Uwazi

On 31 March 2010, about 50 lawyers, accompanied by MPs, human rights activists and supporters gathered at the entrance of the Bukit Aman federal police headquarters here today to protest the alleged manhandling of a lawyer by policemen at the Jalan Duta Court Complex last week. The lawyers were enraged after lawyer Amer Hamzah Arshad, who was handling the drug possession case of actor Khaeryll Benjamin Ibrahim, better known as Benjy, on March 25 was physically restrained by several policemen. Amer had intervened and tried to seek an explanation from the police who had waited outside a courtroom to re-arrest Benjy, the son of actress Azean Irdawaty, who was charged with possessing methamphetamine and released on bail.

On 27 April 2010, journalist Kh. Namuun-Uyanga, of the "Ogloonii Sonin" (Morning News) daily, received a threatening phone cal. He was urged to stop reporting on alleged embezzlement by Lieutenant Colonel M. Bayarmagnai, deputy chief of the Patrol and Special Defense Department. The threat was madeby Bayarmagnai's lawyer. The journalist heads the paper's Investigative Department. She published an article in the paper's 11 September 2008 edition, issue #175, entitled, "Police Colonel Embezzles MNT 20 million". The article was based on information provided by Lieutenant Colonel Ts. Batbold, head of the Investigation Department of the State General Prosecutor's Office. Batbold explained that his department was investigating a swindling case involving Bayarmagnai. At the time, a number of daily newspapers, including "Zuunii Medee" (Century News), "Ardchilal" (Democracy) and "Ardyn Erkh" (People's Right), also published articles on the investigation. But Bayarmagnai named only "Ogloonii Sonin" in his lawsuit, as it was the first paper to report on the alleged embezzlement. The lieutenant colonel accused the paper of defaming him and asked for 10 million MNT (over US$7,000) from the journalist to "redeem his reputation". The journalist earns about US$200 a month. After reviewing the case on 19 October 2009, the Bayanzurkh District Court found the paper guilty of slander and defamation. "Ogloonii Sonin" was ordered to pay 2 million MNT in damages to the plaintiff and publish a retraction. The paper subsequently filed an appeal with the Capital City Court. The first instance court's ruling was upheld on 18 December 2009, when the newspaper was once again found guilty of defamation. However, the Capital City Court reduced the amount payable to the plaintiff from two million to one million MNT. Unhappy with the decision, Namuun-Uyanga appealed to the Supreme Court. While her appeal was pending, a criminal case involving Bayarmagnai was re-opened. The journalist then wrote to the Supreme Court asking that review of her appeal be postponed until the case was finalized by the State General Prosecutor's Office. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court upheld the court of appeal decision. Based on a request by Namuun-Uyanga, G. Davaakhuu, an attorney for Globe International, submitted a complaint to Supreme Court General Judge S. Batdelger in accordance with Article 1761 on the review of civil cases, opposing the decisions of the court of first instance, the court of appeal and the supervising court, all three of which found "Ogloonii Sonin" guilty of slander and defamation. Namuun-Uyanga has received a number of calls from Bayarmagnai, and most recently, from his lawyer on 27 April 2010. The lieutenant colonel has said he will withdraw his complaint if the journalist agrees to pay him one million MNT. Otherwise, he threatened to use all his powers and connections against her and the paper

The National Human Rights Commission of Thailand should immediately end its groundless inquiry of an outspoken commissioner, Human Rights Watch said today. Commissioner Angkhana Neelapaijit has repeatedly spoken out about Thailand's pressing human rights problems under the military junta. On April 30, 2019, the rights commission began a disciplinary inquiry of Angkhana, accusing her of political partiality. The inquiry was triggered by comments from Tuang Attachai, a junta-appointed National Legislative Assembly member, and a complaint filed with the commission by Surawat Sangkharuek, a pro-junta activist. The inquiry focuses on Angkhana's role in observing legal proceedings and documenting rights violations against opposition politicians and critics of the ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO). She faces possible impeachment. The National Human Rights Commission of Thailand, once considered a model for national human rights bodies in Southeast Asia, has faced interference from successive Thai governments since the first commissioners finished their term in 2009. The Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions and the United Nations Human Rights Council downgraded the commission's global ranking from "A" to "B" in 2015, revoking Thai commissioner's privilege to speak from the council floor and present their views during council sessions. The downgrade stemmed from the government's manipulation of the selection process for commissioners and serious questions about the commission's pro-government political bias.

Authorities in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Lam Dong and other localities were placing many local activists and their families under de facto house arrest before and during the Vietnam-US Human Rights Dialogue which was taken in the capital city on May 15. From HCM City, former prisoner of conscience and well-known lawyer Le Cong Dinh said he was forbidden to go out from May 13 as his private residence was surrounded by a group of five or six plainclothes agents. When he tried to go out, these men came to forcibly request him to go in. Mr. Hua Phi, a senior clerk of the independent Hoa Hao Buddhist sect, said his house in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong was under close surveillance of the local police from May 12. The family of prisoner of conscience Hoang Duc Binh was also watched by police officers. Many other activists or relatives of imprisoned activists in Hanoi, Thai Binh and other localities said they were not permitted to go out on May 15 and before.

The police defended their decision to fire on protesters on Wednesday, saying the demonstration was illegal. Hundreds of student demonstrators clashed with police in Menteng, Central Jakarta, as citywide protests marked the first anniversary of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's second term. Demonstrators burned tires and pictures of the president, and police responded with tear gas and warning shots. One protester, Restu Farel, 20, from Bung Karno University, was shot in the leg. Jakarta Police Chief Insp. Gen. Sutarman said on Friday the decision to open fire was made at the discretion of the officers at the scene. "It wasn't an order, it was left up to their discretion, which is granted to them under the prevailing laws," he said. He added the shooting was the correct thing to do as the protesters did not previously seek the police's permission for the rally. "If they'd officially notified us about the rally, we would have been able to better secure the area and prevent a clash," Sutarman said. The police chief also rebuffed allegations that officers at the scene had breached protocol by firing live rounds rather than rubber bullets. "While it's true that one protester was shot with live ammo, that shot wasn't fired by any of the 70 crowd-control officers we deployed there," he said. "None of them had firearms loaded with live rounds. The shot was fired by an officer who was helping the crowd-control unit at the time." He added the police's internal affairs unit is now investigating the officer, who he said "might have been from a subprecinct police station." "We're also taking eyewitness testimonies from the other demonstrators who were there," Sutarman said. "The investigation is still being processed." Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Boy Rafli Amar said the police formed a fact-finding team to investigate the incidents that led to the shooting. The team includes officers from the Jakarta Police's internal affairs unit, crime division and intelligence unit and the Central Jakarta Police headquarters. Sixteen officers have already been questioned, nine of whom were carrying firearms at the time of the incident, Boy said. He added police had also questioned two civilians, "both of whom are known to hang out regularly in the area." Police also plan to question several demonstrators "so that we get a balanced picture." "We're trying to piece together an accurate chronology of the events that transpired that day, from morning until 3:30 p.m., when the shooting occurred," he said. He added the fact-finding team would be objective in its task of uncovering how and why the shooting occurred. "We'll investigate this case objectively and we will be transparent with the probe. We will determine the accountability of both the officers and the demonstrators as we look at their actions," he said. Boy also said doctors had managed to remove the projectile from Restu's leg. "The projectile is now undergoing a ballistics test at the National Police's forensics lab." Meanwhile, the police have been criticized by politicians and activists for the shooting. House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Pramono Anung called the shooting unnecessary. "It was too much, even if they had used rubber bullets," he said. "The demonstration was within a reasonable scale. That the police opened fire, that was too much." Anis Matta, deputy House speaker from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), also condemned the police shooting. "There is an excessive paranoia from the government in dealing with the October 20 protest; the response was a bit too much," he said. Also on Thursday, Poengky Indarti, director of the human rights watchdog Imparsial, said the police should not have used armed force on the students. "They could have used a water cannon if they wanted to stop them, instead of harming the students," she said. "Police should have used a persuasive approach to the students instead of shooting them. This is totally incorrect." She said the shooting showed the police force was not an independent body.

Mushfiqur Rahman has been missing since the evening of 3 August, when he was last seen in CCTV footage getting on the back of a motorcycle-taxi. That was after leaving his office at Mohona TV at around 5 pm, dining with his uncle in the residential neighbourhood of Gulshand and talking with his wife, Salma Rahman, by telephone.

“I talked to my husband at 7:03 pm over the phone. He spoke normally,” she told the Daily Star newspaper. His mobile phone was turned off at around 9 pm.

Rahman’s mysterious disappearance occurred two weeks after he received a death threat by telephone on 22 July. In the complaint he filed the next day with the police in Pallabi, the Dhaka district where he lives, he mentioned his investigation into corruption involving several governors of an important secondary school in Comilla, a city 110 km east of Dhaka.

“You are from the press, you are not allowed,” a local Kashmiri news editor says Indian security forces told him yesterday at one of the dozens of checkpoints set up across the region.

Journalists aren’t able to report, it’s hard to move around, and many have been restricted from shooting videos or taking photographs, the journalist told CPJ via a messaging app. He is the only journalist that CPJ has been able to reach on the ground in Kashmir since the near total communications blackout in the region began on August 4. We are withholding his name for security reasons. “I fear that they will arrest journalists, especially those who will report what is happening,” he said.

What is happening is that the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken measures to toss constitutional provisions that underpinned Kashmir’s agreement to join India 72 years ago, removing the legal framework supporting its limited autonomous rule. The decision in the world’s largest democracy was made without asking the people of Kashmir—or even telling them. Authorities have set up military-manned checkpoints and concertina wire throughout the city of Srinagar. They’ve arrested key local political figures, according to news reports, but since they have also cut off any and all forms of communication, including landline phones, people in the region have no easy way, or any way at all, to find out.

India has had plenty of practice blocking communications, having frequently unplugged the internet in Kashmir and elsewhere, according to the Software Freedom Law Centre. But the move is only likely to exacerbate fear and frustration among Kashmiri people, who have long fought for self-determination. As reports of protests, injuries, and casualties trickle out, increasing the environment of uncertainty, accurate and verified information from Kashmir is crucial.

Over the past few days, we have attempted to reach any and all contacts we have in the region to get a better understanding via phone calls, emails, and messaging services, with little luck. One wire service reporter based in New Delhi told CPJ that photojournalists in Kashmir were having difficulty sending photos, so they have loaded them on flash drives and given them to people flying out of the region. He spoke on condition of anonymity given company policy. The Telegraph’s Srinagar reporter, Muzaffar Raina, reported that he typed out his reports on his computer, took screenshots, and sent them on a flash drive to New Delhi, from where they were transmitted to the newspaper’s office in Kolkata.

At CPJ we have had to largely rely on accounts of journalists who have left the region, aside from the one editor we were able to reach on the ground. Here is what the journalists told us:

The local news editor cited above, messaging with CPJ today:

I along with a few other journalists were thrashed by police on August 6th in downtown Srinagar near Khanyar after one of the photographers had clicked a photo of the barricade. They also took a photo of one of our ID cards, snatched cameras and phones, deleted photos and then also clicked photo of the vehicle plate.

And the same editor messaging with CPJ on August 6:

Hundreds of arrests are being made here and the communication is jammed. I guess the state would be keen on looking at what information goes out. I am writing several stories using prohibited network and I guess that could become an issue in a day or two. So please do take care of things if anything happens.

Freelance reporter Adnan Bhat, on a call over messaging app today from New Delhi, after leaving Kashmir:

Very few newspapers have published, but mostly being circulated late at night. Last night I saw copies of Greater Kashmir and Kashmir Uzma. Greater Kashmir, which usually comes out with 30-odd pages, is only printing five to six pages. Journalists had gone to the District Magistrate's office for curfew pass but they were asked to come back later. Even government officials are confused as it is not officially a curfew. In fact, it is easier to move around without a press card. If you tell the security personnel that you are a journalist, they try to stop you.

Ahmer Khan, a freelance reporter, told CPJ today on a call over messaging app, after leaving Kashmir:

When I tried to move around in Srinagar, I was stopped at barricades and abused by the security forces. I decided not to argue and took another route. Local journalists are not reporting because they are being constantly harassed.

The following are excerpts from published reports by journalists:

Deputy editor Muzamil Jaleel and reporters Bashaarat Masood and Adil Akhzer, Indian Express, yesterday:

For the past two days, the Indian Express reporters have been holed up in their office from where they walk around to meet residents and then return. In the office building itself, dozens of policemen have moved in, the corridors their temporary shelter … The press isn’t welcome. Most of the TV crew that have flown in are parked in a 1-sq-km area of Zero Bridge [a historical bridge connecting the Rajbagh and Sonwar neighborhoods] in the city. There is some easing of security here, on the road to the airport and the Rajbagh-Jawaharnagar stretch [neighborhoods in southern part of city] — this is the one that visiting TV cameras film. Elsewhere, roads are barricaded with spools of concertina wire and regular checkpoints with police and armed paramilitary personnel on patrol.”

Muzaffar Raina, The Telegraph, today:

The “curfew” in large areas means reporters have little freedom to move. The crushing information blockade, with mobile and landline phones shut down and Internet suspended, means they have no way to send their stories. The authorities have not issued curfew passes to journalists because officially there is no curfew.

In the Jammu region, where section 144, which restricts public meetings, is also imposed, journalists told CPJ there are restrictions on the media, though not as severe as in Kashmir valley.

Anuradha Basin, editor of Kashmir Times, told CPJ via messaging app and email yesterday from Jammu:

Within the Jammu region mobile data, and mobile communication was suspended and movement of journalists was restricted except for in the cities of Jammu, Samba, and Kathua ... Newspaper distributors have been stopped in some areas, particularly north of Jammu city.

Raqib Hameed Naik, reporter for the U.S.-based The Globe Post said in a call today over messaging app:

While journalists in some cities of Jammu are not facing major restriction, the same can't be said of Kishtwar and Doda districts in Chenab Valley. Some journalists here are being stopped and not allowed to perform professional duties by the security forces … Journalists in north and south Kashmir are facing the maximum brunt. They usually email their stories as they live in faraway places. In absence of internet, you can’t expect them to travel to Srinagar every day to file their stories. This is directly impacting the newspapers which are completely now dependent on Delhi-based agencies like IANS and PTI for news stories.

CPJ’s WhatsApp, text messages, and email seeking comment from police in Srinagar, the Home Ministry and the Information and Broadcast Ministry were not immediately returned.

Taipei, August 5, 2019—Hong Kong authorities should investigate reports that police fired tear gas canisters and rubber bullets toward journalists and ensure that the media can cover protests without fear of injury or arrest, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Lai Ka Wai, a freelance video journalist for Visible Record, a non-profit documentary organization, suffered a head injury and was knocked unconscious today when police fired rubber bullets and tear gas canisters at a crowd in the Sham Shui Po district during a protest against the proposed extradition bill according to InMedia and Hong Kong Free Press. Zhou Junfeng, a reporter from the newspaper Ta Kung Pao, was briefly detained after he pushed back against the police to try to give more space to the injured journalist, according to news reports.

In a separate incident at the protest, a video posted to Twitter today by Tom Grundy, editor-in-chief of Hong Kong Free Press, showed riot police using their shields to push him against a wall as he was walking away from police.

“Hong Kong police must take measures to ensure that journalists like Lai Ka Wai can do their work safely,” said CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Steven Butler, in Washington, D.C. “"To be clear: police need to take care not to hit journalists with rubber bullets or tear gas canisters, or use unnecessary force while taking crowd-control measures."

Lai was left unconscious and bleeding from his head, according to a statement that Visible Record published on Facebook. After emergency treatment, he regained consciousness and is in a stable condition, the statement said. Lai could not move his upper body at one point, after he was hit, the independent news website InMedia reported.

Lai is also a journalism student at the Chu Hai College of Higher Education, Hong Kong Journalists Association told CPJ. The student union and Visible Record both condemned the use of force by police.

CPJ has previously expressed concern about the use of force against journalists in Hong Kong, after police used batons and tear gas during protests on June 12.

On the evening of 11th August, the Hong Kong Journalists Association and Hong Kong Press Photographers Association received several reports of journalists being assaulted.

When a crowd was beating a man in black in North Point, a Ming Pao journalist attempted to approach and find out the details, but he was pushed away by the crowd and got punched on his left cheek as he tried to explain his intention.

Journalists of Stand News and RTHK were disturbed by a crowd in North Point during reporting. The journalist of Stand News was threatened with a stick and had his tripod seized abruptly; the journalist of RTHK was assaulted by the crowd. There were police officers present nearby, but they did not make any arrest.

Earlier today at around 17:45, several middle-aged men punched a journalist who was reporting outside Metropole Building. Police officers arrived and separated the journalist from the attacker and the passerby. Although the journalist has repeatedly identified the assaulter to the officers, police did not make any arrest.

We condemn the multiple cases of violence against journalists. The attackers must stop the use of violence. We are also enraged by the police’s failure to stop the assaults or make any arrests despite their presence. We solemnly request the police to explain their handling and conduct a comprehensive investigation, so as to make clear their no tolerance of violence to society. Assault against journalists is a violation of press freedom. We firmly believe that every journalist on the frontline should dutifully execute the duty of the fourth estate without inviolability.

Global Times’ journalist Fu Guohao was attacked during protests at Hong Kong International Airport on August 13. The International Federation Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) have condemned the attack, calling on the Hong Kong people to ensure the media are free to do their job.

According to the Global Times, which is a Chinese state run tabloid, Fu was ‘illegally seized and brutally assualted’ at Hong Kong Airport. According to reports, Fu was tied up and beaten after he failed to produce a press pass when questioned by protesters.

In a statement, HKJA said that they were disappointed by the attack on Fu and urged Hong Kong residents to show respect to journalists. HKJA also called on mainland journalists to show press credentials when covering the protests.

The IFJ said: “We stand in HKJA is reminding the citizens of Hong Kong to respect press freedom and the rights of journalists who are simply doing their jobs. We urge journalists in Hong Kong to carry their identification to ensure any misunderstandings are resolved quickly.”

We also urge the media to respect the wishes of those who do not want to interviewed or photographed.

On August 5, 2019, at about 1:30 p.m., more than 10 unidentified men abducted Eakachai at the Al Soleehin Mosque in Phatthalung province’s Ta-Mhod district as he was about to attend a public hearing on a rock quarry project planned for the province. Eakachai told Human Rights Watch that the assailants – all dressed in civilian clothes – seized him outside the mosque and pushed him back to his car, then ordered him to delete an audio recording of the incident on his mobile phone. They then seized his mobile phone, watch, and car keys, and forced him into their car.

The men took Eakachai to the Palm View Resort Hotel in Phatthalung province’s Pa Bon district about 13 kilometers away and held him there until the public hearing ended, around 4 p.m. Before Eakachai was released, one of the assailants threatened him, saying that he and his family would be in danger if he reported the abduction to the police. That man also told him not to return to the mountain villages in Ta-Mhod district again, saying that his activities had adversely affected the quarry project and the process of obtaining permission from the government. Eakachai reported the incident to the 9th Region Police in Songkhla province on August 13.

Journalists also reported that on the day of the hearing, conducted by Phatthalung province’s Provincial Industry Office, an unidentified man who claimed to represent the company behind the planned project intimidated local journalists and told them not to cover the public hearing at Al Soleehin Mosque. A complaint local journalists filed with the provincial governor said that the man told them the event was arranged only for supporters of the rock quarry project and that outsiders were not allowed to attend.

Eakachai is a prominent community rights activist and the secretary-general of Thailand’s Non-Governmental Organizations Coordinating Committee on Development for the southern region (NGO COD-South), as well as the former deputy leader of the grassroots-based Commoner Party. He has long been known for opposing mining and quarry projects, which he contends destroy local livelihoods and the environment, and for demanding accountability for such impacts.

The incident is yet another example of the Prime Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-ocha’s government’s failure to fulfill Thailand’s obligation to ensure that all human rights defenders and organizations can carry out their work in a safe and enabling environment, Human Rights Watch said. Regardless of the government’s much-advertised “national human rights agenda” and the policy to promote business practices compatible with human rights standards, it has done very little to address physical violence, the use of strategic lawsuits against public participation, and various forms of intimidation used by both government agencies and private companies to silence those reporting human rights violations.

Authorities in Vietnam's northern province of Bac Ninh have arrested local anti-corruption campaigner Nguyen Viet Bang for his denunciations against senior bank officials, Defend the Defenders has learned. On May 13, the Security Investigation Agency of the Bac Ninh province's Police Department arrested him and conducted a house search of his private residence in Bac Ninh city. According to Hanoi-based lawyer Ha Huy Son, who participates in many political cases, said Mr. Bang, 60, is likely charged with "abusing democratic freedom" under Article 331 of the country's 2015 Penal Code. Mr. Bang will be held for investigation in the next four months at least, and he is facing imprisonment of up to seven years, if is convicted, according to the current Vietnamese law. Mr. Bang is a deputy director of Tien Du district's branch of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies. He has submitted a number of denunciations accusing the Bac Ninh province branch's director named Doan Van Khai and his colleague named Nguyen Ba Binh of financial frauds and mistreatment of staff. The Communist Party of Vietnam which monopolistically rules the country for decades and its government have verbally encouraged people to fight against corruption. However, numerous citizens have been imprisoned or received reprisals after speaking out about state official's corruption. Last year, Bac Ninh convicted anti-corruption activist Do Cong Duong, sentencing him to a total 8 years in prison on charges of "disturbing public orders" and "abusing democratic freedom" in a trumped-up case in a bid to silence him. Banking is one of the most corrupted sectors in Vietnam where corruption is systemic and the country scored 33 points out of 100 on the 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index reported by Transparency International. Corruption Index in Vietnam averaged 28.04 Points from 1997 until 2018, reaching an all-time high of 35 Points in 2017 and a record low of 24 Points in 2002.

Nai (Mr) Tun Tun Win, one of the 14 former Thammakaset migrant workers from Myanmar in Thailand, today received a fresh criminal court summons to appear at Bangkok South Criminal Court on 5th June 2019 (10am). According to the summons, Nai Tun is charged by Thammakaset Co Ltd. under sections 326 and 328 of the Thai Criminal Code (offences defamation and defamation by publication). If found guilty of the charges filed with the Court, Nai Tun would be subject to a maximum imprisonment of s326. 1 year, s328 2 years and/or a maximum fine of s326. 20, 000 Baht and s328. 200,000 Baht.

Bilal Kagzi is a human rights lawyer in Gujarat who represents victims of police atrocities and custodial torture in Surat district. He filed five cases against Kosamba Police Station sub-inspector P.H. Nai and police constable Nilesh Bhojawala. The state human rights commission and the competent police authority took cognizance of these matters, but recently the police took moves to silence him. They registered a false and fabricated case against Kagzi, but he was not present at the place and time of the incident. Kagzi has video evidence to support his alibi and he presented such evidence to the investigating officer, but the police neither considered it nor registered it as part of the evidence.

Following the government-led internet shutdown in Indonesia’s eastern provinces of Papua and West Papua a journalist has been doxxed and harassed online. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Indonesia have condemned the attack on the journalists and called on the local authorities to ensure the media are protected as they work.

Victor Mambo, a journalist with Koran Jubi and jubi.co.id, as well as a member of AJI’s executive committee was harassed and doxxed online on Thursday, August 22, after the internet shutdown continued into a second day. In one tweet from user @antilalat Victor was linked to the Free Papua Movement (OPM) and accused of being an informer for Papuan lawyer, which was followed by a second tweet giving out Victor’s home address.

Doxxing refers to publishing private or identifying information about a person on the internet, typically with malicious intent. This is not the first time that Victor has been targeted online. The same user had threatened Victor in July, 2019.

On Saturday, Victor proceeded with an urgent appeal to UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, David Kaye, regarding the internet shutdowns in the provinces.

In a statement, AJI said that the harassment and doxxing of Victor are an attempt to intimidate him. As a journalist, Victor has done his job to report objectively and complied with the journalism code of ethics in his verification processes.

“AJI would also like to remind to the social media users as well as authorities that journalists on their duty are protected by the Law No.40/1999 on the Press. If anyone thinks there is incorrect journalistic material published in the media, the Press Law has the mechanism through right to reply and correction and filing of complaints to the Press Council,” AJI said.

The IFJ said: “The harassment and doxxing of Victor Mambo is a blatant attempt to silence critical voices, and intimidate him. He is a respected journalist and was simply doing his job, reporting of the current internet shutdown in Indonesia. We urge the Indonesian authorities investigate the ongoing attacks, and take steps to guarantee Victor’s safety.”

Prison authorities in Vietnam are refusing to send letters requesting a sentence appeal for democracy advocate and blogger Phan Kim Khanh, who is serving a six-year jail sentence for "spreading propaganda against the state." Speaking on Monday to RFA's Vietnamese service by telephone, his sister Phan Thi Tran said her brother had attempted to send a letter to the court in the northern city of Thai Nguyen shortly after Tet (Lunar New Year, Feb. 5). The letter was a request for an update on an appeal he had attempted to file earlier. An RFA story in February quoted Phan's mother as saying he had sent an appeal to the court but got no answer. At the time Phan believed his mail was being sent out, but this appears not to be the case, based on the statement by his sister. The 25-year-old student was arrested in March 2017 for "abusing rights to freedom and democracy to do harm to the state's interests and those of organizations and individuals" and was sentenced to six years in jail and four years of probation. Phan has complained about his treatment in prison. "Before Tet, they let him call home once a month but they didn't let him do it last month" said Phan's sister. "When he last called our father went to visit him 2 days later. [My brother] told him that from now on he wouldn't be allowed to call home and wouldn't be able to see the family. He also won't be allowed to get parcels from the family" she said, adding, "I'm very worried that he might face some danger." Ha Huy Son, the lawyer who represented Phan during his Oct. 25 trial, thinks that Phan's mail should be reaching the court. "His family said he asked for an appeal but the prison's authorities didn't pass his letter to the court. I think they need to look into this" said Ha. The lawyer said any effort to take legal action in this case would have to be without him, however. "According to Vietnamese law, after the trial, as a lawyer I can't do anything" he said.

On July 18, 2019, the Philippine National Police filed a complaint alleging incitement to sedition, libel, cyber libel, and obstruction of justice against Vice President Leni Robredo and 35 other people. Robredo was elected independently of President Rodrigo Duterte and leads the Liberal Party, the party of former president Benigno Aquino III. Concerned governments and donors should press the Duterte administration to end its persecution of critics of its murderous "war on drugs" Human Rights Watch said. "The preposterous complaint against the vice president and the others is a transparent attempt to harass and silence critics of President Duterte's bloody "drug war,'" said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Threatening criminal charges against the vice president, outspoken bishops, and rights lawyers suggests that Duterte's egregious human rights record is catching up with him." Under Article 142 of the Philippines penal code, a conviction for incitement to sedition carries a maximum penalty of six years in prison. The complaint was brought against four Catholic bishops and three priests who have become increasingly critical of the Duterte administration, and a former education secretary and Lasallian brother, Armin Luistro. Others named were Chel Diokno, the president of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), and a human rights lawyer and FLAG official, Theodore Te. FLAG has assisted families of victims of "drug war" killings. Other members and officials of the Liberal Party were named, including Senators Risa Hontiveros and Leila de Lima, and the party's full senatorial slate in the May elections. Police filed the complaint after Peter Joemel Advincula, an admitted drug dealer, alleged that Robredo and others were plotting Duterte's ouster. In a video that Advincula claims to have filmed as part of the plot, a hooded man is shown accusing Duterte, his family, and close associates of links to the illicit drug trade. The Duterte administration had earlier denounced the allegation, calling Advincula's statement unreliable. The complaint accused the 36 people of "spread[ing] lies against the President, his family, and close associates, making them to appear as illegal drug trade protectors and how they earned staggering amounts of money." The Duterte administration has previously targeted political opposition figures and critics of the "drug war" Human Rights Watch said. In February 2017, it accused Senator de Lima of involvement in the drug trade. The accusation was based entirely on the testimony of convicted drug dealers that Human Rights Watch believes are baseless but later served as the grounds for her arrest and continued police detention. The government has likewise filed sedition charges against a former senator and Duterte critic, Antonio Trillanes IV, one of those named in the recent complaint. The government has brought criminal charges against activists critical of the "drug war." It has also carried out a campaign in mainstream media and social media to harass, vilify, and intimidate human rights defenders, clergy, and journalists, most notably the popular news website Rappler and its editor, Maria Ressa. It has accused many of these people of involvement with the communist insurgency. Criticism of the administration centers on the "drug war" killings that began soon after Duterte became president in June 2016. Since then, police and police-backed gunmen have summarily executed thousands of alleged drug dealers and users in mainly poor urban communities across the Philippines. The police have said they have killed more than 6,600 people who "fought back" in the anti-drug campaign, while estimates by domestic rights groups put the number executed at more than 27,000. In response to the situation, the United Nations Human Rights Council passed a resolution on July 11, calling on the UN human rights office to present a comprehensive report on human rights in the Philippines in June 2020. "The sedition complaint looks like little more than a kneejerk reaction to the UN Human Rights Council's resolution on the Philippines" Adams said. "Friends of the Philippines should not stay silent when the administration retaliates against those promoting respect for human rights in the country."

Cambodian authorities Tuesday arrested Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) activist Mai Hongsreang, marking the 14th such arrest of activists associated with the banned political party. According to the Cambodian national police, Hongsreang was charged with insult and incitement for his activities on social media. Police spokesperson Lieutenant General Chhay Kimkhoeun confirmed the arrest, adding that the suspect was being questioned at the Ministry of Interior prior to his scheduled court date. The spokesperson also said the suspect had fled to Thailand but was arrested upon his return. Authorities told local news media that Hongsreang returned to organize "chaotic activities" within Cambodia. The CNRP issued a statement Wednesday demanding Hongsreang's immediate release. "The CNRP condemns the arrest of Mai Hongsreang and urge the authorities to release him and other activists immediately without any conditions" the statement said. "[We] also urge NGOs to monitor human rights abuses and continue to pressure [the] regime to halt persecutions and threats against CNRP activists" the statement continued. In an interview with RFA's Khmer Service, Hongsreang's wife Kea Sisokunthy said her husband was arrested for criticizing the government, but she maintained that he was innocent. "He dared speak the truth. He didn't commit a single crime. They are infringing on his free speech rights" she said. She confirmed that Hongsreang had fled to Thailand after he was tipped off that he would be arrested in May. The tipoff came shortly after he posted a comment on Facebook about infighting between Prime Minister Hun Sen and Interior Minister Sar Kheng. She said he had been in Thailand for several months before returning to Cambodia to visit a relative in Sihanoukville, where he was promptly arrested. Am Sam Ath, deputy director for the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO), said authorities have been recently stepping up arrests against activists tied to the CNRP. "This arrest is a threat against the freedom of expression" he said, adding that NGOs are concerned over Cambodia's restrictions on internet freedom. Another CNRP activist, from Battambang province said he was concerned for his security after a local police office called him many times regarding a gathering of activists he organized. The others attending were also activists who had commented on Facebook about the possibility of Cambodia losing its Everything But Arms (EBA) status with the EU. The EU announced in February it would launch a six-month monitoring period to determine whether Cambodian exports should continue to enjoy tax-free entry into the European market under the EBA scheme, prompted by the Cambodia's Supreme Court banning the CNRP. Another CNRP activist from Battambang's Sampov Loun district said that police were spying on him and other activists daily. He said the surveillance was hindering his ability to travel. Officer Tith Samros of the district police force confirmed he had contacted the activists. "I wanted to know how many people were participating [in the gathering] and their intentions" he said. He refused to provide further details. Ying Mengly, Battambang provincial coordinator for the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) said that people have the right to express their concerns over the prospect of losing EBA status. He said that police actions are a threat against the activists. "Police action has violated [their] basic human rights which are guaranteed by our constitution" he said. Police harass ADHOC in Koh Kong Province Meanwhile, police in Koh Kong province harassed ADHOC officials who were meeting with local villagers engaged in a land dispute in Sre Ambel district. ADHOC spokesman Soeung Sen Karuna said that police disturbed his team while they were in the process of interviewing the villagers. The police asked for the team's identification and monitored the interviews, compromising the freedom of what the interviewees could say. "This action was inappropriate" he said, adding that since ADHOC's establishment in 1992 they had never had any problems with authorities. In response to the claims by the ADHOC team, Sre Ambel Police Chief Ma Ty denied that his officers disturbed them. "If [the ADHOC team and the villagers] are innocent, they should have no reason to be afraid" he said. He added that authorities have a right to know what happens in the community. Chhoeung Reth, a villager who participated in the interviews said it was not the first time that police had disturbed the villagers. He said that in the past the police told them not to disclose information about land issues to rights groups. "We are afraid when uniformed police officers are looking straight at us" he said. Also on Wednesday, ADHOC released a report detailing a decline in human rights in Cambodia, particularly freedom of assembly. The report highlighted how in the past six months there were at least 71 cases where freedom of assembly was violated by authorities. The report also noted that police and local authorities required that organizers obtain permission for the gatherings. "These restrictions are a serious violation against human rights and democracy" the report said.

A jailed Vietnamese blogger currently awaiting trial for "abusing democratic freedoms" was transferred from prison to a mental hospital, his mother said on Thursday. Le Anh Hung, a member of the online Brotherhood of Democracy advocacy group, was arrested in July 2018 for violating article 331 of Vietnam's criminal code. If convicted he could serve up to seven years. While in prison, Le had notably refused to wear prison uniforms or allow himself to be handcuffed on the rationale that prior to sentencing he should not be treated like a prisoner. His mother, Tran Thi Niem, told RFA's Vietnamese Service in a phone interview Thursday that her son was taken to Central Mental Hospital 1 in Hanoi. "This morning, his brother, a friend and I went to see him [at the mental hospital,] but they would not let us" she said. "They told us that they have not they have not [completed initial] checks on him, so they couldn't allow us to see him. I only left some money for him" she said. RFA contacted the hospital for comment, but was not able to confirm Le was interned there. "Please understand, I don't know any Le Anh Hung" said Tran Van Dang, the mental hospital's human resources chief. "I'm not in charge of treatment. Please bring a letter from your organization here to verify if Le Anh Hung has been admitted here or not" he said. Nguyen Van Mieng, the lawyer representing Le, said he hasn't received any notice about his institutionalization. "I've met him twice [in prison]. He told me to meet him after the procuracy made their report on him because police reports about him were unclear" said Nguyen. According to the Vietnamese Political Prisoner Database website, Le Anh Hung had previously been detained in a mental facility in 2013. Nh"n D"n (the official communist party newspaper) reported he was also detained in 2009 on slander charges in Quang Tri province, but was released when authorities concluded there was not enough evidence. Le, a longtime critic of the Vietnamese government, has worked for many media outlets including Voice of America, a U.S.-funded broadcaster. Amnesty international called for his release immediately after his arrest in July, saying "Vietnam's government cannot keep using baseless charges and the threat of prison as a means of gagging its critics." The U.S. has long criticized Vietnam for its human rights record, marked by the suppression of basic freedoms, media censorship, and repression of worker's rights as well as its worsening record of arresting and imprisoning dissidents, bloggers and religious leaders. According to New York-based Human Rights Watch, approximately 150 to 200 activists and bloggers are serving prison time in Vietnam simply for exercising their basic rights UPDATE: On 6 April 2019, the HRD was eventually sent back to prison to await his trial.

Defend the Defenders: Authorities in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap have questioned the family of local prisoner of conscience Huynh Truong Ca about humanitarian supports it has been receiving from Vietnam's unregistered civil organizations and individuals in the country and abroad. On April 2, police in Hong Ngu district issued a summoning letter requesting Ca's daughter Huynh Thi Thai Ngan to be in the district police's headquarters on April 3 to answer police's questions regarding the financial supports his family has received from 50K Foundation, a charity foundation set up by Hanoi-based activist Nguyen Thuy Hanh. During the meeting, police officers threatened Ms. Ngan, saying she must not receive further supports from 50K Foundation and other sources. 50K Foundation was set up by Mrs. Hanh one year ago. Its beneficiaries mostly are prisoners of conscience and their families as well as activists-at-risk. Along with blocking economic activities of families of activists, authorities in their localities are striving to halt all support from other people in the country and abroad. In some case, plainclothes agents reportedly robbed families of activists when they went from banks after receiving supports.

According to sources on 18 April, 2019 at around 9.30 PM three police personnel in plain clothes reportedly from PGI police station and Aashiana police station of Lucknow and members of Special Task Forceforcibly entered into the office premise of Human Rights Monitoring Forum. The members of HRMF protested against the unauthorised entry of police personnel in their officeas the police personnel did not provide them any legal warrant for search and did notexplain their presence. Enraged by the protest,the police personnel started intimidating the members of HRMF and tried to threaten them for their actions and interventions in cases of human rights violation against people where police are involved. HRMFat presenthas been providing legal aid to victims of police abuses and on that particular occasion they were helping a victim of police violencenamed Mr. AvinashShukla who was being repeatedly threatened by the police. Sources say that the police was trying to pick up the victim and threatening to kill him in police encounter. The victim has asked for legal help from HRMF and organisation's legal team had taken up his case. HRMF members tried to explain the police that the organisation works for the protection of human rights legally, within the confines of constitution. They also explained to the police that it is not the intention of the organisation to work against the police, but it works to highlight the cases of violation of human rights of people and provide legal protection to them. When theHRMF members asked the police to show the official order or documents in support of their action against the organisation, the plain clothed police personnel told them they were from the police department and they could take any action for which they did not require any official order or permission. When HRMF members strongly opposed the police action, they left the place and threatened them with dire consequences if they continued to work against the police

The Election Commission (EC) has sued political activist Nuttaa Mahuttana and political critic Sirote Klampaiboon for allegedly libeling the agency. Sirote on Friday posted on Facebook that he had received a summons demanding that he and Nuttaa report to the police on Thursday, April 11. The complaint against the duo was filed by the EC's legal chief Nawat Boonsri, accusing them of co-defaming the agency. Sirote said it is the first time he has been summoned by the police and he wrote that he is perplexed how he had defamed the EC. "I'm confident when I spoke of the EC ... I always insisted that most of the criticisms against the agency were about the inefficiency in the operational level" he said. "It's never about the commissioners and never about accusing them of committing fraud." Nuttaa posted on Facebook that the charge may have stemmed from the special news programme on election day which the duo co-hosted. "This is the fifth summons I've got. And I have another suspect here - Sirote. So, this means that this stemmed from us doing our duty as media on election day" Nuttaa wrote. "I'm confident I have never been libelous. All I did was inform the people about the rules and regulations of the vote." Both said they would report to the police as requested.

Chinese authorities in the northern region of Inner Mongolia have detained two more group chat moderators on the social media platform WeChat after they took part in demonstrations in support of herding communities, a New York-based rights group said on Friday. Ethnic Mongolian herders Bai Xiurong and Altanbagan, were detained by riot police at the scene of a demonstration outside government offices in Urad Middle Banner on April 22, the Southern Mongolian Human Rights and Information Center (SMHRIC) said in a statement on its website. More than 100 herders from the banner, a county-like division, had gathered in front of the local government building to demand a meeting with Bu Xiaolin, chairman of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, who was on a visit to the area, it said. Around a dozen people were detained, while Bai and Altanbagan were "thrown into SWAT vehicles" and each handed a 14-day administrative detention sentence, which is handed down by a police committee without the need for a trial. "Bai Xiurong's sister was summoned yesterday ... She was forced to surrender Bai Xiurong's phone," SMHRIC quoted herder Tsetseg as saying in an audio message. "The [police] accessed her phone and wiped out all the WeChat discussion groups she maintained," he said. Since Bai's arrest, her disabled elderly parents, who need constant care, have been left unattended, and her livestock have gone without food or water, SMHRIC said. Herders also traded information about the detentions on WeChat, in spite of the group chat shutdowns, it said. "Some were released around midnight and the early morning of April 23 while [the rest of us] herders staged a sit-in outside the government building, demanding the immediate release of all arrested herders," an unidentified local herder said via the social media platform. Footage of the protest sent to SMHRIC showed hundreds of police arriving at the scene. One protester says in the video: "We are treated like animals. They rounded up us like fencing up livestock," he said. "Whoever comes to the government to express his or her opinion is arrested like this." Three writers detained The detentions come after authorities in the region detained three ethnic Mongolian writers for speaking out for their ethnic group in the face of action by Chinese government officials and companies. Tsogjil, 40, who hosted a number of discussion groups on the social media platform WeChat, was detained on April 16 in the regional capital Hohhot. He had been preparing to file an official complaint with the regional government on behalf of ethnic Mongolian herders in Heshigten Banner. O. Sechenbaatar, 68, was detained along with a herder named Baldan at a protest near Lake Dalainuur in the region's Heshigten Banner earlier this month. He has been placed under criminal detention on suspicion of "obstructing officials in the course of their duty," it said. Sechenbaatar had also hosted a number of WeChat groups to provide local Mongolian herders with a venue to discuss the pressing issues in their communities, including mining, environmental destruction, pollution, and herder's protests, SMHRIC said. Tsogjil had used one of his WeChat groups to rally herding communities to a protest outside the Heshigten Banner government, calling for Sechenbaatar's release. Both writers are being held at the Heshigten Banner Detention Center. Earlier this month, ethnic Mongolian author Lhamjab A. Borjigin, 75, stood trial on charges of "separatism" and "sabotaging national unity" at the Shiliinhot Municipal People's Court. For his book China's Cultural Revolution, published in 2006, Lhamjab gathered oral testimonies of survivors of violence against ethnic Mongolians during the Cultural Revolution, a task that took him 20 years. The book accuses the ruling Chinese Communist Party of state-sponsored genocide in the region, detailing torture techniques and detentions in a brutal campaign that claimed the lives of at least 27,900 people and imprisoned and tortured 346,000. Ethnic Mongolians, who make up almost 20 percent of Inner Mongolia's population of 23 million, increasingly complain of widespread environmental destruction and unfair development policies in the region. Clashes between the authorities or Chinese state-backed mining or forestry companies and herding communities are common in the region, which borders the independent country of Mongolia. But those who complain about the loss of their grazing lands are frequently targeted for harassment, beatings, and detention by the authorities.

Authorities in northwestern Cambodia's Battambang province summoned 12 members of the Cambodia National Rescue Party to court this week to answer charges they were still active in the opposition group dissolved by court order almost two years ago. Seven of the activists received their summons on May 1, with the others summoned the day before, Thong Saroeun - a member of the banned party in Battambang's Koas Krala district - told RFA's Khmer Service on Wednesday. "I will not be intimidated, and I will be happy to appear before the court to answer their questions" Thong Saroeun said, adding, "I haven't committed any crimes. I am a [Cambodian] citizen, and I have a right to be involved in politics." Also speaking to RFA, CNRP activist Sim Lao said he was surprised to receive the summons to appear in court, as he had committed no crime, and vowed to continue his support for the banned opposition group. In Sept. 2017, Cambodian authorities arrested CNRP President Kem Sokha on charges of "treason" and the Supreme Court dissolved the opposition group two months later, paving the way for Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling Cambodia People's Party (CPP) to win all 125 seats in parliament in the country's July 2018 general election. The CNRP has since reorganized outside the country, with opposition leader Sam Rainsy serving as acting president, and many members remain active at the grassroots level, voicing their political views on social media and in social gatherings. Sam Rainsy, who left Cambodia in November 2015, was appointed acting head of the CNRP in January while Kem Sokha remains in pre-trial detention under house arrest, and has vowed to return to Cambodia this year to lead the party's supporters in ousting Hun Sen. "I regard Sam Rainsy as my father, and I support him" Sim Lao said, speaking to RFA. "If my father returns, I will welcome him and accompany him home." Also speaking to RFA on May 1, Ying Mengly - Battambang provincial coordinator for the Cambodian rights group Adhoc - called the summons of the local CNRP members "politically motivated" adding that Hun Sen and Cambodia's ruling party are concerned that the opposition group may now regroup at home. "Their intention is to destroy the [local] CNRP structures so that the party's members can't reorganize" he said. Death in custody Meanwhile, Am Sam Ath - a senior investigator in the Cambodian rights group Licadho - called on authorities in Kampong Cham province to investigate the death in custody of the son of a CNRP commune chief in the province's Stung Treng district. Tith Ron, 26 and the son of CNRP member Eam Tith, died on April 17 in what police described as a fall in a jail restroom, though his body bore multiple bruises, raising fears he had been killed by jail guards. "Even though the prosecutor claims this was not a case of torture, the public has no faith in him, and there must be an investigation to examine the facts of this case" he said. Kampong Cham provincial governor Kuoch Chamroeun meanwhile denied that Tith Ron had been killed in detention, claiming the young man had died in an accident while drunk. "Our authorities are looking into this, but the other prisoners said that he simply fell down and died" he said. Reported by RFA's Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Richard Finney.

Authorities in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong are repeatedly interrogating detained editor and labor activist Wei Zhili, his wife said following a recent visit by his lawyer to the detention center. Wei was initially detained in the provincial capital Guangzhou in January, while Wei and others were detained on March 20. He is currently being held under criminal detention at the No. 2 Detention Center in Guangdong's Shenzhen city. His wife, the feminist activist Zheng Churan, told RFA on Tuesday that Wei's meeting with his lawyer was monitored by police during the visit. "They met under police surveillance, with the police looking on and listening to everything they said," Zheng said. Editor-in-chief Yang Zhengjun and his colleagues Wei Zhili and Ke Chengbing, all worked for the Xinshengdai (New Generation) website at www.ilabour.net at the time of their detentions. All three had criticized life-threatening working conditions in some Chinese factories, via their website which focused on news affecting China's tens of millions of internal migrant workers. Zheng said Wei's mental state appears to be stable for the time being, though his head has been shaved like a prisoner, and he is forced to sleep on the floor. "He has to work longer hours in the warehouse because he is a new arrival, so he gets less sleep," she said. "He has also had a lot of interrogations." Forced confession fears During the interrogations, the questioning was mostly focused around Wei's efforts to help migrant workers with pneumoconiosis to pursue compensation claims. Interrogating officers had told me he was "stupid" to try to help the workers, Zheng said. "The police taunted him as dumb during his interrogations, saying that he clearly had a low IQ, and that that he wouldn't find it easy to get out again," she said. "Of course his parents are worried sick that he doesn't have enough clothes to wear, or that he is being bullied or beaten up so as to force a confession out of him," Zheng said. Wei's lawyer Fan Biaowen said Wei had undergone five interrogations at the time of their meeting. "They mostly asked him about the pneumoconiosis and his campaign for the workers' rights," Fan said. "I think his actions were very courageous, but they are charging him with hooliganism, which is a separate charge from picking quarrels and stirring up trouble." "Ke Chengbing is being charged with [picking quarrels and stirring up trouble], the same as the other guy [Yang Zhengjun]," he said. The London-based rights group Amnesty International has said Wei could be at risk of torture. Numerous disappeared activists Wei had helped several hundred pneumoconiosis sufferers from Hunan province to launch a compensation claim last November in Shenzhen after running out of money to spend on medical bills, his friend told RFA. The Paris-based press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) last week called for the immediate release of Wei, Yang and Ke. Labor groups in neighboring Hong Kong also staged a protest outside the ruling Chinese Communist Party's representative office in the city, to call for the release of dozens of labor activists held by the Chinese government in recent months. Activists have also called for the release of more than 40 former workers at the Jasic Technology factory in Guangdong province and members of the Jasic Workers' Solidarity Group (JWSG), who were supporting them. At least 44 labor activists, students, and recent graduates of China's top universities have been "disappeared" or criminally detained since the nationwide crackdown on the Jasic labor movement, which started in July and continued with further waves of arrests and detentions in August, September, November, and January, the JWSG reported on its Github page. Among the "disappeared" are Sun Yat-sen University graduate and Jasic movement spokeswoman Shen Mengyu and Peking University #MeToo campaigner Yue Xin. Shang Kai - a former editor for the Maoist website Red Reference who was supporting the Jasic campaign - was released on "bail" under conditions preventing him from appearing in public. China holds the highest number of journalists in prison, with at least 60 currently behind bars, according to RSF. The country ranked 176 out of 180 in the 2018 RSF World Press Freedom Index.

On 30 April 2019, three facebookers known for posting about human rights issues in Vietnam were kidnapped. It has now been revealed that they are being detained at the police department.

According to sources, onApril 13, 2019, the Democratic Teachers Federation was planning to have an indoor meeting in solidarity with jailed veteran poet and activist Mr. Vara Vara Rao. When the said meeting was taking place, personnel of Telangana police barged into the NGO Bhavan, Hyderabad. As the police barged in, the Telangana NGO Bhavan buildingwas locked and upto two hundred teachers attending the meeting along with the speakers were detained. In a bid to stop teachers and common public from coming to the venue, the police even blocked the road connecting to the meeting hall.Themeeting was disrupted due to this action by the police .While some of those detained have been taken to Narayanguda Police station, another set of people have been taken to the Ramgopalpet Police Stationand yet another to Nampally police station. It is indeed noticeable that this arbitrary detention comes just days after Ms. Hemalatha, partner of Vara Vara Rao, penned an open letter to Mr. K. Chandra Shekhar Rao, Chief Minister of Telangana, calling upon him to express his opinion on the allegedly false cases foisted on Mr. Vara Vara Rao by the Union Govt. and Maharashtra Govt in the "Bhima Koregaon' matter.

The three journalists, Mohani Risal, Somnath Lamichhane and Javan Bhandari, who work for the news agency's English-language service, are under "investigation" in connection with the news item, the authorities confirmed on 14 May. The three RSS journalists were questioned about the dispatch they translated and circulated reporting that the Tibetan spiritual leader had left the New Delhi hospital where he was being treated and had returned to Dharamshala, the city in northern India that is the Tibetan exile community's capital. The investigation was ordered by information and communication minister Gokul Baskota, who said: "Dissemination of this report by the state-run agency, particularly during the president's state visit to China, is against Nepal's commitment to One-China policy." "These RSS journalists just did their job by reporting information of public interest" said Daniel Bastard, the head of RSF's Asia-Pacific desk. "It is not up to the Nepalese government to decide what can or cannot be published, and even less so to China's representatives in Kathmandu. We demand an immediate end to this investigation and we condemn this unacceptable interference, which violates the independence of Nepal's journalists." Speaking on condition of anonymity, an RSS journalist told the Kathmandu Post that a representative of the Chinese state news agency Xinhua visited the head of RSS, who then set up a committee to decide what action should be taken against the three journalists. The three journalists meanwhile insist that they circulated the report with the sole aim of informing, not with any political intent. The new criminal code that Nepal adopted last year contains major threats to press freedom. At the same time, officials have been employing an "anti-media rhetoric" which has been widely reproduced in the government's newspapers, radio stations and TV channels and which is also intimidating journalists. Nepal is ranked 106th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2019 World Press Freedom Index.

A General Diary has been filed at a police station in Dhaka over "threat by a militant group to kill' three eminent citizens. Rights activist Sultana Kamal filed the GD on Saturday, Dhanmondi Police Station OC Abdul Latif told bdnews24.com. The two others, who had received "death threat', are Dhaka University's history Professor Muntasir Mamun and Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee chief Shahriar Kabir. A militant group called "Lone Wolf' in its publication detailed possible ways to kill the three, OC Laatf said, citing the GD. Prof Mamun told bdnews24.com he was out of Dhaka and would also file a GD seeking security after returning home on Sunday. Shhriar Kabir said he had already written to Inspector General of Police Mohammad Javed Patwary seeking security for Kamal and Mamun. The "death threat' published by the militant group was being circulated on social media, Kabir said. "This is an alarming issue. The government really has no control over social media" he added.

Nha Trang City-based independent journalist Vo Van Tao has accused police officers from the Ministry of Public Security of kidnapping him in Hanoi in the evening of May 4, one day before the release of prominent blogger Nguyen Huu Vinh (aka Anh Ba Sam). In the late afternoon of last Saturday, Mr. Tao and his friend visited the family of Mr. Vinh. When they returned to his friend's house, Mr. Tao was abducted by a group of four guys in plain clothes. Two of them took Mr. Tao to a representative office of the Security Investigation Agency under the Ministry of Public Security located in Nguyen Gia Thieu street in the capital city. Two other guys blocked Tao's friend to prevent him from following his detained friend. In police custody, Tao was questioned about his visit to Mr. Vinh's family and his plan for Sunday when Vinh is released and comes back to the capital city. Police officers also robbed his cell phones and took him to his friend's private residence at 10.00 PM. They requested him to come back to collect his phone afternoon of the next day. However, police officers delayed returning and Tao collected his cell phone on the evening of Sunday. The abduction was made in a bid to discourage him from meeting with blogger Vinh whose blog Anh Ba Sam was very popular among dissidents and social activists. Mr. Tao is a well-known dissident in Vietnam's central region. He has participated in peaceful demonstrations to protest Vietnam's human rights abuse and China's violations of the country's sovereignty in the East Sea (South China Sea). He told Defend the Defenders that plainclothes agents were following him right after he landed in Noi Bai International Airport.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice on a petition seeking direction to the Centre to register an FIR against senior advocates Indira Jaising, Anand Grover and the NGO Lawyers Collective for alleged violation of rules related to receipt and use of foreign funds. A bench of Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Deepak Gupta issued the notice on a plea by "Legal Voice', a Delhi-based "voluntary organisation of lawyers", which also sought a court-monitored probe into the matter by a special investigation team. The petition referred to the two government orders dated May 31, 2016 by which the NGO's registration under Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) was suspended and November 27, 2016 order by which the registration was cancelled. It said that "conjoint reading" of the facts in the two orders makes it "evident that apart from violating the provision of FCRA 2010, the acts of commission and omission as stated in the-orders also constituted separate and distinct offence". Hence, it submitted, "it was incumbent on the Respondent No. 1 (Union of India) to report and register the same as to set the criminal law machinery in motion to reach to the bottom of the truth." The petition, filed through advocate Surender Kumar Gupta, stated that Legal Voice was constrained to approach the court as the Centre had not investigated the alleged offences. The plea referred to alleged receipt of funds during the period when Jaising was Additional Solicitor General of India and said this added to the gravity of the matter. According to the petition, it is "clear" from the orders that in violation of FCRA respondents no. 2 and 3 (Jaising and Grover) acted to influence the "democratic process of the country by unauthorisedly lobbying with Members of Parliament and (the) media for passing of certain legislation and to influence policy decisions". The petition stated that it is "clear from the (May 2016) order that Respondent, 2 (Jaising), while functioning as Additional Solicitor General for Union of India from July 2009 to May 2014, received an admitted remuneration of Rs 96.60 lakh." The petitioner contended that "it is impermissible in law for a law officer of the country to remain on rolls of (a) private entity being paid out of foreign contribution for undisclosed purpose-" UPDATE: On 26 June 2019, criminal charges were filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) relying on an investigation report of January 2016 of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The MHA report has been challenged by Lawyers Collective in January 2017 and the case is under consideration by the High Court of Bombay. UPDATE: On 11 July 2019, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) carried out searches at homes and offices of Supreme Court lawyer Indira Jaising and her husband Anand Grover in connection with an alleged violation of foreign funding rules for their NGO Lawyers Collective.

Chinese Human Rights Defenders - May 30, 2019) On the eve of the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre, Chinese authorities took into custody a number of activists and netizens in an apparent attempt to silence any expression or thwart any action aimed at commemorating the victims and mark the anniversary. Several artists on a "national conscience exhibit tour" have gone missing, feared to have been detained. Authorities stepped up online policing and summoned users for questioning on their comments about politically "sensitive" topics, like activist Zhou Weilin, who though released has had his phone and computer confiscated. Activist and former participant in the 1989 protests, Wang Debang, was also summoned for questioning and interrogated about his plans for the anniversary The government's pre-emptive strikes against anyone trying to mark the 30thAnniversary had started in early May. So far, we have documented a number of cases involving individuals either detained or forced into disappearance, including forced travel, in connection to the anniversary. CHRD urges the Chinese government to immediately and unconditionally release them. This year's pre-June 4thcrackdown continues a 30-year long campaign by the Chinese government to try to erase the memory and rewrite the history of the bloody military suppression of peaceful unarmed protesters and residents of Beijing and other cities on June 3-4, 1989. The Chinese government has systematically curtailed citizen's exercise of their rights to freedom of expression, information, press, peaceful assembly, and association in discussing or commemorating or obtaining information about the 1989 movement and Tiananmen Massacre. Against tremendous pressure and personal risk, many Chinese have spoken up and kept the Tiananmen memories alive. In April, Chengdu authorities convicted four activists of "picking quarrels" after holding them for three-years in pre-trial detention on "endangering state security" charges for their role in producing and sharing photos online of a wine label referring to June 4th 1989 to mark the 27th anniversary in 2016. In November 2018, a Zhuhai court sentenced activist Li Xiaoling to three years in prison, suspended for five years, after she shared a photo of her holding a sign in Tiananmen Square to mark the anniversary in 2017. Each year, around this time, the government has taken strict measures to silence its critics and prevent any public expression of mourning. These measures include taking activists on "forced travel" putting them under house arrest, or surveillance, and censoring words on the Internet like "Tiananmen" "June 4th" or "massacre." The government has also targeted leaders and participants in the 1989 movement and subjected them to harsh persecution. One example is Liu Xiaobo, the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize winner, who died in 2017 in police custody while serving an 11-year sentence. Several are currently incarcerated for their post-1989 advocacy for human rights, rule of law, and democratic reforms. We have documented 19 cases involving 1989 leaders and participants currently in detention or imprisoned in China for their post-Tiananmen activism. Since early May, authorities have detained, disappeared or forced to travel several Chinese apparently in connection to the approaching 30thanniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre. Additionally, several others have been taken in for questioning or put under de facto illegal house arrest. Below is a list of the cases we have tracked: 18 individuals who have been detained/disappeared/forced to travel; and 9 individuals known to have been questioned or put under house arrest, for a total of 27 individuals known to be affected, though the true number is likely higher.

15 activists, including Jatupat "Pai Dao Din" Boonpattararaksa, have been summoned to Pathumwan Police Station on sedition charges filed by Col Burin Thongprapai, says Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR). TLHR reported that the activists were charged on the basis of an incident on 24 June 2015, when the activists attempted to bring charges against the police for using unnecessary force to crack down on activist's peaceful commemoration of the coup's first anniversary in front of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. On that day, the activists were also joined by the Dao Din group, students from various institutions, and members of the public, who gathered in their support. Panupong Sritananuwat, a former member of the Dao Din group, said that a summons was delivered to his house on 12 May, ordering him to report to Pathumwan Police Station on 21 May to face accusations of "making an appearance to the public by words, writings, or any other means which is not an act within the purpose of the Constitution or for expressing an honest opinion or criticism in order to raise unrest and disaffection amongst the people in a manner likely to cause disturbance in the country or to cause the people to transgress the laws of the country" and "an assembly of ten persons upwards, which do or threaten to do an act of violence, or do anything to cause a breach of the peace" under Articles 116 and 215 of the Criminal Code. "It's been almost four years and the charges have just arrived. And obviously this is another spasmodic attempt by the NCPO to use the law to silence people" posted Chonticha Jangrew, who also received a summons, on her Facebook page. The list of activists summoned also included Jatupat "Pai Dao Din" Boonpattararaksa, who was released from prison just last week following a royal pardon, and Rangsiman Rome, now a Future Forward party-list MP. The summons recorded that the charges were filed by Col Burin Thongprapai, the NCPO's legal officer, who has also previously filed the same charges against the Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit. The 14 activists were accused over the same incident as Thanathorn. "As I have said many times, these unfair actions do not happen only to me, but they are being used systematically to silence or destroy political dissidents. I would like to call for every citizen to not give in to injustice and to come together to fight for what is right, for the freedom of [the activists] and the people. When Thai society returns to true democracy, the Future Forward Party will try our best to erase the consequences of the military coup and return justice to everyone who fights for democracy" Thanathorn wrote on his Facebook page.

Ekkachai Hongkangwan, a well-known political activist, has been assaulted for the 7th time in front of the court. Ekkachai Hongkangwan, a political activist, posted on Facebook at 9 am that he was assaulted by 4 men wearing motorcycle helmets in front of the Ratchada Criminal Court. His picture shows bruises on his face and injuries to his hand. At 11.20 am, Ekkachai posted that he went to Paolo Hospital where his right arm was put in a splint as shown in another picture. He also said he had to pay 5,000 baht without getting reimbursed. Anurak Jeantawanich, his fellow activist, said Ekkachai arrived at Dr. Panya General Hospital, where he can access his healthcare coverage, at 3 p.m. Nattaa Mahattana, Ekkachai's fellow activist, said they went to the Court together after they had been charged over a campaign calling for elections in Thailand. Nattha said she saw Ekkachai hit right after he stepped down from the bus. She went to report the incident at Phaholyothin Police Station. According to Siam Rath, Pol. Lt. Songkran Sisuk, Deputy Inspector of Phaholyothin Police Station, said he has received the report and started an investigation at the crime scene. Anurak Jeantawanich, Ekkachai's fellow activist, who earlier was also assaulted in his own house, posted on Facebook that a bone in Ekkachai's right hand and his ninth rib were fractured. Several footprints were also found on Ekkachai's white shirt. His supporters campaigned on Facebook for donations in support of Ekkachai. But his political opponents ridiculed the assault by posting in the comments section of Ekkachai's Facebook page a money transfer slip showing a donation of 0.01 baht and asking if the activist arranged the assault himself in order to earn money. Rangsiman Rome, an MP of the Future Forward Party, posted on Facebook calling for the police to take serious action in order to prevent this from becoming a new normal. This is the seventh time Ekkachai has been physically assaulted for opposing people in power, excluding two arson attacks on his car putting it beyond repair. In 2013, he was imprisoned for 2 years and 8 months for violating the l'se majest" law by selling CDs of an ABC documentary about the then Crown Prince and Wikileaks documents.

Reports from northwestern Pakistan indicate that the authorities have arrested a journalist and 22 activists of a civil movement campaigning for rights and security for Pakistan's Pashtun minority. The arrests took place amid calls by domestic and international human rights watchdogs for probes into the recent violence involving the group. On May 28, Pakistan's Independent Urdu news website reported that journalist Gohar Wazir had been arrested along with 22 activists from the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) in the northwestern city of Bannu. The city is the administrative hub of a district by the same name that borders the North Waziristan tribal district, where the PTM says the Pakistani military killed 13 of its supporters on May 26. The Pakistani military, however, blames two PTM lawmakers for leading an attack on their checkpoint in Khar Qamar. The military said at least three people were killed when soldiers opened fire on attackers in the remote region near the border with Afghanistan. Requesting anonymity because of a possible clampdown, several PTM activists confirmed to Radio Mashaal that 20 of their comrades, including several leaders, were arrested in Bannu. A police official also confirmed the arrests. Another PTM leader told the BBC that the movement's supporters are facing a wider government crackdown across Pakistan. Roofan Khan, a local journalist, told Independent Urdu that Wazir and the PTM activists were moved to a prison in Haripur, a town nearly 400 kilometers north of Bannu in the same province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. "I don't know why my brother was arrested, but I feel it was connected to the PTM" Wazir's brother Anwar Kamal told Independent Urdu. On May 27, Wazir had interviewed PTM lawmaker Mohsin Dawar. In YouTube videos posted by Wazir, Dawar offered his account of the May 26 incident. Dawar claimed the military had fired on the group soon after it reached the protest site after crossing two military checkpoints in Khar Qamar. He said 13 PTM protesters were killed while scores more were injured in the shooting. But in a press statement on May 26 the military said troops had responded to "direct firing" at the post, killing three attackers and wounding 10 others after a group led by lawmakers Dawar and Ali Wazir attacked the Khar Qamar checkpoint. The military acknowledged arresting Ali and said Dawar was at large. In another statement on May 27, the military said it was trying to identify five more bodies found with gunshot wounds near the site. But the PTM's supporters rejected the military's version of events. Activists staged protests in several towns and cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the neighboring southwestern province of Balochistan to demand an independent probe into the killings. In Peshawar, senior PTM leader Rahim Shah told the BBC that since May 26 many PTM activists have been arrested across Pakistan. The authorities, however, have said nothing about the arrests or a current crackdown against the movement. Speaking to the BBC from Miran Shah, the administrative headquarters of North Waziristan, Dawar said they have already launched a sit-in protest. "We will decide on our demands after our comrades reach here, but we will definitely demand that the Pakistani Army must leave Waziristan" he said. But Pakistani and international media reports suggest the authorities are not allowing PTM supporters to join the protest in Miran Shah by blocking access to the region through the only road connecting it to Bannu. The region is also under a curfew that prohibits any movement. According to VOA's Deewa Radio, the authorities also imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code in neighboring South Waziristan tribal district. This law is often invoked in Pakistan to prevent protests and political gatherings. Global rights watchdog Amnesty International (AI) and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), a domestic nongovernmental rights group, have called for an independent probe. "HRCP demands the release of MNA Ali Wazir and any other activists taken into custody" the HRCP said on May 27. "It also calls for a parliamentary commission to be set up immediately to inquire into the matter and establish the truth." AI backed the call. "The Pakistan government must immediately order an independent and effective investigation into the killing of activists on Sunday in North Waziristan" said Rabia Mehmood, an AI South Asia researcher. "If the reports are correct that the army killed protesters by unlawfully using live ammunition, this would be a very serious violation of international law." The violence is one of the most serious incidents in a long-running confrontation between Pakistan's powerful military and the PTM. The movement emerged last year to demand Islamabad probe illegal killings, enforced disappearances, and other excesses while taking steps to clear landmines from the country's western Pashtun regions along the border with Afghanistan. With some 35 million people, Pashtuns are the largest minority among Pakistan's 207 million population. PTM leaders maintain that Pashtuns, particularly those living in the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), paid a heavy price for Islamabad's domestic war on terrorism after 9/11. Officials and independent observers agree that Pashtuns were a majority of the more than 70,000 civilians killed in militant attacks and military counterinsurgency campaigns since 2003. The conflict has also displaced more than 6 million Pashtuns in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA. The PTM maintains that it is speaking out on behalf of such victims. But in a veiled reference to neighboring India and Afghanistan, the military accuses the PTM of being funded by foreign spy services. Military leaders have accused the movement of stroking unrest in the Pashtun homeland after the security forces defeated the Pakistani Taliban. The PTM rejects the military's accusations and says it is struggling to gain basic human rights for the Pashtun people after they have suffered years of conflict between the security forces and Islamist militants.

Government propaganda machine Philippine News Agency is misleading the public and falsely reported that PAHRA's operation as NGO is illegal because its Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) registration has been revoked. In its continuing attack on civil society, the Duterte administration, now through the SEC named PAHRA along with other human rights and sectoral organizations as communist supporters. In fact, the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates re-filed and was duly registered again with the SEC since 2010 and this registration information is publicly available. It has been operating legally without encumbrances save for those which government levies on its critics. PAHRA has served for more than thirty years empowering sectors and grassroots communities to improve their lives through human rights advocacy. It has worked with the international community to strengthen human rights implementation and accountability worldwide; and cooperated with academic, legal, and government agencies including the Commission on Human Rights on numerous projects. SEC's press release finally sheds light to the true objective of the recently issued SEC Memo Circular 15 Series of 2018, purportedly to protect NPOs (Non-Profit Organizations) from terrorists and money laundering financing abuse by assessing the level of risk of NPOs. The risk assessment is supposed to start when all NPOs have submitted their profile by July 31, 2019. It's incredible that PAHRA and other NPOs have already been rendered judgement. The SEC is being used by Duterte to target these organizations as he targets the church, independent media, strong women and political opponents, with a single aim to debilitate any and all voices of criticism. PAHRA is not connected in any way to the CPP nor the NPA. The real agenda why the SEC is acting as an intelligence bureau making this claim is to march to the beat of Duterte's authoritarian cadence- to silence PAHRA, its partners and network, and all those raising the alarm about the dangerous path onto which this administration is taking the country. The government's action is a retaliation to the consistent and comprehensive opposition of PAHRA to government policies at the outset, including the war on drugs, martial law, TRAIN law, contractualization, mining law, charter change and all other "kill bills" that Congress has enacted. Protecting and defending human rights is first and foremost, government's legal obligation. As long as government itself continue to violate this mandate it is the people who will rise time and again to demand a rights-based governance towards the realization of social justice and human rights for all.

Vietnam's security forces have detained four former prisoners of conscience named Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, Nguyen Thi Truc Anh, Ho Cong Di and Vo Nhu Huynh after they returned from a tour in the neighboring country of Cambodia, Defend the Defenders has learned. According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Vui, the older sister of sisters Phuong and Anh, the security officers held the group of four activists, Huynh's mother and 5-year-old child after they entered Vietnam from Cambodia via the Moc Bai International Bordergate in the southern province of Tay Ninh in the early morning of May 27. During the detention which lasted around 36 hours, security officers questioned the group, asking where they had been and which activities they had done in Cambodia. It seems that the Vietnamese security forces suspect they may have attended a training course which is reconsidered by security forces as harmful for the regime. On the same day, security forces also detained independent journalist Le Thu when she was walking near the border gate, taking her in custody for questioning. Police officers accused her of illegal travel to Cambodia but she denied, requesting the security forces to prove solid evidences for the allegation. Police confiscated all cell phones of the detainees, not allowing them to contact with their families to inform them about their situation. After one night and many hours of interrogation, police released all of them in the late afternoon of May 27 after confiscating an Iphone 6plus cell phone and a laptop of Ms. Thu and two laptops of others. Phuong, Anh, Di and Huynh were arrested on June 10, 2018 while participating in the peaceful demonstration in Bien Hoa city, Dong Nai province to protest two bills on Special Economic Zones and Cyber Security. The first one seems to favor Chinese investors and ignore the country's sovereignty while the secone bill aims to silence online critics. In a trial on July 30, they were convicted of "disturbing public disorders" and the first three were sentenced to ten months while the last was given eight months in prison. They were released in February and April this year. The four, together with 18 others in their case, were listed as prisoners of conscience by NOW! Campaign, a coalition of 15 domestic and international rights groups working for the release of all prisoners of conscience in Vietnam.

Fidelina Margarita Valle, a columnist with Davao Today, was at the Laguindingan Airport in Misamis Oriental province, about to board a flight when he was detained by officers from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG). She was detained for nine hours in Pagadian City, about 200 kilometres away from Laguindingan Airport. Upon her release, the CIDG admitted that the arrest was the result of mistaken identity. This has been denied by many human rights organisations who have called detention a targeted and politically motivated form of harassment. The CIDG officers arrested Valle at 10.30 am using the warrant issued against Elsa Renton, who uses the aliases Tina Maglaya and Fidelina Margarita Valle, a subject of a manhunt for several crimes. The arrest warrant for arson was issued in 2006, whilst the warrant for multiple murder with quadruple frustrated murder and damage to government property was issued in 2011. Valle was on her way back to Davao City after attending a workshop-training in Cagayan de Oro. Valle is well-respected journalist in the Philippines, working as a journalist since the 1980s and actively reporting various issues in Mindanao. She is one of the pioneers of Media Mindanao News Service. She then became an administrative officer for MindaNews in 2001 and a writer for Sunstar Davao until 2018. Besides journalist, Valle is also actively involved in community development work and advocating for human rights in Mindanao. NUJP has considered the arrest of Valle not a lawful operation but a criminal abduction of a journalist. NUJP added that the abduction could have had dire, even fatal, consequences. The organisation has demanded the police and military personnel involved in this inexcusable travesty and their superiors be prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law. "How else do authorities explain why Ms. Valle was held incommunicado for hours even as the police issued a statement saying she was facing multiple crimes from a decade ago, only to admit they had the wrong person? This is the equivalent of shoot now, ask questions later" NUJP said. The IFJ said: "The arrest of Valle has been added to the growing list of violence against journalists in the Philippines. The abuse of critical journalists has become the new normal. It should not. A full investigation into why these officers arrested her should be undertaken. We also call the authorities to respect the rights of journalists and stop all the types of intimidation of journalists." The family of journalist Margarita "Gingging" Valle, who was recently arrested by the police in Misamis Oriental, said today that she was a "clear state target" and that her detention was not a case of mistaken identity as the police claim it to be. In a statement posted on the Facebook account of Margarita's son Rius Valle, the family said that she is now safe but will have to undergo a medical check-up and debriefing as soon as possible.

Sirawith "Ja New' Serithiwat was assaulted on the night of 2 June at Ratchada Soi 7, near The Street department store. He said at least 5 perpetrators assaulted him with kicks and a wooden stick.A charity foundation sent him to the Police Hospital and then transferred him to Mission Hospital where he has medical coverage. Sirawith suffered injuries to his shoulder, head, and face. He will stay one night in the hospital to monitor the seriousness of his head injuries.However, his mother said that the medical fee of 800-1,000 baht cannot be covered for some reason. Staying one night in a private ward means other 2,600 baht has to be covered. Nattha Mahatana said that on that evening, Sirawith was collecting signatures to back up his petition to the unelected 250 senators not to support Prayut Chan-o-cha to be the Prime Minister. This is that first time that Sirawith has been assaulted. However, it is not the first time for other activists. Anurak Jeantawanich has been attacked twice and Ekkachai Hongkangwan 7 times (excluding his car being torched twice). So this incident is already the tenth assault against activists in the last two years. Last week, both Ekkachai and student activist Parit "Penguin" Chiwarak also said that they have been threatened. Ekkachai said that he received a Facebook message saying that someone has ordered him dead, and Parit posted a recording on Facebook of a phone call verbally abusing him and threatening physical harm.

Noted academic and civil rights activist Ram Punyani has received threat calls and abuses from unidentified callers at night on his residential phone line on the night of Thursday (June 6) following which he has filed an FIR with the Mumbai police. Ram Punyani, a former professor at IIT-Bombay, is a well-known rationalist who has been conducting workshops and lectures all across the country to propagate communal harmony. This was the second time that Punyani received threats. In March, policemen in plain clothes had visited his residence on the pretext of making inquiries regarding his passport he had never applied for. Such inquiries are usually conducted by policemen in uniform. He has submitted CCTV footage of these plainclothes men. On last Thursday, he got a call on his landline at about 8.30 pm which was received by his brother-in-law. The caller was abusive and aggressive and kept alleging that Punyani was anti-Hindu. The caller threatened that Punyani must stop his activities or face consequences. The caller said Punyani must leave Mumbai in 15 days. Five minutes later, there was another call which Punyani received. Once again, using a very menacing tone, the caller demanded to know if he was speaking to Punyani. When Punyani declined, the caller hung up. But this time the caller's number could be identified. "This is extremely concerning and disturbing. My family is worried about my safety. I hope the authorities take this seriously. This is not the first time that I have faced such intimidation" Punyani said. The threat becomes all the more grave in view of the murders of other rationalists like Govind Pansare, Narendra Dabholkar, Gauri Lankesh and M.M. Kalburgi by right wing assassins.

As over a million people took to the streets of Hong Kong to protest the government's controversial extradition bill on June 9, a number of journalists were blocked and barred from covering the protests. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) have condemned the actions of police in obstructing the media in covering the protests. According to HKJA in the early hours of June 10, police started moving protesters who remained outside the Legislative Council building. Several journalists were also in the area covering the protests, local police referred to the media as "rubbish', pointing their flashlights at the cameras so they couldn't film and pushed the journalists on the metal barriers. Several journalists were injured in the incident, and a photographer was hit by debris thrown by protesters at the police. A few hours after the initially incidents, the police expelled the media from the area shouting at them "reporters have no privlege'. Police officers continued to harass and assault journalists covering the protests, despite them producing press cards. HKJA strongly condemned the actions of the police. In a statement HKJA said: "The police's actions ignored the personal safety of journalists, seriously trampled on the right to interview, and [we] urged the police to investigate the incident and provide a reasonable explanation." The protests in Hong Kong were against the government's proposed Fugitive Offenders Ordinance, which allows the transfer of "fugitives" from Hong Kong to Mainland China. The proposed legislation has been widely criticised, including by the IFJ and HKJA. The proposed amendment, will put journalists and whistleblowers under threat when reporting on issues related to China, dealing a further blow to the already limited freedom of express that Hong Kong still enjoys. The IFJ said: "We stand in solidarity with HKJA and our colleagues in Hong Kong in condemning the actions of the police to obstruct, harass and attack the media for simply doing their job. Journalists and media workers must, in all circumstances, be able to report without fear or intimidation, yet the actions of the Hong Kong police do not support this. Even more concerning is reports that the police told the media that they do not have any privilege. We demand an immediate investigation."

An activist supporting Cambodia's banned opposition party has been detained on charges of violating forest protection laws, though his wife says the arrest was politically motivated. Nem Nath was taken in by police in Pursat province on Thursday, his wife Srey Saoroth told RFA's Khmer Service on Friday. She said the authorities unfairly targeted her husband because he supports the Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP), the main opposition of Prime Minister Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party (CPP) until the Supreme Court dissolved the CNRP in 2017. "He's a CNRP supporter. He is known publicly for supporting them" she said. "[He] didn't incite any villagers to commit any crimes. I want the court to release my husband because he is the bread winner. We can't live without him" she said. RFA was unsuccessful in an attempt to reach a spokesman of the provincial court in Pursat for comment. Kem Kimsrun, the Pursat provincial coordinator for the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO), confirmed the arrest, saying the case was definitely politically motivated because Nem Nath was not involved in any illegal encroachment on public land. "The activist is with the CNRP and he refused to defect to the CPP. The arrest has put the family under undue hardship" he said. The coordinator said that in the past Prime Minister Hun Sen had ordered local police in Veal Veng district to monitor CNRP activities in the district after he accused them of engaging in politics despite the party's ban. "It is [no more] than political intimidation for the sake of the ruling party. But doing this won't help the government" said Kem Kimsrun. RFA reported on May 29 that two other CNRP activists in Pursat had been arrested on similar charges the day before. CNRP activist eludes authorities in Sihanoukville Another CNRP activist, Mao Bunsreang, escaped from his home in Cambodia's southwestern Sihanoukville province after a police officer tipped him off that they were planning to arrest him. The activist's wife, Kea Sisokunthea said police wanted to arrest him because he criticized the government on Facebook. "The comments he wrote were constructive, and we never thought anything like this would happen because of them. He never committed any crimes" she said. "He only offered constructive criticism." Sihanoukville Police Chief Chuon Narin denied that police had any plans to arrest the activist. He said Mao Bunsreang is only known as a former member of the CNRP, and if he hadn't commit any crimes, he would be fine. "I didn't receive any information. He must have claimed all that information by himself" he said. Cheap Sotheary, the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association's (ADHOC) provincial coordinator for Sihanoukville said, "People in general are critical. It falls within freedom of expression."

A top Chinese human rights lawyer has been attacked and threatened immediately after meeting with his client, the dissident Wang Mo, at a detention center in the eastern province of Jiangsu, RFA has learned. Shanghai-based rights lawyer Peng Yonghe was beaten and threatened by a group of unidentified people at the gate of the Huai'an Detention Center in Jiangsu on Monday, after he went there to visit his client. "I met with my client Wang Mo at the Huai'an District Detention Center in Huai'an city today," Peng told RFA. "But the [detention center staff] forced me to terminate the meeting when it was only halfway through." Shortly afterwards, at around 11.00 a.m., Peng was surrounded by a group of men at the detention center gate. "They threatened me, to make me withdraw from Wang's case," Peng said. "They asked to see my mobile phone. I told them I had shot video on my phone, and they stole it from me, and also beat me in the process." Peng later uploaded a video of his injuries to his Twitter account, and had reported the attack to the local police station, he said. Wang Mo was among four mainland Chinese activists jailed for their public support of the 2014 Occupy Central movement for fully democratic elections in Hong Kong in April 2016. Wang and co-defendant Xie Wenfei were handed four-and-a-half-year prison sentences by the Intermediate People's Court in Guangdong's provincial capital, Guangzhou, after being found guilty of "incitement to subvert state power." He was redetained last month after serving the jail term, in a move seen as linked to the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen massacre on June 4. Wang and his co-defendants had expressed public support for the Occupy Central movement, and were detained amid a nationwide roundup of at least 100 mainland Chinese supporters of the Hong Kong protests. Ever-greater professional risks for lawyers Fellow rights activist Li Xiongbing said attacks like the one on Peng shouldn't happen. "The local authorities should take it seriously and thoroughly investigate this matter," Li said. "Those responsible should be dealt with strictly according to the law." Li said Chinese lawyers are running ever-greater professional risks, if they defend political sensitive clients. "Although our government often talks about the need to ... rule the country according to law, and so on, this is just a slogan that sounds good," he said. "It is rarely carried out in practice." At the end of 2017, Peng was called in for questioning by police after he announced his withdrawal from the ruling Chinese Communist Party-controlled Shanghai Lawyers Association. His attempts to find work and rent accommodation have been repeatedly blocked by the authorities, while his wife was fired from her job with no reason given. The Occupy Central, or Umbrella Movement campaigned for Beijing to withdraw an Aug, 31, 2014 electoral reform plan, which it rejected as "fake universal suffrage," and to allow publicly nominated candidates to run for chief executive in 2017. The plan, which offered a one-person, one-vote in 2017 elections for chief executive, but required candidates to be vetted by Beijing, was voted down on June 18, 2015 by 28 votes to eight in Hong Kong's Legislative Council, leaving the city with its existing voting arrangements still in place. Reported by Wong Siu-san and Sing Man for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Ai Shi for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.

Yesterday, at around 2:45 a.m., four men wearing masks forced their way into the offices of Citizens' Radio and smashed its door, windows, and broadcasting equipment, according to news reports and Tsang Kin Shing, the station's founder, who spoke to CPJ via phone. The men broke broadcasting equipment that Tsang planned to use to cover yesterday's protests, he told CPJ. Citizens' Radio was still able to cover the protests, as seen in video it posted to Facebook. Hong Kong has been roiled by protests since May, chiefly against a proposed amendment to its extradition law that would allow Hong Kong to send fugitive suspects to places where it lacked extradition agreements, including mainland China, according to news reports. In May, CPJ called on Hong Kong authorities to revise or drop the bill. "Hong Kong authorities must take swift action to apprehend those responsible for vandalizing Citizens' Radio," said Steven Butler, CPJ's Asia program coordinator, in Washington, D.C. "Authorities need to demonstrate that the use of violence to halt news coverage has no place in Hong Kong." Tsang told CPJ that he witnessed the men enter the station brandishing hammers and a baseball bat, vandalize the office, and leave, and said that the entire incident lasted about two minutes. He estimated the damage at between $20,000 to $30,000 Hong Kong dollars (US$2,560 to US$3,845), and told CPJ that he filed a report with the local police. Citizens' Radio is a nonprofit broadcaster affiliated with the League of Social Democrats, a pro-democracy political party in Hong Kong, which broadcasts without a permit since its license application has been pending since 2005, according to news reports. Tsang and other employees of the broadcaster have been prosecuted and fined for broadcasting illegally, and the station has been shut down by authorities multiple times since 2005, according to media reports. The Hong Kong Police Force did not answer CPJ's phone call requesting comment.

Defend the Defenders:Athorities in the northern port city of Hai Phong are giving a warn to local former prisoner of conscience Nguyen Xuan Nghia, requesting him not to go to participate in a cultural event scheduled on July 8. According to the writer, his friend artist Pham Xuan Truong will present his two paintings to the US Embassy in Vietnam on Monday and the event will be held in the city's Office of the Cultural Association. On Saturday, some police officers came to Mr. Nghia's residence and told him to stay at home on Monday, otherwise he will meet problems with police, Nghia told Defend the Defenders. Mr. Truong will present two paintings, one is a summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi several months ago, and the second is a portrait of late Senator John McCain, who was a war prisoner held for years in Hoa Lo prison in the capital city of Hanoi during the Vietnam War. Mr. Nghia is a member of pro-democracy group named Block 8406. He was arrested in 2009 and charged with "conducting anti-state propaganda" under Article 88 of the country's Penal Code. Later, he was sentenced to six years in prison and three years under house arrest. Until now, he is still under close surveillance of the local police

Plainclothes agents in Ha Nam province brutally beat local activist Truong Minh Huong at noon of Sunday (June 16), causing severe injuries on his body, the victim told Defend the Defenders. In the morning, Mr. Truong joined other activists from Bau Bi Solidarity to accompany families of prisoners of conscience to pay regular visits to Ba Sao Prison camp. After the lunch, Mr. Huong left for his private residence in Ba Sao commune, Kim Bang district. On his way, he was attacked by a group of five or six plainclothes agents who stopped his motorbike and started to punch and kick him. They also used his helmet to beat him. As other activists came to the scence, the attackers left and ran away. He suffered from a number of injuries on his body. Huong, 70, is a land petitioner whose land was confiscated by authorities in Kim Bang district without being paid adequately. Later, he became an activist fighting for multi-party democracy and human rights and helping other victims of justice miscarriage. He has been under constant harassment of the local police who often place him under de facto house arrest or attack his house with stones and bricks. He was assaulted many times, including the attacks in 2014 and 2016. Ba Sao Prison camp is holding many prisoners of conscience, including Le Dinh Luong, Le Thanh Tung, Pham Van Troi, Phan Kim Khanh, and Nguyen Viet Dung.

The National Investigation Agency has been questioning the editor and owner of the Greater Kashmir, the largest circulated English newspaper in Kashmir for over a week, sources have said. Newspaper sources said the questioning of its editor Fayaz Ahmad Kaloo began on Monday at NIA's head office in Delhi. The agency also quizzed the paper's senior functionary Rashid Makhdoomi. While he has since returned home, Kaloo's questioning was still under way, the sources said on Saturday. NIA spokesperson Alok Mittal did not respond to the call of The Telegraph but official sources said Kaloo was summoned for questioning on June 28. "He (Kaloo) did not turn up initially but had to go on Monday after he received a call from the agency" a source said. Kaloo was the president of the Kashmir Editors Guild but he resigned from its basic membership last month after discovering "that the members of the guild don't support and cooperate in furthering the basic purpose of this body". No newspaper in Kashmir, including Kaloo's own newspaper, has reported the development related to his questioning and different journalist bodies there have also maintained a stoic silence. The questioning came days after police arrested Ghulam Geelani Qadri, editor of the Urdu daily Afaaq, in a three-decade-old case, which led to allegations from the journalist community in Valley that it was an attempt to muzzle the media there. He is out on bail. In February, governor Satya Pal Malik's administration stopped sending government advertisements for publication in Greater Kashmir and Kashmir Reader for allegedly giving coverage to pro-independence groups as well as allegations of rights abuses by security forces. The NIA and several central agencies are part of a multi-agency crackdown on people and organisations in Valley who, according to the government, are involved in "terror funding". The agency has mostly targeted separatists but people from other sections, including journalists, are also under its radar. The crackdown was launched after a long phase of unrest, which that followed the death of Hizb leader Burhan Wani in 2016, crippled life in Valley. It has intensified after the February Pulwama attack killed 40 CRPF men. The Centre claims the pro-Azaadi protests are being funded by Pakistan but the crackdown has only had limitedsuccess. While the protests have somewhat lost momentum, which could also be because of fatigue, militants continue to get new recruits. The sources in the Greater Kashmir said their boss was being questioned for the articles that appeared in the newspaper during and after the agitation and his overseas trips, among other matters. The NIA had earlier arrested a freelance photo journalist, Kamran Yousuf, for alleged terror funding and stone throwing but had to be released on bail after a six-month detention. Amnesty International then said the charges against Kamran are "fabricated and politically motivated, and part of an attempt to stifle journalism in Kashmir".

During the clearance of Nathan Road, Mong Kok from the late evening of 7 July 2019 to the early morning of 8 July 2019, the police pushed frontline journalists and their cameras away with shields multiple times, yelled at, and even assaulted journalists to obstruct reporting, which was a serious violation of press freedom. Most journalists onsite wore their reflective vests with the word "PRESS" (in traditional Chinese or English), displayed their press cards, retreated to cooperate with police actions. The police officers continued to push journalists away even after they have clearly identified themselves as members of the press. We strongly condemned such behaviours. A HK01 photojournalist who was doing a live report on Nathan Road on an argument involving tourists was elbowed in his stomach by a plainclothes female police officer in a black police vest. When the affected journalist went up and questioned that officer, she denied immediately and retreated to the back of the police defense line formed by other officers, thus preventing the acquisition of her police identification number. The Media Liaison Team of the police contacted and apologise to the affected journalist, before suggesting him to complain via official channels. A female journalist of Apple Daily was pushed away by a male officer and accused loudly of charging the police during her reporting. The affected journalist clarified right away and that male police officer was taken away immediately. The name and police identification number on his warrant card were concealed. A Metro Broadcast reporter was being obstructed by police officers during reporting and was told, "Journalists have no privilege. Back off because I am telling you to." The three journalists aforementioned wore their reflective vests with the word "PRESS" (in traditional Chinese or English) to identify themselves as members of the press, but they were still pushed away or even assaulted intentionally by police officers. When the police pushed its defense line forward " even when the press was the only one present " the police persisted by pushing and crashing with their shields. A protester was instantly taken away by police officers when that protester was asked whether he was assaulted by the police. Other officers demanded the journalists on the spot to leave. Recent demonstrations have shown that members of the press were pushed away, insulted or even assaulted by the police. We calls on the police to address the abuse of police power, respect the reporting rights, safeguard the freedom of the press and the public's right to know.

Status of Human Rights Defenders: Mr. Rupesh Kumar Singh was a prominent student leader associated with the All India Student Association (AISA). He is well-known in social media for his progressive writing. He is a social activist, an independent journalist and is also associated with a labour organization in Bakaro. Mr. Mithilesh Singh is a social activist and a lawyer at Ramgarh Civil Court As per the sources, on June 4, 2019, at about 8 AM, Mr. Rupesh Kumar Singh along with Mr. Mithilesh Kumar Singh, a social activist and a lawyer at Ramgarh Civil Court were travelling to Aurangabad, the ancestral village of Mr. Mithilesh in a car. When they did not reach Aurangabad on the desired time and their cell phone went unreachable, the family members of Mr. Mithilesh went to file a missing complaint with the Ramgarh police station which they managed to register the next day. Both the family members were astonished to know from the daily newspapers that on June 7, 2019, Mr. Rupesh, Mr. Mithilesh and the driver were arrested from Dobhi More at NH-2, near Sherghati, around 30 km from Gaya on June 6, 2019 and were charged under Sections 414 and 120B of the India Penal Code, along with other sections under the Explosive Substances Act. The following day, a unit of the Bihar Police illegally searched Mr. Rupesh's house in Ramgarh and Bokaro, and seized his mobile phone, laptop and few books on Lenin, Marx etc. It is alleged that the Bihar police had arrested three of them illegally on June 4, 2019, at about 9.30 AM from near village Padma near Hazaribagh. It will be pertinent to mention here that all of them were forcefully handcuffed and face covered with cloth at the spot and brought to the Paramilitary (Cobra battalion) base camp at Barachetti, where all of them were badly tortured especially Mr. Rupesh Kumar who was threatened for his progressive writing and political work. It is clear that the police had Mr. Rupesh and Mr. Mithilesh in illegal custody till June 6, 2019 as per news reports. The Commission is appraised that Mr. Rupesh Kumar and Mr. Mithilesh are being targeted by Bihar police for their progressive writings and activism and are beingvictimised by being entangled in false and fabricated cases. Further by not following proper arrest procedures and having used handcuffs and covering of faces by the Bihar police amounts to blatant violation of D.K. Basu guidelines on arrests which has now being incorporated under the Indian Criminal Procedure Code. It is once again brought to the notice of the Commission that the present case is yet again an example of how harassment, intimidation and illegal detention has become a routine practice by the State against human rights defenders and activists who dare to stand up for what is right.

About the Human Rights Defender TV journalist Amit Sharma works as a reporter with Hindi national TV channel known as News24.He has extensively reported on corruption especially its prevalencein the GRP forces. He has exposed the organised illegal nexus of the unauthorised vendors and GRPoperating in railway sector in Uttar Pradesh which involves huge illegal monetary transaction in favour of the railway police. Details of the Incident: According to sources on June 11, 2019, TV reporter Amit Sharma had gone on a reporting assignment to Dhimanpura gate of Shamli city in Uttar Pradesh. He was covering the train accident that took place near Dhimanpura in which two wagons of a goods train derailed around 8.50 pm on that day. A unit of the GRP including GRP Shamli's station house officer (SHO) Mr. Rakesh Kumar Upadhyay and a contingent of local journalists were present at the site. Some of the police personnel were dressed in civil clothes. SHO Rakesh Upadhyay and constable Sanjay Panwar objected to Amit's presence at the derailment site. The policemen entered into an argument with Sharma when he was covering the derailment of a goods train.The policemen started thrashing Amit Sharma when he tried to film the incident for news coverage. They were repeatedly slapping and punching the journalist. According to local journalists, also witnesses to the incident, Sharma was not only beaten but dragged all the way from where the accident occurred to the local GRP station, which is located almost 200 metres away from the spot. They also abused him and locked him up. In the graphic video of the incident that went viral on social media on June 11 night, the accused GRP personnel, dressed in plain clothes, can be seen repeatedly slapping and punching television journalist Sharma as he pleads with them to stop. Police officers werepresent, however, they made no effort to try and shield or protect Sharma from those assaulting him. Sharma was locked up in a police station in Shamli for the night and according to the report, GRP personnel took his camera and snatched his mobile phone which contained all of coverage on the railways.Sharma also claimed that he was stripped by the cops and GRP Shamli's SHO Rakesh Kumar Upadhyay urinated in his mouth. Sharma was bailed out by two fellow journalists on June 12, 2019. After a protest by the local journalists, the police registered a case against the four personnel, including the SHO Rakesh Kumar Upadhyay on June 12, 2019 under provisions of the Indian Penal Code pertaining to causing hurt (Section 323), insult (Section 504), abduction (Section 364), robbery (Section 392) and wrongful confinement (Section 342). Of the four GRP officers, Rakesh Kumar Upadhyay and Constable Sanjay Pawar were suspended on June 12, 2019. This case is yet again an example of how a human rights defender is hounded and victimised for his past work. This repressive action of the police is a result of exposing corruption by journalist Amit Sharma so that he is deterred in the future to carry out such reports. Globally, Journalists who are human rights defenders as well face major risks as a result of their work. Governments and other powerful actors, seeking to escape scrutiny and stifle dissent, often respond to critical reporting or activism with attempts to silence them. Threats, surveillance, attacks, arbitrary arrest and detention, and, in the most grave cases, enforced disappearance or killings, are too often the cost of reporting the truth. The protection of journalists and human rights defenders, and ending impunity for attacks against them, is a global priority for safeguarding freedom of expression. States are under an obligation to prevent, protect against, and prosecute attacks against journalists and human rights defenders. Creating a safe and enabling environment for their work necessitates legal reform, the creation of special protection mechanisms, and protocols to guide effective investigations and prosecutions where attacks occur. A free press and active civil society are essential to ensure the public's right to know, so that governments and institutions can be held accountable

Activist Sirawith "Ja New" Serithiwat was assaulted earlier this morning (28 June), said Nuttaa Mahattana.Nuttaa said that he was attacked around 11.30 near the entrance to the street where he lives " a crowded area with a lot of witnesses who subsequently contacted his mother and called an ambulance. One of the witnesses also told his mother that he was losing consciousness. Matichon Online reported that Sirawith was attacked by a group of four men in helmets armed with baseball bats, and Nuttaa said that Sirawith told his mother last night that he is being followed. This is the second time Sirawith has been assaulted, and the latest in a string of attacks against activists in recent months. On the night of 2 June, Sirawith was attacked at Ratchada Soi 7, near The Street department store by a group of 5 people, who assaulted him with kicks and a wooden stick. He sustained minor injuries to his shoulder, head, and face. Sirawith was at first sent to Navamin Hospital. His mother said that he sustained major injuries to his head, and that he is conscious, but unresponsive and unable to speak. At 14.00, Sirawith's mother said that, in addition to his head injuries, he has a broken nose and eye socket. He was having difficulty breathing and was on oxygen, but MRI scans found no brain haemorrhage. Subsequent doctor's examination also found that Sirawith is unable to see with his right eye. Sirawith has now been transferred to the Mission Hospital, where he has medical coverage. He will require further facial surgeries. Update 29 June 2019: At today's concert at the 14 October 1973 Memorial on Ratchadamnoen Road, in which Sirawith previously planned to take part, the presenter told the crowd that Sirawith's condition has improved. While he is still in intensive care, he is now fully conscious and responsive. He is able to speak and does not suffer any memory loss. At 20.00, it was reported that he is to be transferred to Ramathibodi Hospital, where he will be able to see an expert ophthalmologist for his eye injury. Previous doctor's examination found that he was not hit directly in the eye, but suffered fractures to his eye socket. After the doctor drained the congested blood from that area, he is starting to be able to see with his injured eye.

Kampong Thom provincial police are investigating a complaint by a former CNRP official about a murder attempt by four unknown men who beat him up and stole his phone in Baray district on Friday. Major General Ouk Kosal, provincial police chief, yesterday said that police received the complaint from Sun Thun, a Cambodian Independent Teachers Association member and former provincial councillor with the CNRP. He said police went to check the scene of the alleged murder attempt in Baray commune's Thnal Cheat village, but have not found any of the four men. "In this case, the plaintiff has sued unknown persons so we have to collect information and other evidence, Maj Gen Kosal said. "We are still investigating what happened." Mr Thun yesterday said that on the day of the attack, the men pretended to be looking to buy land next to a school where he runs a rice stall. He said they persuaded him to go with them to talk to the landowner. "They drove a white car, but I don't remember the license plate. They asked me to take them to the landowner" he said. "When we reached the house of the landowner, they kept driving from one village to another and only stopped the car when they reached a quiet spot." "They then beat me up until my face was swollen before grabbing my phone and driving off" Mr Thun added. He said he has never had a conflict with any villager and believes it was a murder attempt because he is a former senior CNRP official. Mr Thun claimed that he has previously been threatened by authorities in the province. "I consider it as premeditated murder as I am a former CNRP official" he said. "I was previously threatened by the authorities after I spoke on some foreign radio programmes about concerns from the public." Ouk Chhayavy, CITA president, yesterday said the murder attempt on Mr Thun may be related to politics because he had previously faced discrimination and his activities were monitored by strangers. She urged the authorities, especially the government, to investigate the case and arrest the perpetrators to be punished according to the law.

Gulalai Ismail is an award-winning woman human rights defender and co-founder of Aware Girls who has been forced into hiding following at least two First Information Reports (FIRs) being filed against her on 22 May and 23 May by police in Islamabad. On 4 July, the family home was raided three times, by a large number of armed men in both plainclothes and police uniform. On the first two occasions, only Gulalai's parents were at home. However, at around 4 pm, the police raided the house for the third time and questioned Gulalai's brother and family driver who had arrived home a few minutes earlier. Gulalai's brother, a US citizen, had returned to Pakistan a few days prior to the raid in order to support his parents and family, who have been under tremendous pressure and fear for their safety. The police and intelligence officers questioned Gulalai's brother and arbitrarily detained the family driver who was held at an unknown location for around 8 hours before being released. The family believes that the driver was targeted and tortured due to his association with Gualali.

The wife of an Australian man detained in China since January has been slapped with a travel ban, stopping her from leaving the country. Yang Hengjun, a 53-year-old Chinese-born writer, was detained in the southern city of Guangzhou earlier in the year after flying in from New York. His wife Yuan Xiaoliang, who is a permanent resident of Australia, was questioned by Chinese authorities at the weekend after unsuccessfully trying to leave the country. It is understood she is subject to an exit ban but was not detained. The foreign minister, Marise Payne, said Australia had been regularly raising Dr Yang's case with China at senior levels. "We have requested his case be treated fairly, transparently, and expeditiously" Senator Payne said on Monday. The minister said the Australian continued to have consular access, and asked that Dr Yang be granted immediate access to his lawyers. "Australia has asked for clarification regarding the reasons for his detention" Senator Payne said. "And we have said that if he is being detained purely for his political views then he should be released." Ms Yuan is not an Australian citizen, so has no right to consular access, but it is understood Australia has asked Chinese authorities she be allowed to travel to Australia. Dr Yang has been an Australian citizen since 2002. He had been living in New York as a visiting scholar at Columbia University, before leaving for Guangzhou on January 18.

Two journalists in Pakistan, Shaikh Rizwan and Bashir Malik, were physically attacked in two separate incidents. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joined its affiliate the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) in condemning the assault and calls on authorities to prosecute those responsible for the crimes against journalists. Shaikh Rizwan is a local journalist working for Sargodha Khabrain in Sargodha city, 185 km from Islamabad, in Punjab province. He was beaten up by the local land grabbing mafia in Sargodha. In a different incident, Bashir Malik, a local journalist with 24 News in Khushab, also in Punjab, 218 km from Islamabad was beaten and received death threats from local miscreants. PFUJ demanded strict action and the prompt arrest of those involved in incidents it described as "blatant terrorism and brutality". PFUJ has also requested journalists be given protection in performing their duty. PFUJ said: "It is the responsibility of the authorities to take strict legal action against the criminals in society. We demand the authorities to give justice to the journalists and if this is not done we will have protests across the country. The IFJ said: "Safety in Pakistan remains a serious concern as journalists and media workers continue to face deliberate attacks. We urge Pakistan's authorities to ensure that all those crimes against journalists do not go unpunished."

Propaganda posters found in Northern Mindanao on July 7, accused members of IFJ affiliate, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) as being members of communists parties in the country. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and NUJP condemn the so-called "red-tagging" of journalists as a dangerous threat to journalist safety in the country. The posters were found on Sunday, July 7, on the wall of of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) church in Cagayan de Oro City, Northern Mindanao, listing NUJP along with the Union of People's Lawyers in Mindanao and Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) church as being fronts of the Communist Party of the Philippines, the New People's Army and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines. The posters were signed by the Movement Against Terrorism-Northern Mindanao Region. This is not the first time NUJP has been targeted by rogue parties. Earlier this year, a black banner referring to NUJP and other activist groups as allies of the "terrorist NPA' was found in Cagayan de Oro on May 27. And in February, Filipino journalist Cong Corrales, a former director of NUJP, and his family's names were included on an anonymous list allegedly naming members of the Philippines Communist Party. NUJP said intimidation to silence journalists using "red-tagging" against individual journalists, organisations of journalists, and human rights activists has increased dramatically since Rodrigo Duterte's rise to power. It condemned the act and reiterated that such action continues to put journalist's lives at risk in the country. A free press is guaranteed under the Philippines Constitution and journalists should not be painted as enemies of the state, NUJP said in a statement. The IFJ and NUJP call for greater efforts to stop the spread of lies and vilification of media workers. NUJP said: "As an organization, the NUJP has stood and continues to stand firmly for the safety and welfare of Filipino journalists and media worker as well as for practice of good, solid journalism." The IFJ said: "These continued attacks and false labelling of journalists puts journalist lives at risk. We demand authorities increase efforts to guarantee the safety of journalists in the Philippines."

The elderly mother of ailing human rights activist and website founder Huang Qi is incommunicado, while her son has yet to receive an official sentence following his trial, RFA has learned. Pu Wenqing, 86, is currently under house arrest at her home in Mianyang city, in the southwestern province of Sichuan, and is being watched over by state security police, sources told RFA. Repeated calls to her cell phone this week resulted in a "no such number" message or no answer. Pu, who is a retired doctor, has been under close surveillance since she tried to visit the Mianyang Intermediate People's Court on hearing that an inspection team from the ruling Chinese Communist Party in Beijing was visiting. "It seems that the central government is inspecting [Mianyang], which is what this is all about," a source close to the case told RFA. "She told me [on Tuesday] that there were people standing guard both upstairs and at ground level, and that their number had grown." Pu has been a vocal campaigner for Huang's release on urgent medical grounds, and says the charges against him are politically motivated, with no evidence to back them up. She has also said she possesses documents proving that the charges against Huang were fabricated by the authorities, and the source said the local government is keen to stop her from traveling to Beijing with her petition. Sources said Pu is in extremely poor health and may have cancer, but can only receive medical treatment during home visits by doctors. "Her health is very poor; she has said there seems to be a mass of some sort in her heart and lungs," another source said. "She asked me to buy [Chinese herbs] but I don't think they did much good." "The police guards took her to the hospital, which should be their duty in terms of humanitarian and human rights concern, even if she isn't their grandmother," the source said. 'I can't get through' Chongqing-based rights activist Hu Guiqin told RFA that he has been unable to call Pu since the evening of June 4, the 30th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen massacre. "I can't get through. I have been unable to call her since the night of June 3," Hu said. Last December, Pu was forcibly detained and pushed to the ground by authorities in Beijing after traveling there to press her son's case, and was incommunicado for several weeks afterwards. But she returned to Sichuan, where she hired Jiangxi-based lawyer Zhang Zanning to represent Huang, and made another attempt to visit her son at the Mianyang Detention Center. Pu also met with diplomats from Germany, Italy, the the U.K., U.S. and Switzerland at that time. Leaking state secrets Huang, 56, stood trial in January at the Mianyang Intermediate People's Court on charges of "leaking state secrets" and "leaking state secrets overseas," amid concerns that he could soon die in detention. He was recently identified by Paris-based press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) as one of 10 citizen journalists in danger of dying in detention. Huang, who founded the Tianwang rights website, has repeatedly denied the charges and has refused to "confess." Huang's Tianwang website had a strong track record of highlighting petitions and complaints against official wrongdoing and injustices meted out to the most vulnerable in society, including forced evictees, parents of children who died in the devastating 2008 Sichuan earthquake, and other peaceful critics of the ruling Chinese Communist Party. The overseas-based Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) network, which collates reports from rights groups inside China, says Huang is among a number of gravely ill detainees or prisoners who "continue to suffer from torture by being deprived of proper medical treatment in Chinese detention centers and prisons." "We are gravely concerned about their fate as the next victims of China's deliberate method of persecution to death through torture by medical deprivation," the group said in a statement on Thursday. Reported by Tseng Yat-yiu for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Han Qing for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.

A pro-democracy activist's car was set on fire early Monday by an unknown arsonist after the activist led a protest calling for the impeachment of the Election Commission for its perceived mishandling of the elections. Ekachai Hongkangwan said on a Facebook call on Monday morning that he was awakened by the noise of a car's honk at 1.19am, only to find his Nissan Sunny car had been set on fire. One arsonist was captured on video but neighbors told Ekachai that four men were involved. "It's a waste of money and I am upset" said Ekachai on a Facebook call. Ekachai refused to use a normal mobile phone line as he fears eavesdropping in the wake of half a dozen attacks against him in recent months. The car, bought by his mother for him back in 1997 for 499,000 baht, had been the target of an earlier attack though Ekachai managed to put out the fire. This time, he was too late. The attacker caught on video was wearing a motorcycle helmet, leaving Ekachai with no way to identify them. A police complaint has been lodged and the burnt car was towed away by Lat Phrao police. "My neighbors now fear they will come back and set fire to the shop houses next time" said Ekachai. Ekachai believes the attack is related to his criticism of the commission, and suspects the junta might be behind the attack as it has been defending the commission. No one has come out to claim responsibility as of press time, however. Ekachai joined others at Ratchaprasong Intersection on Sunday afternoon to campaign for signatures for a petition calling for the commission's impeachment.

July 23, 2019 2 TFDP staff received death threats via SMS. It noted: 'Your task force was sighted in the area stop what you are doing if not I will fill your heads with 45 and you call yourself task force.' When the texter was asked about his identity 'Don't bother to know,just know there's a place for all of you.' July 30, 2019 Another threat was sent to a TFDP staff. It noted: Ramel you are a small group, you can easily be decimated. Will start with a 45. They've all come from one number. TFDP office is based in Cebu, and they have pulled out all people from Negros.

On June 29, authorities in Vietnam's central province of Thanh Hoa arrested local resident Pham Van Diep, accusing him of "Making, storing, spreading information, materials, items for the purpose of opposing the State of Socialist Republic of Vietnam" under Article 117 of the country's Penal Code. The state media has reported that police carried out searching his private residence in Quang Tien ward, Sam Son city and confiscated a computer and a lot of documents related to his activities. According to the province's police investigation agency, he will be held in the next four months for investigation. During the investigation period, he will not be permitted to meet with his relatives and lawyers. He is alleged of using Facebook to conduct anti-state propaganda and will face imprisonment of between five and 12 years if is convicted. Mr. Diep studied his bachelor degree in Russia. He stayed for years there and obtained Russian nationality. Due to his online posts criticizing the Vietnamese government in various issues such as environmental pollution, weak response to China's violations in the East Sea (South China Sea) and human right abuse, he was reportedly barred from coming back to his home country. Once he was denied to enter in Vietnam when he arrived in Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi several years ago. He went to Laos and was arrested by the Lao security forces after distributing leaflets protesting the denial of the Vietnamese authorities. He was sentenced to 21 months to prison for "using the Lao territory to oppose its neighbor country." After being released, he came back to Thanh Hoa and lives with his parents. The state media also reported that since March 2019, he has posted a number of articles and conducted many livestreams on Facebook to call for public demonstrations against Sam Son city's plan to build a sea square. Activists said he participated in the peaceful demonstration to protest two bills on Special Economic Zones and Cyber Security in Hanoi on June 10, 2018, and was detained by security forces for several hours. He has been under constant harassment of police in Thanh Hoa province, who summoned him for interrogation many times in the past few years. The arrest of Diep is part of the ongoing crackdown of the Vietnamese communist regime on local dissent. In the first half of this year, Vietnam has arrested at least 20 human rights defenders, social activists, and bloggers, mostly on allegations in the national security provisions of the Penal Code, and convicted nine activists with a total 50 years in prison and 17 years of probation. Last week, Vietnam convicted four activists, sentencing them to between one and 12 years in prison. Vietnam is holding at least 220 prisoners of conscience, according to the Defend the Defender's statistics while Amnesty International said the number is 128.

JAKARTA - Crews from ABC News Australia are the latest journalists to report they faced intimidation and assault as they reported on the Jakarta protests after President Joko Widodo was confirmed the winner of last month's general elections, increasing concern over press freedom in Indonesia. The Jakarta Foreign Correspondent Club (JFCC), with members who are foreign journalists and correspondents in Indonesia made a similar appeal. "We are deeply concerned to learn that journalists have been intimidated and even physically attacked during the recent protest rallies in Jakarta" said the JFCC in a statement. "Some of our members have been targeted during rallies and also on social media in what needs to be addressed to prevent this becoming a threat to press freedom in Indonesia." Eight people were killed and more than 900 hurt on May 21 and 22 in two nights of fighting between security forces and supporters of defeated presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto. Security officials said they believe the violence was organized by several groups, including one linked to the Islamic State and another to a retired special forces general accused of smuggling weapons to Jakarta. ABC correspondent for South East Asia David Lipson on May 26 tweeted a correction saying his crew was attacked "by protestors, not police. Everyone is OK, thanks to a soldier to who stepped in." Lipson's tweet corrected information released by Amnesty International Indonesia and the Indonesian Journalist's Association (AJI). The two groups had said police intimidated the ABC journalists. Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an international non-profit that advocates for journalists and press freedom, said that in Indonesia, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo did not keep campaign promises during his five-year term. His presidency was marked by serious media freedom violations, and the military is known to "intimidate reporters and even use violence against those who cover their abuses", referring to AJI. In the annual RSF World Press Freedom Index Indonesia was 124 of 180 countries surveyed, as it has been since 2017. In 2013, it was 139. Two Associated Press journalists, Stephen Wright and Niniek Muji Karmini, reported they were intimidated on social media. People who claimed they were Prabowo supporters published personal information about the journalists, who then received threats such as "We will take care of her." Prabowo, a former general, represented Indonesia's traditional elites, and now refuses to concede that he lost the April 17, 2019 vote. More than 20 journalists have reported that they were intimidated, persecuted and assaulted during the street protests against the election count released on May 21 by Indonesia's General Elections Commission, the Komisi Pemilihan Umum, which is popularly known as KPU. AJI said that TV and radio journalists were "physically assaulted, slapped, intimidated, persecuted and threatened, not only by police but also protesters. Some of them were forced to delete their documentation---photos, audio and video---and some equipment was seized. One journalist's motorcycle was set on fire." AJI believes many attacks and cases of intimidation have gone unreported because journalists fear repercussion from the military or the police. The journalist's group called on authorities to investigate all of reported attacks and instances of intimidation against journalists. AJI also appealed to media owners and top editors to take responsibility for the safety of their journalists by providing appropriate training and covering the cost of injuries the journalists may have received while reporting. The JFCC called on all parties, including those who oversee political campaigns and security forces, to respect the right of journalists to cover news. "Given the current heated political tensions, we also urge all journalists to take sensible precautions if they are required to cover rallies such as ensuring they operate in teams, position themselves in a location where they limit the risk of being hit by projectiles or physically targeted, and have suitable protective gear and a clear exit strategy" said the JFCC in a statement. Dedi Prasetyo, spokesman for Indonesia's National Police on May 24 told VOA that the police have informed some editors in chief, the chairman of the Indonesian TV Journalist Association (IJTI), PWI (an Indonesian journalist association) and the Press Council that "in order to avoid more violence" all journalists should be clearly identified, and examples of the identification shared with authorities "Please communicate with us" he said. "Once we know the ID, we can brief our personnel to recognize that it identifies somebody as a journalist. We need to see a clear press ID." Niniek, who has reported from Jakarta for two decades, told VOA by phone that the "AP has increased their security measures in the Jakarta' office. AP also asked me not to take public transportation now, and not to cover protest or riots or terrorism issues for a while." Niniek said that even though she was doxed through her personal Twitter account and the official AP account, "this kind of threat will never discourage me to continue my journalistic work." "During the Jakarta local election in 2017, I was also threatened, but I have to admit that what happened today is worse they posted, Stephens' photo, our office address, and urged people to take actions against me."

Defend the Defenders: On July 12, authorities in Vietnam's central province of Nghe An used police, plainclothes agents and thugs as well as criminal prisoners to attack activists and relatives of prisoners of conscience when they went to Prison camp No. 6 to support the ongoing hunger strike of many prisoners of conscience in the camp. The assault happened at 2.30 PM of Friday near the main gate of Prison camp No. 6, said Trinh Ba Phuong, whose parents are former prisoners of conscience Trinh Ba Khiem and Can Thi Theu and are victims of the attack. Phuong said around 20 activists arrived near the prison, their bus was stopped as some trucks were placed to block to the main road leading to the camp. Activists were forced to walk to the facility and the assault started. Dozens of police officers, plainclothes agents and thugs started to attack the visitors. Among victims are independent journalist Huynh Ngoc Chenh and his wife- activist Nguyen Thuy Hanh, former prisoners of conscience Trinh Ba Khiem and his wife Can Thi Theu, and Hanoi-based activist Truong Van Dung. The victims suffered from many severe injuries on their faces, heads, and bodies. Along with beating, the attackers also grabbed the victim's cell phones and other belongings, including their wallets with personal documents. They took away professional cameras of Mr. Chenh, who is a freelance photographer. Later, the attackers forced their victims to go back to their bus and requested the drivers to leave the area. Phuong, who is a land rights activists, said police and thugs also attacked Mrs. Nguyen Thi Kim Thanh, wife of prisoner of conscience Truong Minh Duc, former prisoner of conscience Vu Van Hung, and Mrs. Chau, wife of prisoner of conscience Nguyen Ngoc Anh, who was sentenced to eight years in prison after being convicted of "conducting anti-state propaganda" in June. Police grabbed their cell phones and took the wives into a car to Vinh airport, forcing them to leave for Ho Chi Minh City. Along with beating the four people, the thugs grabbed cell phones of Mrs. Thanh and Mrs. Chau and destroyed them as well as their sim cards. The five-year-old boy of Mrs. Chau was also hurt during the attack. Two days after the attack, Defend the Defenders contacted some of the assaulted activists and they said they still find severe pains on their bodies. Meanwhile, there was no update information about the hunger strike of four prisoners of conscience Nguyen Van Tuc, Dao Quang Thuc, Tran Phi Dung and Truong Minh Duc in the camp. They started their fasting on June 10 to protest the prison's removal of all electrical fans in their cells amid extreme hot summer in Nghe An. There is a campaign of Vietnamese activists to support prisoners of conscience who are subjects of torture and inhumane treatment in prison camps across Vietnam. A dozen of independent civil organizations and more than 1,000 activists and ordinary people have signed a joint petition which condemns the Vietnamese regime's inhumane treatment against prisoners of conscience and request the government to improve living conditions in all prisons. Many other prisoners of conscience in Prison camp No. 5 in Thanh Hoa province and An Diem Prison camp in Quang Nam province are also conducting a hunger strike to protest the inhumane treatment against them.

Recently a poem named "Miya Poetry" went viral in social media which is being circulated widelywithin and outside Assam. Above mentioned human rights defenders, activists, writers, scholars and journalist also had posted and discussed on the poem in their social media accounts. The lyrics of the poetry are as follows "Write down I am a Miya My serial number in NRC is 20,543 I have two children Another is coming next summer Will you hate him as you hate me Write, Write down I am a Miya A citizen of a democratic secular republic without any right My mother is a D voter Though her parents are Indian Write, Write I am a Miya of the Brahmaputra Your torture has burnt my body black Reddened my eyes with fire3 Write, I am a miya The land makes my father an alien That kills my brother with bullets My sister with gang-rape The land where my mother stokes in heart live burning coals" Details of the Incident: On 10 July 2019, a complaint was filed at Pan Bazar police station, Guwahati by one Mr. Pranabjit Doloi and was registered as a First Information Report in Case No. 479/19 under Section 120 (B), 153 (A), 295 (A) 188 of Indian Penal Code read with Section 66 of Information Technology Act against the above-mentioned human rights defenders, activists, writers, scholars and journalist. After filing of FIR, a group of people have started threatening, Ms. Rehana Sultana and Ms. Karishma Hazarikan with sexual remarks, threat of rape and life on their social media accounts. The poem written by Kazi Sharowar Hussain expresses the experience on the present status and life experience of the people who are harassed in the NRC (National Register of Citizens) process in Assam.The poem is been wrongly interpreted by the complainant and falsely accused the above-mentioned human rights defenders, activists, writers, scholars and journalists for posing serious threat to the national security of the country.Hence the action of the police in filing false complaints as First Information Report (FIR) and threatening of human rights defenders, activists, writers, scholars and journalist of their life, liberty and body is entirely condemnable and therefore requires immediate intervention. Given the background, it is evident that the above said people in question are being targeted for their rights based work towards defending the human rights of the minorities in Assam. More so propaganda has been launched against the activists which is further accentuated by the insinuating FIR that has been filed by the police.In response to the complaint which is the basis of the FIR, it is stated that the action of the activists throughMiya poetry is just to express their protest against the present process of NRC and the widespread discrimination displayed by the State through its application on minorities

On 5 January 2010, human rights defender Mr Ahongsangbam Mobi Singh(hereinafter A. Mobi Singh) was released on bail following seven nights in detention in Imphal, Manipur, on charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967. A. Mobi Singh is the Editor of the local daily newspaper "The Sanaleibak" as well as Vice President and spokesperson of the All Manipur Working Journalist's Union (AMWJU), a state-wide union which works to defend freedom of the press and journalistic independence in the context of the ongoing conflict between various State and non-State armed groups in Manipur. On 28 December 2010, A. Mobi Singh was contacted on his mobile phone by an individual who identified himself as a member of the Tabungba faction of the banned Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), who requested that A. Mobi Singh send three members of the AMWJU to Delhi to meet and discuss publication of their statements, at the expense of the KCP. On 29 December 2010, A. Mobi Singh was again contacted by an individual claiming to represent the KCP asking him to collect a sum of Rs. 50,000, in order to cover the expenses of the trip, from two individuals passing in a rickshaw. Upon exiting the office, A. Mobi Singh met the two individuals in question, one of whom immediately pointed a gun at him before the three engaged in a brief scuffle. The men in question subsequently identified themselves as police commandos and searched A. Mobi Singh, seizing his scooter keys and a sum of Rs. 2,000, before taking him to Imphal Police station. Upon presenting A. Mobi Singh at said station, the police filed a report claiming that A. Mobi Singh was a member of the Tabungba faction of the KCP who had been caught in the act of attempting to extort Rs. 50,000 from the owner of a local gas agency and, furthermore, claiming that he had admitted his guilt during interrogation. A First Information Report(FIR)was subsequently lodged and A. Mobi Singh was charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, under Article 17 "raising funds for a terrorist or outlawed organisation" and Article 20 "being a member of a terrorist or outlawed organisation". He was then handed over into custody along with his two mobile phones and a sum of Rs. 50,000, which had not been in his possession at the time of arrest. In the context of the ongoing armed conflict, journalists and publications in Manipur are often subjected to pressure, including through threats and acts of violence, by proscribed organisations seeking publication of their propaganda. AMWJU had adopted a policy of engagement with such organisations in order to emphasise the importance of freedom of the press in a democratic society, and in this context, A. Mobi Singh had been selected, in his role as spokesperson for the Union, to negotiate an end to the group's harassment of journalists. In October 2010, threats from various rival factions of the KCP were such that Manipur's newspapers shut down for three days in protest at the insecurities they face. Previously, in 2008, a bomb had been placed in the offices of the local daily The Sangai Express by an illegal group despite the fact that the police had been informed of an iminent threat by the paper. Prior to that six media editors were held hostage by a group linked to the KCP as a means of forcing all of the Imphal media to carry a particular statement of the group. A. Mobi Singh's office has also previously been attacked by members of the KCP. A complaint was filed at the time but police have not drawn any conclusions in the case, nor has anybody been held responsible. Front Line believes that the arrest and detention of A. Mobi Singh are directly related to his work in defence of human rights, particularly freedom of expression, and may form part of a wider campaign of intimidation against the journalist community operating in the conflict situation in Manipur.

On 3 October 2011, the home of human rights defender Ms Kavita Srivastava in Jaipur city, Rajasthan state was raided by sixty police officers from the states of Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. Further Information The officers were led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Rajendra Singh Shekhawat. Kavita Srivastava is the National General Secretary of the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL). PUCL, which was established in 1976, is one of the oldest human rights organisations in India and has the aim of supporting grassroots movements and empowering poor people. Kavita Srivastava links the raid on her home to her human rights activity, as she has been active in exposing the human rights abuses against Muslim minorities and the poor. It is reported that between 6.30 am and 7 am on 3 October, an armed contingent of Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan police arrived in trucks at the home of Kavita Srivastava in Jaipur. The police claimed that they had a search warrant authorising the search of the house detailing the address but not the name of the individual. The officers claimed that they were looking for a "dangerous Naxalite", allegedly sheltering at Kavita Srivastava's house. It is reported that Kavita Srivastava was not present at the house at the time. The officers did not find any evidence of the alleged objective of the search. Front Line believes that the police harassment of Kavita Srivastava is directly related to her legitimate work in the defence of human rights, particularly in her role in exposing the human rights violations of the Chhattisgarh State Government with regard to Muslim minorities and the poor.

On August 23, authorities in Fuzhou City, Fujian Province took away several individuals from a group of nearly 20 who had gathered in support of Beijing activist Wang Lihong (???) in front of the Fuzhou Intermediate People's Court and also in the city's May 1st Square. Chengmen Town officials blocked the supporters at the square and then took some away, including Lin Lanying (???), Lin Xiangguan (???), and Lin Yigen (???), while the fates of others could not be confirmed. Earlier this month, Wang was tried on a charge of "creating a disturbance" that stemmed from her role in leading protests outside the Fuzhou court's sentencing hearing of the "Fujian Three" netizens in April 2010. Others supporters on hand include Lin Xiuying (???), the mother of Yan Xiaoling (???), who was raped and killed in 2009 by thugs allegedly linked to the Fujian police, and Wu Huaying (???), one of the Fujian netizens imprisoned for defamation after publicizing Yan's case online. (CHRD) | [x]

CHRD learned on August 30 that petitioner Wang Qunfeng (???), from Lushi County, Sanmenxia City, Henan Province, has been illegally detained and tortured for petitioning in Beijing. On August 25, Wang was taking a walk at Tiananmen Square when she was seized by Beijing police, who sent her to Jiujingzhuang, a black jail in Beijing. Wang was then forcibly sent back to Lushi County, where she has been detained in Lushi Detention Center. Lushi officials told the family that she will serve a 10-day administrative detention for "disrupting social and public order" in Beijing. According to Chinese law, such a punishment should only be issued in the locale where the violation was committed, and by authorities above the county level, and not by Lushi officials. When Wang's family recently saw her, she told them she had beaten and deprived of food and water while being returned to Lushi by thugs allegedly hired by the local government. Wang started petitioning when the medical expenses of her father, a former cadre, were not properly reimbursed by the government, and her actions have led to violent retaliation from local officials. (CHRD) | [iv]

On 2 January 2011, around 10am, one police officer from the Raninagar Police Station -who did not disclose his name and was not in uniform- came to Mr. Julfikar Ali's house. Mr. Ali was not present at that time. The police officer told his family members that the warrant of arrest - in connection to the criminal case Raninagar Police Station no.8/2008- is still pending. The unidentified police man did not show the warrant of arrest to Julfikar's family and did not provide any further information, except that he should immediately surrender himself before the court of law, leaving his family members feeling intimidated. On 13 January 2011 Mr. Julfikar Ali met with the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Ms. Margaret Sekaggya, during her country visit to India. He met the Special Rapporteur during a consultation with human rights defenders held in Kolkata, West Bengal. During the said consultation, Mr. Julfikar Ali reported to Ms. Sekaggya the cases filed against him, as well as the harassment and threats of arrest he receives from the police who come to his house. He told the Special Rapporteur about the visit of the police to his house on 2 January 2011. On 18 January 2011, FORUM-ASIA sends an urgent alert to the UN Special Rapporteur on HRDs containing information about the 2 January 2011 incident, when police visited the house of Mr. Julfikar Ali. Days after Mr. Julfikar Ali reported to the UN Special Rapporteur on HRDs, police visits to his home became more frequent. There was a marked increase and frequency of the visits after Mr. Julfikar Ali spoke to the SpecialRapporteur. Police would seek him out in his village and knock on his door, asking his family about his whereabouts. Allegedly, the police would tell his family that there is a warrant out for the arrest of Mr. Julfikar Ali and that they will arrest him if they see him. (Note: On 12 January 2008, Inspector Vikash Chandra of the BSF lodged a complaint against Mr. Julfikar Ali at the Ranninagar Police Station under sections 147, 148, 149, 186, 353, 307, and 326 of the Indian Penal Code. These sections are on: rioting; rioting armed with a deadly weapon; unlawful assembly; obstruction of public servants; assault to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty; attempted murder and grievous bodily harm by means of a dangerous weapon. A warrant of arrest has been issued based on this complaint. The warrant names 4 persons, including Mr. Julfikar Ali, although his name was miswritten as Mr. Julfikar Shiekh.) On 11 February 2011, Mr. Julfikar Ali, accompanied by Mr. Kirity Roy, Secretary of MASUM, went to the District Court and Session Judge in Murshidabad to surrender himself. Mr. Julfikar Ali decided to do this after police visits to his home became more frequent after he spoke to the UN Special Rapporteur on HRDs. He also felt he needed to do this so that he can move freely to do his work as a human rights defender. Mr. Julfikar Ali filed a petition before the District Court to post anticipatory bail. The hearing was held on this day and his petition was granted. On 14 February 2011, another hearing was held at the District Court on another petition filed by Mr. Julfikar Ali to post anticipatory bail for another false case against him. This case arose from a complaint filed on 16 February 2008 by Sandip Kumar Yadav, Commander of the "A" Company of 90 Batallion. The complaint alleged that certain persons committed violations under Sections 147, 148, 149, 186, 353, 307, and 511 of the Indian Penal Code. AlthoughJulfikar Ali's name was not in this complaint, Mr. Rajat Das, the Investigation Officer of Raninagar Police Station included Julfikar Ali's name in the Charge Sheet. The District Court, on this day, allowed Mr. Julfikar Ali to post anticipatory bail for this case against him.

Rangoon (Mizzima) - Burmese authorities are seeking more information about some journalists who are covering Parliament, according to sources close to the journalists. Police seeking information about the journalists have questioned their employers and their families to obtain additional information on their background and credentials. At least three Burmese journalists have been the focus of inquires. Recently, the authorities allowed Burmese journalists and some foreign journalists to cover the parliamentary sessions in Naypyitaw, including the Voice of America and the British Broadcasting Service. Referring to one of the journalists under scrutiny, a source told Mizzima: "The authorities went to his home in Rangoon and they talked with his family. He said he didn't ask his family what they talked about because he didn't want them to worry, and he pretended it wasn't important." Inquires have been conducted since early October. The reason for the inquiries was not clear. Journalists who are the subjects of the inquires are afraid to talk about it, said the source. Journalists have to obtain a permit from the Press Scrutiny and Registration Division (PSRD) to gather news in Parliament and are required to provide biographical information and who they work for. At least 35 journalists have submitted their profiles to the PSRD under the Information Ministry, according to a source close to the PSRD. A journalist familiar with the inquires told Mizzima: "I have frequently gone to visit Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and an officer asked just one question of my family, who lives in a rural area. My family told them I was a reporter, and then the officer said, "Is he?" and left the house. When my family asked him where he was from, he said that he was from the Information Police force." The journalists' profiles submitted to the PSRD are filed in a "secret category," the source said. The profiles contain the schools the journalist attended, information about the journalist's parents, the parents' jobs or businesses, the names of close relatives of the journalist's wife or husband and other information. A female journalist said, "I don't know exactly why they're asking these questions. I'm not living in a rural area so the inquires are worse for me." Early this year, Burma inaugurated a new government, but international media groups say its reform rhetoric continues to be contradicted by heavy censorship, according to a new report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) released in September. The New York-based CPJ said banned topics are still wide spread and that, to date, the new government has not acted to abolish or amend its "highly arbitrary laws" that restrict press freedom and punish deviation from official dictates. The report noted that since elections in November 2010, two journalists have been sentenced to prison terms of almost 20 years, and more than a dozen publications have been suspended for their news reporting. "The government's promise of reform is welcome, yet censorship in Burma remains arbitrary, intensive, and highly restrictive," said Shawn Crispin, CPJ's senior Southeast Asia representative and the author of the report. Crispin said that in discussions with Burmese media organizations it was clear that freedom of the press has yet to come to Burma, despite the rhetoric of President Thein Sein's government. The CPJ said that the veneer of press freedom evident in the proliferation of privately owned and operated news publications is shattered by the fact that the newspapers are heavily censored and regularly forced to publish state-prepared news and commentary presenting government policies in a glowing light. "Uncensored reporting from within Burma is crucial for assessing whether the government's promise of democratic reform is rhetoric or reality," Crispin said. "Until new freedoms take hold, exile media continues to serve as a vital source of credible, independent information on developments within Burma and should not be abandoned by donor countries." Naypyitaw's recent informal call for exiled dissidents to return to Burma was met with great skepticism by journalists interviewed by CPJ, precisely due to the lack of reforms. Nearly all of the Burma-based reporters and editors interviewed for the CPJ report are said to have requested anonymity due to fears of possible reprisal if their names appeared in a report critical of the government. In early September, Burmese Information and Culture Minister Kyaw Hsan told the Lower House of Parliament censorship of Burmese media is still needed and freedom should not be granted to newspapers and journals at this time. An article in Mizzima in July, reported that Burmese censorship rules are now divided into two categories of newspapers and magazines: Group 1 includes 178 publications focusing on sports, health, arts, children's literature, and technology, which don't need to pass articles through censors prior to publication, but must submit copies to censors after publication. Group 2 includes news and public affairs journals, which must pass all articles through censors prior to publication.

According to the information received from Mr. Gladson Dungdung, General Secretary of Jharkhand Human Rights Movement (JHRM), Ranchi, Mrs. Dayamani Barla has been illegally targeted by the Chutiya police and the Senior Superintendent of Police in Ranchi. Mrs. Barla is known for leading a people's movement against the illegal and forceful acquisition of the world steel giant Arcellor Mittal Company in Khunti and Gumla district of Jharkhand. On the evening of 14 January 2012, the Chutiya police in the leadership of officer-in-charge Mr. Anil Kumar rushed to Jharkhand Hotel, a tea shop run by Mrs. Barla, and started investigation in her absence. When the police didn't find Mrs. Barla in the Hotel, they forced her husband, Mr. Nelson Barla, to reveal information on people who come to meet Dayamani Barla on day to day basis. The Chutiya police also told Mr. Nelson Barla that his wife, Mrs. Dayamani Barla, has link with the Naxalites and other unsocial elements. They alleged that the the Naxalites come to her hotel in day to day basis and also attend the meetings with Mrs. Barla. According the Mr. Anil Kumar, the police have been investigating against Mrs. Dayamani Barla on the basis of a complaint sent to the Chutiya police by Mr. Saket Kumar, Senior Superintendent of Police of Ranchi. However, when the co-workers of Mrs. Dayamani Barla went to the office of Mr. Saket Kumar, he told them that Mrs. Dayamani Barla had attended a meeting in Ranchi (which was organized for the release of a cultural activist Mr. Jitan Marandi, where Mr. Barbara Rao was the guest) which shows that she has link with the Naxalites. Therefore, the police are taking action against her. Mrs. Dayamani Barla has a long history of fighting for the protection of civil and political rights as well as economic, social and cultural rights, therefore, the Ranchi police under the leadership of Mr. Saket Kumar have been victimizing her on the basis of baseless information with the clear intention of defaming, humiliating and breaking down her spirit to fight for the cause of People's rights.

New York, September 21, 2011--An Indian journalist who covered police violence in the state of Chhattisgarh was recently arrested on antistate charges that human rights groups say are retaliatory, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Police said they arrested Lingaram Kodopi on September 10 in a public market in Dantewada district on charges of accepting a bribe from a representative of a steel company wanting to operate in a Maoist insurgent-controlled area, news reports said. One of Kodopi's relatives, who was also accused of accepting bribes, told The Times of India that Kodopi was detained in his home, not at the market, and that the police were trying to falsely implicate them. Both she and the journalist deny the charges against them, news reports said. Local human rights activists and journalists say authorities want to prevent Kodopi, 25, from publicizing the role of police in recent violence in the state. In April, the journalist documented houses in Dantewada district being destroyed during an anti-Maoist police operation in three villages and "recorded on video precise narrations of police atrocities," Tehelka magazine reported. Himanshu Kumar, a local human rights activist, told the Indian Express that Kodopi has "proof of government involvement in burning down three villages." The journalist was charged with antistate activities under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Chhattisgarh Public Security Act, and the Indian penal code, according to the New Delhi-based Tehelka news magazine. The total penalty he faces remains unclear. "Chhattisgarh police should substantiate the charges against Lingaram Kodopi," said CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney. "It is cause for concern when a freelance journalist documenting the state's human rights abuses is hit with antistate charges." Kodopi had fled the state in 2010 to study journalism and work as a freelancer in New Delhi after he was harassed by police, the Indian Express reported. While he was there, police said he was a senior Maoist commander and accused him of attacking a politician in Chhattisgarh, the Indian Express also said. The journalist denied any links to the Maoists and said that police had targeted him since he refused to work for them under a program to recruit tribal youths to defeat the insurgents, Tehelka reported. Maoists have led an insurgency in the central tribal areas of India for more than four decades. Journalists are frequently targeted by both Maoists and state forces in the states touched by the conflict, CPJ research shows. In December 2010, three journalists in Chhattisgarh were threatened, apparently by a state-supported vigilante group fighting the insurgents, while daily Nai Dunia journalist Umesh Rajput was fatally shot there after being threatened for his coverage of a public health story in January. Police said Maoist insurgents had made the threats to obscure their motive in killing him.

On 29th November, 2011 around 5:27 pm Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi, Secretary General / Executive Director of Peoples' Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) received threatening call from mobile number +94757251733 on his mobile (9935599333). The caller was abusing by using filthy words. He also gave threat to his life saying "You will be towed" and "if you speak too much you will be shot out". During that time Dr. Lenin was busy in the meeting with his associates in the office and he became distracted. Around 5:42 pm Dr. Lenin immediately released an urgent note on facebook. Around 6:22 pm Dr. Lenin rang on same number but he did not receive any response from that side. When he rang again he came to know about the identity of the caller. The caller said, "My name is J.P Mishra, I am resident of Gorakhpur. You did not know about my power. I can do anything. Son, I have relation with many person you know Tulsi Singh. Now you understand what type of person I am. I lived in Mumbai I can do anything. If you are Governor or Chief Minister of the state, understand I have worth to do anything. What is your worth monthly earning of only 10 thousand and 20 thousand". The caller was speaking in Bhojpuri mixed Hindi language. Immediately a letter through email was sent to Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission and Director General of Police and on 30th November, 2011 same letter was sent through post. It is noted that high level enquiry is going in the Soharab killing case in Gorakhpur. In this matter on behalf of the organization he made a complaint in which the name of Sri Aditya Yogi Nath (Member of Parliament, Bhartiya Janta Party) also came. The caller was also telling he was resident of Gorakhpur. Through his dialogue it seems he was near to the Sri Aditya Yogi Nath ji, because he was assuming Dr. Lenin as any Government officer. He was telling he is making call from South Africa and sometime America. A high level enquiry must be conducted against the alleged perpetrator and provide security to the Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi and the witness.

Human rights defender Mrs K. Saraswathy has been subjected to attacks, death threats, attempted murder and a campaign of public defamation as a result of her human rights activities in Tamil Nadu State, India. K. Saraswathy is the District Organiser for the Tiruvallur District of the Citizens for Human Rights Movement (CHRM). She has a long history of community service and defending human rights in her district through the establishment of medical services, empowerment of women and provision of relief to victims in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami. On 19 June 2010, K. Saraswathy and her two daughters were publicly subjected to death threats, assault and humiliation near their home in Ennore, in the Tiruvallur District of Tamil Nadu. The alleged perpetrators, Mr Venkatesan - President of the Panchayat, a local governmental body - and his brother, reportedly threatened to beat the three women to death and smear their blood and body parts all over the walls, physically assaulted them, and threatened to stab them with a knife. K. Saraswathy's eldest daughter was also allegedly taunted about the age of her husband and threatened with rape. This latest incident forms part of an ongoing campaign of threats, violence, and public humiliation against K. Saraswathy and her family which dates back to 2007. According to the information received, the hostility generated by Mr Venkatesan stems from the refusal of K. Saraswathy to give him a donation from funds which had been given to her by an NGO for distribution to local fishermen in order to support their livelihoods. Numerous false complaints were subsequently filed against K. Saraswathy alleging that she had misappropriated funds from self-help groups. Due to Mr Venkatesan's influence over the local police, a First Information Report (FIR) was filed against her, allegedly without any inquiry being conducted. On 14 October 2010, a kangaroo court was held, in which Mr Venkatesan and other local leaders demanded that K. Saraswathy admit to stealing the funds. During the hearing, which was reportedly held outdoors before the public, K. Saraswathy was denied water and anyone who attempted to bring it to her was punished, which eventually caused her to faint. Mr Venkatesan subsequently ordered a social boycott against K Saraswathy and her family, and banished them from the town. Since then, K. Saraswathy's home has been physically attacked by local villagers and her daughters have been subjected to physical and verbal abuse as a result of the accusations against her. Complaints lodged with the police regarding their treatment have been unsuccessful: the local police have reportedly informed her that they are unable to help her, thus granting the perpetrators of these attacks against K. Saraswathy immunity in their campaign against her. Front Line believes that the campaign of death threats, attacks, defamation and humiliation against K. Saraswathy are directly related to her legitimate work in defence of human rights. Front Line is concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of K. Saraswathy and her family.

Ms. Ambiga Sreenevasan, a Malaysian Indian Hindu leader of BERSIH, a civil society movement calling for free and fair elections, is currently the target of severe and sustained harassment and intimidation because of her legitimate human rights activities. Ms. Sreenevasan has been facing threats since 2011, and the harassment is now intensifying as she is being subjected to threats at her private home, calls for her death and deprivation of her citizenship, from a local politician and other group leaders. Ms. Sreenevasan and Abdul Samad Said are the co-chairs of the civil society movement, the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (known as BERSIH). BERSIH is a coalition of 84 non-government organisations unaffiliated to any political party (http://bersih.org). While both co-chairs have been publicly vocal leaders of the BERSIH movement, only Ms. Sreenevasan has been the target of escalating harassment and attacks which focus on her gender and her ethnicity and religion. Threats and harassment include those committed in early May 2012, where images of Ms. Sreenevasan were burned at gatherings of local groups opposed to the activism of BERSIH. The exterior of her home was damaged, with protestors shouting "Go to hell Ambiga, go to hell you Hindu infidel". She has been referred to as "the anti-Christ for Muslims" in quotes in newspapers. When asked why they were targeting Ambiga specifically, and not BERSIH co-chair Abdul Samad Said, chairman of the group Jamal Md Yunus replied "Kita lihat, kita suka Ambiga. Dan kita lihat dia ini lebih cantik daripada orang lain. Kami minat dengan dia. Kita suka tengok dia" ("We like Ambiga. She is prettier than other people. We take interest with her. We like to see her.). She has also recently been subjected to sexual harassment by members of Malay Armed Forces Veterans Association (PVTM) who conducted "bottoms exercises" 15 May outside her home. On 26 June, a local politician publicly called for her to be hanged for her "treasonous" act of organising the 28 April rally for free and fair elections. Ambiga's activism in defence of human rights and fundamental freedoms of LGBTIs render another justification for threats against her. A prominent political party leader made a clear remark that as Muslims they will declare a war against Ambiga's activism and not keep their mouths shut. On 1 July, Ambiga confirmed to the media that she has received an email advising her to be careful. It was reported that the email allegedly said, "Beware hired guns out to kill you", and claimed that a particular group had contracted two thugs to "terminate" her. On 30 June 2012,. Ambiga receives email warning that thugs had been sent to kill her. In an email titled "Beware hired guns out to kill you", she was warned that a "particular group had contracted two thugs to "terminate' her." She has lodged a police report on the matter. On 26 June 2012, a lawmaker calls for Ambiga to be hanged. During a debate in Parliament, the Member of Parliament for Sri Gading, Mohamad Aziz, called for Ambiga to be hanged for her "treasonous" act of coordinating the Bersih 3.0 rally on April 28. He compared Ambiga to the leaders of the Al-Ma'unah militants, a revolutionary group that attempted to overthrow the government and were later executed for treason. He described Ambiga as a "traitor" and asked, "Shouldn't we also hang Ambiga for treason towards the Agong?" He later conditionally retracted his statement. Mohamad Aziz also exhorted not to let ""pendatang asing' (foreign migrants) and "awang hitam' (colloquial expression used to refer to Africans and dark-skinned migrants) run riot in our country." On 19 June 2012, Ambiga is billed by Kuala Lumpur City Hall for alleged costs and damages from Bersih 3.0 rally. Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has sent Ambiga and Maria Chin Abdullah, a Bersih steering committee member, a bill to ask for compensation for alleged losses incurred during the April 28 rally. The bill, totalling RM 351,203.45, was delivered to Ambiga's house and contained an itemized list of charges including damage to landscaping, transportation and food for staff, and the cost of metal barricades. The letter holds Ambiga and Maria personally responsible for all alleged damages. On the evening of May 24, at least two groups gathered down the road from Ambiga's house. The police had set up a road block a few houses down. Enforcement officers from Kuala Lumpur City Hall were also present. One group of around 50 people, Gerakan Belia Gagasan 1Malaysia, gathered, shouting "Bersih kotor!" (Bersih is dirty) and "Halau Ambiga!" (Chase away Ambiga). The group's president, Shahrul Nasrun Kamaruddin, and four others were allowed to walk to Ambiga's house to deliver a flier, which was accepted by Bersih co-chair Abdul Samad Said. The flier was "titled "10 Reasons why Ambiga should be expelled from Malaysia', and carried an image apparently depicting a devil with two horns and red skin, and its face covered by a mask of Ambiga's face." It labelled Ambiga as a colonialist, traitor, and the devil, among others. A second group of around 20 people, the Kuala Lumpur Petty Traders Action Council, also gathered near Ambiga's house. The group's chairperson, Jamal Md Yunus, announced that the group would not set up stalls outside Ambiga's house, having on May 21 announced plans to do so. They left after handing over a memorandum at Ambiga's house, which was accepted by Abdul Samad Said. At least 30 motorcyclists also gathered, though it is unclear if they belonged to either group. Besides Abdul Samad Said, members from various NGOs were also at Ambiga's house in solidarity. On 23 May 2012, Ambiga was served a writ of summons and statement of claim by the federal government, claiming RM122,000 in damages allegedly incurred during the Bersih rally on April 28, 2012. Ambiga, eight other Bersih Steering Committee members, and one former Steering Committee member, were named as defendants. The government is suing the Bersih organisers under Section 6(2)(g) of the newly enforced Peaceful Assembly Act. The case is scheduled for mention on June 13 at the Kuala Lumpur High Court. On May 21, the Kuala Lumpur Petty Traders Action Council announced plans to set up stalls in front of Ambiga's house to reportedly "convey anger over the April 28 rally which purportedly resulted in petty traders incurring financial losses." The protest was planned for May 24 and 25. Members of the group gathered outside Ambiga's house and painted yellow markings on the road to mark spaces for the stalls. One member of the group uttered "Mampoi Ambiga - mampoi Hindu Kafir," (roughly "Go to hell Ambiga - go to hell Hindu infidel") while making the markings. When asked why they were targeting Ambiga specifically, and not Bersih co-chair Abdul Samad Said, chairman of the group Jamal Md Yunus replied "Kita lihat, kita suka Ambiga. Dan kita lihat dia ini lebih cantik daripada orang lain. Kami minat dengan dia. Kita suka tengok dia" ("We like Ambiga. She is prettier than other people. We take interest with her. We like to see her.). Ambiga has lodged a police report, and neighbours have also filed complaints to the Kuala Lumpur City Hall. Later on May 21, the Mayor of City Hall said that City Hall would not allow the group to carry out their protest. City Hall has since cleared up the paint marks, and police have also made rounds by the house. On the evening of May 19, around 200 people, including members of the right wing Malay NGO Perkasa, pelted stones and eggs at attendees of an event that planned to feature Ambiga. The event took place in Merlimau, Melaka, and was attended by around 300 people, including two opposition state assemblypersons. One assemblyman's car was reportedly ambushed while he was driving - his car was hit with eggs and both side mirrors were broken. Another attendee's car's side window was smashed. Because of the concerns that "some parties may have intentions to "create chaos,'" Ambiga cancelled plans to attend the event at the last minute. On 17 May 2012, a group led by Roslan Ahmad, Merlimau state assemblyman and member of the ruling coalition, lodged a police report at the Merlimau police station objecting to Ambiga's scheduled visit to the town for an event on May 19. The group stated that because of Ambiga's involvement in street demonstrations and support for the LGBT movement, she was not welcome in the town.Present with Roslan when lodging the report were "assemblyman Datuk Hasan Abd Rahman, and representatives from the Malaysian Association of Youth Clubs (MAYC), 4B Youth Movement, Islamic Welfare Organisation of Malaysia (Perkim), Village Headman Association (Sidang), Majlis Gabungan Belia Melaka (MGBM) Jasin, Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa) and members of the Jasin Wanita and Umno Youth wings." In the morning of 15 May, about ten people from the Malay Armed Forces Veterans Association (PVTM) did "bottom exercises' in front of Ambiga's house. The exercises consisted of the men leaning over and shaking their bottoms in the direction of Ambiga's house. The PVTM president, Mohd Ali Baharom, reportedly referred to Ambiga as the enemy of the nation and said, "We Armed Forces veterans have the right to protest against an "enemy' who tried to smear the nation's name." Mohd Ali Baharom was also reported to have said, "We are giving a stern warning to Ambiga to immediately apologise to the Malaysian people regarding Bersih and free sex." On 14 May 2012, referring to a protest by traders outside Ambiga's house on 10 May, deputy police chief Khalid Abu Bakar was reported to have said in a press conference, "Well, there is no offence. What offence? If you want to sit in front of her house without disrupting other people, there is no offence." After a journalist pointed out that it was an invasion of privacy, Khalid Abu Bakar said "Which privacy? They didn't enter her house, they were in public space." Khalid Abu Bakar was also reported to have said, "Police will not take action against them. Under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2011, people can hold a gathering as long as they have given notice and acknowledged to the police where to gather." On 10 May 2012, Malaysia Small and Medium Entrepreneurs Alliance (Ikhlas) set up a burger stall outside Ambiga's personal residence protesting that they had lost earnings during the BERSIH 3.0 public rally. A video depicts at least one of the protesters aggressively shouting towards Ambiga's house. Ambiga has said that since this protest, several people have come to her house requesting free burgers. The traders threatened that they would hold a bigger protest in front of her house on 24 May 2012. On 7 May 2012, in a gathering in Kuala Terrenganu an image of Ambiga was burned. Gerakan Kebangkitan Rakyat (Gertak) chairman Datuk Razali Idris reportedly said, "We condemn Ambiga's action, which has become the source of disunity among the people in the country now. She is also a supporter of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) group. Therefore, we urge the government to take stern action against her, including stripping her of citizenship. We don't want individuals like her to destroy the country." The government-owned New Straits Times newspaper favourably reported the gathering as "peaceful" while depicting a photo of Ambiga's burning image. On 5 May 2012, iIn Baling, 500 members of purportedly non-government organisations, although with ties to the government, including Perkasa, the Malaysian Youth Council, JKKP Baling, Baling Siamese Association, Pekida, Baling Women's and Wives Association and Puteri Umno and Malay traders gathered to burn an effigy of Ambiga and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and called for the government to revoke Ambiga's citizenship. Shopping centre management bodies directed shop owners to close their businesses on the day of the BERSIH 3.0 rally. Claiming that huge losses were sustained owing to these closures, Malaysia Small and Medium Entrepreneurs Alliance (Ikhlas) president Mohd Ridzuan Abdullah was reported to have said, "We urge the government to arrest Ambiga and chase her out of the country___If the Home Ministry fails to do it, we will stage a rally in front of Ambiga's house and do business over there." On 4 May 2012, the deputy chief head of the Election Commission, Wan Ahmad Wan Omar, reportedly said that the Election Commission would not engage with BERSIH and, referring to Ambiga, said, "We will not deal with the destroyer of democracy again." On 23 April 2012, the former deputy president of a Malaysian political party, PAS, Nasharuddin Mat Isa was reported in a mainstream English-language newspaper as saying that Ambiga's perceived support for "LGBT activities" meant that she was a threat to society. He was quoted as saying that, "Based on an edict by (prominent Muslim cleric) Yusof al-Qardhawi, one cannot eat or drink with them, let alone be a follower." He said of those supporting the removal of laws that criminalise homosexuality that, "As Muslims, we are responsible to declare a war against this and not keep our mouths shut." On 21 April 2012, at a rally against homosexuality held at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) posters depicting Ambiga and Pak Samad were burned. The rally was organised by a non-government organisation called Jaringan Melayu Malaysia (JMM). At the event, which was fuelled by hate-speech, slogans such as "Reject Ambiga, Reject LGBT" were shouted and posters depicting Ambiga and Pak Samad were burned. On 17 April 2012, www.bersih.org was attacked in an apparent distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack. The site became inaccessible for 13 hours. Such attacks are an attempt to deny the right to freedom of expression. In an interview published on 6 April 2011, Perkasa Youth chief Irwan Fahmi was quoted as saying: -\t"I will fight to whatever extent___ I am going to fight her [Ambiga]. I do not care. I am not a politician, I have nothing to lose." -\tHe said that Ambiga "supported Seksualiti Merdeka___ and so many other issues, going against Islamic principles. I cannot accept it anymore. She is the anti-Christ for Muslims." -\tHe also said "I hope that all Muslims in this country will stay true to their religion and stay away from Bersih 3.0 because it is led by someone who is not only a traitor to the country but also to Muslims." On 9 July 2011, Ambiga was targeted by police on the day of the BERSIH 2.0 rally. While attempting to exit a building, Ambiga and those walking with her were fired upon with tear gas by the police. The police fired the tear gas from both directions of the walkway. Ambiga was quoted as saying, "I really thought I was going to die. There was an excessive use of tear gas___I could not breathe ... I could not see. My bodyguard had to literally drag me out." On 2 July 2011, Prime Minister Najib Razak stated in a public speech, "Who doesn't know Ambiga. She's the one who threatened Islam," referring to an apostasy case from the time Ambiga was chairperson of the Bar Council. For the Prime Minister to attack Ambiga in the wake of death threats against her is grossly irresponsible and implies that the government condones such threats. On 22 June 2011, Ambiga and other activists received a vicious text message which stated, "if this rally happens, me and my people will kill Ambiga." The police promised to investigate, but the sender of the threat has yet to be found and prosecuted. On 19 June 2011, at an event organised by several NGOs including Perkasa, banners depicting Ambiga's image were burned and leaflets were distributed with the text "Beware!! Ambiga is a dangerous Hindu woman." The leader of the group, Ibrahim Ali was quoted as saying, "We will wage a war against them at all cost to stop them from demonstrating because we want a peaceful nation."

Journalists will not be allowed to enter parliament today to cover the first session in more than two decades, despite reported pledges to the contrary. It also remains unclear whether media will be allowed to report on any future sittings, the chairman of the Committee for Professional Conduct (CPC), Ko Ko, told DVB. "The CPC previously checked with the MoI[Ministry of Information] and was told that there was no plan to invite journalists to Naypyidaw for the parliament opening," he said. This comes despite an announcement by Burma's information minister, Kyaw Hsan, on 17 January that reporters would be permitted. Some 18 foreign news correspondents arrived in Naypyidaw yesterday to cover the event, but a photojournalist said today it would be impossible even to take a photo of the parliament building because the road leading to it was barricaded with barbed wire. An elected MP today said on condition of anonymity that two reporters from a domestic Burmese news journal were visited by government authorities at their guest house in the capital and had their names taken. Burma has some of the world's strictest media laws, and bans filming of so-called sensitive material that would include parliamentary debates unless expressly permitted to do so. Under the Electronics Act, journalists caught filming without permission face a 10-year prison sentence. The CPC, which is ostensibly tasked with protecting the interests of journalists and issuing guidelines for media practice, was set up recently by the government's censor board, which also enforces Burma's draconian press laws. Analysts have sought to dampen expectations about the first parliamentary session since elections in November last year. Both chambers are dominated by the pro-junta Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), which won 80 percent of the vote, while a quarter of seats have already been reserved for pre-appointed military officials who effectively carry power of veto. A parliament did meet in 1988 prior to the ousting of Burma's first dictator, Ne Win, but one has to go back to March 1962 for the last time it met under civilian rule.

Opposition Sam Rainsy Party activist Tuot Saron has been ordered to give up his post as chief of Pongro commune in Kampong Thom province's Baray district, after being freed from jail on royal amnesty last month. Baray District Governor Hak Mov Seng said yesterday that he will refuse to let Tuot Saron resume his duties unless the Ministry of Interior issues an official letter reinstating him. He said he has demanded that Tuot Saron return his rubber stamp, a means of ratifying official documents. "Tuot Saron cannot hold a rubber stamp any more. I will not allow him to do anything at all and if he stamps documents, we will refuse them," Hak Mov Seng said. During the run up to national elections in 2008, Tuot Saron was imprisoned for abducting and illegally holding an SRP election candidate against his will. Rights group Amnesty International declared him a prisoner of conscience and he received a pardon from King Norodom Sihamoni in December. Hak Mov Seng said that under Article 16 of the law on commune management, council members must give up their posts in case of imprisonment for either a crime or misdemeanor, making Tuot Saron ineligible to be commune chief. However, Pongro commune Deputy Chief Dam Mon refused the order from Hak Mov Seng, saying it is illegal unless ordered by the Ministry of Interior. Tuot Saron said on Wednesday that he has the right to serve his people as commune chief, and that the Ministry of Interior did not restrict any of his rights following his release from prison. "I am no longer a prisoner. The government and the Ministry of Interior have not issued any letter removing me from my post. The word of pardon means that everything must be restored," he said. Sok Sam Oeun, executive director of the Cambodian Defenders Project, confirmed that unless banned by the ministry, Tuot Saron should be allowed to remain. If the district governor wishes to remove Tout Saron, he must contact the ministry, Sok Sam Oeun added.

Police officers roughed up foreign journalists trying to cover a protest yesterday on Beijing's Wangfujing Street, including a Bloomberg News reporter who was badly beaten by plainclothes security men and had to be hospitalized with a head injury. Cameras were seized in order to delete photos and video. A dozen journalists were held for several hours in a police station. Media and websites including TV5, CNN and Linkedin were censored. Inspired by the "Jasmine Revolution" pro-democracy demonstrations in Tunisia and elsewhere, the Beijing demonstration had been announced in advance on the Internet but hundreds of uniformed and plainclothes police officers, accompanied by police dogs, were deployed in major show of force to prevent it from taking place. Reporters Without Borders condemns the thuggish attitude of the police officers who used force and violence against the journalists. The incidents clearly reflect the government's concern to prevent the circulation of any photos or videos of protests so that others are not inspired to follow suit. "The Communist Party needs to understand that free expression is not a crime, even if the National People's Congress is due to meet in a few days," Reporters Without Borders said. "It needs to understand that criticism and debate are not synonymous with chaos and political instability. It also needs to respect everyone's right to information." The press freedom organization added: "Censorship is often defended on the grounds of the need to maintain political stability. But, in practice, it too often serves as a pretext for protecting private interests, for covering up corruption and nepotism, and for maintaining political immobility." Journalists who went to the site announced for the demonstration were checked by the police and were forbidden to film or conduct interviews, on the basis of an old regulation under which a person's written agreement must be obtained prior to the interview. In a veiled form of censorship, the authorities had also told journalists several days ahead of time that they would need a permit to cover the demonstration. When invitations to tea turn into arrests The authorities have meanwhile been adopting harsh measures with human rights activists and ordinary Internet users who have relayed the calls for demonstrations every Sunday in 13 Chinese cities. They are being accused of "jeopardizing state security" and "subverting state authority." On 22 February, officials in Shantou, in Guangdong province, ordered 10 days of administrative detention for Yuan Feng, a young migrant worker from Henan province, on a charge of "using a false identify to surf the Internet" after he allegedly posted information about the Jasmine Revolution on the Chinese social network QQ. Ran Yunfei (???), a 46-year-old blogger and writer for the Sichuan Literature magazine, has been held by the Chengdu police since 20 February, when they invited him to come and drink some tea. The police also searched his home and confiscated his computer. Hua Chunhui (???), a 47-year-old netizen, was arrested on 21 February in Wuxi, in Jiangsu province. His fianc_e, Wang Yi, has been held in a reeducation camp since last November for posting an ironic comment on Twitter about the previous month's violent anti-Japanese demonstrations. Liang Haiyi (???), a netizen who uses the pen-name of Miaoxiao (??), received an invitation to drink some tea with the police in Harbin, the Heilongjiang province, after she posted information about the Jasmine Revolution on foreign websites. She is now being held in a Harbin detention centre. Chen Wei (??), a 42-year-old resident of Suining, in Sichuan province, went missing after being invited to have tea with the local police on the morning of 20 February. He was formally arrested the next day and transferred to a detention centre. The police also searched his home, seizing his computer, hard disks and USB flash drives.

A UN grant has landed the top woman human rights champion in Kashmir into trouble. Parveena Ahangar, the chairperson of the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), has been receiving anonymous threatening phone calls. Ahangar's son Javid Ahmad Ahangar was among the first youths to disappear in the custody of security forces in 1990. "I have been receiving threatening calls from anonymous people who keep asking me about Rs80 lakh - which never existed. I have received only $10,000 dollars from the UN which was transferred in November," said Ahangar. Wary of police, the APDP chairperson said she did not lodge any complaints because of obvious reasons. "I have saved the phone numbers from which the calls were made. I will reveal those at an appropriate time", she said. Ahangar is undeterred by these threatening calls, and says that they will not bog her down. "I will continue to champion the cause of people who have suffered, because I have myself lost my son. I will not give up so easily," she said. Ahangar's grant was the first instance of the UN sanctioning financial aid to a human rights organisation in Kashmir in over 20 years. APDP has received financial assistance under the medical, psychological and legal category. Human rights organisations say there are an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 people missing in custody. However, the Jammu and Kashmir government has contradictory figures about the disappeared people. Figures presented in the state assembly in 2009 stated that 3,429 persons have gone missing from their homes, while only 110 persons have disappeared after arrest in the state from 1990 to July 2009. Of the total missing persons, 2,367 belong to the Jammu zone and 1062 hail from Kashmir province. But in 2010, the government came up with another list of figures in the assembly. In a written reply to a question, the government said 1,105 persons are reported to have disappeared from the state since 1989 and around 530 cases of ex-gratia relief has been provided to the affected families so far. APDP was among 204 organisations that were selected for the financial grant under UN Voluntary Fund for the Victims of Torture (UNVFVT) for 2010 by the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). "The money belongs to the people, and will be used for rehabilitation of the suffering. The grant money will also be used to conduct the survey to prepare a database of the exact number of people missing in custody, which has started in Srinagar and Kupwara districts," said Ahangar.

September 17, 2011 - Yesterday witnessed the most violent forced eviction of Boeung Kak lake residents to date. Early in the afternoon, a hundred "anti-riot" intervention police officers and Daun Penh district security guards positioned themselves nearby homes of lake residents. Two excavators, protected by the armed group, proceeded in destroying homes of families arbitrarily disqualified from the 12.44 hectares of land given to the remaining lake families. Later in the afternoon, as the excavators were on the move to destroy more houses, lake activist Suong Sophorn was savagely assaulted by a mob of intervention police officers who left him for dead after kicking and beating him with bricks and batons.

On September 16, Xu Wanying (???) and two other petitioners from Xiangcheng District, Xiangfan City, Hubei Province went to the Beijing Public Security Bureau to report to the police about a past incident when they had been beaten and detained in Jiujingzhuang, a black jail in the capital. However, as soon as they stepped off a public bus near Tiananmen Square, they were seized by policemen on duty, and sent first to a police station and then to Jiujingzhuang. The next evening, interceptors from Xiangcheng District forcibly sent them back to Xiangfan, where Xu is currently being held in a black jail. The whereabouts of the other two petitioners are unknown. Xu has been petitioning for years on behalf of her son, whom she believes to have been murdered but whose case police have been unwilling to investigate. (CHRD) | [v]

In the morning of 10 August 2011, Mr. Chut Wutty, the Director of Natural Resource Protection Group, and communities from three provinces were surrounded by a number of police officers (over 10) armed with AK 47 trying to stop a training session. An intense argument broke out between Mr. Chut Vutty and the police officers, with the police using disrespectful and dirty words and unacceptable behaviors. The Cambodian Center for Human Rights in collaboration with Natural Resource Protection Group on 9 August 2011 conducted a training session on Human Rights in Sre Veal village, Dorng Kambet commune, Sandann district, Kompong Thom province. This training was to provide the communities whose daily lives contingent upon the resources from Prey Lang with the knowledge of various laws, particularly administrative laws and human rights directly related to their lives and issues pertaining to natural resource protection. There were roughly seventy villagers from three provinces-Kompong Thom, Preah Vihear and Steng Treng-attending the training on 9 August 2011. At the start of the training, the commune chief and a number of police officers came in with an attempt to stop the training. After about an hour of arguments between the commune chief and the organizers: Mr Chim Savuth and Mr Chut Wutty, the training proceeded despite the prohibition from the commune chief. However, training was under strict observation from the local authority: a member of the commune council and a police officer. The session on law and human rights ended at around 2:30 p.m and the session on natural resource protection conducted by Mr. Chut Wutty began. As time running short, Mr Chut Wutty was not able to finish so he had to stay overnight in the village for another session in the morning of 10 August 2011.

A Vadodara-based social activist and environmentalist, Rohit Prajapati, has complained of "harassment and intimidation" by the police for making RTI queries regarding the State government's environment policies. He claimed that the police and the Special Operations Group were "questioning" him, asking for photographs and making other inquiries in the past couple of years. While the police claimed these to be "routine investigations," he said the intensity of police enquiry had increased in the last few days. Mr. Prajapati said that during the last couple of years, the police visited his place about half-a-dozen times asking the same questions over and over again about his activities, resources, details of his passport and such other matters. But on October 9, the police demanded two copies of his photographs which he initially refused to provide, but later obliged on a written request from the station concerned. Mr. Prajapati recently filed an RTI application seeking details of the expenditure for Chief Minister Narendra Modi's "Sadbhavana Mission" fast for three days from September 17.

Ms. Angkhana Neelaphaijit is the President of the Justice and Peace Foundation (JPF), a Thai NGO working to protect human rights, promote access to justice, and end impunity in Southern Thailand. From 18 January 2011 to 20 January 2011 Unknown persons would call Ms. Angkhana Neelaphaijit's landline at her house during this period and make threats to her and her family. According to her, she or a member of her family would get at least 20 threatening phone calls each day. 21 January 2011 Ms. Angkhana Neelaphaijit filed a complaint at Bangeeria Police Station, a station near her house. 9 February 2011 The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) under the Ministry of Justice replied to Ms. Angkhana through an official letter that said that the phone calls which threatened Ms. Angkhana came from a wireless phone set up at an internet cafe. The letter did not indicate the name of the internet cafe. The letter also said that the phone number used by the unknown person to call and threaten Ms. Angkhana belongs to the "True' corporation which is one of the major telephone service providers in Thailand. The letter concluded that if Ms. Angkhana would like to know further details, she should write a letter to the "True' corporation.

Mr. M.S. Murali Mohan, trade union leader, was killed in police action outside the factory on January 27, 2012 (Friday). He was mainly involved in the fight against the factory management for workers' rights for better wages and staff regularisation for nearly one month. According to the information received, the Regency Ceramics is the biggest industry in Yanam, which is situated at a distance of about 30 km from Kakinada and has a population of over 42,000. The company employs 1,200 workers. The trade union has been demanding the regularisation of at least those who have put in 15 years of service. Mr. M.S. Murali Mohan, the founder of the union, was picked up on 26 january 2012 (Thursday) night by Yanam Police reportedly on a complaint by the factory management against the workers who have been agitating for better wages and staff regularisation for nearly one month. He was released a little while later. At 6.00 a.m. on 27 January 2012 (Friday), he went to the factory along with some workers and tried to obstruct those who were attending the morning shift. Police personnel who were present at the spot are said to have attacked the trade union leader Mr. M.S. Murali Mohan with lathis (batons), resulting in serious injuries. He collapsed on the spot and was taken by police to the local hospital, where he died. As the news of his death spread, factory workers torched nearly 50 buses and lorries owned by the company. Groups of workers entered the factory, while others rushed to a college run by the management. Few others staged a demonstration in the centre of the town. As the situation went out of control, the police resorted to baton charge and mobs retaliated by throwing stones. The police opened several rounds of fire, which resulted in nine workers sustaining bullet injuries. The workers were rushed to the Government General Hospital at Kakinada. Meanwhile, hundreds of local residents rushed to the factory and the college and looted computers, tables, chairs and ceramic tiles. In the melee, the nearby warehouse of a gas agency was also ransacked, and people made away with 416 refilled cylinders. The police were rushed from Kakinada to restore normality and senior police officials of Puducherry rushed to Yanam.

On 30 December 2011, Mr. R. Marijoseph, right to information (RTI) activist, received death threats from a Hassan Taluk Panchayat executive officer. The officer threatened to kill Mr. R. Marijoseph for seeking information about irregularities in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA). The day before, on 29 December 2011, the Dalit Vimochana Manava Hakkugala Vedike, under leadership of Mr. R. Marijoseph, had staged a protest demanding an inquiry into irregularities in projects under MNREGA in many gram panchayats in Hassan Taluk, Karnataka, India.

On 2 March 2011, Mr. Banjir Ambarita. Banjir was stabbed by unknown assailants in Jayapura, Papua, Indonesia. This incident happened shortly after Banjir wrote an article on sexual abuses committed by Papuan police officers, which raises again serious concerns on the safety of journalists working in Papua. Banjir was stabbed by two men and was hospitalized afterwards due to severe injury. The identity of perpetrators remains unknown, but the Papua Police and Jayapura Police have formed a joint force to investigate the case. Banjir's latest articles were on sexual abuses committed by the police officers in Jayapura, Papua. The last article, dated 27 February 2011, covered the sexual abuse of a female detainee at the Jayapura police's Detention Center. This event led to the resignation of the Jayapura's Police Chief, Imam Setiawan, and a 21-day jail sentence for the officers involved.

As per the information received, the government made a plan to build a coastal road along the beach from the Indian Oil Refinery complex to the port near to Govindpur village for POSCO mining project and the villagers have prevented the entry of the police by peacefully sitting in Dharna. The government was considering this as an alternative road to make entry from the sea side. The construction has been contracted to Paradeep Paribahan, a private company led by Bapi Circle. On 19th of August 2011, the government has laid the foundation for road construction. On 20th of August, around 400 people including the contractor and workers were proceeding to the site during the day and the villagers strongly protested the move and chased them away. On November 2nd 2011, the police visited the villagers from Govindpur and Dhinikia, Odisha and told them that 400 - 500 strongmen would enter into their villages for the construction of a coastal road. Although this did not happen, the local people were prepared to strongly oppose any such invasion by these persons and the armed police. On 25 November 2011, Mr. Abhay Sahu, the top leader of the anti-POSCO agitation in Odisha's Jagatsinghpur district, was arrested. His arrest was widely condemned by many civil societies and organisations. On 30 November 2011, a statement was passed on condemning the growing brutality of the state repression against the peaceful, democratic protesters of the POSCO project area who are only fighting for their legal and fundamental rights. This is a very planned and calculated move to crush the peaceful democratic movement against the forceful displacement. The malicious plan of the government to project this entire situation as a law and order problem in the media and accordingly police will enter into the area. This is nothing but a very shameful act of POSCO to terrorize the villagers.

According to the information received, Mr. Gopabandhu Chhatria, a HR Defender and a BPL RTI applicant of Deogan Block under Bolangir District of Orissa has been threatened of attack by Mr. Birendra Tripathy, SDO, Rural Works, Bolangir on 18.10.2011. In a complaint petition addressed to Superintendent of Police, Bolangir on 24.10.2011, Mr. Chhatria has stated that he had submitted an application seeking information about newly constructed building for Tahsil office located before Deogan Block from the PIO, office of SDO, Rural Works, Bolangir. Without providing information, Mr. Birendra Tripathy made a call from his mobile (9437150548) to Chhatria (9668523372) and threatened him of dire consequence, if he continued seeking information from his office. Then he handed over his mobile to a contractor who also scolded Chhatria and asked him to refrain from accessing any information from the said office.

On 6 March 2012, Mr. Asela Bandara Ihagama was forced to cancel the annual women's day event which he had organised for Commission for Justice, Peace, Human Development, Human Rights Secretariat in Kandy (SETIK-Caritas Kandy) following an order by the Office in Charge (OIC) of the Hatton police, prohibiting any public event to take place in Hatton from 6 to 8 March 2012. The event was to be held in Hatton on 7 March and all arrangements had been made when the police informed that the event should not be held at around 6.30 pm on 6 March. Around 500 women from the estate community were expected to participate in the event, which focused on violence against women, in particular domestic violence. The OIC told Mr. Ihagamathat no public gathering or celebration would be permitted since it would disrupt preparations for the women's day celebrations organised by the Government, in Hatton, to which over 5,000 Sinhala women from Anuradhapura and Pollonnaruwa were due to participate. The OIC said that all buses and vehicles would be prevented from entering Hatton town from 6 to 8 March and threatened that any gathering of more than five persons would result in arrests by the police. As a result, Mr. Ihagamaand his staff were forced to cancel the event planned for the following day and to return to the city of Kandy that night. Moreover, Mr. Asela Bandara Ihagama has been subjected to a series of threats, intimidation and surveillance by State intelligence officers since January 2012. On 29 January officers from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) visited his village and questioned neighbours about his work. On 9 February, Mr. Ihagama was questioned at his office by an officer from the Terrorism Investigation Department (TID) who said that the TID had received information that Mr. Ihagama was working to support the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) among the estate community and was providing information to international groups, including through their websites in order to discredit the Government. On 19 February 2012, at around 8 pm, a group of men in a white van were seen parked near a funeral house Mr. Ihagama had visited in the morning in his neighbourhood (around 30 meters from his house). When neighbours asked the men where they had come from and what they were doing there, they replied that they knew Mr. Ihagama and had come from Colombo. They also questioned the neighbours regarding Mr. Ihagama's work and the details of his family members. They left at around 10.15 pm. On 20 February 2012, men visited Mr. Ihagama's office in Kandy and asked the caretaker whether he was in office, telling him that that they were Mr. Ihagama's friends and wished to speak with him. The caretaker informed them that Mr. Ihagama had not come to office since it was a holiday on that day and offered to give him a message. The men refused to leave a message and left shortly after. Mr.Ihagama believes that these men were intelligence officers since any of his friends would have called him before visiting the office. At SETIK, Mr. Ihagama has been involved in documenting human rights abuses including torture and assisting victims of torture and rape and their families since 1998. In particular, he has provided information to international bodies and has campaigned actively to raise human rights awareness and against rights abuses, particularly among the Estate Tamils.

On 7 July 2011, Mr. Jitman Basnet, journalist, human rights lawyer and founder of "Lawyers' Forum for Human Rights (LAFHUR), was followed by two men on a motor bike in New Baneshwor, Kathmandu. They reportedly tried to overtake him a number of times; however the road was too narrow for two vehicles to pass next to each other. According to information received, when Mr. Basnet was forced to slow down due to a traffic jam, one of the perpetrators dismounted from his motorbike and shouted to the other to grab Mr. Basnet. At this point, Mr. Basnet allegedly managed to force his way out of the traffic and to lose the individuals. It is reported that later that day, Mr. Basnet filed a First Information Report with the police regarding the incident. On 21 June 2011, Mr. Basnet received a death threat call to his mobile phone from a number which has allegedly been traced to a public telephone in Bhaktapur. According to the information received, Mr. Basnet received a number of calls since that date from unknown numbers which he did not answer. On 18 June 2011, Mr. Basnet received a threatening phone call to his mobile phone number. The caller allegedly asked him where he was and informed him that the identity of the caller would soon be revealed to him, at which point Mr. Basnet hung up the phone. On 15 June 2011, Mr. Basnet attended a televised public event called "Forum for Justice and Truth." At the event, political parties and NGOs discussed Bills concerning reform of the powers of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Disappearances Commission. It is reported that during the forum, Mr. Basnet was outspoken regarding impunity and accused political leaders of negligence. He also asked embassies to refuse visas to alleged perpetrators as well as to provide shelter to threatened human rights defenders. Since January 2011, Mr. Basnet has been assisting family members of victims to file First Information Reports concerning cases of extra-judicial killings carried out during the conflict period. According to information received, it is estimated that there are more than 80 similar cases in the Solukhumbu district, that remain unreported due to the remote location of the district and a lack of civil society structure. In April 2011, Mr. Basnet reportedly attempted to file a report in which he alleged that the perpetrators of the cases of extra-judicial killings were high ranking police and army officials. However, he was unable to file a report due to the action taken by the deputy superintendent of police.

Indigenous human rights defender Ms Erita Capion Dialang has been under threat since the killing of her sister-in-law on 18 October 2012, during an attack by a battalion of the Philippine armed forces. Erita Capion Dialang is the chairperson of the indigenous peoples' organisation KALGAD, which is active in South Cotabato province and part of a large alliance of indigenous peoples of Southern Mindanao. While there have been reports of members of the community using force, Erita Capion Dialang has continued to peacefully denounce crimes by the military and oppose Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI), a multinational mining corporation that wants to start exploiting the ancestral lands of her tribe. Around 6am on 18 October 2012, members of the Philippine Armed Forced 27th Infantry Battalion, commanded by Lt. Col. Noel Alexis Bravo, entered the village of Fayahlob, South Cotabato province, and proceeded to attack the Capion family's house with a machine gun. The attack killed Erita Capion Dialang's sister-in-law, Juvy Capion as well as two of Juvy Capion's children. The attack has been described by the military as a "legitimate encounter" despite the results of fact-finding missions by non-governmental organisations in the area. It is reported that the military tampered with the scene, washing blood away from the house and moving the bodies of the deceased, before the arrival of the forensic investigation team. Days before the deadly attack, the human rights defender had travelled to Manila in order to be interviewed by ABS-CBN news company for its programme Failon Ngayon, which focuses on social issues. In the interview, she drew attention to the harassment, intimidation and other violations of human rights frequently suffered by the Blaan people at the hands of the mining corporation and the military. The exposure she has given to violations on their part has contributed to her status as one of the leading indigenous voices in the region. Erita Capion Dialang has been under threat for a long time due to her high profile and vocal criticism of the actions by the mining corporation and the 27th infantry battalion of the armed forces. The threats mention that the military forces are looking to liquidate her, and that she is being kept under surveillance. In addition to this, she is in a vulnerable position due to the remote location of her village of Bong Mal, Tampakan, South Cotabato province, where lines of communication are unstable. KALGAD is a regional indigenous organisation currently involved in a campaign against the mining corporation Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI) that has started exploiting large-scale open-pit copper and gold mines in the boundary area of South Cotabato, Davao del Sur, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani provinces, on the ancestral lands of the Blaan people, who are represented by KALGAD. They are members of the regional alliance of indigenous peoples' organisations KALUHHAMIN, which covers southern Mindanao island.

On 15 December 2012, prominent social activist Mr. Sombath Somphone was disappeared in Vientiane, Lao PDR. He left his office around 5pm. Sombath and his wife Ng Shui-Meng were driving back separately from the office to their home for dinner. Sombath's jeep was following Shui-Meng's car. Shortly after passing above-mentioned police post, Shui-Meng noticed in her rear-view mirror that she no longer had eyes on her husband but assumed that he simply fell behind another car. That was the last time Shui-Meng saw her husband. When Sombath did not arrive home at 6pm, Shui-Meng called his mobile phone repeatedly but was unable to reach him. Instead, an automated message indicated his mobile was switched off. Around midnight the family went looking for him on Thadeua Road thinking maybe he had gotten into an accident, looking for both signs of his vehicle and checked hospitals but without success. On the morning of 16 December 2012, Shui-Meng reported that Sombath was missing to the local village authorities and the Sisattanak district police. She then searched again for him in all of Vientiane's hospitals. On 17 December 2012, Sombath's sister-in-law, niece and nephew went to the Vientiane Municipality Police Station and asked to review the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage taken on 15 December around 6pm, from the KM3 Thadeua Road location where Sombath was last seen. The video footage showed that at 6:03pm, Sombath's jeep was stopped by police at Km 3 Thadeua Road police post while he was on his way home. Sombath was then brought inside the police post. The video footage shows a man dressed in dark clothing arriving on a motorbike at the police post while Sombath was inside. The motorcyclist left his motorcycle by the roadside parked a few feet away nearby the police post and drove off with Sombath's jeep. Within a few minutes delay a beige/off white pick-up truck pulled up to the police post flashing hazard lights. A man wearing light colored top and dark pants stood in front of police post waiting for the vehicle. A few minutes later, Sombath is seen being directed into the vehicle, which then drove off with Sombath, the driver and at least two persons from the police post. Official response so far from government spokesperson is that he was possibly kidnapped because of personal conflicts or business conflicts. Mr. Sombath Somphone is considered a prominent civil society representative, dedicating his life to alternative education in the promotion of sustainable development and peace. He is an anti-poverty activist and founder and former director of the Participatory Development Training Centre (PADETC). PADETC works on poverty reduction and sustainability projects. As a result of his innovative work on poverty reduction and economic development, Mr. Sombath Somphone received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership, one of Asia's top civil honors, in 2005. Mr. Sombath Somphone has also been involved as a member of the organising committee of the 9th Asia-Europe People's Forum (AEPF9), an inter-regional forum of civil society and social movements across Asia and Europe organised in Vientiane in October 2012. 20/12/12- Joint Urgent Appeal sent to Laos by the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances; the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders. 03/01/2013, 25/03/2013, 10/06/2013- Substantive responses by Lao government claiming that it is doing all within its power to locate Mr. Sombath.

On 29 October 2012 around 3pm, Dr. Isidro Olan, executive director of Lovers of Nature Foundation, Inc. (LNFI) and environmentalist, was ambushed by men suspected hired killers. He has earlier accused officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources of conniving with illegal loggers Dr. Isidro Olan was hit in the chest when the gunmen fired on him on a road some 200 meters from his house in Barangay Puyat, Carmen, Surigao del Sur. Doctors at a local hospital declared Olan out of danger but said he needed to be moved to a better-equipped hospital for further treatment. Olan's wife, who was also in their Toyota Fortuner when the attack occurred, was not hurt. Dr. Olan's group, is vocal against illegal logging and mining activities in the province. Olan was declared safe by physicians in a hospital in the town of Madrid but may be transferred to Surigao City or Butuan anytime to get proper treatment. The ambush appeared to be carefully planned noting that the assailants blocked the road leading to Olan's house apparently to make him get out of the vehicle. As soon as Olan got out of the vehicle, the gunmen opened fire on him. Police found one empty shell each from a .45-caliber pistol, and a .22 caliber pistol, and three empty shells from a shotgun. Roel Aguillon, an official of the Surigao Development Corp. (Sudecor) who was among the first to respond to the shooting, said that Olan, already wounded, managed to fire back at the assailants with his .45-caliber pistol, forcing them to withdraw. Olan's pro-environment stance and his group's active participation in thwarting the transport of illegally cut logs particularly in the CarCanMadCarLan would be taken into account in determining possible motives for the attack, said Senior Insp. Dominador Plaza, Carmen's police chief. According to a colleague of Olan, there was no doubt the ambush was the handiwork of "big-time illegal logging financiers. Olan was offered security detail by the town police after receiving death threats some weeks ago. Dr. Olan declined the offer of police escorts because he would not want to bother anyone about his security. A colleague blamed the attack on the "Boboy Loyola group," which he claimed was composed of former communist rebels turned hired killers. The group's members, he said, were from upland village of Gacub, a hotspot for illegal loggers who are often caught poaching hardwood timber from the forest concession of Sudecor. In a Philippine Daily Inquirer story published last September, Olan alleged that illegal loggers flourished in Surigao del Sur because they were vabetted by corrupt officials from local government units and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources."Illegal logging prevails because they are able to acquire falsified documents and table surveys facilitated by crooks within the DENR," a Social Action Center press release quoted him as saying. "The reason why illegal loggers are difficult to stop is due to their established connection with high ranking officials of enforcement agencies, politicians, and members of Task Force Kalikasan."In the Inquirer report, the Social Action Center named Rolando Seblario as a major player in the illegal logging business in Surigao del Sur. Days later, on 25 September 2012, police raided Seblario's warehouse in Butuan City and discovered thousands of illegally cut Lauan flitches. Seblario, who denied any impropriety, was invited by police for questioning. Police in Carmen also attributed to Seblario the 8,000 board feet of bandsaw-milled lauan lumber they seized in an October 13 on a house near the barangay hall of Hinapuyan.

On 29 October 2012 around 3pm, Dr. Isidro Olan, executive director of Lovers of Nature Foundation, Inc. (LNFI) and environmentalist, was ambushed by men suspected hired killers. He has earlier accused officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources of conniving with illegal loggers Dr. Isidro Olan was hit in the chest when the gunmen fired on him on a road some 200 meters from his house in Barangay Puyat, Carmen, Surigao del Sur. Doctors at a local hospital declared Olan out of danger but said he needed to be moved to a better-equipped hospital for further treatment. Olan's wife, who was also in their Toyota Fortuner when the attack occurred, was not hurt. Dr. Olan's group, is vocal against illegal logging and mining activities in the province. Olan was declared safe by physicians in a hospital in the town of Madrid but may be transferred to Surigao City or Butuan anytime to get proper treatment. The ambush appeared to be carefully planned noting that the assailants blocked the road leading to Olan's house apparently to make him get out of the vehicle. As soon as Olan got out of the vehicle, the gunmen opened fire on him. Police found one empty shell each from a .45-caliber pistol, and a .22 caliber pistol, and three empty shells from a shotgun. Roel Aguillon, an official of the Surigao Development Corp. (Sudecor) who was among the first to respond to the shooting, said that Olan, already wounded, managed to fire back at the assailants with his .45-caliber pistol, forcing them to withdraw. Olan's pro-environment stance and his group's active participation in thwarting the transport of illegally cut logs particularly in the CarCanMadCarLan would be taken into account in determining possible motives for the attack, said Senior Insp. Dominador Plaza, Carmen's police chief. According to a colleague of Olan, there was no doubt the ambush was the handiwork of "big-time illegal logging financiers. Olan was offered security detail by the town police after receiving death threats some weeks ago. Dr. Olan declined the offer of police escorts because he would not want to bother anyone about his security. A colleague blamed the attack on the "Boboy Loyola group," which he claimed was composed of former communist rebels turned hired killers. The group's members, he said, were from upland village of Gacub, a hotspot for illegal loggers who are often caught poaching hardwood timber from the forest concession of Sudecor. In a Philippine Daily Inquirer story published last September, Olan alleged that illegal loggers flourished in Surigao del Sur because they were vabetted by corrupt officials from local government units and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources."Illegal logging prevails because they are able to acquire falsified documents and table surveys facilitated by crooks within the DENR," a Social Action Center press release quoted him as saying. "The reason why illegal loggers are difficult to stop is due to their established connection with high ranking officials of enforcement agencies, politicians, and members of Task Force Kalikasan."In the Inquirer report, the Social Action Center named Rolando Seblario as a major player in the illegal logging business in Surigao del Sur. Days later, on 25 September 2012, police raided Seblario's warehouse in Butuan City and discovered thousands of illegally cut Lauan flitches. Seblario, who denied any impropriety, was invited by police for questioning. Police in Carmen also attributed to Seblario the 8,000 board feet of bandsaw-milled lauan lumber they seized in an October 13 on a house near the barangay hall of Hinapuyan.

On 22 November 2012 at around 1am, human rights defender of Odhikar and Kurigram district correspondent of the daily Jugantor, Ahsan Habib Nilu, who is also the General Secretary of Kurigram Press Club; and Sahifuqul Islam Bebu, district correspondent of the daily Inqilab and private satellite TV channel Banglavision, were picked up by police led by NSI Assistant Director, Idris Ali and detained at Kurigram Police Station. The allegations of being involved in anti state activities were brought against them. Ahsan Habib Nilu informed Odhikar that a report on extortion and other irregularities against the NSI Assistant Director, Idris Ali, was published in the daily Jugantor on 27 September 2012. Some days later, the same report was also published in the daily Inqilab. Idris Ali threatened him after this report. He further stated that they were forced to run for half a mile with handcuffs after they were detained. Nilu and his family were also harassed. After their arrest, a three-member investigation team led by Superintendent of Police, Mahbubur Rahman interrogated them the next day in the evening. Assistant Superintendent of Police, Akram Hossain; and Assistant Director of NSI, Idris Ali were also in the investigation team. It had been alleged that they (both the journalists) had posted caricatures mocking the Prime Minister and other ministers on Facebook. Later police took their passwords and checked their email and Facebook accounts. They were released on 22 November 2012 at 10pm after there was no proof of the allegations.

On 25 March 2013, Mr. Kedar Dahal, actively working in the sector of child rights and currently a Secretary of the Child NGO Federation Nepal as well as a Freedom Forum executive member, was attacked by an unknown gang with khukuri (homemade weapons) near his home at Dakshindholka of Jorpati, Kathmandu. Following the attack, the police arrested six persons, including an individual named Kishor Bhattarai, and the authorities have been investigating the murder attempt. The arrested persons reportedly belong to the Youth Force, a sister wing of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), and members of the Force are exerting political pressure to ensure that the criminal charges against their cadres are lifted. By the end of March, Dahal was still facing threats to his security, and his family members were also receiving threats from criminal gangs.

On 3 April 2013, Asif Mohiuddin, a prominent secular blogger was arrested by the Detective Branch of the Dhaka police and interrogated about his recent posts. Mohiuddin was arrested for posting "anti-religious" comments on his blog (http://www.somewhereinblog.net/blog/realAsifM), which the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) blocked on 31 March. His arrest follows the creation of a committee on 13 March that is tasked with identifying "blasphemous" bloggers and bringing them to justice. The committee is under the control of the prime minister's office. Police investigators already questioned Mohiuddin about his blog on 23 March. His arrest comes a day after three other bloggers - Subrata Adhikari Shuvo, Mashiur Rahman Biplob and Rasel Parvez ��- were arrested on similar grounds.

On 4 April 2013, a prominent blogger - Huynh Ngoc Tuan's house was attacked. The once-imprisoned Huynh Ngoc Tuan, 50, told RFA's Vietnamese Service that the attack occurred at 12:30 a.m. on April 4 when two assailants pulled up to his home in Quang Nam province on a motorbike and threw rank liquid near his bedroom. Police have harassed the Huynh family at their home in Quang Nam in recent years since Tuan, a member of the government-banned Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV), and his eldest daughter Huynh Thuc Vy began receiving attention for their blogs. Tuan is accused by local authorities of posting articles on the Internet which "oppose the Party and State."

On 27 April 2013, Yahya Bonai, a 33-year-old, Papuan activist from Menawi village in the district of Angkaisera, was arrested at his home by police. According to information by West Papua Media, Bonai was seized on suspicion of being connected to a fatal attack at the home of Chief Brigadier Jefri Sesa, an officer from the Angkaisera subprecinct police station at the weekend by an unidentified group of assailants (OTK), three hours before to Bonai's arrest. Bonai is currently detained in Serui police custody and has been denied any visits by friends or families. Angakaisera district has been a pro-independence hotspot, and subject to an ongoing blockade and village raids by Indonesian security forces.

On 5 November 2011, Mr Shyamal Roy, founder of Dodhichi, an organisation aimed at reporting human rights violations committed by authorities of the state of West Bengal and at promoting women"s rights and the right to education, was intimidated by two plainclothed police officers. They told him that they had come to seize his SIM card and alleged that they were the Sub-Inspector and Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police at Sonarpur Police Station. Reportedly they wanted to confiscate other items belonging to him but Mr. Roy requested a legal order from the court. The two policemen called the Officer-in-Charge of Sonarpur Police Station before leaving and telling Mr. Roy that they would come back. Mr. Roy allegedly sends text messages to inform civil society groups about cases of human rights violations occurred in his community and to make people aware of their human rights.

On 4 March 2013, Hari Dev Kharel - a journalist received death threats from ten unidentified men. Mr Kharel has approached the relevant Nepalese authorities who have said they will investigate the matter.

Thailand's Public Broadcasting Service, Thai PBS, reportedly removed the host of a programme which allowed people to voice opinions on the junta's reform plans after junta representatives met with the channel's executives, Isara News Agency reported on Friday 14th November. Isara News Agency reported that five high ranking military officers met with the channel's executives at the TV station's headquarters. The officers said their supervisors urged the Thai PBS to stop broadcasting the programme called "Voices of the People that must be heard before the Reform" because they were upset with how Nattaya Wawweerakhup, the programme host, asked questions of villagers and activists, some of which allegedly touched on the coup d'_tat. The episode which led to the junta's censorship was on the southern people's thoughts on reform, which was taped at Hat Yai District, Songkhla Province. The episode was aired on 8 November. After the meeting, the Thai PBS executives ruled to remove Nattaya from the programme. They also changed the programme from talks with villagers and activists to merely reporting news from the area. Nattaya has confirmed via Facebook with Isara News Agency that she was removed from the programme.

On 9 May 2012, Dhan Bahadur Thanet Tharu was shot during a clash with police at Danda of Nawalparasi. He passed away on 5 June 2012. Tharu was injured when police fired gunshots during a demonstration organised by the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities ( NEFIN) and United Tharu Struggle Committee (UTSS). The violent scuffle ensued as police tried to prevent the mob from entering the Kawasoti Police Post on 9 May 2012. Police said they were compelled to fire 12 rounds of bullets and two teargas canisters to take the situation under control.

On 3 October 2012, human rights defender Mr Gilbert Paborada was killed by two gunmen in Cagayan de Oro. Gilbert Paborada was chairperson of the community-based indigenous organisation Pangalasag (Indigenous Shield) which resists the expansion of oil palm plantations in Opol, Misamis Oriental province. On 3 October, Gilbert Paborada had just returned from his native village Bagocboc to San Nicolas, Puntod in Cagayan de Oro city. After getting out of a motorela (public tricycle) near his house, around 3pm, two heavy-set men on a white motorcross-type motorcycle approached him and fired several shots at him. Witnesses report that one of the men subsequently approached the human rights defender and shot him again, this time in the head. From the five bullet wounds Gilbert Paborada sustained, it has been concluded the shots were fired from a .45 caliber pistol. The human rights defender died instantly. Gilbert Paborada was a member of the Higaonon tribespeople and worked leading the local indigenous, community-based organisation Pangalasag, which resists land grabbing practices and the expansion of oil palm plantations in nearby Opol, Misamis Oriental province. Throughout the last few years, armed groups have threatened local farmers at gunpoint and driven them from their farming lands in the Opol area, practices reportedly sanctioned by the company involved. Local authorities and the Philippines Department of the Environment and Natural Resources are vocal supporters of the palm oil company, having assisted its establishment in the area. In March 2011, Gilbert Paborada was already forced to relocate away from his native village of Bagocboc because of growing security concerns due to death threats he had received. These came after he was threatened by the palm oil company's security guards at gunpoint in February 2011. From Puntod, he continued visiting Bagocboc to lead Pangalasag's peaceful efforts against land grabbing in defence of the indigenous community's civil and political rights.

After the media reported that the UNHCR had granted a high-profile l��se majest_ suspect refugee status, Thai royalists fiercely attacked the UNHCR on its Thai Facebook page, saying they would stop funding the organization and threatening to harass its funding officers. Thai royalists threatened to withdraw monthly donations to the UN refugee agency in Thailand over the agency's role in giving refugee status to a redshirt political activist Ekapop L., (aka. Tang Achiwa), who is now living in exile in New Zealand. Many Thai royalists claimed on a Facebook Page called "Million Names Against Amnesty (Lan Chue Tan Lang Phit)' that they have cancelled monthly donations to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and many more claimed on the Facebook Page that that they will also do the same. The threats to withdraw funding for the UNHCR came after it was revealed by Thairath Online that the organization granted refugee status to Ekapop L., an anti-establishment red-shirt activist, who is in exile in New Zealand. Ekapop was accused of defaming the monarchy when he spoke at a red-shirt gathering at Rajamangala Stadium in eastern Bangkok in late 2013. The police issued an arrest warrant against him in early 2014. He fled to Cambodia and was later granted refugee status by the UN refugee organization. He and his wife claim to hold New Zealand passports. Examples of hate comments from the Thai royalists: "If you don't answer why you helped Tang to get refugee status ... I'll go and destroy the[UNHCR] donation booths and slap the staff. F** UNHCRThailand" "UNHCR = Ungrateful to Thailand" "Since the UNHCR protected a criminal running away from a charge, why do Thai people have to help an organization that assists a criminal on the run? Just let the US pay the bills, no need to bother Thai people, this is enough." "UNHCR, you have been staying under the graciousness of the King of Thailand, but when people insult and defame the owner of this country, do you assist these wrong-doers instead? If the New Zealand government is willing to accept asylum seekers who have committed crimes, then they should accept and take all the other refugees here into their country as well because it is proven that it is a very nice country that accepts all sorts of refugees." Meanwhile the ultra-royalist Rubbish Collection Organization also issued a statement condemning the UNHCR, saying that Thai political refugees are using the UNHCR to undermine Thailand and the Thai monarchy. On Sunday, the UNHCR Thailand Facebook page responded to the attack by posting "The UN Refugee Agency is a humanitarian and non-political organisation." Earlier last week, Prayut Chan-o-cha, the head of the junta, revealed during an interview on Tuesday that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) sent a letter to the New Zealand authorities in an attempt to try to extradite Ekapop. The letter pointed out to the New Zealand government that the Thai authorities had issued an arrest warrant under Article 112 of the Criminal Code against Ekapop, and that in order to prevent the suspect from creating trouble in Thailand from overseas, the New Zealand authorities should cooperate with Thailand by extraditing the suspect. However, according to the New Zealand Herald, New Zealand's MFA minister refused to make any comment on the Thai government inquiry and stated that asylum seekers who have obtained refugee status from the UNHCR can be accepted by New Zealand through a quota system.

On 28 December 2014, multiple rounds of gunfire were shot into the house of Mr. Suwit Jeh-Soh, a 43-year-old environmental activist and the director of Baan Klong Yai School in Ta Mode District, Patthalung province (south). Mr. Suwit, his wife and their young children were sleeping inside the house at the time of attack, but nobody was injured. Mr. Suwit is a community leader who opposes the construction of Baan Mueng Ta Kua water reservoir proposed by the Royal Irrigation Department. Villagers in the nearby area formed a network "Group to Preserve Mueng Ta Kua Watershed" which opposes the project on the grounds that affected communities have not been consulted, participated in the decision-making and construction will endanger wildlife and marine life in the area. The attack occurred after the community network organized a public forum to raise awareness about the project where Mr. Suwit was the moderator on 25 December 2014.

Authorities in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong have released Li Biyun, a prominent activist who tried to stand as a candidate in a local election, after holding her for more than a year on public order charges, but only after beating her and dumping her at a nearby roadside, she said. A court in Guangdong's Shunde city found Li guilty of "obstructing civic duties" but sentenced her to the same amount of time she had already been held, and she was released from the court on Thursday the 18th December. Li, 47, who has already alleged torture at the hands of prison guards and police, was released from the police-run Shunde Detention Center, as there was no sentence for her to serve in prison. But Li's sister Li Caiyun said she was later beaten by police and dumped at a roadside, rather than being allowed to wait for her family and lawyers to collect her. "We had planned to go to meet her at the detention center," Li Caiyun told RFA. "A couple of villagers told me they saw my sister being thrown onto the roadside behind the Rongli Elementary School." "They had put a motorcycle helmet on her and thrown her there," she said. "She can't walk now; she says she has broken a rib." Li herself said she had been illegally detained for 14 months, and had expected to wait a further three months for her trial. But the authorities had suddenly decided to sentence her and release her instead, she said. "When I heard they had waived the rest of the sentence after illegally holding me for 14 months, I didn't cooperate," said Li. "They jumped up to where I was standing and pinned me down. Then they took off my clothes and blindfolded me and took me away," she said. Li said she plans to seek medical attention now that she has been released as well as find a lawyer to help her pursue compensation and sue those responsible for her treatment while in detention. Her attorney Liu Hao said via social media that he had never seen a prisoner released before their lawyer was informed, in more than 10 years of practice as a lawyer. "This was an illegal way to proceed," Liu wrote. Li's lawyers say she has been subjected to severe mistreatment inside a military hospital, where she was refused medical treatment, a bath, or clean clothes for months on end. She has repeatedly denied the public order charges and has lodged formal complaints about ill-treatment in custody. Li has also described prolonged torture, including beatings, at the hands of the Shunde district police department since her formal arrest in September 2012 In 2011, Li joined dozens of political activists across China in a campaign to file applications to stand for election to district-level National People's Congress (NPC) bodies, in spite of official warnings that there is "no such thing" as an independent candidate. Activists tried to use a clause in the election rules which allows anyone with the endorsement of at least 10 constituents to seek nomination. Many of the candidates, like Li, hailed from the least privileged groups in Chinese society, including those who have been forcibly evicted from their homes or who have long campaigned for their legal rights. Apart from a token group of "democratic parties" that never oppose or criticize the ruling party, opposition political parties are banned in China, and those who set them up are frequently handed lengthy jail terms. Rights groups have warned that the ruling Chinese Communist Party is increasingly using the denial of medical care as a way of targeting rights activists and political prisoners while they are in police custody ahead of their trial. Rights activist Cao Shunli died in hospital on March 14 after being refused the correct medical care in a Beijing detention center, her lawyer and relatives said at the time.

Government spokesman and four-star General Khieu Sopheak has threatened to sue an NGO worker over his "false allegations" about Montagnard asylum seekers. In a Monday interview with Voice of America, Interior Ministry spokesman Sopheak denied reports that five Montagnards - a mother and father, their two young sons, and 9-month-old daughter - were arrested in Ratanakkiri on Sunday. Sopheak said authorities had only arrested "illegal Vietnamese immigrants", and called on Chhay Thy, provincial coordinator for local rights group Adhoc and the monitor who first reported the arrests, to either prove they were Montagnards or rescind the allegations. "There are no Montagnards[in the province]. I ask Adhoc to specify this clearly, or we will sue[Thy] in the court for making politically motivated allegations," he said. According to Adhoc and local villagers, 27 Montagnards remain in hiding in the province. Sopheak could not be reached for comment, while Thy said he would not back down. "I work in accordance with a human rights policy and the Refugee Convention. I just fulfil my duty; I do not work for a political party," he said, adding that Sopheak's threat was a "normal thing" that happens to human rights activists. Thy stressed that reports of the arrests on Sunday were true and confirmed by accounts from villagers and activists. He also questioned why 13 Montagnards were allowed passage to Phnom Penh in December to process asylum claims if the ministry believed that all those hiding were merely "illegal Vietnamese immigrants". The threats against Thy once again extended to social media yesterday as a Facebook account called "Lum Phatsrok", which he alleges is controlled by a senior provincial official, invited ISIS militants to "cut off" his tongue. Ignoring the threats, Thy continued to call on authorities to reveal the whereabouts of the arrested Montagnards. The family of asylum seekers have not been seen since their arrest in O'Yadav district on Sunday, and ethnic Jarai villagers in Ratanakkiri fear that they have been deported. The United Nations yesterday continued to raise concerns. "The responsible authorities are not responding to our inquiries about the arrested persons. We are very concerned about this group and will continue to liaise with the authorities to confirm their status and, if they indicate that they seek asylum, to ensure that they are able to do so," said Wan-Hea Lee, country representative of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Vivian Tan, regional press officer for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said UNHCR would be "very concerned if people seeking asylum, including women and children, are unable to access national procedures". Provincial officials refused to comment on the arrests yesterday. Ratanakkiri police chief Nguon Koeun told the Post to "stop calling and asking me about that".

Mr. Amit Mishra, coordinator, Vada Foundation, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh is a social activist and a human rights defender. He has been working among the poor Dalit daily wage workers (working in the vegetable market), fighting to defend their rights in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Amit has been instrumental in the release of 35 bonded labourers in Mohanlal Ganj, Lucknow in the month of March-April 2014 on behalf of Vada Foundation. After the release of the bonded labourers he has received many threats to his life over phone. Amit has been fighting against police torture for the last many years. He has been the district human rights monitor for the human rights Organization People's Watch from 2006 to 2008 in its EU - funded National Project on Preventing Torture in India (NPPT), involved in fact finding missions on torture cases in Uttar Pradesh. Before this Amit was associated with Kisan Mazdoor Mahila Sanghatan (Farmers, Workers Women's Organisation) based in Varanasi which was working on indigenous people land rights, Dalit rights and Violence against Women. According to a written testimony from Mr. Amit Mishra, the human rights defender under attack, he was having a meeting with the labourers in Barabirwas Mandi, near Aalambagh Crossing in Krishna Nagar Police station area during which he was attacked by the accused Mr. Vipin with murderous intent. The assailant took all his money and identity card and threatened Amit Mishra for instigating the workers against the contractor. The assailant also told him not to be seen in his area thenceforth. Due to the intervention of workers present in meeting Amit escaped Vipin's wrath. Police control room no 100 was informed about the incident but no help came his way. The nearest police post from the place of incident is just 50 meters away. Amit Mishra's group informed Mr. Vikas Pandey, the SHO Krishna Nagar who asked him to come to the police station. Mishra informed him about the incident and he said after the investigation they would register the case. The SHO also asked Mishra why he was doing the work of mobilising the workers and advised him to do some other work. He then told Mishra to leave the place and that he would be communicated on phone once the complaint was registered. Mishra also informed the CO, ASP and SSP of the district through e - mail and phone. After a lot of pressure, on 5 December, 2014 exactly after three days of the incident, police FIR was registered on Mishra's complaint. The SHO informed Mishra's particulars to the family of the accused and thereafter Mishra started receiving threatening calls urging him to compromise and withdraw his case. On 6 December 2014 at around 12 PM when the accused Vipin was threatening the witnesses of the case, the workers of labourmandi called the police on telephone number 100 and handed over Vipin to the police. After Vipin was taken by the police, Mishra started facing additional pressure from the accused side. On the same night around 20 police men from Naka Hindola police post came to Mishra's office. One of the constables Mr. Shiv Dutt Singh told him that the person, against whom he had registered police FIR, was his son. And everybody immediately started putting pressure on Mishra to withdraw the case and strike a compromise deal. One of the policemen told him that they are giving him one hour's time to think and decide what he wanted to do. Asking him again to compromise they left the place. After exactly one hour they came back again and started asking what he had decided. Mishra told them that he intended to do nothing. Upon hearing this they again threatened Mishra with dire consequences and left. Next day on 7 December, 2014 Vipin's arrest was reported in the local newspaper. Just after three days he was told by the witnesses that they were being threatened to change their statements. He also came to know that police post in charge and investigating officer of the area were going to the workers to force them to make false statements. On being refused by the workers they were threatening them. Mishra complained to the SHO of the police station and asked him about the arrest of Vipin. He told Mishra that Vipin had not been arrested so far and so there was no question of him going to jail as of then. Then from the local court he came to know that Vipin was not even booked and he was allowed to leave the police station being the son of a policeman. After coming from the police station Vipin has been threatening Mishra and other witnesses with dire consequences unless they agree to a compromise. In a retaliatory move to Mishra's complaint on worker's exploitation, he has been made the target and physically attacked by the accused.

Two heads of dogs, freshly severed, have been strewn in front of the houses of two well-known human rights defenders as the race in the presidential election is intensifying in Sri Lanka. Mr. Brito Fernando and Prasanga Fernando are two well-known human rights activists who have a long history of fighting for the protection of human rights in Sri Lanka. They have also been campaigning against enforced disappearances, extra judicial killings, and torture and other human rights abuses. They have been actively campaigning for the common opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena on the grounds that the Government of Mahinda Rajapaksa has been engaged in systematic violations of human rights that need to be stopped. Brito Fernando has also recently publicly declared that on a previous occasion he had campaigned together with President Rajapaksa when he was in the opposition, against enforced disappearances and other abuses of human rights. However, once in power President Rajapaksa has failed to honour his promises to bring the perpetrators of human rights violations to justice and in particular to end the present form of the executive presidential system which destroys the possibility of the protection of the rights of the people. The Asian Human Rights Commission condemns the threats made to these two human rights activists by the exhibition of severed heads of dogs, thrown in front of their houses which are a barbaric act. These types of sinister attacks can only be done with the corporation of some sections of the security agencies who are carrying out political instructions against those who are exercising their right to freely participate in campaigning for candidates of their choices. The AHRC also states that this act is a gross violation of the electoral laws which provides freedoms for all citizens to participate in the elections in order to elect a government of their choice. The rights of all citizens to participate in the elections are enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. We ask the Government, and the Commissioner of Elections to inquire into this act as it is a serious violation of the electoral laws. We also ask all Sri Lankan people to actively protect the rights of every citizen to participate in the electoral process and in particular to condemn this barbaric attack on the two human rights activists. The AHRC will also bring this matter to the attention of relevant United Nations authorities and to the attention of the international community.

In the morning on 30 January 2015, two unidentified men came to human rights lawyer Nguyen Van Dai's apartment in the capital Hanoi, violently broke the front door and threatened to burn his home and assault him. Nguyen Van Dai is a prominent human rights lawyer and pro-democracy activist in Vietnam, and one of several human rights defenders who have been attacked in recent weeks. He reported the incident to the local police. Nguyen Van Dai has been a target of persecution, including arbitrary detention, ever since he co-founded a human rights group in 2006. He is currently under house arrest in Hanoi, due to end in March, after serving out a four-year sentence. "The attack on lawyer Dai and the serious threats against him highlights the risks facing Vietnamese human rights defenders," said Marie M�_nson, Human Rights Defenders at Risk Programme Director at Civil Rights Defenders. The latest attack on Nguyen Van Dai came just days after a violent assault on 12 bloggers and activists by plainclothes agents in Thai Binh province. The assault took place when the group of activists were stopped by police following their visit to a recently-released political prisoner. The same week in Ho Chi Minh City, activist and Mennonite Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang, one of Dai's former clients and a former political prisoner, was injured and hospitalised after an attack with bricks and clubs by a group of thugs. Another pastor who was with him at the time received minor physical injuries. On 9 December 2014, a group of people stopped vocal blogger Nguyen Hoang Vi in the street near her home, pulling her by the hair and punching her. Security forces nearby reportedly did not intervene. A network of women human rights defenders has begun documenting attacks, including sexual harassment, against women human rights defenders. Nguyen Hoang Vi has been the victim of numerous attacks in recent years. In November, police officers assaulted and injured Truong Minh Duc, a former political prisoner, freelance writer and reportedly a member of Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam. He narrowly escaped death in the attack, which took place outside Ho Chi Minh City. None of the perpetrators in these attacks on peaceful activists and others have been brought to justice, further compounding the vulnerable situation of the human rights defenders. "The on-going impunity for attacks on defenders is a disturbing reminder that Vietnam's portrayal of its human rights record to the international community bears little resemblance to reality. Human rights defense and human rights education contribute to social progress and stability, and those who carry out the work deserve protection and recognition, not persecution and reprisal", added Marie M�_nson. UPDATED : (7 April 2015) L4L is very concerned about the ongoing harassment of human rights lawyer Nguyen Van Dai. Dai was under house arrest in Hanoi since 2011, serving a four-year sentence that was due to end on 5 March 2015. He has been the victim of several acts of intimidation in the months leading up to the end of his house arrest. On 30 January 2015, two unidentified men broke the front door of his apartment in Hanoi, and threatened to burn his home and assault him. He reported the incident to the police. On the day his house arrest was supposed to end, the authorities informed him they wouldn't officially end his probation unless he would officially promise, at the police station, that he would not continue his work as a human rights lawyer or any other work criticizing the government. When Dai refused to do so, "thugs" were sent to his home to harass him on March 5 and 6. Shortly thereafter, the authorities have given Dai the written confirmation of the expiration of his house arrest. Lawyers for Lawyers has been informed, however, that the police is still surveilling him. Nguyen Van Dai is, since his return to Vietnam after years in Eastern-Germany, a well-known human rights activist. He has been under control of government officials for many years now, and this house arrest followed on the four years imprisonment he was sentenced to in 2007 for propaganda against the state. Dai founded the Committee for Human Rights of Vietnamand his work as a human rights lawyer and blogger is disapproved by the Vietnam authorities. The recent attacks on Dai come in a context of a series of physical assaults against human rights defenders, bloggers and human rights lawyers that have taken place in the previous months, which were perpetrated either by police officers or groups of people in the street. Reportedly, there has been a failure to investigate these attacks. In a letter, L4L called on the Vietnamese authorities investigate the attacks on Nguyen Van Dai. Source: Lawyers for Lawyers

Today, on 7th January 2015, three human rights activists received death threats over the telephone from sources that have refused to identify themselves, but have appeared to be connected with security authorities. The human rights activists who received these death threats are Mr. Brito Fernando, Mr. Phillip Dissanayake and Mr. Prasanga Fernando - all of whom work with the Right to Life organization and the organization of the families of the disappeared in Sri Lanka. They have also been in the recent past taking part and actively campaigning for the common opposition candidate in the presidential election of Maithripala Sirisena on the basis that massive human rights violations have taken place and are taking place in Sri Lanka and that these need to be stopped. Brito Fernando and Prasanga Fernando have also received threats by way of hanging freshly killed dogs' heads in their homes earlier this week. During the phone conversation the speaker says that "we know all the details about you, your wives and about your children; ... and we know where they travel and where they can be found. We also know where your children go to school. We will teach you a lesson first, before we deal with your big people... before we do that we will get all the details from you about what you do... you have been involved in some matters relating to the Anuradhapura Police. We know all about that. We know how to get information from you once we get hold of you. It is after obtaining this information that we will finally deal with you... make your funeral arrangements at your homes.' Details relating to the earlier threats have been published in several media channels and you may find the details at the following link. [Asian Human Rights Commission](http://www.humanrights.asia/news/ahrc-news/AHRC-STM-002-2015 The Asian Human Rights Commission condemns these dastardly, cowardly, and mean acts of issuing death threats and we are also warning the public that carrying out of such death threats could actually take place in this environment of the upcoming presidential elections on 8th January 2015. We ask the Government of Sri Lanka and the Inspector General of Police to investigate into this matter with immediate effect and we will also inform all human rights organizations in Sri Lanka and overseas about these threats. We will also inform all the Embassies in Sri Lanka and the United Nation's about these threats. We ask President Mahinda Rajapaksa to immediately take appropriate action to find the culprits and apprehend them. In the event no such action is taken it may appear that such death threats are being made with President Rajapaksa's direct or indirect approval.

On 4 December 2012, around 11am, Ms. Urvashi Sharma right to information (RTI) activist received a death threat from an caller who claimed to belong to the Samajwadi political party. The caller asked her to stop submitting RTI requests about the working of the Akhilesh Yadav Government and stated that, if she does not stop, she will pay with her life. Ms. Sharma also stated that the caller claims to be Haribhai Yadav, an office bearer of the Samajwadi Party. However, it does not appear that such a person exists.Ms. Sharma lodged a complaint with the Talkatora police, which registered a case against an unnamed person under section 507 of the Indian Penal Code. A reporter called the telephone number of the caller.. The person answering said initially that the call to Ms. Sharma was "made by mistake" and then sought the matter be dropped. The person then identified himself as an SP leader and said that there was no point taking the matter further and that he would talk to the Lucknow DIG to "settle the matter." Meanwhile, Ms. Sharma said that she believes the phone call was made on behalf of a senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) official, against whom she has recently sought a probe. Ms. Sharma RTI petitions addressed issues of governmental corruption, especially in the social welfare and women welfare departments.

On 9 February 2013, Ms. Apsara Upreti, a journalist and social worker associated with the Integrated Community Development Campaign (ICDC), Dhading district, was threatened by a UCPN-M district member,Ram Krishna Acharya, for trying to get legal support to a rape victim. This is not the first time she has received threats from this group. As early as 2010 Ms Upreti received a death threat from Binod Luitel, a District Committee Member of Unified Communist Party of Nepal- Maoist (UCPNM) and Ram Nepali, secretary of Maoist affiliated Dalit Mukti Morcha for supporting Ms. Shanti Rupakheti WHRD of Jivanpur VDC-8 in Dhading to seek justice.

On 30 and 31 October 2012, members of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR)'s Land Reform Project Team were harassed and intimidated by police and military officials during a mission to collect information about the resolution of a land conflict. The CCHR is an independent non-governmental organisation working to promote democracy and respect for human rights in Cambodia. The team had come to Thlao village, in Banteay Mean Chey province, on 29 October 2012 in order to gather information on the resolution of a local land conflict which revolved around a private company, Cheat Aphiwat Co. Ltd., reportedly obtaining an illegal land concession. The Land Reform Project Team, consisting of project coordinator Mr. Vann Sopath, Mr Steven Kremer, Mr Nget Savy and Ms Nou Chansokunthea, interviewed villagers and surveyed the area. It is believed that a villager with close ties to local officials and the company reported the team's presence to the authorities. On the second day of the mission, 30 October 2012, local police and military officers and a student volunteer from a government land-measuring programme approached the team and subjected them to a lengthy and detailed questioning regarding their activities. Later on, the officials continued to make their presence felt by circling the team on motorbikes and keeping a close watch on their activities. Villagers were also interrogated, and in other ways discouraged from giving interviews to the CCHR staff. A community representative was questioned by a military commander, and a local woman tried to discourage villagers from talking to the team by first claiming that it was unnecessary, as the land was already being demarcated by the aforementioned student group. She proceeded to warn them that they were risking losing their land titles, or jeopardising those that had yet to be given out, by cooperating with the CCHR staff. It is reported that the team's work was not compromised by these attempts as most of the work had already been done on the first day, and some villagers cooperated with them even after these events. Nonetheless, the CCHR has identified a growing trend in the disruption of peaceful and legitimate activities carried out by the organisation.

On 12 February 2013, Chandrakant Gaikwad, a Dalit HRD was shot dead by a man who had previously made threats against him. Chandrakant Gaikwad was shot dead in Indapur, Pune district, Maharashtra, when meeting a fellow Dalit human rights defender. They were attacked by a group of dominant caste people led by Satpal Rupnavar who allegedly fired the deadly shots against Chandrakant Gaikwad and then fled the scene of the crime. As an active Dalit human rights defender, Chandrakant Gaikwad had filed an atrocity case against Satpal Rupnavar for committing a crime against Dalits in 2011. He was also the witness in two further atrocity cases filed against the accused in 2012. As a result of these complaints, Satpal was arrested in January 2012, but released on bail later that year. According to press reports, Satpal Rupnavar is a notorious criminal. Following his release, he reportedly issued a number of threats against Chandrakant Gaikwad and two other Dalit human rights defenders. They complained to the authorities, including the police, the Home Ministry and the National Human Rights Commission, but were not offered any protection. The deceased was a volunteer with the National Dalit Movement for Justice (NDMJ), which is part of the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR). He had supported atrocity victims in their attempts to access justice and also monitored human rights abuses against Dalits. UPDATE: 08/03/2013- A Joint Allegation Letter is sent to India by the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; the Independent Expert on minority issues; and the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. As of November 2013, the Indian government still had not acknowledged the communication.

On 30 December 2012, around 4pm, Mr. Srinivasa Rao, a right to information (RTI) activist was found lying unconscious near his office at the Court Centre in Markapuram Town of Pakasam District, in the State of Andhra Pradesh, India. It was alleged that unknown three men walked into his office on the pretext of discussing a case. Two of them held him back while the third injected poison in the abdomen of Rao and fled. Immediately Rao was rushed by locals to the government hospital which referred him to the district headquarters hospital in Ongole. When his condition deteriorated, Rao was shifted to Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences. Mr. Srinivasa Rao has been invoking the provisions of the Right to Information Act against local revenue and police officials in Markapur. He is into pawn broking in the town and gives loans taking insurance policies and bonds as security. Mr. Rao has been battling with police since he began seeking information from police stations under the RTI Act. He also contributes to RTI related programmes in a vernacular TV channel and was also the district convener for RTI Activists Association in the district. Rao had highlighted many irregularities in the use of government funds and earned the wrath of local officials and contractors in the district. Last week, he had complained to the district administration about a threat to his life from a local official whose corruption he was trying to expose. He had also claimed that despite his complaint, no action was taken against the official. The incident was said to have taken place before resumption of hearing in a case in the Markapur court on Monday against him filed under the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

On18April 2012, Khursheed Khokhar and Pitamber Sewani two parliamentarians in Pakistan received death threats for defending the rights of the minority Hindu population. The Sindh Chief Minister ordered additional security to be deployed at the residences of the MPAs besides providing them proper police escort for their security.

On 28 August 2012, a campaign of harassment of members of leading women"s rights organization WOREC Nepal and LGBTI rights organization Mitini Nepal began following their support to a victim of domestic violence who had recently 'come out' as a lesbian. Due to the assistance they provided to the lady and her partner, the staff of Mitini Nepal and their president Laxmi Ghalan,came under threat. Ms. Ghalan received threatening calls, threatening that if she raises the case of the lady, her office would be vandalized and she would be abducted. The police also surrounded the office of Mitini Nepal in Lazimpat, Kathmandu. After the police withdrew from Mitini Nepal's office, several plain-clothes individuals stayed to watch the office. Due to the threats, Mitini Nepal's staff looked for shelter in the premises of WOREC. The police are also reported to have searched two rooms respectively rented by Mitini Nepal's president and one staff on 28 and 29 August. On the evening of 30th August 2012 at around 7.30 pm, about 40 persons claiming to be relatives of the lady forced their way into WOREC's office, in Balkumari, Lalitpur, searching for her and her partner, whom they were accusing of having trafficked. They were accompanied by 7 police personnel but the police did not enter the office's premises. On the same day, four police officers visited the office of Mitini Nepal and accused their staff of hiding the woman. They visited the office several times on that day, accompanied by the lady's relatives.

On 16 August 2011, Ms. Shehla Masood, an environmentalist and RTI activist was shot dead by an unidentified assailant outside her home in Koh-e-Fiza in Bhopal. Ms. Masood had been living in fear of an attack for some time and raised her concerns to no avail. On August 16, 2011 at around 11:19am, she was shot by an unidentified assailant from point blank range. Masood was about to leave in her car when she was shot in the driver's seat. According to Police, the motive of the killing remains unknown. However, as per media, the possible cause could be her RTI activities and for protesting illegal diamond mining done by Rio Tinto in connivance with government officers and fighting to save tigers, leopards and forests, who were killed for their skins in connivance with forest officers.

On 20 August 2012, Jarayaram Harapal, an educated Dalit youth and right to information (RTI) activist was attacked on his way to Manamunda Block of Boudh district, Odisha in India. It appears the attack was a reprisal for his attempts to expose corruption via his RTI application. Jarayaram had submitted an RTI Application to the PIO, Office of Manupali Gram Panchayat under Manamunda Block of Boudh District, Odisha. He requested information about the quantity of items distributed under the Public Distribution System to BPL (Below Poverty Line) and APL (Above Poverty Line) families, and a copy of the list of beneficiaries of Antodaya and Annapurna card holders. However, he was provided false and misleading information. During the attack, the perpetrators beat him, made caste-denigrating remarks, and threatened him that there would be dire consequences if he did not withdraw his RTI Application. Later that day, the assailants entered Jarayaram's house and physically manhandled his parents and his elder brother. The next day, 21 August 2012, Jayaram filed an First Information Report (FIR) at the local Police Station in Manamunda. However, the Police did not take any steps against the accused, but rather arrested him and his brother and kept them in detention for 18 days. After being released, Jarayaram filed a case with the Odisha Human Rights Commission. The complaint, filed on 14 December 14, stated that, "I am so terrified that I could not return to my house. As there is life threats to me, I move from one place to another for survival."

Social activist Medha Patkar and 20 persons were arrested on Thursday for protesting against the demolition of slums at Golibar in Khar, in suburban Mumbai. The protesters were allegedly beaten up in the presence of the police by goons of Shivalik Builders, developer in the Golibar redevelopment scheme, one of the most controversial redevelopment schemes in the city. The Bombay High Court had made it clear that all residents must be relocated at good transit camps and directed them to register the individual agreements. However, the residents alleged that none of the orders had been followed by the builder and the demolition drive was continuing in the presence of government officials. Sumit Wajale, an activist from the National Alliance of People's Movement (NAPM) said that the police, along with goons, made sure that nobody protested against the demolition. "They illegally demolished 10 houses today (Thursday), disrespecting the High Court order. The police supported them, while bouncers attacked the protesters," he said. The activists, who were arrested, were kept in police custody till the demolition drive was completed, and all were released in the evening. The NAPM has requested Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan to intervene.

Authorities in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan have begun holding activists and petitioners under tight surveillance and detention ahead of a sensitive political anniversary and a planned protest against a petrochemical plant on Saturday. Activists had planned to take to the streets on Saturday in protest at a newly built paraxylene (PX) plant in the Pengzhou suburb of the provincial capital Chengdu, using the anniversary of May 4 student demonstrations in 1919 and the fifth anniversary of a local movement against the plant. The plant, owned by state-run PetroChina, has been halted amid safety concerns in the wake of last week's magnitude-7 earthquake near Sichuan's Ya'an city that left more than 200 people dead or missing and reignited concerns about the plant's potential health hazards. "They were talking online about a walk-past in Jiuyan Bridge in Chengdu tomorrow, as a protest," said Chengdu-based activist Chen Qian, who was prevented from leaving her home late on Thursday by neighborhood committee officials, who said the house arrest would likely last until Monday. "As I was leaving the building to go out, they said they weren't to let me leave home, and that's the way it had to be," she said. "They said it would be two or three days," Chen said. "I think it's because of tomorrow." Local residents had protested against the chemical plant at the bridge in 2008 on May 4, a date that has been observed as an occasion to call for freedom and social change in the spirit of the 1919 movement when students championed "democracy" and "science" as forces to modernize China. Following a devastating quake that hit the province later that month, the government of Chengdu, which is home to more than 14 million people, promised to re-assess the environmental impact of the 38.1 billion yuan (U.S. $6 billion) plant, but construction began on the facility in 2011. 'On holiday' In Chengdu's Wenjiang district, activist Jiang Yuqiong said she and her husband had been taken away "on holiday" by officials to Black Dragon Lake near Meishan city. "[We will be back on] Sunday," Jiang said. The Chengdu-based rights website Tianwang said that Zhou Wenming, an activist from Sichuan's Shuangliu county, had been taken "on holiday" along with fellow activists Zhao Xianqiong and Yang Fang. Chengdu activist Xin Wenrong said he was summoned by the local branch of the state security police after a friend forwarded a post protesting the Pengzhou petrochemical plant to him, dating from 2010. "They used an illegal procedure for the summons," Xin said. "Some petitioners have been 'taken on holiday' today because of the Pengzhou petrochemical plant issue." Schools remaining open He said primary school and high school students in Chengdu had been forced to attend class all weekend, in a bid to stop the demonstration going ahead. "I tried to get onto[Twitter-like services] Sina and Tencent Weibo, to search for information, but Pengzhou petrochemical is already a sensitive word," Xin said. "If the government is sincere about communicating with the people, they should use methods other than detaining and threatening them, or forbidding print shops to photocopy certain things, and stop pretending there is no such thing as dissent," Xin said. Online censorship A 33-year-old woman was arrested on Friday after she called via her microblog account for a protest on May 4 against the plant, the Hong Kong English-language South China Morning Post reported. "In a post on Thursday on her microblog that has since been deleted, she also said the protest had been approved by authorities," the paper said. The security clampdown appeared to extend further than Chengdu, however, with online censorship blocking information about the protest, and tight security in Beijing. Search terms linked to the planned protest were blocked on social media sites on Thursday, including searches in Chinese for "Chengdu PX project," "May 4th+Jiuyan Bridge+take a walk," "Pengzhou+PX," and "Pengzhou+petrochemicals," according to the China Digital Times website, which monitors censorship edicts from Beijing. Surveillance in Beijing Authorities in Beijing stepped up surveillance of activists and petitioners, ordinary Chinese who pursue official complaints against the government in the capital, ahead of the sensitive May Fourth Movement anniversary on Saturday. Liaoning petitioner Zhao Guangjun said Tiananmen Square was basically sealed off on Friday, suggesting that the ruling Chinese Communist Party may have some activities of their own planned there. "They will be watching the university campuses tomorrow, as well as the embassy district and Tiananmen Square," Zhao said. "Some people are sure to get arrested tomorrow, or sent back home, or locked up," he said. "All of those things will likely happen." Jilin petitioner Deng Zhibo said many petitioners still planned to pursue their complaints outside central government offices on Saturday, however. "The more commemorative or sensitive a day is, the more it will attract petitioners," Deng said. "The petitioners aren't afraid of being sent home or locked up."

On 27 April, activist Liu Ping and a number of other New Citizens' Movement activists were detained by police and charged with subversion after her campaign to have leaders disclose their financial assets. One of Ms Liu's lawyers went to Xinyu City in China's south-eastern Jiangxi province to see her, but police denied the request, citing national security reasons. Also detained were Liu Xizhen (???), Huang Huimin (???), Lei Wensheng (???), Ying Ligang (???), Li Xuemei (???), Wei Zhongping (???), Zou Guiqin (???), Su Meisheng (???), and Li Sihua (???). UPDATE 28/04/2013: Liu Xizhen (???), Huang Huimin (???), Lei Wensheng (???), Ying Ligang (???), and Li Xuemei (???) were released. UPDATE 04/06/2013: Liu Ping, Wei Zhongping and Li Sihua were formally arrested on charges of illegal assembly. UPDATE 19/06/2014: Liu Ping and Wei Zhongping are handed down sentences of six and a half years by a court in Xinyu, Jiangxi, for "picking quarrels and provoking troubles," "gathering a crowd to disrupt public order," and "using an evil cult to undermine law enforcement." Li Sihua was sentenced to three years for "gathering a crowd to disrupt public order." UPDATE 11/07/2014: A Jiangxi appeals court upheld the sentences for all three activists. Their families consider an appeal unlikely because they believe the outcome to be political and predetermined.

On 9 April 2013, 12 human rights campaigners were arrested in the Baluwatar area. The names of the 12 campaigners are: - Sudha Maharjan - Sushila Maharjan - Ishan Adhikari - Jagannath Lamichhane - Bidushi Dhungel - Prajwal Shrestha - Mukesh Shrestha - Nirprakash Giri - Kunjan Kafle - Mahis Maharjan - Bikram Shreshtha and - Ujwal Thapa Police arrested the 12 activists who have been taking part in the "Occupy Baluwatar Campaign" for over 100 days, demanding the end of violence against women and impunity and calling for justice and the rule of law. 9 April was the 103rd day of the peaceful protest. The campaign was launched by rights defenders in response to the rising number of incidents of violence against women (VAW). It is aimed at exerting pressure on the authorities to provide justice to the victims of VAW, and punish the perpetrators rigorously. Even though those detained were released a few hours later this act was a clear violation of the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

Women who blew the whistle on abuses and torture at a labor camp in northeastern China have been targeted by police as the authorities probe reports of abuses of women inmates, many of them pregnant. Li Wenjuan, who has spent time inside the Masanjia Women's Re-eduction Through Labor facility in Liaoning province, said more than 10 police officers had bashed down her door and tried to take her away following a recent expose by the magazine Lens of alleged torture and abuse at the camp. She said the police action came after they continued to bang on the door from Friday evening right until 3.00 a.m. on Saturday. "At around 8.00 p.m. on Friday, they came banging on my door, and I asked them which department they were from, and what they were doing," Li said in an interview on Monday. "They said they were police officers, and they'd come to detain Li Wenjuan." Then, around three hours after the knocking stopped, they made a concerted attempt to force their way into her apartment. "This time, they weren't just knocking on the door, they were trying to break it down," Li said. "They had hired a locksmith to pick the lock, but I stood there and held it shut the whole time." Li said she had told police she would rather jump to her death from her apartment than allow herself to be detained. Meanwhile, Zhao Min, a Liaoning-based petitioner and former Masanjia inmate, received a phone call from police wanting to come to her home after she was interviewed by Lens magazine for its April 7 expose. "She sent me a text saying that the police station had called to say they wanted to come round to her home, but she said, 'no,'" said fellow former inmate Gai Fengzhen, who has also spoken out about her experiences inside Masanjia. "The police told her not to give any interviews to the foreign media, otherwise they would 'go over there and deal with her.'" "There was another[Lens interviewee], Gao Fenglan," Gai said. "The police paid her a visit, and called her husband." "Her husband told her the police were coming round to her home, so she didn't open the door." Investigations stalled Gai said some of the Masanjia former inmates had been directed to the investigation team at the Liaoning provincial government by local government prosecutors, but were later unable to locate it. "The investigation team isn't investigating anything," Li Wenjuan said. "When you give them evidence, they don't want it." "I thought they were going to blow the lid of the whole Masanjia scandal, but actually they're just putting it back on again," she added. Calls to the Liaoning provincial government offices and the Liaoning provincial police department went unanswered during office hours on Monday. Censors in Beijing have issued an information blackout after the Lens article described a litany of abuse and torture of female inmates. The magazine quoted the diary of Masanjia inmate Wang Guilan as saying that police arbitrarily detained petitioners under the pretext of "maintaining stability" and committed a wide range of horrible abuses against them. The diary recorded how the camp accepted pregnant women and disabled individuals, forcing them to do strenuous labor for up to 14 hours a day, or risk being beaten or given other punishments. The reports were similar to allegations made by another former inmate in an interview with RFA's Mandarin service in January. According to the diary of former inmate Wang Guilan, guards chained detainees to chairs or beds and tortured them in hideous ways. The women were also ordered to monitor each other closely. Detainees were denied basic nourishment or medical care, even after becoming physically and mentally ill, and cancer sufferers were not given medical treatment, Wang said.

In May, July and August 2010, three Right to Information (RTI) activists were murdered. On 26 May 2010, Datta Patil was killed. On 20 July 2010, Amit Jethwa, 32 year old RTI activist from Gir, was shot dead by two assailants on a motorbike outside the Ahmedabad High Court. Jethwa had used information obtained under the Right To Information Act 2005 to expose the network of illegal mining run by BJP MP Dinu Solanki in the Gir forest area. On 7 September 2010, the MP's nephew Shiva Solanki was arrested for Jethwa's murder. On 27 August 2010, Ramdas Ghadegaonkar was killed. Murder is usually the last step in a build up of harassment that takes many forms. Invention of cases and imprisonment is the most common form of police harassment, but it is not unlikely for the force to physically assault petitioners either. In other cases, intimidation is dealt out via less "legitimate' channels. From Jharkhand, Sumit Kumar Mahato, Convenor of the RTI Forum, talks about being manhandled by goons for seeking information about funds spent on the building of a road. Rolly Shivhare of Jaano Re Abhiyaan from MP says, "I filed an application to ask for the Midday Meal Scheme budget from the Panchayat and Rural Welfare Department. I received a threatening phone call asking what I would do with this information. The caller said he was the "Development Commissioner'. When the police traced the call, it was found that it had indeed come from his office, though the commissioner himself denied any knowledge of it." RTI activists have learnt through unfortunate examples not to take such initial threats lightly. Down south in Karnataka, Venkatesh, 32, had filed an application to expose the Bangalore Development Authorities' involvement in a land scam case. Despite receiving threats, he continued to pursue the case alone. In April 2009, Venkatesh's body was found near the divider of a highway. His death was registered as a traffic accident. The RTI Study Centre filed an RTI application for the post-mortem report which revealed that his head injury was caused by a blunt instrument. On investigation, four people were charged. They have all been linked to the contractors involved in the scam. Malay Bhattacharya, secretary of the West Bengal RTI Manch differentiates between the harassment in urban and rural areas, "In urban West Bengal, applicants are harassed by the police who come to their house and threaten them and their family members." In villages, he says, the authorities ensure that those filing RTI applications are boycotted socially. Patterns differ from state to state but every state can be mapped with such stories, each one more horrific than the other. From tiny tribal villages to the bustling lanes of Mumbai and Delhi; from farmers and lorry drivers to middle class professionals- cases of criminal harassment following RTI applications abound everywhere. The monitory and emotional fallouts in all cases are life altering for the petitioners and their families. In most cases, the petitioners that are attacked have already been through harassment, because of rigorous attempts to obstruct their application.

The authority intimidated rights groups and NGOs during a conference on human rights and Constitution in Khon Kaen. Military and police officers on Wednesday morning tried to monitor a discussion called "Human rights and the Constitution' in the northeastern province of Khon Kaen in a bid to harass North East-based NGOs and activists, many of whom believed to be taking part in issuing a courageous statement, "No Reform Under Military Top Boots', denouncing the military government on Sunday. The organizers of the meeting reported that two police officers in plain clothes came to monitor the discussion at around 9:50 am and asked the organizers to clarify the discussion's content. They were joined by three military officers about 15 minutes later. At around noon, five police officers and three soldiers came into the meeting to photocopy documents collected from the meeting for further investigation. They also inspected the rosters of participants. The event organizer believed that the authority came to the meeting to check whether 17 human rights activists and NGOs workers who have signed an open letter, "No Reform Under Military Top Boots', were presented at the discussion. The discussion was organized by the Northeast's Natural Resource Protection and Management Network and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) with approximately 30 participants.

On 23 October 2014, human rights defender Ms Liu Xizhen was placed in criminal detention on the charge of "causing trouble". On the same day, police officers raided Liu Xizhen's house. On 24 October 2014 her husband, Mr Huang Hui Min, received police documents confirming her detention. She was brought to Yuan He police station and is currently being held in Xinyu Detention Centre in Jiang Xi province. Her whereabouts were unknown since her disappearance on 1 October. Liu Xizhen is a human rights defender who has campaigned for Chinese Communist Party officials to disclose their assets and for the Chinese government to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). On 1 October 2014, the human rights defender disappeared in Beijing, where she went to attend a protest against the continued detention and ill treatment of human rights defender Ms Liu Ping as well as a demonstration in support of protests in Hong Kong. While it is difficult to ascertain all details due to the ongoing detention, since her reappearance it has emerged that she may have been arrested at an intersection near Zhon Nan Hai (People's Republic of China state building) while attempting to hand over a petition and that she was subsequently brought back to Jiang Xi province and placed in a 'black jail' (an unofficial detention centre) for twenty days. On 5 October 2014, Liu Xizhen's husband informed the China-based Rights Defence Network of the disappearance of his wife and his fears that she may have been detained. Following Liu Xizhen's reappearance and her criminal detention, on 28 October 2014, Liu Xizhen's husband was threatened by the manager of the Xinyu Steel factory, where he also works, and was warned not to hire a human rights lawyer or a lawyer from outside of Xinyu. The manager also threatened Liu Xizhen's husband with imprisonment if he is found to be in contact with any human rights lawyers or human rights defenders. Front Line Defenders expresses its concern regarding the detention of Liu Xizhen and the threats against her husband. Furthermore, Front Line Defenders believes that these actions are solely related to Liu Xizhen's peaceful and legitimate work in defence of human rights.

Eight student activists who were scheduled to speak at 8 pm on Sunday the 9th November at the Universiti Malaysia Sabah on student autonomy were barred from the campus by the administration. Anti-riot police were stationed at the gate. They were arrested by police, for the second time within the day, and taken to the Karamunsing police station to have their statements taken. Apparently, they were not informed why they were being arrested. Universiti Malaya student leader Fahmi Zainol confirmed the arrests in a media update. Besides Fahmi, the others arrested were from Universiti Teknologi Mara, one student; UMS Kota Kinabalu, three students; and UMS Labuan, three students. The UMS website posted a notice that the power supply at the university would be shut off from 9 pm Sun until 8 am Mon for scheduled maintenance works. UMS' student representative council president Mohd Al-Farid Abraham appealed in a sms to students to stay away from Fahmi's talk. "UMS is a harmonious campus and we don't want our campus to be marred by the demonstration culture, like what happened at Universiti Malaya several days ago that caused the main gate to be breached," said Mohd Al-Farid. "Therefore, I urge all students to focus on their studies and to understand that mid-terms are still going on. Let us together maintain the harmony of our campus." Earlier in the day, Kota Kinabalu police chief Assistant Commissioner M. Chandra confirmed that ten university students were detained at noon after they turned part of the Sunday Fair area along Jalan Gaya in the Sabah capital into an impromptu Speaker's Corner. Their detention, according to Chandra, was to enable police to record their particulars and take statements from them. He did not say what laws they had broken. The police stepped in as the students, led by Fahmi, were publicly complaining about the Universiti Malaya administration. The undergraduates also distributed pamphlets on academic freedom and the Sedition Act. Pro-Mahasiswa national chairperson Abdul Muqit Muhammad who was one of three released almost immediately said in a media update that the other seven students were taken by police for a urine test. "After giving our speech at Gaya Street, the police took us to "visit' the Kota Kinabalu police station," Fahmi wrote on Facebook at about 1pm on Sun. He had earlier posted that the student activists would visit Gaya Street, a must stop for tourists visiting Kota Kinabalu, before a student rally at Universiti Sabah Malaysia tonight. "Spot the hidden item," he added, tongue in cheek, of a picture of a police truck along Gaya Street.

A United Nations women's rights watchdog has accused China of trying to silence activists and said some who had come to Geneva to testify about the country's record "fear reprisals" upon return. At least one female activist was prevented from going to the Swiss city under "travel restrictions" imposed by China, and others alleged their reports had been censored by "state agents", the panel said, calling for a halt to such practices. The U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), whose 23 independent experts conducted a regular review of Beijing's record, also urged Chinese authorities to halt forced abortions and "infanticide of girls". In its conclusions, released on Friday the 7th November, the panel urged China to "take all necessary measures to protect woman human rights defenders, including those who have provided information to the Committee, and take steps to ensure that in the future no travel restrictions are placed on individuals/human rights defenders". "It is always a concern for us, that defenders of women's rights are totally free from fear and restrictions," Nicole Ameline, a French expert chairing the U.N. panel, told Reuters. "Human rights defenders have an important role in the combat against impunity," she added. The U.N. experts recognized government efforts to curb the practice of identifying a fetus' sex for non-medical reasons and sex-selective abortions, as well as forced abortions and sterilizations resulting in what it called "the unbalanced sex-ratio between girls and boys". "However, the Committee remains concerned that these illegal practices persist ... and that infanticide of girl (children), particularly girls with disabilities, have not been completely eradicated," it said.

Seang Sovannara, the chief monk at Wat Samakki Raingsey, has not left the grounds of his pagoda for the best part of a week. Since activist monk Soeung Hai was arrested and defrocked for protesting peacefully outside City Hall on Tuesday the 11th November, Wat Samakki Raingsey, a popular residence for dissident monks and a magnet for marginal�_ized communities, has been under surveillance. "When I wake up in the morning, usually about 4 a.m., the police and military police are already moving into position to stand guard at the entrance to the pagoda," Seang Sovannara said from inside his dark dormitory on Friday. "They are here to watch our movements, to monitor who comes and goes, and to stop people from joining protests in the city," he said. In addition to Mr. Hai, who was sentenced on Wednesday to a year in prison for obstructing public officials, two more monks-Thach Sang, 19, and Khit Vannak, 20-have also been arrested and defrocked in the past week. Mr. Sang and Mr. Vannak were apprehended while carrying Cambodian and Buddhist flags from Wat Stung Meanchey to Wat Samakki Raingsey, where a displaced community from Preah Vihear province was waiting to receive the flags and march into Phnom Penh to bring attention to their battle to keep their land. The courts charged the two flag carriers with joining a "criminal association," a crime that carries a maximum jail term of five years. The pair is in Prey Sar prison awaiting their trial. "These arrests are a worry," Seang Sovannara said, "because I have heard that the authorities are very interested in arresting me and my deputy,[Thach Ha] Sam Ang." "They know that if they arrest us, the leaders, then our monks will not be organized." Photos of Mr. Hai wailing and wearing civilian clothes were circulated on social media following his arrest and defrocking, a process that is supposed to be undertaken with the oversight of senior members of the Buddhist clergy. But Buntenh, head of the In�_dependent Monk Network for Social Justice, said Friday that the defrocking of the three monks had not been done in accordance with Buddhist doctrine. "If a monk does wrong, there is a process that we must go through," he said. "It has been the same for many, many generations." But Buntenh said that, according to Buddhist doctrine, if a monk is thought to have broken the law, the authorities should inform the ecclesiastic hierarchy, who would then summon the monk in question and have him explain himself. "If the Ministry of Cult and Re�_ligion decides that the monk has committed wrong according to the law, then they will allow the monk to be defrocked," he said. "But po�_lice do not have the authority to arrest and defrock a monk before this process." At Wat Samakki Raingsey, Seang Sovannara said that monks living in or affiliated with his pagoda were often given the cold shoulder by the ecclesiastic hierarchy. The abbot said that he had no confidence that there was anyone he could reach out to in the event of a violation of doctrine. "[Great] Supreme Patriarch Tep Vong has never helped us before," he said, referring to the chief of the country's Mohanikaya Buddhism sect, who is also a former CPP parliamentarian. "The Ministry of Cults and Religion does not care about Kampuchea Krom monks." "The only ones we can call when there is a violation are NGOs and journalists." Khim Sorn, chief of the Moha�_nikaya sect's secretariat, said that monks affiliated with Wat Samakki Raingsey acted "independently" of the monkhood's doctrine and were therefore not afforded the same privileges as their peers at more obedient pagodas. He said that the pagoda's split from the clergy goes back to 2010, when the pagoda's founder, Yoeung Sin, passed away. "When the former chief monk was still alive, I used to meditate in this pagoda and lead the monks there to respect the Buddhist doctrine," Khim Sorn said. When Yoeung Sin died, he said, the monks at the pagoda refused to let the clergy appoint a new chief monk, instead choosing among themselves. "Since that time, Wat Samakki Raingsey has operated separately from Cambodian monk authorities because they do not allow us to regulate them," Khim Sorn said. "They want to operate independently so they don't need the au�_thorities to help them." Khim Sorn said that Buddhist doctrine dictates that a monk can only be defrocked with the blessing of the chief of his pagoda, which he said took place in all three cases this week. "In this case, the monk chief at Stung Meanchey pagoda joined other monk authorities to defrock them," he said. However, Thai Buntheoun, the chief monk at Wat Stung Mean�_chey, said that was not the case. "I did not join the defrocking of those monks," he said, referring further questions to the Ministry of Cults and Religion. Seng Somony, spokesman for the ministry, said that protocol had been followed. "Before authorities sent them to court, they had permission from monk authorities to defrock them," he said. "They broke government rules, therefore they cannot remain in the monkhood." Back at Wat Samakki Raingsey, Seang Sovannara said he was fearful that his turn to be arrested and defrocked was not far away. "The high-ranking monks have never called me in person to ask me anything about activists at the pagoda," he said. "But recently I have been getting phone calls where people threaten me: "If you don't make it stop, you will be arrested.'" He said that with police watching his pagoda closely, monks were afraid they could be arrested if they ventured outside the pagoda grounds alone on in small groups. "We will not stop our social work," he said. "When we leave, we just need to go in large groups. They dare not stop us if we are many." And if things do get too hot outside the pagoda, he will instruct his monks to remain inside, where he believes they will be out of the law's reach. "Police and military police can not come inside the pagoda; if they do, we will dismiss them," he said.

Vietnamese authorities have ramped up their harassment of dissident rights lawyer and former political prisoner Nguyen Bac Truyen, stationing a large group of security agents in plain clothes outside his rented house on Wednesday 5th November and threatening his landlady with a knife, according to sources. Truyen, who provides free legal assistance to victims of land grabs and has campaigned for multiparty democracy in one-party communist Vietnam, was released on probation from prison in May 2010 after serving three and a half years for "conducting propaganda against the state." He now lives in a house in southern Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City rented from another former prisoner, Pham Minh Hoang, a blogger and former mathematics teacher serving a period of probation after his own release from prison in January 2012. "To them[the police], Nguyen Bac Truyen is a very dangerous man, so they guard him all the time," Hoang told RFA's Vietnamese Service on Wednesday. "They have assigned people to sit in front of the house and block him from leaving," Hoang said. "They sit in front of that house 24 hours a day," Hoang's wife, surnamed Oanh, said. "I don't know what they do at night, but they follow Truyen wherever he goes." On Nov. 5, harassment intensified when the group was joined by another group "disguised as ordinary people," though Oanh said she recognized one as a policeman because of his uniform socks. "They brought food and drinks to have a party right in front of my house," she said. When Hoang and Oanh approached the men, "they displayed a very rude attitude and even threatened my wife with a knife because she told them not to sit there," Hoang said. Calls for help to the local police brought no result, so Hoang--who holds French citizenship--and his wife appealed for assistance to the French consulate, they said. "At the beginning, we did not want to do it, and we only called the local police," said Oanh, "But they refused to come, saying they were busy in a meeting." "As there was no one who would protect us, we had to call the consulate. My husband is a French citizen, so he comes under their protection," she said. Reached by phone by RFA on Wednesday, the French consulate in Ho Chi Minh City declined to comment on the case. Nguyen Bac Truyen himself has been followed and harassed ever since his release from prison, Truyen told RFA in a recent interview. "Whenever there is a gathering of civil society groups, plainclothes policemen are assigned to watch me, threaten me, and prevent me from going out," he said. "After I was freed from prison, they followed me 24 hours a day, but for the last two months they have only watched me from 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m." "However, they are very aggressive," he said. In February 2014, Truyen and his wife were dragged from a taxi and beaten by suspected police agents while traveling to meet with an Australian diplomat in Hanoi to press for the release of fellow activists detained after a police raid on his house. Hundreds of armed Vietnamese police and government agents fired gunshots and stormed the residence during the Feb. 9 raid, according to rights groups and Truyen's wife. Also on Wednesday, Vietnamese dissident Nguyen Dan Que reported increased police surveillance at his own residence in Ho Chi Minh City after learning of the harassment of Truyen and Hoang. The two new officers set to guard him are "different from the two others who were here before, but their behavior is very intimidating and aggressive," Que said. "They have not entered my house, but they walk back and forth in front of it," he said. "If I go out, they follow me."

Atty. Jose Aaron Pedrosa, Jr., 29, a Board Member of the human rights organization Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) and leader of the multi-sectoral organization SANLAKAS, was arrested in Sitio Mahayag, Barangay Subang Daku, Mandaue City on November 25, 2014 at around 1:45pm. He was arrested by more or less twenty (20) police officers headed by a certain Miguel Andiza while pleading to the police to stop harassing the residents over yet another case of forced eviction against them. According to Pedrosa, the police attempted to drag the residents, most of whom were women, into the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) vehicle. Atty. Pedrosa was brought to Police Station 2, Mandaue and charged with Obstruction of Justice. Aside from Atty. Pedrosa, a community leader named Jessica A. Zuniga, 22 years old, was also arrested. We now urge government authorities for the immediate release of Atty. Jose Aaron Pedrosa and Jessica A. Zuniga, since the main reason for their arbitrary detention is to suppress their activities in defense of human rights. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of both Atty. Pedrosa, and Ms. Zuniga, as well as of all human rights defenders in the Philippines. And, put an end to all acts of harassment, including at the judicial level, against Atty. Aaron Pedrosa, Ms. Zuniga and all human rights defenders to ensure in all circumstances that they are able to carry out their work without any hindrance and fear of reprisals.

A Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) rally held on the evening of 20th November at the Tugu Yogyakarta monument area turned sour after a group of unknown assailants attacked the event, injuring four participants. Witnesses said the attackers were mostly skinny, dark-skinned men with pierced ears. They arrived at the venue at about 9:15 p.m., after the event itself had finished, and took away banners from rally participants. "Then they dragged, kicked and pushed the rally participants," Mario Pratama of the Yogyakarta Women's Network (JPY), which organized the rally, said at the Yogyakarta Police headquarters on Friday. Mario was at the police headquarters to file a report on the attack. Accompanying Mario were the four injured rally participants as well as lawyers from the Yogyakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH). Mario said that many of the participants of Thursday's rally managed to flee from the scene, but four were left behind and were beaten by the angry attackers. The injured participants asked to be identified only as AL, BER, MUS and HA. Of the four, AL sustained the worst injuries as his left hand was fractured and the back of his head was hurt. Prior to the incident, a message calling for a move to dismiss the rally was reportedly circulated through the Blackberry Messenger application. The Jakarta Post received the broadcast message on Thursday after the incident occurred. Mario expressed concern over the incident, saying that the violence was at odds with the spirit of the rally, which was dedicated to remembering transgender people who died as a result of hate crime. He said the JPY held the rally in Yogyakarta because Indonesia was among countries with the highest number of cases of violence against the transgender community. Quoting research, Mario said that 85 percent of the transgender community had experienced violence during the period of 2011-2012. After filing the report, scores of JPY activists staged a rally on the grounds of the Yogyakarta Police headquarters. They carried placards bearing letters that read "Jogja Ora Aman, Jogja Intoleran" (Yogya is not safe, Yogya is intolerant) when joined together. Tia Setiyani, also an activist with the JPY, said the violence against the TDOR rally participants tarnished the spirit of the TDOR, human rights, diversity and the status of Yogyakarta as a city of tolerance. "The JPY calls on the Yogyakarta Police to thoroughly investigate the case and not to commit omissions against violence against LGBT[lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people]," Tia said. Woman activist Budi Wahyuni, who was recently elected as a commissioner for the 2015-2019 National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) said she was fed up with cases of violence in Yogyakarta that were left unaddressed. "This is a challenge for the Yogyakarta Police chief to finish the case," Budi said. In response, Yogyakarta Police chief Brig. Gen. Oerip Subagyo said the police would investigate the case if they were presented with evidence. The transgender community in Yogyakarta has faced numerous challenges in recent months. In September, the University of Sanata Dharma (USD) decided to cancel a seminar on LBGT issues following threats from the Islamic People's Forum (FUI). The FUI threatened to shut down the seminar by force, claiming that the event would propagate the spread of homosexuality, which, it said, violated Islamic values and social morality.

Three unidentified men beat up the husband of an outspoken Beijing-based housing rights activist amid a growing campaign by local police to force the two to leave their home, the couple said. As world leaders including U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Beijing on Tuesday to forge closer trade and economic ties in the region, the authorities have carried out mass detentions of petitioners and placed many critics of the ruling Chinese Communist Party under house arrest. Three men in plain clothes came to the rented apartment in Beijing of wheelchair-bound eviction activist Ni Yulan, 52, and her husband Dong Jiqin, in the early hours of Monday morning, Ni told RFA. "The police don't want us living in this rented apartment ... and they have already been to see the landlord to tell them not to allow us to continue living here," Ni said. "On Nov. 5, the landlord's entire family of five came by to force us to move, but it was the police who drove them here in their cars," she added. Ni was sentenced in April 2012 to a two-year prison term following her conviction on charges of "fraud" and "causing a disturbance" by Beijing's Xicheng District People's Court after she protested forced evictions ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Her husband, former schoolteacher Dong Jiqin, was also convicted of creating a disturbance and was handed a two-year term. Beijing authorities had earlier revoked Ni's business license because of her legal advocacy work on behalf of the capital's residents who were evicted to make way for development linked to the 2008 Olympic Games. Ni said police had beaten Dong during the raid on the couple's home. "My other half told them they should show some ID, so one of the men went outside and got into a small black car, where there were two other people sitting, and they came and shoved Dong, pushing him to the ground, and then they beat him," she said. "They snatched away his cell phone, which is now so damaged you can't use the screen, and I don't know where the SIM card is," Ni said. Ni said the couple had called the police and municipal government officials after the attack. "I called[emergency number] 110 ... maybe 11 times, but the local police station never got around to sending any officers," she said. Dong sustained bruising to his back and is currently in a state of shock following the attack, she added. "He is a bit shaky when he stands," she said. In a later interview, Dong told RFA things had got "even more tense" after police began following the couple everywhere they went at the end of last month. He said the attack is likely linked to tight security surrounding the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leadership summit in Beijing on Tuesday. "Some officials from foreign embassies wanted to set up a meeting with both of us," Dong said. "But the police kept them outside, and wouldn't let them come in. They wouldn't let us go out, either." "They blocked the door of our apartment with 50 or 60 people," he said. "There were police cars, traffic cop cars and other vehicles parked outside." Obama called Monday on the administration of Chinese president Xi Jinping to improve human rights, as well as to ease trade barriers, during a speech to the APEC forum. But sources in the capital say his officials are having a hard time arranging any direct meetings with dissidents and activists, making it harder for the president to put the topic firmly on the agenda. Dong said he is reluctant to move, because there are no guarantees that police harassment won't continue in another location. "The police beat me up[on Monday] morning, and they snatched away my cell phone when I went to call 110," he said. "They beat me around the head and chest." Obama told Xi on Tuesday that he wants to take U.S.-China relations to "a new level" after the leadership summit agreed to launch a two-year study into China's plans for a regional free-trade pact to rival the U.S.-backed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Obama is also scheduled for one-to-one discussions with Xi on Wednesday, which will likely include cyber-security, climate change and maritime disputes in the East and South China Seas that have fed growing regional tensions between an increasingly assertive China and its smaller Asian neighbors. Later that day, Obama will leave for another regional economic meeting in Myanmar, before heading to the G-20 in Brisbane, Australia at the weekend.

Military and police officers on Tuesday 11th November interrupted a private meeting between a lawyer and her clients in northeastern Udon Thani Province, while they were discussing a case related to the environmental impact of a dam. The military also told the lawyer to ask for permission for every meeting with her clients. Four military and three police officers interrupted the meeting at a hotel in central Udon Thani Province and forced the lawyer to write and sign a letter asking for permission to hold the meeting. After signing the document, the military allowed the meeting to continue, but did not leave the venue and observed the talk, according to Sor Rattanamanee Polkaw, the lawyer from the Community Resources Centre (CRC). The officers also collected documents related to the cases. "Why do lawyers need to ask for permission to meet with clients?" asked Sor Rattanamanee. She also pointed out that if the cases involved military officers as defendants, such as cases in the restive Deep South, the military should not interrupt or be present during such meetings. The meeting was to discuss the case against the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), in which 20 villagers affected by the construction of the Xayaburi hydroelectric dam on the Lower Mekong River in northern Laos are co-plaintiffs. EGAT has committed to purchase electricity from the dam. Sor Rattanamanee, who works on various community and environmental rights cases, was told by the military to ask for permission in advance every time she plans to hold a meeting with clients.

Authorities in the central Chinese province of Henan on Monday 1st December clamped down on public activities by AIDS activists in the provincial capital Zhengzhou to mark World AIDS Day, holding a key participant under house arrest. Wang Qiuyun, an activist based in Henan's Chibi city, said she had been unable to attend the event highlighting rampant discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS. "I am at home under surveillance, because I had planned to go to this activity in Zhengzhou, but I can't now," Wang told RFA from her home. "The Women Against AIDS Network had planned a news conference and was going to give interviews about medical discrimination." "There was also an event planned by students from Zhengzhou University, including discussion forums and panels, but I can't go to any of them now," she said. Wang, who is HIV-positive, said the authorities also confiscated her passport. "They took it away when I tried to attend a conference in Geneva, and they haven't given it back to me," she said. "They have been keeping an eye on me since October; they have taken over my e-mail account." Yuan Wenli, a spokeswoman for the Chinese Women Against AIDS Network non-government group, said she hoped around 100 people would attend the event. "This was an educational event to try to combat discrimination," Yuan told RFA on Monday. "The students are giving speeches, and they invited me and Wang Qiuyuan to tell the story of people living with HIV." Rights lawyer released Henan authorities have meanwhile released a prominent rights lawyer who campaigned for the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS. Chang Boyang, who was detained in May as one of the "Zhengzhou 10" for attending a memorial event to mark the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown, was released on bail on Saturday after more than 100 days in criminal detention. Chang, one of the founders of healthcare NGO Zhengzhou Yirenping, which has campaigned for the equal rights of people living with HIV to receive healthcare, had been held in the Zhengzhou No.3 Detention Center, his lawyer Feng Yanqiang told RFA. "This bail means that he is still under criminal enforcement measures, so his status has changed from being formally arrested," Feng said. "This was entirely decided by the judiciary. There is no need for him to agree, once they have decided." The release of political detainees "on bail" is sometimes used by China's state security police as a means of exerting continued control over their actions and movements, knowing that they can be redetained at any time. But Feng said Chang now looks likely to avoid being tried for "running an illegal business." "Chang has always maintained that he is innocent, and demands that the police drop the case against him," Feng said. "He wanted to walk free from the detention center with nothing on his record." Feng said Chang had refused to sign a document acknowledging the conditions of his bail, however. "He refused to sign a thing," he added. Battling discrimination Beijing-based AIDS activist Lu Jun described Chang as a prominent public interest lawyer who has battled discrimination on behalf of people living with HIV and AIDS. "He has taken on cases and appeals on behalf of large numbers of disadvantaged people, including appeals over discrimination against AIDS patients," Lu said. He said that during the 100 days that Chang Boyang was detained, he was prevented from meeting with his own defense lawyer. "They just found a pretext to arrest Chang Boyang because of the international attention his public interest work brought him," Lu added. China had recorded a total of 497,000 HIV/AIDS infections by the end of October, resulting in 154,000 deaths, according to government figures released on Sunday. Wang Guoqiang, deputy director of the National Health and Family Planning Commission said sexual transmission was the main source of infection, while mother-to-child, and drug and needle infection rates are low. However, U.S.-based dissident doctors such as Wan Yanhai and Gao Yaojie say the majority of new HIV infections come from a network of thousands of blood-selling and transfusion clinics which are still operating in poorer regions of the country. In April, the ruling Chinese Communist Party sent inspection teams to the central province of Henan to investigate the cause of a massive AIDS epidemic among poverty-stricken rural communities who took part in the blood-selling schemes of the 1990s. Both Wan and Gao fled to the U.S. after official reprisals for their whistleblowing on the blood-selling scandal, and for their insistence that it continues in poorer regions of the country to this day. Last Friday, dozens of protesters converged on the downtown area in the southwestern city of Chengdu, carrying placards that read:"Against medical discrimination" and "Equal treatment." Zhengzhou-based activist Cheng Shuaishuai told RFA on Saturday he had been swathed in bandages as part of the protest over unnecessary treatment and precautions taken by healthcare workers in China when treating people with HIV. "The idea was that people should take the bandages off me to symbolize the equal treatment of people with HIV," he said. "Everyone thinks that you have to take special measures to prevent HIV transmission and cross-infection, and that's why we did this installation." "We want to wipe out discrimination against people with HIV and AIDS," said Cheng, who is HIV-positive. "The main form of discrimination, I think, comes from the doctors treating HIV patients," he said. "They won't carry out surgery on them or even see them for consultations." "This discrimination among doctors leads to wider discrimination in society as a whole," said Cheng, who in 2012 set up a nongovernmental group that offers free support to people living with HIV/AIDS. "That's why we are calling on the medical profession first." Earlier this year, Cheng won 87,000 yuan (U.S. $14,000) in compensation from a Zhengzhou court after he and a friend were refused permission to board a Spring Airlines flight in the northeastern city of Shenyang when staff discovered their HIV status. The two, along with an HIV-negative traveling companion, were told that their tickets had been canceled, official media reported at the time. One of the plaintiffs, Chen Jie, told RFA the three had never expected to win, but that the case had helped improve company policy. "They have already amended the discriminatory rule, and people with HIV/AIDS are able to travel on their aircraft," Chen said. "I think that is very important, but I also hope that they will apologize." "It is encouraging for people living with HIV/AIDS to know that they can use the law as a weapon to protect themselves when their rights are violated," he said.

Authorities in the southern Chinese province of Guangzhou have prevented a prominent women's rights activist from leaving the country after she planned to attend a forum in Thailand. The activist, who asked to be identified only by her surname Zheng, said she had been stopped from boarding a flight to Bangkok on Thursday 13th November by China's border guards. "I was refused permission to leave the country," said Zheng, who had planned to take part in the U.N.-sponsored Asia-Pacific NGO Forum on Friday. "They took me into a glass-walled room and they confiscated my cell phone and my travel documents without giving any reason whatsoever," she said. "Then they told me to wait." Zheng was traveling with a fellow activist surnamed Liang. Border guards also confiscated her phone and shut her up in the same room. "There was a female border guard watching over us, and we waited for a very long time," Zheng said. "I asked to go to the toilet but they just said 'wait a minute.'" "I waited there for three hours, but they didn't let me go to the toilet." 'Under investigation' She said the authorities had initially suspected "a problem" with Liang's documents, but eventually let her go after "checking them out." "I was taken into an interview room with a male border guard ... who told me I had been refused permission to leave the country," Zheng said. "I asked him why, and he said that I am under investigation, so I can't leave." She said the border guard refused to provide a written document confirming the reason he had given her. "He said he didn't have the authority to issue such a document," said Zheng, who was still at the airport waiting for her luggage to be returned to her when she spoke to RFA. "He wouldn't say who was supposed to be investigating me; he just said it was the 'relevant departments,'" she said. A different reality China's ruling Communist Party has promoted gender equality, at least in theory, since it came to power in 1949. But women's and rights campaigners say the reality is very different on the ground, and that discrimination still presents major obstacles to equality. The Bangkok forum is part of a series of U.N.-backed events promoting the rights of women and girls in the wake of the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995. The conference, hosted in Beijing, set out a challenging program of improvements to the rights and opportunities offered to women and girls around the world, as well as requiring governments to report back to the U.N. on progress in key areas. The Beijing Declaration produced by the conference included a pledge to "ensure equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all women and girls." It also called on governments to "develop the fullest potential of girls and women of all ages, ensure their full and equal participation in building a better world for all and enhance their role in the development process." Discrimination widespread Zheng has been a vocal protester against discrimination against women in state and corporate hiring practices in China, leading a movement in Guangzhou in which activists shaved their heads in protest over sexist job advertisements. Some of these included different entry requirements for men and women to top-level university courses and jobs. Chinese rights groups say that 70-90 percent of female graduates have experienced some form of discrimination against women during their search for work. Activists say that Chinese women face major barriers to finding work in the graduate labor market and fear getting pregnant if they have a job, out of concern their employer will fire them, a common practice despite protections on paper offered by China's Labor Law. Overseas rights groups cite high levels of unemployment among highly qualified Chinese women, while unskilled migrant women workers are preferred by employers as being less likely to take a stand on labor rights, pay, and working conditions.

The military demanded that an Isan environmental activist shut down his personal Facebook page and a Facebook page on the controversial Pak Moon Dam and ordered him to report in. The activist said he would defy the order, however. Kritsakorn Silarak, an activist from People' Movement for Just Society (P-Move) revealed that he had received two phone calls from a military officer on the night of 17th November and the following day, who tried to intimidate him into closing a community Facebook page called "Together, let's open the gates of the Pak Moon Dam forever", citing that the page brings discomfort to the authorities. The military also ordered him to close down his personal Facebook profile "Paijit Silarak'. The military also summoned him to Sappasit Prasong Military Camp in northeastern Ubon Ratchathani Province on Thursday. However, he told Prachatai that he would not report in. The Pak Moon Dam is located on the Moon River in Ubon Ratchathani Province near the confluence with the Mekhong and was completed in 1994. The dam displaced approximately 3,000 families and affected tens of thousands more upstream since it caused a massive reduction of fish stocks in the river. Kritsakorn reported that the military also ordered him to come to the military camp and close down his personal Facebook page "Paijit Silarak', citing its inappropriate content. The activist, however, did not close down the page and told the authorities that the Pak Moon Dam community page is harmless to the junta and that he forgot the password and address of his personal email, which he stopped using a while ago. He further stated publicly that the authorities' measures to cover up the facts and people's perspectives are not compatible with the present day world. The intimidation started only a day before students at Kasetsart University in Bangkok organized a rally, which was forcibly cancelled by the police, against the construction of the Mae Wong Dam.

Authorities in Beijing on Wednesday 10th December detained hundreds of activists after they gathered outside United Nations offices and other major buildings in Beijing, calling on the ruling Chinese Communist Party to uphold human rights. Petitioners and rights activists converged on United Nations offices, national complaints offices, and other landmarks on Wednesday in a bid to highlight human rights violations by the government and law enforcement. Others arrived at Tiananmen Square, or handed out leaflets on public transportation calling on the government to respect protection for human rights enshrined in China's constitution. All were detained by police and taken to Jiujingzhuang, an extrajudicial detention center on the outskirts of Beijing, they told RFA. Yu Nanzhe, a petitioner from the eastern province of Jiangsu, said he had arrived outside U.N. headquarters in Liangmahe in the early morning. "There were so many police at Liangmahe," Yu said. "They were waiting for us as soon as we came up out of the subway." "They grabbed us by the arm and shoved us onto the bus and took us to Jiujingzhuang," he said. "There was one bus after another coming in to Jiujingzhuang, all packed with people." Yu said he had personally counted 29 buses, each of which can carry 40 to 50 people. "There were at least a few thousand people[brought here on buses today]," he said. "They were pretty much all of them petitioners." "I was brought to the front gate of Jiujingzhuang at about 11.00 a.m., and I had to line up until about 2.00 p.m. before I got inside," he said. A second detained petitioner from Jilin, Zhang Jixin, said all the petitioners had turned out in force to mark Human Rights Day. "We thought we would go to a global human rights organization on World Human Rights Day," Zhang said in an interview from Jiujingzhuang. "It seemed the only option left to us." He said he too was rapidly detained on exiting the subway station. "I didn't even get as far as the footbridge, when a large number of police stopped me from going any further," Zhang said. "I told them ... my right to due legal process has already been taken away from me within my own country, so I wanted to appeal to an international court," he said. "We may be petitioners, but we are patriotic, and we just want justice in our country, and the rule of law," Zhang added. "We knew it was a dangerous option." "The police told me it didn't matter what I was doing, that I had to get on the bus, and then they brought us to Jiujingzhuang." China's army of petitioners pursue complaints about the government, often for decades and in the face of extrajudicial detentions in "black jails," physical abuse, and other forms of mistreatment. They say they are increasingly stonewalled by the country's courts, and instead flood the government's "letters and visits" petitioning system with more than 20,000 new complaints a day, according to figures released in November 2013. According to the Sichuan-based Tianwang rights website, more than 500 people were detained by police outside the U.N. compound in Beijing on Wednesday. It said more than a dozen petitioners were also detained on Tiananmen Square and taken to the nearby police station. In 1950, the U.N. General Assembly announced Dec. 10 would be Human Rights Day, in a bid to promote its Universal Declaration of Human Rights to "the peoples of the world" as a common standard. In a statement on the official U.N. website on Wednesday, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on member states around the world to honor their obligations to their citizens. "Violations of human rights are more than personal tragedies. They are alarm bells that may warn of a much bigger crisis," Ban said. "We are rallying in response to violations - before they degenerate into mass atrocities or war crimes." "I call on people to hold their governments to account. And I call for special protections for the human rights defenders who courageously serve our collective cause," he said. China's official media meanwhile hit back at U.S. criticism of its rights record on Wednesday, citing the response to the recent shooting of black Ferguson teenager Michael Brown and a report detailing the use of torture by the CIA. "America is neither a suitable role model nor a qualified judge on human rights issues in other countries," the official Xinhua news agency said in a commentary. "As a developing country, China is in the process of ensuring its citizens have access to the constitutional and social rights to ensure development," the article said. "Part of this developmental process is the acknowledgement and understanding of its own human rights issues." Chinese rights lawyer Chen Yong said human rights protection still depends on the political will to enforce the country's existing laws. "It's pretty plain to see whether China's human rights record is good or bad; we all know it in our bones," Chen said, adding that China has no shortage of admirable legal principles and good legislation. "China doesn't need more laws and regulations; it needs to enforce the ones it has," he said."Only then can we improve our human rights record." Two campaign groups on Wednesday published a joint list of 83 Chinese citizens who are currently serving jail time for peacefully expressing their political opinions. The Civil Rights and Livelihood Watch website, together with rights defenders site Weiquanwang, published a list of profiles of China's prisoners of conscience, which includes jailed 2010 Nobel peace laureate Liu Xiaobo and 27 others indicted on charges linked to his "Charter 08" political reform document. The groups said the administration of President Xi Jinping has implemented a far-reaching and severe crackdown on citizens and social activists since it took power in November 2012. Citizens continue to be detained for participating in the anti-graft New Citizens' Movement, in the street demonstrations for press freedom outside Guangzhou's Southern Weekend newspaper group in January 2013, for supporting the Occupy Central pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong and for commemorating the 25th anniversary of the June 4, 1989 crackdown, the groups said. It said pro-democracy activists and human rights defenders, lawyers, NGO workers, journalists, and public intellectuals have all been targeted. Beijing-based rights activist Hu Jia said the crackdown had begun as early as the first year of Xi's presidency. "We already realized this was going to go much further than the administration of Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao had done in the previous 10 years," Hu Jia said. "And the arrests have been coming thick and fast in the past two months of this year, especially since the beginning of Occupy Central in Hong Kong on Sept. 28," he said. "What's more, they aren't allowing them to meet with their lawyers." In Hong Kong, the Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy said Nobel laureate Liu is currently writing a book while serving his prison sentence in Jinzhou Prison in northeast China's Liaoning province. But the authorities have made it clear he won't be able to take the manuscript with him on his release, the center said in a statement. Liu, 58, a literary critic and former professor, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010 "for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China" in a decision that infuriated Beijing. His wife Liu Xia, 55, remains incommunicado and under strict house arrest at the couple's home in Beijing, where she has been held since her husband's award was announced.

According to sources, on 14 November 2014 local rights activist Shankarlal Meena went with a delegation of villagers to meet the District Magistrate of Sikar on behalf of the village Sarpanch (Village Panchayat head) to register their protest against the illegal mining activities in the school ground of their village Toda. Sikar, the district headquarters is 120 kilometers away from Shankarlal Meena's village Toda. When they returned to their village after meeting the District Magistrate, Shankarlal Meena was attacked in his village market at around 6.00 PM by a group of 15 to 18 people closely associated with the stone quarry mafia in the evening. The attackers were armed with swords and sticks. The group was reported to have links with the former MLA Ramesh Khandelwal, currently with the BJP who controls the mining activities along with liquor trade in the region. In this brutal attack on his life, Shankarlal Meena suffered fractures in his hand and leg. He also suffered a head injury. Shankarlal Meena was taken to Sawai Madhopur Hospital, Jaipur where his wounds were sutured to control bleeding. In 2012 too the stone quarry mafia had threatened to kill Shankarlal Meena for his action against the mining activities being carried out by stone quarry mafia in and around the village. Around 1500 locals from 13 villages of Neemka Thana Tahsil in Sikar district staged a protest in Toda village on 17 November, 2014 demanding justice for the attack on the local activist Mr. Shankarlal Meena by the organised mining mafia of the region. Local sources said that the district administration asked the protesting villagers to end their protest assuring them that they would arrest the culprits and take action. Neemka Thana Tahsil in Sikar district of Rajasthan falls in the ranges of Aravalli hills, one of the oldest mountain ranges. Mining activities in the areas around Neemka Thana include blasting, stone crushing and extraction of ground water which were being carried out without lease or authorisation. Mining in Aravalli hills are in violation of Supreme Court's guidelines. Villagers of this district have been protesting for the last many years against the encroachment of pasture land by mining mafia, use of stone crushers and mining blasts causing damages to houses and agricultural land.

Activists and monks who were marching to Phnom Penh from across the country to mark Human Rights Day on Wednesday the 10th December met with roadblocks and armed police on the city's outskirts Tuesday morning, negotiating their way through the blockages only to find the pagodas where they intended to spend the night were locked. A group of about 70 marchers making their way along National Road 2 came up against a roadblock manned by some 30 police in Meanchey district at about 11 a.m. Tuesday, where they were prevented from passing for about an hour. But contacted Tuesday, acting district police chief Chuem Sitha denied that his officers had set up barricades. "No, we didn't set up barriers; it was time for the monks to have lunch," he said. Mr. Sitha said authorities demanded that representatives of the marchers sign agreements promising that they would not block traffic once inside the city center. "We did not stop them, we just checked them for weapons...and ensured there would be no traffic jams," he said. Once the roadblocks were removed, the group-which started their journey in Takeo province's Kiri Vong district-tramped down the highway and past the Phnom Penh headquarters of the opposition CNRP, where they were met by party president Sam Rainsy and lawmaker Mu Sochua, who accompanied them to Wat Tan on Norodom Boulevard. Prak Bora, second deputy chief monk at the pagoda, welcomed the weary band at about 2 p.m., and criticized reports that authorities had ordered pagodas along the way to lock out marchers. "I'm not happy that local authorities pressure pagodas to ban marchers from staying," he said. "A pagoda is a place for everyone." But a second group of marchers that had traveled from Ratanakkiri province-which was also temporarily stopped outside the city by police, according to rights group Adhoc-apparently received a less warm welcome. The group, which included members of the seven different ethnic minority communities from the country's northeast, was refused entry to Keang Kleang pagoda in Chroy Changva district, where they had intended to stay the night, according to rights group Licadho. The activists moved on to nearby Wat Chas, where they were offered shelter, Licadho said. Another group of about 100 marchers, which had traveled into the city via National Road 4, arrived at Stung Meanchey pagoda in Meanchey district to find the gates locked. Thai Bunthoeun, acting chief monk at the pagoda, said his decision to stop marchers from entering was in accordance with a joint statement released by the country's Mohanikaya and Thammayut Buddhist sects on Friday prohibiting monks from taking part in marches. "Another reason is that we are afraid that they will not leave if we allow them to stay," he said. After being rejected from Wat Stung Meanchey, the group was welcomed at Wat Samakki Raingsey, where chief monk Sieng Sovannara said the group was "staying happily" last night. Speaking at Wat Tan, Ms. Sochua, the opposition lawmaker, said she was hopeful authorities would allow Wednesday's celebrations to go ahead despite Tuesday's obstacles. "It's been sad to see the way[the monks] have been treated along the way...but I'm optimistic they will be allowed to finish without any blockades. I think authorities know better than to stop them," she said. "They will just intimidate with the security guards and all that, but I think it will be justice that will prevail."

Vietnamese rights activists and foreign diplomats went ahead with a planned human rights conference in Hanoi on Wednesday 26th November, defying efforts by police to harass and intimidate event organizers, sources said. The conference, titled "U.N. Protection Mechanisms for Human Rights Defenders in Vietnam," was held at the Thai Ha church in Vietnam's capital Hanoi, and was attended by over 70 members of civil society groups, together with representatives of the United Nations and embassies of Australia, the U.S., the UK, and the European Union. After being warned by police that the rare gathering was considered "illegal" by authorities, event organizer Nguyen Quang A was repeatedly blocked in his efforts to arrive at the church, he told RFA's Vietnamese Service on Wednesday. "I left home at about 5:00 a.m., and about 200 meters[700 feet] away from my house there were about 10 people on motorbikes and some others on foot who followed me," Quang A said. "They then stopped me from getting onto a bus, and when I tried to wave down a taxi, they would not let me get on, and told the taxi to leave," he said. Proceeding on foot, Quang A told the people following him that the topics scheduled for discussion at the conference involved their rights, too, and invited them to join him at the church - a site of protests in October by Catholic parishioners against authorities seeking to confiscate church land. "When I approached the turn-off to the church, about 30 people surrounded me and tried to force me back to the other side of the street," said Quang A, who by now had walked "for hours" to reach his destination. After struggling with his pursuers for about 10 to 15 minutes, "some people from the church and representatives from the U.S., Australian, and UK embassies came out, and I took the opportunity to break away and enter the church," he said. "It was then 9:00 a.m.," he said. Other civil society activists had also been followed and harassed by police and security officers on their way to the conference, which was attended by participants from around the country, Quang A added. One participant, Trinh Ba Phuong, said his mother Can Thi Thu had been jailed for defending her rights to her land in Duong Noi village, outside the capital. "Duong Noi farmers will continue our peaceful fight based in accordance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Vietnam is a party to," Phuong told RFA. On the evening before the conference was held, a police officer and security official from the local Quang Trung commune had entered Thai Ha church to check the residency status of those present, but parishioners protested and demanded that they leave, sources said. Authorities in Hanoi had also sent an official notice to the church, ordering that the conference be canceled, Quang A said. The Vietnamese government suppresses virtually all forms of political dissent, using a broad array of repressive measures, according to U.S.-based Human Rights Watch. Freedom of expression, association, and public assembly are tightly controlled in the country, it says. "Religious activists are harassed, intimidated, and imprisoned. The criminal justice system lacks independence and operates under the direction of the government and party."

More than 100 farmers in a northeastern province face charges on land encroachment as a result of the junta's Return the Forest policy, after the military prohibited the farmers from holding a public discussion to voice their concerns to the military government. Laothai Nimnuan, the coordinator of Isan Farmers' Federation of Thailand's Northeast, told Prachatai that more than 60 military and police officers on Monday the 15th December stormed into the venue planned for the public discussion on land rights and forced the organizers to cancel the meeting. He added that the military also recorded the names of all participants and requested the police to keep track of the participants' journeys home. The cancelled discussion on "Sustainable solutions for forest and land management of the people' was organized on Thursday along with other regional farmers' networks to gather opinions among northeastern farmers in order to write a petition to M.L. Panadda Diskul, Minister of the Prime Minister's Office. The meeting took place at Ashram Ban Thai, the facility of the Isan Farmer's Federation in Kantharawichai District of the northeastern province of Maha Sarakham, on Monday. "We have to thank the military, even though we did not talk, we know that our brothers and sisters were motivated," Laothai said to Prachatai. He mentioned that the military's measures to shut people's mouths actually reignited people's spirits, make them more united to fight with the junta's unjust policies, especially the junta's "Return the Forest" policy, and drive more people against the military regime. Earlier on Sunday, the military summoned Leamlek Nimnuan, advisor of the group and two other committee members of the Isan Farmers' Federation for a discussion from the afternoon until 8 pm. The military told him they if he did not comply, he would be arrested. Although the meeting was cancelled, Laothai and other leaders of the federation concluded that currently there are 103 farmers in Isan facing charges and that 1,764 warrants have been issued against farmers. If the junta continues to implement its policy to return the forest, 5-6 million rai of land (about 2,370,000 acres) will be reclaimed and about 30,000 people will be affected. The Isan Farmers' Federation has summed up the following demands to the junta: 1. Stop intimidating, arresting, and evicting people who have been living off the land and allow them to continue utilising the land 2. Temporarily halt impending legal cases against farmers and allow the cases to be investigated by the National Human Rights Commission, the Lawyers Council, and Office of the Ombudsman. 3. Provide compensation for farmers whose homesteads and farmlands have been destroyed according to the loss and allow them to continue using the land. 4. If the state wants to protect the forest, then the government should arrest investors and new land encroachers. Moreover, state projects and concessions for mining and building dams in forest areas should be cancelled and revoked. 5. Review the implementation of Orders 64/2014 and 66/2014 to protect the forest until changes are made.