Stories about Human Rights from December, 2020
Hong Kong suppresses political dissent by freezing bank accounts
Pro-democracy activists believe that the banking system is being weaponized by the national security police to crack down on activists and pro-democracy NGOs.
Singaporean activist who staged a solo protest with a ‘smiley’ placard charged with illegal assembly
"I barely stayed in the area for more than several seconds. Yet, what I did has been deemed as a public protest by the State."
US in Syria: What to expect of the new administration?
Humanitarian considerations will be the main distinction between the two US administrations in Syria's war, where Washington vies to curb terrorist threats and Russia's influence in a vital region.
Nepal's Sapana Roka Magar, who provides Hindu funeral rites for unclaimed bodies, listed in BBC's 100 Women of 2020
With COVID-19 disproportionally affecting homeless people in Nepalese cities, Sapana's work became vital to this vulnerable population, who are so often deprived of dignified funerals.
Australia-China relations hit rock bottom after provocative tweet by senior Communist Party official
"A Chinese diplomat's tweet re inquiry into war crimes is breathtakingly, gobsmackingly hypocritical. We are waiting for independent investigations into widespread systematic abuses by China in Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong."
‘Don't come back, or you will disappear': Uyghur mother pleads with her daughter abroad
Global Voices interviewed Mehbube Abla, a 38-year-old Uyghur activist living in Austria since 2004. All the members of her family who stayed in Xinjiang are in prison.
Pakistan to introduce tougher punishment for rape—including chemical castration
The laws address several aspects of the criminal process and include an expansion of the definition of rape, which was welcomed by activists. Other points, however, received mixed reactions.
Hong Kong activists Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow and Ivan Lam sentenced to jail
Joshua Wong tweeted: "We’re now joining the battle in prison along with many brave protestors, less visible yet essential in the fight for democracy and freedom for Hong Kong."
Court ruling gives Trinidad & Tobago green light to deport a Venezuelan minor
After a group of Venezuelans was deported, and then returned to Trinidad under court order, another High Court judge has ruled the state has the right to apply domestic law.
Pressure mounts on Egypt to release prominent human rights defenders
Three senior members of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), one of Egypt’s most prominent human rights groups, were arrested earlier this month on charges of terrorism.
Student protests in Philippine universities hit government for bungled Typhoon disaster response
"We halt our classes and academic work to amplify our call for justice and for the ouster of Duterte."
Controversy over Thanksgiving celebration in a Chinese university highlights a growing culture of political snitching
A dormitory supervisor at Harbin Institute of Technology wanted to give out chocolate treats to students on Thanksgiving Day. A student threatened to report her to the school's authorities.
