Citizens for Justice and Peace
Reuters publishes investigation that resulted in reporters’ arrest in Myanmar
13-Feb-2018
The New York Times reported that Reuters has published a 4,500-word investigation into the killing of ten Rohingya men by soldiers and villagers in Myanmar; the dead were buried in one grave. Reuters said that while reporting on the issue, two of its reporters were arrested by Myanmar police. The report, based on eyewitness accounts and numerous…
War imperilling Yemen’s heritage
13-Feb-2018
The years-long Saudi Arabia-led war against the Houthi rebels in Yemen has impacted the country’s culture and historical landmarks, according to Al Jazeera. Experts are concerned that the Awwam Temple, as well as other historic and cultural landmarks in the country that have not been singled out by international authorities are under threat. The temple is…
Amnesty alleges “ongoing crimes against humanity” by Myanmar forces
13-Feb-2018
Amnesty International has reported that Myanmar’s security forces continue to crack down on Rohingya living in the country’s Rakhine State. Amnesty said that in late January 2018, it interviewed 19 Rohingya men and women who had just reached Bangladesh, and who detailed how they were compelled to escape because of “forced starvation, abductions and looting of property”.…
France could grant right to vote to all people with disabilities
12-Feb-2018
Human Rights Watch (HRW), citing French news channel LCI, reported that France’s State Secretary for Persons Sophie Cluzel with Disabilities has recently said that she wants those with disabilities who are under guardianship to be allowed to vote. At present, Article 5 of the country’s Electoral Code permits a judge to bar from voting those who have…
Activist in Vietnam sentenced to 14 years in prison for livestreaming fishermen’s march
12-Feb-2018
The Guardian reported that a Vietnam court has sentenced activist Hoang Duc Binh to 14 years in prison for livestreaming fishermen’s march to file a lawsuit against a steel plant that expelled toxic material into the sea. Binh was found guilty of “abusing democratic freedoms to infringe on the interests of the state, organisation and people, and…
Somaliland issues fatwa barring female genital mutilation
12-Feb-2018
The Thomson Reuters Foundation reported that Somaliland’s ministry of religious affairs has issued a fatwa (a religious directive) banning female genital mutilation (FGM). The fatwa said that those performing FGM would be punished, and that victims could be entitled to compensation. Ayan Mahamoud, Somaliland’s representative to Britain told the Thomson Reuters Foundation “The reason that this harmful…
Hundreds of workers rescued at least twice from slavery in last 15 years in Brazil
09-Feb-2018
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), more than 35,000 workers in Brazil have been saved from slavery in the last 15 years. However, more than 600 of these workers found themselves in slavery-like conditions for at least one more time. 35,341 workers were rescued from slavery between 2003 and 2017, but 1.73% of these…
UN human rights chief calls on the Maldives to lift state of emergency
09-Feb-2018
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein has said that the Maldives’ President Abdulla Yameen’s declaration of a state of emergency, and ensuing suspension of constitutional guarantees has eliminated checks and balances and the separation of powers that are vital for any functioning democracy. This could result in increased human rights violations for…
Child marriage persists in the United States
08-Feb-2018
Most states in the United States the minimum age required for marriage is 18; however, there are potential exceptions this law in every state, according to the Guardian, which interviewed former child brides who turned activists pushing to eliminate child marriage. Between 2000 and 2010, nearly 250,000 were married in the US. According to Fraidy Reiss,…
More than 300 child soldiers freed in South Sudan
08-Feb-2018
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said that armed groups have officially freed more than 300 child soldiers in South Sudan; they will now start “reintegrating into their communities and learning new skills to support themselves,” according to the UNMISS statement. UNMISS said that overall, 700 children had been “screened and registered for release,” 563…