• Indian police use water cannon to end gang-rape protest in Lucknow. (The Guardian) • As King Juan Carlos abdicates, anti-monarchy demonstrators take to the streets in Spain to demand a referendum on abolishing the monarchy. (RT.com) • Bring Back Our Girls demonstrations banned for “security reasons” in Abuja, Nigeria. Ban is “insane,” says protest group’s lawyer. (The Telegraph) • 13 demonstrators arrested in protest against Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, police (four days autopsy report revealed police had shot a homeless man in the back in March). “All we asked is to talk to the mayor,” said one protester, just before being handcuffed. (Albuquerque Journal) • British Colombia (Canada) students plan walkout to protests labor dispute between teachers and government. “We’re not taking sides,” says Grade 12 student leader. (Globe and Mail) • EU Neighborhood survey finds most of Europe’s neighbors don’t know what the term “civil society” means – but still think it can make a difference. (EU Neighborhood Info Centre) • Hungarian government raids three NGOs with ties to Norway. (Reuters) • And over the weekend, big clashes in Turkey over the one-year anniversary of the Gezi Park protests (Haaretz). Even a CNN reporter got roughed up a bit:... Continue reading →
• 1,000 troops seal off one of Bangkok’s busiest intersections to prevent a protest, as deputy national police chief says protests will no longer be allowed. “We have to keep the law sacred,” he says. (ABC News) • Cambodian court convicts 25 for "acts of violence" during garment strikes - then frees them (Reuters). Related: Jeans maker Levi-Strauss reduces sourcing from Cambodia to "minimize supply-chain risk." (just-style.com) • The Economist predicts Brazil protests unlikely to disrupt the World Cup, but an early exit for the national team could spur unrest. “Social movements are quietly cheering for Brazil to lose,” remarks one activist, “even to arch-rival Argentina.” • War widows from Libera’s 14 years of conflict protest for benefits. (ABC News) • Earlier this week: Oxfam’s former head of counter-fraud jailed for stealing from charity. Pled guilty in March to making £64,612.58 in payments to fictitious firms. (Civilsociety.co.uk) • Human Rights Watch’s Phil Robertson: US diplomats should speak up on Malaysia human rights abuses (The Malaysian Insider). Also from HRW: Kyrgyzstan should reject trio of repressive legislative proposals: A “foreign agents” law for NGOs accepting foreign money, a bill criminalizing “homosexual propaganda,” and new... Continue reading →
Issue No. 3 of the Assembly and Association Briefing, the newsletter of Maina Kiai, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. In this issue: • UN experts condemn mass death sentences in Egypt • UN rights experts express concern as Turkey bans Twitter and YouTube ahead of elections • China: UN experts deplore events leading to death of HRD Cao Shunli, ask for full investigation • UN experts: Venezuela must account for arbitrary detentions and violence against protesters • Thailand: 10 years after Somchai’s disappearance, family still awaiting truth and justice • Myanmar: UN expert raises alarm on Rakhine State • Assembly & association rights: By the numbers • Special rapporteur news in brief: March and April 2014 • World briefing: Freedom of assembly and association in the news For a link to the newsletter, click on the image at right or click here. To subscribe to our newsletter, please drop us a line at info@freeassembly.net with the subject line "subscribe to newsletter." For other recent newsletters, see the links below: The Assembly and Association Briefing, Vol. 1, Issue 1 (Jan. 2014) The Assembly and Association Briefing, Vol. 1, Issue 2 (Feb-March... Continue reading →
GENEVA – A group of UN experts, including Maina Kiai, today expressed their dismay concerning the death of Cao Shunli in hospital on 14 March, and extended their sincere condolences to her family and friends. Ms. Cao was a prominent human rights activist in China who had tirelessly campaigned since 2008 for transparency and greater participation of civil society in the second universal periodic review (UPR) of China’s human rights record by the UN Human Rights Council. On 14 September 2013, Ms. Cao was prevented by Chinese authorities from boarding a flight from Beijing to Geneva where she was to participate in a human rights seminar and observe China’s UPR. Ms. Cao’s whereabouts were unknown until she was charged with the crime of "creating a disturbance." Her health deteriorated while she was in detention and she was transferred to hospital in a critical condition on 19 February 2014. Ms. Cao’s enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, failing health and the fact that she was denied medical care were brought to the attention of the UN experts who transmitted urgent appeals to China. A group of UN human rights experts issued public statement (“UN experts alarmed by reprisals against activists linked to China’s international human rights review”) on 16 October 2013. A... Continue reading →
Issue No. 2 of the Assembly and Association Briefing, the official newsletter of Maina Kiai, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. In this issue: • Kiai makes official visit to Rwanda; calls for increased space for peaceful dissent • Kiai makes unofficial visit to Cambodia, calls on gov’t to lift ban on public assemblies • Freeassembly.net website updated with new ‘country invitation status’ page • Community of Democracies & UNSR launch new project on civil society’s right to access funding • UK lobbying bill threatens to ‘stain’ British democracy • World briefing: freedom of assembly & association in the news • Assembly & association rights: By the numbers • Plus, our new Flickr page, which allows anyone to download and reuse official photos from the UNSR mandate under a Creative Commons attribution license For a link to the newsletter, click on the image at right or click... Continue reading →
A group of United Nations independent experts, including Maina Kiai, have expressed serious concern at reports that Chinese human rights defenders have suffered reprisals for seeking to participate in a major UN human rights assessment of China. Activists have been reportedly threatened, arrested or banned from taking part in demonstrations or stopped from leaving China in the run-up to this month’s second review of its human rights record by the UN Human Rights Council through its universal periodic review mechanism (UPR). The review will take place on October 22, 2013 in Geneva. The experts received information that right defenders Cao Shunli and Chen Jianfang were allegedly prevented from boarding flights to Geneva where they were due to participate in activities organized on the margins of September’s Human Rights Council session. Reportedly, Chen Jianfang was told that she was barred from travelling abroad for life, while Cao Shunli was detained by Chinese security authorities on 14 September. Cao Shunli’s family has allegedly not received any formal notification of her detention. It was also reported that Chinese civil society activists, who have been demonstrating since June to defend their right to participate and receive information on China’s report to the UPR, have been... Continue reading →
A group of United Nations independent experts voiced grave concern over reports of heavy security measures, in and around the area of the Tibetan Buddhist Kirti monastery - which houses some 2,500 monks- and other monasteries in Aba County, an area of Sichuan province with many ethnic Tibetans in south-west China. “Intimidation of the lay and monastic community must be avoided, and the right of members of the monastic community, and the wider community to freely practice their religion, should be fully respected and guaranteed by the Chinese Government,” stressed the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Mr. Heiner Bielefeldt, noting that the recent deployment of security forces is reported to include officers in riot gear, soldiers with automatic rifles, and trucks and armed personnel on the streets leading to the monastery. Further measures are reported to include security raids and surveillance within monasteries, with police presence inside and outside monasteries to monitor religious activities. “Such restrictive measures not only curtail the right to freedom of religion or belief, but further exacerbate the existing tensions, and are counterproductive,” Mr. Heiner Bielefeldt said. His comments were echoed by the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful... Continue reading →
