Stories about Human Rights from November, 2019
130 civil society groups call on Myanmar military to drop charges against civilians
"The military are the government’s staff. If they are doing wrong, citizens have a right to point it out. Citizens have a right to speak out,”
A new wave of pedophilia and child abuse strikes Pakistan
Despite the existence of severe punishments for such crimes, the number of child abuse cases are growing rapidly in Pakistan.
Teenage girls want to help victims of domestic violence in Albania with new app
The app connects survivors of domestic violence to important resources, including shelters, police, and support groups.
Fear and uncertainty: The life of Georgians in Gali
For ethnic Georgians in breakaway Abkhazia, life is a bureaucratic nightmare.
Iranian-Kurdish refugee Behrouz Boochani free at last from Australian offshore detention
"I just arrived in New Zealand. So exciting to get freedom after more than six years."
The November 12 clashes at the Chinese University of Hong Kong: An eyewitness view
"Some of my students were tweeting things like “where is the university president, where is the management, where are the teachers?!”. . . I decided, Fuck it—I’m going to campus."
Your guide to the 2019 Sri Lankan presidential election
On 16 November 2019, Sri Lankans are going to the polls to elect a new president. Learn more about the major players and check out our list of useful resources.
University of the Philippines unveils new subject on the Marcos dictatorship to counter historical revisionism
The new subject can be a platform for the “conscientization” of young Filipinos on the importance of human rights, social justice and the continuing struggle for genuine freedom and democracy.
Hong Kong's university campuses turned into battlefields amidst a three-day strike
Clashes between police and student activists started the first day of the general strike on 11 November as some protesters attempted to create roadblocks to disrupt traffic.
‘Brazil might not be a dictatorship, but it's not a democracy either,’ says Brazilian journalist
Mário Magalhães wrote a book about 2018, the year that changed Brazil forever.
Stubble burning and polluted rivers choke India's capital
This year, the Indian national capital region is facing a severe pollution crisis as smog grows out of control and toxic foam covers the badly-polluted Yamuna River.
The future of asylum seekers is uncertain in Sri Lanka
"The authorities must take urgent steps to guarantee the safety, dignity and human rights of all refugees and asylum seekers, ensuring that they are safe and have humane living conditions."
Former university lecturer jailed for online posts in Vietnam
Vietnamese authorities continue their crackdown on freedom of expression against ordinary citizens even when they do not engage in any grassroots activism or political movements.
Letter to China: My Uyghur friend Zainur has been detained in one of your camps for two years
"They scanned the faces of anyone who entered the masjid. They banned fasting. We buried our books. They told us to remove locks from our doors. 'I don’t know why.'"
Beirut demonstrations honored in a map showing protest as a process of live ‘city-making’
“Maps are important additions to the visual "magma" we're being exposed to because they allow us to summarize, reflect and put things in perspective."
Wake-up call or smear campaign? How an ad for sanitary pads is dividing Turkish public opinion
In Turkey, a top sanitary pad brand comes under fire after it releases a feminist ad.
Netizen Report: Domestic worker abuses in the Gulf expose tech companies’ failures to protect human rights
Tech companies grapple with abuses against domestic workers, Iraqis face another internet shutdown, and Russia gets ready for a 'sovereign internet.'
Tanzania high court upholds ruling to end child marriage despite attempts to repeal it
In October 2019, the Tanzanian High Court upheld the ruling to end child marriage. The ruling is a step toward eliminating harmful practices and ending all forms of discrimination against girls.
Surveys show majority of Hong Kong people have lost trust in the city's police force
The issue of police brutality and abusive use of force has replaced the extradition bill to become the city's major concern.
In Pakistan, the Azadi March demands an end to Prime Minister Khan's administration
Large crowds, internet shutdowns, support from opposition parties, hatred against Qadianis, waving of Taliban flags, women discouraged to take part are some hallmarks of the ongoing Azadi march/dharna in Islamabad.
Bangladeshi migrant domestic workers are returning from Saudi Arabia with shocking tales of abuse
900 female domestic workers have returned from Saudi Arabia in 2019 accusing their employers of physical and sexual abuse -- more than 100 have died.
