Human Rights | WPN World People News

The Indian authorities routinely use vaguely worded, overly broad laws as political tools to silence and harass critics, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released on 24 May. The government should repeal or amend laws that are used to criminalize peaceful expression.

Vietnamese authorities should immediately drop all charges related to unlawful departure against “boat people” returned from Australia, Human Rights Watch said on 24 May. Australia should immediately insist the cases be dropped, since Vietnam had promised there would be no retaliation against the Vietnamese migrants returned.

The president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Sir Suma Chakrabarti, should raise human rights concerns when he visits Azerbaijan on May 24 and 25, 2016, Human Rights Watch said on 24 May. The Azerbaijani government’s crackdown on independent voices is inconsistent with the principles outlined in the bank’s charter and other requirements.

479 cases of Tibetan detainees, by activity.

Law enforcement officers aggressively broke up efforts to hold planned peaceful protests across Kazakhstan on May 21, 2016, detaining hundreds of people, sometimes using force, Human Rights Watch said on 22 May. Police also rounded up journalists and human rights activists who attempted to monitor and report on the unfolding events.

The Indonesian government should delay the exhumation of mass graves linked to the massacres of 1965-1966 until forensic experts are available to assist, Human Rights Watch said on 22 May. The government should also arrange security at known or suspected mass grave sites to prevent unauthorized exhumations.

OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović on May 21 criticized the recent mass detentions of members of the media in Kazakhstan.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, May 24-25, Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) Staff Attorney Kit Walsh and Senior Staff Attorney Mitch Stoltz will participate in public roundtable discussions about the impact of U.S. copyright law on freedoms to investigate and improve the software embedded in everyday products, devices, and appliances.

United Nations member states and UN agencies attending the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul on May 23-24, 2016, should press the Turkish authorities to reopen Turkey’s border to Syrian asylum seekers, Human Rights Watch said today. Partners should make clear that any border guards who shoot at or beat asylum seekers should be held accountable.

Thousands of United States service members who lost their military careers after reporting a sexual assault live with stigmatizing discharge papers that prevent them from getting jobs and benefits, Human Rights Watch said in a report released on May 19. The report is the result of a 28-month investigation by Human Rights Watch, with the support of Protect Our Defenders, a human rights organization that supports and advocates for survivors of military sexual assault. Under pressure from the public and Congress, the US military has in recent years implemented some protection for service members who report sexual assault, but nothing has been done to redress the wrongs done to those who were unfairly discharged.