U.S. President Barack Obama has issued an executive order that for the first time will allow U.S. authorities to impose sanctions on foreign entities who help authoritarian governments use modern technologies to commit human rights abuses. Mr. Obama made the announcement Monday at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, specifically naming the governments of Iran and […]
Obama: Technology Must Not be Used to Abuse Rights
Posted April 23rd, 2012 at 11:20 am (UTC-5)
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U.S. Ambassador Calls for Release of Chinese Activist
Posted April 16th, 2012 at 5:45 am (UTC-5)
Washington’s ambassador to China is calling for Beijing to release disabled human rights lawyer Ni Yulan and her husband, who were imprisoned last week on charges of causing a disturbance and committing fraud. A Beijing court sentenced the 51-year-old lawyer on Tuesday to two years and eight months in prison. Her husband, Dong Jiqin, was […]
China Jails Disabled Rights Activist
Posted April 10th, 2012 at 2:40 am (UTC-5)
China has sentenced disabled human rights lawyer Ni Yulan to two years and eight months in prison on charges of causing a disturbance and committing fraud, prompting complaints by rights activists. A Beijing court sentenced the 51-year-old lawyer on Tuesday. Her husband, Dong Jiqin, was also jailed for two years on similar charges. Both deny […]
Reports: Indian Police Round UpTibetan Exiles Before Hu Visit
Posted March 28th, 2012 at 6:50 am (UTC-5)
Police in New Delhi are cracking down on the city’s Tibetan population, after a Tibetan exile set himself on fire this week to protest a visit by Chinese President Hu Jintao. Indian media say hundreds of Tibetan activists were detained or confined to their homes Tuesday as part of “preventative measures” aimed at stopping another […]
Burma’s Parliament Rejects Funding for Human Rights Commission
Posted March 28th, 2012 at 5:50 am (UTC-5)
The future of Burma’s new human-rights commission is uncertain after parliament cut off funding for the organization, which was established last year amid a wave of democratic reforms. The Burmese parliament refused this month to approve a budget for the government-appointed National Commission for Human Rights, saying its creation by presidential decree did not conform […]
Reports: Indian Police Round UpTibetan Exiles Before Hu Visit
Posted March 28th, 2012 at 3:30 am (UTC-5)
Police in New Delhi are reportedly cracking down on the city’s Tibetan population, after a Tibetan exile set himself on fire this week to protest a scheduled visit by Chinese President Hu Jintao. Indian media say hundreds of Tibetan activists were detained or confined to their homes Tuesday as part of “preventative measures” aimed at […]
Report: Burmese Army Continues Abuses in Kachin State
Posted March 20th, 2012 at 12:35 am (UTC-5)
Human Rights Watch says Burmese military forces have committed numerous human rights violations in Kachin State, a year after a new civilian government took power from the long-standing military junta. The U.S.-based advocacy group released a lengthy report Tuesday highlighting the abuses in the remote northern state, near the border with China. A 17 year […]
HRW Calls For Revisions of Burma’s Peaceful Assembly Law
Posted March 15th, 2012 at 12:55 am (UTC-5)
A leading human-rights group says Burma’s new law on peaceful assembly falls far short of international standards. New York-based Human Rights Watch says conditions under which authorities can prohibit demonstrations should be narrowed and that prison terms for violations of the law should be dropped. A statement from the group is urging the government to […]
China Parliament Restricts Secret Detention of Criminal Suspects
Posted March 14th, 2012 at 5:30 am (UTC-5)
China’s parliament has approved a revised criminal procedure law that aims to restrict police powers to secretly detain criminal suspects. The law, passed Wednesday on the final session of the 10-day National People’s Congress, codifies the already common practice of “disappearing” suspects into informal detention centers, where many report being tortured. Lawmakers scrapped an earlier […]
