Human Rights | WPN World People News

An agreement by Bangladesh and Burma to begin returning Rohingya refugees to Burma by January 23, 2018, creates an impossible timetable for safe and voluntary returns and should be shelved, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to the two governments on Dec 11. International donors, who would be needed to fund the massive repatriation effort, should insist that Burma and Bangladesh invite the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to join in drafting a new tripartite agreement that ensures adherence to international standards.

Brazilian lawmakers should reject a dangerous constitutional amendment that would prohibit abortion in all circumstances, Human Rights Watch said on Dec 12. The proposed amendment would ban abortion even for pregnancies resulting from rape, or when the life of the woman is in danger.

The contrast between Hong Kong and Taiwan’s tax rate

Eleanor Roosevelt of the United States holding a Declaration of Human Rights poster in English. (November 1949).

The Iranian authorities’ transfer of an imprisoned US doctoral student within Tehran’s Evin prison heightens fear for his safety, Human Rights Watch said on Dec 09. On December 6, 2017, Xiyue Wang, a Princeton Ph.D. student and US citizen, was moved to Evin’s Ward 7 and was threatened by another inmate there in front of a guard, a knowledgeable source said.

The Mexican Senate should reject legislation that would enshrine the role of the Mexican armed forces in law enforcement activities, Human Rights Watch said on Dec 07.

Sufi religious sites are under assault in Libya, with two mosques in Tripoli heavily damaged by unidentified forces over the past two months, Human Rights Watch said on Dec 07.

Thailand’s military prosecutor should drop the case against a leading scholar for “insulting the monarchy” for his analysis of a 16th-century battle, Human Rights Watch said on Dec 06. On December 7, 2017, the military prosecutor will determine whether to proceed with the indictment of Sulak Sivaraksa, 85, for violating the Penal Code article 112 on lese majeste, which carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison.

Human Rights Watch released a new video “The Trial of Hissène Habré,” about the trial in Senegal of the former Chadian dictator on Dec 06. The video is being released as Habré’s victims step up their campaign to receive the reparations they have been awarded.

A surge in immigration arrests of people living in the United States under the Trump administration is having a devastating impact on long-term immigrants with strong ties to the US.