‘Under attack’: Report says rights crackdown continues in Asia Human Rights News

From Myanmar to Cambodia and Vietnam, restrictions and attacks by activists have continued throughout the Asian region, according to a new report released by CIVICUS, a global alliance of civil society organizations and activists monitoring fundamental freedoms around the world.

In a report released on Wednesday, CIVICUS said four of the 26 Asian countries or territories – China, Laos, North Korea and Vietnam – were considered “closed” and that Myanmar was among the “repressed” states after 1 February. military coup and repression.

In total, it rated 11 Asian countries as “repressed” and seven as “obstructed”, and Singapore fell into the “repressed” category after passing one. “False News” Act According to a report entitled ‘People Power Under Attack 2021’.

“A tremendous number of people in the Asia region live in countries with closed or repressed urban space, where freedom to speak, organize, or mobilize is severely restricted,” said Josef Benedict, an Asia-Pacific CIVICUS researcher.

“As authoritarian Asian leaders seek to retain power, they have enacted restrictive laws to arrest and criminalize human rights defenders. Lots of activists and journalists are behind the scenes, facing false accusations, and some have been tortured and ill-treated. ”

It was particularly disturbing Myanmar, the report said, where “after the military coup of February 2021, the junta arbitrarily arrested thousands of protesters and even met some with deadly force.”

At least 1,305 people have been killed as a result of the crackdown on coup protests by Wednesday, according to the Political Prisoners’ Association (AAPP), a rights group following the death and detention. At least 10,756 others have been arrested.

“Rapid decline in basic freedoms”

The report noted Myanmar’s “rapid decline in basic freedoms” after the coup, “with the crackdown on protests, the arrest, detention and criminalization of hundreds of activists, the targeting of journalists, and the torture and ill-treatment of politicians.” prisoners”.

Also in a previous CIVICUS report published in November a A “wave of atrocities” allegedly committed by the military in Chin State, Myanmar., which borders India to the west of the country.

This is the world we live in now … and we need to act to reverse this trend that has made it much more difficult for journalists to do our job. #Ausardia https://t.co/6H9H9wvSTN

– Maria Ressa (@mariaressa) December 8, 2021

He called on the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution to “strengthen international action” in order to stop the violent attack on the people of Myanmar.

The decline in freedom is part of a worldwide trend, with CIVICUS data showing that 89% of the world’s population now lives in “closed, repressed or obstructed” countries and governments, sometimes using COVID-19 as a cover to expand their control.

“Instead of listening to the demands of the people, the authorities in many countries have also stopped peaceful protests, sometimes in the form of a pandemic, with excessive or deadly forces,” Benedict said.

Among the attacks, however, he said that civil society “has not given up and is finding new ways to step back and claim their rights.”

Meanwhile, the CIVICUS report said that Vietnamese activists and bloggers face long sentences for “propaganda against the state” and “abuse of democratic freedoms”, while in Cambodia the “slit” laws. “Used systematically for dozens of activists”.

Reducing public space

In Asia, the biggest violation of citizenship this year has been the use of restrictive laws in 21 countries, as governments use legislation to curb dissent.

Human rights defenders were arrested under those laws in at least 19 countries and tried in 11 countries.

CIVICUS said Singapore’s affluent city-state was falling from being “obstructed” to “repressed” in an attempt to “silence dissent”.

Journalists and bloggers have also been charged with defamatory fines, and the country’s contempt law has been “vaguely spelled out” while prosecutors have been used to judge critics of the courts, “pretending to protect the judiciary,” the report says. . A the law of foreign interference it has raised new concerns in October about its impact on the already heavily regulated island media.

The urban space in Japan, Mongolia, South Korea and Australia was also “reduced”, according to CIVICUS. Taiwan and New Zealand were rated “open”.

“In reality, this means that basic freedom of expression, freedom of association and association are not respected in most countries in this region,” he said.

China also continues to prosecute many human rights defenders for vaguely written crimes while in Hong Kong. “Draconian” National Security Act. Dozens have been armed for the purpose of the activist, the report says.

In Thailand, the government has suspended pro-democracy protests, sometimes using excessive force, including live ammunition.

The Thai authorities do too criminal defamation laws were used to “criminalize” activists and critics, including Lesse Majesté or for royal defamation., the report said.

Such defamation law was also used in Malaysia against those who criticized politicians, and for network dissent in Bangladesh, he noted.

In Indonesia, activists arrested in protest of the Papuan Special Autonomy Act were arrested, while in Malaysia, authorities tried to “stifle” several anti-government protests organized by young people and government critics.

Despite threats to civil liberties, there has been some good news, the report found.

Mongolian civic space the rating was renewed to “reduce the barrier” after the country passed a new law in April to protect human rights defenders, making it the first Asian country to provide a legal framework for their protection.

Other “positive developments” were the advancement of a campaign by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to hold Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte accountable. International Criminal Court, and decriminalizing same-sex relationships in Bhutan.