Uwazi

The Citizens’ Network to Protect the Monarchy, the People’s Centre to Protect the Monarchy and the Thai Raksa group have submitted a letter at Government House urging the Prime Minister, Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, to check whether the international human rights NGO Amnesty International has damaged the security of the nation and monarchy.

On 25 November, a pro-monarchy group of 50 people were led by Noppadol Phrompasit and Anon Klinkaew to ask the PM to check Amnesty International (AI) Thailand’s operations and sources of finance.

The group was welcomed and admitted to Government House, unlike the network of musicians and entertainment workers who on 23 November were blocked by police from submitting a petition.

The group’s representatives said that AI’s Write for Rights campaign invites members around the globe to write to the Thai government asking for lèse majesté charges to be dropped against Panussaya Sitthijirawattanakul, one of the pro-democracy student activists. This, they claim, may be considered as interference in Thailand’s domestic affairs by a foreign entity and ignoring a Constitutional Court ruling.

This last charge refers to the Constitutional Court’s ruling on 11 November that found that calls for monarchy reform were unconstitutional.

The group urged that the government urgently look into AI’s activities. If evidence of domestic interference are found, AI must be expelled from the Kingdom.

Seksakol Atthawong, a former red shirt now assistant to the Prime Minister's Office came to receive the group’s letter. He said if he could not oust AI from Thailand, he would quit his post. He also said pressure to get rid of AI can be made via the law and people who are loyal to the monarchy.

On 23 November, in the face of pressure against them, AI Thailand posted “6 Facts that you may not know about Amnesty International” on Facebook, pointing out that it is a non-partisan, human rights NGO that receives no funds from any government. It is financed by donations and membership fees from human rights supporters. And its HQ is in London, not in the US.

AI set up an office in Thailand in 1996 and Amnesty International Thailand was registered as an association under Thai law in 2003. It faced a public backlash in 2018 when it campaigned publicly against the execution of a death row prisoner in the Kingdom. Death threats and threats of violence and rape were made online and at the AI office against staff and their family members.

Karapatan today expressed disappointment over the Calamba City Regional Trial Court Branch 37’s denial of elderly human rights worker Nimfa Lanzanas’ omnibus motion to quash search warrants and suppress evidence in a resolution released on November 24, 2021.

Lanzanas, 61 years old, was among those arbitrarily arrested on March 7 this year in what has been dubbed as the “Bloody Sunday” raids of State forces in Southern Tagalog, where nine activists and indigenous farmers were killed and four including Lanzanas were arrested.

“It has been more than eight months since Lanzanas was arrested in the wee hours of the morning, in the presence of her young grandchildren. There is absolutely no truth to the statements of the police and military officers who alleged that she is part of a band of gun runners. She has been a paralegal of Karapatan Southern Tagalog since 2014 when her son Edward fell victim to almost the same kind of injustice that she faces now. We hope that the court will reconsider its decision and enable the release of Lanzanas, after months of being unjustly incarcerated,” said Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay.

In her motion, Lanzanas stated that the place searched was not covered by the search warrants issued by Manila City 3rd Vice Executive Judge Jason Zapanta, and asserted the important defect in the warrant on the particularity of the place of search. Lanzanas also averred that police and their alleged informant stated deliberate falsehoods during the application for search warrants, showing inconsistencies in their statements. She also questioned how probable cause was not established during the application of search warrants.

Lanzanas and her family have stated that the alleged evidence found in their home were planted by the soldiers and cops who conducted the raid. “It is highly improbable that guns and explosives were stored in that small house with three small grandchildren of Lanzanas. There were several instances during the said raid when the State forces may have had the opportunity to plant these weapons,” Palabay said.

Karapatan reiterated their call for the release of all 709 political prisoners, including Lanzanas and the 57 other elderly political prisoners, all of them victims of the same modus of planted evidence and perjured testimonies.

Hong Kong student activist Tony Chung was sentenced to three years and seven months in prison on Tuesday after pleading guilty to secession and money laundering charges under the city’s national security law.

Chung, 20, is the youngest person to be convicted under Hong Kong’s national security legislation since China’s imposition of the measure last year.

He pleaded guilty to one count of secession and one count of money laundering as part of a plea bargain. Under those terms, authorities dropped a second money laundering count as well as a sedition count.

Upon pleading guilty on Nov. 3, Chung said, “I have no shame in my heart,” local media reported.

On Tuesday, his plea bargain got him a 25% reduction of his sentence, meaning Chung will serve 40 months for secession and 18 months for money laundering concurrently, with only three months of the latter sentence served separately.

Political scientist Joseph Cheng, who is formerly of Hong Kong but now lives in New Zealand, says he believes the 43-month sentence is too severe.

“I certainly believe that the sentence is overly harsh. There appears to be an intention to create a deterrence effect. Advocacy for independence even in the absence of concrete action will attract severe penalties,” Cheng told VOA via email.

Activist Chung is the former convener of youth activist group Studentlocalism, a pro-independence student organization that was founded in 2016. During his national security trial, prosecutors said Chung had made social media posts calling for people to join protests and get rid of Chinese colonial rule.

Authorities arrested the activist in October 2020 outside the U.S. Embassy in Hong Kong. He was the first political figure to face charges under the security law.

Weeks before he was detained, Chung, then 19, spoke to VOA, outlining his fears that Hong Kong authorities would soon arrest him. Last December, the youth activist received a four-month jail term after being sentenced under Hong Kong’s Basic Law, for insulting China’s national flag during anti-government protests in 2019. The Basic Law is the city's default legal system.

Joseph Cheng said speaking out in Hong Kong has become too dangerous.

“Already people do not want to speak out. Journalists have difficulty finding people to comment on sensitive topics; however, there are many activists in exile, and they will continue to articulate their views. In Hong Kong, people remain silent but the anger is there,” he added.

Finn Lau, a Hong Kong activist in exile in Britain, told VOA that Tony Chung’s sentencing would only spur Hong Kong activists.

“His sentencing would drive Hong Kong activists in exile, especially myself, to go the extra mile to counter the Chinese Communist Party’s influence around the globe. It would not deter Hong Kongers.”

“Since the pro-democracy voices in Hong Kong, including newspapers, have been stifled, it is inevitable that the genuine opinion of Hong Kongers has to be channelled through overseas Hong Kongers,” he said.

Britain returned control of Hong Kong to China in 1997 under the Sino-British Joint Declaration, under which the city would enjoy a “high degree of autonomy” for 50 years. But activists in the city have complained that China has long encroached on those freedoms. China maintains Hong Kong is an inalienable part of the country and that calls for independence have no legal basis.

After 2019’s anti-government protests, Beijing implemented the national security law on Hong Kong, prohibiting secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, and its details can be widely interpreted.

Since then, dozens of opposition activists and lawmakers have been arrested and are awaiting trial, while others have fled overseas. Slogans have been banned, while pro-democracy books have been removed from libraries and schools. In June, pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily closed its doors after 26 years of journalism with its founder Jimmy Lai in jail. At least 50 civil society groups have also disbanded since the security law came into force.

Chung is the third person to be sentenced under the security law for secession.

Activist Leon Tong Ying-Kit, 24, was the first person sentenced under the law. In July, he received a nine-year sentence following his conviction for terrorism and secession.

Activist Ma Chun-man, nicknamed “Captain America 2.0,” was sentenced to nearly six years in prison for inciting secession.

Both defendants had pleaded not guilty.

Eric Yan-ho Lai, a law and political analyst and fellow at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, said that Chung’s sentence was significantly lower after a guilty plea, and could influence the pleas of future defendants facing trial under the security measure.

"The sentence imposed on Tony Chung would give an example to the following national security law defendants to consider whether to plead guilty or not, as the length of sentence is lighter than Ma and Tong who didn't plead guilty.”

Lai added that defendants are already feeling the pressure to plead guilty because of the costs of legal representation.

“The change of the surrounding environment, including the new legal aid system that defendants can no longer choose their own legal representation if they apply legal aid, so, also create a combined effect of pressuring defendants to consider pleading guilty or defending their words and deeds in the courtroom.”

The law analyst questioned whether the crackdown on younger opposition voices benefits Hong Kong in the long term.

“The governments shall ask themselves whether criminalizing the young people with draconian laws can really win back the public trust towards the court or the governments,” he added.

A student at Prince of Songkla University’s Hat Yai campus has been arrested on a royal defamation charge while receiving a Covid-19 vaccine at the university’s vaccination centre.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported that Supakorn Khunchit, a student from the Faculty of Economics, Prince of Songkla University, was arrested by a group of plainclothes police officers in the parking lot in front of the Songklanagarind Hospital’s sport complex after he went to receive his second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Supakorn said that, at first, a man called out to him in the parking lot. He thought the man wanted to ask for some information, so he walked over, but was then surrounded by 3 – 4 other men who said they were police officers and presented a warrant issued by the Phatthalung Provincial Court on a royal defamation charge under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, a sedition charge under Section 116 of the Criminal Code, and a charge of entering into a computer system data which is an offense relating to national security under Section 14 of the Computer Crimes Act.

7 – 8 more plainclothes officers then came out of a vehicle and surrounded him. Supakorn said that he was shocked, and asked the officers for the opportunity to contact a lawyer and his friends. He was allowed to do so, but the officers did not allow him to wait on campus for his lawyer to arrive as they wanted to take him to a police station to record the arrest immediately.

Supakorn also asked the officers why an arrest warrant has been issued for him, since he had never received a summons, but the officers who arrested him said they did not know.

Supakorn was held overnight at Muang Phatthalung Police Station. A lawyer from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), along with Suthichai Ngamchuensuwan, Dean of the Faculty of Law, Prince of Songkla University, went to meet him on Wednesday morning (24 November).

According to the inquiry officer, Supakorn was charged because he was allegedly part of a group of people who took pictures of various locations in Phatthalung and posted them on the Facebook pages ‘Free Phatthalung’ and ‘Democracy of Southern Thailand’ along with messages which the police claimed were insulting towards the King and the Queen and aimed to incite unrest among the people.

TLHR said that the inquiry officer did not specify which messages were the offending ones in the temporary detention request, but included them in the interrogation record. TLHR also noted that many of the messages, including “1 2 3 4 5 fuck you,” “Down with feudalism. Long live the ducks,” “The people own the country” do not correspond to the accusation.

The inquiry officer then took Supakorn to court for a temporary detention request. They were later granted bail using Suthichai’s academic position as security.

Supakorn said that he found the process of his arrest unacceptable, since he was arrested by a large group of officers even though he has never received a summons and he had just reported to the police on charges relating to another protest but did not receive an arrest warrant for this case. He was also held in the police station holding cell, which was in poor condition, and was not allowed visitors, since the officer claimed that his photograph would be taken and used to incite conflict, but other detainees were allowed visitors.

TLHR also said that an arrest warrant has also been issued for 2 other student activists on charges relating to the same incident, and that they would be reporting to the police on Friday (26 November).

According to TLHR, at least 160 people are facing royal defamation charges since November 2020. Several activists are also facing several counts of the charge, including Parit Chiwarak, who faces 22 counts, Anon Nampa, 14 counts, Panupong Jadnok, 9 counts, Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, 9 counts, and Benja Apan, 6 counts.

Parit, Anon, Panupong, Panusaya, and Benja are detained pending trial on the royal defamation charges, along with activist Jatupat Boonpattararaksa.

THE NATIONAL Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday arrested human rights activist Khurram Parvez in Srinagar in connection with a case filed under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), including terror funding.

Earlier in the day, the NIA raided Parvez’s residence and also carried out searches at the office of the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) in Srinagar. Parvez is the programme coordinator of the JKCCS, a federation of human rights groups and individuals working in J&K founded in 2000 by human rights lawyer and activist Parvez Imroz.

While Parvez was initially detained for questioning, the NIA formally arrested him in the evening. The arrest memo says he was arrested in the case, FIR RC-30/2021/NIA/DLI filed on November 6, under IPC Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 121 (waging, attempting to wage, abetting waging of war against the government), and 121A (conspiracy to commit offences punishable by Section 121); and Sections 17 (raising funds for terrorist act), 18 (conspiracy), 18B (recruiting of any person or persons for terrorist act) and 40 (raising funds for a terrorist organisation) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Sources said Parvez’s family was informed about his arrest in the evening, and he is likely to be taken to New Delhi on Tuesday. The arrest memo says his brother, Sheikh Shaharyar, was informed about his arrest.

In October last year, the NIA had raided Parvez’s residence and office in Srinagar, along with the residences of several activists and journalists. Following the protests after the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani in 2016, Parvez was booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA) by the then Mehbooba Mufti-led government.

A high-school teacher who was arrested in southern Rakhine State’s Toungup Township early Saturday morning has not been heard from since, according to local residents.

Neighbours of Cherry Thet Shey say that plainclothes officers took the 40-year-old schoolteacher into custody at her home in Toungup’s Kanpai ward at around 9am on Saturday.

“We heard that she was being arrested, and when we went outside to check, we saw that she was already in a car,” said a local woman who witnessed the arrest.

Another resident of the area told Myanmar Now that the reason for the arrest was not clear, although it was known that Cherry Thet Shey had been taking part in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) against military rule since February.

“She joined the CDM soon after the coup. She had also resigned from her job at the state education department. But we still don’t know why she was arrested,” said the neighbour, noting that no charges had been filed against her at the local police station.

“If taking part in the CDM was the reason for her arrest, they would have taken her away a long time ago,” he added.

Other residents expressed concern about the teacher’s elderly mother and two teenaged sons, who all depend on her for care.

“There’s nothing we can do right now but worry about her. We don’t even know where to go to ask about her,” said one woman living near the family’s home.

“I really want justice to prevail. We’re also worried about her being tortured,” the woman added.

Although the reaction to the coup has been relatively muted in Rakhine State, a number of people in southern parts of the state have been arrested on suspicion of involvement with the anti-regime People’s Defence Force (PDF).

Sein Chit, a member of the Arakan Front Party, was arrested in Thandwe Township early last month for allegedly helping a local PDF group. Ye Naing Oo, a colleague who did charity work with Sein Chit, was arrested on the same charges later the same day.

About a week later, 23-year-old writer Min Dipar was taken into custody, also on suspicion of having PDF ties.

At least 10 local leaders of the ousted ruling party, the National League for Democracy, have also faced prosecution in the state on various charges. The party enjoys strong support in the state’s southern townships.

Earlier this month, two women and a teenaged girl were arrested in Thandwe Township and charged under the Counterterrorism Law after being accused of financing PDF operations.

Nine lawyers, including President of the Nepal Bar Association Chandeshwor Shrestha and NBA Central Committee member Prakash Maharjan, were injured today when police used force against the protesting lawyers who were staging a sit-in at the main entrance of the Supreme Court.

While Shrestha suffered minor injuries, Maharjan was hit in the head and is undergoing treatment at a hospital, according to a press release issued by the NBA.

Senior Advocate Sabita Bhandari Baral, Secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association Rishiram Ghimire, advocates Kapilchandra Ghimire, Yubaraj Banjade, Nitesh Shrestha, Raman Lal Karna, and Gopal Sapkota were also injured in police action.

The lawyers were protesting in front of the Supreme Court in Kathmandu demanding Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana’s resignation.

The lawyers on Thursday also vowed not to let Rana enter the Supreme Court. They have been trying to stop the chief justice from reaching office since Friday. However, Rana was using another gate to enter his office, while lawyers staged their sit-ins in front of the main gate.

On Thursday, according to court officials, the lawyers moved towards another gate that Rana had been using, only to be stopped by security personnel. Some were injured in the scuffle.

Rishi Ghimire, secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association and advocates Kapil Chandra Pokhrel and Yubaraj Banjade were also injured in the incident.

The protest in the Supreme Court first started on October 25 after justices refused to attend a full court meeting called by Rana. The justices accused Rana of not taking initiatives to bring reforms in the judiciary. The Supreme Court Bar Association and Nepal Bar Association then joined in. Hearings were affected, as judges boycotted benches.

But on Monday, five justices decided to return to benches, and four of them did hear cases assigned by Rana.

Lawyers, however, have said they will continue their protest as Rana’s resignation is their bottom line.

Justices now appear to have toned down their protest and are keen on returning to benches if cases are assigned through a raffle system. One of the demands of the protesting justices is that the chief justice should not prepare the cause list–which is a list of cases assigned to various justices.

After Thursday’s scuffle with police, the Nepal Bar has demanded that the Supreme Court administration remove security personnel other than those deployed for security of the court.

A court in Kazakhstan has sentenced an activist to one year of restricted freedom for openly supporting the banned Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (DVK) movement and its associated party, the unregistered Koshe (Street) party, amid an ongoing crackdown on supporters of the two opposition groups.

A court in the northwestern city of Oral sentenced Orynbai Oqasov on November 18 after finding him guilty of taking part in unsanctioned rallies organized by the DVK and Koshe earlier this year and supporting such rallies on social networks.

Oqasov rejected the charges, saying he used his right to express his thoughts and opinions. His lawyer, Zhanbolat Kolzhanov, said the court's ruling will be appealed.

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

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

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

The Kazakh authorities have insisted there are no political prisoners in the Central Asian country.

The Taliban must thoroughly investigate the recent attack on journalist Ahmad Baseer Ahmadi and do everything in their power to protect the safety of members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

At about 5:30 p.m. on November 18, in Kabul, the capital, two unidentified men beat and attempted to shoot Ahmadi, a presenter at the privately owned broadcaster Ayna TV, according to a report by the local broadcaster TOLO News and a person familiar with the incident, who spoke to CPJ on the condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal by local armed groups.

Ahmad was walking home when the men, whose faces were covered by black handkerchiefs, shouted, “Reporter! Wait and stop,” and demanded to see his identification card and asked him where he worked, that person said.

When Ahmadi asked the men who they were, they told him not to ask questions and demanded he unlock his phone and open his WhatsApp and Facebook accounts; when Ahmadi refused, the men beat him with pistols on his head, hands, shoulders, and back, the person said.

Ahmadi called for help and the men shot at him, but missed as the journalist fell to the ground; they then kicked him, breaking his jaw and teeth, and fled the scene, the person told CPJ.

“The Taliban has repeatedly failed to uphold its stated commitment to press freedom, as violent attacks against journalists continue and proper investigations or accountability are nowhere to be found,” said Steven Butler, CPJ’s Asia program coordinator. “The Taliban should reverse this trend by thoroughly investigating the attack on Ahmad Baseer Ahmadi, and holding the perpetrators accountable.”

Ahmadi was hospitalized for two nights following the attack, the person familiar with his case told CPJ.

That person said Ayna TV had stopped broadcasting following the Taliban takeover and recently resumed work in Afghanistan, and its content is now controlled by the Taliban. CPJ was able to locate examples of Ahmadi’s work at Ayna TV before the Taliban took control of the country; in June, he interviewed officials with the former Afghan government, and spoke to experts regarding violence against women and natural disasters. CPJ was unable to find examples of the journalist’s work after the Taliban takeover in August.

He previously reported on topics including the National Security Forces of the previous government for the privately owned broadcaster 24 TV.

Taliban deputy spokesperson Bilal Karimi did not respond to CPJ’s request for comment sent via messaging app.

In October, unidentified gunmen injured journalists Abdul Khaliq Hussaini and Alireza Sharifi in separate attacks in Kabul, and Taliban members beat and detained Zahidullah Husainkhil, as CPJ documented at the time.

On Thursday night (18 November), police from Thonglor Police Station raided a live painting event organized by the Cross-cultural Foundation (CrCF) at WTF Gallery & Cafe and ordered them to erase the painting claiming that it is “insulting.”

CrCF director Pornpen Khongkachonkiet said that the event took place between 18.00 – 19.00. After the event ended, two police officers came to the venue to inform them of a noise complaint, but she told them that the sound they used was not loud and that they were already about to leave.

Around 20 plainclothes and uniformed officers from Thonglor Police Station then arrived and blocked the entrance to the alleyway. Pornpen said their behaviour was intimidating and prevented participants from taking their motorcycles out of the alleyway. An officer then came to tell them to erase the painting on the wall and asked her to go talk to him about the event.

Pornpen said that the police did not tell them why the painting needed to be erased and did not charge them. She said that the wall belongs to a privately-owned building that is often used for art events, and that they will have to wait and see whether they will be charged, but she believes that the police see even art as sensitive.

A Facebook live broadcast by one of the participants who confronted the police showed the officers arriving at the venue and ordering those who still remained in the area to erase the messages written around the painting, claiming that they are “insulting.”

The event was part of CrCF’s Safe in Custody Awareness Month, which aims to raise awareness about torture and inhuman treatment of detainees. During the event, artist Tawan Wattuya painted a portrait of young protesters arrested at a protest at the Din Daeng intersection while speaking about detainees’ experience. He also let other participants write messages around the painting.

The messages included “Fuck The King Kong” “Fuck The PoPo” “No God No K!-" "Only Humans” and “Royally Bestowed Bullet."

A teacher from Mandalay Region’s Thabeikkyin Township who had been taking part in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) was arrested on Wednesday afternoon. Within hours, his family was notified that he had died at an interrogation centre.

Zaw Min Aung, 40, was a high school teacher participating in a general strike across Myanmar in accordance with the CDM, which aims to topple the junta that seized power in February’s military coup.

He was arrested from his home in Myintha village at around 11am by a large group of soldiers and policemen.

A local teacher told Myanmar Now that the victim’s family was notified at around 5pm by officials from the police station in the nearby village of Kyar Nyat that he had died.

“We were only told that he died during the interrogation. We don’t know the exact cause of his death. His body was all wrapped up with only his face exposed,” the teacher said, adding that Zaw Min Aung was reportedly cremated at the Kyar Nyat cemetery.

Another local said that it was likely that Zaw Min Aung was wrongly flagged by a military informant as being involved in the anti-coup movement beyond his participation in the CDM, and was subsequently targeted.

“He was a very honest and quiet person. He liked to help people, too. His only political action was taking part in the CDM. I think he was tipped off to the military by an informant,” the local man said.

Another Myintha resident, 30-year-old Moe Kyaw, was also arrested for shouting warnings to villagers that junta troops had arrived on Wednesday. He was later released from the Kyar Nyat police station, but was reportedly tortured during his interrogation, another villager told Myanmar now.

Of Zaw Min Aung, the latter villager said, “it saddens me a lot to see that a teacher from our village had to face such a fate.”

Myanmar Now tried to contact the Kyar Nyat police station in Thabeikkyin regarding the arrests and the teacher’s death, but all calls went unanswered.

Zaw Min Aung leaves behind a wife and two young sons.

Other teachers participating in the CDM have been recently targeted in Mandalay Region, arrested and killed in military custody.

Thein Zaw, a teacher from Kin village in Madaya Township, was accused of supporting the anti-coup People’s Defence Force and kidnapped by the military on October 6. He was forced to guide his captors to his home three days later, and was killed en route. His body was disposed of by the junta’s armed forces near the village cemetery.

Win Lwin, from Ywar Bo village in Sintgaing Township was also arrested on November 1 and died one day later in military custody.

Villagers in Leik San Khun in Amarapura Township tore up a notice posted on the junta’s local administration office, threatening teachers with death if they did not return to work.

Soldiers responded by carrying out a raid on a group of locals preparing for a wedding, and beating those present.

Thabeikkyin Township was once the site of mass demonstrations against military rule, but the protests waned after leaders were forced into hiding by the junta’s crackdowns.

Police in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Wednesday detained relatives of two civilians killed in a controversial gunfight after the families staged a protest in Srinagar demanding that local police return the bodies for traditional burial.

The two civilians were among four people killed in a shootout with government security forces in Indian-administered Kashmir earlier this week, and their families have accused those troops of lying about how the raid unfolded.

Police say the civilians died in the crossfire between government troops and rebels. But witnesses and families of the civilians say Indian troops used those civilians as human shields during the standoff.

On Tuesday, police in the disputed region’s main city said that four people were killed in the raid.

The fight, according to police, left dead a foreign "terrorist," Hyder — whose alias, according to police, is Bilal Bhai — along with his "associate," Aamir Ahmad, and "two sympathizers," Mudasir Gul and Altaf Ahmad Bhat.

Vijay Kumar, police inspector general for the Muslim-majority Kashmir region, told reporters that police had information about the presence of militants in the area.

"The joint teams of police, central reserve police force and army set up a cordon and searched," he said, adding that when government forces knocked on the door of a room where the militants were hiding, militants shot at them, and in "self-defense, troops opened fire."

The gunfight took place inside a three-story shopping center owned by Bhat, who sold cement and hardware on the ground floor. Gul rented the first floor, where he operated a construction business and a call center where he employed Ahmad as a helper.

'Gunfight was staged'

"I believe the gunfight was staged," eyewitness Mohammad Shafi told VOA. "Police have constantly changed their statements."

Shafi disputed the police claim of killing four people, including a foreign militant.

"Following the gunfight, I saw only three bodies being taken out from the building before leaving the spot,” he said. “I wonder, who was the fourth one?"

Another eyewitness, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation, said he knew the three people killed, especially Bhat, who was a "classmate and neighbor." He believes all three were innocent civilians.

The eyewitness told VOA that police first rounded up everyone on the premises and led them to a nearby showroom.

"Then a few policemen asked [Bhat] and [Gul] to accompany them inside Bhat's building, and they obeyed," he said.

Police went inside and came back out multiple times before taking Gul's worker Ahmad inside as well.

Soon after, bystanders heard gunshots.

A picture of Bhat's bloodied body started circulating on local Facebook pages. Later, police tweeted that militants had been killed in the encounter.

'Human shield'

Journalist Saima Bhat, Bhat's niece, accused police of using her uncle as a human shield.

"You killed my innocent uncle Mohammad Altaf Bhat in cold-blooded murder in Hyderpora [neighborhood], you used him as human shield and now saying he was ‘OGW.’ Return us his body," she tweeted, using an acronym for "over ground workers," a regional colloquialism for people who provide logistical support to militants or terrorists.

Bhat's brother Abdul Majeed told VOA the authorities have falsely accused his brother of supporting militancy.

"I challenge the inspector general of police to prove that my brother was an OGW," Majeed said with tears in his eyes before criticizing police for risking the lives of ordinary citizens by including them in search operations.

"If [police and army] had information about the presence of militants, they should conduct their own searches without risking innocent lives," he said.

According to Majeed, Ahmad was a poor worker who did odd jobs for Gul.

"The first time government forces entered inside the building, they frisked [Ahmad] and asked him to wait downstairs,” Majeed said. “Had he been a militant, they would have nabbed him right then."

'At least return his body'

Gul, the third person killed in the fight, was a physician who had switched to the construction business. Police labelled him a "white-collar terrorist," but his family and friends called his killing "cold-blooded murder."

Gul's father, Ghulam Mohammad Rather, is calling for a judicial probe.

"My son had nothing to do with any militant organization," he said. "At least return his body so we can perform his last rites."

One of Gul's friends alleged that the police were "cooking up something" because they kept changing their statement.

Police account

Inspector Kumar says police approached the families of Gul and Bhat about participating in the burial.

"Since we have apprehensions of law-and-order problems, we cannot hand over bodies to families,” he said. “We took bodies to Handwara — some 90 kilometers from Srinagar — where burial took place."

In a statement, police said that two pistols were recovered from the site of the encounter, and that the call center in Bhat's building had been used for terrorist activities.

Police initially said both Bhat and Gul were injured and eventually killed by "terrorists firing," but later said that both men may have been caught in the crossfire between the alleged militants and police.

"I'm saying [Bhat] was killed in cross-firing,” Kumar said. “I'm not saying if he was killed by militants or if we fired at him. During the encounter, whose bullet hit him is a matter of investigation. If he was hit by a pistol bullet, then terrorists have killed him; if hit by AK rifle, then we can say he was hit by our bullet."

Demand for independent inquiry

The incident has sparked outrage across the valley, and various political parties have condemned it.

The former chief minister of Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti, accused the Indian government of atrocities.

"Using innocent civilians as human shields, getting them killed in cross firing & then conveniently labelling them as OGWs is part of [the government of India's] rulebook now,” Mufti tweeted. “Imperative that a credible judicial enquiry is done to bring out the truth & put an end to this rampant culture of impunity."

Alternative news Pinoy Weekly has been subjected to another wave of cyberattacks, leading to the shutdown their website for almost two days.

In a statement issued by its publisher Pinoy Media Center, the distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks happened on Nov. 17 and 18, where at least 10 gigabytes of requests were made to their server. While the website is now back online, the Pinoy Media Center said they “fear it may again be subject to an attack in the next few hours and days.”

DDoS refers to the flooding of a website server until it becomes inaccessible to its readers. PMC’s Board of Trustees assailed this as a press freedom violation.

Among the stories that were published around the time of attacks were an editorial on the ongoing alliance between the son of the dictator’s namesake Marcos Jr. and the president’s daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio, an in-depth report on price hikes, and a news analysis on the people’s agenda for the 2022 elections.

Back in 2018 and 2019, Pinoy Weekly was among those subjected to continuous DDoS attacks along with other alternative online news such as Altermidya, Bulatlat, and Kodao. Sweden-based digital rights advocacy group Qurium Foundation later traced the attacks to two Philippine IT firms.

This year, amid another round of cyberattacks, Qurium’s forensic investigation on the attacks against Bulatlat and Altermidya led them to the doors of the Philippine government, particularly the Department of Science and Technology and the Philippine Army.

“We condemn these attacks against alternative and independent media groups like Pinoy Weekly of Pinoy Media Center. We call on the public to join us in resisting attempts to muzzle our voices online, and make these attacks accountable to law and the people,” the PMC said.

Pinoy Weekly, like other alternative media outfits in the Philippines, has been red-tagged by the government’s anti-communist task force and the Philippine National Police.

“We warn those responsible for the cyberattacks that we will not be cowed by attempts to silence us. We will not be intimidated and will fight back with everything at our disposal. We will soon take legal and other actions to make them accountable,” they added.

Police in the coastal Vietnamese city of Danang summoned a former activist who runs a beef noodle stall for questioning Tuesday after he posted a video on social media in which he imitated a celebrity chef who had hand fed gold-coated beef to the country’s public security chief in a video that went viral this month.

The police came knocking six days after noodle vendor Bui Tuan Lam posted a video clip of himself on Facebook gyrating and spreading salt like Turkish celebrity chef and social media star known as Salt Bae, who served a pricey cut of beef to Vietnam’s top cop To Lam in early November.

Salt Bae, whose real name is Nusret Gökçe, served a Golden Giant Tomahawk steak to To and his entourage in London, where they stopped after representing Vietnam at the United Nations climate change conference in Scotland.

A video of To’s party being fed the U.S. $1,975 piece of meat obtained by RFA’s Vietnamese Service went viral, prompting social media comments raising questions about the propriety of a Communist Party official on a monthly salary of roughly U.S. $660 eating such a luxury meal. Subsequent media reports noted the delegation had also visited the London grave of Karl Marx during the trip.

Bui, known as Peter Lam Bui among activists in Vietnam, used to be active in human rights and justice advocacy.

In his video clip, Bui calls himself “Onion Leaf Bae” after the signature move of the celebrity chef, who writhed dramatically as he sprinkled salt on To’s steak.

“This morning they came to my house — two officers from the city security agency, an officer in charge of my locality, and, of course, some plainclothes person doing filming outside,” Bui told RFA.

The reason for the summons was not clear and only said that it requested that Bui go to an office “to provide information about a criminal dealing for investigation work,” he said.

A video of the police visit recorded by Bui shows him asking officers for the reason for the summons, but he was not given one.

“I refused [to go] and said that if the reason was stated clearly in the order, I would work with them because in principle the order is related to a legal case, so it cannot be so general given that someone could be indicted based on what I said,” Bui said.

After listening to Bui’s explanation, the police officers threatened to forcefully escort him to their office, he said.

The video clip might not be primary reason for his most recent summons, Bui suggested, noting that he has received such notices in past months and ignored them.

But he added that his imitation of Salt Bae may have irritated police enough for them to follow up.

“For me, the clip’s impact, if any, is just that they are upset by having to deliver the summons,” he said. “They have had it in mind for a long time to summons me.”

Gökçe, 38, has opened 17 steak restaurants around the world, and videos of his meat-salting performances have been seen and shared by millions. When his London eatery opened in September, it was slammed for U.S. $34 desserts and U.S. $135 hamburgers in the British press, which ran features on stratospheric Salt Bae dinner tabs.

Troops on Monday raided the office of a Mandalay-based charity helping people displaced by violence and arrested its chairwoman on accusations that she had been supporting the People’s Defence Force (PDF) in its fight against the junta.

Nwe Nwe Win, 43, was taken in the evening by 10 plainclothes soldiers from the Shwe Mahar Nwe social welfare group’s office on 25th street, in the city’s Aungmyay Thazan Township.

She is reportedly being questioned at the interrogation center inside Mandalay Palace and has also been accused of supporting striking workers involved in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM).

“They accused her of financially supporting staff members taking part in the CDM, as well as the PDFs,” said a source close to the charity who wanted to remain anonymous. “They ransacked the entire office and even broke open packages of donations to the orphanage and IDP camps.”

Shwe Mahar Nwe was founded in 2014 and also organises blood donation drives, a spokesperson for the group told Myanmar Now. “We were only accepting clothes donations for IDPs as winter is coming, but they accused us of something else entirely,” he said.

Hours after Nwe Nwe Win was arrested, soldiers returned to the office in search of two other team members but were unable to find them, added the spokesperson.

On October 6 a teacher named Thein Zaw, from the village of Kin in Madaya Township, was accused of financially supporting the PDF and arrested.

He was killed three days later while travelling to his home with the soldiers, who appear to have forced him to show them where he lived, according to two local sources.

Also in October, a local philanthropist and restaurant owner from Pyin Oo Lwin Township named Po Pyae Thu was accused of supporting the CDM and the PDF and was arrested, a source close to her family said.

Student activist Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul has been denied bail on a royal defamation charge relating to a protest on 20 December 2020, in which activists wore crop tops at Siam Paragon shopping mall to campaign for the repeal of the royal defamation law.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported on Monday (15 November) that Panusaya went to testify to the South Bangkok Criminal Court on the case, along with 4 other activists who were charged in the same case: Benja Apan, Parit Chiwarak, Panupong Jadnok, and Phawat Hiranphon. Two other activists were also charged, but since they are minors, their case is being heard separately.

The activists were charged with royal defamation under Section 112, after they walked around Siam Paragon in crop tops to campaign for the repeal of the royal defamation law and to make a statement that it is not illegal to wear a crop top, after a 16-year-old protester was charged with royal defamation for wearing a crop top to a protest and writing the message “My father’s name is Mana, not Vajiralongkorn” on his back.

Parit also wrote the message “Repeal Section 112” and “Reform the monarchy” on his arms, as well as “My mother doesn’t cheat” on his waist. Panusaya wrote “I only have one father” on her stomach. Benja wrote “My father’s name is not…” and “Are you insane?” on her stomach and waist, and walked behind Parit and Panusaya while carrying a handbag on a golden tray with pedestal.

Meanwhile, Phawat walked around with the group, bowing, saying 'Long live the King', and presenting flowers to Parit and Panusaya.

The public prosecutor claimed that their action mocked the King and that they intended to damage the King’s reputation and to cause people to lose their respect for him.

The complaint against them was filed by Acting Sub Lt Narin Sakcharoenchaikun, a member of the royalist group Thai Pakdee, which also filed a similar charge against Anon Nampa for his Facebook post of a letter to the King.

TLHR said that the 5 activists denied all charges, and noted that observers from the Embassies of Finland and Luxembourg were also present in the courtroom. The court then scheduled 2 more hearings on 26 November 2021 and 24 January 2022.

Since Panusaya was not brought to court when the public prosecutor indicted her on 29 June 2020, she has to file a bail request using a 200,000-baht security, which is covered by the Will of the People Fund, a bail fund for people facing charges for political expression.

However, the court denied her bail on the grounds that she has committed similar offenses, and is likely to repeat her offense if released. The order was signed by judge Santi Chukitsappaisan, Research Justice of the Supreme Court, temporarily acting as the Deputy Chief Justice of the South Bangkok Criminal Court.

Panusaya is detained at the Central Women Correctional Institution. This is the second time this year that she has been detained pending trial on a charge relating to pro-democracy protests, after she was previously detained for 60 days on charges relating to the 19 – 20 September 2020 protest before being released on 6 May 2021.

According to TLHR, 25 people are detained pending trial on charges relating to their participation in pro-democracy protests, 6 of them on royal defamation charges: Parit Chiwarak, Jatupat Boonpattaraksa, Anon Nampa, Panupong Jadnok, Benja Apan, and Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul.

About the Human Rights Defender: Mr. Abdul Rashid is a resident of Kirdoli village in Sikar district of Rajasthan. He has filed RTIs with regards to development works in his village and has helped victims of atrocities seek justice. Background of the Incident: Approximately three months ago, Mr. Rashid had filed RTIs seeking information on the allotment of pattas (land titles) in his village of Kirdoli. On November 14, 2021, the first appeal officer provided information on the same which showed that the pattas had been allotted to benefit the current sarpanch of the panchayat at Kirdoli, Ms. Haseena and her family. The RTI also revealed that the inquiry officer at district development office had found the panchayat guilty of the act. Details of the Incident: On November 15, 2021, Mr. Rashid and his friend Mr. Javed were on their way to Sikar from their village Kirdoli. At around 9 AM, about 200 meters from Chailasi Bus Stand, a white SUV (Scorpio) overtook their car and blocked their way. At the same time, another SUV (Bolero) blocked the path of the car from behind. Around 10 - 12 men emerged from both the SUVs armed with sticks, iron rods and pipes. They pulled the HRD out and started beating him with the intent to kill. They also smashed his car. One of the assaulters that the HRD could identifi was Mr. Imran, who tried to hit the HRD on the head, but the HRD managed to shield himself by raising his arms. His friend tried to stop the attackers but was also beaten up by the group. The group inflicted multiple blows to the HRD’s hands and legs. The attackers openly told the HRD that they had been sent my Mr. Maksood, who is the husband of the Sarpanch Ms. Haseena. During the attack men in the group told him that the attack was a consequence of his RTIs against them. The brutal attack rendered the HRD unconscious. His friend, Mr. Javed, called up other friends and relatives and the HRD was rushed to SK Hospital in Sikar. The doctors stated that his situation was grave and shifted him to Sawai Mansingh Hospital in Jaipur, where he received treatment for his injuries. Bones in both his hands and legs were broken as result of the attack. He is currently recovering from his injuries. On November 15, 2021, since the HRD was in an unconscious state, his friend, Mr. Javed, filed an official police complaint based on which the police registered an FIR (0400) at Sikar police station under sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 323 (causing voluntary hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), 327 (voluntarily causes hurt, for the purpose of extorting from the sufferer), 427 (Mischief leading loss and damage). Till date, the police have only arrested two persons involved in the incident, while the Sarpanch and her family continue to be out. According to the HRD, among the group of men there were nephews of Mr. Maksood - Mr. Ekram and Mr. Nizamuddin. Mr. Nizamuddin’s son Mr. Javed was also part of the group. The way the attack was carried out shows a clear intent to kill the HRD. The police, however, have not shown the alarm and urgency that such a heinous assault should register. The attackers should be booked and arrested under section 307 (attempt to murder), which is a non-bailable offence as well as a cognizable offence.

Two journalists covering the recent anti-Muslim violence in Tripura were taken into police custody on Sunday on charges of spreading communal disharmony, ANI reported. The action has sparked widespread condemnation from press organisations. The channel they work for, HW News, and civil liberties activists have questioned the legality of their detention.

On Sunday morning, Tripura Police handed over the first information report to journalists Samriddhi Sakunia and Swarna Jha, filed on the complaint of a person named Kanchan Das. He had alleged that Sakunia and Jha made an “instigating speech” against the Hindu community and the Tripura government while visiting people from the Muslim community in the Unakoti district’s Paul Bazaar area.

In tweets posted in the morning, Sakunia and Jha alleged that they were being held captive in a hotel in Dharmanagar sub-division of North Tripura district. They finally managed to leave the state in the afternoon, but the police of neighbouring Assam detained them in Karimganj district and handed them over to the Tripura Police.

In a video statement issued on Sunday morning, Sakunia said that they were served a copy of the first information report on Sunday morning and more than 15 policemen were deployed outside the hotel where they were staying.

The police also took Aadhaar and transport details of the two journalists, Sakunia said.

Tension has been prevailing in Tripura after a mosque and several shops were attacked in the Panisagar sub-division during a Vishwa Hindu Parishad rally on October 26. The Hindutva outfit was protesting about the attacks on Hindus in neighbouring Bangladesh. The police have claimed that no mosque had been burnt in the violence.

In his complaint against the journalists, Kanchan Das had also said that Sakunia and Jha had blamed the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal for burning a mosque in the Paul Bazaar area.

The complainant alleged that the journalists were a part of the criminal conspiracy to damage the communal harmony of Tripura and malign the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Tripura government.

Meanwhile, in its statement on Sunday afternoon, HW News said that the police do not have a case against its journalists.

The statement said that section 46 of the Code of Criminal Procedure does not allow women to be arrested after sunset or before sunrise without the order of the magistrate. It said that this procedure was not followed by the police.

It cited Assam police saying that the two journalists will be taken back to Tripura for questioning. The statement said this was done despite police earlier allowing them to leave the hotel in Tripura where they were staying. The police had also given the journalists seven days to record their statement.

“This is sheer harassment and targeting of the press on the part of Tripura Police and Tripura Government to suppress us from reporting facts of the case,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs on Saturday said that no mosque had been damaged in Tripura, The Indian Express reported. The Centre denied reports of injury, rape or death in any clash in the state.

“There have been news reports that have been circulating that a mosque in Kakraban area of Gomati district in Tripura has been damaged and vandalised,” the ministry said in a statement. “These news reports are fake and are a complete misrepresentation of facts.” Police’s claims misleading: AltNews

Meanwhile, fact-checking website AltNews on Saturday reported that the Tripura Police’s claim of no mosques being vandalised in the state’s Panisagar town was incorrect. On October 28, the Tripura Police had made the claim in a statement replying to a tweet posted by Sakunia.

Sakunia had tweeted a video showing a Muslim man in an ambulance following an attack by unidentified people.

The police have maintained that no mosques were burnt and that images of the alleged incident shared on social media were fake. The police had shared the images of Rowa Jame Masjid to claim that no mosque was burned down.

However, AltNews said that multiple people, including local journalists, told the website that a mosque at the former Central Reserve Police Force camp in Panisagar was vandalised and torched.

This mosque is located about 3 kilometres away from the Rowa Jame Masjid, according to AltNews.

Besides AltNews, Al Jazeera and Article 14 had also shared images of the mosque in the former CRPF camp being torched.

A man was shot in the chest during a rally against a Constitutional Court ruling after key protest leaders were accused of trying to bring down the constitutional monarchy.

The man was shot in front of the Forensic Medicine Institute of Police General Hospital at 5.12pm and was rushed out of the area for treatment, following several gunshot sounds.

The protest was staged at Democracy Monument at 3pm and led by the United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration, the Thalu Fah Group, the Democracy Restoration Group, the Ratsadon movement, and the Coalition of Salaya for Democracy, Supporter Thailand, We Volunteer and Campaigning for a People's Constitution groups.

Afterwards, the rally moved on to Pathumwan intersection. Marchers had also intended to visit the German embassy in Sathon district to submit a petition to reform the highest institution.

However, police had already blocked the lanes in and out of Pathumwan intersection.

Protesters then blocked more traffic while giving speeches.

The group also held aloft nine straw effigies dressed in black to represent the judicial officials who ruled that Arnon Nampa, Panupong "Mike" Jadnok and Panusaya "Rung" Sithijirawattanakul aimed to bring down the constitutional monarchy.

The court had ordered them to cease all actions deemed threatening to the democratic system with the King as head of state. They burned the effigies at the intersection.

The protesters claimed that the Constitutional Court's ruling is bringing the country back to an absolute monarchy and they were opposing it.

At 6.20pm, protesters reached the German embassy to submit a statement opposing the court ruling.

Three representatives were allowed into the embassy premises to hand in the statement.

It was the second rally outside the embassy, following a demonstration on Oct 26 last year that led to the indictment of 13 leaders on lese majeste and other charges.

A long-time women and child rights advocate was arrested in her Bulacan home on Sunday, Nov. 14, over a rebellion case filed back in 2005.

Ma. Salome Crisistomo Ujano, 64, national coordinator of Philippine Against Child Trafficking (PACT), was presented with a warrant of arrest and was brought to Camp Crame in Quezon City.

Referring to Ujano as one of the country’s “topmost wanted persons,” the Bulacan police said the arrest warrant was issued by a Lucena court on June 28, 2006, with no bail recommendations.

“The case is baseless as she was actively involved as executive director of Women’s Crisis Center back in 2005. She never heard of this case before,” her daughter Karla wrote on Facebook.

Ujano was with the Women’s Crisis Center from 1990 to 2007, of which she served as its executive director from 2000 to 2006.

In a statement, House Assistant Minority Leader and Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene Brosas condemned the arrest, adding that it happened in November where activities are slated in commemoration of Children’s Month.

“Her arrest points to the absurdity of the PNP’s operations against perceived enemies of the state. It is perhaps the first arrest of a women and children’s rights advocate under the new PNP chief Dionardo Carlos,” she said.

Her colleagues, on the other hand, refuted police claims that she was in hiding for the past 15 years as Ujano has been attending public events as a child rights advocate, including gatherings that were organized in relation to the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Here she talked about how government agencies can better protect children and women from human trafficking.

This 2019 gathering, too, dubbed as “Ako Para sa Bata,” was attended by ranking government officials.

Relatives and colleagues of Ujano called for her immediate release and the dropping of baseless charges against her.

A man who was detained when soldiers were unable to find his nephew during a raid in Mandalay Region last week died in junta custody within hours, with his body showing signs of severe injury when his family went to collect it.

Ye Aung, 33, was taken from home to the village of Kyauktada, Madaya Township, on Friday afternoon when troops arrived searching for his 24-year-old nephew, who is a protest organiser in the village.

The family has said they do not want to disclose the name of the protest leader, who has been in hiding for several months. Soldiers also took the protest leader’s 48-year-old father, Myint Aung, who has not been heard from since.

“They both were taken at around 4pm and Ye Aung's family was notified the next morning that he had died,” a Kyauktada villager told Myanmar Now. “I heard he was sent to the interrogation center. The family had to go there to take his body back home.”

Ye Aung’s body showed signs that he had been badly beaten in custody; he had numerous injuries on his head, said the villager. Ye Aung left behind his baby and his wife, who had given birth just a few days before he was detained.

Neither of the two men who were taken took part in the underground movement against the dictatorship, the villager said.

Soldiers destroyed furniture and took computers, mobile phones and money from the house while arresting Ye Aung, locals said.

Myint Naing’s family are reportedly in fear for his life as they heard that he was also sent to the interrogation center.

Locals from Mattaya said that the military has conducted frequent raids on villages within the township since early November and arrested several teachers taking part in the Civil DIsobedience Movement (CDM).

Local resistance forces in the township have launched ambushes against military units.

On Friday a bomb exploded at a security checkpoint on the road leading into the township, killing a military captain, a private, and three police officers, said local news reports and the Madaya People's Defence Force (PDF).

Then on Saturday soldiers arrested a married couple, both teachers, who were taking part in the CDM. The couple were beaten at their home before being taken away to an undisclosed location.

“I think teachers have become their favourite targets lately. We still haven’t heard anything about the teacher couple,” said a Madaya local.

In early October 35-year-old Thein Zaw was detained by junta forces in Madaya and his body was found near his village three days later.

Tibetan villagers and Chinese officials clashed this month over the failure of authorities to pay compensation for land taken for a construction project, with at least one scuffle breaking out at the worksite, local sources said.

No injuries were reported in the brawl on Nov. 10 in Domda village in the Yushul (in Chinese, Yushu) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai, historically a part of northeastern Tibet’s Amdo region, a Tibetan living in the area told RFA this week.

“No one was allowed to record any videos or take photos of the commotion, and no one was hurt,” RFA’s source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “However, this land issue has become very critical now, and all construction work has been halted for the time being.”

To promote local development, Chinese officials earlier this year seized a large parcel of land from Domda residents, and though authorities promised to pay compensation to the villagers whose land was taken, no money has yet been paid, the source said.

“So some local Tibetans from the village went to the construction site last week to halt the work until they are compensated for their land,” the source said, adding that villagers were threatened when they pressed their claims, leading to the clash.

China has worked for years to move large numbers of nomadic herders and other Tibetans from their ancestral lands without their consent, said Zamlha Tenpa Gyaltsen, a researcher at the Tibet Policy Institute in the Dharamsala, India.

“The Chinese government tries to justify these policies as efforts to rapidly lift the living standards of rural Tibetans and protect the environment. However, these policies have raised a lot of suspicions,” Gyaltsen said.

Tensions have risen in the Domda area, a region known for its scenic beauty and good supplies of water and electricity, since work began four years ago to demolish nomad housing and replace it with housing built for Chinese migrants and tourists, sources told RFA in earlier reports.

In August, Chinese police stopped a group of Tibetans traveling on the road to Domda, pushing one who objected to a random search into a river, where he later died, and shooting another who attempted to intervene, sources said.

Formerly an independent nation, Tibet was invaded and incorporated into China by force 70 years ago.

Chinese authorities maintain a tight grip on the region, restricting Tibetans’ political activities and peaceful expression of cultural and religious identity and subjecting Tibetans to persecution, torture, imprisonment and extrajudicial killings.

Environmental activist Chhorn Phalla was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment by the Ratanakiri Provincial Court on Wednesday for illegally clearing forests.

Phalla, a long-time activist, previously raised allegations that local officials were encroaching on community forests and that they beat him. Officials then filed a court complaint that Phalla was “causing trouble” at a public forum.

He was arrested on September 20 after being called into the police station to update the address on his identification card. The arrest was based on a February arrest warrant that said he was accused of clearing forests in Lumphat district in 2019 and 2020.

On Wednesday, Keo Pheakdey, spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office, said Phalla had been sentenced by judge Chan Seiha to five years in jail under Article 62 of the Protected Areas Law.

Phalla was specifically found guilty of “clearing, encroaching, burning or clearing forest” to claim ownership, he said.

The crime is considered “fourth grade” and is punishable by five to 10 years in jail.

“He has the right to appeal according to the law,” Pheakdey said.

Phalla’s defense lawyer Sam Titseyha said the conviction was an injustice.

“It is very unfair for my client, because Chhorn Phalla is an activist helping to protect the forests, forestry land and the community, which is in the common interest,” he said. “He has been charged, while the loggers have been acquitted.”

Titseyha added that he was preparing to appeal.

“I have already prepared an application to file a complaint to the Court of Appeal,” he said. “For now, I am just waiting for what the Court of Appeal will do next.”

Two Greenpeace activists in Indonesia were reported to the police over their supposedly unfounded criticism of deforestation happening under the government’s watch.

The activists, Greenpeace Indonesia Head Leonard Simanjuntak and Indonesia Forest Campaign Head Kiki Taufik, were accused of spreading fake news and violating Indonesia’s Information and Electronic Transactions Act (UU ITE) for debunking President Joko Widodo’s deforestation claim.

At the COP26 summit in Glasgow earlier this month, Jokowi said deforestation in Indonesia has declined in recent years. Greenpeace Indonesia later challenged the president’s claim and called it “nonsense,” citing Forestry Ministry data that showed deforestation rising from 2.45 million hectares between 2003 and 2011 to 4.8 million hectares between 2011 and 2019.

The Committee for the Eradication of Mafia of Law Secretary General Husin Shahab took issue with Greenpeace’s criticism.

“Criticize if it’s based on truth. If not, then that’s fake news,” Husin said yesterday of his decision to file the police report against Leonard and Kiki.

The police have not issued any statements on whether or not they will process the complaint.

Husin reportedly registered to run for a legislative seat in East Java in 2019 with the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), which is now part of the government’s coalition of parties. Husin, however, was reportedly dismissed from the party in 2018 for being involved in a polygamous marriage.

Greenpeace Indonesia maintains that its criticism of Jokowi’s claim was based on factual data.

“We will face this complaint, even though we are in the middle of a climate crisis that requires real action from the government,” Greenpeace Indonesia campaigner Asep Komarudin said.

Greenpeace Indonesia forest campaigner Asep Komarudin said his side is ready to face a police report filed by the Cyber Indonesia forum for criticizing President Joko Widodo or Jokowi's speech about deforestation.

“We’ve heard about this report from our media partners, and there has been no call from the police. We will deal with this, even though we are now focusing on the climate crisis which requires concrete action from the government,” Asep told Tempo on Monday, November 15.

Leaders of Greenpeace Indonesia, Leonard Simanjuntak and Kiki Taufik, were reported to Jakarta Metro Police after criticizing the President's speech on deforestation at the World Leaders Summit at the United Nations Climate Change Summit (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland.

Both were reported for criminal acts under the Electronic Information and Transactions or ITE Law. Chairman of Cyber Indonesia Husin Shahab assessed that the environment watchdog submitted false and misleading data on deforestation.

In response to the report, Asep said that Greenpeace is ready to compete with data to prove the data validity. “Greenpeace uses valid, accurate data to the public. We are also ready to have an open debate with the Environment and Forestry Ministry regarding how we analyze it scientifically and intellectually,” he said.

According to Asep, making such a police report might destroy the democratic climate. Criticism of the government should not be responded to by a police report but an open dialogue or debate.

The Observatory has been informed about the ongoing judicial harassment against Messrs. Adilur Rahman Khan and ASM Nasiruddin Elan, respectively Secretary and Director of the human rights non-governmental organisation Odhikar, in a further attempt to sanction and silence their human rights activities [1].

On November 9, 2021, the Cyber Tribunal of Dhaka resumed its examination of prosecution witnesses in the case brought against Adilur Rahman Khan, who is also a member of OMCT General Assembly and FIDH Secretary-General, and ASM Nasiruddin Elan in Case No. 1 of 2013. The case was filed against the two in relation to a fact-finding report issued by Odhikar documenting extrajudicial killings by security forces and law enforcement agencies during a protest in May 2013.

The Observatory recalls that following the publication of Odhikar’s fact-finding report, Adilur Rahman Khan and ASM Nasiruddin Elan were arbitrarily detained for 62 and 25 days respectively, before they were both released on bail on October 11 and December 1, 2013. However, instead of dropping the case, the police brought new charges under the notorious Section 57 of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act, 2006 (amended in 2009). If found guilty, Adilur Rahman Khan and ASM Nasiruddin Elan could each face up to seven years of imprisonment.

On February 14, 2021, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh rejected Odhikar’s appeal to quash the cybercrime case on its legal merits. On September 12, 2021, the Cyber Tribunal of Dhaka resumed the trial in the case against the two defenders and on October 5, 2021, it started to examine prosecution witnesses in the case. The next hearing is now set to take place on November 24, 2021.

The Observatory expresses its deepest concern over the ongoing harassment of Adilur Rahman Khan and ASM Nasiruddin Elan, which manifestly aims at punishing them for their legitimate human rights activities.

The Observatory is all the more concerned that since the case was transferred to the Cyber Tribunal of Dhaka in January 2017, the latter has failed to uphold fair trial principles in this case. There has been notably a lack of transparency regarding the publicity of its decisions. It is also concerning that when Mr. Khan and Mr. Elan’s lawyers sought permission from the court to examine separately the prosecution witness who testified against the two defendants on October 5, namely Detective Branch Police Officer Mr. Mohammad Ashraful Islam (who lodged the General Diary Entry and the First Information Report at Dhaka’s Gulshan police station in August 2013 and was also the investigating officer of the case), the court only replied that the witness could be called at a later date to be cross-examined.

The Observatory further recalls that since 2013, attacks, surveillance, smear campaigns and harassment against Odhikar and its staff and management have been incessant. Odhikar is also facing serious difficulties to implement its activities, since its registration has not been renewed by the NGO Affairs Bureau of the Government of Bangladesh and is still pending since 2015. All of its bank accounts have been frozen and it has been forbidden from receiving foreign funding, impacting considerably its operations.

The Observatory strongly condemns the ongoing judicial harassment of Adilur Rahman Khan and ASM Nasiruddin Elan and reiterates its deepest concern about the authorities of Bangladesh’s systematic crackdown on human rights defenders and journalists who speak out against rampant human rights violations taking place in the country, including through the use of the Digital Security Act - 2018, the Special Powers Act - 1974, and other draconian laws.

The Observatory urges the authorities to immediately and unconditionally drop all charges against Adilur Rahman Khan and ASM Nasiruddin Elan and to put an end to all acts of harassment, including at the judicial level, against all human rights defenders in Bangladesh.

Responding to the sentencing of Hong Kong activist Ma Chun-man, also known as “Captain America 2.0”, to five years and nine months in prison for “inciting subversion” under the national security law, Amnesty International’s Deputy Secretary General Kyle Ward said:

“In the warped political landscape of post-national security law Hong Kong, peacefully expressing a political stance and trying to get support from others is interpreted as ‘inciting subversion’ and punishable by years in jail.

“It is outrageous that Ma Chun-man has been sentenced to more than five years in prison simply for chanting slogans and sharing his political views online. The Hong Kong government must stop criminalizing mere acts of expression without any demonstrated connection to the use of force or imminent violence.

“This conviction and sentencing clearly shows that restrictions on the right to freedom of expression in Hong Kong are dangerously disproportionate. The two verdicts handed down in national security law cases have not paid due regard to the human rights safeguards the Hong Kong authorities claim exist in the law.

“The Hong Kong government must stop endlessly expanding its definition of ‘endangering national security’ as a means of locking up people who express views it doesn’t like.”

Background

Ma Chun-man, who has also been dubbed “Captain America 2.0” for carrying a superhero shield at protests, was today sentenced to five years and nine months in prison for “inciting subversion of state power” under the national security law (NSL) enacted in Hong Kong in June 2020.

The sentence relates to him chanting slogans, holding up placards and giving media interviews at a series of protests last year.

In convicting him, the judge said it was not relevant whether or not his acts had been peaceful. Meanwhile, human rights safeguards in domestic and international law were barely discussed during his trial.

International standards clearly state that governments cannot cite national security grounds to restrict legitimate expression, which includes peacefully discussing and supporting independence movements. Even where national security may be used to limit human rights, it must be done through clear laws and in a way that is specific, necessary and proportionate to a demonstrated threat.

The Hong Kong authorities’ sweeping definition of “national security”, which follows that of mainland China, has been used arbitrarily as a pretext to restrict the human rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, association, fair trial and liberty, as well as to repress dissent and political opposition.

Between 1 July 2020 and October 2021, police arrested or ordered the arrest of at least 154 people in relation to the NSL. As of October 2021, at least 82 people have been formally charged, of whom 59 are presently in pretrial detention.

An Amnesty International research briefing released earlier this year found that the NSL has decimated Hong Kong’s freedoms and created a landscape increasingly devoid of human rights protections.

The charred dead body of an RTI activist and journalist who had ‘exposed’ illegal medical clinics that were operating in his village was recovered on Friday night. The body of Buddhinath Jha, also known as Avinash Jha, was found five kilometres away from Benipatti village in the Madhubani district of Bihar, where the 22-year-old lived. He was working with a local Hindi news portal, BNN News Benipatti.

Buddhinath went missing on the night of November 9, when he left his house. He was last seen crossing the road near his clinic at around 9:58 pm that day, according to close circuit TV camera (CCTV) video footage. He was seen talking to somebody over the phone and pacing near the main road, according to the footage.

There was no information about his whereabouts after that. B.J. Bikash, his cousin, told The Wire.

Family members said they suspected the medical mafia’s role in the killing, as Jha – in his capacity as a journalist and transparency activist – had filed complaints against illegal clinics, resulting in the closure of some and fines against others.

Family members told The Wire, “When we went to his room in the morning, we found his bike near his clinic. His laptop was on, which means he planned to go out only for a few minutes.”

On November 10, his family members informed the local police. According to family members, his mobile phone was traced to a village around five kilometres away on the morning of November 10.

On November 11, Chandrashekhar Jha, his elder brother, lodged a complaint at the Benipatti police station. “My brother has been missing since November 9. His mobile phone is switched off,” the application says.

His complaint named 11 private nursing homes in the area, saying they may have played a role in Buddhinath’s disappearance as the journalist had filed complaints against them under the Public Grievances Redressal Act.

Meanwhile, his friends and relatives wrote about his disappearance on Facebook. On November 12, B.J. Bikash got a call from a village about five kilometres from Benipatti. “At around 6:41 pm, I got a call. The caller told me that a dead body has been found beside a state highway. We, along with the police, went there and found his charred body. We identified him and his body was cremated after a postmortem,” he says.

Arvind Kumar, SHO of Benipatti police station told The Wire, “We have taken a few suspects into custody. The matter is being investigated.”

Jha’s complaints and action on unauthorised clinics

Buddhinath Jha had exposed many unlicensed private clinics which were operating in the area. His complaints to district public grievances redressal officers had resulted in fines and actions against private clinics since 2020. In August this year, after Jha’s complaint, district health officials had searched eight private nursing homes which were allegedly run without proper licenses. Four clinics were slapped with a fine of Rs 50,000 each.

Some clinics had changed their address to evade action. The police had also lodged FIRs against some clinics.

Dr Sunil Kumar Jha, the civil surgeon of Madhubani district, confirmed that after Buddhinath Jha’s complaints, action was taken against unauthorised clinics.

His relatives said that he had opened a nursing home in 2019, where doctors from different areas would visit and treat patients. That had angered local doctors and they had got the clinic closed, he said. It was then that he decided to identify unauthorised clinics in the area and started filing RTIs and complaints, according to his relatives.

Trilok Jha, another elder brother, said, “Due to action taken against private nursing homes, the operators were angry. They had threatened him many times and also offered money if he stopped filing complaints. But he was adamant to expose them.”

Planned another campaign against illegal clinics

Buddhinath’s colleague Kanhaiya Kashyap told The Wire, “Despite the action taken by health officials, some illegal private clinics were still operating under new names. He was planning another round of complaints against them.”

“A week ago, Buddhinath told me that he will again start lodging complaints with health officials. On Facebook, he had posted on November 7 that the ‘game will start’ from November 15, indicating that he would file complaints against unauthorised clinics on that day,” Kashyap says.

“We suspect the medical mafia hatched a conspiracy and burnt him to death after kidnapping him,” Trilok Jha said.

When The Wire asked the station house officer (SHO) about the motive behind the murder, the officer said he will only comment when more information is available.

The opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) party has criticised the Nitish Kumar government over Kha’s killing. It said, “Telling the truth and protesting against wrong actions is the biggest crime in the Nitish Kumar regime. People who are running the government have increased the morale of criminals and mafias for their own benefits.”

Bihar Congress chief Madan Mohan Jha also tweeted about the incident, saying, “Yesterday social worker Navin Jha and today RTI activist Avinash Jha have been murdered. Nitish Kumar ji, leave your last 15 years performance, show your performance now.”

RTI activists in the crosshairs

Jha’s murder has once again highlighted the dangers that transparency activists face in Bihar. In September, East Champaran-based RTI activist Vipin Agarwal was murdered in broad daylight when he was returning from the block office. He had filed more than 20 RTIs against government land encroachment.

More than 20 RTI activists have been murdered in the state since 2006. Rarely have the accused been brought to justice in these cases, which has only emboldened criminals, activists say. RTI activists have demanded security for those working in remote areas.

Muhammad Zada Agra was shot dead in Sakhakot by two unidentified gunmen on November 8, days after he spoke out against alleged corruption and drug syndicates in the region. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its Pakistan affiliate, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) strongly condemn Muhammad Zada Agra’s assassination and call on the Pakistani government to immediately arrest the perpetrators and to create proper security mechanisms to ensure safety for reporters in Pakistan. Muhammad Zada Agra was gunned down outside his home in Sakhakot, a day after Pakistan’s national assembly passed the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Bill, 2021. Agra was reportedly running a social media campaign against drug cartels and other criminals in the region before his death. He allegedly informed authorities about the threats to his life but was offered no protection.

According to a video circulating on social media, Agra recently participated in a meeting with the deputy commissioner of Malakand, where he spoke against the drug mafia and exposed their activities in his region.

After Agra’s murder, protestors gathered in Sakhakot and staged a sit-in on a major road with his coffin, chanting against local authorities. Following this unrest, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government suspended the deputy and assistant commissioners of the region.

According to the IFJ’s South Asia Press Freedom Report 2020-2021, the continuing spate of physical attacks is chief among the safety concerns for Pakistani journalists and media workers. Agra’s killing comes days after the brutal murder of outspoken Pakistani blogger, Nasim Jokhio, sparking concern for journalists and media workers’ safety despite legislative developments to ensure their protection.

Two journalists in Kampot were arrested as residents protested for the release of their family members amid allegations that police had detained a 4-year-old child.

According to a provincial police report from Tuesday, four suspects were arrested on Sunday in Chhuk district’s Trapeang Phlaing commune for violence against the owner of a property and incitement, calling it a red-handed crime.

The following day, residents protested outside the provincial hall demanding the four residents’ release.

A live video report by Los Seng News said the residents did not understand the arrests, and wanted the newly appointed provincial governor — who has held public forums vowing to solve people’s disputes — to step in.

“Please, provincial governor, find justice for me. … Please help us,” one interviewed woman said in the video amid rain. The woman, Ken Phon, alleged that the four taken to the provincial police headquarters were Dy Chroeun, Meas Khchai, Tuy Taing, and Taing’s 4-year-old son.

The Los Seng News reporter reiterates in the video that the residents were concerned for the child.

Licadho provincial coordinator Pen Vuthea said Tuesday night that he understood that a child was in custody alongside his mother, and they were being kept separate from the others.

Commune police chief Haem Kny would not answer repeated questions about whether there was a child in detention.

District and provincial police and the provincial governor could not be reached on Tuesday to clarify the claim.

The police report says two journalists from Los Seng News, Ing Thoeun, 27, and Say Sophea, 24, were arrested after they “came to report in front of the provincial administration, criticizing the competent local authorities without communicating with authorities to ask about the arrests of the four on November 7, causing people to misunderstand and become enemies of the competent local authorities.”

The two journalists are accused of incitement to disturb social security and malicious denunciation, the report says.

Los Seng, publisher of Los Seng News, said he had reached out to provincial governor Mao Thonin about the arrests but the governor had not been receptive.

“They are just reporters and covered the news,” Seng said. “They broadcast based on people’s interviews.”

“It is in [the interviewees’] hands, so they can make any accusation that they want to, but we need to look into live [broadcasts] — whether it is suitable for an accusation of incitement or not.”

He said the authorities could correct reporters’ information and should not arrest them like criminals.

“When any report is a crime, where is the freedom of the journalist? They could use the Press Law, but instead they use their power against the journalist,” Seng said. “Their action is to break the spirit of the journalist from daring to cover news in Kampot province.”

Los Seng said in July he was pressured to stop reporting on a contentious land dispute involving the new Phnom Penh International Airport, with the Kandal Stung district governor claiming the news outlet did not have permission to make live broadcasts about the dispute.

Villagers in a commune in north-central Vietnam are pushing back hard against a developer’s plans to build a cemetery and crematorium near their homes, saying they fear pollution and have not been consulted on the project, RFA has learned.

Residents of the Hung Tay commune in Nghe An province’s Hung Nguyen district posted a Facebook video on Monday showing police officers violently dispersing villagers who had gathered to protest at the entrance to the site.

The cemetery project at Dai Hue mountain is located uphill and only 1,200 meters (3,937 feet) from the nearest residential area, and villagers had already put up tents at the cemetery’s entrance to stop construction work from moving ahead, local sources said.

“The distance from the project’s fences to where we live is not great enough and it isn’t safe,” one resident said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “This will affect our lives, and especially our sources of water and wind,” he said.

Though developers say that area residents have already consented to the project, no papers exist to document their agreement, RFA’s source said. “We never signed anything saying we had been consulted, and without this document, the provincial government should never have approved this project.”

Claims by developers that VND 40 billion (U.S. $1,765) has already been paid in compensation for 32.5 hectares of land handed over by government authorities for the project are also false, the source said.

“In fact, we haven’t received any notification about the land that was acquired, about who will receive compensation for the land, or even how much they will receive,” he said. “Where is that VND 40 billion now, and who is holding it?” he asked.

Commune residents have asked provincial authorities and the project’s developers for answers to these questions, but have so far received no response, he said.

'Provoked to protest'

A video of Monday’s clash between residents and police circulated widely on social media this week, with many viewers commenting that villagers had been provoked into launching their protests. Speaking to RFA, one resident said their blockade of the worksite was not aimed at opposing government authority, however.

“All we did was to set up some tents to prevent construction and protect the land,” he said. “That’s all this was, there was nothing else.”

“However, the authorities did send some policemen in, and so a few minor clashes with the residents occurred,” he said, adding that no one had been arrested in the clash.

Attempts to reach Hung Tay commune authorities for comment received no response, and RFA was unable to independently verify reports from another source that police had used weapons to disperse the crowd.

According to state-run Nghe An Television, a majority of the province’s residents have agreed to construction of the cemetery and crematorium, though a few individuals may still oppose the plan due to a “lack of understanding” of the project.

While all land is ultimately held by the state, land confiscations have become a flashpoint as residents accuse the government of pushing small landholders aside in favor of lucrative real estate projects, and of paying too little in compensation.