Patiwat were detained at Bangkok Remand Prison and Ms Panusaya was at the Central Women’s Correctional Institution nearby.

Mr Patiwat walked out of Bangkok Remand Prison around 8pm to cheers from supporters waiting to greet him outside.

He frantically told the waiting crowd that the other three had been taken from their cells by three men in civilian clothes while prison officials did nothing.

The men were later identified as plainclothes police officers who acted on arrest warrants for the activists’ roles during rallies in Nonthaburi, Ayutthaya and Ubon Ratchathani provinces.

However, their lawyers, citing Section 68 of the Criminal Procedures Code, argued the warrants were no longer valid since they had already acknowledged and denied the charges while at the Border Patrol Police Region 1 and the Bangkok Remand Prison.

Pol Col Ittichet Wonghomhuan, the Pracha Chuen police superintendent, said his team acted on the warrants of Nonthaburi, Ayutthaya and Ubon Ratchathani police, who had not revoked them yet.

While the lawyers were still talking to some policemen at the prison, the plainclothes officers took Mr Parit and Mr Panupong away through a secondary gate without anyone knowing, according to TLHR. Another van took Ms Panusaya from the women’s prison.

The van, with broken windows, took Mr Panupong and Mr Parit to the station at 9.30pm. Police did not allow them to get out at first since around 50 of their supporters were gathering there. Mr Parit shouted that Mr Panupong needed an ambulance immediately.

At 10pm, an ambulance took an unconscious Panupong to Kasemrad Pracha Chuen Hospital. He was later transferred to Praram 9 Hospital.

At the police station, Mr Parit said he and Mr Panupong resisted arrest because the people who took them did not wear uniforms and tried to illegally detain them. However, they were dragged by the neck to the van. Mr Panupong passed out later in the vehicle, Mr Parit claimed.

He said the supporters who were following them tried to ask the police to stop the van so Mr Panupong could get medical help but the officials refused to do so.

According to Internet Law Reform Dialogue (iLaw), some interviews and video clips showed what happened during the trip to the police station.

The van carrying Mr Parit and Mr Panupong stopped at a red light at the Pongpet intersection, followed by a few people on motorcycles believed to be their supporters.

Mr Panupong and Mr Parit shouted to them that they had been forcibly and illegally taken. Their supporters tried in vain to talk to the officials before attempting to break a window, allegedly to help the pair.

As the van driver tried to get away, the vehicle hit at least two other motorcycles nearby. One of the motorcycles fell in front of the van but the van driver ploughed on, dragging the smaller vehicle for around 200 metres. The owner of the damaged motorcycle, who was not a protester, later filed a complaint with police.

After their temporary release on Friday, four other protesters remained in jail as of Saturday.

At Bangkok Remand Prison, Ekkachai Hongkangwan has been imprisoned since Oct 12 on charges related to the royal motorcade, Arnon Nampha has been held since Oct 15 on sedition charges, and Somyot Prueksakasemsuk has been detained since Oct 16.

At Bang Kwang Prison, Suranart Panprasert has been held at since Oct 21 on charges in connection with a royal motorcade.

Bangkok Post

Police will summon at least five Free Youth protesters during the Germany embassy rally in Bangkok on Monday after a court on Thursday turned down their request for arrest warrants.

Thung Mahamek police on Wednesday sought to arrest five protesters on sedition and other charges for their roles during the demonstration at the embassy where the protesters submitted a letter to the ambassador.
The five are Patsaravalee Tanakitvibulpon, 25, Korakot Saengyenphan, 28, Chanin Wongsri, 20, Cholathit Chote-sawat, 21, and Benja Apan, 21.

The South Bangkok Criminal Court dismissed the request, citing a number of reasons — the suspects are students, the rally was short, there was no proof they would flee and they have permanent residences.

The court also instructed police to summon them for questioning first.

Later on Thursday, deputy police spokesperson Pol Col Kissana Phathanacharoen said the protesters did not inform police of their rally on that day.

“Unlike the gathering by yellow-clad demonstrators at the embassy earlier on that day, the Free Youth group did not inform the police about their rally first [as required by law],” he said.

He dismissed criticism of double standard since no action had been taken against the yellow group.

On Free Youth planned protests on Thursday, Pol Maj Gen Jirasan Kaewsaeng-ek, deputy chief of Metropolitan Police, traffic might be affected in two locations — Pathumwan intersection, Silom Road (near Wat Kaek) and near NationTV on Bang Na-Trat Highway.

Bangkok Post

A teenage Hong Kong activist was charged on Thursday with secession, the first public political figure to be prosecuted under a sweeping new national security law Beijing imposed on the city.

Tony Chung, 19, appeared in court charged with secession, money laundering and conspiring to publish seditious content, two days after he was arrested in a Hong Kong coffee shop opposite the US consulate.

Chung is a former member of Student Localism, a small group that advocated Hong Kong's independence from China.

The group disbanded its Hong Kong network shortly before Beijing blanketed the city in its new security law in late June but it has kept its international chapters going.

The legislation outlawed a host of new crimes, including expressing political views such as advocating independence or greater autonomy for Hong Kong.

Chung and three other members of Student Localism were first arrested by a newly created national security police unit in July on suspicion of inciting secession via social media posts.

However, Chung was arrested again on Tuesday morning by plainclothes police just metres away from the US consulate.

A little-known group calling itself Friends of Hong Kong put out a statement shortly afterwards saying it had been trying to arrange for Chung to enter the US consulate that day and apply for asylum.

Chung was held by police until his appearance in court on Thursday morning. He was denied bail.

Bangkok Post

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) launched a major crackdown on terror funding in Jammu and Kashmir and conducted raids on NGOs and journalists across 10 locations in Kashmir and one in Bengaluru on Wednesday morning.

NIA sources have said terror operations were being funded by sourcing funds from foreign countries in the name of business, religious works and other social works by these organisations in Jammu and Kashmir.

The probe agency raided NGO Athrowt at Nawakadal, the Greater Kashmir office at Press Colony and the residence of activist Khurram Parvaiz, among other places.

Sources told India Today TV that the money came through hawala channels from different parts of the country and abroad and was being used to fund terror activities in Kashmir through NGOs.

"These NGOs were not registered. That means they did not have the FCRA license, yet they were getting funds from Pakistan and Europe, and even countries like Fiji and East Timor," the sources said.

The NIA sources said that the probe agency is looking at two aspects - terror funding and secessionist activities.

In a statement, NIA said, "This case was registered by NIA on 8/10/2020 u/s 120B, 124 A IPC and sections 17, 18, 22A, 22C, 38, 39 and 40 UA(P)A, 1967 on receipt of credible information that certain NGOs and Trusts are collecting funds domestically and abroad through so-called donations and business contributions, etc and are then utilizing these funds for secessionist and terrorist activities in J&K."

"Those whose premises have been searched include residence and office of Khurram Parvez (co-ordinator of J&K Coalition of Civil Society), his associates viz. Parvez Ahmad Bukhari, Parvez Ahmad Matta and Bengaluru-based associate viz. Swati Sheshadri; Ms. Parveena Ahanger, Chairperson of Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons ( APDPK) and offices of NGO Athrout and GK Trust," said the NIA.

The probe agency said that the raids were conducted after specific inputs and more NGOs are also under scanner. The documents and phones seized will be sent to the forensic lab, the sources said.

The NIA sources told India Today TV that the case was registered last week, but was not mentioned on the NIA website to maintain confidentiality. The NIA raids were led by the IG and DIG, who flew Srinagar specially for the raids.

Slamming the move, former J&K chief minister and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti has said, "NIA raids on human rights activist Khurram Parvez & Greater Kashmir office in Srinagar is yet another example of GOIs vicious crackdown on freedom of expression & dissent. Sadly, NIA has become BJPs pet agency to intimidate & browbeat those who refuse to fall in line."

India Today

On October 27, Lin Qilei, attorney for Li Yuhan, a female human rights lawyer in her 60’s, announced that the supreme people’s court has rescheduled Li’s case for November 30. Li, who has been detained for more than three years at Shengyang No. 1 Detention Center, suffers multiple health concerns, including hypothyroidism, ischemic heart disease, and stomach problems, requiring daily medications. After a fall in 2018 which led to spinal damages, Li now has to walk with a crutch.

Authorities initially indicted Li for provoking troubles and picking quarrels, but later, added fraud to her charges. As evidence regarding her case has not proved to be sufficient, however, the court has repeatedly delayed hearing her case, blocking her release. After authorities transferred Li’s case to Shengyang Municipal Heping People’s Court on April 8, 2018, the court decided to host the trial on June 8, 2019, now scheduled for November 30. With no verdict after more than three years, supporters suspect officials have targeted and repressed her “simple" case.

During Li’s detention, police have hired the female cell head and other prisoners to torture daily her. Tactics include:

    Forcing her to take cold showers.

    Rationing her food to half of portions other prisoners receive.

    Placing her vegetable/s and fruit on the restroom floor to prevent her from eating it.

    Giving her the previous day’s vegetable/s and fruit after other prisoners intentionally urinated on them;

    Prohibiting her family members from depositing money into her prison account. 

After his last meeting with Li, Attorney Lin also announced that court officials have not addressed his nor Li’s application for bail and compulsory change. Li believes that authorities fabricated charges against her to persecute and suppress her previous work safeguarding other people’s rights.

The judicial department asked Li to write the “confession and acceptance of penalty” letter in exchange for her release, but she refused to compromise her stance. Attorney Lin relayed greetings and concerns from others to Li Yuhan, hoping that she can remain upbeat and able to confront conceivable challenges.

ChinaAid

Anon Nampa, a pro-democracy protest co-leader, has been detained in another case right after a court temporarily released him on bail in one.

The human rights lawyer was taken to Bangkok on Monday afternoon after the Chiang Mai Court approved a second round of his detention and released him on bail for a surety of 200,000 baht, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.

The money reportedly came from the fund raised by a network of academics.

Mr Anon was detained after the release by Chana Songkhram police for his involvement in the Free Youth rally on Sept 19 at Thammasat University and Sanam Luang.

He was brought to the capital in a van, accompanied by a lawyer. It remained unclear whether he would be held at the Chana Songkhram police station or at the Border Patrol Police Region 1 headquarters in Pathum Thani province.

Mr Anon was arrested during the crackdown of a rally near Government House in Bangkok in the early hours of Oct 15, shortly after the serious state of emergency was declared in the capital.

Police acted on a warrant by Chiang Mai police for his role during a rally at Tha Pae in the northern province on Aug 9. He was charged with sedition under the Criminal Code, the penalty of which is up to seven years in jail.

Mr Anon was the first who publicly spoke about the need for the reform of the monarchy in decades. He advocated the changes in line with democracy with the King as head of state.

Bangkok Post

The Criminal Court on Monday denied bail for Panupong "Mike" Jadnok, Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak and Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul in a renewed attempt by their lawyers.

The court said there was no reason to change the previous order which denied the temporary releases of the trio due to concern they would repeat the alleged offences.

Mr Panupong and Mr Parit are detained at Bangkok Remand Prison and Miss Panusaya is at the Central Women's Correctional Institution nearby.

Mr Panupong was charged with inciting unrest or sedition under Section 116 of the Criminal Code. He also faces charges of violating the Act on Ancient Monuments, Antiques, Objects of Art and National Museums, and violating Sections 116 and 215 for his role in installing a new plaque to symbolise people’s power at Sanam Luang on Sept 19.

Mr Parit and Miss Panusaya — Thammasat University students — were also charged with sedition, as well as other charges for their roles in the Sept 19 rally at Sanam Luang.

Their lawyers tried to offer higher cash bond for their bail in the hopes of getting them out after the Court of Appeal on Saturday denied them bail.

In any case, their lawyers do not give up and will apply for bail again, starting from the lower court.

"Even though physically, I remain in jail, my heart goes wherever you are," the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights quoted Ms Panusaya as saying after the court decision.

Her statement is clearly directed at student-led protesters.

During a previous visit a few days ago, TLHR described the yong activist as "drastically changed", with her hair cut short and dyed black. The prison administration said later her hair was trimmed for hygiene reasons.

They called for the releases of all detained activists and resignation of the prime minister as a pre-condition for a proposal by Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha for all sides to take a step back.

Bangkok Post

Authorities arrested on Sunday, Oct. 25, an Igorot woman leader who has been consistent in defending their ancestral land in Lubuagan, Kalinga.

According to the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA) and the Cordillera People’s Alliance (CPA), a composite team from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Philippine National Police and Philippine Army came to the Western Uma and Lower Uma villages at 4:00 a.m. to search several houses, including that of Beatrice Belen, a leader of Innabuyog-Kalinga, the local chapter of Gabriela.

Belen, her husband and her two children were led outside of their home before the search was conducted. The police later claimed they found firearms and explosives, and proceeded to arrest and detain Belen at the Tabuk City Jail. The CHRA said Belen has been placed in a cell with male detainees.

In a statement, Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Karapatan, condemned the arrest of Belen. “Like other activists who were arrested on questionable legal bases, Belen has asserted that those allegedly seized in her home were not hers nor of any member of her family,” she said.

Palabay noted that before the incident, Belen was tagged as a communist by soldiers belonging to the Philippine Army’s 503rd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army.

The arrest of Belen, Palabay said, is a “very clear example of the dangers of red-tagging, resulting in violations to the right to life, liberty and security of human rights defenders, including indigenous women human rights defenders who are fighting for their communities’ land, resources and rights.”

Staunch defender of ancestral land

In a statement, the CPA said that for decades, Belen has shown strong leadership in her community against destructive projects.

In 2012, the CPA said that Belen led the campaign against Chevron Energy company’s geothermal power project in Kalinga, “citing detrimental effects of the said project to lives and health of the community members, especially women and children.”

In 2018, Belen was awarded Gawad Bayani ng Kalikasan (Environmental Hero) for her sustained defense of their ancestral land from destruction by private companies.

The CPA further said that as Belen has continued to oppose the geothermal project and human rights violations in their village, harassment and threats against her also persisted.

Palabay called for the immediate release of Belen. She added that placing Belen in a cell with other male detainees is in direct violation of the Nelson Mandela Rules or the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.

Palabay said that the overcrowded and unsanitary prisons in the country are among the “most vulnerable places for women, where numerous forms of sexual violence are most likely to happen.”

Karapatan said Belen is the most most recent among Gabriela’s regional leaders who have been arrested on “fabricated charges.” Last July 7, Gabriela’s national vice chairperson, Jenelyn Nagrampa was also arrested in Camarines Sur.

Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene Brosas also expressed strong condemnation of Belen’s arrest.

“Facing a stinging rebuke of their red-tagging spree, the military has resorted to the use of state terror and naked force in silencing women’s rights defenders with the arrest of Manang Betty [Belen],” Brosas said.

Brosas appealed to the public to “strongly denounce Belen’s arrest in the same way that we stand for celebrities who are red-tagged by the military.”

Brosas lambasted the police and military “for once again planting evidence to detain another woman leader,” citing the cases of Reina Mae Nasino and Cora Agovida.

Based on Karapatan’s documentation, there are 102 women political prisoners, most if not all are women human rights defenders, who are languishing in various jails and detention centers in the country.

Bulatlat

On October 24, Kazakh police officers assaulted Toiken, correspondent for Radio Azattyq, the Kazakh service of the U.S. Congress-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, while she was reporting on a peaceful rally in Nur-Sultan, the capital, according to the journalist, who spoke with CPJ via messaging app, and news reports.

“Kazakh authorities must immediately investigate the assault on journalist Saniya Toiken and should hold those responsible to account,” said Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator. “Toiken has been subject to many attacks for her work while doing an important job for the public. Law enforcement should be protecting her and other journalists, not attacking and harassing them.”

Toiken was covering a peaceful rally in support of political prisoners in Nur-Sultan where activists were also selling hand-made items to raise funds for prisoners’ families, according to news reports. Law enforcement officers arrived at the scene, announced that the rally was unsanctioned, and detained some participants, according to the reports. In a video interview with Current Time, a TV network affiliated with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Toiken said she was filming the event on her mobile phone when an officer pushed her to the ground, took her phone, and dragged her toward a police mini bus. She said that after she told the police officers she was a journalist, they released her.

After the assault, Toiken went to a hospital in Nur-Sultan, where doctors documented multiple injuries and bruises on her legs and arms, according to the medical report, a photo of which was posted on Facebook by Nazira Darimbet, the acting director of the Federation of Equal Journalists of Kazakhstan. Toiken told CPJ she filed a complaint against the police officers who attacked her.

In March 2019, police arrested Toiken after the journalist interviewed participants at a rally for better job opportunities in the southwestern city of Zhanaozen, as CPJ documented at the time. The journalist was held in detention overnight, found guilty of refusing to follow police orders, and fined 50,500 tenges (US$134). Toiken denied the charges, claiming that they were politically motivated and aimed at preventing her from reporting, CPJ documented.

CPJ emailed the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan for comment, but did not receive a response.

CPJ

Mixed security forces violently broke up a protest outside the Chinese Embassy in Phnom Penh to mark the signing of the Paris Peace Agreement, with two former Cambodia National Rescue Party officials being detained on Thursday to prevent their attendance.

The protest was called by senior leadership of the dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party to mark the 29th anniversary of the Peace Paris Agreement and to protest against China’s potential military presence in Cambodia.

About 30 protestors gathered outside the Chinese Embassy in the capital’s Chamkarmon district, where they were met by dozens of district security guards, uniformed police, and plainclothes security personnel.

“People who protest here with the banners, please leave this area in five minutes,” said an official on a loudspeaker. “If you don’t, we will use administrative measures.”

Protestors continued their protest and called for China to respect the peace agreement and refrain from having a military presence on Cambodian soil. Security personnel then started to drag and carry protestors away from outside the embassy, with these images and videos broadcast on social media platforms.

Three women were dragged onto the back of a flatbed truck used by district guards and another woman was carried away.

The Chinese Embassy did not respond to requests for comment.

Former CNRP members were also marking the peace agreement anniversary in different cities across the world, with Prime Minister Hun Sen warning Cambodians not to protest outside the Chinese Embassy in Phnom Penh.

The protestors were reacting to an increasing number of reports suggesting that Cambodia had allegedly signed a secret deal with China to allow a military presence at two likely locations: Ream Naval Base in Preah Sihanouk province and the Dara Sakor Resort in Koh Kong province.

Am Sam Ath, deputy director at rights group Licadho, said the government’s actions had effectively forbidden people from assembling and expressing their views.

“It has become involved with politics now. It affects the freedom of assembly and peaceful protests,” he said.

On Thursday, two former CNRP members were detained and prevented from participating in the protest outside the Chinese Embassy. Vann Sophat was detained by Tbong Khmum police officials at noon, without a warrant, and questioned till 5 p.m., he said. He was released only after signing an agreement promising to not partake in the protest.

“I just wanted to protest, and not start a coup to topple anyone,” he said. “We want people to understand about the Paris Peace Agreement on October 23.”

Vann Sophat was one of seven former opposition officials who was convicted by Tbong Khmum court last month and given a five-year suspended sentence. They were charged with “plotting” to overthrow the government and the case was linked to Sam Rainsy’s unsuccessful return to Cambodia in November 2019.

His former CNRP colleague, Sou Yean, was also detained by Tbong Khmum police on Thursday and remains in detention, according to his family.

Hong Kim Hoeun, Memot district police chief, said he was on a two-day mission to Preah Sihanouk province and refused to comment on the detention.

Pen Rath, Tbong Khmum provincial police head, and court spokespersons could not be reached for comment on Friday.

In a joint statement, journalists’ association CamboJA and the Cambodian Center for Independent Media, VOD’s parent organization, said at least six journalists had been “intimidated and threatened” at the rally.

They were told to give up their phones, stop shooting live video or had their camera taken away, the statement said.

Journalist Gerry Flynn said he was covering the protest for Thmey Thmey on Friday, and was being pushed back from observing the protesters when a walkie-talkie hit him in the face.

He turned around and an officer yelled at him, he said. A U.N. observer at the scene intervened, and told him that the guard had shouted, “Better watch out because you’re in the land of Cambodians,” Flynn said.

A freelance cameraman he was with also had his lens grabbed, and authorities tried to get into the cameraman’s bag, Flynn added.

Khan Leakhena, a VOD reporter, said she saw a protester fall on the sidewalk, and pulled out her phone to take pictures. A man in civilian clothes approached her, shouting and ordering her to stop shooting, and tried to grab the phone from her, Leakhena said.

Mech Dara, another VOD reporter, said he and several other reporters were repeatedly ordered to stop filming, including a journalist working for Reuters.

An Asia spokesperson for Reuters declined to comment. The Khmer Times has not responded to emailed questions. The U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights also did not respond to questions.

Chanyada, the deputy governor, on Saturday denied knowledge of the incidents and referred questions to the City Hall spokesperson.

City Hall spokesperson Met Measpheakdey said he did not know the details of what happened on Friday and did not answer questions about the deputy governor being personally involved in the harassment.

“Generally, I can say that journalists have the right and ability to take pictures if it doesn’t affect or block authorities from implementing their duties,” Measpheakdey said.

CCIM’s media director, Ith Sothoeuth, said the work of journalists was supposed to be guaranteed under law. “These threats will further pressure and restrict the freedom of journalists in Cambodia.”

Nop Vy, CamboJA’s executive director, said the authorities’ actions were “unacceptable.”

“This is a sign of unacceptable intimidation as journalists were fulfilling their professional work,” said Vy, who was CCIM’s previous media director. “Authorities likely consider journalists to be an important observer who make it difficult for them to crack down on protesters.”

According to the Criminal Code, extortion — the act or attempt to obtain any asset by violence, threat of violence or coercion — is punishable by two to five years in jail.

VOA Cambodia | VOD Hotnews

The Observatory has been informed by the Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) about the arbitrary and incommunicado detention of Mr. Chang Weiping, a prominent human rights lawyer known for taking on sensitive human rights cases and filling lawsuits against companies for discrimination in the workplace against women, LGBTQ+ persons, and individuals affected by HIV/AIDs.

According to the information received, on October 22, 2020, Mr. Chang Weiping was arrested at his home in Fengxiang County, Shaanxi Province, by police officers from Baoji City. Later the same day, Mr. Chang Weiping’s wife received a phone call from a police officer who informed her that her husband had been placed under “residential surveillance in a designated location” (RSDL), a form of enforced disappearance[1].

On October 26, 2020, the Baoji City Public Security Bureau denied two separate requests presented by Mr. Chang Weiping’s lawyers to meet with their client. Furthermore, one of the lawyers was informed that Mr. Chang Weiping was suspected of “subversion of State power” and that the case involved “State secrets”. At the time of publication of this Urgent Appeal, Mr. Chang Weiping had not been formally charged and his whereabouts remained unknown.

Six days before his arrest, on October 16, 2020, Mr. Chang Weiping published a video statement on social media denouncing the physical and psychological torture he had been subjected to while in detention in January 2020, including being tied to a “tiger chair”[2].

On January 12, 2020, Mr. Chang Weiping, was arbitrarily arrested by Shaanxi police and placed under RSDL in an unknown location on charges of “subversion of State power” (Article 105(1) of China’s Criminal Law), in connection to a private meeting organised by academics, human rights lawyers and activists in December 2019 in Xiamen, Fujian Province, to discuss the situation of the rule of law and human rights in China.

On January 13, Mr. Chang Weiping’s license to practice law was cancelled. Previously, in October 2018, the Baoji City Judicial Bureau had suspended his law license in retaliation for his human rights work.

On January 21, Mr. Chang Weiping was released on bail pending trial. Nonetheless, he was requested to leave his city of residence and was confined to his family home in Baoji, where he remained under strict police scrutiny, including daily phone calls and weekly meetings with the police. Furthermore, he was prevented from being reunited with his family.

The Observatory expresses its utmost concern over the arbitrary arrest and detention of Mr. Chang Weiping as it seems to be only aimed at punishing him for his legitimate human rights activities and urges the Chinese authorities to immediately disclose his whereabouts and unconditionally release him and all other human rights defenders, including labour rights defenders, arbitrarily detained in the country.

OMCT

Pinaki Bhattacharya is an online human rights and political activist who writes critically about the current Bangladesh Awami League government. He was forced to leave Bangladesh in 2018 fearing detention by the military intelligence agency Directorate General Forces Intelligence and he now lives in France where he is a refugee. He has written an article for Netra News about the censorship of a book he wrote critical of the country’s independence leader.

Earlier today he wrote a Facebook status concerning harassment which his family is facing in Bangladesh

With Pinaki's permission, we are publishing his Facebook

Yesterday, a group of policemen went to my father's residence in Bogura and interrogated my old mother and uncle. In Dhaka, another group of police, who said that they were from Mirpur Model Police Station, landed in our residence. After they failed to find my wife at home, one police officer called her up on her mobile yesterday and interrogated her.

During the interrogation in Bogura, the policemen sought to know if I own any property there, what I do in France, how I earn my living, or support my life, among other queries. They also took the contact details of many of my relatives.

The police officer, who called up my wife, asked her in which clinics or hospitals she worked as a doctor and if and how she maintained communication with me. The officer also said to my wife that he wanted to get some more info about me from her. However, because of poor connectivity the mobile conversation was disconnected halfway. I am sure, police will get back in touch with my wife again very soon and attempt to harass her.

I understand that the Bangladesh Police is trying to catch hold of me. But, why would they interrogate or harass the members of my family for that? I would like to tell the authorities, including the police, that if they want to get info about me they indeed have ways to reach me while I am in France. You may send a message to my Facebook inbox. Your embassy in France can reach me if you want. You may even contact the French government.

If you feel troubled with my activism, you may act against me, if you want. But my family members are in no way connected to my activism? Why are you harassing them? Are the family members of any activist harassed anywhere in the world the way as you are doing in Bangladesh? During the armed struggle, just before Bangladesh was born, the barbaric Pakistani forces kept the family members of the main leader of the Liberation War Sheikh Mujib safe.

I am a political refugee in France. I felt unsafe in Bangladesh and I left my country being scared of my life. I indeed have the right to raise my voice against enforced disappearances, cross-fire killings and other human rights violations perpetrated by the Awami League-led government. I have the political right to speak against the authoritarian rule of Sheikh Hasina. My voting rights have been robbed in Bangladesh- I have the right to be vocal against this. You have no right to stifle my voice. All my activities are in the interest of human rights. You are putting pressure on my family members in a mischievous manner to force me away from activism. This is persecution. This is unethical.

I hope the international community, including the human rights groups, will intervene to help my family stay safe in Bangladesh.

Medium

Authorities in Vietnam’s southern province of Dong Nai have arrested local resident Nguyen Quang Khai on the allegation of “Deliberate disclosure of classified information; appropriation, trading, destruction of classified documents” under Article 337 of the Criminal Code with potential imprisonment of between two and ten years.

According to the notice sent to his family dated October 21, the Security Investigation Agency of the Dong Nai province’s Police Department detained Mr. Khai in an urgent case for the act of copying and disseminating state secrets on his Facebook account Khai Nguyen.

Mr. Khai’s family said that the Dong Nai police detained him to a police station in the morning of October 20 for interrogation and kept him overnight. The next day, police came to his private residence and handed over a notice of arrest to his family. Currently, the 51-year-old freelance worker is held in a temporary detention facility under the authority of the province’s Police Department.

Mr. Khai’s wife has a small food outlet and he helps her run the facility. He often shares and comments on the statuses of other Facebookers, mostly focusing on the corruption of state officials at different levels. He has also participated in charity events to support vulnerable people in their locality.

It is unclear what information he has shared can be classified as state secret information.

Dozens of Vietnamese Facebookers have been arrested or convicted with lengthy imprisonment for their online posts since the communist regime passed the Cyber Security in early 2018, according to Defend the Defenders’ observation.

Unjuk rasa damai tolak Omnibus Law Undang-undang Cipta Kerja di Kota Medan berujung ricuh, Selasa (20/10/2020) petang. Massa aksi dibubarkan paksa oleh aparat kepolisian dalam perjalanan untuk pulang.

Sejumlah orang dikabarkan ditangkap. Massa juga sempat ditembaki dengan peluru gas air mata hingga konsentrasinya terpecah. Massa yang berjumlah ratusan pun terpaksa bubar karena tindakan represif itu.

Massa yang berjumlah lebih dari 200 orang itu mengatasnamakan diri dari Akumulasi Kemarahan Buruh dan Rakyat (AKBAR) Sumut dan Suara Rakyat Medan (Suram). Massa terdiri dari mahasiswa, buruh dan para pegiat.

“Di lapangan kami berkoordinasi dengan kawan-kawan dari Suara Rakyat Medan yang sepakat bergabung dengan kami. Dari awal aksi berjalan tertib. Kami hanya ingin mengekspresikan penolakan Omnibus Law dengan teatrikal dan puisi,” ujar Martin Luis, Koordinator AKBAR Sumut di Kantor LBH Medan, Selasa malam.

Sejak aksi dimulai, aparat kepolisian memang terus berdatangan ke kawasan itu. Mulai dari pasukan sabhara ber-trail kemudian petugas Brimob lengkap dengan mobil water cannonnya.

1. Polisi diduga bubarkan paksa dengan merangsek masuk dengan trail ke arah massa

Sekitar pukul 17.00 WIB, polisi terus mengingatkan massa untuk membubarkan diri sebelum pukul 18.00 WIB. Polisi meminta massa bubar karena dianggap akan melewati batas waktu yang ada di dalam aturan.

Menjelang pukul 18.00 WIB. Massa melakukan longmarch untuk membubarkan diri menuju Kampus Institute Teknologi Medan (ITM). Sepanjang mereka longmarch, aparat kepolisian mengawal di belakang massa. Saat itu juga tindakan intimidasi mulai bermunculan. Hingga akhirnya kericuhan pecah di persimpangan gedung London Sumatra.

“Jadi menjelang pukul 18.00 WIB, kami cukup kooperatif dengan kepolisian dengan membubarkan diri. Ketika kita longmarch menuju kampus ITM, justru pihak kepolisian itu melakukan, menabrakkan sepeda motor trail dan ketika itu juga disusul dengan tembakan gas air mata dari kepolisian,” ujar Martin.

Massa yang terpecah konsentrasinya berlarian. Sebagian berlari ke arah Kantor LBH Medan. Sebagian lagi berlarian ke arah Jalan Balai Kota.

“Kita juga sempat melihat ada massa yang ditangkap oleh pihak kepolisian. Kita mulai long march, kita sudah melihat polisi melakukan provokasi dan intimidasi terhadap massa aksi perempuan yang membuat border atau pembatas barisan massa aksi,” ujar Martin. 2. Martin: Kekerasan dan intimidasi terhadap massa aksi jadi bukti pemerintah anti kritik

Martin dan lembaga yang tergabung di AKBAR Sumut mengecam aksi kekerasan dan intimidasi itu. Kata Martin ini adalah upaya pemerintah membungkam gerakan rakyat. Kemudian, kekerasan dan intimidasi itu disebut sebagai wujud pemerintahan yang anti kritik.

“Peserta aksi hari ini sangat mengecam pihak kepolisian yang membubarkan rakyat Sumut untuk menolak Omnibus Law. Ini adalah bukti bahwa pemerintah melakukan penggembosan terhadap gerakan rakyat yang mengekspresikan sikap politik terhadap kebijakan yang tidak berpihak kepada rakyat,” ujar Martin. 3. Tetap unjuk rasa sampai Omnibus Law dibatalkan

Meski mendapat tindakan represif aparat, AKBAR Sumut akan tetap melakukan unjuk rasa. Mereka menilai, Omnibus Law bukanlah aturan yang berpihak kepada rakyat. Apalagi, Undang-undang Cipta Kerja itu juga diduga melanggar prosedur dalam pembuatannya.

“Apa yang kita dapatkan hari ini, tentu tidak menyurutkan gerakan kita untuk menolak Omnibus Law. Kami akan terus berunjuk rasa dengan turun ke jalan, sampai memang Omnibus ini dibatalkan pemerintah,” ujarnya.

Sampai saat ini, massa masih berkumpul di LBH Medan. Mereka masih melakukan pendataan terhadap massa yang diduga ditangkap oleh pihak kepolisian. Beberapa massa juga mendapat luka karena aksi represif. Bahkan ada massa yang tangannya harus dibalut perban karena terkena peluru gas air mata.

Sampai sekarang, belum ada komentar resmi dari pihak kepolisian terkait pembubaran paksa itu. Kapolsek Medan Barat Kompol Afdhal Junaidi yang dikonfirmasi enggan memberikan jawaban. Dia mengarahkan awak media kepada Bagian Humas Polrestabes Medan. Namun saat dihubungi, pihak Humas Polrestabes Medan juga tidak menanggapi.

IDN Times

A march to Government House on Wednesday night ended with an arrest of a pro-democracy activist, just hours after PM Prayut Chan-o-cha said on a live address that everyone should “take a step back” from the brinks.

Patsaravalee “Mind” Tanakitvibulpon, 25, was arrested at a cafe near Victory Monument while she was on the way from a protest close to PM’s office, fellow activists said. Police said there was an outstanding warrant for her arrest. Patsaravalee was released on Thursday morning.

“This arrest does not make me afraid. This is an unlawful arrest,” Patsaravalee said as she was being taken away by police. “I know this is the government’s game.”

The arrest was made by Police Lt. Col. Suriyasak Jirawat, who said Patsaravalee was wanted with 11 other suspects for leading a protest on Oct. 15 at the Ratchaprasong Intersection. She was charged with violating the emergency decree.

When reached for comment on Thursday, Lt. Col. Suriyasak said he does not know if the 11 others have been arrested yet.

Patsaravalee was released without having to post for bail, since the Pathumwan Circuit Court said she was a student studying for her finals and therefore is not considered a flight risk.

Prior to her arrest, Patsaravalee was one of the activists who marched to Government House from the Victory Monument in a bid to demand PM Prayut’s resignation. The crowd dispersed without incidents after submitting an ultimatum that called upon Gen. Prayut to resign within three days, or face another round of protests.

In a speech broadcast live on TV Thursday night, Prayut said the government is willing to make a compromise, but added that the protests should stop and let the Parliament debate their grievances.

“The only way to a lasting solution for all sides that is fair for those on the streets as well as for the many millions who choose not to go on the streets is to discuss and resolve these differences through the parliamentary process,” he said.

But Pannika Wanich, a co-leader of the opposition group called Progresive Movement, said an arrest of a student activist just after Prayut’s speech showed the government was being insincere.

“I thought you said we should take a step back and discuss in the Parliament instead. The PM’s words are just empty mouth air,” Panniwa tweeted. “You are stepping into and infringing on citizens’ rights.”

Khaosod

Two key student activists were freed on bail last night only to be immediately detained again.

Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul and Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak were taken to the Border Police Bureau Region 1 in Pathum Thani province and, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, face another three to four charges each. The movement had demanded the release of all those detained last night, teasing a “big surprise” that turned out to be nothing more than a provocation to keep security forces on their toes.

At 10am this morning, protest organizer Free Youth was teasing the public again, this time that noon would bring an “important announcement.” The group also vowed “no tricks” this time.

While unprecedented displays of anger toward the monarchy have been displayed in the street, movement leaders maintain that they simply want reforms of the institution.

“The people’s demands are not to overthrow, but to offer a solution that brings Thailand back to a democracy where the kings are truly under the constitution,” Free Youth wrote this morning via Telegram.

One of their primary targets – Prime Minister Gen. Prayuth Chan-o-cha – said yesterday that the government’s primary responsibility is to “protect the monarchy.”

As to the controversial order for Voice TV to shut down, Prayuth asked the police to reconsider. However, he said any media agency found to spread “fake news” or have bad intentions should be censored.

Yesterday’s “big surprise” at 6pm was a fake out, but pro-democracy supporters at 6pm flashed three-finger salutes, sang the national anthem and denounced feudalism at BTS stations throughout the capital.

The country’s oldest hospital, Siriraj, announced that it would treat every patient equally and without discrimination “regardless of their political stance.” Its statement came days after police in full riot gear shot water cannons – believed to be mixed with a chemical irritant – to disperse the crowd on Friday.

With nearly 400 doctors nationwide signing in a joint statement demanding the authorities refrain from violence, at least one doctor was fired from Mongkutwattana General Hospital with the hospital’s director reasoning they he doesn’t tolerate employees “allied with the king’s enemies.”

Coconuts

On 20 October 2020, the Court of Appeal in Phnom Penh denied the bail motion against the detention of three human rights defenders from Mother Nature Cambodia; Thun Ratha, Long Kunthea and Phoung Keorasmey. They were charged with “incitement to commit a felony or social unrest” on 6 September 2020. The charge is based on information they shared on social media about their plans to organise a one-woman march to the Prime Minister’s house to raise environmental concerns over the filling in of the Boeung Tamoke lake in Phnom Penh. The defenders are currently under pre-trial detention at Phnom Penh's Correctional Centres 1 and 2.

Front Line Defenders

Prominent land rights defenders from the Southern Peasant Federation of Thailand (SPFT), Surat Thani Province, have faced another attempted murder and series of threats to life from intense land disputes that pitched communal peasant communities against the multinational companies and State agencies.

The latest threat occurred in the early morning of 20 October 2020, at about 01.00 am. Members of the SPFT reported the incident that in Santi Pattana Community a man believed to be employed by the company, Mr. Sompon Chimruang, pointed a firearm at the head of Mr. Dam Onmuang member of Santi Pattana community and attempted to kill him. Mr. Dam however avoided the shot causing the bullet to miss. The gunman Sompon Chimruang escaped by driving away.

7:30 am on 20 October 2020, Mr. Dam Onmuang and members of the Santi Pattana Community travelled to Bang Sawan Police Station in Bang Sawan Sub District, Phra Sang District, Surat Thani Province, to file a complaint on the attempted murder.

The police have gone to the scene while Mr. Sompon traveled to surrender himself at Bang Sawan Police Station.The police are trying to mediate the case between both parties.

The Southern Peasants Federation of Thailand (SPFT) was officially formed in 2008. The SPFT is an umbrella organisation comprised of 5 communities that inhabit and cultivate public land while advocating for land reform and self-determination over natural resources. The SPFT has repeatedly faced serious human rights violations: members have been murdered, attacked, threatened and criminalized.

Over the past ten years, Women / Human Rights Defenders of the SPFT have encountered different types of violence, including assassination, forcible eviction, arbitrary arrest and detention, destruction of properties and crops, intimidation, and judicial harassment. All communities reported that they have been threatened by unidentified armed groups which the community members believe are connected to some extent to palm oil companies, local influential groups and other business sectors. Apart from intimidation such as random gunfire into communities at night, destruction of houses and crops, and trespass by local influential groups with soldiers, four members of Klong Sai Pattana Community have already been assassinated, two of whom were women.

Global Women Strike

A group of slogan-raising men had assembled outside the residence of lawyer Deepika Singh Rajawat in Jammu late on Tuesday night, a day after a cartoon she posted on micro-blogging site Twitter stirred controversy.

Rajawat, who received limelight for representing the victim’s family in Kathua rape and murder case in 2018, told NewsClick that a mob gathered outside her accommodation, raised slogans and gave her death threat by chanting “Deepika teri kabar khudegi, Jammu Kashmir ki dharti pe (Deepika your grave will be dug in the land of Jammu and Kashmir).”

Narrating the sequence of events, Rajawat said that it was 12.30 am in the night when she heard few men shouting her name. “I was scared to death. I alerted my PSOs and phoned IG Jammu who responded immediately and sent police who later cleared the mob,” she said.

The cartoon posted by Rajawat, with a caption “Irony,” juxtaposed two paradoxical scenes: in one scene, a man touching feet of a female Hindu deity during the nine-day Hindu festival of Navratri; in the other scene, with the header “Other Days,” the same man is aggressively holding both legs of a woman, depicting sexual violence.

The cartoon was accused of hurting Hindu religious sentiments resulting in a section of social media users demanding Rajawat’s arrest. Since then, as per Rajawat, she and her family have been receiving calls threatening her to remove the cartoon and tender an apology.

“Don’t rapes happen? If they can prove that rapes don’t happen in India then I will tender a public apology. I have also not removed the cartoon as it was not meant to hurt religious sentiments but to highlight the hypocrisy of the society towards women,” Rajawat said.

Rajawat personally identified the mob as related to right-wing Hindu groups and said that it was an attempt to silence her. “At that time, I felt like Gauri Lankesh. Her image kept crossing my mind. I was shivering,” the lawyer said. Gauri Lankesh, a journalist known to be critical of the right-wing and accused of “outraging the sentiments of Hindus”, was shot dead by bike-borne assailant outsider her residence on September 5, 2017.

Much solidarity with Rajawat has also poured in from several sections including Bollywood actors, directors, lawyers, and opposition leaders who are tweeting using the hashtag #IStandWithDeepikaRajawat.

In 2018, Rajaswat faced a similar backlash when she took up the case of a minor Bakarwal girl who was raped and murdered in Kathua. She was then accused of being “anti-Hindu.” Later, the victim’s family had removed her from the case by accusing her of “not attending the court proceedings.”

Rajawat believes that she has been targeted for being vocal against policies of the present government. “They wanted to threaten to silence me as I am vocal against the Modi government and its policies.”

In Jammu, which has a prominent presence of right wing politics, it has become risky to voice dissent, especially after the abrogation of Article 370 last year. Last month, a young man popular as the Mask Man was taken away by the police and was released after being questioned for hours after he silently held a placard questioning the government and its promises.

News Click

Police have opened a case against four students who were arrested on October 19 after staging a protest against the government and military in the Arakan State capital Sittwe.

“Police have opened a case against them under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code for committing sedition and causing public disturbances,” said lawyer U Kyaw Nyint Maung.

Section 505(b) criminalises statements “likely to cause fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public, whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the State or against the public tranquility.” It carries with it a maximum sentence of two years in prison.

Police Major Zaw Naing of the Sittwe Township Police filed a complaint against them on Tuesday and a court hearing is scheduled for November 3.

Dozens of people joined Monday’s protest, which was organised by the Arakan Students’ Union.

Prosecuting student protesters is no way to address their grievances, said the chairman of the Sittwe University Students Union, Ko Toe Toe Aung.

“Those who are doing the prosecuting should be aware that people have voiced criticisms because they [the targets of protest] are doing wrong. If they were not doing anything wrong, we wouldn’t need to stage protests and end up in police stations and prisons,” he said.

Two of the four detained students are also facing lawsuits under the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law for staging a demonstration against alleged human rights violations in Arakan State in early September.

Recently, two students from the All Burma Federation of Student Unions who staged an anti-war protest in Mandalay were each sentenced to a total of five years in prison and have another court hearing scheduled for October 21.

Beginning in September, more than a dozen people have seen charges brought against them under the Peaceful Assembly Law, the Natural Disaster Management Law and the Penal Code for staging demonstrations against armed conflict, human rights abuses and internet restrictions in Arakan State.

DmediaGroup

The Criminal Court today ordered broadcaster Voice TV to halt all online operations after finding it guilty of computer crimes and violating the state of emergency.

The court made its ruling, which affects the independent broadcaster’s website and social media, based on evidence presented by the Digital Economy and Society Ministry, according to ministry official Putchapong Nodthaisong.

“Its Facebook page will be closed within 3 to 4 days. There is no specific date,” he said, citing a provision that service providers must page content that is deemed to instigate the public.

He said the ruling only applied to online because broadcast was the purview of state telecom regulators.

“Television is the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission’s responsibility, so they have authority to revoke the license.”

Voice TV at 1:30pm said it had yet to receive the order and defended its commitment to fairness and a free press.

“Throughout 11 years, Voice TV has been a media outlet that upholds democratic values,” the station said via Facebook. “We openly, transparently provide a space for the public, and we are responsible to report every fact from all sides … We demand the authorities involved exercise their power fairly.”

Voice TV, founded by a son of an ousted prime minister, is a frequent target of the military-backed regime and has been ordered to cease broadcasting in the past. On Monday, it was one of four agencies the police ordered investigated and shut down in the face of swelling protests across the nation against the government.

Putchapong weighed in with his opinion that the channel had violated the emergency decree, put in place over the capital Thursday, because its broadcast persuaded people to join the mass gatherings.

The government has refused to back down in the face of protests it has been unable to contain and has moved to muzzle coverage it does not deem favorable.

Yesterday, police ordered that four news agencies – Prachathai, The Reporters, The Standard and Voice TV – be investigated and shut down, as well as the page of main student activist group Free Youth. However, today’s court ruling only applies to Voice TV.

Yesterday, a number of media associations lodged formal protests against the move.

Coconuts

The 17 October protests: 8 people were arrested. 6 were charged in Bangkok and taken for questioning at the Border Patrol Police Region 1 headquarters in Pathum Thani. 1 was charged over his participation in a 22 August protest in Ubon Ratchathani, and another was charged and questioned at Pattaya Police Station for violating the Computer Crimes Act.

Prachatai

Police in full riot gear have used water cannons to crackdown on thousands of protesters gathering at the Pathumwan Intersection, defying the ban on mass gatherings imposed during the severe state of emergency.

The protest, which was scheduled to begin at 17.00 on 16 October, was originally planned to take place at the Ratchaprasong Intersection, where a mass protest also took place yesterday (15 October) following the crackdown on the protest at the Government House in the early morning of 15 October.

However, by 15.00, police officers have already set up barriers at the Ratchaprasong Intersection and the Pratunam Intersection, blocking off the area. They also blocked smaller streets and stopped pedestrians and vehicles from going into the area.

Police officers also raided the offices of the Progressive Movement, a group formed by banned members of the now-dissolved Future Forward Party, during Piyabutr Saengkanokkul’s press conference.

At 16.30, police in full riot gear were seen lining up at the Ratchaprasong Intersection, blocking off traffic. Officers carrying batons were also seen near the police headquarters.

The student activist group Free Youth then announced that the protest will be moving to the Pathumwan Intersection.

By 17.00, protesters have already occupied half of the intersection, and Phayathai Road was closed from the MBK shopping centre towards the Ratchatewi BTS Station.

Prior to the protest, the BTS Sky Train announced that the Ratchatewi Station and Ratchadamri Station have been closed. After the location change, the Siam Station and the National Stadium Station were also closed. The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority also announced that all public bus and van will not be traveling close to the protest area and will not stop at any stop within the 5-kilometre radius of the Ratchaprasong Intersection. The Samyan MRT Station was also later closed.

At 18.50, as it began to rain heavily, police officers in full riot gears moved into the area near the Siam BTS Station and fired water cannons at the protesters, as well as pushing into them with their shields. There were reports that the water contained chemical irritants and was stained blue with long-lasting paint, as well as reports of the police using a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD).

On Phayathai Road, a large crowd of protesters, many of whom were high school students in uniforms, ran out from the Pathumwan Intersection and into the nearby Chulalongkorn University, where the student group Nisit Chula Party have designated a safe zone and have been on standby in case of a crackdown. Student representatives stood by the gates with megaphones telling protesters to come inside the campus.

People gathered at the Faculty of Political Science, where student volunteers and several lecturers were handing out bottles of water and organizing people into groups so they can leave through the nearest gate to the closest BTS and MRT stations. They also provided ammonia and water for people who got sprayed with the blue paint to clean themselves, as well as handing out shirts for them to change.

At 18.57, police officers were ordered to drop their shield and arrest the protesters. There were also reports of officers preparing use tear gas on the protesters.

At 19.20, the police reportedly used tear gas in the Siam BTS Station area, according to a nearby Prachatai reporter and an observer from iLaw, who said they were hit with some kind of chemical irritant. A reporter from PPTV who was doing a live broadcast nearby also said that they felt some irritation on their face and in their eyes, and that the water the police fired at the protesters may have some chemical mixed in.

At 21.05, the police ordered all protesters and reporters to leave the Pathumwan Intersection area or be arrested. Five minutes later, they were firing water cannon at protesters on the Rama 1 side of the intersection and moving towards the National Stadium BTS Station.

At 22.25, shield-carrying officers marched to the Hua Chang bridge, near the Ratchatewi BTS Station, where a group of people are still gathering and announced that everyone must leave in 20 minutes. However, at 22.30, police officers fired water cannon at the group. Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) also reported there was an announcement for the protesters, who were pushed back to the Ratchatewi Intersection, to be arrested.

TLHR also said that officers were running after protesters who ran into Soi Phaya Nak and arresting them, and that they also arrested a number of protesters closest to the police line.

At 23.15, traffic resumed at the Pathumwan Intersection.

TLHR said that at least 12 protesters were arrested during the 16 October crackdown and were brought to the Border Patrol Police Region 1 headquarters in Pathum Thani, including student activist Tattep Ruangprapaikitseree, a leading member of Free Youth, activist Anurak “Ford” Jentawanich, and Prachatai reporter Kitti Pantapak.

One of those arrested was an employee at a restaurant near Hua Chang Bridge. He was arrested at around 22.00 and also taken to the Border Patrol Police Region 1 headquarters.

Under the severe state of emergency, the government imposed a ban on gatherings of more than five people, allows state officials to arrest people and detain them for 30 days without informing them of the charges against them, and banned the publication of information that “could create fear,” affect national security, or damage public morale.

The protest organisers issued a statement condemning the use of force against the protesters, and announced that there will be another demonstration on Saturday (17 October) at 16.00 at a location that is still unspecified.

Prachatai

The Thai authorities have issued an order under the Emergency Decree for the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES) to investigate and possibly suspend four online media outlets: Voice TV, Prachatai, The Reporters, and The Standard, as well as the Facebook page of the student activist group Free Youth, for their coverage of the recent protests in Thailand.

The order, dated 16 October 2020, was issued by police chief Pol Gen Suwat Chaengyodsuk, who was appointed the chief official in the severe state of emergency, and states that “it appears that there was a broadcasting of content that affects state security, peace and order, or the good morals of the people”, and that the NBTC and the DES have been ordered to investigate and to stop the broadcasting or order the removal of such content.

However, as of 9.50 on 19 October, the order had yet to be published on the Royal Gazette website.

The Reporters reported at 10.40 today (19 October) that DES Minister Puttipong Punnakanta confirmed that there was an order for the Ministry to investigate the four media outlets and the Free Youth Facebook page.

Puttipong also said that he has tasked the DES Permanent Secretary with pressing charges against social media users who have broken the law between 14 – 18 October 2020, and that the DES is investigating at least 300,000 URLs.

At 12.36, The Reporters reported again that DES Deputy Permanent Secretary Putchapong Nodthaisong said that the Ministry has already requested a court warrant and is ready to shut down any media outlet that violates the Emergency Decree if it receives an order. He also said that the Ministry may request to check an outlet’s equipment, suspend it, or confiscate its equipment, but whether a journalist reporting the content in question would also face charges has to be decided based on the journalist’s intention.

However, assistant national police chief Pol Lt Gen Jaruwat Waisaya told the Reporters that the order to investigate the media outlets mentioned above is not currently enforced, but that the police have asked the NBTC and the DES to investigate some of the content published by Voice TV, Prachatai, The Reporters, The Standard, and Free Youth’s Facebook page, as there was a complaint that these outlets published content that affected national security, peace and order, or the good morals of the people. He claimed that the authorities are not trying to obstruct press freedom or shutting down media outlets, but are only notifying relevant agencies to investigate information that could violate the Emergency Decree.

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT) issued a statement this morning (19 October) expressing concern about the order to investigate the media outlets and the threat to suspend these outlets.

“A free media is an essential element in any democratic society, and bona fide journalists should be allowed to report important developments without the threat of bans, suspensions, censorship or prosecution hanging over them,” says the statement, which also criticized the use of national security as a justification for such threat as “overly broad, and can easily be abused to silence reporting that is accurate but makes the government uncomfortable.”

The statement also says that such move is “likely to be ineffective and counterproductive in an age of social media” and that “it makes the government appear heavy-handed and unresponsive to criticism, and could stir up even more public anger.

“The professional membership of the FCCT urges the Thai authorities to reconsider censorship of media reporting, and drop the threats made against these particular media organisations,” concludes the statement.

The editorial board of Thai Enquirer, another Thai online media outlet, also issued a statement saying that “instead of dialogue, opening up discussion and press, the government has chosen to embrace its authoritarian roots and censor, shutdown, and intimidate journalists working to present the news” and called on the authorities to “rescind the gag order immediately and to engage in dialogue with the press, the opposition and the people.”

Prachatai

A journalist working with The Caravan magazine was on Friday allegedly assaulted by a senior police officer in North Delhi and detained for nearly four hours while he was reporting on protests against the rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl in the area.

“Today [Friday] afternoon, the Delhi Police assaulted The Caravan India’s staffer Ahan Penkar while he was reporting,” the magazine tweeted. “ACP [Assistant Commissioner of Police] Ajay Kumar kicked and slapped Penkar inside the Model Town station premises. Penkar repeatedly told the police that he was a journalist and prominently displayed his press ID.”

However, the deputy commissioner of police, North West Delhi, on Saturday said that Penkar was seen protesting and was detained, after which he had said he was a journalist. The police have sent him a notice on the matter.

Penkar was reporting on a protest concerning the alleged rape and murder of a teenager in North Delhi, the magazine added. “Students and activists had gathered outside the Model Town police station to demand the registration of an FIR in the case,” it said. Caravan also shared a photo of the injuries on Penkar’s back.

Penkar later submitted a complaint to Delhi Commissioner of Police SN Srivastava. The journalist said that he saw a group of people gathered around the police station, demanding that the police file an FIR in the rape case.

Penkar said he was speaking to the 14-year-old girl’s aunt when the police began taking the protestors inside the station. He held up his press card and kept repeating that he was reporting the news, but the police took him inside too.

The journalist said that the police forcibly took his phone from him and deleted all the videos that he had recorded while reporting. “The police was abusing us the whole time and threatening us,” Penkar said in his complaint. “After a little time, the ACP Ajay Kumar came into the room holding a steel rod and threatened to beat us with the rod.”

Penkar added that Kumar kicked him in the face, back and shoulders. He also said that the police officer stamped on his ankle and threatened to register a case against him and others. The journalist added that he also saw the police beat up a Muslim man and a Sikh boy. He demanded an FIR against the police officers who assaulted him.

In August, three journalists from magazine were attacked by a mob in North East Delhi’s Subhash Mohalla neighbourhood while they were reporting on a story.

Journalists Prabhjit Singh, Shahid Tantray and their colleague were covering communal tensions that broke out in the area on the night of August 5, following the foundation-laying ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. In his complaint to the police, Singh said that had he not intervened, Tantray would have been beaten to death by the mob since he was a Muslim.

At a meeting organised by the Press Club of India on August 13, the journalists said that the Delhi Police had been helpless and scared of the mob.

Several journalists’ organisations had expressed outrage over the attack on Singh, Tantray and their colleague and demanded a first information report against the accused. The Editors Guild of India called the attack on the journalists “reprehensible” and demanded that the police take quick action against the guilty.

Scroll

By 18 October, 81 protestors, activists, guards, students and truck drivers have been arrested in connection with pro-democracy protests, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR).

TLHR records that as of 12.00 on 18 Oct, 80 people had been arrested and 1 more was added to the count after a voice amplifier truck driver was arrested later that night as he returned from the protest at Victory Monument. He was charged the next morning and his voice amplifier equipment and truck were seized.

76 have been charged, 27 are currently in temporary detention and 8 are still in police custody.

The 16 October protest at Pathum Wan intersection where the police dispersed protesters using riot control and high-pressure water cannon: 12 were officially arrested including a Prachatai reporter, Kitti Pantapak, whose Facebook live report was interrupted as police grabbed his device. Kitti was released with 300 baht fine for defying a police order.

Another 3 were arrested and/or charged on 16 October for an incident on 14 October. Boonkueanoon Paothong and Ekkachai Hongkangwan were charged with harming Her Majesty the Queen's liberty under Section 110 of the Criminal Code. They were accused of blocking the Queen’s royal procession. Another was Somyot Prueksakasemsuk for his participation in the 19 September protest.

Somyot and Ekkachai, former lèse majesté prisoners, were denied bail and remanded at the Bangkok Remand Prison. Boonkueanoon was allow bail.

Prachatai

After police dispersed the protest at Government House earlier this morning (15 October), over 20 protesters, including several protest leaders, have been arrested.

According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), at least 27 known protesters have now been arrested after police invaded the protest site outside Government House and a severe state of emergency was declared this morning.

This includes protest leaders Anon Nampa, Prasit Karutarote, Parit Chiwarak, Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, and Nutchanon Pairoj, along with 22 others.

As of 14.50, 4 people have already been released, including photographer Karnt Thassanaphak, who was taken to the Border Patrol Police Region 1 headquarters, and 3 civilians who were taken to Chanasongkhram Police Station.

Karnt was arrested alongside Parit at around 04.30 while he and Parit were in his car with two other students at the Nang Loeng Intersection. He said that a group of officers surrounded the car and, after presenting the arrest warrant, took Parit and the two students away in a van. The officers then searched Karnt and his car, and escorted him to the Border Patrol Police Region 1 headquarters in his own car.

Anon and Prasit, who were arrested on charges relating to an earlier demonstration in Chiang Mai, were reportedly taken by police aircraft without their lawyer and were expected to be brought to Chiang Mai. TLHR said that onboard were 5 officers from Provincial Police Region 5, 2 pilots, 2 mechanics, and officers from the Crime Suppression Division.

At 15.00, they arrived at the Wing 41 air force base in Chiang Mai, but it is not clear where they will be taken next.

Parit, Panusaya, and Nutchanon were arrested on charges relating to a demonstration at Thammasat University and are still in custody.

Panusaya and Nutchanon were arrested at 08.45 at their accommodation in Khao San Road, after Panusaya read out the People’s Party statement on the crackdown at 07.00.

After being presented with an arrest warrant, Panusaya tore the warrant and she and Nutchanon sat down on the floor in an act of resistance. The officers then put them into wheelchairs and took them to the Border Patrol Police Region 1 headquarters.

18 other civilians are also still being detained at the same headquarters.

There are reports that many protesters were arrested at the protest site at the Misakawan intersection they had left and were on their way to their accommodation near the area.

Contrary to reports from earlier in the day, student activist Panupong Jadnok has not been arrested.

Parit, Anon, Prasit, and Panusaya were charged with sedition, among other charges, while the other 18 people were charged with violating the Emergency Decree.

Under the severe state of emergency, gatherings of five or more people are banned and state officials may arrest people without first informing them of their charges. The order also bans the publication of information that “could create fear,” affect national security, or damage public morale.

The government claimed that the protesters “invited and incited illegal public assemblies in Bangkok” and that they intercepted a royal motorcade and committed actions that affect national security, and therefore “an urgent measure” is necessary to control the situation and “maintain peace and order.”

Tattep Ruangprapaikitseree, a leading member of the student activist group Free Youth and one of the few protest leaders still free, said that the situation is almost no different from a coup and called for people to join the protest at 16.00 at the Ratchaprasong intersection.

Ming Yu Hah, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for Campaigns, also issued a statement saying that the “vague, drastic order” will lead to more unfair arrests, detentions, and prosecutions, and that the scale of the morning’s arrests “seems completely unjustified” as yesterday’s protest was “overwhelmingly peaceful.”

The statement also noted that the order was “clearly designed to stamp out dissent and sow fear in anyone who sympathizes with the protesters’ views,” and called for the immediate and unconditional release of the arrested protesters and for those arrested to have access to legal counsel.

“These arrests and sudden emergency measures, announced in the middle of the night, are just the latest escalation in Thailand’s current onslaught on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly,” said the statement.

“Instead of ruling by decree and mass arrests, the Thai authorities must reverse course. They must comply with their international obligations to respect the rights of anyone who simply wishes to peacefully speak their mind, on social media or in the streets.”

Charles Santiago, Malaysian MP and Chair of the ASEAN Parliamentarian for Human Rights (APHR), also said “This emergency decree issued by Thai authorities is nothing but an excuse to shut down the peaceful protests that have swept across the country in recent months. The thousands that have taken to the streets in Bangkok, and nationwide, have done so peacefully, and are fully entitled to raise concerns about the current state of democracy in Thailand.

“Instead of introducing measures to end the protests, and arresting its leaders, Thai authorities should listen to the concerns those demonstrating are raising. They might find that their suggestions could benefit the entire country, and not merely a select few, as Thailand’s politics has done for so long.”

Prachatai | TLHR

Political activist Jatupat "Pai Daodin" Boonpatararaksa who was detained along with 20 others during Tuesday's anti-government protest at Democracy Monument will remain in police custody after the Criminal Court yesterday approved a police request to detain him for 12 more days while investigating his alleged "wrongdoing".

He was yesterday brought from the Border Patrol Police Region 1's headquarters in Pathum Thani, where he was detained the previous night, to the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road.

He was arrested on Tuesday when he and other protesters set up tents in front of a McDonald's restaurant close to Democracy Monument on Ratchadamnoen Avenue and Satriwithaya School, where His Majesty the King was to pass by in a royal motorcade heading to the Grand Palace, where royal ceremonies were to be held to mark the fourth anniversary of the passing of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great.

Mr Jatupat and his group's refusal to make way for the motorcade prompted police to arrest him and other protest co-leaders.

Mr Jatupat faces 12 charges in connection with Tuesday's protest, while 19 other co-leaders and protesters are facing 10 charges, said Kritsadang Nutcharat, a lawyer from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.

The two additional charges Mr Jatupat faces are leading or ordering a gathering of more than 10 people causing public unrest, and jointly organising a public gathering without securing permission from authorities as required under the public gathering law, said the lawyer.

Mr Jatupat and the 19 other protesters are facing 10 other charges as well, including resisting orders by security authorities, using loudspeakers without permission, colluding to obstruct traffic, and violating public cleanliness.

Political activist Jatupat “Pai Dao Din” Boonpatararaksa was detained along with 20 others during Tuesday’s anti-government protest at the Democracy Monument. The veteran dissident will continue to be held in custody after the Criminal Court on Wednesday approved a police request to further detain him for 12 days while investigating his alleged misconduct.

Mr Jatupat is facing 12 charges in connection with Tuesday’s protest, while 19 others are facing 10 charges, said Kritsadang Nutcharat, a lawyer from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.

The activist was brought from the headquarters of the Border Patrol Police Region 1 in Pathum Thani, where he was detained the previous night, to the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road on Wednesday.

One protester is yet to be charged because police first need to complete a process required under the Youth Act in dealing with an underaged criminal suspect, said the lawyer.

The two additional charges Mr Jatupat is facing are leading or ordering a gathering of more than 10 people that caused public unrest, and jointly organising a public gathering without securing permission from authorities as required under the public gathering law, said the lawyer.

The other ten charges levelled at Mr Jatupat and the other 19 protesters are: colluding to gather in a group of more than 10 people, colluding to cause public unrest, colluding to organise an activity that risks spreading a communicable disease, colluding to obstruct public thoroughfares, colluding to obstruct traffic, violating the law on public cleanliness, colluding to physically assault others, colluding to damage property, resisting orders by security authorities, and using loudspeakers without permission.

Bangkok Post | Bangkok Post

Anti-government protesters settled into their new camp on Phitsanulok Road, outside Government House, on Wednesday night after police gave up trying to stop their march.

Thousands of anti-government protesters walked to Government House from the Democracy Monument in the afternoon, to press their demands for the departure of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and a new constitution.

They were briefly halted by police barricades, but when they insisted on moving forward, police finally backed off.

"Down with dictatorship. Long live democracy," the marchers chanted as they moved off from Democracy Monument, where they had assembled face to face with thousands of yellow clad royalist supporters.

The protesters walked from the Democracy Monument on Ratchdamneon Avenue to Government House via Nakhon Sawan Road as police blocked them from marching on Ratchadamnoen Nok Avenue.

Human rights lawyer Anon Nampha and other protest leaders promised there would be no violence during the rally.

Yellow-clad people had gathered along Ratchadamnoen Avenue, waiting for the motorcade of His Majesty the King, who was to go to the Grand Palace in the afternoon for a religious ceremony.

The protesters were blocked by four police buses at the end of Nakhon Sawan Road, in front of the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives office. The demonstrators in the front line started trying to push one of the buses out of the way, so they could continue. Their leaders told them to stop and to show restraint.

They then sat down along Nakhon Sawan Road waiting for the next move from their leaders.

Police later allowed them to move forward, and then set up a new barrier on Phitsanulok Road, closer to Government House.

The protesters insisted on moving forward and police eventually decided to let them go, by moving backwards.

A march leader said they planned to camp out on Phitsanulok Road, outside Government House.

The protest was organised by the "Khana Ratsadorn” (the People's Group), formerly known as the Free People movement.

Because the protesters moved off from Ratchadamneon Avenue, police cleared away traffic, and yellow-shirted people had a chance to glimpse the royal motorcade of HM the King as it went from Ambara Villa in Dusit Palace to the Grand Palace for a religious function.

City Hall workers restored plants at the Democracy Monument that had been moved by the protesters during their gathering there before the march.

The demonstration is the latest in three months of action that have put the greatest pressure in years on the establishment, long dominated by the army and the palace.

Bangkok Post

Reporters Chitra Mijar, Anish Tiwari and Niroj Chaulagain were misbehaved while reporting in Sindhupalchowk on October 13. Sidhupalchowk lies in Bagmati Province.

Mijar and Tiwari are affiliated to Gorkhapatra and Kantipur National dailies respecively, while Chaulagain is associated with AP1 television.

Talking to Freedom Forum's monitoring desk, reporter Tiwari shared,"We were talking to the families who were forcefully displaced after a hydropower project started road construction without their consent. Meanwhile, a group of youth approached and shouted at us saying - Is this what you called journalism! Don't you have to listen to us?"

The reporters then talked to the youth and collected the voice of both sides.

"But again the youths in a group of 20-25 encircled us for at least two hours while we were heading towards the project site. Thereafter, we returned without reporting at the hydropower project site", said Tiwari. The youths had also threatened the driver for carrying journalists and vandalized their vehicle.

Further, claiming that people threatened and obstructed them while doing their job, Tiwari wondered, "Do we even have the right to report freely?"

They have also filed a complaint at the local police station. The case is under investigation.

Freedom Forum condemns the misbehavior meted out to the reporters. Reporting on the issues of public concern is the right of journalists guaranteed by the constitution. Hence, FF strongly urges the concerned authority to apologize for the misbehavior and respect journalists' rights.

Nepal Press Freedom

The Thai authorities should immediately drop all charges and unconditionally release democracy activists arrested for peacefully protesting in Bangkok on October 13, 2020, Human Rights Watch said today.

At approximately 3:40 p.m., police forcibly dispersed a pro-democracy protest organized by the People’s Group at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument. Police kicked, punched, and threw some protesters to the ground. Some protesters threw paint at police who were arresting them. The police charged those arrested with intent to cause violence, using loudspeakers without permission, and several other offenses.

“The Thai government’s breakup of a peaceful democracy protest at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument just proved the protesters’ point,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The charges against the protesters should be dropped and they should be immediately and unconditionally released.”

Police arrested 21 of the approximately 200 protesters, including the protest leader, Jatuphat “Pai Dao Din” Boonpattararaksa. The protesters were being detained for interrogation at the 1st Region Border Patrol Police Camp in Pathumthani province, north of Bangkok. The police have prevented lawyers from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights from meeting with the arrested activists. Since July 18, youth-led coalitions have organized peaceful protests across Thailand calling for the dissolution of Parliament, a new constitution, and an end to authorities harassing people who exercise their right to freedom of expression. Some of the protests later included demands for reform of the institution of the monarchy to limit the king’s powers.

Prime Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-ocha recently dropped his previous pledge to listen to dissenting voices and adopted a more hostile stance toward pro-democracy protests. Thai Lawyers for Human Rights has reported that at least 65 protesters face illegal assembly charges for holding peaceful protests in Bangkok and other provinces. Some protest leaders have also been charged with sedition, which carries a maximum seven-year prison term, for making demands regarding reform of the monarchy.

International human rights law, reflected in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which Thailand ratified in 1996, protects the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. Thai authorities have routinely censored and halted public discussions about human rights, political reforms, and the role of the monarchy in society. Since the military coup in 2014, the authorities have prosecuted hundreds of activists and dissidents on serious criminal charges such as sedition, computer-related crimes, and lese majeste (insulting the monarchy) for the peaceful expression of their views.

The Thai government’s hostility to the exercise of civil and political rights has intensified over the past five months as authorities have imposed draconian state of emergency measures in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The authorities have increasingly used those measures as a pretext to ban anti-government rallies and harass pro-democracy activists, Human Rights Watch said.

“The Democracy Monument arrests raise serious concerns that the government will impose even harsher repression of people’s fundamental freedoms in Thailand,” Adams said. “Thailand’s international friends should call on the government to stop arresting peaceful protesters, listen to their views, and allow them to freely and safely express their visions for the future.”

HRW

Two journalists who are in hospital after been violently beaten up and threatened with death while investigating an illegal logging racket, fear for their safety as the assailants are roaming free with apparent protection from authorities.

On 12 Monday afternoon, Shanmugam Thavaseelan and Kanapathipillai Kumanan covering illicit felling in the Mullaitivu district were attacked by illegal loggers wielding clubs and an adze. Most of their photographic evidence was destroyed while they managed to save few video footage.

“The leader of the thugs who attacked us is roaming freely even though there are multiple complaints against him and several arrest warrants,” Thavaseelan who lost a couple of his front teeth had told fellow journalists visiting him in the Mullaitivu District Hospital.

“This shows the level of protection he enjoys. He had an adze in his hand which he threatened to use to cut me down to pieces. If some in the gang did not stop him, I would have been dead by now. If they are not arrested our lives are in danger.”

Four men on motorbikes

The two Tamil journalists were investigating a tip-off about an illegal logging operation in the Murippu forest reserve adjoining a cultivated teak range. While the teak was legally felled by a supplier to the State Timber Corporation (STC) the bordering forest reserve was illegally logged by another who was allegedly introduced to the supplier by the Beat Forest Officer (BFO) of the range. Locals are convinced that the illegal logger was running a timber racket in collusion with the licensed supplier and forestry officials under the guise of supplying legitimate timber to STC.

When Thavaseelan and Kumanan visited the nearby Kumulamuani east, they found a two-floor timber construction within a clearing enclosed in a bared wire fence with teak posts. The journalists estimate that at least 200 logs went to build the enclosure.

Four men on motorbikes confronted the journalists who were filming what they saw.

“We told them that we are hearing about illegal logging and what they have to say about it,” said Thavaseelan.

“Then they beat us up. Kumanan was from that village. They accused him of doing harm to the village and banged him heavily on the head. He started bleeding. I was attacked with an adze. I lost my teeth. The leader threatened to kill us.”

Attacked and robbed

The four forced them to the enclosure, their recordings were wiped off and memory cards were removed. Their money was stolen.

Once inside the enclosure, the attackers filmed the two journalists accusing them of illegal entry and theft.

“I told them that they can lodge a complaint with the police if we have committed any offence,” said Thavaseelan.

The assailants released the two journalists later who lodged a complaint at the Mullaitivu police station and were admitted to the Mullaitivu District Hospital.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has rubbished exposures of illegal logging in forest reserves as “fake news campaigns”. In contrast, Defence Secretary Major General Kamal Gunaratne who admitted in public that the ongoing illegal timber racket is a serious threat to the environment, pledged to take action against it with the assistance of the president’s sibling and State Minister for Internal Security Chamal Rajapaksa.

JDS Sri Lanka

Elias Mia, a correspondent of Daily Bijoy, was hacked to death on October 12 by miscreants in the Narayanganj district for allegedly exposing a criminal nexus in gas line distribution. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the brutal murder and urges the Bangladesh government to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Mia, a 52 year old journalist, was stabbed with a sharp weapon in the Geodhara area of Bandar whilst returning home. Despite the best efforts of passers-by, who took the journalist to Narayanganj General Hospital immediately after the incident, Mia died of his injuries around 9:00pm on October 12.

Bandar Police Station stated that three suspects have been arrested —Tusher, Minnat Ali and Mishir Ali — for their involvement in the killing. Police have presented them before a local court following the incident. The Daily Bijoy editor Sabbir Ahmed argues that there is a strong connection between the murder of Mia and his past reporting. Investigators said one suspect’s family had previously accused Mia of providing information that lead to Tusher’s earlier arrest and detainment for drug possession. Tusher was also allegedly involved in managing illegal gas connections.

The journalist had formerly voiced feelings of insecurity relating to his past news reports. Local media details that Mia had filed a general diary with Bandar Police Station seeking security arrangements.

Mia is the second journalist to be killed in Bangladesh during 2020. Julhas Uddin, a correspondent of Bijoy TV, was murdered on September 3, 2020 after being stabbed.

IFJ

In Kyrgyzstan, a number of attacks on journalists and threats to media outlets have been reported since October 4 parliamentary elections, which were voided, followed by nationwide unrest and an ongoing political crisis and state of emergency, according to news reports, CPJ documentation, and a report by the Kyrgyz independent nonprofit organization Media Policy Institute. Yesterday, the Kyrgyz parliament held an emergency meeting and named Sadyr Japarov, a nationalist politician freed from prison by supporters, the country’s new prime minister, according to news reports.

Today, President Sooronbay Jeenbekov resigned, according to media reports.

“It is crucial that journalists can safely and freely cover the political crisis in Kyrgyzstan,” said CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator, Gulnoza Said. “Kyrgyz authorities must investigate reported attacks and threats targeting the journalistic community, and put a stop to hostilities toward reporters who are doing their work.”

Radio Azattyk, the Kyrgyz service of the U.S. Congress-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and its journalists have faced several attacks, threats, and other attempts to obstruct reporting since October 4, according to Venera Djumataeva, director of the service, who spoke with CPJ in a phone interview, and news reports.

On October 9, a group of protesters assaulted another Radio Azattyk correspondent, Aybek Biybosunov, who was wearing journalistic protective gear and a marked vest, while he was covering a pro-Japarov rally near the Government House in Bishkek, the capital, according to news reports and Djumataeva. She told CPJ that a group of about five people pulled Biybosunov’s arms and kicked him in the legs, while yelling that Azattyk was not covering the events “correctly” and that they would “show them”; the journalist left the location due to these threats.

CPJ

Mangir, Yuda, Samuel, Faisal, and Rizki are journalists based in Samarinda, East Kalimantan Province. On 9 October 2020, they were covering a students protest in Samarinda, demanding the release of their friends who were arrested a few days before for protesting against the legislation of the Omnibus Bill on Job Creation. During the protest, the students clashed with the police, and one student was kicked several times by a group of police officers. When the 5 journalist tried to record the incident, a policemen stomped on Mangir’s foot and demanded him to not record the police who brutally assault the protestor. The police tried to confiscate Mangir’s phone to delete his record. Yuda and Rizki tried to intervene, but the police threatened them. Samuel who also tried to intervene, when showing his id card as a journalist, got his hair grabbed and pulled by the police. The five journalist then leave the area.

Suarakaltim.id

Sebanyak enam mahasiswa Universitas Pelita Bangsa (UPB) kritis usai bentrok dengan polisi saat aksi tolak Omnibus Undang-undang (UU) Cipta Kerja (Ciptaker) di Kawasan Industri Jababeka, Cikarang Jawa Barat, Rabu (7/10/2020) kemarin. Keenam mahasiswa tersebut harus menjalani perawatan di Rumah Sakit Central Medika Cikarang, Jawa Barat.

Salah satu korban bernama Budi Nasrullah, dia mengaku hidungnya patah dan dua giginya retak akibat menerima bogem mentah polisi. Mahasiswa yang juga mengalami luka yakni Nasrul Firmansyah. Bahkan ia harus menjalani operasi lantaran tulang kepalanya retak.

"Enam mahasiswa kritis. Saya sendiri hidung patah, gigi retak dua," ucap Nasrullah dengan suara serak kepada Tirto sambil menahan rasa sakit, Kamis (8/10/2020)

"Satu [Nasrul Firmansyah] masuk tahap operasi [Rabu, 7 Oktober] karena tulang kepalanya retak, dia yang kena tembak peluru karet," tambahnya.

Mantan Ketua BEM UPB Tahun 2017-2018 itu menceritakan ia bersama rekan-rekannya awalnya berkumpul di Kampus UPB Cikarang pukul 11.00 WIB untuk menggelar aksi tolak Omnibus Law UU Ciptaker menuju PT. Samsung. Dia mengklaim sebanyak 800-an massa aksi.

Budi saat itu menjadi orator mengarahkan ratusan massa aksi ke Kawasan Industri Jababeka 2, Cikarang. Setelah berorasi menyampaikan aspirasinya, mereka bergerak ke Kawasan Industri Jababeka 1. Tepat di depan PT. Tokai yang ada di Jababeka 1, sejumlah polisi mulai menghadang massa aksi.

"Terjadi bentrok, kami maju, mau melangkah, terjadi dorong-dorongan lah. Kami tidak main kontak fisik, hanya dorong, ternyata kami ditembaki peluru karet. Yang parah itu Nasrul langsung kena kepalanya karena dekat banget jaraknya," ucapnya.

Tubuh Nasrul pun terkapar di jalan, wajahnya terlihat penuh darah dan menodai almamater kampusnya yang berwana biru. Nasrul pun langsung dilarikan ke Rumah Sakit Central Medika Cikarang.

"Saya mau melerai, pasukan itu sudah mundur sambil menarik Nasrul, saya angkat tangan ke pihak polisi, saya balik badan ke mahasiswa, saya ditarik, dibawa ke kerumunan polisi, diseret, dipukuli," katanya.

Budi yang berstatus mahasiswa semester 10 itu mengaku dibawa ke mobil polisi sebanyak dua kali dan selalu menerima bogem mentah dari aparat.

"Seluruh badan dipukuli, dari pinggang ke kepala. Ganti-gantian polisi yang pukuli, banyak, enggak tahu jumlahnya berapa," tuturnya.

Tak lama setelah dipukuli, dia dibebaskan oleh polisi dan kembali ke barisan massa. Sekitar pukul 16.00 WIB, massa pun kembali ke kampus UPB.

"Saat ini tersisa saya dan Nasrul yang dirawat di Rumah Sakit karena butuh perawatan," tuturnya.

Dihubungi terpisah, Humas UPB Nining Yuningsih mengaku kondisi dua mahasiswanya yakni Budi Nasrullah dan Nasrul Firmansyah sudah membaik dan masih dilakukan perawatan di Rumah Sakit Central Medika Cikarang.

"Nasrul masih dirawat karena ada benturan sedikit di kepala. Dia dan Roy [Budi Nasrullah] masih dirawat," kata dia kepada Tirto, Kamis (8/10/2020).

Dia mengklaim pihak kampus UPB Cikarang telah merawat para mahasiswa yang ikut berdemo dengan baik. Sementara seluruh pembiayaan sejumlah mahasiswa yang dirawat, ditanggung oleh Polres Bekasi, Jawa Barat.

Nining menuturkan pihak Kampus UPB Cikarang belum bisa memberikan tuntutan kepada polisi atas tindakan kekerasan aparat yang membuat enam mahasiswanya dirawat.

"Yang penting anak-anak sembuh dulu, kalau memang kondisi gimana, nanti tinggal kesaksian anak-anak dan polisi, saya tidak ada di lapangan jadi kronologi tidak tahu," ucapnya.

Tirto.id

Aksi unjuk rasa (unras) penolakan Undang-Undang Cipta Kerja oleh sekelompok mahasiswa di gedung DPRD Tarakan pada Rabu (8/10/2020) kemarin, berbuntut panjang. Dua wartawan yang meliput aksi itu menjadi korban penembakan air dari mobil Water Canon yang dikerahkan oleh Polres Tarakan di lokasi unras.

Akibatnya kedua wartawan Tarakan TV dan Radar Tarakan bernama Arif Rusman dan Ifransyah ini terjatuh dari pagar gedung dewan dengan ketinggian sekitar 3 meter.

Sehingga mengakibatkan luka-luka yang cukup serius yang diderita keduanya. Bahkan kamera foto dan video yang dibekali dari perusahaan pers masing-masing kepada dua wartawan itu mengalami kerusakan.

Atas dasar tersebut dan mengacu Undang-Undang Pers Nomor 40 tahun 1999 tentang Pers serta bukti rekaman video yang beredar di media sosial, jurnalis Tarakan yang tergabung dalam PWI Kaltara dan IJTI Kaltara meminta Kapolres Tarakan AKBP Filol Praja Artadhira bertanggung jawab terkait kasus ini.

Hal ini diungkapkan Ketua PWI Kaltara Datu Iskandar Zulkarnaen yang didampingi Sekretarisnya Mansyur, berdasarkan hasil rapat koordinasi dari kedua organisasi yang diakui Dewan Pers ini, malam tadi.

“PWI dan IJTI Kaltara sangat menyesalkan adanya kejadian yang menyebabkan ada wartawan terluka saat bertugas dalam aksi unjuk rasa itu,” tegas Datu Iskandar melalui Mansyur, Kamis (8/10).

Menurutnya, wartawan dilindungi oleh UU Nomor 40 Tahun 1999 tentang Pers. “Selain itu, dari rekaman video yang ada, itu bisa jadi awal jika terjadi pelanggaran prosedur oleh aparat,” ujarnya.

“Kami juga mengimbau agar rekan-rekan wartawan hati-hati dalam melakukan peliputan di lapangan, utamakan keselamatan. Tapi polisi juga harus memberikan perlindungan dan harus tahu yang mana wartawan dan mana pendemo,” tambah Mansyur.

Dituturkannya, keberadaan wartawan di atas pagar DPRD Tarakan bukan hal yang baru dilakukan oleh jurnalis dalam mengabadikan gambar maupun video aksi unras.

“Dari dulu sampai sekarang, posisi wartawan selalu ada di atas pagar itu. Mereka di atas pagar karena ada alasan tersendiri, pertama menghindari kerumunan massa, kedua karena ingin mengambil angle yang bagus. Semua polisi tahu posisi wartawan selalu ada di situ dalam setiap kegiatan unjuk rasa,” bebernya.

Sehingga dia menduga penyemporatan Water Canon yang mengarah ke wartawan ada unsur kesengajaan bukan kecerobohan semata.

“Hari ini (Kamis) kami akan sampaikan somasi kepada Kapolres Tarakan untuk segera ditindaklanjuti dan disikapi dengan serius. Dalam surat somasi ini kami tembuskan juga ke Presiden Joko Widodo, Ketua DPR RI, Kapolri, Kapolda Kaltara, Dewan Pers, dan Ketua PWI Pusat dan IJTI Pusat serta lainnya yang terkait,” ungkapnya.

Benuanta.co

Aksi mahasiswa Tanjungpinang menolak UU Cipta Kerja yang berjalan tertib, tiba-tiba berakhir ricuh di Kantor DPRD Kepri, Kamis (8/10/2020).

Polisi membubarkan massa aksi dengan gas air mata, dan mobil water cannon.

Massa aksi pun berhamburan, ada pula yang diamankan pihak kepolisian.

Mahasiswa yang mendapat pukulan dari sejumlah oknum polisi.

Sementara dari pihak jurnalis, seorang stringer TV One yang meliput aksi juga terkena pukulan dari oknum polisi yang membubarkan massa.

Terdapat luka memar pada bagian bahu belakang wartawan tersebut.

Kapolres Tanjungpinang, M Iqbal menyampaikan, penyebab kericuhan itu karena massa aksi memaksa ingin bertemu Ketua DPRD Kepri, Jumaga Nadeak.

"Kita sampaikan, hanya bisa Wakil Ketua DPRD Kepri saja. Sebabnya, dengan adanya dua buruh hasil rapid-nya reaktif, Ketua DPRD sudah bertemu mereka, dan juga ikut diisolasi," ucapnya menceritakan kronologi kejadian.

Ia pun juga menyayangkan, massa aksi tidak bisa mengerti di tengah kondisi pandemi Covid-19 ini.

Tribunnews

Dua wartawan di Kota Palu, Sulawesi Tengah, dipukul oleh aparat kepolisian saat meliput aksi unjuk rasa menolak Omnibus Law Undang-Undang Cipta Kerja di depan kantor DPRD Sulteng , Kamis (8/10/2020).

Kedua wartawan media online sultengnews.com dianiaya saat ricuh demo susulan sekitar pukul 16.20 WITA. Saat itu, polisi mengejar massa aksi termasuk wartawan yang meliput.

Salah satu korban bernama Alsih Marselina, mengaku dipukul di bagian wajah hingga mengakibatkan luka memar. Alsih pun pusing seketika.

"Tadi di tengah situasi ricuh, saya disuruh tunduk. Setelah saya tunduk, langsung dipukul. Seketika saya merasa pusing," kata Alsih kepada rekan wartawan di Palu.

1. Korban sudah memperlihatkan identitas kewartawanan

Alsih menjelaskan, korban lainnya yaitu Adhy Rifaldy mendapat hantaman pada bahu sebelah kanan. Mereka dipukuli, kata Alsih, bahkan setelah memberitahu profesinya sebagai jurnalis serta memperlihatkan kartu pers.

"Saya sudah pakai identitas wartawan, padahal saya sudah bilang ke polisi saya dari media, tapi oknum polisi masih memukul saya. Karena jelas yang memukul pakai baju dinas cokelat kepolisian," Alsih menerangkan. 2. Kedua korban pemukulan berada di barikade kepolisian

Alsih dan Adhy berada di barikade kepolisian saat bekerja melakukan peliputan. Kata Alsih, dia memilih berada di barisan aparat keamanan agar bisa terlindungi, namun nyatanya tidak demikian.

"Saat (itu) ada di tengah-tengah polisi saat meliput, karena saya harap berada di posisi itu bisa dapatkan keamanan, malah justru dipukul," keluh Alsih.

Atas tindak kekerasan yang dialami, keduanya telah melapor ke Propam Polda Sulteng dengan didampingi empat pengacara. Masing-masing Rachmy, Roy Marianto Babutung, Fikri Saleh, dan Mohammad Itfan Umar. 3. AJI Palu mengecam tindakan represif aparat kepolisian

Ketua Aliansi Jurnalis Independan (AJI) Kota Palu, Mohammad Ikbal, menilai kekerasan yang kembali menimpa jurnalis saat meliput aksi unjuk rasa, menjadi sinyalemen lemahnya pemahaman institusi Polri terhadap profesi jurnalis.

Padahal, kata Ikbal, pihaknya telah berulang kali menjalin komunikasi kepada kepolisian setempat, untuk meminimalisir potensi intimidasi hingga tindakan represi kepada jurnalis yang bertugas melakukan peliputan demonstrasi.

"Kita sangat mengecam tindakan kekerasan yang dilakukan oknum polisi. Padahal teman-teman yang jadi korban sudah teriak-teriak mereka adalah wartawan, tapi tetap saja dipukuli," kata Ikbal kepada IDN Times, Kamis malam.

"Apalagi yang dipukul ini jurnalis perempuan," geram Ikbal. AJI Palu, jelas Ikbal, akan mengawal kasus kekerasan terhadap dua jurnalis tersebut.

IDN Times

Dua jurnalis CNNIndonesia.com mengalami kekerasan fisik dan intimidasi saat meliput demonstrasi menolak Omnibus Law UU Cipta Kerja, Kamis (8/10). Salah satunya, diduga dipukul oleh aparat kepolisian di kawasan Jakarta Pusat.

Selaku korban, Thohirin menjelaskan insiden kekerasan dan intimidasi yang dialaminya. Saat itu dia sedang bertugas meliput demo di sekitar Simpang Harmoni, Jakarta Pusat, Kamis malam. Dua jurnalis CNNIndonesia.com mengalami kekerasan fisik dan intimidasi saat meliput demonstrasi menolak Omnibus Law UU Cipta Kerja, Kamis (8/10). Salah satunya, diduga dipukul oleh aparat kepolisian di kawasan Jakarta Pusat.

Selaku korban, Thohirin menjelaskan insiden kekerasan dan intimidasi yang dialaminya. Saat itu dia sedang bertugas meliput demo di sekitar Simpang Harmoni, Jakarta Pusat, Kamis malam.

Namun polisi tidak percaya. Mereka kemudian memaksanya mengeluarkan ponsel dan meminta membuka galeri. Thohirin terpaksan mengikuti permintaan tersebut.

"Satu-satunya yang bikin mereka jengkel, setelah membuka Hp, mereka melihat gambar saat aparat memiting massa aksi yang ditangkap," ujar Thohirin.

Polisi marah melihat foto tersebut dan menuduhnya seenaknya mengambil gambar. Namun Thohirin merasa tak ada yang salah dengan pengambilan gambar tersebut lantaran memang tugasnya sebagai jurnalis.

"Setelah itu, Hp saya diambil. Saya diinterogasi, dimarahi. beberapa kali kepala saya dipukul. Untung saya pakai helm," ujar Thohirin.

Bahkan salah satu polisi mengancam Thohirin akan membanting ponselnya.

"Kamu percaya enggak Hp kamu bisa saya banting," kata polisi seperti ditirukan Thohirin.

Thohirin sempat memohon agar polisi tidak merusak alat kerjanya tersebut. Namun anggota polisi lainnya memprovokasi untuk membanting ponsel. Seketika itu ponsel Thohirin dibanting.

"Saya pasrah. Saya tak sempat berpikir apa-apa lagi. Hp saya tinggal. Saya tidak kepikiran menjadikan itu barang bukti, lagipula kalau saya ambil itu Hp, saya bisa jadi akan lebih menerima intimidasi," ujarnya.

Setelah menerima intimidasi itu, Thohirin kemudian pergi dan mencari rekannya. Dia juga mengabari tim redaksi di kantor untuk mendapatkan bantuan.

Selain Thohirin, jurnalis CNNIndonesia.com di Surabaya, Farid Miftah Rahman, juga mengalami intimidasi saat meliput demo menolak Omnibus Law Cipta Kerja.

CNN Indonesia

Pemimpin Redaksi Suara.com, Suwarjono mengatakan, jurnalisnya yang bernama Peter Rotti mengalami kekerasan dari aparat kepolisian saat meliput aksi demo UU Cipta Kerja di kawasan Jalan MH Thamrin, Jakarta Pusat pada Kamis (8/10).

Peristiwa itu terjadi sekitar pukul 18.00, saat Peter merekam video aksi sejumlah oknum aparat kepolisian mengeroyok seorang peserta aksi di sekitar halte TransJakarta Bank Indonesia. Pada saat itu, Peter berdua dengan rekannya yang juga videografer, yakni Adit Rianto S melakukan live report via akun YouTube peristiwa aksi unjuk rasa penolakan Omnibus Law.

"Melihat Peter merekam aksi para polisi penganiaya peserta aksi dari kalangan mahasiswa, tiba-tiba seorang aparat berpakaian sipil serba hitam menghampirinya," ujar Pemimpin Redaksi Suara.com, Suwarjono dalam keterangan resmi suara. Dikutip jakselnews.com dari Warta Ekonomi.

Lalu, disusul 6 orang polisi yang belakangan diketahui anggota Brimob. Para oknum polisi itu meminta kamera Peter, namun Peter menolak sambil menjelaskan bahwa dirinya jurnalis yang sedang meliput.

para polisi bersikukuh dan merampas kamera jurnalis video suara.com milik Peter. Lalu ia diseret sambil dipukul dan ditendang oleh segerombolan polisi tersebut.

Meski sudah mengenakan kartu identitas pers, Peter mengaku dilarang merekam.

"Saya sudah jelaskan kalau saya wartawan tetapi mereka polisi tetap merampas dan menyeret saya. Tadi saya sempat diseret dan digebukin, tangan dan pelipis saya memar," kata Peter melalui sambungan telepon. Dikutip Jakselnews.com dari Jurnal Garut berjudul Seorang Jurnalis di Jakarta Diintimidasi Aparat Saat Meliput Demo Tolak Omnibus Law

Setelah kamera Peter dirampas, memori yang berisi rekaman video liputan aksi unjuk rasa mahasiswa dan pelajar di sekitar patung kuda, kawasan Monas, Jakarta itu diambil polisi. Namun kamera dikembalikan kepada Peter.

"Kamera saya akhirnya kembalikan, tetapi memorinya diambil sama mereka," ujar Peter.

Jaksel news

An 83-year-old Jesuit priest has been arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the probe into the 2018 violence in Maharashtra's Koregaon-Bhima village.

Father Stan Swamy, an activist working with tribals, was picked up from his home in Jharkhand capital Ranchi by a team of NIA officials from Delhi. The officials reportedly spent around 20 minutes at his home before taking him away.

The arrest has sparked outrage. Author and historian Ramachandra Guha said Stan Swamy has spent a "lifetime fighting for the rights of adivasis."

"That is why the Modi regime seeks to suppress and silence them; because for this regime, the profits of mining companies take precedence over the lives and livelihoods of adivasis," Mr Guha tweeted.

Lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan tweeted, "...Now arrested by the NIA under UAPA! The venality of this BJP govt & NIA knows no bounds (sic)."

The probe agency claimed that Stan Swamy is a member of the banned Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) and was "actively involved in its activities".

"He also received funds through an associate for furtherance of the CPI (Maoist) activities," officials of the probe agency said.

The agency said documents and propaganda material of the CPI (Maoist) and literature were seized from Stan Swamy, adding that he was in contact with the other accused in the Koregaon-Bhima case.

"The NIA is after me. I'm being pressurised to go to Bombay... The NIA questioned me for 15 hours... I'm being called to the Mumbai office of the NIA. I refuse to go there. I am 83 and have health issues. I don't want to expose myself to the coronavirus. I have never been to Bhima Koregaon," Stan Swamy had said in a video on October 6.

"If NIA wants to question me, they can do so via video-conferencing," he said.

Several prominent activists, scholars and lawyers have been jailed for over two years while they await trial.

Stan Swamy, who has several health issues, is the oldest person to be in custody in the Koregaon-Bhima case. He has been questioned several times in the past in connection with the case. Originally from Kerala, Stan Swamy has been working for tribals in Jharkhand for over five decades.

The case relates to an event on December 31, 2017 in Pune which was followed by violence and arson in Maharashtra that left one person dead.

Investigators claim that the activists at the Elgar Parishad meet had made inflammatory speeches and provocative statements, which it said had triggered violence the next day.

Last month, the Supreme Court declined to entertain a plea for an interim bail on medical grounds by lawyer-activist Sudha Bharadwaj, who is among the accused in the case. Ms Bharadwaj, 58, has been in jail in Mumbai for over two years and is suffering from diabetes and comorbidities and wanted interim bail so that she could take a medical check-up, her lawyer had said.

The investigation also claimed to have uncovered a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

During the investigation, the NIA said, it was revealed that senior leaders of the CPI (Maoist), a banned organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, were in contact with the organisers of the Elgar Parishad event as well as the accused arrested in the case to spread Maoist and Naxal ideology and encourage unlawful activities.

NDTV

Aksi Demonstrasi menolak Omnibus Law UU Cipta Kerja di Gedung Negara Grahadi Surabaya, pada Kamis lalu (8/10/2020) menyisakan pengalaman buruk bagi EA, seorang mahasiswa yang juga jurnalis kampus di Kota Pahlawan itu. Ia mengaku mendapat tindakan represif dari aparat.

Kepada CNNIndonesia.com EA menuturkan peristiwa itu berawal ketika dirinya meliput aksi unjuk rasa mahasiswa di Gedung Grahadi.

Semula berjalan kondusif. Namun jelang sore hari, bentrokan pecah antara massa dengan aparat. Gerbang sisi barat Grahadi jebol, disusul sisi timur beberapa jam setelahnya.

Aksi saling lempar pun tak terhindarkan. Massa melempari aparat dengan botol, batu dan kaca serta benda lainnya. Aparat kemudian dibalas dengan menembakkan gas air mata dan semprotan water canon.

Di tengah kericuhan tersebut, EA yang berada di halaman Grahadi terus berupaya mendokumentasikan semua yang terlihat sepanjang mata memandang sembari berlindung di balik pepohonan.

EA lalu mendapati sejumlah aparat kepolisian menangkap paksa para peserta aksi. EA lantas mendokumentasikannya.

“Saat kericuhan saya mendokumentasikan semua yang terjadi. Ada aparat kepolisian yang menangkap massa, saya juga mendokumentasikannya,” kata EA, Rabu kemarin (14/10/2020).

Tiba-tiba seorang polisi kemudian menghampiri EA. Aparat tersebut menanyai dari mana dia berasal.

EA menjelaskan bahwa dirinya adalah mahasiswa sekaligus jurnalis kampus. Ia juga memperlihatkan kartu pers serta seragam yang ia kenakan. Namun polisi itu makin mengintimidasinya.

“Saya lupa satuannya tapi dia berseragam. Dia memaksa saya menghapus foto dan video di kamera saya,” kata EA.

EA terpaksa menuruti permintaan petugas tersebut untuk menghapus hasil jepretannya.

“Setelah mau menghapus, tapi tiba-tiba kamera saya disita, ada [polisi lain] yang bilang, ‘bawa ke belakang saja’,” tambahnya.

EA kemudian ditangkap dan Dibawa ke selasar belakang Gedung Grahadi bersama ratusan peserta aksi lain yang juga ditangkap.

Saat diamankan, seorang polisi tiba-tiba menendang wajah EA. Akibatnya bibir dan matanya memar.

“Saya ditendang pas bibir kanan bawah, pas masih pakai masker,” ucapnya.

EA mengatakan dirinya dan ratusan massa lain juga dipaksa untuk membuka baju. Diiringi pukulan dan tendangan ke bagian kepala.

Polisi juga mengumpulkan peserta aksi yang tertangkap dalam satu area, tanpa menerapkan protokol kesehatan, seperti menjaga jarak. Beberapa pedemo pun tak lagi mengenakan masker.

“Setelah beberapa lama baru ada polisi yang memberi masker,” kata EA.

EA bersama ratusan peserta aksi lainnya lalu digelandang ke Markas Kepolisian Daerah Jawa Timur (Polda Jatim) dengan truk. Dalam proses saat hendak naik ke truk, polisi lagi-lagi memukuli tubuh mereka, kali ini dengan rotan.

“Kami disuruh Jalan jongkok, saat mau menaiki truk, kami dipukul dengan rotan, di badan,” ujar dia.

Sesampainya di Mapolda Jatim, mereka ditempatkan di sebuah lapangan dekat Direktorat Resesre Kriminal Umum. Polisi kemudian kembali memukuli massa aksi dengan rotan. Termasuk EA sendiri.

Hingga malam hari, para pedemo tetap ditempatkan di lapangan terbuka, mereka tak diperkenankan istirahat dengan laik. Bahkan tanpa mengenakan baju, mereka dibiarkan tidur di lapangan, tanpa alas.

Massa kemudian menjalani pemeriksaan tanpa boleh didampingi oleh kuasa hukum dari LBH atau lembaga semacamnya. Alat komunikasi mereka disita. Sidik jari diambil. Mereka juga harus menjalani rapid test.

“Kami tidak bisa menghubungi Lembaga Bantuan Hukum (LBH) atau keluarga, handphone kami disita. Kamera saya juga,” ucapnya.

Saat pemeriksaan, petugas kepolisian menjelaskan bahwa dirinya terancam dijerat Pasal 214 KUHP tentang melawan petugas dan Pasal 170 KUHP tentang perusakan. Padahal EA sama sekali tak melakukan dua hal itu.

EA kemudian dibebaskan pada Jumat (9/10/2020) malam. Kameranya tetap disita, alat komunikasinya lenyap entah kemana. Yang ia bawa pulang hanya perih dari luka penyiksaan aparat kepolisian.

“Bibir sebelah kanan saya luka, lebam juga. Pelipis mata sebelah kanan lebam. Pinggang bagian belakang juga masih berbekas rotan, luka,” ujarnya.

Petugas mengatakan kepada EA bahwa dirinya dibebaskan atas perintah dari Kapolda Jawa Timur. Petugas juga meminta agar massa menjadikan itu semua sebagai pelajaran.

Dikonfirmasi terkait dugaan penganiayaan dan tindakan kekerasan kepada para peserta aksi tersebut, Kepala Bidang Humas Polda Jatim Komisaris Besar Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko menolak memberikan komentar.

“Tidak ada, tidak ada, sudah cukup. Sekarang kami fokus ke penyidikan,” kata Truno, kepada CNNIndonesia.com.

Berdasarkan catatan Polda Jatim, dalam aksi Tolak Omnibus Law Cipta Kerja Kamis (8/10) setidaknya ada 634 pedemo yang diamankan di Surabaya dan Malang. sebanyak 620 diantaranya dipulangkan, sedangkan 14 orang lainnya ditetapkan sebagai tersangka. Dugaan Pelanggaran Polisi

Sementara itu, LBH Surabaya menerima sejumlah aduan dari para demonstran yang sempat ditangkap oleh polisi usai aksi Kamis (8/10) lalu. Para pedemo mengaku mendapatkan perlakuan kekerasan dari aparat kepolisian saat proses penangkapan hingga ketika ditahan selama semalaman.

“Banyaknya dipukul di kepala dan di punggung. Ada yang masih berbekas, bahkan berdarah,” kata Kepala Bidang Kasus Buruh dan Miskin Kota LBH Surabaya, Habibus Shalihin.

Habibus pun meminta para korban tersebut untuk melakukan visum mandiri ke rumah sakit sebagai bukti ada tindak kekerasan yang mereka alami. Setelah itu, aduan tersebut akan diproses oleh LBH sebelum menentukan langkah selanjutnya.

Senada, Komisi Untuk Orang Hilang dan Korban Tindak Kekerasan (KontraS) Surabaya mencatat setidaknya ada tujuh bentuk tindak kekerasan kepolisian selama menangani dan mengamankan aksi Tolak Omnibus Law di Surabaya.

“Pertama adalah aparat kepolisian [diduga] melakukan penangkapan secara sewenang-wenang kepada beberapa massa aksi yang baru akan melakukan aksi, kepada massa aksi yang tidak terlibat dalam perusakan dan penyerangan serta sedang dirawat di posko medis,” kata Koordinator KontraS Surabaya, Rahmat Faisal.

Kedua aparat kepolisian diduga juga melakukan tindak kekerasan kepada massa aksi yang menjadi relawan medis. Massa aksi tidak bersenjata dan massa aksi yang tidak melawan saat ditangkap.

Ketiga, kata Rahmat aparat kepolisian diduga melakukan penyerangan dan melakukan perusakan terhadap sekretariat PMKRI, yang digunakan untuk posko kesehatan selama aksi.

Polisi juga diduga melakukan intimidasi dan ancaman ke masyarakat serta jurnalis yang berupaya mendokumentasikan kerusuhan selama aksi. Hal itu dilakukan dengan cara merampas alat dokumentasi yang digunakan dan menghapus paksa hasil foto serta video.

Kelima, aparat kepolisian diduga menghambat akses informasi mengenai data pasti siapa saja dan berapa jumlah keseluruhan massa aksi yang ditangkap, termasuk status penahanannya. Tim advokasi jadi mengalami kesulitan dalam melakukan bantuan hukum.

“Pelanggaran keenam terkait aparat kepolisian yang hingga kemarin belum memberikan informasi secara detail jumlah jenis dan keberadaan barang-barang yang dirampas selama aksi,” ujarnya.

Ketujuh, aparat kepolisian diduga melakukan kekerasan dan tindakan tidak manusiawi kepada tersangka anak di bawah umur selama proses penangkapan.

KontraS menuntut pada Polri untuk mengakui bahwa aparat kepolisian telah melakukan tindak kekerasan, penangkapan, teror, perampasan, dan intimidasi kepada masyarakat umum, peserta aksi, dan jurnalis di Gedung Negara Grahadi.

“Kami juga meminta polisi untuk menyampaikan permohonan maaf pada pihak korban dan masyarakat atas tindakan tersebut. Kedua melakukan evaluasi secara menyeluruh terhadap kinerja seluruh anggota aparat Polda Jatim dan Polrestabes Surabaya,” ujarnya

Selain itu, menurut Rahmat, bagi aparat kepolisian yang terlibat dalam tindak kekerasan, mereka bisa diberhentikan secara tidak hormat sesuai dengan proses hukum yang berlaku.

“Terakhir, kami meminta untuk hak korban bisa dipenuhi dengan memberi kompensasi dan rehabilitasi yang layak demi kemanusiaan,” katanya.

Satukan Indonesia

Ratusan Mahasiswa Unima menggelar aksi menolak Omnibus Law UU Cipta Kerja. Para mahasiswa berkumpul di titik depan gerbang kampus, Rabu (7/10).

Rencananya, para mahasiswa bakal melanjutkan menyuarakan Mosi Tidak Percaya ke kantor DPRD Minahasa. Namun masih di depan Poli klinik, para mahasiswa langsung dihadang pihak kepolisian.

Hal itu kemudian menimbulkan kericuhan antara mahasiswa dan kepolisian. Pasalnya, para mahasiswa yang hendak keluar kampus, dihadang pihak kepolisian. Kepolisian kemudian diduga melakukan tindakan represif dan mengangkut 17 mahasiswa yang sementara berdemo.

Sementara para mahasiswa lainnya sempat terjadi kejar-kejaran dengan kepolisian. Bahkan sejumlah mahasiswa sempat ada yang dipukul menggunakan kayu dari tiang-tiang panji mahasiswa. Karena sejumlah mahasiswa ada yang berusaha menghalangi polisi yang akan menangkap teman mereka.

“Kami hanya ingin menyuarakan Mosi Tidak Percaya Kami, tetap kenapa polisi datang menghalangi dan memukuli kami. Teman-teman kami bahkan ditangkap. Katanya mengayomi tapi kok malah mencelakai kami mahasiswa,” ungkap Hirmawan salah satu mahasiswa.

Sementara itu, Kapolres Minahasa AKBP Denny Situmorang SIK saat dikonfirmasi di nomor 0852438xxxx belum merespon hingga berita ini diturunkan.

Manado Post

A former lawyer from the Arakan State capital Sittwe was charged at the township court under the Telecommunications Law’s Section 66(d), a notorious defamation provision, on October 7.

The accused, U Thar Pwint, said he had shared posts on social media about the deaths of civilians in Arakan State amid ongoing armed conflict in the region.

“I was sued without any reason. If I was sued for sharing posts, the person who put up the post should be the No. 1 accused,” said U Thar Pwint. “Secondly, I was not the only person who shared the post. If there are 20 who shared the post, all these people have to be sued. The reason for me is they don’t like me.”

Major Kyaw Zaw of a local Tatmadaw engineering unit filed the case as plaintiff under Section 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law, which threatens up to three years in prison for anyone “extorting, coercing, restraining wrongfully, defaming, disturbing, causing undue influence or threatening to any person by using any Telecommunications Network.”

U Thar Pwint has been released on bail but will face his first court hearing on October 21.

Another Sittwe resident, U Soe Naing, was sued in August under 66(d) for allegedly making comments about the government on social media.

“There are things relating to the government and there are also things not relating to the government. I was not blaming the government but just commenting as a citizen on what they have said and done,” U Soe Naing said.

“Dear war victims, please honour the government for giving us a bar of soap to protect against coronavirus,” reads one of U Soe Naing’s Facebook posts. “We’d like to know whether the [Chief Minister] U Nyi Pu government, which said it has responsibility and accountability, has any plan to resign or not.”

“The government, the Tatmadaw, the leaders must bear political criticisms,” said Ma Thet Su Pyae Eain, a researcher for the freedom of expression advocacy group Athan. “We criticise the filing of lawsuits under such sections. All the cases filed against them should be withdrawn as soon as possible. Only then can we carry on with good democracy.”

In the first four years of the National League for Democracy (NLD) government’s five-year term, cases involving violations of free expression were filed against 1,051 people, according to a July report from Athan.

Charges brought under the Telecommunications Law topped the list.

DMG

In Kyrgyzstan, a number of attacks on journalists and threats to media outlets have been reported since October 4 parliamentary elections, which were voided, followed by nationwide unrest and an ongoing political crisis and state of emergency, according to news reports, CPJ documentation, and a report by the Kyrgyz independent nonprofit organization Media Policy Institute. Yesterday, the Kyrgyz parliament held an emergency meeting and named Sadyr Japarov, a nationalist politician freed from prison by supporters, the country’s new prime minister, according to news reports.

Today, President Sooronbay Jeenbekov resigned, according to media reports.

“It is crucial that journalists can safely and freely cover the political crisis in Kyrgyzstan,” said CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator, Gulnoza Said. “Kyrgyz authorities must investigate reported attacks and threats targeting the journalistic community, and put a stop to hostilities toward reporters who are doing their work.”

Radio Azattyk, the Kyrgyz service of the U.S. Congress-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and its journalists have faced several attacks, threats, and other attempts to obstruct reporting since October 4, according to Venera Djumataeva, director of the service, who spoke with CPJ in a phone interview, and news reports.

Starting around October 6, Radio Azattyk’s website and its social media accounts have been targeted by thousands of messages, both signed and anonymous, ranging from insults to direct threats to the outlet and its Kyrgyz office, Djumataeva told CPJ.

One of the threats that CPJ reviewed–distributed through the messaging service WhatsApp and sent to Azattyk’s office phone via that app–stated, “Repost! Today, there is a threat of attack on the office @azattykmedia. Currently they only have one guard. Asking for a repost.” Other threats, posted as commentson Azattyk’s Instagram page, said: “Soon people will be destroying your office, Azattyk,” “People will destroy Azattyk very soon,” and “Let’s go to burn down Azattyk.” CPJ reviewed screenshots of all these messages. Azattyk reported the threats to Facebook, which said it is investigating, according to Djumataeva.

Djumataeva told CPJ that Azattyk had recruited volunteers to provide security at the outlet’s office in Bishkek.

CPJ emailed the Ministry of Internal Affairs for comment on the attacks on Radio Azattyk and its journalists, but did not receive a response.

CPJ

Expressing grave concern about the physical assault of a human rights defender and the subsequent apathy by Satara police, the Human Rights Defenders Alert and the National Dalit Movement for Justice (NDMJ) have written an urgent letter of appeal on September 29.

The letter addressed to the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC), the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) and various UN officials demanded action against the rural police for their apathetic treatment of the physical assault case of Advocate Sujit Nikalje and his family by local goons for his work as a human rights defender.

As many as six people allegedly assaulted the Dalit rights activist and lawyer, who was returning to Phaltan from Dhumalwadi on September 6, along with his wife and his brother’s family. The family was returning from a visit to a nearby waterfall when the group of miscreants verbally and physically harassed them. A crowd that had rushed to the family’s help after hearing their shouts caught one attacker Kunal Gaikwad and handed him over to the police.

The organisations alleged that the Inspector of Phaltan rural police, Nitin T Sawant, not only failed to apprehend the attackers but also threatened Nikalje for a baseless offence of entering a restricted waterfall area.

“The fact is that the waterfall comes under the jurisdiction of Dhamalwadi Panchayat, which had decreed that locals were allowed to visit it. The attackers were in fact in contravention to the Panchayat’s orders barring outsiders from visiting the waterfall. Furthermore, the police let off the Mr. Gaikwad on September 6, 2020, without registering a case despite having been caught red handed,” wrote the organisations.

They demanded that Satara’s Superintendent of Police file a report against the Inspector, the rural police and other personnel for wilful negligence and inaction to register the Advocate’s case.

The organisation also asked that the charge of attempt to murder be added to Nikalje’s existing FIR along with other charges of voluntary hurt, assault on a woman to outrage her modesty, unlawful assembly and armed rioting. Lastly, they demanded compensation for the Dalit rights activist who was assaulted on account of his human rights work.

“We urge that this case is treated as a case of reprisal on the human rights defender,” said the letter.

Five of the six accused were arrested on September 10 following intervention by Superintendent of Police Ms. Tejaswi Satpute. However, Mr. Deepak Gaikwad continues to be absconding.

The organisations that believed the attack was of a pre-meditated nature said, “He [Gaikwad] has been identified by the HRD as being the leader of the pack and took the lead in instigating the attack against the HRD. The fact that he continues to be free puts the life of the HRD [Nikalje] and his family in imminent threat.”

Sabrang India

In Kyrgyzstan, a number of attacks on journalists and threats to media outlets have been reported since October 4 parliamentary elections, which were voided, followed by nationwide unrest and an ongoing political crisis and state of emergency, according to news reports, CPJ documentation, and a report by the Kyrgyz independent nonprofit organization Media Policy Institute. Yesterday, the Kyrgyz parliament held an emergency meeting and named Sadyr Japarov, a nationalist politician freed from prison by supporters, the country’s new prime minister, according to news reports.

Today, President Sooronbay Jeenbekov resigned, according to media reports.

“It is crucial that journalists can safely and freely cover the political crisis in Kyrgyzstan,” said CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator, Gulnoza Said. “Kyrgyz authorities must investigate reported attacks and threats targeting the journalistic community, and put a stop to hostilities toward reporters who are doing their work.”

Radio Azattyk, the Kyrgyz service of the U.S. Congress-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and its journalists have faced several attacks, threats, and other attempts to obstruct reporting since October 4, according to Venera Djumataeva, director of the service, who spoke with CPJ in a phone interview, and news reports.

On October 6, an unknown person hit Radio Azattyk correspondent Dastan Umotbai Uulu, who was covering a rally in support of then President Jeenbekov in Osh, Djumataeva told CPJ. The journalist did not say where on his body he was hit, or provide any more information on who hit him, according to Djumataeva. She said the journalist, who was wearing a vest marked “Press” and protective gear, was not injured, but due to the hostile attitude of the protesters he stopped his reporting on that rally and left the location.

CPJ

Officials in Kyrgyzstan today voided the results of the October 4 parliamentary election after mass protests broke out in the capital of Bishkek and other cities. Members of several opposition parties announced plans to oust the president, according to news reports. Several journalists were attacked while covering the vote and the unrest that has followed, according to news reports and a statement today by the Kyrgyz independent nonprofit organization Media Policy Institute.

“Independent news is essential to the public during these chaotic and quickly moving events in Kyrgyzstan since the parliamentary elections,” said CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator, Gulnoza Said. “Kyrgyz authorities should ensure journalists can work freely and safely; law enforcement must stop attacking the press and ensure that protesters don’t target journalists either.”

Today, a law enforcement officer confiscated the phone of Ruslan Kharizov, a correspondent from independent news website 24.kg, while the journalist was using it to conduct a live broadcast of unrest in downtown Bishkek on the outlet’s Facebook page, according to news reports and Kharizov, who spoke with CPJ via messaging app. The officer came up to the journalist, cursed at him, told him that the unrest in the country was happening because of his filming, and forcefully took his phone, Kharizov said. He told CPJ that the officer deleted the last recording before the journalist got his phone back.

Later in the day, several filming crews, including Kharizov and crews from Kloop and Kyrgyz broadcaster 7 Kanal, were denied entry to the Dostuk hotel during an emergency session of the Kyrgyz parliament taking place there, according to Kharizov. Protesters organized to guard the entrance to the hotel and obstruct the journalists, Kharizov told CPJ.

Also today, during a live broadcast in front of Government House in Bishkek, a group of unknown men attacked Kloop’s film crew, according to Kloop, which published video of the attack on Facebook, and other news reports.

Also today in Bishkek, a police officer threw a stone at a journalist from Kyrgyz online broadcaster Vesti.kg, Eldos Kazybekov, according to news reports. The journalist was reporting from the scene of protests when a police officer told him to leave; when Kazybekov told the officer that he was a journalist, the former threw a stone at him, but missed, according to those reports.

As of today, hospitals in Kyrgyzstan have admitted 686 people with injuries of various degrees, according to news reports; it is unclear if there are any journalists among them.

CPJ emailed the Ministry of Internal Affairs for comment, but did not receive a response.

CPJ

Vietnam’s security forces have detained prominent human rights defender and democracy campaigner Pham Doan Trang as the communist government has tightened control to clear all political opposition while the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) is preparing for its 13th National Congress scheduled for early 2021.

Ms. Trang was arrested in the late night of October 6, few hours after the 24th Annual Human Rights Dialogue between the US and Vietnam held in Hanoi, when she was in a rent apartment in Ho Chi Minh City, the southern economic hub she has lived in the past three years while being chased by the Vietnamese security forces. According to her landlord, during the arrest, police officers showed the arrest warrant on which she was charged with “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 117 of the Criminal Code with a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison if she is convicted.

The state-controlled media has yet covered the arrest. It is expected that the Ministry of Public Security will announce the information about her detention soon as she is among high-risk human rights defenders in the Southeast Asian nation.

Ms. Trang, 42, is a former journalist for the official streamlined newswire VietnamNet. She left the outlet and went to study in the US and involved in activism, becoming one of the leading figures working for human rights and multi-party democracy in Vietnam.

She is a prominent and outspoken journalist, activist, and blogger whose writing covers a wide range of topics including LGBT rights, women’s rights, environmental issues, the territorial conflict between Vietnam and China, police brutality, suppression of activists, and law and human rights. Her book, Chính trị Bình dân (Politics for the Common People), a kind of primer for budding activists, was published in samizdat form in September 2017. She has produced a number of political books such as Phản kháng phi bạo lực (Non-violent Resistance), Politics of Police State, and Cẩm nang nuôi tù (Handbook for Prisoners’ Families). She is one of the authors of Việ Nam & Tranh chấp Biển Đông (Vietnam and the Conflict on the East Sea), published by Tri Thuc Publishing House in Vietnam.

On September 25, she and Vietnamese American Willian Nguyen publicized the 3rd edition of Dong Tam Report, the comprehensive report about the bloody attack of Vietnam’s security forces in Dong Tam commune, Hanoi on January 9 this year and the first-instance hearing to try 29 land petitioners who were charged with “murders” of three police officers and “resisting on-duty state officials” during the raid. It is worth noting that three out of the five co-authors of the first and the second editions of Dong Tam Report, former prisoner of conscience Can Thi Theu and her two sons Trinh Ba Phuong and Trinh Ba Tu were arrested on June 24, also charged with “conducting anti-state propaganda.”

Trang is also a street activist who is committed to peaceful protest. She has joined demonstrations outside police stations and at airports when fellow activists were detained, participated in nationalist protests about China’s violations of Vietnam’s sovereignty in the East Sea (South China Sea), and pro-environmental marches. She has been beaten and detained many times in the past five years.

Trang is the editor for the website Vietnam Right Now, which aims to distribute “objective, accurate, and timely information on the current social and political conditions in Vietnam today.” She is also a co-founder and an editor of the Vietnam Legal Initiative, a US-based NGO working to promote human rights, civil rights, and democracy in Vietnam.

Her writing and activism have addressed a broad human rights agenda, from the rights to freedom of expression, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, freedom of association, and other rights, including the right to remain silent. As a journalist and blogger, she also focuses on the role of media in social and political life and remains especially concerned with freedom of information on the internet and freedom of the press.

In 2018, Trang was awarded the Homo Homini Award by the Czech-based human rights organization People In Need which considers her “one of the leading figures of the contemporary Vietnamese dissent. She uses plain words to fight the lack of freedom, corruption, and the despotism of the communist regime.”

Last year, the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) presented her with Award For Work to Improve Journalistic Freedom. In March this year, the Liberal Publishing House under her leadership was honored with Prix Voltaire by the International Publishers’ Association.

Responding to her arrest, Phil Robertson, deputy chief of Southeast Asia Office of Human Rights Watch stated “Vietnam’s scorched earth response to political dissent is on display for all to see with the arrest of prominent blogger and author Pham Doan Trang. Despite suffering years of systemic government harassment, including severe physical attacks, she has remained faithful to her principles of peaceful advocacy for human rights and democracy. Her thoughtful approach to reforms, and demands for people’s real participation in their governance, are messages the Vietnam government should listen to and respect, not repress. Human Rights Watch strongly condemns Vietnam’s arrest of Pham Doan Trang. Every day she spends behind bars is a grave injustice that violates Vietnam’s international human rights commitments and brings dishonor to the government. Governments around the world and the UN must prioritize her case, speak out loudly and consistently on her behalf, and demand her immediate and unconditional release.”

The ruling Communist Party of Vietnam’s Central Committee is conducting the 13th Plenum in Hanoi on October 5-10 to prepare for the party 13th National Congress slated in early January. Months ahead of the congress which takes for every five years, Vietnam’s security forces have tightened social security and intensified crackdown on political dissidents, social activists, and human rights defenders.

So far this year, Vietnam has arrested 25 activists and 29 Dong Tam land petitioners, raising the number of prisoners of conscience to 258, according to the latest statistics of Defend the Defenders.

Defend the Defenders

The trial for Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's defamation suit against writer and financial adviser Leong Sze Hian opened on Tuesday (Oct 6).

The trial is set to run for the rest of the week before Justice Aedit Abdullah, with Mr Lee represented by Senior Counsel Davinder Singh and a team of lawyers, and opposition politician Lim Tean representing Mr Leong.

Mr Lee, 68, sued Mr Leong in late 2018 over a public Facebook post the latter shared on his page on Nov 7, 2018, containing a link to an article by Malaysian website The Coverage.

The article alleged that Mr Lee had helped former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak launder money in relation to scandal-hit Malaysian state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Mr Lee's lawyers said the post contained "false and baseless" allegations that were "highly defamatory", including a purportedly libellous allegation that Mr Lee was "complicit in criminal activity relating to 1MDB".

Mr Leong, 66, said in December 2018 that he had complied with a notice from the Info-communications Media Development Authority on Nov 10 to take down the offending post, adding that he had "merely shared" the article with no comments.

After the suit was filed, Mr Leong's lawyer filed a counterclaim alleging that Mr Lee's libel suit was an abuse of court, but this was thrown out by the High Court and later by the Court of Appeal.

The apex court ordered Mr Leong to pay the Prime Minister costs of S$20,000 in September last year, after reiterating that the argument of abuse of court was not part of the law of Singapore and that a plaintiff has the right to choose who to sue for defamation.

Mr Lee arrived by car shortly past 9.30am on Tuesday, in a grey suit and a pale green tie. He waved to the people in the public gallery when he entered the courtroom. There is a limit of 20 people because of COVID-19 safe distancing measures.

Mr Lim and Mr Leong gave remarks to the media outside the Supreme Court before entering at about 9.45am, with Mr Leong saying he was armed only with the "sword of truth".

Members of the public queued for tickets to the public gallery from as early as 5.30am, and tickets were issued by 7am.

The trial comes after Mr Leong's lawyer was arrested on Friday (2 Oct)for alleged offences of criminal breach of trust and stalking.

He was released later that day.

CNA

The Uttar Pradesh Police has booked Malayalam journalist Siddique Kappan and three others for sedition as well as under the stringent UAPA, a day after they were stopped on their way to Hathras, home to a Dalit woman who died after being allegedly gang-raped. Siddique from Malappuram, Atiq-ur Rehman from Muzaffarnagar, Masood Ahmed from Bahraich and Alam from Rampur have been booked by the Mathura police. Siddique Kappan is a senior Delhi-based journalist, doing freelance work for several Malayalam media houses, including azhimukham.com.

The FIR (first information report) copy, accessed by TNM, alleges that the four men had gone to disrupt the peace in Hathras and there is a big conspiracy behind their visit. The Uttar Pradesh police had earlier said that they had arrested them for having links with the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its affiliate in Mathura. However, the PFI link has not been mentioned in the FIR at all.

The FIR shows that the four have been booked under 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings) and 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code, as well as section 17 (punishment for raising funds for terrorist act) and 14 (punishment for unlawful activities) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

All the four have also been booked under section 65 (tampering with computer source documents), 72 (punishment for sending offensive messages through communication service) and 76 (punishment for violation of privacy) of the Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008.

The FIR also mentions the website, justiceforhathrasvictim.carrd.co, which had information on how to protest safely and avoid the police. The police have stated that the website incites violence and threatens the law and order situation. “The main intention of this website has been found to be to encourage communal hatred, cause unrest in the society and to spark riots on a large scale,” the FIR states, adding that the four have been arrested over “larger conspiracy”. The four accused have been accused of running the website and that it has been created under the garb of 'collecting funds' to incite violence. However, the PFI link has not been mentioned in the FIR.

The Uttar Pradesh police had on Monday said that it seized the mobile phones, laptops and some literature, which “could have an impact on peace and law and order”, from the arrested people. During interrogation, it came to light that the four arrested people had links with the PFI and its associate organisation Campus Front of India, the UP police had claimed.

The Delhi unit of Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath seeking his release, saying he was going to Hathras only to perform his duty as a reporter. Terming Kappan's arrest as illegal and unconstitutional, the KUWJ also filed a habeas corpus petition in the Supreme Court on Tuesday seeking his immediate production before the court and release from the "illegal detention".

Kappan is also the KUWJ's secretary and was proceeding to Hathras only to do his duty as a reporter, KUWJ's Delhi unit president Miji Jose told the Chief Minister in her letter, urging him to order his release.

"We understand that he was taken into custody by Uttar Pradesh police from Hathras toll plaza. Our efforts and the efforts by some advocates based in Delhi to contact him were not successful," KUWJ said.

Hathras has been in the news following the death of a 19-year-old Dalit woman who was allegedly gang-raped on September 14 in a village in the district. And her cremation at night, allegedly without the parents' consent, has triggered widespread outrage.

NEWS Minute

Saptari based reporter for the Kantipur national daily Abadhesh Kumar Jha was misbehaved by a police officer while reporting on October 5. Saptari district lies in Province-2 of Nepal.

FF’s representative at Province-2 Rajan Singh reported that Jha was making notes about a discussion among women representatives, advocates and chief of police at the district police office. Women leaders had reached the office to make aware police chief Rajendra Prasad Dhamala and draw attention of security authority on increasing violence against women in the district in the recent days.

Police chief Dhamala warned that journalist Jha could not report in the district police office without police permission and ordered him (Jha) to leave the office immediately.

Freedom Forum has serious concern over the statement of police chief for it severely violates press freedom and citizens' right to information. The journalists have every right to report on the issues of public concern. Hence, FF strongly urges the concerned authority to respect rights of journalists and press freedom.

It is appalling that violence against women as rape and murder are rising rapidly across the country of late.

Nepal Press Freedom

Officials in Kyrgyzstan today voided the results of the October 4 parliamentary election after mass protests broke out in the capital of Bishkek and other cities. Members of several opposition parties announced plans to oust the president, according to news reports. Several journalists were attacked while covering the vote and the unrest that has followed, according to news reports and a statement today by the Kyrgyz independent nonprofit organization Media Policy Institute.

“Independent news is essential to the public during these chaotic and quickly moving events in Kyrgyzstan since the parliamentary elections,” said CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator, Gulnoza Said. “Kyrgyz authorities should ensure journalists can work freely and safely; law enforcement must stop attacking the press and ensure that protesters don’t target journalists either.”

Yesterday, special forces in Bishkek, the capital, shot in the direction of journalist Aibol Kozhomuratov, a correspondent from Current Time, a TV network affiliated with the U.S. Congress-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, who later wrote about it on Twitter and spoke with CPJ via messaging app.

Kozhomuratov said a law enforcement officer shot in his direction even though he was wearing a special reflective vest designated for media workers and was clearly in the process of filming. The bullet flew a few millimeters above journalist’s head and he “felt it with his hair,” but was unharmed, Kozhomuratov said. Current Time released a video of the shooting on Twitter.

CPJ

Students at Maha Sarakham University, in Thailand’s northeastern province of Maha Sarakham, have complained that they were harassed by police, who tried to disrupt their pro-democracy rally at the university’s sports ground.

In a Facebook post today, a student leader said that plain clothes and uniformed police came to the protest site, to search for illegal or subversive publications and to notify the event organizers of the laws related to public gatherings.

He said that the police seized copies of a red book, containing a10-point manifesto for the reform of the Thai Monarchy, and collections of poetry, authored by members of the Free People Movement.

He admitted, however, that he was not surprised by the seizure of those publications, adding that the students had already downloaded the contents of the two publications in PDF format and that anyone who is interested can also download them.

He added that police blocked access to the protest site with metal barriers, but students, their supporters and red-shirt followers were unfazed and streamed into the site to join the rally.

Thai PBS

Officials in Kyrgyzstan today voided the results of the October 4 parliamentary election after mass protests broke out in the capital of Bishkek and other cities. Members of several opposition parties announced plans to oust the president, according to news reports. Several journalists were attacked while covering the vote and the unrest that has followed, according to news reports and a statement today by the Kyrgyz independent nonprofit organization Media Policy Institute.

“Independent news is essential to the public during these chaotic and quickly moving events in Kyrgyzstan since the parliamentary elections,” said CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator, Gulnoza Said. “Kyrgyz authorities should ensure journalists can work freely and safely; law enforcement must stop attacking the press and ensure that protesters don’t target journalists either.”

On October 4, two unidentified men attacked a filming crew of the independent news website Kloop in the southern city of Osh, according to news reports. As Kloop correspondent Aibike Adilet Kyzy and cameraman Khamidullo Uzakov were filming at polling station No. 5316 in a café, an unidentified man approached them, hit Uzakov, and unsuccessfully tried to take away the phone with which he was filming, while the police officers at the scene did not help the journalists, according to those reports. Later another man, who the journalists had seen with the first attacker, tried to take the phone from Adilet Kyzy, also unsuccessfully, according to those reports. The journalists filed a complaint with the Osh city police, which later detained and interrogated one of the assailants, and began an investigation into the attack as well as the refusal of the police officers at the scene to interfere, according to those reports.

CPJ tried to contact Kloop by email and through Facebook but did not immediately get a response.

On October 4, police officers–who have not been identified–prevented Radio Azattyk correspondent Ernist Nurmatov from entering polling station No. 5303 in the southern city of Osh, where the journalist went to cover the parliamentary elections, according to Djumataeva. Zamir Sydykov, press secretary of the Osh city department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, told Radio Azattyk over the phone that the police had the right to prevent a journalist from entering a polling station, Djumataeva said.

CPJ

The Free Media Movement strongly condemns the attack carried out on the Derana TV journalist Indunil Wijenayake in Monaragala, while he was there to cover an incident of unauthorized sand mining in the Kumbukkan Oya.

According to reports we have received, journalist Indunil Wijenayake has gone to report an incident of illegal sand mining around the Kumbukkan Oya. At that time, he was attacked by a group of people who obstructed his attempt to report, and as a result of the assault, he had to be admitted to the Monaragala Hospital for treatment. A complaint has been lodged with the Monaragala Police regarding the incident, and it has been reported that the police have commenced investigations into the incident and arrested one suspect.

During the past journalist have reported on unauthorized sand mining in various parts of the country, and recently with the police media spokesperson stating that those reports were instrumental and extremely helpful in the police investigations, it has validated and acknowledged the importance of the role of journalists.

The Government of Sri Lanka has a responsibility to protect the country’s rare natural resources through local environmental regulations as well as through international conventions.

In such a context, in the past journalists who have been engaged in reporting on the environment have been harassed and threatened on several occasions by people suspected of engaging in crimes against the environment. If the law were enforced adequately concerning such incidents, journalists would not often have to fall prey to these environmental criminals. Therefore, the Free Media Movement calls on the authorities to immediately conduct an impartial inquiry into the incident and enforce the law regardless of the status of the suspects.

Sri Lanka Brief

With top Congress leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra hitting the streets to highlight the Uttar Pradesh government’s mishandling of the Hathras gangrape-and-murder case, one would assume that since at least in the states where the party is in power, individuals’ right to protest would be honoured.

But in Maharashtra, particularly in Mumbai, that is not the case. The city police began tracking 24-year-old anti-caste activist Suvarna Salve at 1 am on October 2 and at the crack of dawn, they were at her doorstep armed with a legal notice to prevent her from participating in any protests in the city.

Suvarna, a student and cultural activist, says the police first called her on her cell phone at midnight and inquired about her whereabouts. “They asked me for my address and said they want to serve me a notice at 1 am. I informed them that I was away and they should not bother my family. But at around 7:15 am, the police were at my doorstep with a notice. My family received the notice,” she says.

The notice, typed in Marathi, stated that Salve was prohibited from participating in a “peaceful protest” organised by a Mumbai-based collective ‘Hum Bharat ke Log’ (We the People of India). Issued by the Marine Drive police station and signed by senior police inspector Mrityunjay Hiremath, the notice states:

“In the peaceful protest, banners and placards with messages like “Sab Nirbhay Bano, Loktantra Zinda Rakho, Savidhan ka SanmaaN karo” (Become fearless, keep democracy alive, respect the constitution) are to be displayed near a Gandhi statue at Madam Cama road.”

In the notice, issued under section 149 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), the police have quoted a whole bunch of sections, including those under the Maharashtra Police Act, the Epidemic Diseases Act and other sections of unlawful assembly claiming that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the public gathering is prohibited. Section 149 of the CrPC implies that every police officer may intervene for the purpose of preventing, and shall, to the best of his ability, prevent, the commission of any cognizable offence

Salve says while the sections applied are understandable, the motive behind serving a notice only to her is not. “It was supposed to be a public gathering. Several people had decided to participate. But they identify just a few in the crowd and serve a notice. How to even understand this behaviour,” she asks.

Besides Salve, at least two more persons who were to participate in the protest have been served with similar notices. Salve did not attend the protest and Firoze Mithiborewala, one of the protestors, confirmed that the police served similar notices to two teenagers who had assembled at the protest site.

Interestingly, when The Wire contacted the Marine Drive senior police inspector Hiremath to inquire about the grounds for issuing this notice, he said that he was not aware of it. “There is no protest organised within my jurisdiction. We have not issued any notice,” he claimed over the phone. The letter has his name and signature on it.

This is not the first time that the Mumbai police have served a notice on Salve. On August 29, The Wire, in a detailed piece had reported the Mumbai police’s attempt to classify Salve as a “habitual offender” and initiate the administrative procedure of “externment” against her. In that notice, the Mumbai police also demanded a whopping surety of Rs 50 lakh from her. The notice was served to her for participating in an impromptu protest organised in the city in January in the wake of the attack on students and faculty members inside the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus.

Salve says she has been singled out and harassed by the current state dispensation. She says the police’s act of serving notices on her for every public appearance is crafted with a clear intention to profile and criminalise her.

Since her college days, Salve has been a vocal anti-caste voice, participating in protests and students’ agitations across India. In 2016, after the death of Rohith Vemula, a PhD scholar at the University of Hyderabad, which many described as an “institutional murder”, Salve joined the Joint Action Committee (JAC) formed to fight for justice for Vemula and other Bahujan students who face discrimination in campuses.

Salve told The Wire, “The protests that I have participated in have always been peaceful and organised against the atrocities and violations of human rights in the country. This protest [on October 2] was organised to register our protest against the inhuman treatment meted out to a Dalit family, whose 19-year-old daughter was allegedly gang-raped and killed. And the irony is, the Mumbai police identifies one Dalit woman and prohibits her from protesting.”

Wire

A court in Shanghai recently handed down a secret sentence of three years' imprisonment to detained rights activist Chen Jianfang, a Chinese rights website reported.

"We learned on Oct. 2, 2020 that Shanghai human rights defender Chen Jianfang has been sentenced to three years' imprisonment for incitement to subvert state power," the Weiquanwang rights website reported, citing lawyer Liu Shihui.

"Chen Jianfang is currently being held in the Shanghai Detention Center. The authorities have so far not allowed her to meet with a defense attorney," the report said.

The sentence will run until Feb. 18, 2022, it said.

Chen, 49, a Shanghai-based housing activist was recently named as a recipient of the 4th Cao Shunli Memorial Award for Human Rights Defenders by Civil Rights & Livelihood Watch, Human Rights Campaign in China, and the Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) network.

The news of her secret sentencing came after her indictment by the state prosecutor on Aug. 30, and the transfer of her case to the Shanghai No. 1 Intermediate People's Court.

Chen's appointed defense lawyer Wu Li told RFA on Monday that she had been repeatedly denied permission to meet with her client.

"After she instructed us, she applied to the Shanghai No. 1 Intermediate Court, but it didn't approve her request, so we were never able to read the case files," Wu said. "Later, we requested information from the court about where she was being held, but they didn't tell us."

"I later learned that she is in the Shanghai No. 1 Detention Center, so I made an appointment, but they canceled it," Wu said. "The reason they gave was ridiculous: that only one meeting was permitted for each stage in the case."

Wu said unconfirmed reports suggest that Chen's family may have been forced to revoke her lawyer's instruction under pressure from the authorities.

Cao Shunli as model

Gu Guoping, a friend of Chen's, said her detention came after she penned an essay paying tribute rights activist Cao Shunli on the fifth anniversary of her death in police custody on March 14, 2014.

Gu said the charges could also be linked to the way in which the news of the Cao Shunli award was made public.

"She inadvertently disclosed the contact details of the chairman of the U.N. Human Rights Council to petitioners, and they also inadvertently leaked the news [of her award]," Gu said. "Then the authorities stopped her from going to Switzerland [to receive the award]."

Chen has been held incommunicado for more than six months on subversion charges, putting her at high risk of torture and other ill-treatment, rights groups say.

Chen was detained on March 20 alongside her husband, and the couple 'disappeared' for several months. Chen was formally arrested on suspicion of "subversion of state power" on May 22, while her husband was released on bail on April 3.

Her incommunicado detention was the subject of an appeal from four United Nations human rights experts to the Chinese government in August.

Chen, 49, who hails from a rural community, began defending land and housing rights after her family lost land to government-backed developers.

Her work has highlighted the widespread mass evictions behind Shanghai's skyscrapers and high-speed railways, key elements in China's development showcase that mask widespread abuses of residents' rights.

She has referred to Cao Shunli as "my spiritual teacher, from whom I learned some of the highest ideals."

"My own rights defense work is indivisible from what she taught me," Chen wrote to RFA at the time of the award.

Chen's sentencing comes at a time of worsening rights abuses under President Xi Jinping, who now looks set to rule indefinitely.

Cao was detained on Sept. 14, 2013, as she was boarding a flight to Geneva, where she was to attend a session of the U.N. Human Rights Council, where she hoped to participate in drafting China’s human rights action plans and reports for its U.N. human rights reviews.

RFA

Activist Meng Xiaodong (孟晓东) stood trial at Sui County Court in Shangqiu City on charges of “picking quarrels ” and “obstruction of credit card management” on October 1. The prosecution also accused him of “insulting others” on Twitter for his comments about former state leader Mao Zedong. He pled not guilty and his lawyers defended his innocence. No members of the public were allowed into the courthouse. The hearing ended without a verdict being pronounced. Since 2010, Meng has been active in defending local farmers’ land rights. On September 6, 2019, police from Sui County took Meng away from his home, first detaining him on suspicion of “picking quarrels” and later adding the allegations of “obstruction of credit card management” and “insulting others” on Twitter.

NCHRD

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, Front Line Defenders, FIDH, in the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, the World Organisation Against Torture(OMCT), and the International Service for Human Rights strongly condemn the deliberate targeting of human rights defender Muhammed Ismail and his wife Uzlifat Ismail, the parents of woman human rights defender Gulalai Ismail. The authorities must halt the ongoing judicial harassment against Gulalai Ismail and her family, which is a direct reprisal due to her human rights work. Gulalai has multiple criminal complaints filed against her, including under regressive anti-terror laws. Since she was forced to leave Pakistan due to concerns for her safety, her parents have been targeted under the Penal Code, anti-terrorism laws and cyber security legislation. In the most recent incident, Pakistan authorities approached the Anti Terrorism Court in Peshawar, and filed a new case with charges that include sedition and terrorism. On 30 September 2020, the court charged the three defenders.

Muhammed Ismail is the Secretary-General of the Pakistan NGO Forum (PNF), an umbrella body of civil society organizations (CSOs) in Pakistan. He has been critical of human rights violations in the country, particularly the treatment of his daughter, human rights defender Gulalai Ismail. The woman human rights defender and her family have been targeted by Pakistani authorities in response to a speech she made in 2019, criticising the state/military response to the rape and murder of a minor girl. Since then, several First Information Reports have been subsequently filed against them, forcing Gulalai Ismail to leave Pakistan for her safety.

On 2 July 2020, the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Peshawar had acquitted Gulalai Ismail and her parents, Muhammad Ismail and Uzlifat Ismail, of charges related to financial terrorism. Two months since, the authorities moved the court and filed the same case with additional charges of terrorism, sedition and conspiracy against the State.

On 30 September 2020, the Anti-terrorism court in Peshawar heard the case and charged Muhammad Ismail, Uzlifat Ismail and Gulalai Ismail under Sections 11-N, 124-A, 120-B of the Pakistan Penal Code, which relate to sedition and criminal conspiracy, and 7(g)(i) of the Anti-terrorism Act of 1997. These charges carry heavy prison sentences. The defenders pleaded not guilty and are to appear for their next hearing on 26 October 2020.

Further to the court case, the Federal Bureau of Revenue has sent over ten letters to Muhammad Ismail and his wife, Uzlifat Ismail, asking them to file taxes for the past six years. However, Muhammad Ismail has not been running any business and does not have a regular monthly income and his wife is a home maker. The last date to file the tax was mentioned as 31 August 2020, however, the letters were only received on 1 September 2020. The family believe that this delay was intentional to further target them with additional legal proceedings.

Less than a year ago, on 24 October 2019, Muhammed Ismail was forcibly abducted from outside the Peshawar High Court by unidentified men. He was later found in the custody of Federal Investigation Agency’s Cyber Crimes Unit. He was charged under the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act for “hate speech” and “spreading false information against government institutions”. The defender was granted conditional bail after spending a month in detention. However, on 20 April 2020, the defender was summoned for a court hearing after the Federal Investigation agency filed an appeal at the Peshawar High Court to revoke the conditional bail that was granted to the defender on 25 November 2019.

Muhammad Ismail and Uzlifat Ismail have also been placed on a government Exit Control List (ECL), preventing them from leaving Pakistan. Uzlifat Ismail has been unable to renew her passport as a result of her being placed on an ECL. Both, Muhammad and Uzlifat Ismail, suffer from serious medical conditions including hypertension, diabetes and kidney issues.

The actions of the Pakistani authorities in its targeting of the family are an attempt to silence Gulalai Ismail and punish her for advocating on human rights in Pakistan. Front Line Defenders, CIVICUS, FIDH, the World Organisation Against Torture(OMCT) and the International Service for Human Rights urge the authorities in Pakistan to immediately drop all charges against Muhammad Ismail and Uzlifat Ismail, as we believe that the human rights defenders are being targeted solely as a result of their legitimate and peaceful work in the defence of human rights. We urge the authorities to remove all restrictions on the free movement of Muhammad Ismail and Uzlifat Ismail, and cease all further forms of harassment against the defenders, as it is believed that these measures constitute a direct violation of their rights.

OMCT

A court in Hong Kong on Wednesday extended a travel ban on pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong in connection with an "illegal" protest last year, and for defying a government ban on mask-wearing in public.

The Eastern Magistrate's Court granted bail applications from Wong and co-defendant Koo Sze-yiu, who face charges of "taking part in an illegal assembly" on Oct. 5, 2019, before adjourning until Dec. 18.

But while it lifted a travel ban linked to bail for Koo, it extended the ban on Wong leaving Hong Kong.

Protesters and supporters gathered outside the courtroom, chanting: "Go Joshua Wong!" as dozens of uniformed police officers stood by, while a pro-China group showed up to shout insults and call for Wong's bail application to be denied.

Koo, who has stage IV cancer requiring chemotherapy and multiple surgeries, said public rallies don't need to seek the approval of the authorities before going ahead.

Wong, who faces a number of protest-related charges in separate cases, said he had no intention of giving up his activism.He said the extended travel ban was likely aimed at ensuring he can't promote the cause of the Hong Kong protesters overseas, as fellow activist Nathan Law has done.

"The prosecution once more applied for me to be prevented from leaving Hong Kong," he said. "The government wants to create a chilling effect under the guise of a criminal trial."

"By bringing case after case against me, they have succeeded in preventing me from leaving Hong Kong, to make it much harder for me to talk about Hong Kong's resistance movement to the rest of the world," he said.

"But what I have to put up with is nothing compared to the charges [faced by many others] of rioting, assault and conspiracy, not to mention the 12 Hongkongers [detained] in Shenzhen," Wong said.

He called on Hongkongers to remember the 12 detainees in Hong Kong, whose speedboat was seized by the China Coast Guard as they tried to flee to the democratic island of Taiwan.

March application turned down

Hong Kong police last week turned down an application to hold a protest march on China's Oct. 1 National Day public holiday, to call for the release of the 12 detainees.

"I believe that Hongkongers will use different methods, today, tomorrow, and in the future, to express their concern for them," Wong said.

Wong, 23, was arrested on Sept. 24 as he reported to Central Police Station in connection with another ongoing protest-related case.

He has already served several months' of prison time in connection with last year's anti-extradition and pro-democracy protests and the 2014 Occupy Central movement.

He continues to face six charges in three separate cases, including "inciting others to participate in an illegal assembly," "organizing an illegal assembly," and violating an emergency law banning masks in public.

RFA

Four Koh Kong villagers were detained for about 12 hours after camping outside the provincial hall in a group of about 60 land protesters since Monday, they said.

The group say they are in a 12-year-long dispute with the Union Development Group, or UDG, which has been developing the $3.8-billion Dara Sakor tourism resort in the province. The villagers said they were calling on the provincial administration to act on the case.

Chhay Kimthuch, one of the protesters camping outside the hall, said four villagers had been detained in the dark at about 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday after dozens of officers arrived to disperse the encampment.

“The authorities arrived quietly and grabbed [people] in the tents,” she said.

The four villagers, including a village representative, Preab Roatha, were held at Khemara Phoumin city police headquarters until their release around 3 p.m., Kimthuch said.

Saing Puy, from Koh Sdach commune, added that the tents outside the provincial hall were removed and authorities said they would not be allowed to stay there.

“The Koh Kong provincial authority should not have done this to the people,” she said.

Deputy provincial governor Sok Sothy told VOD that there were no arrests; authorities simply took an administrative measure to maintain public order.

The four villagers were “questioned to note down what their real intentions were in coming,” Sothy said.

UDG’s 45,000-hectare overall economic land concession, granted in 2008 and 2011, pushed families to abandon and dismantle more than 1,500 homes on 10,000 hectares of land, according to a 2012 report from the Community Legal Education Center.

Last month, the U.S. sanctioned the Chinese-owned company, alleging it “used Cambodian military forces to intimidate local villagers and to clear out land necessary for UDG to build the Dara Sakor project.” It also suggested that the resort could be converted to host military assets.

Cambodian officials and UDG have denied the claims.

Hour In, provincial coordinator for rights group Licadho, said people who had lost land were being further victimized by the suppression of protests.

“People became victims of losing land, and when they protested, they became victims even more because of the authorities’ actions,” In said.

Provincial governor Mithona Phouthorng said provincial officials and the Land Management Ministry were studying the dispute to clearly identify the people involved and make other clarifications in order to move toward a solution.

VOD English

Sembilan massa aksi dari Front Rakyat Papua (FRP) yang hendak melakukan aksi penolakan Otsus jilid II di Timika pada, Rabu (23/9/2020) ditangkap aparat kepolisian dari Polres Mimika, Papua.

Kepada Suara Papua, Helena Kobogau, aktivis Papua membenarkan adanya penangkapan kesembilan massa aksi tersebut oleh aparat kepolisian.

“Massa aksi baru kumpul di lapangan Timika indah, lalu mereka diangkut saja begitu,” katanya saat dihubungi suarapapua.com, Rabu (23/9/202020).

Sejauh ini katanya, kesembilan orang yang ditahan orang tersebut masih ditahan di polres. “Kemungkinan besok baru mereka akan dibebaskan,” ujar Kobogau.

Adapun kesembilan massa aksi yang ditahan pihak kepolisian, yaitu Petrus Aim, Fredy Yeimo, Ardi Murib, Dorlince Iyowau, Melvin Yogi, Penehas Nawipa, Deborius Selegani dan Demianus Magai.

Sumber suarapapua.com di Timika menjelaskan, awalnya aparat kepolisian menangkap empat massa aksi saat mereka mendahului yang lain di titik kumpul pada pukul 08.10.

“Saat penangkapan terjadi, cuma mereka empat saja. Mereka ditangak ketika menunggu massa aksi lainnya. Begitu tiba-tiba truk aparat datang dan langsung kasih naik mereka ke dalam truk itu,” bebernya.

“Pas masuk jam setengah 7 malam baru kami dapat info kalau teman-teman yang ditahan itu sebanyak sembilan orang.”

Ada delapan belas (18) pernyataan sikap yang dicantumkan FRP yang sesuai rencana dibacakan dalam aksi tersebut, terutama mengenai penolakan Otsus jilid II.

Dalam keterangan tertulis yang diterima suarapapua.com, Front Rakyat Papua (FRP) menyatakan Otsus sendiri lahir karena adanya tuntutan rakyat Papua saat itu yang menuntut kemerdekaan untuk memisahkan diri dari Indonesia.

Sementara dalam perjalanannya, Otsus sendiri tidak memberikan banyak manfaat yang dirasakan oleh orang Papua. Terhitung sejak diberlakukannya Otsus, banyak peristiwa yang terjadi di tanah Papua, mulai dari pembunuhan di luar hukum, kekerasan seksual, penyiksaan dan termasuk perampasan lahan.

Sementara, dikutib dari seputarpapua.com, Kapolres Mimika, Papua, AKBP I Gusti Gde Era Adhinata mengatakan, pihaknya mengamankan sembilan orang warga yang diduga hendak melakukan aksi demo damai di lapangan Timika Indah, Rabu (23/9/2020).

Dari sembilan orang tersebut, tujuh orang diamankan saat pagi hari, kemudian pada siangnya kembali diamankan dua orang. Kini mereka berada di ruang Satuan Intelkam Polres Mimika untuk diinterogasi secara intensif.

Sejumlah warga tersebut diamankan lantaran sebelumnya hendak melakukan aksi demo damai menolak Otsus jilid II, tapi rencana aksi demo itu tidak diizinkan aparat setempat.

“Pagi tadi ada sekitar tujuh orang yang kita imbau tapi mereka menolak, kita amankan untuk kita interogasi,” kata Kapolres saat ditemui di Lapangan Timika Indah.

“Kita akan interogasi mengapa dia melakukan seperti itu.Tentunya nanti setelah kita interogasi, kita beri imbauan-imbauan dan nanti kita akan pulangkan,” sambungnya.

Suara Papua

Zhongwei City police in Ningxia arrested several volunteers at a wildlife conservation group on numerous charges on September 29. Police announced Li Genshan (李根山), Zhang Baoqi (张保其), Niu Haobao (牛海波) and 8 unnamed individuals of the Zhongwei Mongolian Gazelle Patrol Team had been arrested for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”, “extortion and bribery” & “illegal hunting.” The group used to chase poachers in the desert at night and shortly before being detained, had reportedly accused local forest police of sheltering poachers. Police seized Li, Zhang and Niu on September 9, 2020 and criminally detained them the next day for “picking quarrels,” “extortion and blackmail,” and “robbery.” On September 11, 2020, the police announced on its Weibo account that they arrested 6 more individuals but did not disclose any details. According to other volunteers of their group, three of the six detainees were from the group. By the end of September, 12 individuals remain in custody and two had been released on bail. Zhang’s son Zhang Hai applied for bail but the police rejected the application. In 2019, Li Genshan exposed that a paper manufacturer had been illegally discharging sewage in the Tengger Desert in Inner Mongolia for years, resulting in an investigation from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

NCHRD

Perkumpulan Advokat HAM Papua (PAHAM) mengecam tindakan aparat gabungan TNI dan Polri membubarkan paksa demonstrasi mahasiswa Universitas Cenderawasih, Papua, Senin (28/9) kemarin. Pembubaran demonstrasi oleh disebut sebagai kejahatan terhadap hak warga negara menyampaikan pendapat di muka umum.

"Pembatasan dan Pembubaran paksa aksi mahasiswa Uncen yang dilakukan oleh aparat gabungan Polri dan TNI pada aksi penolakan Otonomi Khusus mahasiswa Uncen pada 28 September 2020 di Kampus Uncen adalah tindakan kejahatan," kata advokat PAHAM, Gustaf Kawer dalam keterangan resmi yang diterima CNNIndonesia.com, Selasa (29/9).

PAHAM menyebut pembubaran paksa oleh TNI dan Polri itu diwarnai aksi kekerasan dan penembakan terhadap para demonstran.

Gustaf mengingatkan bahwa Undang Undang melarang siapapun membubarkan demonstrasi secara paksa, sebagaimana diatur Pasal 18 ayat (1) dan (2) UU N 09/1998 Tentang Kemerdekaan Menyampaikan Pendapat Di Muka Umum, bawah.

Beleid pasal tersebut mengancam pidana satu tahun penjara kepada siapapun yang dengan kekerasan atau ancaman kekerasan, menghalang-halangi hak warga negara menyampaikan pendapat di muka umum yang telah memenuhi ketentuan undang-undang.

PAHAM membeberkan kronologi pembubaran demonstrasi mahasiswa Uncen oleh TNI dan Polri kemarin. Kawer menuturkan unjuk rasa ini digelar di Kampus Uncen Abepura dan Kampus Uncen Waena, oleh mahasiswa yang tergabung dalam Front Mahasiswa dan Rakyat Papua.

Awalnya mahasiswa bertujuan melakukan longmarch aksi penolakan Otonomi Khusus jilid II ke Kantor Gubernur Papua.

Sekitar pukul 09.00 WITa mahasiswa telah berkumpul dan melakukan orasi penolakan Otsus, serta menyerukan referendum. Aksi di Kampus Uncen Waena, kata Gustaf, mendapat penjagaan ketat oleh aparat gabungan polisi dan TNI,

"Aparat melarang mahasiswa melanjutkan aksi dan memaksa mahasiswa untuk bubar dari tempat aksi. Sementara aksi di Kampus Uncen Abepura dibubarkan paksa oleh aparat gabungan Polisi dan TNI," kata Gustaf.

Menurut Gustaf pembubaran paksa di Kampus Uncen Abepura terjadi sekitar pukul 10.50 WITa. Aparat disebutnya membubarkan paksa dengan cara memukul para mahasiswa peserta demonstrasi.

Tindakan aparat itu dibalas mahasiswa dengan melemparkan batu. Dalam suasana ricuh itu, Gustaf menyebut polisi melepaskan tembakan dan mengejar mahasiswa.

"Massa demonstran mundur dan lari menyelamatkan diri, lalu kemudian masa aksi mahasiswa kembali berkumpul dan menduduki ruas jalan di samping kampus Fakultas Hukum Uncen Bawah," ujar Gustaf.

Ia menyebut dalam insiden ini polisi menangkap tiga mahasiswa yang merupakan penanggung jawab aksi yaitu Ayus Heluka, Salmon Tipogau dan Kristian Tegei.

"Polisi juga memukul 2 mahasiswa hingga terluka dan berdarah, yaitu Yabet Lukas Degei dan Selius Wanimbo. Yebet Lukas Degei dipukul di bagian kepala belakang hingga kepalanya terluka dan berdarah, sedangkan Selius Wanimbo dipukul dengan popor senjata di bagian badannya hingga terluka dan berdarah," imbuh Gustaf.

Polda Papua sendiri saat dikonfirmasi usai insiden terebut membantah telah melakukan pembubaran paksa aksi mahasiswa di sekitar Universitas Cendrawasih.

"Tidak ada bentrok, Polri bubarkan paksa setelah laksanakan negosiasi," kata Kabid Humas Polda Papua Kombes Ahmad Musthofa Kamal saat dihubungi CNNIndonesia.com.

Kamal enggan menjabarkan secara rinci aksi unjuk rasa yang terjadi itu, termasuk soal kondisi yang terjadi sehingga mengharuskan aparat keamanan membubarkan paksa para demonstran.

Dalam sejumlah video yang beredar di media sosial, puluhan aparat TNI/Polri terekam berjaga di sekitar Gapura Uncen atas di Jayapura.

Beberapa diantaranya terlihat mengenakan pakaian dinas lengkap dengan pelindung tubuh dan helm. Kendaraan taktis milik kepolisian dan beberapa aparat yang membawa senjata pelontar gas air mata juga terlihat terparkir di lokasi unjuk rasa.

Video lain juga menunjukkan massa aksi mulai kocar-kacir usai terdengar beberapa kali suara letupan yang terdengar seperti tembakan. Meski demikian, Kamal enggan menjawab soal dugaan suara tembakan itu dalam unjuk rasa.

Pembubaran paksa oleh aparat juga disebut PAHAM telah melanggar SOP pengendalian aksi masa damai (Hijau) sebagaimana diatur dalam Pasal 8 Peraturan Kapolri No 16 Tahun 2006 tentang Pedoman Pengendalian Masa.

"Aksi mahasiswa ini masih dalam situasi tertib atau damai (hijau) yang mestinya dalam penanganan polisi tidak melakukan pembubaran paksa, pemukulan dan penembakan," ucap Gustaf.

"Tindakan yang dilakukan oleh kepolisian adalah melakukan pengawalan dan pengawalan, melakukan negosiasi dan perundingan, sebagaimana diatur dalam huruf a sampai m pasal 8. Sebaliknya bukan polisi melakukan pembubaran paksa dan penembakan seperti yang terjadi dalam kasus ini," imbuhnya.

Atas tindakan paksa aparat gabungan, PAHAM mendesak pemerintah menghentikan segala bentuk pembatasan hak menyampaikan pendapat warga dan kekerasan terhadap warga.

PAHAM juga meminta Kapolri dan Panglima TNI mengubah pendekatan kekerasan dalam penegakan hukum dan Keamanan di Papua.

"Kapolri segera mengevaluasi kinerja Kapolda Papua, Kapolresta Jayapura dan Kapolsek Abepura dan mengganti dengan polisi Papua yang lebih profesional," kata Gustaf.

CNN Indonesia

The complete freezing of Amnesty International India’s bank accounts by the Government of India which it came to know on 10 September 2020, brings all the work being done by the organization to a grinding halt. The organisation has been compelled to let go of staff in India and pause all its ongoing campaign and research work. This is latest in the incessant witch-hunt of human rights organizations by the Government of India over unfounded and motivated allegations, Amnesty International India said today.

“The continuing crackdown on Amnesty International India over the last two years and the complete freezing of bank accounts is not accidental. The constant harassment by government agencies including the Enforcement Directorate is a result of our unequivocal calls for transparency in the government, more recently for accountability of the Delhi police and the Government of India regarding the grave human rights violations in Delhi riots and Jammu & Kashmir. For a movement that has done nothing but raise its voices against injustice, this latest attack is akin to freezing dissent,” said Avinash Kumar, Executive Director of Amnesty International India.

Amnesty International India stands in full compliance with all applicable Indian and international laws. For human rights work in India, it operates through a distinct model of raising funds domestically. More than four million Indians have supported Amnesty International India’s work in the last eight years and around 100,000 Indians have made financial contributions. These contributions evidently cannot have any relation with the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010. The fact that the Government is now portraying this lawful fundraising model as money-laundering is evidence that the overbroad legal framework is maliciously activated when human rights activists and groups challenge the government’s grave inactions and excesses.

The attacks on Amnesty International India and other outspoken human rights organizations, activists and human rights defenders is only an extension of the various repressive policies and sustained assault by the government on those who speak truth to power. “Treating human rights organisations like criminal enterprises and dissenting individuals as criminals without any credible evidence is a deliberate attempt by the Enforcement Directorate and Government of India to stoke a climate of fear and dismantle the critical voices in India. It reeks of fear and repression, ignores the human cost to this crackdown particularly during a pandemic and violates people’s basic rights to freedom of speech and expression, assembly, and association guaranteed by the Indian Constitution and international human rights law. Instead, as a global power and a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council, India must fearlessly welcome calls for accountability and justice,” said Avinash Kumar.

As part of the Nobel Prize winning movement, Amnesty International India holds itself to the highest evidentiary standards. Our work in India, as elsewhere, is to uphold universal human rights and build a global movement of people who take injustice personally. These are the same values that are enshrined in the Constitution of India and flow from a long and rich Indian tradition of pluralism, tolerance and peaceful dissent.

———

BACKGROUND: CHRONOLOGY OF ATTACKS AND HARASSMENT OF AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL INDIA:

On 25 October 2018, Amnesty International India endured a 10-hour-long raid as a group of officers from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), a financial investigation agency under the Ministry of Finance, entered its premises and locked the gates behind them. Most of the information and documents that were demanded during the search were already available in the public domain or filed with the relevant government authorities. The residence of a Director was also raided.

Immediately after the raid, the bank accounts were also frozen by the ED. As a result, Amnesty International India was forced to let go of a number of its staff, adversely affecting its work in India including with the marginalised communities. Despite the ongoing investigations and before the framing of charges, the Government of India started a smear campaign against Amnesty International India in the country through selective leaking of documents gathered by the ED, to government-aligned media outlets. This resulted in a malicious media trial against the organization.

In early 2019, the Department of Income Tax started sending investigative letters to more than 30 small regular donors. Apparently, the department did not find any irregularities but the process adversely affected the fundraising campaigns of Amnesty International India.

In June 2019, Amnesty International India was denied permission to hold the press conference launch in Srinagar to release its third ‘Lawless Law’ report on the misuse and abuse of Public Safety Act in Jammu and Kashmir. It was forced to digitally release it.

On 22 October 2019, Amnesty International testified at the US Congressional hearing on the situation of human rights in South Asia with specific focus on Jammu and Kashmir since the unilateral abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution of India.

On 15 November 2019, two weeks after the testimony and amid rumours of impending arrests of the organizations top officials, the offices of Amnesty International India and the residence of one of its directors were raided again by the CBI. The raids were conducted on the basis of a First Information Report filed by the Ministry of Home Affairs over unsubstantiated allegations of suspected violations of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act. It suggested investigations be launched under other laws like Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

On 13 April 2020, Amnesty International India called on the Uttar Pradesh Government to stop its intimidation of journalists through use of repressive laws during a pandemic. On 15 April 2020, the Cyber Crime Police Station, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh notified Twitter to furnish information about Amnesty International India’s Twitter account @AIIndia which the organization uses to monitor and analyse developments in international human rights law and Indian constitutional and criminal law related to human rights issues.

On 5 August 2020, marking the first anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution of India, Amnesty International India released an update on the situation of human rights in Jammu and Kashmir.

On 28 August 2020, marking the six-month anniversary of the riots that took place in North-East Delhi in February 2020, Amnesty International India released an investigative brief on the complicity of Delhi police in the riots which claimed the lives of at least 53 people, mostly from the minority Muslim community.

The release of the two publications has provided fresh impetus to the establishment to harass and intimidate Amnesty International India through its investigative agencies.

On 10 September 2020 Amnesty International India came to know that all its bank accounts were completely frozen by the Enforcement Directorate bringing most of the work of the human rights organization to a grinding halt.

Amnesty International

Baguio-based online media outfit Northern Dispatch decries harassment as another cyber libel case is filed against its editor-in-chief, Kimberlie Ngabit-Quitasol.

Two courts initially dismissed the libel charge filed against Quitasol early this year but it was elevated to cyber libel and refiled in another court. La Trinidad, Benguet Provincial Prosecutor Andres Gondayao first filed the libel case against Quitasol at the Regional Trial Court Branch 59 in Baguio City, but it was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.

Gondayao then refiled the case at the La Trinidad Municipal Trial Court, and was also dismissed for the same reason.

The prosecutor then filed another case against Quitasol at the RTC 59 in Baguio City on Sept. 28, and amended the charge to cyber libel, which has stiffer penalties than regular libel.

The charges were all based on the complaint of Police Regional Office Cordillera Regional Director Brigadier General R’Win Pagkalinawan, who also filed a similar case against NorDis volunteer, Khim Abalos, last Sept. 22.

The cyber libel case stemmed from Quitasol’s article published in the Northern Dispatch website last April 7, about human rights alliance Karapatan’s reaction to Pagkalinawan’s order “to shoot communist organizers who unnecessarily organize people during the COVID-19 lockdown.”

The police general claimed that both Quitasol and Abalos deliberately removed a part of his statement, “kapag nanlaban.” (if they fought back) The omission, according to the complaint, was done in order to portray the Pagkalinawan in a negative light.

Quitasol said they never received a subpoena summoning them to the courts despite being charged three times.

“The filing of cases against two Nordis staff, me included, is an escalation of attacks against our media group,” said Quitasol.

Quitasol also claimed that attacks and harassment against their team steadily worsened under the current government but she vowed to “remain steadfast and continue to defend the people’s right to truth and information.”

NorDis has been consistent in its reporting of indigenous peoples’ issues and human rights violations in Cordillera and Ilocos regions.

“We have been holding the line too long enough, it is time to push back,” Quitasol said.

Bulatlat

Four local online news journalists were attacked on September 28 by a group of men who they say were timber traders seeking revenge after the reporters had singled them out to police for committing forestry crimes.

The group of reporters from PMN news, Chakrapop news and Eysan Post filed a complaint at the Memot district police station in Tbong Khmum province against several suspects who they say threw a log through the window of their car and beat them with sticks and axes, injuring two.

Memot District Police Chief Hong Kim Hoeun confirmed receipt of the journalists’ complaint.

“Yes, we have received it and [we] are working on that case,” he said before declining to comment further.

One victim, Ren Samnang, a reporter at PMN news, said he was asleep in his car along with Muok Saren from Chakrapop news, and Ran Khorn and Teng Norin from Eysan Post news, when the attack occurred.

“I was traveling from Snoul district to Phnom Penh and upon arriving in Memot district, we pulled over to take some rest and fell asleep,” said Samnang, 29.

“We were sleeping [in the car] for about an hour when at about 12:30am, we heard a sound hitting the car,” Samnang said.

Upon realizing that someone had hurled a log through the front driver’s side window, he started the engine and began to drive away.

The group of about five suspects then returned to their truck to chase after the journalists, eventually crashing into their car and running it off the side of the road.

“I jumped out of the car and started to run away,” he said, adding that the log thrown through the window had injured his left rib, and that the timber traders had also smashed off one of the vehicle’s mirrors and dented the exterior.

Samang said he had recognized the attackers and realized the assault was in retaliation to the journalists’ investigation of forest crimes in the area. On September 26, the group had reported an incident of illegal logging to military police in Memot district, which resulted in the officials stopping a truck transporting timber through the area.

He said the journalists were present to report on the case when military police stopped the vehicle, but that the four or five men on board had gotten away.

“[Before running], the driver took a picture and said ‘Either your car will be damaged or we will cause you harm,’” Samnang recalled.

“I think that they wanted to kill us,” he added.

He called on police to take legal action and arrest the suspects so that they would not repeat their crime in the future.

Saren said his leg was slightly injured in the attack, and echoed Samnang’s assertion that the attackers were part of the group of timber traders that they had encountered two days prior.

“They [suspects] came to beat us up without even asking us anything and damaged our car,” he said.

“I think that it is a threat to all journalists not to report [forestry] crimes in the future,” Saren said, emphasizing that the attack would not deter his future work.

Sar Sina, director of the provincial information department said September 29 that his department has already forwarded the case to the Information Ministry.

“Police are working on that case, we have not yet investigated it,” he said, adding that those journalists had filed a complaint with the district police.

“It is a violent act that should not happen to journalists,” Sina said.

Nop Vy, executive director at Cambodian Journalists Alliance (CamboJA), said he was disappointed in the use of violence against the journalists, noting that reporters play an important role in monitoring and preventing illegal acts, including forestry crimes.

“We know that forestry crimes are continuing to happen, and some cases involve local authorities and people who are powerful and rich,” he said.

“It is dangerous and risky for journalists, so I think that local authorities have to take effective legal measures to arrest the culprits,” Vy said, adding that if authorities decline to take legal action, it will encourage the suspects and they may even attack other journalists in the future.

Vy said that the persecution of journalists “is a serious threat to their life and personal safety.”

In a separate case in Phnom Penh’s Pur Senchey district, Kouy Piseth, 24, a reporter for CBN TV Online, died in a traffic accident in the early hour of September 29.

Theng Kosal, Choamchao III commune chief, clarified that the death was caused by a road collision, and was not a murder, as public people had originally suspected.

The victim had driven his motorbike very fast up a hill and had been thrown off, hitting his head on a rock on the ground, Kosal said.

“It is not a murder case, but it was a traffic accident he caused himself,” the commune chief said, explaining that police were initially unsure because the body was found 40 meters away from the victim’s motorbike.

CBN TV Online General Director Chhai Sochet said he had not seen Piseth since the reporter had left the office at about 11:30pm, and that he was saddened to hear of his death.

CamboJA News

La Ode Muhammad Safaat, a justice-seeking activist for Randi-Yusuf, member of the Same Blood Student Alliance (AMS) victim of a shooting, was arrested by officers from the Directorate of Research and General Crimes of the Regional Police Southeast Sulawesi on Monday, (28/9/2020 ).

Before the arrest, he was recording the ruin of protester’s camps in front of Southeast Sulawesi District Police office that was ruined by a group of unknown people two weeks before. While documenting, he was stopped by a police and got his cell phone confiscated and the police deleted his recording of the ruins of the camps. A few moments later, he got arrested and taken to the police office because he made a Facebook post titled “Is there any Police from Southeast Sulawesi Police District that still have functioning brain?”

During the investigation, Faat stated that the police threatened to skin him as well as gouge his eyeballs. A police officer also kicked a chair beside Faat during the investigation as a form of intimidation toward him. He was released at around 18.45 WITA although the police still process his case in order to charge him criminally.

According to the Director of Investigation and General Crimes of Southeast Sulawesi Regional Police, La Ode Aries Elfatar, Safaat was interogated at the Regional Police Headquarters Office and released at 19.30 WITa. He was accused for assaulting the institution through his Facebook post about the investigation of Randi-Yusuf's case.

Zonasultra

An ongoing investigation into a hard-hitting journalist with Hong Kong's government broadcaster RTHK will have a "chilling effect" on the city's news organizations, the Hong Kong Journalists' Association (HKJA) warned on Monday.

The RTHK Programme Staff Union said on Sunday it had received news that the station management will reopen a probe into the work performance of TV presenter Nabela Qoser, whose questions of chief executive Carrie Lam in the wake of a July 31 attack by armed thugs on train passengers in Yuen Long prompted Lam and other top officials to walk out of a news conference.

The union described the broadcaster’s decisions to reopen the investigation into complaints against Qoser and extend her probationary period by 120 days as "political persecution," RTHK reported.

Qoser, a Hong Kong-born journalist of Pakistani descent, asked Lam where she was on the night of the attack, which went on for nearly 40 minutes before police showed up at the scene, demanding: "How could you sleep last night?"

"The Hong Kong Journalists Association is concerned about [the reopening of the investigation ], and worries that journalists who raise pointed questions will be subjected to suppression in their workplaces," the HKJA said in a statement on its Facebook page.

"[This] will eventually create a chilling effect," it said.

RTHK staff, as civil servants, are required to submit to at least performance appraisals over a three-year probationary period, but the process doesn't include public complaints.

Qoser's probationary period had been due to end, but has been extended pending the renewed investigation, the staff union said on its Facebook page.

"The sudden re-opening of the investigation and the extension of the probationary period are not only unfair to Qoser; they also undermine the entire civil service appraisal system," the HKJA said.

"If journalists are subjected to criticism, suppression, or political censorship just for doing their jobs ... they will no longer be able to speak up against injustice," the group said.

RTHK union members staged a protest outside the station's headquarters on Monday as a new advisory board convened in the wake of complaints of anti-government bias against the organization met.

'A form of political suppression'

Union president Chiu Sin-yan said the reinvestigation of Qoser seemed to be politically motivated.

"We tend to believe that this is a form of political suppression," Chiu said. "This investigation was previously closed ... so if it can be reopened indefinitely, we think the intention behind this is self-evident."

Chiu said the reasons given by RTHK director of broadcasting Leung Ka-wing during a meeting on were insufficient.

HKJA chairman Chris Yeung said the move will likely have a further chilling effect on the city's journalists.

"It is worrying because if news organizations cave in to political pressure from the authorities and put pressure on journalists, even if they dress it up as non-renewal of a contract or ... sacking for other reasons, this ... will have a chilling effect on the whole industry," Yeung said.

A warning to others

Bruce Lui, senior journalism lecturer at Hong Kong Baptist University said the singling out of Qoser is intended as a warning to all journalists.

"Is this to be the fate of journalists or media organizations seen as less obedient by the government?" Lui said. "I'm sure many will be wondering if they should be less outspoken ... and not do anything wrong."

As China imposed a draconian national security law on Hong Kong on June 30, Zhang Xiaoming, deputy director of Beijing's Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, and Lam both hit out at some media organizations for "smearing" the authorities in their criticisms of government and police.

The law stipulates that the media should be "subject to better supervision, management, publicity, and education," Lui said.

"So it is not surprising that the authorities have targeted the media with various actions," he said.

Democratic Party lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting wrote to RTHK on Monday saying that there was no new information that would justify a reinvestigation of Qoser's performance.

He told its reporters: "I strongly urge the senior management of RTHK to uphold the freedom of expression, freedom of the press and editorial autonomy, and to try to defend their professional reporters and journalists and let them to perform their duties professionally and independently."

But Lam Tai-fai, chairman of the RTHK advisory board, declined to comment on the move when asked by journalists on Monday.

"I am not in a good position to comment (on) the employment situation," Lam said. "Whether it’s fair or not fair, it’s not my job and also I cannot make a comment with my limited knowledge in this area."

No support for police, government

The reinvestigation into Qoser's work comes after broadcasting regulator the Communications Authority issued a warning to RTHK following public complaints that its TV show Pentaprism hadn't upheld a wide enough range of views, namely those in support of police and government.

Qoser, a Hong Kong Baptist University graduate, has previously worked at TVB and Ming Pao, and has been subjected to online racist abuse, according to Hong Kong's Equal Opportunities Commission.

RTHK is a fully funded department of the Hong Kong government, but has been criticized by pro-China politicians and officials for alleged anti-government bias.

In May 2020, it axed a top satirical show that poked fun at police denials of violence against pro-democracy protesters, and apologized, after the Communications Authority issued a warning to the station for "denigrating and insulting" the police in a February episode of the show.

The decision to reinvestigate Qoser's performance comes after the city's police force said it would no longer recognize credentials issued by the HKJA, as was previously the case, saying it would now decide which media organizations were legitimate.

RFA

The Observatory has been informed by Karapatan - the Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights - of the judicial harassment of Karapatan National Council member Daisy ‘Jackie’ Valencia.

On September 25, 2020, the Regional Trial Court Branch 30 in Tagum, Davao del Norte Province, issued an arrest warrant for Daisy ‘Jackie’ Valencia. However, she was only recently made aware through a reliable source of the murder charges pressed against her. At the time of publication of this Urgent Appeal, Ms. Valencia had not received any formal notice from the Court.

Daisy ‘Jacky’ Valencia is accused of being a member of an armed rebel group responsible for the killing of Mr. Garito Tiklonay Malibato on March 22, 2018 in Mindanao, although she was not in Mindanao when the killing took place. It is believed that Mr. Malibato was killed by members of the paramilitary group Alamara, from which he was receiving death threats for his work with indigenous people’s organisation Karadyawan.

The Observatory notes that since 2018, Daisy ‘Jackie’ Valencia has been a victim of red-tagging[1]. Her name has appeared on leaflets in Isabela and Cagayan provinces that label her as a “communist” and a “terrorist” and link her to the armed opposition group New People’s Army (NPA).

The Observatory recalls that since President Duterte took power in June 2016, human rights defenders have faced relentless vilification and red-tagging, and have been repeatedly subjected to trumped-up charges and lengthy pre-trial arbitrary detention, with the aim to discredit their legitimate work and to silence critical voices. Karapatan members have been subjected to frequent harassment, criminalisation and attacks, including the killing of Ms. Zara Alvarez in August 2020.

The Observatory expresses its utmost concern over the judicial harassment of Daisy ‘Jackie’ Valencia as it seems to be only aimed at punishing her for her legitimate human rights activities.

The Observatory urges the Philippines authorities to immediately and unconditionally drop the charges against Daisy ‘Jackie’ Valencia and to put an end to all acts of harassment against her, including at the judicial level.

OMCT

Hong Kong police arrested prominent democracy activist Joshua Wong on Thursday for participating in an unauthorised assembly in October 2019 and violating the city's anti-mask law, according to a post on his official Twitter account.

Wong's latest arrest adds to several unlawful assembly charges or suspected offences he and other activists are facing related to last year's pro-democracy protests, which prompted Beijing to impose a sweeping national security law on June 30.

Hong Kong police confirmed they arrested two men, aged 23 and 74, on Thursday for illegal assembly on Oct 5, 2019.

The arrest of Wong, aged 23, comes around 6 weeks after media tycoon Jimmy Lai was detained on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces.

Wong had been a frequent visitor to Washington where he appealed to the U.S. Congress to support Hong Kong's democracy movement and counter Beijing's tightening grip over the global financial hub. His visits drew the wrath of Beijing, which says he is a "black hand" of foreign forces.

Wong disbanded his pro-democracy group Demosisto in June, just hours after China's parliament passed national security law for Hong Kong, bypassing the city's local legislature, a move widely criticised by Western governments.

His long-time colleague, Agnes Chow, and two other activists were also among 10 people police arrested in August on suspicion of violating the new law.

The new law punishes anything China considers as subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, with up to life in prison.

Wong was just 17 years old when he became the face of the 2014 student-led Umbrella Movement democracy protests, but he was not a leading figure of the often violent unrest that shook the semi-autonomous former British colony last year.

An anti-mask law was introduced last year in a bid to help police identify the protesters they suspected of committing crimes and it is facing a challenge in court. In the meantime, the Hong Kong government has made face masks mandatory in most circumstances due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The European Union on Thursday criticised the arrest of the prominent activist, saying it was "troubling" and undermined trust in China.

"The arrest of Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong on 24 September is the latest in a troubling series of arrests of pro-democracy activists since the summer," an EU spokesperson said, calling for "very careful scrutiny" by the judiciary.

"Developments in Hong Kong call into question China's will to uphold its international commitments, undermine trust and impact EU-China relations."

The EU has repeatedly voiced concern at the new Hong Kong security law, which critics say erodes important freedoms in the city.

Last week senior EU leaders pressed Chinese President Xi Jinping over the situation in Hong Kong at a video summit, saying democratic rights in the city must be preserved.

Bangkok Post

Ribuan orang dari Petisi Rakyat Papua (PRP) Wilayah Meepago berkumpul untuk aksi tolak Otonomi Khusus Jilid II, Kamis (24/9/2020), sekira pukul 06.30 di daerah Siriwini, Karang Tumaritis, Universitas Satya Wiyata Mandala, Kalibobo, SP, dan Wadio/Wonerejo. Tempat tujuan aksi damai yakni kantor Bupati Kabupaten Nabire dan mereka telah mengirimkan surat pemberitahuan demonstrasi empat hari sebelumnya ke pihak Polres Nabire. Juru Bicara PRP Jefry Wenda mengatakan polisi tidak menerbitkan tanda terima surat. “Kami sadar tugas polisi untuk mengamankan jalannya aksi, tidak ada alasan membatasi aksi,” ucap dia ketika dihubungi Tirto, Jumat (25/9/2020). Saat aksi berlangsung, anggota TNI dan Polri datang untuk berjaga. Aparat berseragam dan bersenjata lengkap, mobil water canon pun dikerahkan, mereka datang lebih dahulu ketimbang massa. Begitu demonstran datang, polisi mulai menangkap sebagian massa. “Sekitar 100 orang dibawa ke Polres Nabire. Kesalahan polisi, dong tak tahu kalau ada barisan massa yang cukup besar, ribuan [orang datang] dari arah SP hingga Wadio. Mereka longmarch,” jelas Jefry. Ada polisi, lanjut dia, yang merampas ponsel massa, mengancam, dan pemukulan ‘yang tidak parah’. Mengetahui rekannya ditangkap dan digiring ke kantor polisi, massa menyambanginya. Mereka membatalkan orasi di depan kantor bupati. Kehadiran massa ke Polres Nabire guna meminta kepolisian melepaskan kawan-kawannya. Perwakilan massa dan polisi bernegosiasi. Hasilnya, di depan markas polisi itu demonstran yang juga ditemani oleh kepala-kepala suku setempat, dipersilakan berorasi dan membacakan sembilan tuntutan yang isinya, jika disarikan, yakni: Menolak perpanjangan Otsus Jilid II di Papua dan Papua Barat; memberikan rakyat Papua untuk menentukan nasib sendiri via referendum; penarikan aparat; juga mengutuk penembakan terhadap pendeta. Usai pembacaan tuntutan, 100 orang peserta aksi itu dibebaskan. Massa mulai membubarkan diri sekitar pukul 17.30. Jefry menyatakan para demonstran paham agar tak terprovokasi karena penangkapan, namun watak kepolisian ia sebut reaksioner dan arogan. “Berhadapan dengan mereka itu sudah konsekuensi kami.” Rencana aksi lanjutan tolak Otsus Jilid II akan berlangsung, belum diketahui waktu pastinya. Menurut Jefry, rakyat perlu berekspresi karena otsus di sana dianggap tak bermanfaat, ‘hanya menciptakan raja-raja baru di Papua yang menindas orang Papua’. Kabid Humas Polda Papua Kombes Pol Ahmad Musthofa Kamal menyangkal ada penangkapan massa. “Tidak ada. Mereka pasca-orasi di Polres Nabire, bubar. Massa mau ke kantor bupati, karena bupati tidak ada, maka massa diarahkan ke polres dan temu beberapa tokoh,” ucap dia ketika dikonfirmasi Tirto, Jumat (25/9). Sementara, berdasarkan keterangan tertulis dari Koalisi Penegak Hukum dan HAM Papua pada 23 September, ada tujuh demonstran yang ditangkap dalam aksi serupa di Timika yaitu Petrus Aim, Fredy Yeimo, Ardi Murib, Dorlince Iyowau, Melvin Yogi, Penehas Nawipa, dan Deborius Selegani. Demonstrasi damai itu dibubarkan paksa oleh polisi. Kepala Sekretariat United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Markus Haluk menyatakan kurang dari satu pekan ini banyak rentetan pelanggaran yang menimpa orang Papua, seperti penembakan yang berakibat kematian Pendeta Yeremia Zanambani di Hitadipa; aparat gabungan TNI-Polri merazia KTP dan kartu mahasiswa terhadap mahasiswa Papua di asrama Kota Manado, Tomohon.dan Tondano; maupun pengepungan dan intimidasi dari ormas di Kota Makassar bagi pendukung Petisi Rakyat Papua. Markus berpendapat, selama 57 tahun (1963-2020) Indonesia menduduki Papua, ruang demokrasi dibungkam dengan hukum dan senjata militer. ”Pembunuhan terhadap rakyat dan bangsa Papua terjadi depan mata rakyat pun selalu disangkal dan dianggap hal biasa. Nyawa manusia Papua dianggap benda yang tidak ada nilainya,” kata dia dalam keterangan tertulis, Jumat (25/9).

Tirto

A fortnight ago, tribal rights champion Soni Sori found herself in quite a conundrum. On September 24, she had tested positive for COVID-19. A day later, she was supposed to present herself before the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for an inquiry in the killing of Bheema Mandavi, a Bharatiya Janata Party MLA, and four policemen in an alleged Naxal attack from the past year.

Sori had informed the officials about her health condition; they, however, insisted she still appears. Four days later, the local administration went ahead and booked her under sections of the Indian Penal Code for violating the quarantine rules.

Sori, who had remained active through the lockdown, visiting villages and helping people in need in the tribal district of Dantewada in Chhattisgarh, developed symptoms in the month of September. As fever persisted, she decided to get herself tested. “The result stated I was infected by coronavirus. The local health officials came and put me in quarantine immediately at my residence in Geedam (a tehsil in Dantewada),” she says.

But when Sori called the NIA officials informing them about her health status, she says the officers refuse to believe her. “I was asked to make arrangements and be present before the NIA’s Dantewada office, over 80 km away,” she says. Sori’s health condition scared her neighbours, and local travel agents were unwilling to lend their vehicle for the travel, her nephew Lingram Kodopi says. The two were then forced to travel on a bike amid heavy rains.

“I was burning with a high fever. I was afraid they would detain me in the case. They questioned me for over seven hours despite my condition,” she adds.

Sori was informed about her health condition by Devendra Pratap Singh, a health officer in Geedam. Despite the positive report, the Dantewada police, along with the NIA insisted a second test was conducted. The second test too came out positive. But Sori alleged that despite the rapid test kit clearly indicating that she was positive, the police and Pratap declared that she had tested negative and is fit to face the inquiry.

But then, Singh later went ahead filing a case against Soni under Sections 188, 269, and 270 of the Indian Penal Code for disobeying an order duly promulgated by a public servant, for indulging in a negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life and malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life respectively. All three sections are bailable.

When The Wire approached Singh for his comment, he confirmed that an FIR has been registered. “I merely did my job. I am in-charge of the region and since Sori had travelled even when she was put under strict quarantine, I was duty-bound to report her to the police,” he said. When asked why he had claimed that she was negative on the day of Sori’s appearance before the NIA, Singh denied having made such a statement. He also confirmed that she tested positive both times. The former chief medical officer, Dr S.K.P. Shandilya, who was in-charge of the Dantewada region until three days ago, also confirmed that Sori had tested positive. The Wire has accessed her medical reports and also the FIR registered by Singh.

Sori, who has faced police atrocities including sexual torture and prolonged incarceration in the past, shared that she finds the state police and the NIA’s act inhumane. “If questioning me was so important, the NIA could have waited for a few weeks. Why did they insist I travel even when they are fully aware that this illness spreads super fast? It wasn’t just about my health alone, I could have endangered so many more lives,” she says.

Under Section 160 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the investigating agency ought to have travelled to her residence. The section states, “…provided that no male person under the age of fifteen years or woman shall be required to attend at any place other than the place in which such male person or woman resides.” The section also makes provision for travel allowance. But Sori says she was asked to make her own arrangement.

Bheema Mandavi murder case

On April 9, 2019, Bheema Mandavi, then the sitting BJP MLA from Dantewada, and four personnel of the Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) were killed after Maoists had allegedly blown up their vehicle with an IED. This incident took place near Shyamgiri village under the Kuakonda police station area of Dantewada. The case was handed over to the NIA for investigation and on October 2, the agency filed a bulky chargesheet and named 33 persons as accused.

The NIA was in a hurry to question Sori before filing the chargesheet.

In the chargesheet, the NIA has claimed that the attackers after the ambush had also looted the arms and ammunition of the security personnel. All accused have been booked under several sections of the IPC, the Arms Act, the Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

While the Jagdalpur team of the NIA refused to take Sori’s health condition seriously, its Bombay team, investigating the 2018 Elgar Parishad’s case, cancelled its scheduled questioning last week. Sori, who was one of the many guest speakers at the Elgar Parishad event organised in Shaniwarwada of Pune to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the battle of Bhima Koregaon, was to be questioned by the NIA. A team of officers had reportedly traveled to Dantewada but decided to return on finding out about her health condition. The team spoke to Sori on the phone instead and has rescheduled a visit to Dantewada to the coming week.

Wire

On television and in the courtroom, the young lawyer could be a force. Babar Qadri stood as a rare, pugilistic voice arguing on behalf of his native Kashmir, the rocky region long torn between India and Pakistan, on India’s combative and increasingly nationalistic talk shows.

Shouted at, he would shout back. More than once, an angry host kicked him off the air.

On Thursday, Mr. Qadri, 40, was shot to death in his home, making him one of the most high-profile casualties of the violence wracking Kashmir.

Family members said an assailant posing as a potential client shot him in the head and chest in the courtyard of his home in the old part of Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir. The identity of the assailant was not clear, the police said, according to local media. They declined to answer questions from The New York Times on Friday.

Kashmiris on Friday mourned Mr. Qadri as a rare public advocate for his home in a troubled time. One year ago, India tightened its hold on the Kashmir region, and local activists say speaking out has become increasingly dangerous.

“The lion was killed in his den,” said Majid Hyderi, a longtime friend of Mr. Qadri, citing a common nickname for him. “With his killing, we have lost a roaring voice for peace.”

Long volatile, the predominantly Muslim Kashmir region has suffered growing violence since the Indian government last year revoked the region’s semiautonomy and increased its security presence there. The move hardened the attitudes of militants who have fought for years for independence from India and sidelined moderate voices calling for ways to improve relations with the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has taken an increasingly hard line toward India’s Muslims.

Mr. Qadri’s death is part of a wave of political assassinations that have shaken the region in the last few months. It was the first killing of a prominent civil society member since the killing of Shujaat Bukahri, the editor of a local daily newspaper, two years ago. Editors’ Picks Nicole Kidman Leans Into the Pain The One Name the W.N.B.A. Won’t Say Buried in Salt, These Potatoes Are a Joy to Eat Continue reading the main story

Mr. Qadri had said in recent weeks that he had received death threats. On Twitter this week, he said the police should investigate people who had accused him of being a man of “agencies,” implying he worked secretly for Indian intelligence.

“The sense of tragedy is all the more because he warned of the threat,” Omar Abdullah, a former chief minister of the region, wrote on Twitter. “Sadly his warning was his last tweet.”

Mr. Qadri’s round, bespectacled face was famous in the region and throughout India for his vociferous criticism of New Delhi’s increasingly stronger hand in Kashmir. In person, he could be shy and retiring and would rarely interrupt others, unlike when he was on television. He also had sharp words for Pakistan, which India accuses of supporting pro-independence Kashmiri militants and other armed groups.

Both countries, Mr. Qadri said in an interview with The Times about a month before his death, “play with the dead bodies of Kashmiris.”

Mr. Qadri grew up in Srinagar speaking Kashmiri, Hindi and English, which later made him an effective spokesman in polyglot India. He studied law in the city and became a human rights lawyer. He was a common sight in Srinagar, driving around the city in a gray hatchback with his two young daughters.

He rose to prominence in 2012, when Indian police forces accused a number of children of attempting to murder officers and burning police vehicles. A photo of him wearing a gray suit, perhaps a size too large, while trying to comfort a terrified boy being led away by a police officer went viral on the Kashmiri internet. When the boy was set free, his family members said Mr. Qadri had argued in court on his behalf “like a lion,” giving the young attorney the nickname.

As security forces put more Kashmiris in prison, Mr. Qadri was widely sought after, and he became known for his ability to win the freedom of children in particular. He also became a frequent guest on Indian television, where he sharply criticized the Indian forces for their harsh oversight of Kashmir.

Mr. Qadri kept up his television appearances even as Indian media became increasingly nationalistic after the election of Mr. Modi in 2014. As Indian forces stepped up their enforcement efforts in Kashmir in the name of fighting terrorism, he faced an increasingly difficult reception. Other panelists often called him “Mr. Traitor.”

Late Thursday, as the dust settled in the city, Mr. Qadri’s body, covered by a red blanket, was put in an ambulance and taken to his ancestral home in north Kashmir, where family and friends lowered his body into the ground and bade him farewell.

Friends and relatives beat their chests. During the procession, one of Mr. Qadri's daughters — Zahera, 4 — asked her mother where her father was, according to Surat Shakeel, a family friend. Mr. Qadri’s wife told her that he had gone to perform the hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. Kashmiri parents often tell their children that the dead have gone to hajj.

Burhan Ahmad Bhat, a university student who participated in the procession, said he wondered whether Mr. Qadri’s killers would be found and whether they would continue to be labeled “unidentified,” like the killers of so many other Kashmiris.

“All we know is that they are killed by unidentified gunmen,” Mr. Bhat said. “But we never come to know why.”

NY Times

Three Arakanese student leaders detained over an anti-government protest earlier this month will be charged under the Peaceful Assembly Law in a legal change from earlier indications that they would be prosecuted using the Natural Disaster Management Law.

The three students were arrested during a demonstration on September 9 outside the Arakan State government offices, where they were demanding the restoration of internet access and an end to human rights abuses in Arakan State.

They were remanded until September 24 under Section 25 of the Natural Disaster Management Law, but the lawsuit was changed at the Sittwe Township Court on September 22 as it was determined that the legislation was not appropriate for the circumstances.

Section 19 of the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law covers a requirement to inform authorities in advance of a planned demonstration.

“The section under which to prosecute them was changed according to the recommendation of the legal office,” said U Kyaw Nyunt Maung, a lawyer for the students — Ko Toe Toe Aung, chair of the Sittwe University Students’ Union, and information officers Ko Kyaw Naing Htay and Ko Oo Than Naing of the Arakan Students’ Union and Sittwe University for Computer Studies respectively.

Section 19 allows for bail, and the trio were released with their trial’s first hearing scheduled for October 6.

Members of student unions in Yangon, Mandalay and Meiktila have also faced charges for protesting against human rights abuses in Arakan State. Cases have been opened against some 20 students under various legal statutes including at least one charge of incitement.

“We thank our alliance students who support us. We want to urge them to keep trying together in the future,” said Ko Kyaw Naing Htay, information officer for the Arakan Students’ Union.

DMG

Chinese authorities should immediately quash the 18-year sentence against a property tycoon and outspoken critic of President Xi Jinping, Human Rights Watch said today.

On September 22, 2020, a Beijing court announced on its website that Ren Zhiqiang had been convicted of taking bribes and embezzling public funds. He was also fined 4.2 million yuan (US$620,000).

“The corruption charges against Ren Zhiqiang are a thin cover for President Xi Jinping’s intolerance of dissent,” said Yaqiu Wang, China researcher. “The 18-year sentence handed down to a Communist Party member and member of the economic elite shows the grim environment for speech in China.”

Ren, 69, is the former chairman of Huayuan, a state-owned real estate group. He was born into a political family – his father was a deputy commerce minister. He rose to public prominence after garnering 38 million followers on the Chinese social media site Weibo. Known as “The Cannon,” Ren often used the platform to express views critical of authorities, and to urge the Communist Party to improve its governance of the country.

In March, the Beijing police detained Ren after he criticized the Chinese government’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak. In an online essay, Ren wrote that “People’s lives are harmed by both the virus and the serious ills of the system.” While he did not mention Xi by name, he suggested Xi was a “clown stripped naked who insisted on continuing being emperor.”

In July, the Beijing Commission for Discipline Inspection, the Chinese Communist Party’s abusive internal investigation agency, announced that Ren had been expelled from the Party and would be prosecuted on corruption charges. The commission did not make public where Ren was being held, and it is unclear what, if any, access he had to family members or lawyers of his choice.

The case highlights serious due process concerns and the absence of credible, publicly available information to substantiate the charges against Ren. The trial, held on September 9 at the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate Court, was secret. Neither the court nor Chinese state media released any information regarding the proceedings. Ren’s friends said that he was represented by a government-appointed lawyer, but it is unclear whether he had requested his own lawyer. The court said Ren had confessed to all charges and would not appeal.

The authorities’ treatment of Ren in detention is unknown, but as Human Rights Watch documented in a 2016 report, abuses against detainees in corruption cases are common. They include prolonged sleep deprivation, being forced into stress positions for extended periods, deprivation of water and food, and severe beatings. Detainees are also subject to solitary and incommunicado detention in unofficial detention facilities. After “confessing” to corruption, suspects are typically brought into the criminal justice system, convicted, and sentenced to often lengthy prison terms.

In February 2016, Ren was banished from social media in China after he criticized Xi for calling on the Chinese media to “serve the Party” in a speech. The authorities publicly censured Ren and put him on a one-year probation from the Party.

“Ren’s sham trial may put him in prison for the rest of his life,” Wang said. “A failure to immediately release Ren would show the world that China’s legal system is a tool for settling political scores, not delivering justice.”

HRW

Two complaints have been filed with police against leaders of the weekend protest rally at Sanam Luang by the United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration.

One is an accusation of lese majeste under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, and the other over the installaton of a plaque symbolising democracy, allegedly in violation of the law on ancient monuments, antiques, objects of art and national museums, which applies to Sanam Luang.

About 1pm on Monday, Tul Sithisomwong, leader of the self-styled Multi-Coloured Group, filed a complaint with Chana Songkhram police against three protest leaders - Panusaya "Rung" Sithijirawattanakul, Arnon Nampa and Parit "Penguin" Chiwarak.

In the petition, the three were accused of violating Section 112 of the Criminal Code, or the lese majeste law, by delivering speeches calling for the reform of the monarchy and using inappropriate words, which allegedly caused Thai people in general to feel uncomfortable.

His petition was accompanied by photos of the event and audio recordings of the speeches made by the three protest leaders.

"I don't want them to end up in prison and, even so, I believe there would be a request for them to be pardoned. But I don't want to see this happen again," Dr Tul said.

"I don't mind if they talked about politics, the prime minister or the constitution, because they have the right to do so, but not about the monarchy, in their speeches over the media," he said.

Police accepted the complaint for consideration.

Earlier in the day, about 10.30am, Sathaporn Thiangtham, director of the Archaeology Division and representing the Fine Arts Department, filed a complaint with Chana Songkhram police against leaders of the protest for installing a plaque symbolising democracy in the ground at Sanam Luang.

Mr Sathaporn said doing so without permission may have violated the Ancient Monuments, Antiques, Objects of Art and National Museums Act of 1961, which applies to Sanam Luang. The ground is registered as an ancient site.

The complaint was accompanied by photos and related documents, and was also accepted for consideration.

The students' plaque declared that Thailand belongs to the people. It was dug up and removed on Sunday night, but no one has admitted seeing who did it.

Bangkok Post

Prime Minister Hun Sen urged the country to commit to protecting peace as hundreds of land disputants protested in Phnom Penh on Monday, saying that while they remain marginalized, threatened and “in tears,” the people don’t have peace.

Land protesters from the provinces of Koh Kong, Preah Sihanouk, Svay Rieng and Tbong Khmum blocked traffic in front of the Land Management Ministry for at least 20 minutes, with reporters estimating that as many as 1,100 people participated in the demonstration.

About 50 police officers and district security guards prevented the protesters from entering the ministry’s compound, and pushed them to the opposite side of the road. The protesters were later blocked from marching to Hun Sen’s house.

Sam Chamnan, from Tbong Khmum, said people in his village had lost community land to Harmony Win Investment over the past decade. Men Davy, from Svay Rieng, said she represented 152 families locked in a dispute with a Chinese company since 2014. Kan Chhorn, from Koh Kong, said his Sre Ambel district villagers had no land left to farm after 10 years fighting with a sugar plantation.

The villagers chose the International Day of Peace to protest so the government could finally fulfill its promise to bring peace to the country by resolving their disputes, Chamnan said.

But rather than peace, land protesters had been experiencing only arrests and threats, he said. “We have no rights,” Chamnan added.

Davy said it was time for the government to act rather than simply repeat the word “peace.”

“Today, I think Samdech will find a solution for people, in order to make our country have peace as it was promised,” she said, using an honorific for Hun Sen. “We think there’s no peace. There is only peace in their mouths because people are still in tears in all the provinces.” ​

Chhorn said he didn’t want to have to protest. “I am poor. … If I were rich, I wouldn’t come,” he said. “I’m a farmer but I don’t have the land to grow crops.”

City Hall spokesperson Met Measpheakdey said authorities had prevented people from marching to maintain public order and avoid traffic jams.

“They shouldn’t need to gather and disrupt public order” if the aim was simply to submit petitions, he said.

Meanwhile, to mark the International Day of Peace, Hun Sen recalled the country’s past struggles and said only peace could be the foundation for development.

“If we lose peace, we will lose everything. … Commit strongly to protecting the peace that we’ve just achieved,” he said in a letter issued on Saturday. “Endure, be strong and remain intact forever. Do not allow any reactionary force to destroy it at any cost.”

Acknowledging the economic challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, Hun Sen said his two priorities were maintaining stability in politics and the microfinance sector.

The country’s microfinance debt hit $7.3 billion in June to more than 2 million borrowers, according to the Cambodia Microfinance Association, with an average microloan size of $3,804 that researchers have said is the highest in the world.

“The great achievements that Cambodia has achieved have never been applauded or praised by some superpowers and Western countries, which have a specific agenda to use Cambodia as a stepping stone to serve their political ambitions,” Hun Sen continued in his letter.

In a statement issued on Monday while protests were ongoing, the Land Management Ministry said about 800 disputants from Koh Kong had no legal basis for their complaints, rejecting their petition for intervention in disputes with sugar plantations Heng Huy, Koh Kong Plantation and Koh Kong Sugar Industry as well as Chinese-owned tourism resort Union Development Group.

UDG — a massive, $3.8-billion development that spans 45,000 hectares and 20 percent of Cambodia’s coastline — was sanctioned by the U.S. last week over alleged human rights abuses and forced evictions, following accusations that it could be turned into a Chinese military base.

VOD Hotnews

Leaders of the community human rights defenders in Nongbua Lamphu Province, northeastern Thailand, are facing repeated death threats as they continue the struggle to permanently shut down quarry mining that has impacted their health and environment.

Since 13 August 2020, the Community human rights defenders (W/HRDs) of Khao Lao Yai-Pha Jun Dai Conservation Group have been occupying the entrance of the quarry mine situated in Dong Mafai Sub District, Suwannakuha District, Nongbua Lamphu Province. They have declared their intent to permanently shut down the mining operation as the project lacks lawful community consent as well as the legal health and environmental assessment from the relevant agencies.

On 4 September 2020, the community reclaimed 175-Rai from the mining area and successfully declared it the ‘community forest zone’. Their actions came one day after the forest utilization permit expired and due to prior permit illegalities, the company could not renew their lease.

On Friday, 25 September 2020, the W/HRDs group plans to reclaim a further 50-Rai of land where the stone mill is in place. The action will take place one day after the mining permit expires on 24 September 2020. The community has declared it will uproot this last remnant of the mining project that has faced opposition from the community since 1994.

Between 1995-1999 four members of the community were killed, namely Boonrawd Duangkota, Sanan Suwan, Thongmuan Khamjaem, and Som HomPromma, for opposing the construction of the mine.

In the past month since the blockade of the mining entrance, there has been a repeated death threat against the organization supporting the community. Mr.Lertsak Kumkongsak, Environmental rights defender and an advisor to the Campaign for Public Policy on Mineral Resources (PPM), coordinator of the Ecological and Cultural Study Group and the Network of People Who Own Mineral Resources, has received repeated messages hinting that he is on ‘a hit list’

Anecdotal evidence leads many to believe that the planned killing of Lertsak has been commissioned by the owner of the mining company perhaps with the involvement of the government Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC)

Lertsak has received verbal threats specifically that his assassination has been commissioned and he will be shot if he does not back down from protesting against the mining operation. In recent days as the protest action nears, he was repeatedly approached by men carrying weapons such as guns. In multiple incidents Lertsak has been monitored and surveilled closely by various people suspected to have close ties with ISOC.

It is believed that he is to be executed between the dates of September 22 - 25 September 2020.

Protection International, Thailand has documented more than 70 cases of killing and enforced disappearances of community based women/human rights defenders in Thailand from the past 50 years.

Most of the perpetrators remain free and have never been brought to justice. There had been little or no progress in the investigating of attacks and threats made against community based women/human rights defenders.

The primary responsibility for protecting human rights defenders rests with the State. Four lives have already been taken in this struggle and it is the duty of the state to guarantee that no more harm is done to the W/HRDs.

Protection International calls on the Thai authorities and National Human Rights Commission to ensure the safety and protection of Mr.Lertsak Kumkongsak and other staff of the Campaign for Public Policy on Mineral Resources (PPM) as well as other community W/HRDs in Dongmafai who continue to defend their community and environment.

The Thai authorities , especially the Royal Thai Police , the Ministry of Justice , ISOC and The Provincial Governor of Nong Bua Lamphu must ensure that both administrative and security authorities exercise their utmost power to provide safety and protection to the Khao Lao Yai-Pha Jun Dai Forest Conservation Group during the blockade and their activities. They are simply exercising their rights according to the Constitution and they must be able to do so without fear of reprisals.

Protection International calls on The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), UNOHCHR ,UN Working Group on business and human rights , and all stakeholders to take urgent and concrete action to ensure the Thai government and its agencies protect Lertsak Kumkongsak while there is still time.

In the longer term they must use their resources to ensure the Thai Government and all relevant enterprises immediately end practices which encourage killings, intimidations and judicial harassment.

We urge all stakeholders to strengthen their methods of work and develop a more proactive strategy to reach out to human rights defenders in need of protection. The diplomatic community and UN agencies should be more vocal and publicly call for action when human rights defenders are at risk or are murdered. Background

Khao Lao Yai-Pha Jun Dai Forest Conservation Group is an environmental W/HRDs community-based group struggling against quarry mining in Dongmafai Subdistrict, Suwannakuha District, Nong Bua Lamphu Province. They have been struggling for over two decades in an attempt to stop the mining operations that lack the due process required for such mining projects.

Sadly, this has led to the killing of four members of the group between 1995 and 1999. No perpetrator was held responsible for the crimes.

It is estimated that the daily explosions from the mining sites, which cause noise pollution and damage to households due to falling debris, affect around 4,000 people residing in six villages close to the mining sites. Mining activities are also hindering the villagers’ access to food in the nearby community forest, since 175 out of 200 hectares are marked as mining areas.

The group demands for the rehabilitation of the forest into a conservation zone. Thailand’s Department of Fine Arts, under the Ministry of Culture, have registered some parts of the area as an important archaeological site, since mural paintings – estimated to be 2,000-3,000 years old – were found in the caves of a local cliff. According to the new 2017 Mining Act, a forest area containing watersheds or archaeological sites must be exempted from mining. However, although the reserve in Dongmafai Sub district has both, authorities are still allowing the company to continue its mining operations.

In 2004, due to unsatisfactory fulfilment of regulatory requirements, the Administrative Court revoked the company’s permit to exploit the forest and its mining license. However, the Supreme Administrative Court later overturned this decision in 2010 – when the mining permit was about to expire – and, instead, the company’s license was renewed for 10 years. It is now due to expire on 24th September 2020.

In 2018, after the local residents filed a lawsuit, the Udon Thani Administrative Court revoked the company’s second mining permit and ruled that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, as well as other government agencies, had failed in ensuring public participation, as required by the constitution, before granting the mining permit to the company. However, the company appealed the decision and the mining operations are still ongoing today.

Despite the local residents’ strenuous opposition to exploit the forest, which goes against the legal principle of obtaining a mining license, the company still sees its permit renewed. The Khao Lao Yai-Pha Jun Dai Forest Conservation Group has found a number of illegalities. Stratagems were used for the renewal procedures at the sub district administrative level, so to get the forest reserve approved for mining exploitation despite the villagers’ opposition. A mark designating an area as minable was found in a cave containing an archaeological site.

Prachatai

The members of Makkal Pathai, a not-for-profit organisation based out of Chennai, have been on a hunger protest against National Eligibility cum Entrance Examination (NEET) in their offices in Chennai over the past week. On Sunday, the seventh-day of protest in Chennai, the members were forcefully dragged away by the police. Members also allege that the police misbehaved with them. Koyambedu police have lodged about 30 members at a kalyana mandapam while six who were on the hunger-protest have been admitted to Kilpauk Medical College (KMC). No case has been registered.

Visuals shared on Makkal Pathai’s Facebook page shows police forcefully entering into the office premises following which members are dragged out. They can be heard condemning police brutality.

Sharing voice notes from KMC where about six of them are currently kep, member Chandra Mohan (41) says, “We have been continuing our hunger protest for six days. They have hit us and admitted here at KMC. Women’s clothes were lifted, they were shamed, we were shamed and we have been brought here. We condemn this brutality.”

In an audio note, Chandra Mohan says the members have rejected IV fluids and are still fasting in the hospital. "We gave our word to the people. We will continue our fasting until they tell us." He further alleges that the police have ransacked their office in Chennai taking away phones and computers.

Speaking to TNM, Koyambedu police station Inspector K Madeswaran says no complaint has been filed on the members but their protest had to be stopped since it was a health risk. “We have been asking them every day to stop their hunger protest. Moreover, groups of people gather there on a regular basis. Press is invited and this crowding of people is a risk especially due to the pandemic,” he tells TNM.

“We have not registered any case against them yet because they are giving us their details. They are requesting for the Chief Minister to come down in person to listen to their demands and scrap NEET,” he adds.

When asked about allegations of women being harassed the officer says, “We only tried to end their fasting. Even though they have not eaten in six-days, they put up a good resistance.”

Vignesh, the coordinator from Coimbatore says, “We are holding a one-day fasting protest here in Coimbatore office. Police have arrested our members who were holding hunger-protest for six continuous days in Chennai. We condemn this.”

NEWS Minute

Police stopped the vehicles of students transporting equipment and booklets to the protest at Thammasat University’s Tha Prachan campus ahead of the afternoon’s protest.

Student activist Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak went live on Facebook at 10.40 on Saturday (19 September) as a group of police officers from Khlong Luang Police Station stopped the car transporting equipment and 50,000 copies of a booklet containing the transcription of the speeches on monarchy reform given at the 10 August demonstration at Thammasat University’s Rangsit campus which were to be given out at the protest on Saturday afternoon.

The police claimed that the content of the booklet is illegal and an attempt to overthrow the government and told the students that they will be taken to the police station if they do not cooperate. They also claimed that the operation is due to reasons of national security.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported that the five students sat with their arms linked together as police officers tried to bring them along with their car and the booklets to Khlong Luang Police Station.

The students tried to negotiate with the police, telling them to take only one pack of booklets for inspection, and that they can come confiscate the booklets at the protest later if they find anything illegal, but the police insisted on taking the car, claiming that there are other objects in the car.

The police then transferred the booklets to their car, and took the students with them to the police station. As officers took the booklets, the students said “We are not willing, but we have to surrender to force. The officers are all over the soi where our dorm is.”

At 15.25, TLHR reported that the police had confiscated the booklets, claiming that the content could be considered an insult to the monarchy. However, the students also gave testimony to add to the police’s confiscation record that there has been no court ruling that the booklets are banned or that it is illegal to own them.

In addition, Parit also posted on his Facebook page that four other students have been arrested on sedition charges, two of whom were scheduled to take the stage at Saturday’s protest. However, TLHR said that the police spokesperson insisted that there was no arrest.

There were also reports of protesters traveling to Bangkok from northern provinces such as Lamphun and Phayao being stopped at police checkpoints last night (18 September) and having their ID cards photographed by officers. Police officers in Srisaket also attempted to follow protesters traveling to join the protest in Bangkok, telling them that if the protesters don’t let them ride on the same vehicle, they will follow them.

Meanwhile, Parit posted last night (18 September) that a traditional drum teacher from Chiang Mai and his students who were previously scheduled to perform at the protest can no longer come to Bangkok after they were visited by police officers who asked them not to join the protest.

Prachatai

The cyber wing of the Jammu and Kashmir Police summoned and abused Auqib Javeed, a Kashmir based journalist, over a news report about police intimidation of social media users. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its India affiliate Indian Journalists Union (IJU) condemn the police’s highhandedness and urge the Indian authorities to stop such the violence and intimidation of journalists.

Javeed was assaulted and harassed by Jammu and Kashmir Cyber Police on September 19 for his news report entitled ‘Police Question Kashmir Twitter Users For 'Anti-Govt' Posts’ published on the Article 14 online site. His article highlights cases of the intimidation by the Jammu and Kashmir police to civil society members, journalists and students for their tweets critical of government actions on article 370 and the internet shutdown in Jammu and Kashmir. The article claims that dozens of Twitter users in Kashmir have been forced to maintain their silence after being interrogated by the police about their posts on Article 370 and the Internet shutdown. The police have accused Javeed’sreport of being ‘fake and baseless’.

According to Javeed, after being summoned he was abused and assaulted at the cyber-police’s police on September 19 along with two members of the Kashmir Press Club. He said two masked police slapped him and Tahir Bhatti, the Superintendent of Police who is in charge of the police’s cyber cell, abused him. The journalist was released after five hours. The police have refuted his allegations of abuse.

Journalists in the J&K region are frequently harassed, threatened and summoned particularly over any criticism of the Indian government revocation of article 370 which lead to the imposed internetshutdown in August 5, 2019.

On July 31,Qazi Shibli, the editor of news portal The Kashmiriyat , was detained whileFahad Shah, editor of news portal Kashmir Walla, was summoned on May 20. The police in Srinagar also filed separate investigations or First Information Reports (FIR) against Kashmiri photojournalist Masrat Zahra and journalist Gowhar Geelani on April 18 and April 21 respectively. And, cyber police in Srinagar questioned journalist Peerzada Ashiq on April 19 in relation to the journalist’s news articles.

IFJ

Mr. Dhirendra Pratap isa Dalit rights activistandthe national president of an organization called "Purvanchal Sena” formed in 2006 and working against the oppression of Dalits.

On September 08, 2020,in Kusmaul village in Gorakhpur, a candidate for Pradhan’s election Mr. Sonu Jatav was abusedwith‘casteist slurs’by the sitting Gram PradhanMr. Vivek Shahi.Mr. Dhirendraand his organisationopposedthis incident and the police filedan FIR under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act (PoA) against the Pradhanon September 09, 2020.However,Mr. Vivek was not arrested and he is alleged to have gone to the Dalit colony and abused Dalits in front of the police.The police instead of upholding law and order and arresting Mr. Vivek, remainedsilent and abetted the atrocities. A video was also made of this incident.Mr. Dhirendra and his organisation were constantly demanding the arrest of Mr. Vivek.

On September 18, 2020, around 02:00 AM, 20-25 men in plain clothes, armed with guns,jumped the wall and entered Mr. Dhirendra’shome in village Betiahata,Gorakhpur.When Mr. Dhirendra’s fatherenquiredwho they were and how did theyenter hishome, they said that theywere from the crime branch andhad come for an investigationand started searching their home room by room. Mr. Dhirendra was sleeping in hisroomduring this time. When he woke up, the intruders told him too that theyare from the crime branch and said that “You are Dhirendra ‘Purvanchal Sena’ president, now you will know how to become a leader.”Mr. Dhirendra asked them for anarrest warrant or notice, hearing which theystarted abusing himand forcibly triedto take him. Mr.Dhirendra's younger brother was recording this entire incident onhis mobile. After seeing him record the incident, the policemen snatched the mobile from the younger brother and took him too forcibly. They also abused and harassed women.When the two brothers were brought out of the house, the family also came out and noticed that some policemen inuniformwere standing outside the house.There were 6-7 cars,including a police jeep. The policemen started slappingboth HRDs, while trying to force both brothers into theircar. When their father tried to rescue his son, they tried to beat him with a lathi. Then theyforcibly abducted both thebrothersandtook them.In themorningtheirfather went to nearest police station–Cantt Police Station in Gorakhpur –and asked about his sons. But the policemen replied that they did not knowabout them. He then went to successive police stations to ask about his sons but did not get any information. Then he went to the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP)GorakhpurMr.Bhupendra Kumar Singh’s office but Mr. Singh was not present,so he left a letter regarding the incident. Around 02:00 PM,hemet the District Magistrate(DM) of Gorakhpur Mr. VijendraPandiyan and told him the incident. The DM assured him that he will find his sons. Around 03:00 PM,Mr.Dhirendra and his brotherwere brought to the district hospitalof Gorakhpur for medicalexamination andafter medical theywere sent to the Gorakhpur District Jail. At 3:03 pm an FIR was registered by Mr. Amit Kumar Chaturvedi, Sub-Inspector atCantt Police Station, Gorakhpurunder sections307(Attempt to murder),332(Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353(Assault or criminal force to public servant from discharge of his duty)against Mr. Dhirendra, Mr. Yogendra Pratap and another personMr. Vicky David.TheFIRstated that on the night of September17-18, 2020, Mr. Chaturvedi, (Sub-Inspector) along with Constables Deepak Kumar and Ram Chander Yadav were on duty at Betiahata Chauraha, Betiahata, Gorakhpur.From the Crime Branch, Mr. Sadiq(SI), Mr. Chandrabhan (SI), Mr. Rashid (Head-Constable), Mr. Dharmendra (Constable), Mr. Yogesh (Head-Constable), Mr. Pradeep (Constable), Mr. Rakesh (Constable), Mr. Indresh (Constable), Mr. Qutbuddin (Constable) and Mr. Monish (Constable) had gone to the Betiahata Chauraha. They were told by aninformer that a wanted criminalMr. Vikky David is standing near Hanuman temple with two people.After getting the information, 15 policemenreached Hanuman Templewhere theysaw three people standing who said their names wasMr. Vicky David, Mr. Dhirendra Pratap and Mr. Yogendra Pratap. When all of them were body searched,it seemed as if Mr. David had a gun and in the scuffle severalpolicemen fell downand all three of themran away firing.Mr. Chaturvedi statedin FIR that,“the police searched for them but all three could not be found. That's why I'm filing a FIR”.Mr. Dhirendrawas constantly persuadingthe policeto uphold the constitution and act against Dalit atrocities. This is the main reason why the police targeted Mr. Dhirendra.The entire narrative showcasesextreme neglect and misuse of power by the Gorakhpur police. From not arresting Mr. Vivek and then abetting crime against Dalits to the post-midnight raid, abduction and illegal arrest in a fabricated case demonstrate a state of complete lawlessness in Gorakhpur. Acts by the police depict extremely serious and blatant violations of arrest procedures of the Cr.P.C, the DK Basuguidelinesand NHRC’s ownguidelineson arrestprocedures.

HRD Alert India

Authorities in Vietnam have arrested a Facebook user for sharing his grievances about how the local government has handled a dispute over his family’s land, RFA has learned.

Le Van Hai, from Binh Dinh province in the country’s South Central Coast region was charged with “abusing freedom and democratic rights to infringe upon the interests of the state” under Article 33 of Vietnam’s 2015 Penal Code.

Local media outlet Youth Online reported the arrest Friday and it was confirmed by police in Binh Dinh.

According to the report, Le was detained over a period of two months, and police conducted a search of his residence in the coastal city of Qui Nhon.

The police investigation into Le’s case states that he often used his Facebook account to share or post many stories that slandered or offended the prestige of Vietnamese government leaders, including communist party members and provincial officials.

Le had also sent many complaints to Binh Dinh authorities asking for compensation payments because his family’s house and land had been confiscated to build a wastewater treatment plant in Qui Nhon.

When authorities denied the request, he shared his frustration on Facebook.

While all land in Vietnam is ultimately held by the state, land confiscations have become a flashpoint as residents accuse the government of pushing small landholders aside in favor of lucrative real estate projects, and of paying too little in compensation to farming families displaced by development.

Le’s case came to light after a court in Hanoi sentenced two vilagers to death, and gave several others long sentences, in the trial of 29 villagers over a deadly land-rights clash in January at the Dong Tam commune near Vietnam’s capital.

Three police officers were killed in the Jan. 9 clash when they were attacked by petrol bombs and fell into a concrete shaft while running between two houses. The village elder and father of the two condemned convicts also died in the raid.

Vietnam, with a population of 92 million people, of which 55 million are estimated to be users of Facebook, has been consistently rated “not free” in the areas of internet and press freedom by Freedom House, a U.S.-based watchdog group.

Dissent is not tolerated in the communist nation, and authorities routinely use a set of vague provisions in the penal code to detain dozens of writers and bloggers.

RFA

Jailed Kazakh civil rights activist Sanavar Zakirova has been placed in solitary confinement for allegedly attacking three cellmates, which her daughter called part of a politically motivated campaign against her.

Malika Zakirova told RFE/RL on September 18 that her mother, who is being held in a detention center in Kazakhstan's largest city, Almaty, was defending herself from an attack by the three inmates, which lead to her being placed in solitary confinement.

Officials at the detention center told RFE/RL that Zakirova was transferred to solitary confinement for five days "for attacking three inmates."

Zakirova's lawyer, Zhanar Balghabaeva, told RFE/RL on September 18 that her client had complained since mid-August that the detention center's administration was using other inmates to pressure her and officially asked for a transfer to another penitentiary as her life was in danger.

Zakirova, who is well known for her political and civil-rights activities, was sentenced to one year in prison in mid-July after the Medeu district court in Almaty found her guilty of assaulting the daughter of a woman who had hurled vulgarities at a rally in March.

Zakirova has insisted that all of the accusations against her are groundless and politically motivated.

She was an initiator of and leading participant in rallies in Almaty and Nur-Sultan, the capital, last year by residents of Kazakhstan's different regions, demanding action on what they called "wrong court decisions" in various cases.

In March 2019, Almaty city authorities denied Zakirova permission to hold a congress to establish a new political party, Our Right.

In November 2019, Zakirova and two other activists were found guilty by a court in Almaty of distributing false information about the ruling Nur-Otan party over the Internet.

They were ordered to pay the equivalent of $15,000 to the party. Zakirova and her supporters said then that the case was politically motivated.

Days later Zakirova and three other female activists mocked Nur-Otan, staging a public action -- asking worshipers outside a mosque in Nur-Sultan for money to help pay a fine to the ruling party.

Police detained the women then and fined them the equivalent of $32 each for causing a public nuisance.

Last week, Kazakhstan’s human rights organizations recognized Zakirova a political prisoner.

RFERL

The demonstration held by students of the HMI (Islamic Student Association) Bogor Branch in front of the gate of the Bogor Regency Government Office Complex (Pemkab) on 17 September 2020 was violently dispersed by local Satuan Polisi Pamong Praja (Municipal Police under the command of local/district government). This was triggered by one of the officers who got emotional, because one of the students tore a letter not permitting the demonstration that the officer had shown. The students were protesting against the alleged maladministration surrounding the building of a local state hospital (Rumah Sakit Umum Daerah Leuwiliang). They demanded the project to be postponed. 6 Students were wounded on their head, shoulder, and arms from being beaten and kicked by the municipal police. Bogor’s vice regent later stated that the violence most likely occur because the municipal police were stressed out from carrying out their job in the middle of the pandemic.

Kompas

Police officers have searched the house where activist Jatupat “Pai Dao Din” Boonpattararaksa and his friends are staying and seized 17 banners to be used on 19 Sep.

Jatupat livestreamed the search on his Facebook page on 17 September 2020. The police refused to let the activist group take a photo of the search warrant. They seized 17 banners with statements relating to the coup and reform of the monarchy that were to be brought to the protest on 19 Sep.

The police with a search warrant explained that the activists had not been charged but the police needed to find the evidence for an investigation. The police also told them that charges might be pressed later.

On 16 September 2020, Prachatai was informed by Local Democracy, a student activist group from northeastern Thailand, of which Jatupat is a member, that a red car without license plates was parked, with the engine running, in front of their rented house. 2 men, one with short hair and one with long hair, were sitting in a restaurant next to the house.

Jatupat believes that this harassment is due to their previous political action in front of Khon Kaen Mueang Police Station on 10 Sep. However, the banners seized were not related to that case, which means that no offence relating to the banners has yet been committed.

Jatupat is a student activist who was jailed for 870 days on a lèse majesté charge after he shared a BBC Thai biography of King Rama X. During his time in prison, his parents accepted the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights, South Korea’s most prestigious human rights award, on his behalf and after his release, he has continued his activities with the Free People movement.

Human Rights Watch reports serious concerns about the harassment of student activists and has called for the Thai authorities to stop arresting activists for their peaceful protests and to unconditionally drop all charges such as sedition.

Apart from leading protest figures, students who participated in protests this year face harassment in their schools, which claim that their activities affect the school’s reputation and disappoint their parents. Four university students and a high school student were also summoned by the police for alleged violations of the Emergency Decree and the Public Assembly Act.

Not long after the 18 July protest, the existence of a police list of 31 targeted people was revealed, including leading figures of the student movement, such as Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak and Tattep “Ford” Ruangprapaikijseree. 30 people in the list have so far been charged.

The case causing most concern is the arrest of lawyer Anon Nampa and student activist Panupong “Mike” Jadnok, who were detained for 5 days over a holiday weekend after they gave speeches on reform of the monarchy. However, they will continue their fight until they reach their dream, according to Anon and Panupong.

Prachatai

On September 17, Hanoi security forces detained prominent dissident Nguyen Quang A for several hours in a bid to prevent him from meeting with US Ambassador in Vietnam Daniel Kritenbrink.

Dr. A, who is the head of the unregistered group Vietnam Civil Society, said the American Ambassador invited him to a coffee meeting in his private residence in Hanoi at 3.30 pm on Thursday. He planned to leave his house early to go to a bank before heading to the meeting. However, when he tried to go at 2 pm, he recognized a group of ten policemen staying near his house in Gia Lam district.

Realizing that the policemen were waiting for him, Dr. A intended to go back to his house to inform the diplomat about the police blockade, however, the policemen detained him and took him to a car, and the vehicle headed to the Ngoc Thuy ward police station, where he was held many times before.

Dr. A strongly protested the police’s move, saying his detention is illegal. He knows that their purpose is to block him from meeting with the US Ambassador but the police officers asked him about his posts on Facebook.

A told them that this detention is the 18th in recent years, and he will not answer any question from them. At 5.30 pm, the police released him.

Along with blocking Dr. A from going abroad, Vietnam’s security forces have detained him many times in a bid to prevent him from meeting with foreign diplomats from the EU and the US as well as other Western countries.

Defend the Defenders

The Constitutional Court on Wednesday (16 September) accepted a complaint against three leaders of the 10 August demonstration at Thammasat University, accusing them of attempting to overthrow the government.

The complaint was filed by lawyer Nattaporn Toprayoon, who accused three speakers at the 10 August demonstration, namely human rights lawyer Anon Nampa and student activists Panupong Jadnok and Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, of attempting to overthrow the “democratic regime with the monarch at the head of state” under Section 49 in the 2017 Constitution.

Nattaporn previously filed his complaint with the Attorney General under Clause 2 of Section 49 on 18 August, before filing the complaint with the Constitutional Court directly.

The Constitutional Court accepted the complaint and will deliver a copy of the complaint to the three accused, so that they can submit a statement within 15 days. The Court also ordered the Attorney General to deliver the evidence filed by Nattaporn to the Court within 15 days.

Nattaporn, a staunch royalist, is a former advisor to the Chief Ombudsman and has previously acted as a lawyer for the PAD, the Thai Patriots Network and other right-wing groups. In June 2019, he filed the same complaint against the now-dissolved Future Forward Party (FFP), claiming that the party was linked to the Illuminati, a fictitious secret organization believed by conspiracy theorists to be seeking world domination. The Constitutional Court ruled to acquit the party in January 2020, citing insufficient evidence.

Prachatai

A Kazakh court has upheld the conviction and sentencing of an activist found guilty of spreading “false information” about the coronavirus.

The Almaty city court on September 15 upheld a decision by a lower court to sentence Alnur Ilyashev to three years of restricted freedom, a parolelike limitation, and ban him from social or political activism for five years.

Ilyashev was detained on April 17 after he wrote on Facebook that authorities in Kazakhstan, including those in the ruling Nur Otan party, have been corrupt and incompetent in their response to the coronavirus outbreak.

The 43-year-old activist spent more than two months in custody before being released after the initial court verdict was handed down in June.

Amnesty International slammed the sentence as “absurd” and as a sign that the government is not tolerating criticism.

The Clooney Foundation for Justice is disappointed that the Almaty City Court has upheld the conviction of Alnur Ilyashev for criticizing the ruling Nur Otan party on Facebook. As CFJ made clear in the amicus brief it filed with the appeal court, Mr. Ilyashev’s trial, which was conducted virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was unfair, and his conviction violated his right to freedom of expression. CFJ hopes this unjust result will be reversed upon further review.

RFERL | CFJ

Authorities in Cambodia have arrested a second rapper on charges of “incitement” in days, a court official in the country’s Siem Reap province said Tuesday, after he released songs suggesting that Prime Minister Hun Sen’s lack of leadership had led to economic decline.

Long Puthera, who penned the track “Wipe Your Tears and Continue Your Journey, Khmer Eyes,” was arrested “late last week” and jailed on charges of “incitement to commit a felony or cause social unrest” under Article 495 of Cambodia’s Penal Code, Siem Reap Provincial Court spokesperson Chhuon Sopanha told RFA’s Khmer Service.

“The judge ordered him detained on charges of incitement,” he said. “The accused has the right to an attorney.”

The rapper had regularly posted songs on his YouTube page under the name Thxera-Kampuchea and had thousands of followers.

Long Puthera’s acquaintances told RFA that they had been unable to contact his family members since his arrest, as they live in a different province.

The young musician is also friends with fellow rapper Kea Sokun, known for his song “Khmer Land,” which touched a political third rail by criticizing the Cambodian government’s handling of its border dispute with Vietnam.

Kea Sokun was arrested Sept. 4 in Siem Reap province and also charged with incitement after authorities booked his wedding photography business for a pre-wedding photo shoot and took him into custody when he arrived, his brother Chheang Chhat told RFA last week.

Chan Chamroeun, provincial coordinator for local rights group Adhoc, told RFA Tuesday that his organization is investigating the two cases and working to provide lawyers to defend the pair of rappers.

He said that the two young men had simply sang songs reflective of current Cambodian social issues and had not breached any laws.

“The authorities should have allowed for their freedom of expression—this freedom is important because it helps the government understand the concerns of the public,” he said.

“The authorities should allow for constructive criticism so that the government can identify loopholes in the system and fix them.”

Wave of arrests

Last week, amid an ongoing wave of arrests of voices critical of Hun Sen’s leadership, Rhona Smith, the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on Cambodia, wrote in a Facebook post that “the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly are protected by international human rights norms and standards as well as by the Cambodian Constitution.”

She urged authorities to ensure that those arrested are promptly tried and that their due process rights be fully respected.

On Friday the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said it had documented the arrest of 24 human rights campaigners since popular labor leader Rong Chhun, the president of the Cambodian Confederation of Unions, was taken into custody July 31, including eight in September alone.

While 13 were released after pledging to refrain from further rights activities, 12 remain in detention—most of whom face charges of “incitement to commit felony,” including three environmental activists.

The wave of arrests come three years after opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) President Kem Sokha’s September 2017 arrest over an alleged plot to overthrow the government with the help of Washington. Cambodia’s Supreme Court banned his party in November that year for its supposed role in the scheme.

The move to dissolve the CNRP marked the beginning of a wider crackdown by Hun Sen on the political opposition, NGOs, and the independent media that paved the way for his ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) to win all 125 seats in parliament in the country’s July 2018 general election.

RFA

Journalist Jobert “Polpog” Bercasio was shot dead as he was riding a scooter in Sorgoson City, Sorgoson, Luzon on the evening of September 14. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) in condemning the killing and calls on the authorities to conduct a swift investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Bercasio, a former radio reporter who ran his own Balangibog TV channel on social media, was killed by two gunmen riding in tandem on a motorcycle. The police found empty casings of an M16 rifle at the crime scene. According to Sorsogon City Police Chief Supt. Benito Dipad, Bercasio died on the spot.

Bercasio hosted a program broadcast via Facebook live and commented on social issues, including illegal logging. He has been described as a “hard-hitting” commentator. An hour before the killing, Bercasio wrote on his personal Facebook page about the irregular movement of trucks from a “quarry area” in Bulan town.

According to NUJP, Bercasio is the 17th journalist killed under President Rodrigo Duterte's rule and the 189th since 1986. This year, he is the second journalist killed, after radio host Cornelio “Rex Cornelio” Pepino was gunned down by two men on separate motorcycles in Dumaguete City on May 5, just days after World Press Freedom Day.

NUJP said: “NUJP stresses again that we see no official government policy at work in the continuing murder of journalists and other attacks on the press. But the general disinterest, apathy even, in solving and, just as important, bringing an end to media killings and the harassment of journalists have served to embolden those who seek to silence those in the profession of truth.”

IFJ

A well-known Kazakh civil rights activist, Erbol Eskhozhin, has been fined for publicly calling police officers "Nazarbaev's puppies."

Nursultan Nazarbaev is Kazakhstan’s former president who ruled the Central Asian nation for almost 30 years before he resigned in March 2019. He continues to control the country as the leader of the ruling Nur-Otan party and the lifetime chairman of the powerful Security Council.

A court in Kazakhstan's largest city, Almaty, on September 14 found Eskhozhin guilty of insulting police and fined him $530, his lawyer Olga Enns told RFE/RL.

Eskhozhin called the police "Nazarbaev's puppies" when law enforcement officers were dispersing demonstrators in Nur-Sultan, the capital, during protests early this year.

Eskhozhin said he will not pay the fine, adding that the court's decision will be appealed and that the case against him is politically motivated.

"I can't pay the fine, even if they jail me.... The ruling indicates that the authorities are scared of the increasing number of civil rights activists in the country. People do not have as much fear now," Eskhozhin said.

Since last year, the 43-year-old activist has been sentenced six times to several days in jail for taking part in unsanctioned rallies and, in all, has spent 85 days in jail.

RFERL

Social activist Lakhan Musafir, 59, has been externed for six months from five districts of Narmada, Bharuch, Vadodara, Chhota Udepur and Tapi, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Kevadia in Narmada district on October 31 to inaugurate the seaplane service connecting Statue of Unity to Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad, as well as the jetty service downstream the Narmada River.

Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Rajpipla issued the order banishing Musafir, who was served a notice for proceedings of externment in March this year, under section 56(A), Gujarat Police Act 1951. He has been accused of “inciting locals against government, trading in liquor and being part of anti-social groups”.

The order by Rajpipla SDM, KD Bhagat, has relied on two FIRs registered against him in 2019 for rioting, unlawful assembly, causing hurt to public servants and criminal intimidation and also accused Musafir of being involved in illicit liquor trade although no complaint has been registered against him under the Prohibition Act so far.

The order, dated September 14, states, “In view of the application submitted by the Superintendent of Police of Narmada District, the accussed Lakhan Musafir is a dubious person. I know that he does not have any honest means of livelihood and along with his accomplices, is continuously inciting local villagers in Kevadia around the Statue of Unity as well as the Narmada dam. Along with many anti-social elements, Musafir is known to organise public gatherings to mislead the people into anti government activities.”

The SDM further said that Musafir is known for “anti-government slogans” and interrupting government works to breach law and order. It states, “…In several incidents in the past he and his accomplices, have indulged in fights with government officials as well as officers of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam limited (SSNNL) and broken the peace and law in the area.”

The order further accuses Musafir or “targetting” the SoU, which has earned Kevadia much repute and says that no villager is willing to stand witness against Musafir due to the “fear” he has instilled among people.

It says, “Time and again, he has targeted the Statue of Unity located inKevadia by gathering his group of anti-social elements as well as people from the villages close by to indulge in anti-government activity…”

The two FIRs against Musafir in Kevadia police station date back to January and October 2019. In January 2019, Musafir was accused of leading a mob that resorted to rioting at the ground breaking ceremony of the Haryana Bhavan near SOU at the hands of Haryana Chief Minister ManoharLal Khattar. The matter is pending in court.

The second case registered against Musafir is of October 31, 2019 — the day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Kevadia to inaugurate peripheral tourist spots around SoU. Musafir, who has now taken shelter in Mandvi taluka of Surat district, told The Indian Express,

“They booked me in the two cases by design because they were planning to outlaw me since over seven years, ever since I joined villagers protesting against the Garudeshwar Weir and then the Statue of Unity. They had no cases to outlaw me. I am a simple man who has been involved in agriculture and to make villagers self-sufficient.”

The SDM’s order adds that a “private inquiry” conducted by him revealed that Musafir was known to assault people “as well as have them assaulted by his group of anti-social elements”. Although the initial hearing on the notice of externment was scheduled for March 24 this year, it was shifted to July due to Covid-19 lockdown.

In his reply to the notice of July 13, Musafir called himself a “Gandhian” and denied allegations of inciting villagers or being involved in bootlegging. He said, “The charges levelled against me are false… I am involved in activities related to Gandhian principles… Taking people’s genuine complaints to the government can never be called a crime.”

Musafir has also cited recommendations about him from from former Gujarat Chief Ministers Sureshchandra Mehta and Amarsinh Chaudhary as well as five other friends. However, the SDM said that two cases registered against Musafir is evidence enough.

Musafir said, “The Kevadia police accompanied me to Mandvi, after confirming from me where I would be staying for six months. I have to report to the Mandvi police station every 15 days.”

“The Statue of Unity Area Development and Tourism Governance Act, 2019 has been executed. PM Modi will inaugurate the seaplane service next month. They do not want anyone around who support local protests. The fact is that the protests are being organised by the locals because they are aware of their rights… The government failed to address the issues of the local people related to land acquisition and submergence of villages due to the Garudeshwar Weir. People are agitated. There are many other projects planned in the area that will take away the essential tribal identity of the people along with their lands,” he says.

Musafir, originally from Bhavnagar, says he moved to Mathavadi village in Kevadia. “I moved to this place in 1986 when villagers were agitating against land acquisition for the Narmada Dam. I did not directly join the agitation but I have been a sympathiser of anyone who loses their land, in any part of the state. My interest lies in farming and I taught many villagers techniques for organic farming, selflessly. The aim was to make them self reliant. Over the years, I have imbibed the tribal way of life myself,” says Musafir, adding that he is not affiliated to any political party.

Kevadia had seen clashes between villagers and officials of SSNNL and police in May and June this year when the SSNNL took possession of and fenced lands acquired in 1961 after the Gujarat High Court dismissed a petition filed by six affected villages around the Statue of Unity.

Indian Express

A journalist from Tripura was beaten up by unidentified individuals, after he criticised Chief Minister Biplab Deb’s remark that he will not forgive media houses for publishing stories of alleged mismanagement of the coronavirus crisis by the Bharatiya Janata Party government, NDTV reported on Monday.

Parashar Biswas, a journalist with a Bengali newspaper, made the criticism after being discharged from a coronavirus care centre. In his video, posted on Facebook on Saturday, Biswas said he wanted to warn the chief minister that he should not threaten the media.

Biswas was thrashed at his house in Ambassa, the headquarters of Dhalai district, on Saturday night. He was critically injured and was taken to a hospital in Agartala. “We have filed a case and are investigating the attack,” Deputy General of Police Rajiv Singh said.

Subal Dey, the editor of Syandan Patrika, where Biswas works, said he was attacked within 12 hours after he made the Facebook post. “He was attacked within a day after the chief minister issued a threat against the media and within 12 hours of his Facebook post. We suspect this attack to have been carried out by BJP members.”

But the BJP denied it was responsible for the attack. “We condemn the attack on the journalist,” Tripura BJP spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharjee said. “None of our party members are involved in this. Police has started investigation. If any political party members are involved, law will take its course.”

Deb had said on Friday that he would not “forgive” the media for its allegedly “confused” coverage of the coronavirus situation in the state. “A few newspapers and journalists are getting overexcited and confusing the people of Tripura,” he had said. “History would not forget them. I will also not forgive them. People of Tripura will not forget them. Biplab Deb will not forget them. I do what I say, I keep my words. History will remain witness to it.”

Journalists in Agartala held a meeting on Sunday under the forum “Assembly of Journalists”, and asked Deb to withdraw his statement. “Within 24 hours of Chief Minister’s public threat to newspapers, a journalist has been attacked, beaten brutally,” they said in a statement. “This has led to a feeling of insecurity among journalists in the state.” The group said that if Deb did not withdraw his statement, they might have to approach Governor Ramesh Bais, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Press Council of India.

Forum for Protection of Media and Journalists in Tripura Chairperson Subal Kumar Dey said the comments of the chief minister were “undemocratic and unconstitutional”, News18 reported. “We hope he will withdraw his remark within the next three days,” Dey said.

Dey claimed that not one but two journalists have been attacked since Saturday. “The state is trying to enslave media persons,” he alleged. “State government orders are issued to choke journalists’ voices.”

Tripura has so far reported 19,165 cases of the coronavirus, including 200 deaths, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. As many as 11,536 people have recovered.

Scroll

On September 11, the day after protesters distributed anti-war material in Mandalay, Chan Aye Thar-Zan Township police in Mandalay briefly detained and charged ABFSU member Myo Chit Zaw, 21, and filed charges against 12 others for failing to notify the authorities in advance of the September 10 protest. On September 13, police briefly detained and charged ABFSU Central Executive Committee members Soe Hla Naing and Kyaw Thiha Ye Kyaw on the same charges.

Fortify Rights

Delhi Police arrested former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Umar Khalid under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for instigating the North-East Delhi riots that broke out in February this year.

“Khalid was one of the main conspirators of riots in which 53 persons died and over 400 were injured,” special cell of Delhi Police said after the arrest.

The former JNU scholar has been questioned twice by the police over the last two months for speeches he delivered at the Shaheen Bagh protest site. According to the police, Khalid had planned the riots with former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain.

Khalid was charged with sedition and arrested in February 2016 too, for allegedly shouting anti-India slogans inside the JNU campus along with former student union president Kanhaiya Kumar and others.

“We arrested Umar Khalid late Sunday night,” said a senior police officer associated with the probe, requesting not to be named.

On August 3, the suspended AAP councillor had reportedly confessed to his crime and told the police that he was given the task to collect as much glass bottle, petrol, acid, stones as possible during the violence.

Communal violence broke out in Delhi between anti-CAA and pro-CAA protesters in February this year. Hundreds of people were detained in connection with the violence and police faced criticism for their slack management of protesters and ineffective handling of the riots.

Hindustan Times

The Myanmar authorities should cease responding to criticism of the government and military with arrests and prosecutions of students protesting human rights abuses, Human Rights Watch said today. They should immediately drop charges against the students and unconditionally release those in custody.

At least 20 students around the country have been charged or are facing arrest under various laws after joining protests or sticker campaigns critical of the government or military, including criticizing the mobile internet shutdown in Rakhine and Chin States, according to the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU).

“The Myanmar government deserves a failing grade for intimidating and harassing students peacefully expressing their views,” said Linda Lakhdhir, Asia legal adviser. “Neither criticizing the government nor peacefully protesting should be a crime, and the authorities should stop treating them as such.”

On September 10, 2020, members of the student federation conducted a “sticker” campaign in solidarity with Rakhine students who had been arrested the previous day for protesting internet restrictions. The ABFSU members distributed fliers and stickers demanding that 3G and 4G data services be turned back on across eight townships in Rakhine and Chin States. The slogans included: “No bloody government. No murder army” and “Oppose murder and fascism and stand together with the Rakhine people.”

On September 12, the Special Branch unit of the police conducted a nighttime raid on the home of Paing Min Khant, a student in North Okkala, Yangon. “When the police knocked on our door, they told us that they were coming into our home to take temperature checks as part of neighborhood health checks for Covid-19,” Paing Min Khant told Human Rights Watch. “But then they came in and told us they had filed complaints against us under section 19 of the Peaceful Procession and Peaceful Assembly Law in Mayangone and Kyauktada townships [in Yangon].”

Police took him and another student, Wai Yan Phyo Moe, to the Mayangone township police station, where they were told they would face charges under the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law for failing to notify police when distributing anti-war fliers and stickers in downtown Yangon.

Myanmar’s Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law requires organizers to give notice to the authorities 48 hours before holding a protest or assembly. The law carries a maximum penalty of three months in jail and a fine. Treating the distribution of stickers and flyers as an “assembly” requiring notice is a new and overly broad reading of that law, Human Rights Watch said.

The authorities also threatened Paing Yin Khant and Wai Yan Phyo Moe with possible additional charges under section 505(b) of the Penal Code, which carries a penalty of up to two years in prison and a fine.

The pair said police later took them to the Kyauktada township police station and questioned them about the whereabouts of other students before finally releasing the two around midnight. The students said the police did not immediately file charges against them but said they were conducting the investigations as part of an “open” case.

HRW | DMG

The South Sulawesi water and police unit have arrested three student journalists in Makassar while they were covering a protest to reject sand mining on Saturday, September 12. The authorities released them on Sunday, September 13. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) stands in solidarity with its affiliate the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Indonesia to demand an investigation into the arrest. The student journalists arrested were Hendra, the chairman of press student at the Hasanuddin University, Mansyur, the chief editor of CakrawalaIde at the Muslim Indonesia University, and Muhammad Raihan Rahman, who also a member of the CakrawalaIde publication.

The young journalists joined fishermen on their boat to protest sandmining on Kodingareng island. On the way back to Makassar, the boat was blocked by water and police unit vessels. Although the three student journalists showed their identity cards and a letter of assignment, the officers still arrested them. They were also reportedly intimidated and harassed before being escorted to the police office.

Sand mining is a controversial activity in Indonesia. Sand mining is a controversial activity in Indonesia. The operations of sand mining has impacted the fishermen and the coastal communities in the country.

The Indonesian Safety Committee for Journalists, which also supported by AJI Indonesia as its member, has condemned the arrest and remind the police that journalists are protected by the Press Law. According to the Press Law, everyone found guilty in obstructing journalists’ works will be sentenced to jail for two years at the maximum or charged with a maximum fine of IDR500 million or US$33,000.

“The Committee calls the police to investigate the officers who obstructed and intimidated the journalists. The Committee urges all the authorities to respect journalists who are on duty,” Committee added.

IFJ

Civil society organisations have demanded a judicial enquiry into an incident of assault and police firing on Adivasi demonstrators in Bihar’s Kaimur district. Releasing a fact-finding report on Friday, members of the organisations said that the demonstrators “were not just fired upon and injured in the firing and lathi-charged but were also picked up by the police on trumped-up charges”.

According to the report, on September 11, when a delegation of Adivasi protesters tried to reach out to the forest department officials at Adhaura block of Kaimur to initiate a dialogue, they were abused and manhandled by officials.

“Later on, and quite suddenly, more police poured in, along with CRPF personnel, and unleashed a brutal assault on the Adivasi demonstrators. The police opened fire and lathi-charged the protesters,” the report notes.

“During this period, an Adivasi person Prabhu from Chaphana village was shot by a police bullet, the bullet went through his ear and took a chunk of his ear’s muscle tissue. Police lathi-charged Adivasi women, men, youths and children viciously and many were injured which went unreported. Police brutality continued in the aftermaths of this incident as well,” the report further adds.

They claimed that since September 10, thousands of Adivasis, including women, men, youths and children, from 108 villages of Adhaura Block were protesting under the banner of Kaimur Mukti Morcha in front of the forest department office at Adhaura demanding the implementation of the Forest Rights Act 2006 and rollback the proposal of Kaimur Forest Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve.

It was also alleged that on September 12, Kaimur Mukti Morcha’s office in Adhaura was ransacked by police. As per the team, seven activists affiliated with Kaimur Mukti Morcha were arrested on false charges by the police. The arrested activists were first kept in police custody and later presented in front of the judicial magistrate of Kaimur district. They were charged under different sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including the Arms Act.

On October 16, all the seven activists were released on bail. Moreover, two days later, in response to the ‘boycott election call’ given by the Kaimur Mukti Morcha (KMM), political heavyweights, including the central minister of state for home, Nityanand Rai, met the protesters in Kaimoor, requesting to call off the boycott call.

Violation of forest rights

The report has been prepared by a four-member team, consisting of Amir Sherwani Khan and Matadayal of All India Union of Forest Working People (AIUFWP), and Raja Rabbi Hussain of Delhi Solidarity Group (DSG) and Aman Khan, an advocate practicing at the Supreme Court. They visited Adhaura between September 23 and 27. The report has been co-published by AIUFWP, DSG and Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP).

Speaking to The Wire, Amir Sherwani Khan, a member of the team said, “The forest department constantly violates FRA 2006 by controlling people’s rights over minor forest produce, which is very important for their livelihood.” Khan further said that Adivasi land is being taken without proper consent from Vansamiti and Gram sabhas.”

“We have demanded a judicial enquiry, because villagers want enquiry and action against the police and forest department, implementation of FRA 2006,” Khan told The Wire. According to him, villagers are panicked and terrified because 29 villagers have been charged in a fake and concocted case with serious charges of IPC, such as 307 (Attempt to murder) and the Arms act.

Other demands of the team included a proper and speedy implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, scrapping colonial Indian Forest Right Act 1927, quashing the FIR against all the accused people charged under false cases and compensation to the persons who are charged on false cases and were injured by police firing and lathi-charged. They have also demanded to declare Kaimur a Scheduled area under Panchayat (Extension Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996.

Earlier, on September 30, AIUFWP and CJP had registered a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) demanding an FIR against the officials for unleashing violence and hampering the implementation of the Forest Rights Act under Section 3 (i) (g) of the SC/ST Act.

“As organisations committed to reclaiming the rights over the land of the Adivasi and Forest Dwelling communities and a civil rights group committed to the rule of law and equality before the law as enshrined in the Indian Constitution, we urge this Hon’ble Commission to, in exercise of its powers and functions: “(a) inquire, suo motu or on a petition presented to it by a victim or any person on his behalf [or on a direction or order of any court], into complaint of (i) violation of human rights or abetment thereof; or (ii) negligence in the prevention of such violation, by a public servant,” reads the complaint signed by Roma Malik of AIUFWP and Teesta Setalvad of CJP.

Speaking at the launch of the fact-finding report, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat condemned the police action and the consistent harassment of Adivasi groups by forest officials. Karat praised the community for their consistent stands, and supported the demand for a judicial inquiry into the police firing. She also demanded the quashing of the “false cases” and FIRs lodged against 29 protestors.

Wire

Another activist was arrested in Phnom Penh on Thursday as the U.N., international rights groups and dozens of local civil society organizations condemned the government�s �campaign of fear and repression� against human rights defenders.

Police arrested Muong Sopheak on Sothearos Blvd. in Chamkarmorn district�s Tonle Bassac commune around 3 p.m. by court order for incitement to disturb social security, municipal police spokesperson San Sokseyha said on Friday.

His brother, Muong Sony, said Sopheak had been taken by authorities from outside the minor Khmer Will Party�s headquarters. Sopheak and Sony both belong to the Khmer Student Intelligent League Association, two other members of which were arrested last weekend in relation to protests in support of jailed unionist Rong Chhun.

Sopheak�s arrest marks at least 10 activists arrested over the past month amid a series of small street protests, most in support of Chhun. At least four of those detained were members of youth activist group Khmer Thavrak.

Chhun was arrested in late July after alleging that Cambodia was losing territory to Vietnam along their shared border, a controversial and ethnically charged issue.

In a statement on Friday, the U.N.�s human rights office said it had documented the arrests of 24 human rights defenders since Chhun�s arrest, 12 of whom remained in detention.

Several activists also reported being followed and receiving threatening phone calls, including death threats, it said. �Numerous human rights defenders are currently in hiding for fear of being arrested.�

�The current situation marks a deepening of the Government�s intolerance to dissent and repression of the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association,� it said, calling on the government to release the arrested activists and end the intimidation against civil society actors.

Human Rights Watch deputy Asia director Phil Robertson also called for the activists� release in a statement on Friday, and urged Prime Minister Hun Sen to �end the de facto ban on critical protests in Phnom Penh.� On Thursday, Amnesty International condemned the arrests as �a shocking, all-out assault on Cambodia�s youth.�

Thirty-nine civil society groups signed a similar statement earlier this week. �We urge the government to end its campaign of fear and repression against peaceful youth and environmental human rights defenders,� they said on Wednesday.

The government�s permanent mission in Geneva this week responded to related criticism from U.N. envoy Rhona Smith.

�Cambodia cherishes freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly in line with the law, and is deeply conscious that plurality of voices, including the critical one, matters in the development of the country,� it said in a statement, according to state media outlet Agence Kampuchea Presse. �However, article 31 of the Constitution of Cambodia underscores that exercise of personal rights and freedom by any individual shall not adversely affect rights and freedom of others. The exercise of such rights and freedom shall be in accordance with the law.�

VOD Hotnews

The Mandalay student demonstration on September 10 protested alleged military misconduct in Arakan State. Protesters also demanded the full restoration of 4G mobile internet access in parts of Arakan and Chin states that have been deprived for more than a year.

Ko Myo Chit Zaw, from the Yadanarbon University Student Union, is being detained at the No. 6 police station in Mandalay. Charges have been brought against him under Myanmar’s Natural Disaster Management Law in addition to the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law, Ko Htoo Khant Thaw said.

A total of 13 students who joined the protest have had cases opened against them under Section 19 of the Peaceful Assembly Law, according to the federation.

“It is intended so that we don’t have any rights to note matters related to the military in Myanmar. So, all 13 students who participated in the protest yesterday are facing lawsuits. We don’t think it is appropriate. In fact, we noted the actual situations on the ground,” said Ko Htoo Khant Thaw.

On September 9, three students from the Arakan Student Union who staged a protest in front of the Arakan State government offices were arrested. Cases were opened against them under Section 25 of the Natural Disaster Management Law at the Sittwe Township Court on September 10.

Beijing police seized publisher Geng Xiaonan (耿潇男) and her husband Qin Zhen (秦真) on September 9. Both have been criminally detained on suspicion of “illegal business activity” and are being held at Haidian District Detention Center. Geng had alerted the world to the July detention of then-Tsinghua University professor and outspoken critic of Xi Jinping, Xu Zhangrun (许章润). Geng had organized the trip which Xu attended and which police later accused him of “soliciting prostitutes” while on. She has also tried to raise awareness of the ongoing enforced disappearance of citizen journalist Chen Qiushi (陈秋实), who reported from Wuhan during the COVID-19 pandemic and has been missing in police custody since February 6. Authorities recently began an investigation into her and her husband’s publishing company, Ruiya Books (北京瑞雅文化传播有限公司), in what appears to be retaliation for her speaking out.

Chinese Human Rights Defenders

A high school student has been summoned by the police for participating in an anti-government protest in Ratchaburi on 1 August and accused of violating the Emergency Decree and the Public Assembly Act.

The student activist group Free Youth posted a picture of the summons on their Facebook page yesterday (9 September), stating that a 17-year-old high school student who participated in the anti-government protest in Ratchaburi on 1 August has received a police summons alongside 4 other university students, and that this is the first time since the mass protest on 18 July that the authorities have issued a summons for a high school student.

The summons states that the students are accused of violating the Emergency Decree and the Public Assembly Act and of using a sound amplifier in public without permission.

Student activists Panuwat Songsawatchai and Theerachai Rawiwat said that they also received a police summons for participating in the same demonstration.

�For what reason does a peaceful protest without arms by young people calling for a better future, something that is guaranteed by the 2017 constitution which the NCPO dictatorship themselves wrote and which enables this, lead to young people being summoned at this time?� wrote Free Youth on their Facebook page.

�Stop making the country darker than it already is by silencing young people and stopping them from demanding a brighter future. If we still have a twisted structure like the 2017 constitution, if we still have a government which disrespects the people in this way, a bright future for this country will be something that is difficult to bring about.�

Prachatai

The famous Urdu poet Munawwar Rana’s daughters, Sumaiya Rana and Uzma Parveen had asked people to gather near the Chief Minister’s residence and beat ‘thalis’ to make their voices heard.

Post this, they have been placed under house arrest on Wednesday in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow, over their call for the protest against the UP government led by the Chief Minister Ajay Singh Bisht also known as Yogi Adityanath, the police said.

Sumaiyya and Uzma, who had also played a key role in the anti-CAA protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019, in Lucknow earlier this year, had asked the public to raise their voices against a host of increasing ongoing issues, and mishandling of the raging coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

Sumaiyya who lives at Kaiserbagh in Lucknow, said, “The UP government has failed in containing the contagion in the state. Private hospitals are fleecing the public because the state government is turning a blind eye on them. The COVID-19-related high mortality rate has further worsened the healthcare crisis in UP. Besides, the state government has also failed in curbing unemployment that has started taking a toll on the state’s youths. I had given a call to make our voices heard. ”

After this incident, a large number of policemen were seen outside the Silver Heights Apartments in Kaiserbagh area where they live.

Besides, the police didn’t allow the protesters to gather outside the CM’s residence.

The police spokesperson said since Section 144 is in force in the state capital, no congregation of people could be allowed.

The cases against them have been registered on charges making objectionable comments on social media, public obstruction, violating Section 144 and disturbing peace.

Kasmiriyat

Authorities in Myanmar’s restive Rakhine state have arrested three students from the Rakhine Student Union for ignoring a law against large gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic by participating in a protest against the Myanmar government’s 15-month internet ban on eight townships in the state.

Toe Toe Aung, Kyang Naing Htay and Oo Than Naing staged their protest Wednesday in front of the Rakhine state government office building in the state capital Sittwe, holding signs critical of the government and military. They were arrested mid-protest and were officially charged with violating the Natural Disaster Management Act Thursday evening.

According to Myanmar’s military, the government ban on internet service to townships where Myanmar forces have been fighting the rebel Arakan Army (AA) since December 2018 keeps government troop movements secret while dampening speech that incites ethnic tensions.

The policy has however hampered aid workers helping war refugees and left people uninformed about the coronavirus pandemic.

The director of a local legal support group told RFA’s Myanmar Service that charging the students out of concern for public health was disingenuous.

“It is totally irrelevant to charge these students using the Natural Disaster Management Act. They were holding a protest. They didn’t do anything else, so it is obvious the authorities are trying to indict them for protesting,” Nyein Chan of the Thazin Legal Aids group said.

“Are they going to charge other crimes like robbery or murder that occur during this pandemic under that same law? We should question them. They are manipulating the law to prosecute these students,” said Nyein Chan.

The Legal Clinic Myanmar office told RFA it would provide legal services for the arrested trio.

“These students have asked us for legal help. We are cooperating with other CSOs to give the students the help they need. Well will try to prevent them from being charged by irrelevant laws,” said Mya Thuzar, an attorney at the clinic.

“As we are now in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, things are so unstable. So, we will make sure they will not fall into the wrong hands,” Mya Thuzar said.

Unlawful arrests

A Sittwe University Student Union official told RFA the three students were arrested in unlawful ways.

“We are pointing out the wrongdoings of the government and military. I would like to appeal to prosecute them lawfully. They say no one is above the law, whether that is the state government or anyone else,” said the student union’s vice-chair Bhone Pyae Phyo.

“The law is the law. They should apply the law equally to everyone, so I would like to appeal to the authorities to handle the case lawfully,” said Bhone Pyae Phyo.

Aung Than Wai, a Sittwe resident, told RFA that arresting the students goes against democratic ideals.

“The ruling government said they are working to maintain the rule of law, but they always detain everyone who speaks against them. This is very undemocratic,” said Aung Than Wai.

“They always try to silence us. We all know how many townships in Rakhine state are under an internet ban and for how long. These students are just trying to highlight that. The government is always trying to control all of us. This is a clear persecution of the people,” the Sittwe resident said.

At least 289 civilians have been killed and 641 injured in Rakhine state and in Paletwa township of neighboring Chin state since hostilities between the AA and the national army escalated in December 2018, according to an RFA tally.

Students charged in Mandalay

Meanwhile, in other parts of the country, police in Mandalay charged 15 college students from the All Burma Student Union when they also staged protests demanding an end to armed conflicts and the Rakhine internet ban.

Ba Chit, a student who got charged by the authorities told RFA, “They summoned me to come for interrogations. They didn’t arrest me. They asked for the details of the protests.”

“They also asked about our activities in the past. They asked me to sign a proclamation that we wouldn’t protest again but I refused. They said I was free to go,” Ba Chit said.

Kyaw Thiha Ye Kyaw, another member of the student union in Mandalay, told RFA, “I and the other members are still in our college. I told the police I would not come.”

“If they come to take me in person, I will go with them. But I will not back down. We are protesting against the 2008 Constitution. So, we will not acknowledge any charges under the constitution,” the student said.

RFA attempted to contact the police station in Mandalay for comment but were unsuccessful.

RFA