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Malaysia Lebanon: Migrant Domestic Workers Dying Every Week Most Deaths From Suicides or in Botched Escapes The high death toll of migrant domestic workers in Lebanon, from unnatural causes, shows the urgent need to improve their working conditions, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch called on the official steering committee tasked with improving the situation of migrant domestic workers in Lebanon to investigate the root causes of these deaths and develop a concrete national strategy to reduce them. August 25, 2008 Press Release Also available in 
Printer friendly version Malaysia: Drop Political Charges Against Opposition Leader Police Investigation of Anwar Ibrahim Lacks Credibility The Malaysian government should immediately withdraw politically motivated charges against opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, Human Rights Watch said today. Police served Anwar, who is running for office, with an order to appear in Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on August 7, 2008, under a colonial-era law that criminalizes homosexual conduct. August 7, 2008 Press Release Printer friendly version Malaysia: Political Motivations Undermine Anwar Case Malaysian government allegations that opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim forcibly sodomized a male aide lack credibility, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch is concerned that Anwar’s arrest was a politically motivated attempt to derail the opposition alliance Pakatan Rakyat’s (People’s Alliance) much-publicized campaign to form a new government by September 16, 2008. July 21, 2008 Press Release Printer friendly version Calling the Kettle Black By Joanne Mariner, terrorism and counterterrorism director Published in FindLaw In this commentary, Joanne Mariner discusses Malaysia's Internal Security Act (ISA), a law under which more than 70 men are currently held in preventive detention. Back in the pre-"war on terror" days, the United States would occasionally criticize Malaysia's reliance on the ISA. Now, Malaysian authorities have a ready response to US criticism: Guantanamo. But detainees in both places face secret evidence, an overall lack of due process, and, as a result, arbitrary detention. April 23, 2008 Commentary Printer friendly version Letter to the Secretary General of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference Urging the Organisation to Improve and Strengthen the 1999 OIC Convention on Combating International Terrorism Human Rights Watch writes to urge Dr. Ihsanoglu to use his position as Secretary General of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference to support measures at the upcoming Summit of the Organisation of Islamic Conference in Dakar, Senegal on March 13-14 that would improve and strengthen the 1999 OIC Convention on Combating International Terrorism. In particular, we urge the OIC to consider two amendments to the Convention in order to narrow its overbroad definition of terrorism and to make absolutely clear that there is no sanction in Islam for deliberately attacking civilians, whatever the circumstances or justifications. March 11, 2008 Letter Also available in
Printer friendly version Malaysia: Citizens Denied a Fair Vote Bias in Electoral Process Favors Ruling Coalition in March 8 Poll Government restraints on expression, assembly and access to state media will deny Malaysians a fair vote in the March 8 general elections, Human Rights Watch said today. March 4, 2008 Press Release Printer friendly version UAE: Meetings Should Address Migrant Workers’ Rights When labor ministers from 22 Asian and Middle Eastern countries meet in Abu Dhabi this week to discuss Asian contract migrant workers, they should address widespread violations of migrant workers’ rights, Human Rights Watch said today. January 18, 2008 Press Release Also available in
Printer friendly version Japan: Mekong Meeting Should Not Ignore Rights Abuses Human Rights Watch Sends Letter to Foreign Minister Koumura The Japanese government should publicly urge the foreign ministers of Burma, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam attending the Japan-Mekong Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Tokyo on January 16 to address human rights concerns in these Southeast Asian countries, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura. January 15, 2008 Press Release Also available in 
Printer friendly version Malaysia: Hindu Rights Activists Detained Government Again Uses Internal Security Act to Detain Without Trial The Malaysian government should order the immediate release of five Hindu Rights Action Force leaders detained under the Internal Security Act, Human Rights Watch said today. Malaysia’s Internal Security Act (ISA), which permits indefinite detention without charge or trial, has long been used against peaceful political and rights activists. December 18, 2007 Press Release Printer friendly version Letter to Governments in Asia and the Middle East on International Migrants' Day Migrants’ Groups Call for Key Reforms We are writing on December 18, 2007, International Migrants’ Day, to call upon you to implement key reforms to respect and uphold migrants’ rights. On January 21-22, 2008, the United Arab Emirates will host the latest round of the “Colombo Process,” a series of regional consultative processes focused on Asian contract migrant workers. We believe this meeting could provide an important stepping stone to establishing regional minimum standards regarding recruitment, employment, and protection of migrant workers. December 17, 2007 Letter Printer friendly version Asian Migrant Workers Abandoned to Abuse Migrants’ Groups Call for Key Reforms on International Migrants Day Governments in Asia and the Middle East must take stronger action to fight rampant abuse against migrant workers, several migrants’ and human rights groups said in a joint letter on the eve of December 18, International Migrants’ Day. December 17, 2007 Press Release Printer friendly version Malaysia: Investigate Use of Force Against Peaceful Rally Prime Minister Should Immediately Request a Royal Commission of Inquiry Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi should immediately advise Malaysia’s king to establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the use of force by the police against a peaceful rally for electoral reforms, Human Rights Watch said today. November 15, 2007 Press Release Printer friendly version Letter to ASEAN Secretary General Ong Keng Yong The ASEAN Charter Human Rights Watch wrote a letter to ASEAN Secretary General Ong Keng Yong urging him and other ASEAN Foreign Ministers to establish specific deadlines for implementing a binding human rights mechanism as part of the new Charter. November 15, 2007 Letter Printer friendly version Malaysia: Allow Rally for Electoral Reform Risk of Misuse of Force by Authorities Against Peaceful Protestors Police in Kuala Lumpur should permit a public rally and march organized by the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (known as Bersih) to proceed as planned on Saturday November 10, Human Rights Watch said today. New elections, although not mandated before May 2009, are expected to take place early in 2008. November 9, 2007 Press Release Printer friendly version Malaysia: Disband Abusive Volunteer Corps Government Uses RELA Force on Migrant Workers The Malaysian government should immediately take steps to dissolve the People’s Volunteer Corps (Ikatan Relawan Rakyat or RELA), responsible for numerous cases of illegal detentions, unlawful use of force, and extortion, Human Rights Watch said today. May 9, 2007 Press Release Printer friendly version Indonesia, Malaysia: Overhaul Labor Agreement on Domestic Workers Proposed Malaysian Migrants Bill Would Violate Basic Freedoms At their meeting this week, Malaysia's Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyuno should commit to stronger protections for Indonesian migrants working in Malaysia, Human Rights Watch said today. Abdullah is in Jakarta to receive an Indonesian award for heads of state, the Bintang Republik Indonesia Adipradana. February 21, 2007 Press Release Printer friendly version Letter to Governments of Malaysia and Indonesia Re: Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) concerning Migrant Domestic Workers A letter urging Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyuno to protect key human rights when representatives from Indonesia and Malaysia meet on April 17, 2006 to negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding concerning Indonesian domestic workers in Malaysia. The letter represents more than 260 migrant workers’ organizations around Asia, including Indonesia and Malaysia, and international advocacy groups such as Human Rights Watch January 1, 2007 Letter Printer friendly version Malaysia: Criminal Suspects Locked Up Indefinitely Parliament Should Repeal Emergency Ordinance The Malaysian government is holding more than 700 criminal suspects indefinitely without trial or charge under the Emergency Ordinance, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The Malaysian parliament should repeal this law and instead rely on the country’s criminal law to prosecute ordinary criminal offenses. August 24, 2006 Press Release Printer friendly version Convicted Before Trial Indefinite Detention Under Malaysia’s Emergency Ordinance This 35-page report documents how the Malaysian government has detained criminal suspects indefinitely without charge or trial, subjected them to beatings and ill treatment while in detention, and rearrested them upon court-ordered release. The Emergency Ordinance was enacted in 1969 as a “temporary measure” to respond to ethnic riots. But for nearly four decades the government has used the law to detain criminal suspects without trial for lengthy periods when it finds it difficult to prosecute them. HRW Index No.: C1809 August 24, 2006 Report Download PDF, 306 KB, 38 pgs Purchase online Read Press Release Domestic Workers Abused Worldwide Report Spotlights Violence and Slavelike Conditions in 12 Countries Domestic workers face a wide range of grave abuses and labor exploitation, including physical and sexual abuse, forced confinement, non-payment of wages, denial of food and health care and excessive working hours with no rest days, Human Rights Watch said in a new report today. July 26, 2006 Press Release Also available in
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