Uwazi

This was a bad week for democracy in Vietnam, as two prominent activists lost appeals against their jail sentences on Tuesday and another two on Wednesday.

The provincial People’s Court in the Central Highland province of Dak Lak, rejected the appeal of Y Wo Nie while the Higher People’s Court in Hanoi dismissed the appeal of Le Van Dung on Tuesday.

Also on Tuesday the Higher People’s Court in Hanoi carried out the appeal hearing of 52-year-old Le Van Dung. He was arrested in June last year and in March this year he was convicted of “conducting anti-state propaganda” and sentenced to five years in prison and five years of probation.

Dung’s appeal only lasted one hour and 45 minutes before the court upheld his sentence.

Lawyer Dang Dinh Manh, who defended Dung at his appeal, said the hearing was too shallow.

“The court asked questions very briefly, did not go into depth or give time for debate. The court also cut off the arguments of the lawyer,” Manh said.

“Having previously worked with us we know that Dung did not expect the appeal hearing would change the outcome. So when he went to court his attitude was very relaxed, very calm and he was almost smiling throughout the hearing.”

According to the lawyer, the Procurator had an attitude of not wanting to argue and only answered lawyers’ questions vaguely.

“The lawyers actually raised a lot of issues,” Manh said. “I raised four issues, but he only argued with me over one issue with only one very short sentence.”

“For example, when we argued about the issue of judicial expertise, the Procurator said that the assessors are granted the assessor’s license by the state, so they have the right and full authority over the matter of expertise and [they consider] their expertise as such is lawful. They didn’t argue against many issues we raised.”

In cases of “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 88 of the 1999 Penal Code or under Article 117 of the 2015 Criminal Code, the defendants’ statements on social networks are usually assessed by state agencies.

The purpose of the examination is to find content that is alleged to violate the above laws.

Also according to Dung's defense, the lawyers could not argue further with the Procuracy because the presiding judge interrupted, saying "there is no further consensus on anything."

Manh said Dung still insisted he did not break the law, but only exercised his right to freedom of expression as prescribed by the Constitution.

“No one is surprised with the result of the hearing,” Manh said. “We all understand the way the Vietnamese court works, so we don't expect a big change, not even a small change. In general, we disagree with the accusations against Dung in both hearings."

The lawyer said Dung should not have been arrested and prosecuted just for voicing his opinions since the right to freedom of expression is enshrined in the Constitution. He said the Vietnamese government also has a responsibility to respect this right, having signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The hearings drew criticism from international human rights organizations.

Human Rights Watch called for the court to release Le Van Dung, and accused the Vietnamese government of suppressing human rights.

“The politically motivated, totally bogus conviction of Le Van Dung should be quashed and he should be immediately released, “said Asia Regional Vice President Phil Robertson.

“Using the Internet to speak out about injustice and demand reforms should not be considered a crime. By prosecuting him, Vietnam shows what a dictatorial, rights-abusing state it has become. Le Van Dung’s five-year prison verdict in March exemplifies the way officials retaliate against outspoken citizens for simply speaking their minds.”

Amnesty International Deputy Regional Director Ming Yu Hah also criticized the appeal.

“This appeal hearing once again shows the failure of the Vietnamese government to fulfill its human rights obligations,” she said.

“Le Van Dung is an independent journalist and has fought for the freedom of expression of disadvantaged groups in society, as well as for social transparency. His efforts should be applauded, not jailed for speaking his mind.”

“The Vietnamese government should immediately release Le Van Dung and many other human rights activists, such as Pham Doan Trang, Can Thi Theu, Trinh Ba Phuong, Trinh Ba Tu, and Nguyen Thi Tam."

“Dung is known for his live broadcasts on Facebook under the name CHTV, through which this journalist specializes in helping farmers whose land has been expropriated to ‘claim their grievances’ and at the same time provide comments on the socio-political situation in Vietnam.”

This was a bad week for democracy in Vietnam, as two prominent activists lost appeals against their jail sentences on Tuesday and another two on Wednesday.

The provincial People’s Court in the Central Highland province of Dak Lak, rejected the appeal of Y Wo Nie while the Higher People’s Court in Hanoi dismissed the appeal of Le Van Dung on Tuesday.

In December the Hanoi People's Court sentenced Phuong to 10 years in prison and five years’ probation. Tam was sentenced to six years in prison and three years’ probation.

The following day the appeals of Trinh Ba Phuong, 37, and Nguyen Thi Tam, 50, were rejected. They were both arrested on June 24, 2020 and charged with "conducting anti-state propaganda.” Phuong: is serving10 years in prison and 4 years' probation, Tam was jailed for six years with three months probation.

Y Wo Nie is a Protestant from the Ede ethnic minority. He was sentenced to four years by Cu Kuin district court on May 20 this year. He was charged with “abusing democratic freedom,” for reporting religious persecution in his region to international groups.

His conviction was based on an indictment claiming he took pictures of three handwritten human rights reports and sent them to several international organizations and also met with representatives of the US diplomatic mission in Vietnam.

Lawyer Nguyen Van Mieng told RFA his client had changed his appeal to protest his innocence.

“He changed his appeal from asking for reduced imprisonment to total freedom, saying that he was not guilty and did not violate Article 331 of the Criminal Code,” Mieng said.

The trial took place without a judicial expert, witnesses or relatives. Only the defendant, lawyer and an Ede-Vietnamese interpreter.”

The lawyer said Nie's wife and relatives were not allowed to enter the courtroom, so they, and more than 100 other Ede people, stood in the courtyard.

Mieng asked the appeals court to summon two examiners from the Department of Information and Communications of Dak Lak province and a diplomat from the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City but his request was denied by the court.

The appeals panel did not mention a point in the original indictment saying that Nie met representatives of the U.S. Embassy and Consulate General in Gia Lai province’s Pleiku city in June 2020.

Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang, a former prisoner of conscience from Ho Chi Minh City, said the sentence was predetermined.

"When the accused complains, the court should consider letting the lawyer present the reasons for the complaint. The independence of the court must be based on the argument in court between the lawyer and the prosecutor and it is very unfortunate that the evidence was not applied in this hearing and the final court judgment,” Quang said.

“Vietnam’s justice system has not been effective in reforming and is still targeting dissidents. Those with different ways of thinking will be severely punished, especially regarding … the behavior of public authorities towards the Protestant community in the Central Highlands.”

Mieng also said the assessment of the Department of Information and Communications did not follow regulations and resembled the statement by the State Department spokesman, coming to the same conclusions as the original indictment.

The indictment of the People's Procuratorate of Dak Lak province states that Nie personally wrote three human rights reports, took pictures and sent them via WhatsApp to "reactionary subjects abroad."

Mieng said the documents included a copy of “The Violation of Religious Freedom” and the content of the report was sent to the UN Commission on Human Rights and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

The other two reports were on “The Situation of Religion and Human Rights of the Ede ethnic people in the Central Highlands,” and on “The Situation of Religious Freedom in General and in Particular for the Ethnic People in the Central Highlands."

Nie was arrested in September 2021 for activities judged to "affect the political security situation, social order and safety and the normal operation of State administrative agencies, reduce the public's confidence in the regime and affect the image of the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam as well as the prestige of the Communist Party of Vietnam in international diplomatic relations.”

This is Nie's second time in prison. He was sentenced to nine years for “undermining the unity policy,” a provision often used to imprison religious activists among many Montagnard ethnic minority groups in the Central Highlands.

A recent report on religious freedom from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) also criticized the Vietnamese government's crackdown on the mountain dwelling religious groups of the Central Highlands.

According to Vietnamese NGO Defend the Defenders, there are currently more than 60 religious freedom activists imprisoned with long sentences under the charge of "undermining the unity policy." Most of them are Protestants from many ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands.

A Kyrgyz blogger has been detained on a charge of making public calls for mass disorder and violence after he posted online materials questioning the legality of the government's plans to develop iron-ore mining in the Central Asian nation's Jetim-Too mountain region.

The Interior Ministry said on August 15 that 19-year-old Yryskeldi Jekshenaliev was detained a day earlier after investigators questioned him regarding his post on a Facebook account called Polit Uznik (Political Prisoner).

The ministry did not specify which post sparked the teen's detention, saying only that "recently, many disputes appear regarding the development of iron-ore mines at Jetim-Too," adding that the Polit Uznik account in Facebook distributes "controversial, false information."

Polit Uznik posted a handwritten statement from Jekshenaliev while in custody in which he calls the case again him "100 percent politically motivated."

Polit Uznik also said the post in question was an old video in which a former security chief raises environmental issues when talking about the government’s

On August 14, President Sadyr Japarov condemned unspecified "defenders" of the environment in the region, calling them "false patriots and liars."

Japarov, who initiated the project to develop iron-ore mining in Jetim-Too, called on law enforcement "to work" with such persons. He did not elaborate.

Security forces in Kabul fired shots into the air and beat women protesting Taliban rule Saturday as dozens demanded the right to education, work and political participation on the eve of the first anniversary of the Islamist group’s takeover of Afghanistan.

Rally participants chanted “we want work, bread, and freedom” as they marched toward the Education Ministry in the Afghan capital before Taliban forces responded violently to the rare anti-government rally.

“August 15 is a black day,” read a banner protesters were carrying as they demanded the right to work and political participation, chanting "Justice, justice.”

Witness accounts and social media documented many women at the rally not wearing face veils.

Some of the female protesters who took refuge in nearby shops were chased and beaten by security forces with their rifle butts, witnesses said.

Heavy gunfire could be heard in social media video of the rally, with Taliban men assaulting female protesters. They also violently prevented Afghan journalists from covering the rally.

Amnesty international expressed concern on Twitter about reported use of “excessive force” by the Taliban to disperse women who were protesting peacefully. Taliban officials did not immediately comment on the allegations.

The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan last August 15 from the internationally backed Afghan government as U.S.-led and NATO allies withdrew their troops from the country after almost 20 years of war with the Taliban.

The hardline group’s all-male interim government in Kabul has since significantly rolled back women’s rights to work and education, barring most teenage girls from resuming secondary school in a breach of promises the Taliban made to respect rights of all Afghans.

Women employed in the public sector have been told to stay at home, except for those who work for the ministries of education, health and a few others, and must use face coverings in public.

They have also banned women from traveling alone on long trips and require them to fully cover themselves, including their faces, in public.

The restrictions angered female activists and they initially staged small demonstrations against them, but the Taliban used violence and detained organizers, effectively deterring such rallies for months.

The Taliban defend their policies as being in line with Afghan culture and Shariah or Islamic law.

Sources said on Saturday (August 13th) that more than 10 journalists and their colleagues who wanted to cover the women’s protest against the Taliban in Kabul were arrested.

Tuba Walizada, a TOLO News reporter, is also among those arrested.

Foreign journalists were also present among the detained journalists.

The Taliban have released foreign journalists, but have transferred other journalists to an unknown location. The Taliban have not said anything about this news.

This morning, a number of women’s rights defenders in Kabul protested over the situation of girls’ schools, which ended after the Taliban fired in the air to disperse the protestors.

Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage on Friday (12) ordered to remand Aragalaya activist Dhaniz Ali and three others until the 26th of August.

The suspects were recently arrested for unlawfully entering the President's House and causing damage to its property.

The Fort Police requested the court to remand the suspects and the investigations into the incident is on going.

The Magistrate thereby ordered for the suspects to be remanded until the 26th of August.

A union striker was punched in the face by a uniformed officer, and left briefly unconscious and bleeding from a gash on her nose, after authorities violently stopped around 80 strikers from walking to the front of NagaWorld casino this afternoon.

The violence occurred as strikers from the Labour Rights Supported Union of Khmer Employees of NagaWorld (LRSU) sought to move past metal barricades that authorities set up to block them from accessing the area in front of the casino. Around 80 police and mixed security forces then began violently hitting, kicking, stomping on and shoving back the mostly women union members to stop them from passing the barricades.

Less than three weeks ago, on 22 July, authorities violently pushed several protesting LRSU unionists to the ground in the same area of central Phnom Penh as strikers attempted to walk to the NagaWorld casino.

LRSU members have been regularly protesting near the casino complex since December 2021 to call for the reinstatement of unjustly fired unionists and fair severance for other dismissed workers. Protesting union members have faced arrest, imprisonment, fines, violence and sexual harassment by authorities over the past seven months. Eleven union members spent up to more than two months in pre-trial detention before being released in March 2022, and continue to face years in prison if convicted of spurious charges.

The Hanoi High-Level People’s Court on Thursday upheld the 5-year prison sentence imposed in January on Dang Dinh Bach, director of the Research Center for Law and Policy for Sustainable Development (LPSD), saying Bach had refused to return VND 1.3 billion ($54,200) owed in taxes.

Bach had failed to file taxes and to report sponsorship from groups overseas from 2016 to 2020, the indictment against him said.

Speaking to RFA after the hearing, Bach’s wife Tran Phuong Thao said that security forces had barred her from attending her husband’s trial, forcing her to sit instead at the courthouse gate. Lawyers were also prevented from bringing laptop computers or mobile phones into the court, she said.

“I was not surprised by the outcome of the trial and was mentally prepared for whatever would happen,” Thao said. “My husband continues to deny all the charges made against him and still declares his innocence.

“Because my family has not paid the government’s so-called ‘remediation money,’ the court would not consider mitigating circumstances,” she said.

Rights groups and activists have condemned Loi’s, Duong’s and Bach’s jailing, noting their arrests followed their promotion of civil society’s role in monitoring the European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), which came into force in 2021.

The leader of a group representing the Kayan people was shot and killed near his home in southern Shan State’s Pekhon Township on Thursday, according to local sources.

Francisco, also known as Saya Ko, was the chair of the Kayan Literature and Culture Committee, a group that promotes the culture of the Kayan people, an ethnic Karenni sub-group.

He was killed near his farm in Naung Lai, according to a resident of the village who spoke to Myanmar Now on condition of anonymity.

“Two gunmen approached him at his farm in the northern part of the village. No one has claimed responsibility for the killing, due to the complicated political situation,” he said.

Baham Htan, an ethnic Kayan who serves as the deputy minister for human rights in the civilian National Unity Government, called the assassination a great loss for the Kayan people.

“It breaks my heart,” he said in a post on social media.

The Kayan Literature and Culture Committee also released a statement condemning the killing, saying that it was not the way to resolve political disputes.

Francisco, 59, served as patron of the committee from 2012 to 2018, and as its chair from 2018 until his death.

In 2010, he was elected to represent Pekhon Township in the Pyitthu Hluttaw, or lower house of parliament, as an MP for the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).

He ran again for the same seat as a USDP candidate in 2015 but lost. He also made an unsuccessful bid as the party’s candidate for Kayan ethnic affairs minister in Shan State in 2020.

There are around 80,000 Kayan people living in Shan State and another 70,000 in neighbouring Karenni (Kayah) State.

29 people are now detained pending trial or pending appeal on charges relating to political expression, after activist Sinburi Saenkla was denied bail on Monday (8 August).

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said that Sinburi, a member of the activist group Thalufah, reported to Nang Loeng Police Station after learning that there was an arrest warrant out for him on charges of arson, destruction of property, and violation of the Emergency Decree in relation to the protest at the Nang Loeng Intersection on 19 September 2021, the 15th anniversary of the 2006 military coup. He was accused of burning a royal ceremonial arch in front of Ratchawinit School and a traffic control box at the Nang Loeng Intersection.

Sinburi denied all charges. However, the Criminal Court ordered to have him temporarily detained and denied him bail on the grounds that the charges carry severe penalties and the offenses were committed in public against state property, and that it is likely that he would repeat the offenses if released. The order was signed by judge Attakarn Foocharoen, Deputy Chief Justice of the Criminal Court.

Three other activists have previously been charged with the same charges over the same incident. A 22-year-old university student, also a Thalufah member, was summoned to the police to hear the charges on 8 October 2021, and was later released on bail. Meanwhile, Pornchai Yuanyee was arrested on 7 July 2022. He was subsequently denied bail and is currently detained at Bangkok Remand Prison. Pornchai and the student were also charged with royal defamation for burning the arch.

TLHR also reported that the police have requested an arrest warrant on the same charges for Thalufah activist Chitrin Phalakantrong, who is currently detained pending trial on charges relating to a protest at the Democrat Party headquarters on 30 July 2021. The police will likely be visiting him at Bangkok Remand Prison to inform him of the charges.

At least 29 people are currently detained pending trial or pending appeal on charges relating to political expression, 4 of whom are detained on royal defamation charges:

Private Methin (pseudonym), 22, a soldier detained at the 11th Military Circle Prison since 19 March 2022 after he was accused of mentioning King Vajiralongkorn while arguing with another person who hit his motorcycle with their car. TLHR  reported that Methin was held at the 11th Military Circle for 30 days while facing disciplinary action, before being arrested by officers from Bangbuatong Police Station and detained at the military prison.
Sombat Thongyoi, a former Red Shirt protest guard sentenced to 6 years in prison on charges of royal defamation and violation of the Computer Crimes Act over 3 Facebook posts he made in 2020. Sombat has been detained pending appeal at Bangkok Remand Prison since 28 April 2022.
Pornchai Yuanyee, a Thalufah activist, who was accused of burning a royal ceremonial arch in front of Ratchawinit School during a protest on 19 September 2019. He has been detained pending trial at Bangkok Remand Prison since 7 July 2022.
Shinawat Chankrajang, an activist who was arrested on 30 July 2022 and charged with royal defamation, violation of the Computer Crimes Act, and using a sound amplifier without permission for giving a speech during the protest in front of the South Bangkok Criminal Court on 28 July 2022. The South Bangkok Criminal Court ordered him detained for 12 days while the police conduct an investigation, and on 6 August 2022, denied him bail because he issued a statement rejecting the authority of the court with “severe wording” and because he committed his offense on King’s birthday, which the Court said was an important day for the entire nation.

Police persons attacked journalists at Siraha based Radio Gangajal Chandradeep Thakur and Arbin Paswan while reporting a protest on August 6. Siraha lies in Madhesh Province of Nepal.

Thakur is news reader and Paswan is correspondent at the radio station.

Journalists duo reached the Shaurya cement industry to report on a protest by the workers working in the industry. They were trying to talk to the workers and director of the industry about the protest. Meanwhile, on-duty police persons started attacking workers and the journalists with batons shouting,"Do you want to make news, videos here? I will show you."

The journalists who were wearing t-shirts with name of their media house along with the press identity cards have bruises on their back, hands and legs due to the attack. They have undergone treatment in the mearby hospital.

Freedom Forum vehemently condemns the attack upon journalists. Attacking the journalists carrying distinct identity of their media house, in the name of containing the protest is a severe violation of press freedom.

Hence, FF strongly urges the concerned authority to address the case seriously so as to ensure justice to journalists and press freedom

Mint (pseudonym), a traditional Thai dancer-turned-activist, has been arrested at her house on a royal defamation and violation of the Computer Crimes Act for posting a picture of a protest sign criticising the handling of royal defamation cases.

The officers initially told Mint that they were taking her to Yannawa Police Station and that she should tell her lawyer to meet there. However, the police later detained her at the narcotics suppression bureau, which is outside Yannawa police's jurisdiction. The temporary detention request will be made at the Court on 5 August afternoon.

At 17.00 on 5 August, the Court allowed her to be bailed with 200,000 baht as securities. She was prohibited from repeating their offences and interfering with court proceedings, must stay at home between 19.00 - 6.00, and must not leave the country.

Apart from the two individuals who have just been released and Mint, at least 28 political dissidents and activists are still being detained as of 4 August.

A prominent union leader has been warned for allegedly forcing NagaWorld casino workers to continue their protests, with the Labor Ministry letter threatening “punishment” if she continued her “illegal activities.”

NagaWorld workers have been protesting since December 2021 after more than 1,300 workers were laid off by the casino corporation, of which only around 200 are continuing their collective action to push for reinstatement.

In recent weeks prominent union leaders have lent their support to NagaWorld workers, and routinely monitored the protests. Yang Sophorn, the head of garment worker union CATU, has even suggested she will get garment workers to join the protests.

The Labor Ministry letter warned Sophorn on Thursday to stop acting beyond the purview of her profession and to stop forcing the workers to continue their strikes. It does not provide any details about how Sophorn was allegedly doing this.

The letter points to three articles in the controversial Law on Trade Unions. The letter cites Article 81 for working beyond the “geographical, occupational and sectoral scope” and includes an around $1,250 fine.

Article 89 deals with “coercion to strike” and carries a $1,250 fine, and Article 65 for unfair labor practices by a union.

The Labor Ministry did not detail what kind of “punishment” they would initiate against Sophorn and demanded she not engage with the NagaWorld protests anymore.

Sophorn was unfazed by the letter on Friday, and said she would continue her support for the fired casino workers.

“I feel normal. I have no problems [with] the ministry’s warning letter. I don’t know based on what case they are accusing me, I have not committed anything wrong,” Sophorn said.

She had the right to support other unions and their advocacy for labor rights, and was unsure how she had violated any laws.

Sophorn again was unable to give a date for when she and other unions planned to join the NagaWorld workers. The union leader has previously stated that she would get garment factory workers to protest in support of the NagaWorld strike, with other unions also pledging their support for the proposed event.

The workers have continued their strike this week, with Mam Sovathin, one of the protesting workers, saying only 90 people were present on Friday because many were sick after they were caught in heavy rains on Thursday.

She said the letter about Sophorn showed that authorities were now accusing everyone of illegal acts. She added that workers took responsibility for their collective actions and were not being coerced by anyone.

“We so regret that as a worker, we are trying to find a solution from the Labor Ministry but they have no ability. Instead, they try to accuse others; it’s so regretful,” Sovathin said.

Labor Ministry spokesperson Heng Sour said the warning would continue if the violations did not end.

“If the violation continues intentionally, the Labor Disputes Department will take the individual to court,” Sour said.

“The Department of Labor Disputes hopes that the letter of warning or reminder will enable stakeholders to reconsider the law. Sometimes as human beings we can forget or not pay attention. That is why the department issued a warning letter or reminder to her. When she receives the letter, she will read the relevant article again and be able to understand and adjust her actions. Ministries or professional officials do not want to see any stakeholders getting punished unknowingly by acting illegally or improperly.”

Almost 24 hours after WION correspondent Anas Mallick was released by the Taliban in Afghanistan, the rest of his crew, hired locally and abducted along with him, were released by the militant organisation on Saturday. They were kept in detention for nearly two days and bear wounds and bruises that show both were assaulted.

The crew members—Zakariya, who is the local producer and Mayel Kharoti, the driver—were released by the Taliban after a 42-hour ordeal.

The pictures that have come to the fore illustrate the cruelty which they were subjected to, a clear sign that Taliban 2.0 is no different from the previous regime of the militant group.

The group was detained on Thursday while taking generic visuals of Kabul. Their assignment was to cover the Taliban takeover anniversary but it also came around the time of the killing of Ayman al Zawahiri, the al Qaeda terror group chief, in a US missile strike. Anas has also reported from near the house where he was killed.

The crew have been instructed by the Taliban authorities to be present when summoned in future.

These two Afghans were hired to help Anas with the coverage.

Since their abduction, WION had made all-out efforts seeking their release, which eventually succeeded.

But it appears that the Taliban are threatened by our ground reporting in Kabul as WION's reporter was abducted while he was reporting, with all the necessary permissions.

On Friday, only Anas was allowed to walk free, whereas the local producer and the driver were kept in captivity by the Taliban. They had said that they will be releasing them soon.

Here's what exactly happened to him:

Anas says...

"We were duly accredited, we had all the press credentials and were filming general visuals when we were intercepted, taken out of the car... dragged off the car to be very precise. Our phones were taken away.

And then we were physically assaulted. My crew was assaulted and I was assaulted as well.

After some while, we were shifted from the place where were intercepted to what we know is the intelligence unit of the Afghan-Taliban. We were handcuffed, blindfolded, and faced the wildest accusations and after that were questioned thoroughly on our journalistic credentials as well. Personal questions were also hurled at us."

Anas is WION's reporter based out in Pakistan's capital. Anas has been reporting on Afghanistan developments for nearly five years for WION. He has done some exclusive, on-the-ground coverage when the Taliban took over Kabul last year.

Expressing his anger, Anas said that it's something you would never expect for an accredited journalist, for an international journalist for somebody who has been known to the Taliban as well.

He said, "We were the only Indian network in Kabul at the time of the fall of Kabul. And we were there three months post-takeover. I was literally at all the press conferences, at all the press briefings and despite all of this, it happened so it was a very bad dream."

On 4 August 2022, the Allahabad High Court rejected the bail application filed by human rights defender and journalist Siddique Kappan. The human rights defender was arrested on 5 October 2020 by the Uttar Pradesh Police along with three others, while he was on his way to investigate the gang rape and murder of a 19-year-old Dalit woman in Hathras, and has been since detained at Mathura Jail. Siddique Kappan has been charged with serious offences under the Indian Penal code, including the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). In November 2020, the Kerala Union of Working Journalists filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court of India, stating that Siddique Kappan had been subjected to physical and mental torture while in custody of the police. Siddique Kappan is a human rights defender and journalist who reports extensively on human rights violations faced by religious and caste minorities in India. He is a regular contributor for the Malayalam news outlet Azhimukham and Secretary of the Delhi Unit of the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ). On 4 August 2022, the Allahabad High Court rejected Siqque Kappan’s bail application. The court stated that the charges against the human rights defender in the charge sheet filed by the police appeared to be prima facie true and that he “had no work in Hathras”. However, Siddique Kappan has had decades of experience in investigative reporting and was visiting Hathras to report on the brutal rape and murder of a Dalit woman by upper-caste men. Siddique Kappan had approached the High Court after a Mathura Court had rejected his bail plea in July 2021. On 5 October 2020, the Uttar Pradesh Police arrested Siddique Kappan under Section 116 (6) of the Criminal Procedure Code which relates to causing breach of peace. However, charges under Sections 17 and 18 of the UAPA, sedition and criminal conspiracy were added on 7 October 2020. In the affidavit filed by KUWJ before the Supreme Court, they alleged that between 5 and 6 October 2020, Siddique Kappan was subjected to serious torture including beatings, sleep deprivation, denial of medication and mental torture. It is deeply concerning that charges of terrorism were added against the human rights defender after claims that he was tortured by the police in custody. On 28 April 2021, the Supreme Court of India directed the Uttar Pradesh government to transfer Siddique Kappan to a hospital in New Delhi because he needed urgent medical treatment. The human rights defender tested positive for COVID-19 while in hospital. During the night of 6 May 2021, he was secretly taken back to Mathura Jail by the police, without informing his wife or lawyer. According to the India Press Freedom Report 2021 by the Rights and Risks Analysis Group, the state of Uttar Pradesh saw at least 23 targeted attacks on journalists and media organizations in the past year, ranking worst only after Jammu and Kashmir.

After 7 years, the public prosecutor has decided to indict activists from the New Democracy Movement (NDM) and the Dao Din group on charges of sedition for an anti-junta protest in front of Pathumwan Police Station on 24 June 2015.

According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), Maj Gen Burin Thongprapai, then legal officer of the junta's National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), filed charges against 16 activists for the 24 June 2015 protest, which took place after a group of student activists went to hear the charges against them resulting from a protest in front of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) on 22 May 2015, the 1st anniversary of the 2014 military coup.

The 22 May 2015 protest was forcibly dispersed 5 minutes before its scheduled starting time. 37 people were then detained at Pathumwan Police Station, but were not charged and released the next morning. 9 student activists were charged at a later date.

On 24 June 2015, a group of student activists facing charges for the 22 May 2015 protest went to Pathumwan Police Station to file a complaint against the officers for using force to disperse of the gathering, and refused to report to the police to hear their charges as a gesture of defiance against the NCPO’s authority. Others also joined the protest, along with 7 student activists from the Dao Din group who came to Bangkok from Khon Kaen to show support for their fellow activists.

However, Pathumwan police refused to let the students into the station to file their complaint, so they set up a stage and gave speeches, played music, and read out poems, before the student activists were allowed to enter the police station in the evening.

On 22 May 2019, 13 activists were summoned to report to the police on charges of sedition and joining an assembly of 10 or more people and causing a breach of public peace resulting from the 24 June 2015 protest. The police claimed that the speeches criticizing the NCPO’s human rights violations and calling on the public to join anti-junta protests were seditious.

A total of 17 people were charged for participating in the 24 June 2015 protest, including activists Jatupat Boonpattaraksa and Chonticha Jaengrew, activist-turned-Move Forward Party MP Rangsiman Rome, and Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, leader of the now-dissolved Future Forward Party.

The police also accused the activists of trying to flee. They claimed that, after the 24 June 2015 protest concluded, the authorities were preparing to arrest the activists, but 7 activists, including Rangsiman, were taken away in a van which the police said Thanathorn was sitting inside, while other activists left in separate vehicles.

TLHR said yesterday (4 August) that the public prosecutor decided to indict 10 of the activists 7 years after the protest and 3 years after the charges were filed. They were later granted bail using a security of 70,000 baht each.

On 3 August 2022, Human rights defender and General Secretary of Ceylon Teachers Union, Joseph Stalin was arrested at his office in Colombo by a team of over 25 police officers. Authori- ties claim that his arrest is due to a protest carried out in May 2022 in violation of a court order. The human rights defender was taken to the Fort police station and remanded despite suffering from poor health. Joseph Stalin’s arrest is part of increasing reprisals including arrests, abductions, in- timidation, violence, and surveillance against peaceful protesters and human rights defenders in Sri Lanka. At the time of issuing this appeal, Stalin was being taken to the Magistrate’s residence but it has not been confirmed whether he has been granted bail. Joseph Stalin is a human rights defender, the General Secretary of Ceylon Teachers Union and a prominent advocate for education rights and reforms. He has campaigned against militarization of education in Sri Lanka and for the rights of teachers and students against regressive state polices. Since the beginning of countrywide protests linked to the economic crisis in March 2022, Joseph Stalin has been at the forefront of peaceful campaigns seeking systematic change and more trans- parent, accountable governance. Protesters demand an end to corruption, abolishing the executive presidency which centralizes power and for the removal of the Rajapaksa family and their allies, in- cluding current President Ranil Wickremesinghe from power. The Sri Lankan government has re- sponded with violence, disinformation against protesters and widespread arrest of protesters and perceived leaders. On 3 August 2022, Joseph Stalin was arrested at his office by a large contingent of uniformed po- lice officers. Videos of his arrest show the human rights defender repeatedly asking a reason or basis for his arrest as he is not a criminal, murderer or thief. Those around him appealed to the po- lice to be careful in their treatment of the defender as he suffered from ill health. Authorities have sought to justify the arrest on the basis of a peaceful protest in which he participated in May 2022 in violation of a court order. Others who were photographed at the protest and who have since shown allegiance to the Wickremesinghe administration have been rewarded with government po- sitions. Joseph Stalin who has been consistent in calling for accountability and genuine system change, is being punished for his peaceful human rights activism. Previously on 25 July 2022, the Magistrates Court had issued a travel ban against Joseph Stalin and five other protesters raising fears of possible arrest. While many have been forced into hiding, Joseph Stalin has continued his advocacy, openly calling for an end to reprisals against protesters. The defender is due to be pro- duced before the Magistrates Court on 4 August 2022, but there are no updates on his status at the time of this appeal being issued. This is not the first time Joseph Stalin has faced reprisals for his human rights work. On 8 July 2021, Joseph Stalin was arrested along with 30 others protesting against the militarization of edu- cation in Sri Lanka. The human rights defender and other protesters were granted bail by the Colombo Magistrates Court the same day. However, despite being released on bail, Sri Lanka po- lice, forcibly placed the defender, and others, in military-run COVID-19 quarantine centers as pun- ishment for their activism.

Two DBC News journalists, Saiful Islam Jewel and Azad Ahmed, were assaulted on August 2 while investigating alleged irregularities in the procurement of medical equipment. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the attack and calls on the Bangladeshi authorities to bring all perpetrators to justice.

On August 2, Jewel and Ahmed were investigating allegations of corruption and irregularities made against the Victor Trading Corporation in their procurement of medical equipment. As they reported outside the Corporation’s office, the owner of Agargaon Taltola trading house, Kawsar Bhuiyan, and other employees proceeded to beat the journalist and cameraperson.

Jewel said that the assailants first attacked Ahmed, seizing and vandalising his camera and deleting all audio and video. After asking for their camera and equipment back, Ahmed and Jewel were again beaten by approximately 12 assailants, leaving both seriously injured.

The journalists’ colleagues at DBC news reported the men received immediate medical care at the Shaheed Suhrawardy Media College Hospital in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. The current state of their injuries remains unclear.

Sher-e-Banglanagar police inspector, Shahjahan Mandal, confirmed that Jewel has since filed a police report in relation to the assault, and all eight persons identified have been placed in custody. Information surrounding other assailants or related persons has yet to be revealed.

Media associations and press freedom organisations in Bangladesh have condemned the assault and called for further action of protect journalists and media workers.

The IFJ has documented several recent incidents of violence against Bangladeshi media workers. On June 6, the body of DBC News Journalist Abdul Bari was found with multiple stab wounds. The IFJ’s South Asia Press Freedom Report 2021-22 also recorded the assault of Prothom Alo journalist Shahadat Hossain at a protest organised by the Bangladesh Chhatra League in June 2021, while Bahannor Alo correspondent Selim Shamrat was assaulted while investigating similar allegations in July 2021.

On 2 August 2022, Mongolian woman human rights defender and Executive Director of Oyu Tolgoi Watch (OT Watch) Sukhgerel Dugersuren was informed by the General Intelligence Agency of Mongolia (GIA) that she is being investigated for committing crimes under the Criminal Code Article 19.4 “Illegal cooperation with foreign intelligence agency, agent”. She has also simultaneously been targetted by a smear campaign on social media. There is serious concern for her safety and the risk of imminent arrest. Sukhgerel Dugersuren is a Mongolian woman human rights defender who works closely with communities impacted by large scale development projects. She has a long history of exposing human rights abuses and environmental degradation linked to large scale mining, energy and infrastructure projects. She is the Executive Director of Oyu Tolgoi Watch (OT Watch) – a Mongolian NGO monitoring the environmental and human rights impacts of Rio Tinto’s gold and copper mine Oyu Tolgoi – and Director of the Rivers without Boundaries Coalition in Mongolia which helps local communities to protect river ecosystems they depend on. OT Watch is part of the international Coalition for Human Rights in Development and Sukhgerel Dugersuren is a member of the advisory body for the Defenders in Development campaign. On 3 August 2022, during a government briefing, the Minister of Justice and Internal Affairs of Mongolia, H. Nyambaatar, stated that the construction of the power plant had been suspended for two years. On 3 June 2022, an article written by Sukhgerel Dugersuren criticising the Erdeneburen hydroelectric power plant which is planned to be built on the Khovd River in Western Mongolia was published by The Third Pole.1 The article raised concerns about the project, including about the safety of the construction, potential environmental impact given its location in an ecologically sensitive area of Tsambagarav Uul National Park, and the potential displacement of 112 pastoralist households. The article also raised concerns about the lack of transparency and public participation in decision making regarding the project. Construction on the power plant – funded by China’s EximBank – was due to be carried out by state-owned Chinese engineering company PowerChina. During the government briefing, H. Nyambaatar also stated that a task force has been established to investigate cases where development projects are interrupted by civil society. These cases will be investigated as 'Sabotage' under the Criminal Code Article 19.6 and there will be a mechanism for reclaiming costs incurred due to the ‘lost opportunity’. The statement, which coincided with the visit of China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Ulan Baatar who was visiting to discuss the power plant and other similar projects, is a direct threat of reprisal and punishment against human rights defenders such as Sukhgerel Dugersuren who have been vocal advocates for the rights of persons impacted by such projects.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is dismayed to learn that Do Cong Duong, a jailed independent journalist who had been extremely ill for months, died in detention last week, and calls on the international community to take action to ensure the survival of other journalists held in Vietnam’s prisons.

The official cause of the 58-year-old Do Cong Duong’s death on 2 August has not been announced but he was suffering from multiple ailments for which he was being denied appropriate medical care. Jailed since January 2018, he was serving an eight-year sentence in northern Nghe An province’s Prison No. 6. The authorities refused to hand his body over to his family.

“We are deeply shocked to learn of Do Cong Duong's death as a result of his detention in truly inhumane conditions,” said Daniel Bastard, the head of RSF’s Asia-Pacific desk. “We call on the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Alice Jill Edwards, to take action to ensure the survival of Le Huu Minh Tuan and the 39 other journalists currently imprisoned in Vietnam.”

Degrading treatment

Duong's health had deteriorated significantly in prison and he had been suffering from heart disease, pneumonia, and respiratory failure for several months. Despite his family’s repeated protests, the prison authorities never granted him the necessary care and he had to wait until he was near death to be hospitalised.

What with torture, solitary confinement and denial of medical care, the conditions in Vietnam’s prison are appalling. Degrading treatment is routine in its prisons and detention centres, especially for political prisoners. After refusing the grieving family’s request for his body, the prison authorities buried Duong inside the prison, against his family’s will.

Detailed reporting on land seizures

Duong, who was from the northern province of Bac Ninh, used social media to circulate his independently reported news and information, like many other citizen-journalists in Vietnam. A very active citizen-journalist, he often live-streamed video reports on the “Tieng Dan TV” Facebook page about corruption-related issues and land seizures by the state, which often targets the least advantaged sectors of the population.

It was while he was filming a land grab in Tu Son, a city in Bac Ninh province, that he was arrested in January 2018 and was tried twice in September and October of that year on charges of “disturbing public order” and “abusing democratic freedoms,” receiving a combined sentence of nine years in prison that was reduced to eight years on appeal in January 2019.

RSF sounds the alarm about the situation of the 40 other journalists and bloggers currently detained in Vietnam. Many of them – including Le Huu Minh Tuan, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison in June 2020 – are in very poor health and risk suffering the same fate as Duong.

Multiple arrests were made in Yangon on Sunday following calls for a public show of support for Myanmar’s resistance movement in the wake of last week’s execution of four activists.

Arrests were reported in at least four townships in the city, as people banged pots and pans or honked horns in protest at the latest escalation of regime violence against dissidents.

The protests, set for 10:37am on Sunday, were part of a “pledge to the revolution” campaign by the civilian National Unity Government and other anti-junta forces.

According to police sources, the largest number of arrests were made in Hlaing Township, where at least six people were reportedly taken into custody.

Hlaing Info, a Facebook page that reports on news in the township, confirmed that two youths had been apprehended there at a teashop on Mae Zi Gone Road, as the shop’s owner and waiters were forced to kneel on the ground.

Information regarding the other arrests in the township was not available at the time of reporting.

In Bahan Township, at least two arrests were reported, including one of a man living on the old Sayarsan Market Road who was detained on Sunday night for allegedly banging pots.

“They knew exactly where he lived. He was arrested at around midnight, and the military returned again in the morning to search his home,” said a resident of the man’s neighbourhood.

The other arrest took place on Mawlamyine Street, where a man was taken away in a prison vehicle by around 10 junta troops. It was unclear, however, if the arrest was related to Sunday’s protests.

In Kamayut Township, three people were arrested at a market at around 11am, shortly after the start of the protests, according to a local source.

“The first one was an old guy from the tailor shop. He was handcuffed and taken away by soldiers as soon as he started honking a horn. The other two were a couple who sold fish in the market,” the source said.

Another arrest was reported in Pazundaung Township, where a young man was beaten and detained for blowing the horn of his car, sources said.

Residents of Yangon said that soldiers with machine guns could be seen patrolling a number of areas and questioning pedestrians during the protest period.

Flyers warning the public that their property could be seized if they take part in the protest were also seen circulating in several parts of the city, according to residents.

While shows of resistance to the regime were dealt with harshly, incidents involving attacks on the families of Ko Jimmy and Phyo Zayar Thaw, two of the four prisoners executed on the weekend of July 23, escaped unpunished last week.

Protests expressing support for the executions were also given full protection when they were held in front on Yangon’s City Hall last Friday.

Myanmar authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Japanese documentary filmmaker Toru Kubota and drop all charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday.

On July 30, authorities arrested Kubota, a freelance filmmaker who contributes to international media outlets, while he filmed a small protest in the commercial capital of Yangon, according to multiple news reports.

Authorities accuse him of violating the country’s immigration laws and encouraging dissent against the military junta regime, according to those reports. The immigration violation carries a prison term of up to five years, and dissent carries up to three years, according to Reuters and CPJ research.

Kubota entered Myanmar on a tourist visa on July 1, according to an official statement quoted in that Reuters report.

Authorities moved Kubota to Yangon’s Insein Prison on the afternoon of Thursday, August 4, according to a Yangon-based journalist familiar with the situation who spoke to CPJ on the condition of anonymity, citing security concerns.

“Myanmar’s detention of Japanese journalist Toru Kubota shows that the military regime will stop at nothing to suppress independent news reporting,” said Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative. “Kobuta must be freed immediately and any charges pending against him should be dropped without delay. Myanmar’s junta must stop treating journalists as criminals.”

Kubota’s personal website shows he has contributed documentary news reports to Yahoo! News Japan, Vice Japan, the BBC, and Al-Jazeera English, among others. The website says his reporting focuses on ethnic conflicts, immigration, and refugee issues.

CPJ emailed Myanmar’s Ministry of Information and the Japanese Embassy in Yangon for comment, but did not receive any replies.

Kubota is at least the fifth foreign journalist to be detained in Myanmar since last year’s coup. Authorities previously detained U.S. nationals Nathan Maung and Danny Fenster, Polish reporter Robert Bociaga, and Japanese journalist Yuki Kitazumi, all of whom were eventually freed and deported, according to news reports and CPJ reporting.

Myanmar was the world’s second worst jailer of journalists, trailing only China, with at least 26 behind bars when CPJ conducted its most recent prison census on December 1, 2021.

A photographer known for documenting anti-junta protests and other activities has died in custody after being detained by authorities in Myanmar’s embattled Sagaing region over the weekend, family members and friends said Monday.

Aye Kyaw, 48, who runs the Hayman Photography studio in Sagaing’s former capital, Sagaing city, was arrested by junta troops who arrived at his home in a convoy of six military vehicles at 2 a.m. on July 30, citing a “tip” that there were weapons stashed there, his relatives told RFA Burmese.

Sources close to Aye Kyaw said that the administrator of Aung Chanthar ward, where the photographer lived, contacted his family around noon the same day to inform them that he had died and that his body was being held in the mortuary of Sagaing City Hospital. The family members were told they “could retrieve it if you want it, or leave it there.”

An official from the Ohbo Health and Social Assistance Association, a charity burial service in Sagaing, told RFA that his group had taken Aye Kyaw’s body from the hospital to a religious hall in Aung Chanthar ward to prepare it for burial.

“We took the body, as requested [by the family], from the morgue and sent it to the village ‘zayat’ (religious hall),” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“We didn't see any superficial wounds on the body but I noticed his chest was sewn up like a postmortem. I didn't see any injuries or leaking body fluids.”

He said that the family buried Aye Kyaw on Sunday.

Another friend of Aye Kyaw’s family, who also declined to be named, told RFA that soldiers had searched the photographer’s home for weapons during his arrest but found nothing.

“The army came in six cars and arrested him. Three were outside, three entered the compound,” the source said.

“[The troops] said they would shoot if the gate was not opened. They searched the entire house but they found nothing. Nothing at all.”

The source said Aye Kyaw’s body was “left outside” by staff at the hospital for the Ohbo Health and Social Assistance Association to pick up and bring to his family.

“We didn’t see any injuries on the face but there were dark bruises on the ribs and back,” the source said.

“He was a jolly, easy-going man and had a lot of friends. When they heard his news, they were all shocked.” Documenting a coup

Aye Kyaw, who was a member of the Upper Myanmar Photography Association, was known for documenting protests and other anti-junta activities in the aftermath of the military’s Feb. 1, 2021 coup. He would post his photography to social media, where it was regularly shared by politicians and the local media.

Members of Aye Kyaw’s photography group on Monday expressed sadness over his death, which is the latest of 137 that have occurred within days of detention or during interrogation by authorities since the coup, according to RFA’s count.

A resident of Sagaing, who did not want to be named for security reasons, said people in the city are “living in fear” because of incidents such as Aye Kyaw’s death in custody.

“I worked with Aye Kyaw during the protests in Sagaing and we took photos together. I feel horrible,” he said.

The resident said that Aye Kyaw’s body showed no signs of external injuries, leading him to believe that his fellow photographer died “due to extreme torture.”

“What happens here in Sagaing is that we see arbitrary arrests and killings when a military column comes and finds something they don‘t like,” he said.

“There is no law. The law comes from the barrel of the gun. They do whatever they want. We feel like the death penalty has been delivered whenever the army columns approach.”

The resident said that Aye Kyaw’s case marks the first time in Sagaing that a person has died within hours of being arrested by the junta.

Calls by RFA to junta Deputy Information Minister Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun and the spokesman for Sagaing Region Social Affairs Minister Aye Hlaing went unanswered Monday.

According to Bangkok-based NGO Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, junta forces have killed at least 2,142 civilians since the coup and arrested nearly 15,000, mostly during peaceful anti-junta protests.

An activist was arrested on Saturday night (30 July) and temporarily detained pending investigation on a royal defamation charge for speaking at a protest on 28 July to demand the release of detained activists.

Shinawat Chankrajang was arrested at around 18.20 on Saturday (30 July). Officers from Yannawa Police Station went to his home and presented an arrest warrant before taking him to the Narcotics Suppression Bureau on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, despite the protest taking place in Yannawa Police Station's jurisdiction.

He was detained at the Narcotics Suppression Bureau for 2 nights before being taken to court on Monday morning (1 August) for a temporary detention request. Ahead of the hearing, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported that Shinawat refused to take part in the judicial process, and so did not allow his lawyer to object to the temporary detention request or post bail for him. The South Bangkok Criminal Court later approved the temporary detention request and ordered to have Shinawat detained for 12 days at the Bangkok Remand Prison while the police conduct an investigation.

Shinawat also released a statement questioning the neutrality of the court when ruling on a case of royal defamation, since it has declared itself to be an organization acting in the name of the King. Since the King is a party to the conflict in a royal defamation case, Shinawat declared that he refused to accept the authority of the court until it can prove itself to be neutral and not under the authority of the King.

Shinawat was charged with royal defamation, violation of the Computer Crimes Act, and using a sound amplifier without permission for participating in a protest in front of the South Bangkok Criminal Court on 28 July, in which protesters stood for 1 hours and 12 minutes to demand the release of detained activists. Chinnawat and several other protesters also shaved their heads in front of a portrait of King Vajiralongkorn to call attention to the use of the royal defamation law against citizens without regard for human rights. They also performed a traditional curse ritual involving the burning of salt and chilli.

The complaint against him was filed on 29 July by the ultra-royalist group People’s Centre to Protect the Monarchy, which claimed that Chinnawat acted “inappropriately” in front of the King’s portrait, and that he gave a speech accusing the King of using judicial power to harass people.

Sri Lankan YouTuber Rathidu Senarathna, also known as Ratta arrested by Sri Lanka Police on Monday (30) afternoon.

According to reports Sri Lanka Police had reported facts to court that the suspect had protested Opposite Fort Magistrate’s court on the 25th of May 2022, and had obstructed the duties of the police officers present at the premises.

Sri Lanka’s Police on Monday said its Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is investigating reports that three anti-government protest activists including a popular YouTuber withdrawing 45 million rupees received from overseas. The activists have denied the allegation.

Media reports claimed that YouTuber Rathidu Senarathna also known as Ratta and two other activists had opened a new account at a state-owned bank early in July and that the accounts had received a total of 45 million rupees from abroad.

“Investigations have been launched over information received on social media. Claims can be denied. Investigations launched by the CID in no mean that the person is a wrongdoer,” Police spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa.

The move comes after Sri Lanka’s youth-led protest movement, known collectively as the aragalaya (or the struggle), celebrated 100 days of agitation against former President Rajapaksa and his government. The protest has already ousted the president, a prime minister, cabinet twice, a central bank governor, and a finance secretary.

Senarathna denied the allegations.

“Media organisations have published stories with our names before confirming with us. This is a bogus story fast spreading on WhatsApp,” he told EconomyNext.

“The Aragalaya accepts no cash donations. We receive physical donations such as water bottles and food. The named three activists have not received cash donations and we have not opened any accounts,” he said.

Newly sworn-in Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe have accused subversive elements within the aragalaya of trying to destabilise the country.

The Supreme Court today upheld incitement convictions of prominent unionist Rong Chhun and activists Sar Kanika and Ton Nimol, who remain under restrictive probation.

Chhun, who has spent years defending labour rights in Cambodia, was arrested after making a statement about the Cambodia-Vietnam border in 2020. His detention triggered a wave of further arrests of activists in Cambodia, including of Kanika and Nimol who were jailed after joining peaceful demonstrations in August and October 2020 respectively. The three were released in November 2021 and given three years of probation with a range of conditions limiting their freedoms.

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court had convicted the three activists of incitement under Articles 494 and 495 of the Criminal Code in August 2021. The Phnom Penh Appeal Court suspended parts of their sentences in November 2021, ordering them to serve from over 14 months to over 15 months in prison and to pay 2 million riel (US$500) each in fines as well as jointly pay 400 million riel (US$100,000) in damages.

The Supreme Court upheld all elements of the Appeal Court’s earlier judgement this morning. Chhun, Kanika and Nimol were not present in the courtroom as the verdict was read.

In a separate case, the Supreme Court this morning also upheld incitement convictions against former Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) activists Ton Nimol, Lim San, Yoy Mom, Sat Pha, Pai Ren, San Chan Sreyneat and Hong An. The charges followed their participation in a peaceful protest outside the Chinese Embassy in Phnom Penh in October 2020.

Myanmar authorities should immediately and unconditionally release journalist Maung Maung Myo and stop imprisoning members of the press on spurious charges, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday.

On Friday, July 29, a court in the city of Hpa-an, in Kayin state, sentenced Maung Myo, a reporter for the independent Mekong News Agency, to six years in prison on charges of violating Section 52(a) of the Counter-Terrorism Law, according to news reports and the news agency’s editor Nyan Linn Htet, who communicated with CPJ via messaging app.

Maung Myo was convicted for possessing pictures and interviews with members of People’s Defense Forces, an array of insurgent groups that are fighting Myanmar’s military government, according to those sources. Authorities banned the Mekong News Agency after the military seized power in a February 1, 2021, coup, according to Nyan Linn Htet.

Nyan Linn Htet said Maung Myo is being held at Hpa-an’s Taung Kalay Prison, is in good health, and intends to appeal his conviction.

“Journalist Maung Maung Myo’s sentencing and imprisonment is cruel and unusual, and is unjust retaliation for his work as an independent news reporter,” said Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative. “Myanmar’s junta must stop equating journalism with terrorism and allow journalists to report the news without fear of imprisonment.”

Maung Myo, who is also known as Myo Myint Oo, was first arrested on May 10 at the Salween River bridge checkpoint near Hpa-an after officials discovered he had shared Mekong News Agency reports on his personal Facebook page, according to those news reports.

Maung Myo has reported for Mekong News Agency since June 2020 and has covered various political topics, including COVID-19 in Myanmar, anti-coup protests, and clashes between the military government and armed resistance groups, including the People’s Defense Forces.

At least two other Myanmar journalists were convicted and sentenced in July for their news reporting.

On July 7, a Wetlet Township court in the northwestern region of Sagaing convicted and sentenced Democratic Voice of Burma journalist Aung San Lin to six years in prison with hard labor, with four years under Section 52(b) of the Counter-Terrorism Law and two years under the penal code’s Section 505(a), which criminalizes incitement and the dissemination of “false news,” according to DVB and other news reports.

Aung San Lin was first arrested on December 11, 2021, by about 20 soldiers who raided his home around midnight in the Sagaing Region’s village of Pin Zin, shortly after he published a report alleging that military forces committed arson attacks on the homes of three supporters of the coup-toppled National League for Democracy in Wetlet Township.

The DVB report said he was being held at Shwebo Prison near the central city of Mandalay. CPJ could not immediately determine whether he intended to appeal his conviction, and DVB editor-in-chief Aye Chan Naing did not reply to CPJ’s emailed request for comment.

Separately, on July 14, an Insein Township Court in Yangon sentenced Nying Nying Aye, a freelance reporter who contributes regularly to the local news website Mizzima, to three years in prison with hard labor under Section 505(a) of the penal code, according to multiple news reports.

Nying Nying Aye, also known as Mabel, started reporting on domestic politics for Mizzima soon after the coup, according to the outlet’s editor-in-chief Soe Myint, who communicated with CPJ via email. She has been detained since January 15, according to those reports.

The Myanmar Ministry of Information did not reply to CPJ’s emailed request for comment on the journalists’ convictions and sentencings.

Myanmar was the world’s second worst jailer of journalists, trailing only China, with at least 26 behind bars when CPJ conducted its most recent prison census on December 1, 2021.

The former director of the SENA (Southeast and North Asia) Institute of Technology Research and Development has been placed under house arrest and banned from leaving Vietnam amid a probe into allegations of ‘abusing democratic freedoms’ for submitting a series of recommendations on improving the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam.

On Wednesday the Ministry of Public Security said the Investigation Security Agency had decided to probe Nguyen Son Lo, 74, under Article 331 of the Criminal Code.

The ministry did not explain why the investigation had been launched, saying the Investigation Security Agency was “focusing on investigating, collecting documents, and consolidating evidence on the criminal acts of the accused and related individuals … according to the provisions of law."

Lo’s close friend Nguyen Khac Mai, director of the Hanoi-based Minh Triet Cultural Research Center, said his colleague was a highly-decorated war hero who turned to study and offered his insights on the situation of the country and ways to improve people’s lives.

"Recently he founded a think-tank on cultural research and development,” said Mai.

“He told us ‘the issue of culture has become a huge issue these days for the nation’ so he wanted to contribute to this field.”

He said his friend had written a number of books to advise the country’s leaders, offering recommendations on Vietnam’s economy and culture.

“The Central Inspection Commission [of the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam] came to SENA to work with him and confirmed they had not forbidden him from expressing his opinions or making recommendations. They just asked him not to spread them widely," Mai said.

Lo was advised not to send his books to provincial Party secretaries or National Assembly deputies. He was told to send them internally to bodies such as the Central Organizing Commission, the Central Inspection Commission, the Central Commission on Propaganda and Education, the Secretariat and the Politburo of the Party’s Central Committee.

According to Mai, Lo agreed to send his comments only to responsible officials but did not understand why he was being investigated.

Last year, Bach Thong district police in Bac Kan province, published an article titled "Suggestions to build the Party or act against the Party." The article referred to the SENA Institute and claimed it had written an open letter about the 13th National Congress of the Party expressing incorrect and distorted views on Party and State.

Mai said his colleague was not acting against the Party.

"He only has a constructive mind. He wants to contribute, correct mistakes, improve, make this Party and government more civilized and cultured, more humane, more popular, and kinder.”

“That's his aspiration and I think 90 to 100 million people also want the same. No one wants to overthrow the regime, they just want it to be better.”

“Less corruption, more humanity, less immoral behavior, no land grabbing but negotiation and proper compensation. That is his wish like mine and others," said Mai.

On July 4, the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations issued a decision to suspend the operations of the institute and take steps to abolish it, saying its establishment and operations violated regulations.

According to Mai, SENA is a civil society organization, legally registered with the state and its members are former high-ranking cadres such as Nguyen Manh Can, former deputy head of the Central Organizing Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

The Supreme Court has sentenced an indigenous Karen woman to 2 years and 8 months in prison for encroaching on National Park land despite pleas that the piece of land was passed down through her family.

Wansao Phungam is an indigenous Karen woman who lives in Tha Salao village in Nong Ya Plong District, Phetchaburi Province – one of the indigenous Karen communities on the edge of the Kaeng Krachan National Park. She has been living and working on a piece of land she inherited from her parents, and insisted that she has never encroached on the National Park. But when the government launched the One Map Project in 2016, the borders of Kaeng Krachan National Park were redrawn and Wansao’s land was included inside the Park.

The Kaeng Krachan National Park is Thailand’s largest national park. Along with Kui Buri National Park, the Chaloem Prakiat Thai Prachan National Park, and the Maenam Pachi Wildlife Sanctuary, it makes up the Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex, which covers 482,225 hectares of forest in three provinces.

The forest complex included several indigenous Karen communities both in the conservation zone and in the nearby area, containing over 5000 households. Tha Salao village is one of these communities. Many of its community members have faced and are still facing legal prosecution as the authorities claim they have encroached on forest land.

In July 2021, the Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex was named a World Heritage site despite ongoing concerns about human rights violatin against these indigenous communities.

Wansao said that other plots of land around hers have a Certificate of Utilization, but her parents had never obtained the document as they have 7 children and her father was sick, so her mother was not able to travel into town to get the certificate. She noted that no one else who lives on land around hers is being prosecuted.

In August 2018, Wansao was arrested for encroaching on National Park land. The Court of First Instance sentenced her to 3 years and 8 months in prison and a fine of over 2 million baht. Although the Appeal Court later dismissed her case, for the past three years while she has been fighting her case, Wansao has not been able to live on her land and had to leave her home behind.

The public prosecutor then appealed to the Supreme Court. Today (27 July), the Supreme Court overturned the Appeal Court’s dismissal of Wansao’s case and sentenced her to 2 years and 8 months in prison. She must pay a fine of 3.1 million baht and leave her land. Her house and all other buildings on the land must also be demolished.

Transborder News reported that other community members attended the hearing, and found the ruling unexpected as the Appeal Court had already dismissed the charges against Wansao.

Wansao is one of thousands of people affected by the National Council for Peace and Order’s forest reclamation policy. According to the activist network People’s Movement for a Just Society (P-Move), there are at least 34,692 cases in which an individual has been sued for encroaching on National Parks and protected forests and evicted from their land.

Following Wansao’s imprisonment, P-Move issued a statement condemning the government for the forest reclamation policy, which aims for 40% of the country to be forest area, and called on the authorities to end repeal all laws, orders, and policies which are part of the forest reclamation policy to allow the public to participate in the creation of a new land rights law.

P-Move also called on parliament to launch an investigation into the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE)’s budget and 2023 year plan, as it appeared that they are still following a forest conservation model from 2014, and that its budget for crackdown on encroachment is 8 times the budget allocated to solving land right issues. A new law must be drafted to pardon everyone unfairly prosecuted due to a government policy.

Several dozen people mobbed the Yangon residences of the parents of two recently executed activists on Wednesday, in an apparently coordinated act of intimidation by pro-junta forces.

The targets were the parents of Phyo Zayar Thaw, a former National League for Democracy MP, and Ko Jimmy, a veteran of the 1988 student uprising, who were among four dissidents executed over the weekend.

In a video shared by pro-regime groups on social media, a mob can be seen throwing rocks and firing slingshots at the second-story apartment of Phyo Zayar Thaw’s parents in Yangon’s Kyauktada Township.

As some members of the crowd swear and shout the word “traitors,” one attacker can be heard screaming: “We will kill your whole family!”

Another video, also widely circulated on social media, shows a similar scene in front of the home of Ko Jimmy’s parents in Insein Township.

“You think your son is a martyr? What can you say about the bereaved family members of those your son killed?” shouts one man in the video, as others pelt the house with eggs.

According to a source who spoke to Myanmar Now on condition of anonymity, the group arrived in seven vehicles, including five light trucks, armed with knives and sticks.

Residents of both areas said that no effort was made by the authorities to disperse the crowds, despite the heavy military presence in Yangon since last year’s coup.

One observer noted that Phyo Zayar Thaw’s parents live a short distance from the colonial-era Secretariat building, where there is a checkpoint manned by soldiers.

The incidents appear to be in support of the junta’s official narrative regarding the executions, which have stunned many in the country and met with international condemnation.

They come just one day after junta spokesperson General Zaw Min Tun said at a press conference that the four individuals were executed for “criminal activities they committed and in pursuit of justice for the victims they killed.”

Mya Thaw, the father of Phyo Zayar Thaw, declined to comment on Wednesday’s incident.

“I request everyone to understand our situation,” he said.

Thazin Nyunt Aung, the partner of Phyo Zayar Thaw, expressed concern for the safety of his parents.

“I am extremely worried about them now… We all need to help his parents,” she said.

An activist of the Inter-University Students Union and the 'GotaGoGama’, Anthony Veranga Pushpika has been arrested by the Colombo South Divisional Crime Detective Bureau (DCDB) today in connection with causing damages to public property during a recent protest near the Police Headquarters.

It was reported on social media that the activist who was returning on a bus after taking part in a demonstration in Colombo had been forcibly taken away by an unidentified group in a blue coloured jeep in Fort.

However, the OIC of the Colombo South Division said there was no truth in him being abducted. He said the police had taken him into custody and he will be produced in court by the Fort Police.

Veranga Pushpika was also the former President of Ruhunu Maha Shishya Sangamaya.