Uwazi

Hong Kong's national security police have written to the organizers of a now-banned candlelight vigil for the victims of the June 4, 1989 massacre in Beijing, asking them to reveal details of the group's previous contacts with overseas-based organizations.

Chow Hang-tung, vice chair of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, said the group's members have been given two weeks to comply with the request, made under Article 43 of a national security law imposed on the city by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from July 1, 2020.

A video clip shared to social media showed national security police delivering a letter to Chow at her home, which she signed for.

Chow said the police letter had described the Alliance as an "agent" of foreign organizations, which she denied.

"Just by pinning this label of foreign agent on us, they can then require us to hand over all of this information," Chow told RFA on Wednesday.

"This is an extremely unfair accusation, and a completely false one," Chow said. "How can the Alliance be a foreign agent? We are an organization formed spontaneously by the people of Hong Kong."

"[They are] using this tactic to intimidate civil society groups," she said. But she denied the Alliance had already made plans to disband, saying the issue was still unresolved.

Chow was mentioned in the letter alongside former Democratic Party lawmaker Emily Lau and Alliance co-founders Albert Ho and Lee Cheuk-yan, who are currently in prison on different charges.

"The national security department of the Hong Kong Police Force wrote to the Aliiance on Aug. 25, saying it was suspected of being a foreign agent," the letter, which was shared with RFA by Chow, said.

"The Alliance is hereby required under Article 43 of the National Security Law to provide detailed information about the activities of its personnel in Hong Kong since its establishment," the letter said.

Deadline for submission

It called for full records and contact details for overseas organizations to be submitted to police by Sept. 7, 2021.

"Failure to supply police with the requested information, unless you can prove that you have tried comply with the request to the best of your ability, or that you were prevented from doing so due to reasons beyond your control, will result in a fine of H.K.$100,000 and a prison sentence of six months if convicted," the letter warned.

Among the organizations listed in the request were the Washington-based National Endowment for Democracy, the National Democratic Institute, the International Republican Institute, the Solidarity Center, and the Center for International Private Enterprise.

Also listed were the Canada-based Federation for a Democratic China, the U.S.-based New School for Democracy, founded by former 1989 student leader Wang Dan, and the Chinese Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group.

According to a person familiar with the internal operations of the Alliance, the group has been in touch with pro-democracy activists and dissidents in mainland China for many years.

Others may be targeted

Joseph Cheng, a former politics professor at Hong Kong's City University, said other groups could also be targeted, including the Chinese Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group, which has spoken out for the mainland Chinese legal profession since the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began a crackdown in July 2015.

"They are now targeting some of the more prominent activists, both within the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement and overseas, as well as the pro-democracy movement in mainland China," Cheng said. "The relevant departments in mainland China likely already have a lot of material on them already."

"The current sweep for documents and records is likely aimed at arresting them and bringing charges, or using the material to go after pro-democracy activists overseas," he said.

Zhang Xianling, a co-founder of the Tiananmen Mothers group representing the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen massacre, said she had nothing to fear.

"Even if they eradicate an organization [like the Alliance] or stop it from meeting, they won't necessarily be able to cover everything up," Zhang said. "The traces will still be there in the historical record."

"A lie is still a lie, even after 100 years have gone by."

Hong Kong justice secretary Teresa Cheng declined to comment when contacted by RFA on Wednesday, saying she wouldn't comment on an ongoing investigation.

Security forces have detained more than 30 youths in Myanmar’s largest city Yangon as authorities conducted a series of raids in response to the country’s shadow government warning of a “D-Day” operation to oust the junta nearly seven months after it seized power through a coup.

Five people, including a couple that own a popular noodle shop, were arrested late on Monday in Yangon’s Sanchaung township, a resident of the area told RFA’s Myanmar Service, speaking on condition of anonymity citing fear of reprisal.

“They began the searches around 4:00 p.m., first near Thayettaw Road and Tayokekyaung Road, before moving to Zeyawaddy, Moe Ma Kha, and Gandamar Roads. They later searched the noodle shop on Ma Kyee Kyee Road,” the resident said.

“They conducted the searches from until around 3:30 a.m. I believe more than a dozen people were arrested. Every time they made an arrest, they would take the person to the police station and then come back again to make more arrests.”

Authorities also searched adjacent roads in the area and arrested several youths from New People’s Ward 4 during a check on household registration documents, residents said.

Other sources told RFA that more than a dozen people were also arrested Monday in Yangon’s Thaketa, Ahlone and Thingangyun townships.

“The military was searching for and arresting people last evening in Thingangyun township and other areas—about 20 people were arrested,” said a Thingangyun resident who declined to be named.

“What we heard was that they got information from one of those arrested about an online app that young people are using to communicate with each other. From that app, they found out the connections and made the arrests.”

RFA was unable to verify the exact number of arrests, but they come amid several in recent days that included the detention of four young men during a raid Monday morning in Yangon’s Tha-maing Myothit district. ‘D-Day’ operation

Authorities appear to be intensifying a crackdown on anti-junta activities that began soon after the military seized power from Myanmar’s democratically elected government in a Feb. 1 putsch. In the nearly seven months since the coup, security forces have killed 1,014 civilians and arrested at least 5,851, according to the Bangkok-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).

The junta says it had to unseat Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) government because the party engineered a landslide victory in Myanmar’s November 2020 election through widespread voter fraud. It has yet to present evidence of its claims and public unrest is at an all-time high.

The NUG recently announced plans to set a date for a “D-Day” operation to purge the country of the junta through a popular uprising supported by a network of People’s Defense Force (PDF) militia groups formed to protect the public from the military.

On Monday night, a bomb went off at a military-owned garment factory in Ward 7 of Yangon’s Hlaing Tharyar township where troops had recently set up camp, wounding at least two soldiers, according to a statement issued about 15 minutes after the blast by the Hlaing Tharyar guerrilla group (CGF).

In the statement, the CGF claimed responsibility for what it said was a remote-controlled explosion in retaliation for an attack by the military earlier on Monday.

A resident of Hlaing Tharyar township confirmed the bombing on Monday and said it was followed by what sounded like a short firefight.

“There was a bomb blast at about 10:00 last night … followed by about 20 gunshots and then another rounds fired,” the resident said.

“There were no arrests of civilians, but armed soldiers were patrolling the streets on motorcycles as well as on foot in civilian clothes … There are checkpoints everywhere.”

Situation intensifying

Shootings and bombings are on the rise after the NUG’s D-Day announcement, and the junta has responded by stepping up security measures in nearly every city. The military regime recently appointed police chiefs to replace the Minister for Transport and Communications in all states and divisions, including Yangon.

Sources told RFA that the junta has been using loudspeakers in major cities in recent days to warn people not to support the NUG government, demand that militia groups surrender, and offer rewards to those who provide information about the PDF.

Political analyst Than Soe Naing told RFA that the military’s efforts are unlikely to head off a challenge to its hold on power.

“Civil war is just beginning. The situation is becoming intense, and I believe the momentum will only get stronger after D-Day,” he said.

“In the meantime, we hear about fighting daily while the military is checking visitor lists in cities throughout the country and carrying out arrests … I think that as soon as the D-Day program begins, various movements will spring up nationwide.”

Myanmar's military government has arrested two more local journalists, army-owned television reported on Saturday, the latest among dozens of detentions in a sweeping crackdown on the media since a February 1 coup.

Sithu Aung Myint, a columnist for news site Frontier Myanmar and commentator with Voice of America radio, and Htet Htet Khine, a freelance producer for BBC Media Action, were arrested on August 15, Myawaddy TV reported.

Sithu Aung Myint was charged with sedition and spreading false information that Myawaddy said was critical of the junta and had urged people to join strikes and back outlawed opposition groups.

Htet Htet Khine was accused of harboring Sithu Aung Myint, a criminal suspect, and working for and supporting a shadow National Unity Government.

BBC Media Action said in a statement it was concerned about Htet Htet Khine's safety and the charges against her and was closely monitoring the situation.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said the pair were being held incommunicado.

"We strongly condemn the arbitrary conditions of their detention, which reflect the brutality with which the military junta treats journalists," said its Asia-Pacific desk head Daniel Bastard.

Myanmar remains fraught with instability and opposition to army rule, under which more than 1,000 people have been killed, according to an activist group that has tracked killings by security forces.

The military, which has revoked the licenses of many news outlets, says it respects the role of media but will not allow news reporting it deems false or likely to create public unrest.

A report by the Committee to Protect Journalists last month said Myanmar's rulers had effectively criminalized independent journalism.

Human Rights Watch late last month said the army government had arrested 98 journalists since the coup and should stop prosecuting media staff. Of those arrested, 46 remained in custody as of the end of July.

An organizer of March rallies against Kyrgyzstan's constitutional amendments has been sentenced to 18 months in prison on a charge of calling to seize power by force.

Bishkek's Sverdlov district court on August 20 sentenced Tilekmat Kudaibergenov (aka Kurenov), who reiterated his innocence after his sentence was pronounced.

Kudaibergenov was arrested in mid-March and later transferred to house arrest.

Before his detention, police searched his home and the office of the Against KHANstitution movement that opposed the amendments initiated by President Sadyr Japarov.

Kudaibergenov is one the organizers of March 9 rallies in Bishkek against the amendments that ended up being approved in a nationwide referendum on April 11.

Critics have said that the constitutional amendments that very much increased presidential powers helped Japarov to consolidate power.

Kudaibergenov is a noted activist also known as a founder and a leader of a movement against granting concessions for the Jetim-Too iron ore field near the Chinese border to foreign investors.

At 8 PM on 19 August 2021, Malaysian authorities arrested 31 protesters that attended a candlelight vigil organised by Sekretariat Solidariti Rakyat under the #Lawan banner to mourn the lives taken by COVID-19. Less than one hour into the event at Dataran Merdeka, police obstructed the vigil, arrested 17 men and 14 women—who were mostly youths—and confiscated their identity cards and phones. This is not the first #Lawan gathering to be obstructed by authorities.

Police took all 31 individuals to Dang Wangi District Police Headquarters where the presence of lawyers was restricted. Police officers only permitted three lawyers to enter the station and represent the detainees. By midnight, all participants were ordered to pay a fine of RM 2,000 (approximately 500 USD) for violating regulations preventing demonstrations during the pandemic and were released. However, investigations are ongoing. Nalini Elumalai, ARTICLE 19’s Senior Malaysia Programme Officer said:

“The forceful and aggressive arrest of 31 protesters at a candlelight vigil demonstrates an alarming disregard for freedom of assembly. Authorities must stop treating peaceful protests as a threat to be neutralised and instead help ensure that the public can safely exercise their right to freedom of assembly, even during the pandemic.”

“By obstructing the protesters’ access to legal representation, the authorities are compounding human rights violations and undermining the criminal justice system. Authorities must stop using COVID-19 as a false pretence for petty arrests and the harassment of government critics.”

Rong Chhun, a long-time activist and unionist, was sentenced on Wednesday to two years in jail at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, and he and two other defendants were ordered to pay a total 400 million riel, or nearly $100,000, in damages to Cambodia’s border committee.

Chhun was arrested at the end of July last year after issuing a statement that Cambodia was ceding territory to Vietnam along the border in Tbong Khmum province, a racially charged and contentious issue. His arrest sparked weeks of small nationalist protests in his support, leading to several other arrests.

On Wednesday, Chhun was found guilty of incitement to disturb social security alongside Ton Nimol and Sar Kanika, who had protested in support of Chhun but told the court during a trial hearing in February that they were only a tuk-tuk driver and market vendor, not political activists.

Chhun was sentenced to 24 months in jail, while Nimol and Kanika were sentenced to 20 months. Together, the three were ordered to pay 400 million riel, almost $100,000, in damages to the national border committee. They were also handed court fines of 2 million riel each, or about $500.

The three defendants reacted to the court’s decision by shouting that the verdict was unjust.

“It is injustice,” Chhun spoke out in the courtroom. “It is implemented based on a plan and order from the ruler. The court is under the influence of a politician, so the court cannot find justice for me.”

Chhun repeatedly clashed with judges and prosecutors during his trial this year, frequently objecting to the legal basis of the case against him.

Government lawyer Koun Saroeun said by phone on Wednesday that the verdict had restored “honor” to the border committee, though it had asked for higher compensation.

“As the government lawyer representing the committee, we gained back our honor and with this. We can accept it is not a problem,” Saroeun said. “For me, the [award for] damages is not really suitable yet, but we will not oppose or be disappointed over the court’s decision.”

Choem Sophal, 58, the mother of Kanika, said outside the court that her daughter had simply been concerned about injustices in society.

“[We] are the same Khmer. There should be an understanding, and she has not committed any serious mistake. And the word ‘incitement, incitement.’ I hate that word the most, incitement,” Sophal said.

She asked the court to release her daughter so she can come back home and restart her business as before.

Ouk Chhayavy, president of CITA, told reporters outside the court that the verdict was politically motivated.

“The court’s decision to sentence Rong Chhun today is a threat to the younger generation to abandon their studies, stop being aware of the country’s social issues, because those who sacrificed for the nation and society were imprisoned,” Chhayavy said.

She condemned the court system and said these decisions make people lose their trust in the judiciary.

Defense lawyer Choung Chou Ngy said the court had ruled without sufficient evidence.

“There is no exact evidence showing that my clients had committed an incitement offense,” Chou Ngy said. “I will meet with my clients to discuss the right to appeal.”

In February, Khmer Win Party leader Suong Sophorn was also sentenced to 20 months in jail and ordered to pay 2 billion riel, or about $500,000, to the border committee for protesting in support of Chhun last year.

Chhun’s trial began in January, with two more hearings in February and a fourth and final session held after a Covid-19 delay on July 30.

On social media, U.S. ambassador Patrick Murphy said the conviction of “respected union leader Rong Chhun” raised serious questions about freedom of speech protected in the Constitution “and essential to the functioning of a democracy.”

“The judicial system should not be abused to silence peaceful activists,” he said.

British ambassador Tina Redshaw also said on social media that she was “seriously concerned and disappointed” about Chhun’s sentencing.

“Freedom of expression is protected in Cambodia’s constitution and the judiciary shouldn’t be used to curtail it. Strong governments are open to hearing and engaging with a range of views from all of society,” she said.

Updated at 2:15 p.m. with additional comments. Notable Arrests Jailed in 2020 VOD and rights groups have tracked at least 46 controversial arrests this year as of October 23 over a range of issues: alleged “fake news” related to the Covid-19 pandemic, protests and statements made about border demarcations with Vietnam, environmental activism, campaigning related to the outlawed opposition CNRP, and more.

The activist group Thalufah have held a protest against the government’s mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic and calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha for the third consecutive day, despite previous protests being forcibly dispersed by crowd control police.

The group gathered on 18 August at the Democracy Monument, where they brought effigies representing those who died from Covid-19 and the government’s failure to manage the pandemic. The effigies were piled up in front of the Monument, as well as hung from the model of the palm-leaf manuscript representing the Constitution.

At 18.00, after a series of speeches, protesters held up the three-finger ‘Hunger Games’ salute while the National Anthem played, followed by a minute of silence in memory of those who died from Covid-19.

This was then followed by an open mic session where protesters are invited to speak and express their discontent about the government.

At 19.20, the protesters burned effigies of the cabinet as a symbolic act of protest against the failures of the Prayut administration, and then danced around the bonfire. The protest concluded at around 19.30.

Following the conclusion of the protest, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported that activist Thanadet Srisongkhram, a leader of the vocational school student network Gear of Democracy: Vocational Protection of the People for Democracy, was arrested and detained at the Nang Loeng intersection after he spoke at the protest calling for vocational school students joining protests not to use violence.

TLHR said it is likely that Thanadet was arrested on charges relating to violation of the Emergency Decree, but it is unclear about the incident for which he was charged.

The Taliban are continuing to consolidate power in Afghanistan amid reports of violence against protesters in the eastern part of the country, a day after the Islamist group announced the “war is over” and there would be no retribution.

Witnesses say Taliban insurgents fired into the air and beat people with batons in the city of Jalalabad, where a group of demonstrators tried to take down a Taliban flag and replace it with the Afghan national flag Wednesday.  At least three people were killed and many other injured. The Taliban did not comment on the matter.

The Taliban on Tuesday vowed to respect women's rights “within Islamic law” and form an “inclusive Islamic” government.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken tweeted late Wednesday that the United States and its partners in the world were calling on those in power in Afghanistan to guarantee the rights and protection of women and girls in the country.

“We will monitor closely how any future government ensures their rights and freedoms,” he wrote.

The Afghanistan Independent Journalists Association (AIJA), an IFJ affiliate, also reported that Ariana TV cameraperson Mahmoud Naimi and Pajhwok News cameraperson Babrak Amirzadeh were beaten up by Taliban militants in Jalalabad, in Nangarhar province, on August 18 as they reported on a protest against the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan. The AIJA also informed that Ahmad Navid Kavosh, a Khorshid TV journalist, was beaten up at Hamid Karzai airport while trying to interview a Taliban member.

The intimidation and attacks on journalists have taken place despite reassuring messages towards the press by Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid during his first press conference on August 17, following the Taliban occupation of Kabul a day earlier.

Police in Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) fired tear gas and warning shots on Tuesday to disperse members of the Shia Muslims community who attempted to participate in processions marking the month of Muharram. Dozens of people were detained.

Hundreds of Muslims chanting religious and pro-freedom slogans took to the streets in the main city of Srinagar despite security restrictions banning the traditional procession.

Government forces used batons to beat journalists covering the procession, according to a local reporter. Authorities erected steel barricades and barbed wire to block the crowds.

“We respect the religious sentiments and practices of all, but at the same time, it is also our joint responsibility to defeat the ill designs of vested interests who try to disturb the peaceful atmosphere,” Inspector General of Polce Vijay Kumar said on Twitter.

Muharram is among the holiest months for Shia Muslims across the world and includes large processions in which people recite elegies to mourn the death of Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) grandson. The mourning reaches its peak on Ashura, the 10th day of the month in the Islamic lunar calendar. Tuesday’s procession marked the eighth day on the calendar.

The traditional religious procession turned violent last year as Indian forces fired shotgun pellets to disperse crowds, injuring dozens.

Some main Muharram processions have been banned in Indian occupied Kashmir since 1989 when the locals demanded the region’s independence from India or its merger with Pakistan.

Kashmiri Muslims have long complained that the government is curbing their religious freedom on the pretext of maintaining law and order while promoting an annual Hindu pilgrimage to the Himalayan Amarnath Shrine in Kashmir that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors. The pilgrimage has been cancelled for the last two years because of the coronavirus.

A group of journalists were chased and assaulted with batons by police in full public glare to prevent them from covering the Muharram procession in the nerve centre of Srinagar on Tuesday.

The police action resulted in injuries and damage to equipment of journalists when they were merely doing their professional duties. Videos and photos splashed on social media platforms Facebook and Twitter showed policemen including their officer holding sticks chasing away and beating journalists on the road with utter disregard.

Some of the journalists who were present at the spot and received the thrashing told Kashmir Reader that the attack came when a police officer named ‘Aftab Ahmad’ abused and pushed some photojournalists who were capturing police lathi charge on Shia mourners. The mourners carrying black flags had taken out a procession in Lal Chowk to commemorate Muharram. Early in the morning, government forces including police and CRPF were deployed in strength in several Srinagar areas to prevent the mourners from taking out procession.

Amid this, many people carrying flags were able to reach Jehangir Chowk. A photojournalist Sajad Hameed who was at the spot covering the Muharram procession that he received a few baton thrashing on his legs and his camera was broken too. “It resulted in damage worth over Rs 20,000,” he added.

“Police officer Aftab Ahmad abused another journalist. We asked him not to do so. In response he attacked us, charged on us, in which many were minorly injured,” Sajad added.

According to him, the police officer Aftab Ahmad also pushed photo journalist of Hindustan Times Wasim Andrabi for nothing. He said the journalists were spread in groups capturing the procession from various angles when they were beaten.

“It was when another police officer joined in and asked them not to beat us that the beating stopped,” he added.

Andrabi told KNO that the policemen “from Shergarhi Police Station led by SHO Aftab Ahmad, beat them to the pulp for no reasons”. “We were even told that (an) FIR will be registered against us,” he added.

A video in social media showed that Aftab went berserk on a group of journalists on Tuesday morning.

“We were Covering the protest. When I saw a policeman attacking a fellow journalist l, I rushed to the spot to check what was happening. In between there was a lathi charge. We moved to a secure place, ” said photojournalist Faisal Khan.

“The cop did not listen to us for a moment and we found wisdom in escape” he added.

In the past police have said that police will act professionally while handling journalists on the ground and will make efforts to prevent the attacks.

Senior Superintendent of Police Srinagar Sandeep Choudhary was not available for the comments when reached by Kashmir Reader.

Indonesian security forces have used discriminatory excessive force and racially abused protesters peacefully opposing the renewal of the Papuan Special Autonomy Law, new research by Amnesty International has revealed.

Papuan protesters told how they were targeted with water cannons, kicked and punched, and beaten with guns and rubber batons in peaceful protests during the last month. At least one person was injured after security forces opened fire on protesters on 16 August. Three protesters reported being called “monkey” while being arrested during protests in July.

Amnesty International has analysed videos and photos which show police using unlawful force on peaceful protesters, and verified injuries suffered by protesters.

“The reports of assault – both physical and verbal – that we have gathered reveals the true contempt the security forces have for the rights of Papuans.

“The Indonesian authorities must immediately investigate the reports of use of discriminatory excessive force and racial abuse against protesters, and also ensure the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly is respected.”

To date, protests against the controversial renewal of the Papua Special Autonomy Law have taken place in several cities, from July 14 to August 16. Amnesty International interviewed 17 people who participated in protests in the cities of Jakarta, Jayapura, Sorong and Yahukimo, and verified their accounts using open source video footage.

The protests have also called for the release of Victor Yeimo, a pro-independence activist from Papua facing life imprisonment for his political views.

On August 16, security forces opened fire on protesters in Yahukimo, injuring one person. One protestor told Amnesty International he heard multiple gunshots, and that several bullets were also found close to where the protest took place.

In a protest in Jayapura on the same day, protesters confirmed the use of water cannons, and beatings with rubber batons and guns by security forces. Amnesty International has verified video showing the use of water cannons against peaceful protesters and security forces beating them with rubber batons.

The activist group Thalufah returned in a third protest march to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, which ended again with police violence.

Protesters gathered at the Victory Monument on Monday (16 August) for a protest against the government’s mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic and to demand that Gen Prayut resign unconditionally. The group previously planned to march to the 1st Infantry Regiment headquarters, where Gen Prayut lives in free army housing despite having retired, but later changed their destination to Government House after Soi Paholyothin 2, part of the route they planned to take to the 1st Infantry Regiment headquarters, was blocked with a row of containers.

Before the march, police officers carrying a search warrant from the Dusit Municipal Court searched the residence of a Thalufah group member. The warrant stated that the police are looking for equipment “related to a violation of the Emergency Decree” and that they are searching for a black Isuzu pickup truck and sound amplifiers.

The group told the officers that they can only search the house once their lawyer arrived, so the officers said that they would wait outside but those inside the house must stay together and not wander around. The group later took the vehicle to Din Daeng Police Station to be searched.

Thalufah also posted on their Facebook page that a GPS device was found attached to one of their vehicles, which was confiscated by the police and taken to Thung Song Hong Police Station following the protest on 2 August 2021.

The GPS device appeared to be of the same model as the one former Future Forward MP Pannika Wanich said was found under her car last week.

At around 16.20, protesters gathered at the Victory Monument to burn effigies representing those who died from Covid-19, before starting their march to Government House.

They arrived at the Nang Loeng intersection at around 17.00 and found Phitsanulok Road blocked by a barrier of razor wire and containers, as well as a unit of crowd control police and a water cannon truck.

The protesters’ speaker truck stopped in front of the barrier, while a speaker asked the participants not to break down the barriers or throw objects other than plastic bags containing paint at the officers.

At 17.45, several protesters attempted to remove the razor wire. The police issued a warning for them not to do so, before firing water cannon at the protesters. Several protesters then threw firecrackers across the razor wire barrier, as the organisers called for the protesters to back away from the barrier.

At 17.50, Thalufah announced the conclusion of the protest, while the police continued to fire water cannon and tear gas at the protesters, some of whom were throwing firecrackers and other objects at the police.

The 17 August 2021 march to the Government House was the third protest organized by the Thalufah group. The group previously organized 2 marches to the 1st Infantry Regiment headquarters, both of which were forcibly dispersed by crowd control police.

The 11 August 2021 protest was dispersed before the protesters left their starting point at the Victory Monument, while the 13 August 2021 protest was blocked at the Din Daeng intersection. 13 arrested, 2 shot during clash at Din Daeng intersection

After the protest at the Nang Loeng intersection was dispersed, some protesters left for the Din Daeng intersection, where they once again clashed with crowd control police. Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported that 13 people were arrested and charged with violating the Emergency Decree by being out after curfew and taking part in activities risking the spread of Covid-19. Some were also charged with carrying a weapon in public.

TLHR also said that two of those arrested were pizza delivery riders who were not participating in the protest. Another detainee was also a delivery worker living in a flat behind Din Daeng Police Station and was driving home after work. He was waiting until the situation died down before returning home at around 22.00, but was searched and arrested. He was charged with carrying a weapon in public after the police found a pocket knife in his car.

Five of those arrested were under 18 years old. They were released at around 3.15 after the inquiry officer made a record of their arrest. The remaining 8 people were taken to the Bangkok North Municipal Court for a temporary detention request earlier today (17 August).

The Court approved of the temporary detention request, but granted them bail without requiring security. The Court also set the condition that they do not repeat their offense.

Meanwhile, the 5 minors went to the Central Juvenile and Family Court, where the inquiry officer asked the court to detain them. However, the Court released them without requiring security. They also have to report to the Bangna Juvenile Detention Centre on 24 August 2021.

Two teenagers were also reported to have been shot with live rounds near Din Daeng Police Station. One person was shot in the neck and was taken to Rajavithi Hospital. The hospital issued a statement earlier today (17 August) that he suffered gunshot wounds with one bullet remaining in his brain, and that his cervical vertebrae were fractured. He is currently in the intensive care unit and is in a coma.

The protester was previously reported to be 20 years old. However, his mother told Voice TV that he is only 15 years old. She said that her son told her he was bringing clothes to his friends, and that it was his first time participating in a protest.

Another 14-year-old protester was shot in the shoulder and was taken to Chulalongkorn Hospital. He said that he was shot while riding a motorcycle past Din Daeng Police Station and did not see the person who shot him.

A video clip was circulated showing a person in Din Daeng Police Station shooting at protesters. The superintendent of Din Daeng Police Station claimed that no live rounds were used during the police operation. Protester returns after being shot with rubber bullet

Waranya, one of the protesters at the 16 August protest, said she was shot with a rubber bullet when crowd control police forcibly dispersed the 11 August 2021 protest at the Victory Monument.

She said that she was shot from around 100 metres away, and that the crowd control police were shooting indiscriminately at the protesters and bystanders. She also said she saw the police shooting at a nearby bus stop, where mainly elderly people were waiting and had to hide behind the bus stop sign.

Waranya was shot in the stomach, and still had a large bruise.

“Why do Thai officers shoot people like this? I have been saying that I’ve never thought of hurting crowd control police. I understand that they are low-ranking officers doing their duty. My job is to try to stop the kids, stop our children, but why is the result like this?” Waranya said.

Nevertheless, Waranya said she is not afraid. She continues to return to the protests because she is worried about the young protesters, and said she would like people to know that the protesters were not hired but were there of their own will.

“Even if they’re not my children, but my future is in their hands, not an old man who is the military’s slave. It’s not right if you’re a police officer but you’re under the heel of a dictator. I wanted to say that we have nothing against the crowd control police. Our aim is to oust Prayut,” Waranya said. Covid-19 has left musicians without income, says drummer performing at Victory Monument

A drummer named Pae came to perform while the protesters are waiting at the Victory Monument, placing a sign saying “unemployed musician” in front of his drums.

Pae is taking a stand by performing at the protest to show that artists are suffering under this government, and said he wanted to entertain his fellow protesters.

He said that he used to perform at various nightlife establishments and was hired to perform at events, but the Covid-19 pandemic took away all of his income as there is nowhere for him to perform. He used to earn around 40,000 – 50,000 baht a month, and said that some musicians could earn up to 100,000 baht, but since the start of the pandemic in 2020, he earned nothing at all.

Pae said it has been difficult to access government aid schemes, vaccines, or even Covid-19 tests. He himself is not vaccinated as he has not been able to get a booking.

“The government can’t do anything. I understand that this government can’t do anything. This is how it is. Everyone knows that this is how it’s going to be. I’m just praying that if they can’t do it, then they should leave so that people who can do better come in and do it instead,” Pae said.

A youth leader from the Mandalay Protest Alliance Force, was arrested by the junta’s forces while driving near Mandalay University at around 5pm on Monday.

Plainclothes soldiers, arriving in domestic vehicles, stopped a motorbike driven by activist Kyaw Thiha—who is in his 20s—beat him, and took him with them at gunpoint, according to an eyewitness.

Thura Aung, a friend who had been staying with him and another leader of the alliance, said that over 20 troops later inspected Kyaw Thiha’s former home in Patheingyi Township at 8pm that night.

“They also raided the place where we were staying. We’re all on the run now. I still don’t know about our other comrades, but I’m in a safe place now,” Thura Aung told Myanmar Now.

The Mandalay Protest Alliance Force has been a frequent target of the brutal crackdowns by the military on anti-coup resistance.

Junta vehicles drove into the protest column in both May and June, injuring demonstrators. Six protesters including a university lecturer were arrested near Mandalay University on the morning of June 14 after the column was hit by a car driven by military personnel.

The Mandalay Protest Alliance Force formed when multiple Mandalay protest columns joined forces to revolt against the dictatorship. They include Daung Sit Thi (Peacock Warriors); All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU); Academics; Labourers; Farmers; Mandalay University Students; BEHS (7) Students; and Sein Pan.

Thura Aung said that they would not be stopping their resistance to military rule.

“They can arrest us all they want but they can’t break our revolutionary spirit. We’re not backing down, not by an inch. We will fight for the truth until the end,” he said.

Hong Kong's Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF), which once organized annual mass rallies on July 1 marking the 1997 handover of the city to Beijing, announced it would disband at the weekend following repeated denunciations by media backed by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The front, which was never registered as an organization, served as a communication platform for civil society groups to promote human rights and democratic freedom in Hong Kong, according to its Facebook page.

Its job was mostly to organize large-scale, peaceful protest marches to ensure that citizens' voices were heard, it said.

"Regrettably, for more than a year now, the government has consistently rejected our applications to hold marches, using the pandemic as a pretext to suppress the rights of our members," the group said in an Aug. 15 post to its Facebook page.

"With no members participating, the secretariat has been unable to remain operational ... and we have no choice but to declare herewith that we are disbanding," it said.

CHRF convenor Figo Chan was handed an 18-month jail term in May for his role in an unauthorized gathering in 2019. The group said will donate its current assets of H.K.$1.6 million to appropriate organizations.

The announcement came after the CHRF held its AGM, and the decision among member groups was unanimous, the post said.

"We would like to thank the people of Hong Kong for walking side by side with the Front for many years," it said, citing mass rallies of one and two million people in protest over government plans to extradite alleged criminal suspects to mainland China in 2019.

It also cited marches held during the 2014 pro-democracy movement, or Umbrella movement, and marches against CCP-backed infrastructure projects in Hong Kong.

Threat of investigation

The move came after Hong Kong police chief Raymond Siu warned that the group could be investigated under a draconian national security law imposed on the city by the CCP from July 1, 2020.

According to the CCP-backed Ta Kung Pao, Siu said the CHR had never registered as an organization.

Police responded to the CHRF's disbanding by saying the investigation into the group's activities would go ahead regardless.

In April 2021, police ordered the group to submit information on its members, activities, and funding sources, but the group didn't do so by the date specified.

Hu Xijin, editor of the CCP-backed Global Times newspaper, said via his WeChat account that the decision to disband was in itself likely a bid to evade investigation and destroy evidence that could be used in the investigation.

And Ip Kwok-him, who represents Hong Kong China's rubber-stamp parliament, the National People's Congress (NPC), said the group's dissolution meant that "large-scale anti-China demonstrations to stir up troubles in Hong Kong haver become history."

But he said more specific protests might be tolerated.

“As long as the activities are not aimed at opposing China and disrupting Hong Kong, but are expressing a demand, they are protected by the Basic Law and we respect that,” Ip told government broadcaster RTHK.

The group's web page was unavailable on Monday.

What promised to be a peaceful march to Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha’s house by the Talu Fa (Pierce the Sky) group made no more headway than other protests earlier this week. The protesters withdrew after police used force to keep them from reaching their destination.

Early in the afternoon, around 100 people gathered at Victory Monument to demand Prime Minister Prayut’s immediate resignation. The organisers emphasised that the protest was a peaceful effort to bring their demands to the attention of the public.

Meanwhile, at least 6 activists from Mok Luang Rim Nam group were arrested while trying to place wreaths in the Royal Palace and submit a letter to the Privy Council. They were taken to the Phra Ratchawang Police Station.

The group sought to pay respect to those who have died from Covid-19. They also want to inform the King that individuals calling for reform of the monarchy were facing a police crackdown and severe legal consequences.

According to group member Sopon Suraritthamrong, the police charged them with violating both the Emergency Decree and the Maintenance of Public Sanitary and Order Act as soon as they put their wreaths on the ground.

The activists were later told that they would only be charged for the latter offence and fined 2,000 baht person, provided they deleted photos and a Facebook live video of the police and the event. They agreed and were released after paying 10,000 baht provided by the Ratsadon Prasong Fund, which makes use of public donations to support individuals accused of crimes while exercising their political rights. Attempting to move peacefully

At 15.00, cars from the Talu Fa group arrived at the Victory Monument. One contained protest supplies - piles of longan and mangosteen to be dumped in protest of falling fruits prices and cloth sacks to help protect protesters from police tear gas.

A poster urging people to throw bags of coloured water, not bottles and fireworks, was spotted. The hope was to avoid any escalation which might trigger a police crackdown.

In an opening speech, a protester blamed government incompetence for rising unemployment and a deepening economic crisis, adding that when people came out to protest, the government responded with force.

Shortly afterward, longan and mangosteen were poured on the street and then burned to protest sharp price declines.

At 17.00, protesters arrived at Din Daeng Intersection where a container barricade awaited. Some firecrackers were lit, but organisers again urged people to throw bags of coloured water instead. When some of the protesters tried to tear down the container blockade, police responded with tear gas, affected many of those marching.

At this stage, a number of marchers began throwing firecrackers. A small fire was also set under the tollway.

At 17.25, with the situation deteriorating, the Talu Fa group announced that the protest was over. However, many protesters chose to remain at the Din Daeng Intersection amidst the sound of small explosions. The clash and chase went into the evening.

Deputy Metropolitan Police Bureau Chief Police Major General Piya Tawichai told the media that the protesters were trying to bring down the container barricade. He also reported that protesters were not only firing stones and glass at police with sling-shots but also throwing Molotov cocktails and smoke bombs as well, obliging officers on the ground to use force to restore public order at 18.30.

According to Major General Piya, 14 motorcycles were seized and 1 protester was arrested.

Two journalists were stopped and harassed by Phnom Penh police and security agents on Friday while covering a land dispute between authorities and residents along Boeng Tompun lake.

That same day, dozens of Meanchey district authorities used bulldozers and other heavy machinery to clear the homes of about 11 families along the reservoir in the city’s Boeng Tompun 1 commune, one week after ordering the homes be dismantled to make way for a private development. Government officials say the southern Phnom Penh lake is state-owned, but the body of water has become a development hotspot due to large-scale infilling and leasing to outside firms.

An Vichet, a freelance journalist working with CamboJA who was covering the home demolitions, said police confiscated his smartphone and press card and ordered him to delete all images he’d taken of the site.

“I was asked to show a press card and delete all photos,” he said. “They took my press card away and asked me to leave the place immediately or there would be a problem, saying this is their area, so no photography was allowed.”

Vichet said the encounter was a serious violation of press freedom and a restriction on journalists’ work.

“This activity of authorities is not hidden, it is in public, so journalists just have the role to capture the images and disseminate information to the public,” he said.

VOA Khmer reporter Lors Liblib, who also covered the dispute, said about 50 authorities took part in demolishing people’s homes.

“I was taking pictures when people were angry with the authorities,” he said. “Then [police] pointed at me, ordered for me to be arrested and my cell phone confiscated, and deleted all the pictures.”

Liblib said then authorities ordered him to leave the place, otherwise they will take other legal action.

“For me, I think this is a threat to the freedom of the press and they may want to hide this from the public,” he said.

The Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association (CamboJA) denounces the Meanchey district police and security agents for confiscating the identification cards of the reporters and calls on authorities to immediately stop such violations.

CamboJA executive director Nop Vy said in a statement that “the use of any forms of restrictions is a violation of the press law and the Constitution — that is unacceptable”.

“We call on the authorities to immediately stop the acts of harassment, intimidation and threats against journalists, and instead cooperate and pay respect to the role of journalists in order to prove that the government truly pays attention to and respects the rights of citizens, especially the right to information,” he said.

However, Phnom Penh deputy Governor Keut Chhe said the authorities’ actions against the reporters had been legally permitted.

“If we look at the instructions of the Ministry of Information, in the operation locations of authorities, journalists do not have immunity to enter the location,” he said. “Professional journalists must follow the instructions and the law, because it does not mean journalists have the right to access during the operation. It is understandable that the authorities have just deleted the image.”

Families affected by the reservoir project

Friday’s conflict played out in a similar fashion to many land disputes in the capital, where space is at a premium and new construction a booming business.

On February 20, 2018, the Council of Ministers issued a decision to provide 35 hectares of Boeng Tompun to a private company, reportedly Phnom Penh Precast Plants, to prepare the area for commercial and residential development. The company also said it would provide green space and restore the reservoir, which is dwindling in size as developers fill it with sand and earth.

Some residents say they have lived there for more than 30 years with recognition from local authorities.

Sou Chetra, 42, told CamboJA he has lived there since 1991 and that the authorities destroyed people’s houses without providing them with compensation.

“We have sent papers to the commune, district and cadastral department but have received no response. I am so hopeless now,” he said. “Please give us our land and our home, don’t hurt us. Authorities don’t need to feed us, we can live our way, just give us back [our property].”

Sari Vannda, 34, who works as a food delivery driver in Phnom Penh, said he did not know why his home was being demolished but that authorities had given him one week to move.

“Authorities just come and destroy our house by showing one paper. It’s our land and houses that we have lived in since our grandmother,” he said. “They want us to move, I don’t know how to deal with it. My family will have no place to live during COVID-19.”

Keut Chhe said after the government gave the private firm the right to develop the land, the company was obligated to offer compensation to affected families. Since the affected land is along the reservoir, authorities say it is state property and do not provide any compensation for lost property. Chhe denied that the affected homes were there for as long as residents said they were.

“The houses near the lake were just built after 2018, while those families will not receive compensation as they live on the state property,” he said. “We need to restore the reservoir to avoid flooding in the city.”

Still, it is believed that past decisions from the government did require the private firm involved in the Friday demolitions to pay compensation to displaced people at a rate set to the square meter of land lost. It’s not clear how or when those payments will be made.

Information Ministry spokesman Meas Sophorn did not comment.

Am Sam Ath, deputy director of the rights group Licadho, said no one rejects infrastructure development under peaceful conditions, but that the impact of projects on citizens must be considered, particularly during the COVID-19 crisis.

“The best choice is peaceful negotiation rather than damage or violence that can affect people,” he said. “To evacuate people is not advantageous based on previous instances, especially during COVID-19. It is a high tragedy for people while they are affected by COVID-19 and then their home is destroyed.”

Sam Ath also said journalists should be allowed to cover without intimidation all public activities by authorities.

“Journalists have the right to report, take photos and video without any barrier,” he said. “[Raising barriers] violates freedom of press and it seriously abuses the rights of journalists.”

A protest march organized by the activist group Thalufah was dispersed by crowd control police armed with tear gas and rubber bullets even before they left their starting point at the Victory Monument.

The group planned to march to the Infantry Regiment headquarters, where Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha lives in free army housing despite being retired, to protest against the government’s mishandling of the pandemic, the use of violence against dissenters, arbitrary arrest, and the unfair judicial process.

Several speakers took turn giving speeches as the crowd began gathering at the Victory Monument ahead of the march at 16.00. During the speeches, they repeated that the protest will be nonviolent and that they will use only symbolic actions.

At 15.45, the protesters gathered on the street to burn spirit houses, the Thai word for which is the same as the word for ‘court,’ as well as an effigy of judge Chanathip Muanpawong, who previously denied bail to several pro-democracy activists detained pending trial earlier this year.

Chanathip also sentenced Ampon Tangnoppakul, or “Uncle SMS,” to 20 years in prison on a royal defamation charge under Section 112 in 2011, after Ampon was accused of sending messages to Somkiat Krongwattanasuk, who was at the time the secretary of then Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, which were deemed offensive to the King and Queen.

Around five minutes later, crowd control police lined up and moved towards the protesters, who linked arms and flashed the three-finger ‘Hunger Games’ salute as they faced the police. Several people also threw paint at the officers.

Another unit of crowd control police then surrounded the protesters and chased them onto the footpath next to the roundabout. Tear gas and rubber bullets were also used.

At 15.55, Thalufah announced on their Facebook page that they had called off the march due to police violence. In another post, they asked protesters to leave the area through the street next to the Center One Shopping Mall.

A protester told Voice TV on their live broadcast that she had been shot in the stomach with a rubber bullet. She was seen showing her injuries and the bullet casing to nearby reporters. More rubber bullet casings were also found around the Victory Monument.

Meanwhile, independent photographer Laila Tahe said that a crowd control officer hit her with a baton while she is photographing them as they walk past to arrest protesters who ran into a nearby alley. The baton hit her camera, breaking her lens filter. The end of the baton also hit her shoulder, but Laila said she was not injured. She also said that the officer gave no warning before hitting her.

Laila continued photographing the clash despite damages to her camera. She said that she felt she needed to continue photographing the clash as crowd control police are still arresting the protesters, and that the broken lens filter was not that much of an obstacle.

She also said that there was a moment when she got too close to the officers, and was told to stop taking pictures. As an independent photographer, Laila is not wearing a press armband, but she noted that another reporter who was wearing a press armband was also told not to photograph the officers.

Nevertheless, Laila said she is not afraid and will continue to photograph protests.

After the protesters at the Victory Monument were dispersed, groups of protesters still headed to Vibhavadi Rangsit Road. However, they found that the Din Daeng intersection was blocked with rows of containers while crowd control police were stationed on the Din Daeng Highway.

iLaw reported that protesters were burning car tires under the highway and smoke was floating up to the highway where the crowd control police were deployed. A police truck was also seen burning under the highway.

Tear gas and rubber bullets were continuously fired at the protesters gathered on the street amidst heavy rain until around 19.00 when the protesters retreated towards the Victory Monument, where crowd control police deployed tear gas and water cannon trucks against them.

The clashes ended at around 20.00. Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported that at least 17 people have been arrested, including Worawan “Aunty Pao” Sae-aung, an elderly fruit vendor known at protests for her outspokenness and sharp tongue. TLHR also said that 1 of the arrested protesters is a minor.

The protesters are currently being detained at the Narcotics Suppression Bureau. TLHR said that it is likely that they will have to spend 2 nights in police custody before being taken to court on Friday (13 August), as Thursday (12 August) is a public holiday.

Activist and human rights lawyer Anon Nampa have been denied bail after he was arrested on a royal defamation charge due to his speech at the second Harry Potter protest on 3 August 2021 at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC).

Anon went to Pathumwan Police Station on Monday (9 August) after hearing that an arrest warrant had been issued for him on charges relating to the 3 August protest. Once he arrived, the police presented an arrest warrant issued by the South Bangkok Criminal Court, signed by judge Somchai Prukchaikul.

Anon is charged with royal defamation under Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code, violating the Emergency Decree, and using a sound amplifier without permission. The charges are a result of a complaint filed by Nopadol Prompasit, a member of the Thailand Help Centre for Cyberbullying Victims, an online royalist group whose members have filed numerous lèse majesté charges against many netizens, over the speech Anon gave at the 3 August protest calling for monarchy reform.

Lawyers are not being allowed to meet with activist Jatupat “Pai Dao Din” Boonpattararaksa, who has been detained since Monday (9 August), claiming Covid-19 quarantine measures prevent it.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) filed a request yesterday (11 August) to the Director of the Central Special Treatment Centre to meet with Jatupat, after prison officers refused to let their lawyer meet with Jatupat, claiming that the Centre does not allow lawyers to meet their clients who are in quarantine to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

The letter stated that lawyer Supanat Boonsod has been appointed Jatupat’s lawyer by court order and therefore has the legal right to meet and consult with his client, and so he is requesting to be allowed to meet with Jatupat as allowed by the Thai Criminal Procedure Code.

Jatupat was arrested after he surrendered himself at Thung Song Hong Police Station on Monday (9 August), along with Thawee Thiangwiset, another member of the activist group Thalufah. They were charged with violating the Emergency Decree, damaging public property, and taking part in an assembly of more than 10 people which caused a breach of public peace.

The charges are related to an incident on 3 August, in which activists splashed paint in front of Thung Song Hong Police Station following their release after spending a night in detention on charges relating to a protest at the Narcotics Suppression Bureau on 2 August to demand that the police return a speaker truck seized after the 1 August ‘car mob’ rally.

Thalufah member Songpol Sonthirak, who was at Khlong Ha Police Station to show support for another group of activists turning themselves in, was also arrested and taken to Thung Song Hong Police Station, while Nawapol Ton-ngam and Chitrin Plakangtong, two other members of the Thalufah group, were notified of the same charges while at Thung Song Hong Police Station to show support for their friends.

The inquiry officers did not detain Nawapol and Chitrin, but filed a request to temporarily detain Jatupat, Tawee, and Songpol, all of whom have arrest warrants.

The Criminal Court later granted bail to Tawee and Songpol with 35,000 baht as security, but denied bail to Jatupat on the grounds that he faces other charges for similar offenses, has broken his bail conditions which prohibit him from repeating these offenses, and is likely to flee or cause danger if he is released.

The order to deny bail for Jatupat is signed by judge Chanathip Muanpawong, who previously denied bail to several pro-democracy activists detained pending trial earlier this year. Chanathip also sentenced Ampon Tangnoppakul, or “Uncle SMS,” to 20 years in prison on a royal defamation charge under Section 112 in 2011, after Ampon was accused of sending messages to Somkiat Krongwattanasuk, who was at the time the secretary of then Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, which were deemed offensive to the King and Queen.

Two pro-democracy activists died and three others were seriously injured in Myanmar when they jumped from a building in Yangon to avoid capture by junta authorities, witnesses said Wednesday, while the father of one of those killed said he was told his son survived the impact and was beaten to death by police.

Ye Min Oo and a woman, Wai Wai Myint, also called Pan Thee, lost their lives Tuesday night when they and three friends jumped from the roof of a building as junta forces stormed their apartment in Botahtaung township in Myanmar’s largest city.

The three who survived the jump—Wai Phyo Aung, Thiha Kaung Set, and Poe Kyaw Kyaw—were arrested by police and taken with the bodies of those killed to a military hospital in Mingaladon township in northern Yangon.

Tin Zaw—the father of Ye Min Oo, who died Tuesday—said he was told by witnesses that his son was still alive after the fall.

"Immediately after the fall, my son was dying, not dead. Then police officers beat them up, and my son died after the beating,” he told RFA in an exclusive interview. “I got that information from witnesses and residents.”

A neighborhood resident told RFA on Wednesday that two of those who jumped called out three or four times for water and then died, while the other three remained motionless after they hit the ground.

“Because they fell from a height, they must have broken their limbs,” he said.

The neighbor, who spoke on condition of anonymity for safety reasons, told RFA the fleeling activists apparently got trapped on the rooftops of the old buildings.

“You could climb up to the roof, and the kids must have thought they could run across the rooftops. But there were only four buildings you could run across like that,” he said.

“There was a five-storey building blocking their path on one side and an eight-storey building on the other, and they must have run this way and that, and finally when they couldn’t escape they must have jumped,” he said.

Dead and injured taken to hospital

Military forces ordered community service workers to take both the two who died and the three survivors to a 1,000-bed military hospital in Mingaladon, a member of the Lin Let Social Welfare Association told RFA.

“The two who died were dead when we got there,” the charity worker said.

“We were sure they were dead because we made all the necessary checks required to see if they were still alive,” she said. “One of the injured had a broken leg, and another had a head injury and had to be taken to the hospital’s neurology center.”

Soe Myat Thu, the husband of 29-year-old Wai Wai Myint, said he hopes the military will give him back his wife’s body so that he can bury her according to her own request.

“I’m trying to get my wife’s body back, but we are under the rule of a military coup, so what can I do?” he asked. “If they refuse to release her body, there is nothing we can do about it.”

“She always said, ‘Don’t cremate my body when I die. Please bury me in a grave,’ and I want to fulfill that last wish. I don’t care about anything else,” he said.

A police report now circulating on social media says the raid on the activists’ apartment was carried out by a team led by Tactical Commander Col. Soe Tun of the ruling Military Council, while a military press release on Wednesday confirmed that two had been killed and three injured in the operation, with hand grenades and bomb-making materials recovered during the raid.

An independent scout

Ye Min Oo, who was born in 1994, was not connected with Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government (NUG), People’s Defense Force (PDF), or any other formally organized group, his father said.

Instead, he had worked independently with friends in a scouting unit gathering intelligence on pro-junta informers and other military targets, Tin Zaw said.

“He never expressed any political opinions, but after the February coup, he became actively involved in anti-coup protests, and although I did not forbid this as a parent, I warned him to be mindful and careful,” he said.

“My son stood and fought for his beliefs, and now he has fallen in the fight,” he said.

Tin Zaw said Ye Min Oo’s fate was the outcome of the military overthrow of the country’s democratically elected government on unfounded claims of voter fraud in the country’s November 2020 election.

The junta has yet to provide evidence of its claims and has violently suppressed nationwide demonstrations calling for a return to civilian rule. According to the Bangkok-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, at least 948 civilians were killed by police and soldiers between Feb. 1 and Aug. 10.

“These kids were pushed into the struggle by the Feb. 1 coup. They were pure and innocent youths. I am very proud of my son,” Tin Zaw said.

A Kazakh court has sentenced an activist to two years of "freedom limitation," a parole-like sentence, for having ties to the banned Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (DVK) movement amid an ongoing crackdown on supporters of the opposition group and the associated Koshe (Street) party.

The Saryarqa district court in the capital, Nur-Sultan, sentenced 50-year-old Alia Zhaqypova on August 11 after finding her guilty of distributing online videos and other materials produced by the DVK.

Zhaqypova was also banned from taking part in public events and expressing her views on the Internet for three years.

She had pleaded not guilty and her lawyer said the court's decision will be appealed.

The day before, a court in the southern region of Turkistan sent activist Sabit Syzdyqbek to prison for violating the "freedom limitation" sentence he was handed in March for spreading the DVK's ideas on Facebook.

Many activists across the Central Asian country have been handed lengthy prison terms or parole-like "freedom limitation" sentences in recent years for their involvement in the activities of DVK and Koshe, as well as for taking part in rallies organized by the two groups.

DVK is led by Mukhtar Ablyazov, the fugitive former head of Kazakhstan’s BTA Bank and outspoken critic of the government. Kazakh authorities labeled the DVK as "extremist" and banned it in March 2018.

Human rights groups have said Kazakhstan's law on public gatherings contradicts international standards, as it requires preliminary permission from the authorities to hold rallies and envisions prosecution for organizing and participating in unsanctioned rallies even though the constitution guarantees citizens the right of free assembly.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is appalled to learn that the Bangladeshi government agency that combats money-laundering and the financing of terrorism has ordered an investigation into a well-known newspaper reporter. In the absence of relevant legislation, RSF calls for an immediate end to this probe and all other attempts to intimidate this journalist.

The investigation ordered by the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) is the latest form of governmental harassment of Rozina Islam, an investigative reporter for the country’s leading daily Prothom Alo.

RSF has learned that, on 11 August, the BFIU asked Bangladeshi banks to provide detailed statements of all transactions in any accounts held by Islam. The order is astonishing, to say the least, given that the BRIU’s own website says that the agency’s main objective is to “establish an effective system for prevention of money laundering, combating financing of terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.”

“In the light of all the circumstances, the requests from the BFIU concerning Rozina Islam go far beyond the scope of the agency's competence and it is therefore, clear that they are part of a new attempt to harass this journalist,” said Daniel Bastard, the head of RSF’s Asia-Pacific desk. “We call for the immediate withdrawal of the requests made by the BFIU and, more broadly, for an end to the growing harassment of this journalist by various government agencies.”

Islam was arbitrarily arrested and tortured by the police on 17 May as a result of an espionage accusation by the health ministry. As RSF reported at the time, everything indicates that the accusation was a reprisal for a series of investigative reports she had written about corruption within the Bangladeshi health system.

Since then, Islam has been subjected to repeated harassment – including the confiscation of her press card and passport – that prevents her from working freely as a journalist.

Bangladesh is ranked 152nd out of 180 countries in RSF's 2021 World Press Freedom Index.

Authorities in Vietnam have arrested a Facebook user for posting mild criticism of government COVID-19 policies, while a university fired a lecturer after a student shared on her comments faulting Hanoi’s pandemic response on the social media platform.

The Tien Giang People’s Procuracy announced Tuesday that it would prosecute Tran Hoang Huan, 33, on charges of making, storing and spreading or propagandizing information or documents against the state under in accordance with the Article 117 of the Penal Code, according state media.

Huan, a resident of My Tho city in the far southern province of Tien Giang, had used a Facebook account under the name Huan Tran to post content against the Vietnamese Communist Party and the state on 186 occasions.

His Facebook account remains active and many of his recent posts opposed the use of Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines, which many Vietnamese oppose because of their perceived low quality and because of longstanding animosity toward China over history and territorial issues.

Huan had earlier called on the government to provide relief to citizens by waiving electricity and water bills during the pandemic.

“The arrest and detention of Tran Hoang Huan marks yet another chapter in the grim tale of Vietnam’s crackdown on freedom of expression online,” Ming Yu Hah, the deputy regional director for campaigns at Amnesty International, told RFA.

“Huan had used his Facebook page to share information about COVID-19 vaccines, lockdowns and to call on the Vietnam government to subsidize electricity and water fees while many Vietnamese are facing economic hardships due to the pandemic. The Vietnamese authorities should listen to these calls, not repress them,” she said.

Ming Yu Hah said authorities had used Article 117 to detain Huan on “vague accusations” of causing public confusion or defaming the government so they could prevent dissent.

“Huan’s name now joins an ever-expanding list of Vietnamese activists detained merely for sharing peaceful criticism,” she said, and called for the release of Huan and other detainees.

“It is imperative that Vietnam’s leadership starts taking a radically different approach to human rights, and freedom of expression in particular,” she said.

Hong Kong's largest teachers' union announced it would disband on Tuesday following a growing number of attacks from pro-Beijing newspapers, among dozens of civil society groups to do so since the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) imposed a draconian national security law on the city from July 1, 2020.

The Professional Teachers' Union (HKPTU) said it would begin the process of dissolving with immediate effect, in a statement on its official website.

"After much deliberation and thorough investigation ... the Executive Committee unanimously resolved to dissolve HKPTU," union president Fung Wai-wah said in a letter to members.

"The HKPTU's 48-year history has reached the last chapter, and the last full-stop," the letter said. "This is a tragic and deplorable situation, certainly, but looking back over our long years of struggle and development, we should have no regrets."

"We sincerely plead for your understanding and acceptance of what was a no-choice, unwanted and difficult decision," Fung wrote.

"It is deplorable that radical changes to to our sociopolitical environment have left us wondering about our futures," the letter said.

The union said it would lay off 200 staff and sell off its assets, beginning immediately.

State media attack

Founded in 1973 by former teacher and lawmaker Szeto Wah, the union began protecting teachers' rights and providing services for them out of a tiny office in Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon.

The move came after the PTU was described by CCP mouthpiece the People's Daily and state news agency Xinhua as "a malignant tumor" in need of eradicating from Hong Kong.

The union's attempts to deflect criticism of its international ties -- deemed "collusion with foreign powers" under the national security law -- met with further scathing responses from both outlets, accusing the PTU of engaging in anti-China and anti-Hong Kong activities.

Organizations accused of such collusion -- including the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper -- can have their assets frozen under the national security law, rendering them unable to make further payments to staff.

Ivan Choy, senior politics lecturer at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), said the demise of the PTU would have a wide impact.

"I believe this is going to have a huge impact on other civil society organizations," Choy told RFA. "If the PTU has no way to hang in there, others are going to find it harder still."

"I am concerned that this will be the start of a domino effect, and that we will see many more organizations disband after this," he said.

'Hong Kong is no more'

A teacher and veteran PTU member who gave only his surname Cheung said he had never thought he would see the end of the union.

"I never thought the PTU would just die," Cheung said. "Everyone expected the Apple Daily's demise, but not such an important group as the PTU, but if they call us a malignant tumor, what can we do?"

"Hong Kong is no more," he said.

The PTU's dissolution comes after around 250 elected, district-level politicians in Hong Kong resigned and dozens of civil society groups disbanded amid an ongoing crackdown on public criticism of the authorities.

Election hopefuls are now required to pass a multi-layered vetting process that includes winning the approval of the national security police before they can even be allowed to run for public office.

More than 120 arrests have been made so far under the law, while incumbent public office-holders will be required to swear an oath of loyalty to Hong Kong and to the CCP.

Among them were 47 former opposition lawmakers and democracy activists, who are now awaiting trial for "subversion" after they took part in a democratic primary in the summer of 2020, in a bid to boost their representation in the city's Legislative Council (LegCo).

Most other former opposition politicians and activists have fled overseas.

The Criminal Court has revoked bail for activist Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak on charges relating to the 19 September 2020 protest, while the Thanyaburi Provincial Court denied him and 8 other activists bail on charges relating to the 2 August 2021 protest.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported last night (9 August) that the Criminal Court issued an order to revoke bail for Parit following a request from the public prosecutor.

Meanwhile, the Thanyaburi Provincial Court denied bail for Parit and 8 other activists arrested on charges relating to the 2 August 2021 protest at the Border Patrol Police Region 1 headquarters to demand the release of 32 detained activists. They were then taken to Rangsit Temporary Prison to complete a 14-day Covid-19 quarantine period, after which they will be detained at Thanyaburi Prison.

Parit was previously granted bail after he was detained pending trial on charges relating to his participation in the protest on 19 September 2020. He was in detention for 92 days.

Parit's bail revocation came a day before the "Car Mob" protest planned by the student activist group United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration (UFTD), which took place today at the Ratchaprasong Intersection.

Voice TV reported that Parit was likely assaulted while being forced into a detention truck last night (9 August), after the 9 activists refused to be taken to prison, and that he was heard shouting "I can't breathe" and "help me." A voice shouting "People's revolution" was also heard from the truck.

When his lawyer visited him today (10 August), Parit was found to have bruises and scratches on his body.

Vietnam has arrested and prosecuted eight people using Article 117 since the beginning of this year. Human rights groups say the provision allows the government to gag any dissent.

A university in the central coastal city of Danang has fired a lecturer for her “wrong statements” about Vietnam’s COVID-19 fighting measures.

Duy Tan University made the announcement Monday after a student posted on Facebook a video of the lecturer, Tran Thi Tho, part of the university’s English faculty, arguing with the student about government relief for those affected by the pandemic.

Tho said in the video that the government of Vietnam is letting people struggle with very limited help while the pandemic is raging all over the country.

She highlighted how thousands of people are fleeing the country’s southern provinces and Ho Chi Minh City on motorbikes to return to their hometowns thousands of kilometers away, just to escape the virus.

The student in the video accused Tho of disliking Vietnam and promoting negative stereotypes against Asian people.

The university has also reported the lecturer to the Ministry of Police, who said they are investigating the case.

Pham Minh Hoang, a former professor at Ho Chi Minh City Polytechnic, told RFA that dissent should be allowed in academia.

“People who dare to speak their criticisms at a university are a must. Schools, especially universities are obliged to train students into people who have their own opinions, not to become machines just acting on demand,” Hoang said.

“If we continue this way, when everything must be molded and any person who speaks their opinions differently from those of the government and state must face severe consequences, then it means Vietnamese will never strive for anything,” said Hoang.

‘Despicable’ firing

Nguyen Vi Yen, a Vietnamese student studying in Europe, wrote on Facebook that she felt Duy Tan University’s firing of Tho was “despicable.”

“Duy Tan does not deserve to be called a university, let alone its own name ‘Duy Tan,’ which means reform,” she said.

Tho declined to comment to RFA about her case.

Education Minister Nguyen Kim Son told the state-run Tuoi Tre newspaper before the firing that “the education system management needs to encourage criticism about social issues in general and educational policies in particular.”

Though the country struggles to effectively contain a fourth wave of the virus, Vietnam had been relatively successful compared to other countries during the first three waves. Of more than 224,000 confirmed cases during the pandemic, more than 220,000 were diagnosed since April 27, the start of the fourth wave.

With Vietnam’s media all following Communist Party orders, “the only sources of independently-reported information are bloggers and independent journalists, who are being subjected to ever-harsher forms of persecution,” the press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says in its 2021 Press Freedoms Index.

Measures taken against them now include assaults by plainclothes police, RSF said in its report, which placed Vietnam at 175 out of 180 countries surveyed worldwide, a ranking unchanged from last year.

Vietnam’s already low tolerance of dissent deteriorated sharply last year with a spate of arrests of independent journalists, publishers, and Facebook personalities as authorities continued to stifle critics in the run-up to the ruling Communist Party Congress in January. Arrests continue in 2021.

Anon went to Pathumwan Police Station on Monday (9 August) after hearing that an arrest warrant had been issued for him on charges relating to the 3 August protest. Once he arrived, the police presented an arrest warrant issued by the South Bangkok Criminal Court, signed by judge Somchai Prukchaikul.

Anon is charged with royal defamation under Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code, violating the Emergency Decree, and using a sound amplifier without permission. The charges are a result of a complaint filed by Nopadol Prompasit, a member of the Thailand Help Centre for Cyberbullying Victims, an online royalist group whose members have filed numerous lèse majesté charges against many netizens, over the speech Anon gave at the 3 August protest calling for monarchy reform.

Nopadol previously filed a complaint against activist Parit Chiwarak for Facebook posts he made about King Vajiralongkorn’s divorce from his ex-wife Sujarinee Vivacharawongse, and the use of Sanam Luang for funerals. He has also filed complaints against activists Piyarat Chongthep and Chonticha Jaengrew.

Anon spent 2 nights in police custody before being taken to court for a temporary detention hearing this morning (11 August). The court approved the temporary detention request and denied him bail on the ground that he was accused of committing a serious offense and had breached his previous bail conditions, and that the inquiry officers objected to bail as they believe he is likely to commit further offences.

Anon is now facing 13 counts of charges under Section 112. According to TLHR, at least 116 people are now facing charges under Section 112 in 115 cases, 58 of which are a result of complaints filed by members of the public, many of whom are members of royalist groups.

Jatupat was arrested after he surrendered himself at Thung Song Hong Police Station on Monday (9 August), along with Thawee Thiangwiset, another member of the activist group Thalufah. They were charged with violating the Emergency Decree, damaging public property, and taking part in an assembly of more than 10 people which caused a breach of public peace.

The charges are related to an incident on 3 August, in which activists splashed paint in front of Thung Song Hong Police Station following their release after spending a night in detention on charges relating to a protest at the Narcotics Suppression Bureau on 2 August to demand that the police return a speaker truck seized after the 1 August ‘car mob’ rally.

Thalufah member Songpol Sonthirak, who was at Khlong Ha Police Station to show support for another group of activists turning themselves in, was also arrested and taken to Thung Song Hong Police Station, while Nawapol Ton-ngam and Chitrin Plakangtong, two other members of the Thalufah group, were notified of the same charges while at Thung Song Hong Police Station to show support for their friends.

The inquiry officers did not detain Nawapol and Chitrin, but filed a request to temporarily detain Jatupat, Tawee, and Songpol, all of whom have arrest warrants.

The Criminal Court later granted bail to Tawee and Songpol with 35,000 baht as security, but denied bail to Jatupat on the grounds that he faces other charges for similar offenses, has broken his bail conditions which prohibit him from repeating these offenses, and is likely to flee or cause danger if he is released.

The order to deny bail for Jatupat is signed by judge Chanathip Muanpawong, who previously denied bail to several pro-democracy activists detained pending trial earlier this year. Chanathip also sentenced Ampon Tangnoppakul, or “Uncle SMS,” to 20 years in prison on a royal defamation charge under Section 112 in 2011, after Ampon was accused of sending messages to Somkiat Krongwattanasuk, who was at the time the secretary of then Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, which were deemed offensive to the King and Queen.

A doctor who was detained for taking part in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) against the junta died early on Sunday morning after contracting Covid-19 in detention, a colleague told Myanmar Now.

Dr Maung Maung Nyein Tun, a 45-year-old lecturer of surgery at Mandalay Medical University, was arrested on June 13 along with his wife, Dr Swe Zin Oo, while the pair were staying at a safe house in an attempt to evade capture by the junta.

He tested positive for the virus while being detained at the Mandalay Palace interrogation center on July 19, but instead of sending him to hospital, authorities held him for two weeks at a police station as his condition worsened, the colleague said.

Police only allowed him to get treatment, at the hospital in the city’s Obo prison, on July 28, when his blood oxygen levels plummeted to 84%.

“They kept him quarantined at the No. 9 police station for two weeks. He was sharing a cell with a person who had lost his sense of smell but the junta said he was negative,” the colleague said.

“They didn’t send him to the hospital even when his SpO2 level fell. No dexamethasone injection was given either,” the colleague said, referring to a lifesaving drug used to treat Covid patients. “They only gave him some oxygen in captivity. They only sent him to Mandalay General Hospital when it was too late.”

The colleague and others repeatedly petitioned the authorities to send him to a facility better equipped to treat him, rather than the prison hospital, but to no avail.

Dr Maung Maung Nyein Tun’s mother confirmed his death on her Facebook page. He died at the Mandalay General Hospital intensive care unit at 6:38am on August 8, she said in her post.

The junta accused the doctor of having connections to both Dr Htar Htar Lin, the detained former head of Myanmar’s Covid-19 vaccine rollout, and Dr Zaw Wai Soe, the health minister of the underground Nation Unity Government.

Photos of Dr Maung Maung Nyein published in state media after his capture showed him with several bruises on his face.

Dr Swe Zin Oo, his wife and the superintendent of Mandalay General Hospital, has also reportedly contracted Covid-19 in detention. She is still being held at Mandalay Palace.

Both doctors were charged under section 505 of the Penal Code for incitement, section 124 for sedition and section 17 for unlawful association on June 14.

More than 100 people have protested in Kazakhstan's northwestern city of Aqtobe against an event planned by LGBT activists.

The protesters said at the August 8 rally that they would hand a petition to the local authorities requesting them "not to allow representatives of a movement that propagates values contradicting our traditions and religion" to enter Aqtobe.

Police did not interfere with the unsanctioned rally.

A feminist initiative, Feminita, plans to hold a seminar on August 13 on the rights of the LGBT community in the Central Asian nation.

Feminita co-founder Gulzada Serzhan told RFE/RL that the group will hold the event despite threats it has received in recent days.

Last month, seminars organized by Feminita were disrupted by angry mobs in the central Kazakh city of Qaraghandy.

A similar event was disrupted by protesters in the southern city of Shymkent in May.

Although the Central Asian nation decriminalized self-sex relations in the 1990s, scrapping a Soviet-era law, sexual minorities still face firmly entrenched social taboos.

Rights groups say LGBT people face discrimination and persecution across the former Soviet Union.

Nine activists have been arrested on charges relating to a protest in front of the Border Patrol Police Region 1 headquarters on 2 August 2021 to demand the release of 32 detained activists.

Parit Chiwarak, Nutchanon Pairoj, Sirichai Natueng, and Phromsorn Weerathamjaree were arrested at the police headquarters on Sunday (8 August) on charges relating to the 2 August protest.

Parit announced on Saturday night (7 August) that, since he heard that the police were preparing to press charges against him for his participation in the 2 August protest, and as he noticed police officers following him, he would be going to the police headquarters on Sunday (8 August), and if the police would like to arrest him, they could do so there.

He then went to the police headquarters along with Nutchanon and Sirichai to show that they do not intend to flee or tamper with evidence, and were arrested. They were charged with violating the Emergency Decree, the Communicable Diseases Act, and the Sound Amplifier Act.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported they were taken to Khlong Ha Police Station, and then to the Border Patrol Police Region 1 headquarters.

The activist group United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration (UFTD) said that the entrance to the Border Patrol Police Region 1 headquarters was blocked with razor wire and a unit of crowd control police, as a crowd gathered to demand their release.

TLHR said that Parit, Sirichai, and Phromsorn requested to have a trusted person with them while they are questioned, but the police denied their request, so the three activists refused to take part in the inquiry process.

Thatchapong Kaedam and Panupong Jadnok also went to Khlong Ha Police Station and were taken into custody. Panupong said that he was not surrendering himself, but came to meet the police after he heard that the police would be issuing arrest warrants against the leaders of the 2 August protest, so he went to meet the police to show that he has no intention to flee.

Three other people were also arrested on charges relating to the same protest. According to TLHR, Thanapat (last name withheld) and Panadda (last name withheld), members of the activist group Thalufah went to Khlong Ha Police Station with Thatchapong and Panupong. Meanwhile, Sam Samat, a stateless man who was previously arrested for joining the 28 February 2021 protest and allegedly pretending to urinate onto crowd control police gathering below the containers used to block protesters, was also arrested on 7 August.

At 21.00 last night (9 August), the Thanyaburi Provincial Court approved the temporary detention request for the 9 activists, and later denied them bail on the ground that the activists act without fearing the law and without considering the society's safety, peace, and order during the Covid-19 outbreaks.

The Court also said that the activists are facing other charges and that they are likely to commit other offenses if they are released. The inquiry officer also object to granting them bail.

TLHR reported that the 9 activists were taken to the Rangsit Temporary Prison for a 14-day quarantine period, after which they will be detained at the Thanyaburi Prison.

There are also reports that the 9 activists refused last night (9 August) to be taken into a detention truck and were then forced onto the truck by police officers. TLHR also said that officers were taking pictures of the activists' family members.

Voice TV also reported that Parit was likely assaulted while being forced into the detention truck, and that he was heard shouting "I can't breathe" and "help me." A voice shouting "People's revolution" was also heard from the truck.

Chennakeshavalu, who was working with a local news channel, was reportedly stabbed by a police constable.

A journalist of a local news channel EV5 was done to death allegedly by a Two Town Police Constable and his brother in Nandyal town, Kurnool district late on Sunday night for allegedly exposing the illegal activities of the cop identified as Venkatasubbaiah.

Superintendent of Police, Sudheer Kumar Reddy, said that Venkatasubbaiah and Nani called the reporter Chennakeshavalu, 35, to a place in NGO Colony to discuss the news telecast by him regarding the alleged sale of gutkha and matka activities being carried on by the police constable. When Chennakeshavalu. arrived at the spot, the constable and his brother allegedly stabbed him to death with a screwdriver and fled the scene.

“The eyewitnesses immediately took him to the hospital at about 11 p.m., but he did not survive. We have formed teams to nab the accused brothers,” the SP added. The Two Town Circle Inspector said that the search was still on and cases under section 302 of IPC were registered against both of them. The Superintendent of Police reached Nandyal after midnight and is supervising the investigation into the case.

Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists and the APWJ Federation have expressed dismay at the turn of events and have demanded immediate arrest of the constable and his brother.

Pakistan authorities should immediately drop their investigations into journalists Amir Mir and Imran Shafqat, and cease harassing members of the press in retaliation for their coverage of public institutions, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

On August 7, officers with the Federal Investigation Agency arrested Mir, CEO of the privately owned news agency Googly News TV, and Shafqat, who hosts the YouTube news commentary channel Tellings with Imran Shafqat, according to news reports and both journalists, who spoke with CPJ in phone interviews.

Googly News TV publishes on a website and YouTube channel, which has about 360,000 subscribers; Tellings with Imran Shafqat is a YouTube channel with about 120,000 subscribers. Both outlets feature investigative reporting and political commentary on Pakistan’s domestic and foreign policy.

Officers arrested Mir at about 10:30 a.m. while he was on his way to Googly News TV’s office in the city of Lahore, held him for about 10 hours, and then released him on bail pending investigation, he told CPJ. Officers arrested Shafqat at about 12:30 p.m. at his home, also in Lahore, held him for about five hours, and then also released him on bail, he said.

Officers confiscated two phones and a laptop from Mir during his arrest and demanded his passwords, which he refused to divulge; officers also confiscated Shafqat’s phone, the journalists told CPJ. Shafqat said officers returned his SIM card upon his release, and Mir said his phones and laptop were still in official custody.

“Pakistan authorities’ arrests of journalists Amir Mir and Imran Shafqat are emblematic of the government’s ongoing campaign to chill critical reporting,” said Carlos Martinez de La Serna, CPJ’s program director. “The Federal Investigation Agency must immediately drop its investigations into the journalists, return their confiscated devices, and cease harassing members of the press in retaliation for their coverage.”

Authorities are investigating the journalists for alleged electronic forgery; making, obtaining, or supplying a device for an offense; and the transmission of malicious code, all crimes under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, according to a press release issued by the cybercrime wing of the Federal Investigation Agency.

Authorities are also investigating Mir and Shafqat under articles of the Pakistan penal code pertaining to forgery for the purpose of harming a reputation; defamation; issuing a statement with an intent to cause public mischief; and insulting modesty or causing sexual harassment, that press release said.

Each of those offenses can carry a prison sentence between six months and seven years, and a fine up to five million rupees (US$30,425), according to that law and the penal code.

Mir and Shafqat each issued statements denying the allegations against them, which CPJ reviewed.

Babar Bakht Qureshi, director of the Federal Investigation Agency’s cybercrime wing, said that Mir and Shafqat were arrested after posting “scandalous content” on social media following a complaint by Murad Saeed, the federal minister for communications and minister for postal services, according to reports.

CPJ called Saeed’s office at the Ministry of Communications for comment, but received a message that the line was unavailable; CPJ emailed the ministry but did not receive any reply.

Mir and Shafqat told CPJ that officials questioned them separately about the reasons behind their alleged criticism of Pakistan’s army and judiciary online, but did not cite specific reports during the interrogations. Officials also demanded that Mir and Shafqat issue affidavits stating that they will refrain from criticizing Pakistan’s army and judiciary, but they refused to comply, they said.

Mir told CPJ that he received a partial copy of the police report relating to him and Shafqat, but had not received a full copy. Shafqat told CPJ that he had not received a copy of the police report.

The partial copy of the police report, which CPJ reviewed, cites several videos posted to the YouTube channels of Googly News TV and Tellings with Imran Shafqat, including commentary on the Pakistan army’s role in governance, the judiciary, and the regional impact of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Since July 2020, Mir has received two notices and a questionnaire from the Federal Investigation Agency in relation to Googly News TV’s commentary on YouTube about the army, judiciary, and Prime Minister Imran Khan, according to Mir and copies of the notices, which CPJ reviewed.

CPJ emailed Federal Investigation Agency Director-General Sanaullah Abbasi for comment, but did not receive any reply.