Tag: Southeast Asia
Emergency rule in East Timor
UN armored vehicles patrol East Timor’s capital Dili under a state of emergency following an attack that critically wounded the President JosĂ© Ramos-Horta Feb. 11. Ramos-Horta, who shared the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize (with Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo), was… Read moreEmergency rule in East Timor
Suharto’s death to betray historical memory?
From the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN), Jan. 28: Accountability for Suharto’s Crimes Must Not Die With Him Indonesia’s former dictator General Suharto has died in bed and not in jail, escaping justice for his numerous crimes in… Read moreSuharto’s death to betray historical memory?
“To Exist is to Resist”
Burma's Rakhine state is being militarized at an alarming pace, as authorities build security force bases on lands where Rohingya villages were burned to the ground just months ago, Amnesty International charges in a new report. The chief UN official investigating human rights in Burma, Yanghee Lee, called for an immediate investigation into "clearance operations" in Rakhine state, stating she is increasingly convinced that actions by the Burmese security forces amount to genocide. (Photo: VOA via Wikimedia Commons)
“Unrecognized” village
UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Andrew Gilmour said that the "ethnic cleansing of Rohingya from Myanmar continues," after a four-day visit to Bangladesh. During his visit, he focused on the situation of thousands of refugees who have fled from Burma (Myanmar). Recently-arrived Rohingya gave credible accounts of continued violence against their people, including killings, rape, and forced starvation, Gilmour reported. Burma has been saying that it is ready to receive returning Rohingya refugees, but Gilmour maintains that safe returns are impossible under current conditions. (Photo: EU/ECHO via Flickr)
Pentagon trains Indonesian “terrorists”
From the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN), Dec. 19: Bush Administration Trains Members of Indonesian Terrorist Groups Human rights advocates have learned that the US is training members of Kopassus, the notorious Indonesian Special Forces unit with a… Read morePentagon trains Indonesian “terrorists”
Moro factions pledge peace in Philippines
The rival Moro guerrilla groups in the Philippines have agreed to talks after a meeting in Manila with Saiful Islam Qadaffi, eldest son of Libyan President Moammar Qadaffi. The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)… Read moreMoro factions pledge peace in Philippines
Islamic “heretics” persecuted in Indonesia
From the International Herald Tribune, Nov. 15, links and emphasis added: Unorthodox sects face prosecution in Indonesia JAKARTA — Indonesian human rights lawyers are again questioning the country’s commitment to religious freedom after the recent arrests of several unorthodox Islamic… Read moreIslamic “heretics” persecuted in Indonesia
Abu Sayyaf behind Manila blast?
A remotely detonated car bomb attack on the Batasan complex that houses the Philippines House of Representatives at Quezon City in Manila Nov. 13 killed four, including the suspected target—Rep. Wahab Akbar (Basilan), a former Muslim militant who backed operations… Read moreAbu Sayyaf behind Manila blast?
Burma: Shan guerillas pledge continued resistance
It seems that since the capitulation of warlord Khun Sa 11 years ago, his Mong Tai Army has collapsed back into its constituent entities—and that his former militia, the Shan State Army, is back in rebellion against the Burmese regime…. Read moreBurma: Shan guerillas pledge continued resistance
Burma: labor camps for detained monks —”energy blackmail” silences neighbors
Democratic Voice of Burma Oct. 2 reports claims from members of the Burmese junta’s Swan Arr Shin militia that thousands of detained monks could be headed for labor camps: Monks currently detained at the government technical college compound in Insein… Read moreBurma: labor camps for detained monks —”energy blackmail” silences neighbors
How many killed in Burma repression?
While the Burmese regime still touts an official count of 10 dead in five days of repression, the UK’s Daily Mail reports Oct. 2 claims of a “a former intelligence officer in Burma’s ruling junta that thousands of protesters have… Read moreHow many killed in Burma repression?