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November 11, 2013Amnesty criticizes Vietnam with regard to HRDs, especially those using the internet
November 11, 2013Authoritarian Vietnam has stepped up an alarming crackdown on domestic dissent even as it seeks a seat on the UN Human Rights Council, Amnesty International says on 7 November. Vietnam is using a raft of draconian legislation to clamp down on a growing number of citizens who seek to question the party’s stranglehold on power. “Vietnam is fast turning into one of Southeast Asias largest prisons for human rights defenders and other activists” said Amnesty researcher Rupert Abbott to AFP.
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Werner Lottje, German human rights pioneer, finally honored on 13 November in Berlin
November 11, 2013If the coming days I am a bit less prolific with news on human rights defenders (maybe a welcome respite!) there is a good human rights reason: I will be in Berlin where on 13 November 2013 the first annual Werner Lottje Lecture will be inaugurated. It is an initiative by Bread for the World and the German Institute for Human Rights. As a good friend of Werner I am delighted to be allowed to speak about his enormous contribution to the human rights world as it is today: Read the rest of this entry »
Example of how local and international pressure interact (Assam, India)
November 10, 2013The Assam Tribune Online of 9 November provides us with an interesting illustration of how a combination of: (a) local activism, (b) introduction by an international NGO, and (c) invitation to an EU meeting can have result: Read the rest of this entry »
Young Hong Kong artists awarded inaugural Human Rights Art Prizes
November 9, 2013The Hong Kong Refugee Advice Centre launched the Human Rights Arts prizes in an effort to show the work of young artists, while recognising the role of art in raising awareness of and defending human rights. The Emerging and the Community winners were chosen by judges working in the human rights field, while the staff from the centre chose two further winners, dubbed the Choice awards.
Works depicting the hardships of mainland immigrants and African refugees won two top awards (Elva Lai Ming-Chu won in the Emerging Artist category and photograper Alvin Fung Tsz Chung won the Community Artist prize). Artist Lo Chi-kit won a Choice award for his piece Under the Shadow, which he dedicated to detained, imprisoned and exiled human rights activists on the mainland. “Chi-kits work highlights the persecution and oppression that human rights defenders face around the world – sometimes to the point of being forced to flee their countries” Miller said.
via Crusading Hong Kong artists awarded inaugural Human Rights Art Prizes | South China Morning Post.
Latest news: Zwarte Piet (Black Pete) welcome in Amsterdam says Dutch judge
November 8, 2013
A judge in the Netherlands has just now (8 November) decided that the annual event of Sinterklaas arriving in the capital Amsterdam – with Black Petes – can go ahead as planned on Sunday next week. The judge is of the opinion that the mayor has been right in giving permission. As this was an urgent procedure there is no appeal possible, but the case could proceed before a regular bench and the judge pointed out that the national discussion should not have to end with this judgement.
via Zwarte Piet welkom bij intocht in Amsterdam, oordeelt rechter – nrc.nl.
Related articles
- Is Dutch Sinterklaas celebration is rAcist? (thoolen.wordpress.com)
BANGLADESH: Human Rights Defender Elan of Odhikar now also arrested
November 7, 2013
The Asian Human Rights Commission condemns the detention of ASM Nasiruddin Elan and demands his immediate release. Mr. ASM Nasiruddin Elan, Director of Bangladeshi human rights organization, Odhikar, has been detained in prison by the Cyber Crimes Tribunal of Dhaka, today, November 6, 2013. This detention is part of the continued repression against the whistle-blowers exposing the ongoing State-sponsored gross violations of human rights in Bangladesh. Elan has been charged by the country’s police under the Information and Communications Technology (Amendment) Act, 2013, a draconian law, for publishing fact-finding report on governmental crackdown on the pro-Islamist demonstrators in the early morning of 6 May 2013 in Dhaka. Read the rest of this entry »
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights publishes series of handy one-pagers
November 7, 2013Today the OHCHR announces a series of one-pagers (two-sided!) that provide concise and practical information on complex human rights issues:
Core human rights in the two Covenants
Free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples
Gender-related killings of women and girls
Maternal mortality and morbidity and human rights
National action plans against racial discrimination
Situation of human rights defenders in Africa – overview by Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
November 6, 2013The OMCT and the FIDH, in the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, made an intervention under agenda item 9: “Situation of human rights defenders” at the at the 54th session of African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights [ACHPR] on 5 November.
Human rights defenders were attacked, received threats or were slandered in the DRC, Senegal and Tunisia. In some cases they were even killed, as in the DRC and in Cameroon, in a climate of impunity. Defenders, and in particular defenders of economic, social and cultural rights, also continued to be subjected to arbitrary arrests and judicial harassment in Angola, Cameroon, the DRC, Egypt, Mauritania and Tunisia. Obstacles to freedom of association were also recorded, as for instance in Angola, Egypt and Rwanda. A summary is as follows: Read the rest of this entry »
India should end funding restraints on Human Rights Defenders, Says HRW
November 5, 2013The Indian government should vigorously investigate allegations that officials are using the law on foreign contributions to repress groups critical of the government, Human Rights Watch said on 31 October 2013.
The government should amend the 2010 Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act to protect the right to freedom of association and expression. Read the rest of this entry »
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 