Asia

NEWS RELEASES

Afghanistan: U.S. Pressure Needed to Prevent Abuses in Mazar-i Sharif
(New York, October 23, 2001) -- In a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, Human Rights Watch urged the United States to use its influence with the United Front (Northern Alliance) in Afghanistan to ensure that their forces do not engage in reprisal killings, indiscriminate shelling, and other serious violations of international humanitarian law.
Afghanistan: Refugee Crisis
(New York, October 18, 2001) The government of Pakistan should halt plans to set up refugee camps in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas close to the Afghanistan border, Human Rights Watch said in a new backgrounder on refugees released today.
India: Proposed Anti-Terror Law Should Be Rejected
(New York, October 18, 2001) - New anti-terrorism legislation approved by the Indian cabinet on Tuesday would give Indian police sweeping powers of arrest and detention, Human Rights watch warned today.
Afghanistan: Attacks on Aid Increasing
(New York, October 18, 2001) -- Attacks on humanitarian relief agencies in Taliban-controlled areas of Afghanistan are increasing and must be stopped, Human Rights Watch said today, in releasing details of several attacks.
China/APEC Summit: Crackdown in Xinjiang
(New York, October 18, 2001) Claiming the presence of "extremist religious forces," the government of China is suppressing peaceful political and religious activity in Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, Human Rights Watch said in a backgrounder released today.
U.S., Others Should Reject Landmine Use in Afghanistan
(New York, October 12, 2001) The United States should not use antipersonnel landmines in Afghanistan and should take extra care not to drop food into areas that have been mined by others, Human Rights Watch urged today.
Afghanistan: Armed Conflict Poses Risk of Further Ethnic Violence
(New York, October 6, 2001) Human Rights Watch warned today that the potential for ethnic violence in Afghanistan is likely to rise as armed conflict between the country's warring factions escalates.
Afghanistan: Poor Rights Record of Opposition Commanders
(New York, October 6, 2001) - A number of commanders associated with the emerging coalition of opposition forces in Afghanistan have a record of serious human rights abuse, Human Rights Watch said in a backgrounder released today.
Vietnam: Harsh Sentences for Montagnards
(New York/London, Sept. 28, 2001) Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International today criticized the Vietnamese government's use of closed trials to impose harsh prison terms on fourteen ethnic minority Montagnards from the Central Highlands of Vietnam.
Backgrounder on Indonesia: Accountability First
(September 2001)-- On September 19, 2001, Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri will meet U.S. President George Bush. Support from Indonesia, the country with the world's largest Muslim population, for a U.S. "war against terrorism" is likely to be high on the agenda. U.S. sources have said that the Osama bin Laden network has penetrated Laskar Jihad, a radical Java-based Muslim militia that now has thousands of young fighters in Maluku, an archipelagic province east of Bali and north of East Timor.
Vietnam: Donors Should Protest Renewed Harassment of Dissidents
(New York, September 8, 2001) -- The Vietnamese government has launched one of its most intense crackdowns in recent years against its critics, Human Rights Watch charged today.
Indonesia: Megawati Should Investigate Aceh Killing
(New York, September 7, 2001) -- Human Rights Watch today called on the Indonesian government to launch a thorough and impartial investigation into the killing of Dayan Dawood, the rector of Syiah Kuala University in Banda Aceh.
Australia: Assist Stranded Asylum Seekers
(New York, August 30, 2001) Human Rights Watch today called on Australia to take prompt action to secure the safety of 438 rescued asylum seekers.
Peru: Fujimori Immunity Vote Hailed
(Washington, August 30, 2001) -- Human Rights Watch welcomed the Peruvian Congress's decision to lift the constitutional immunity of former President Alberto K. Fujimori.
Global Caste Discrimination
(New York, August 29, 2001)-- Caste-based discrimination blights the lives of hundreds of millions of people around the world, and the World Conference Against Racism should have the issue squarely on its agenda, Human Rights Watch urged in a new report released today.
Indonesia: Abuses Mount in Aceh
(Jakarta, August 20, 2001) In a new report released today, Human Rights Watch called on both the Indonesian government and armed rebels in Aceh to protect civilians, saying both sides had been responsible for human rights violations.
Indonesia: Abdurrahman Wahid's Human Rights Legacy
(New York, July 27, 2001) -When, on October 20, 1999, Abdurrahman Wahid became Indonesia's first democratically elected president in more than four decades, he was welcomed at home and abroad as the country's best hope for healing political rifts, building civil society, and revitalizing government.
Cambodia: Montagnard Asylum Seekers Threatened with Return
(New York, July 26, 2001) Human Rights Watch said today that no ethnic minority asylum seekers from Vietnam currently in Cambodia should be repatriated until sufficient safeguards are in place on the Vietnamese side of the border.
China: Another Academic Given Sham Trial
(New York, July 24, 2001) --Human Rights Watch today denounced the trial and conviction of Dr. Gao Zhan, a U.S.-based sociologist.
Indonesian President Risks Undermining Rights
(New York, July 23, 2001) Abdurrahman Wahid, Indonesia's president, has embarked on a dangerous course in declaring a not-quite-state of emergency today, Human Rights Watch said.
India/Pakistan Summit: Call to Address Human Rights in Kashmir
(New York, July 14, 2001) -Human Rights Watch today called on the heads of state of India and Pakistan to focus on restoring civil liberties, accountability, and justice in Kashmir.
China: Now It's Up to the Olympic Sponsors
(New York, July 13, 2001) -Human Rights Watch said that today's selection of Beijing as the site for the 2008 Olympics put a major burden on the International Olympic Committee and the Games' corporate sponsors to make the Games a force for change in China.
Pakistan, Iran, Russia Fueling Afghan Civil War
(New York, July 13, 2001) The United Nations Security Council should impose a comprehensive embargo on all military assistance against all warring factions in Afghanistan, Human Rights Watch urged today.
Indonesia: Violence and Political Impasse in Papua
(New York, July 3, 2001) -Indonesia's crackdown on the Papuan independence movement is diminishing prospects for peace, Human Rights Watch said in a new report issued today.
Cambodia: Judiciary on Trial
(New York/London, June 20, 2001) - Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch today criticized the Cambodian government for undermining the right to a fair trial of suspected members of the Cambodian Freedom Fighters group.
China: Detention of Scholars and Human Rights Conditions
(Washington, D.C., June 19, 2001) China's detention of four intellectuals of Chinese descent with ties to the U.S. poses a serious challenge to U.S.-China relations. In addition, another prominent scholar with links to Hong Kong and a businessman who is a permanent U.S. resident and is reported to be extremely ill have been detained. Two of the scholars have thus far been accused of spying, although no evidence has been produced by the Chinese government to justify the charges.
Afghanistan: Inquiry Needed into New Abuses
(New York, June 14, 2001) Human Rights Watch today expressed alarm at reports that Taliban forces had detained about sixty civilians and deliberately destroyed public, residential, and commercial buildings after retaking central Afghanistan's Yakaolang district on Sunday.
Burma Still Using Forced Labor
(New York, June 12, 2001) Burma has continued using forced labor even though it officially banned the practice more than eight months ago, Human Rights Watch charged today.
Human Rights Watch Letter to IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch
(June 8, 2001) -- As Beijing becomes a leading contender to host the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, we urge the I.O.C. to seek commitments from the Chinese government now about protection of human rights before and during the games.
Burma: Parliamentarians should be Freed
(New York, May 25, 2001) Human Rights Watch today released detailed information on eighty-five Burmese parliamentarians who were elected in May 1990 and still remain in prison or in government "guest houses."
Afghanistan: Taliban ID Policy Creates Second-Class Citizens
(New York, May 24, 2001) Human Rights Watch today condemned the decision by Afghanistan's ruling Taliban requiring Hindu citizens to wear distinguishing identification. Human Rights Watch urged countries with diplomatic or informal relations with the Taliban to advise its leaders against issuing and enforcing such an edict.
Cambodia: Deportation of Montagnard Refugees to Vietnam
(New York, May 20, 2001) Human Rights Watch today denounced the Cambodian government's forced expulsions of at least eighty-nine indigenous minority asylum seekers from the Central Highlands of Vietnam, and called for immediate measures to protect other refugees who may be at risk.
China: Human Rights Conditions and U.S. Policy
Statement by Mike Jendrzejczyk to the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, May 15, 2001

The scope of political repression in China is well known. But it affects Chinese citizens in many ways, and not only dissidents are victims of abuse.


U.S. Must Investigate Alleged War Crimes
(New York, May 8, 2001) United States Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld should launch an independent investigation into allegations of possible war crimes by U.S. troops during the Vietnam War, Human Rights Watch said today.
Vietnam: Renewed Crackdown on Dissidents
(New York, May 7, 2001) Human Rights Watch today expressed concern about the arrest of Vietnamese dissident Vu Cao Quan on April 24, and the possibility of arrest of other democracy activists in Vietnam, including prominent former political prisoner Hoang Minh Chinh.
HRW Voices Concern about Repatriation of Afghan Refugees
Human Rights Watch wrote today to Ruud Lubbers, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, on the eve of his arrival in Pakistan. In the letter, Human Rights Watch expressed concern about reports that the High Commissioner was actively seeking a reassessment of the refugee status of up to 1.5 million residing in camps in Pakistan and their repatriation to Afghanistan.
Malaysia: End Political Arrests
(New York, April 30, 2001) Human Rights Watch today welcomed a new coalition of Malaysian rights groups, the Anti-ISA Movement (AIM), dedicated to repeal of Malaysia's notorious Internal Security Act (ISA).
China: Imminent Trial Of Three Gorges Dam Protesters
(New York, April 20, 2001) Two international organizations appealed today for the release of farmers arrested for trying to petition Chinese authorities to end abuses linked to the Three Gorges Dam project. The four men, who were arrested after protesting coercion and corruption involved in resettling thousands of fellow farmers, may go on trial as early as next week.
Cambodia: Refugee Effort Commended
(New York, April 19, 2001) Human Rights Watch today praised the efforts of the Cambodian government and the Office of U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in providing protection for twenty-four indigenous minority asylum seekers from Vietnam.
China: Geneva Resolution Killed
(Geneva, April 18, 2001) Beijing's diplomatic victory at the U.N. Commission on Human Rights could lead to even further deterioration of human rights in China, Human Rights Watch warned today.
Malaysia: Release Political Detainees
(New York, April 12, 2001) Human Rights Watch today called for the immediate release of seven Malaysian opposition political figures who were arrested April 10-11 under Malaysia's notorious Internal Security Act (ISA).
Jiang Zemin-Fidel Castro Summit
(New York, April 11, 2001) By celebrating a state visit just prior to the votes on proposed U.N. resolutions condemning their governments' human rights records, Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Cuban President Fidel Castro are signaling a worrisome mutual agenda on rights issues, Human Rights Watch said today.
China: White Paper a "Whitewash"
New York, April 10, 2001) Human Rights Watch said that China's new "White Paper" on human rights is clearly aimed at the ongoing session of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights in Geneva -- part of the same lobbying strategy that brought Jiang Zemin to Latin America.
China: More Scholars Behind Bars
(New York, April 3, 2001 ) Following recent revelations of China's detention of a third academic, Human Rights Watch called on the Chinese government to release the academics immediately. Xu Zerong, an Oxford PhD who was based in Hong Kong but taught at universities in southern China, was apparently detained last autumn and is still being held incommunicado.
China: Second Foreign Scholar Detained
(New York, March 31, 2001) China's detention of a respected U.S. sociologist sends a chilling message to foreign researchers and investors, Human Rights Watch said today.
Cambodia: Verdict A Setback for Indigenous Land Rights
(New York, March 30, 2001) Human Rights Watch today expressed strong concern about a provincial court ruling in the highlands of northeastern Cambodia that dispossesses more than 900 indigenous people of their ancestral lands.
Indonesia: More Murders of Human Rights Monitors in Aceh
(New York, March 30, 2001)-Human Rights Watch today charged that the murder of three men in South Aceh, Indonesia suggested deliberate targeting of human rights defenders by the Indonesian security forces. Department to promote and protect human rights in the United States.
Australia on the Verge of Weakening Rights Protection
(New York, March 28, 2001) Human Rights Watch warned that a bill before the Australian parliament today, if passed, would undermine Australia's commitment to the human rights treaties it has ratified.
Indonesia: Escape of Suspected NGO Killers
(New York, March 28, 20001) Human Rights Watch expressed outrage over reports yesterday that four suspects in the killings of NGO workers in Aceh had escaped from detention in Medan, North Sumatra.
Indonesia: President Must Act to Establish Rights Tribunals
(New York, March 23, 2001) Human Rights Watch today urged Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid to issue a presidential decree establishing special human rights courts.
Pakistan: Mass Arrests Condemned
(New York, March 22, 2001) Human Rights Watch today condemned the mass arrests of political party leaders and activists in Punjab province by Pakistan's military government.
End Global Caste Discrimination
(New York, March 21, 2001) Marking the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Human Rights Watch today called for an end to caste-based discrimination around the world.
China: Bush Should Use Qian Visit to Press for Rights Progress
(New York, March 20, 2001) President George W. Bush should use his Oval Office meeting this Thursday [March 22] with Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen to press for concrete progress on human rights in advance of the president's visit to China later this year. Bush will attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shanghai, October 20-21, and will also visit Beijing.
China: Labor Rights Violated Despite New Treaty
(New York, March 16, 2001) Human Rights Watch today released details of a case involving a labor organizer in Henan Province that demonstrate China's continued restrictions on basic worker rights in China.
Cambodia: Conviction Ignores Political Motive
(New York, March 15, 2001) Human Rights Watch today welcomed the conviction in Cambodia of a local leader for a politically motivated murder, but expressed concern that the trial ignored the political aspects of the case.
Burma Violates Own Ban in Use of Forced Labor
(New York, March 7, 2001) Human Rights Watch said today that it had clear evidence that forced labor in Burma was continuing, despite a government decree issued last October to abolish the practice. It called on the ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) to take steps immediately to enforce the order and grant access to independent observers to monitor compliance.
China: Workers' Rights Lag Behind U.N. Standards
(New York, February 28, 2001) Human Rights Watch today commended the Chinese government for ratifying a key United Nations human rights treaty, but said China must do more to protect the rights of workers. As China prepares to join the World Trade Organization and to dismantle more state-run enterprises, Human Rights Watch said, a growing unemployment rate will require stronger protections for workers.
Bhutan/Nepal: A solution for Bhutanese refugees in Nepal?
(New York, February 27, 2001) A recent breakthrough in talks between the governments of Nepal and Bhutan promises new hope for tens of thousands of Bhutanese refugees living in Nepal, but significant questions remain about how Nepal and Bhutan will carry out the proposed verification and repatriation of the refugees.
Indian Government Tries to Block Caste Discussion
(New York, February 22, 2001) Human Rights Watch today sharply criticized efforts by the Indian government to exclude caste-based discrimination from discussion at a major U.N. conference on racism.
Afghanistan : Action Needed to Prevent More Killings
(New York, February 19, 2001) -- Human Rights Watch warned today that a repeat of a January 2001 massacre by Taliban forces in Afghanistan was possible unless the international community acted promptly.
Afghanistan: Taliban Massacres Detailed
(New York, February 19, 2001)-Human Rights Watch today released fresh eyewitness accounts of a massacre of hundreds of civilians by Taliban forces in Afghanistan last month.
China: Intervention Urged in Internet Case
(New York, February 9, 2001) Human Rights Watch today urged diplomats in Beijing to send observers to the trial next week of Chinese webmaster Huang Qi, calling it a significant test of the limits of free expression.
Hong Kong: Tung Should Speak Out Against Beijing's Pressure
(New York, February 2, 2001) Human Rights Watch today urged Hong Kong Chief Executive C.H. Tung to affirm his commitment to protecting freedom of association and assembly, especially when the exercise of those freedoms angers Beijing.
Sales to Chinese Police Questioned
(February 1, 2001) Human Rights Watch today called on Motorola Corp. to reassess its promotion and sale of communications equipment to the police in China. Motorola has actively pursued sales of two-way radios to Chinese authorities, including placing a prominent advertisement in a Chinese police magazine.
East Timor: Trial Welcome but Justice Still Elusive in Timor
(New York, January 26, 2001) Human Rights Watch today welcomed the first successful prosecution by an East Timorese court of a militia member, but said real justice for East Timor was a long way off.
News Releases 2000
  

  

WORLD REPORT
2001  2000  1999

CURRENT EVENTS
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    BACKGROUNDERS

    PUBLICATIONS BY COUNTRIES


    RECENT PUBLICATIONS

    Caste Discrimination: A Global Concern
    August 2001

    INDONESIA
    The War in Aceh
    August 2001

    AFGHANISTAN
    CRISIS OF IMPUNITY
    The Role of Pakistan, Russia, and Iran in Fueling the Civil War

    July 2001

    Indonesia: Violence and Political Impasse in Papua
    July 2001

    Massacres of Hazaras in Afghanistan
    February 2001

    Tibet Since 1950: Silence Prison or Exile
    Introduction by Elliot Sperling
    Essays by Orville Schell and Steve Marshall
     Order online

    Owed Justice: Thai Women Trafficked into Debt Bondage in Japan
    September 2000

    "Nipped in the Bud": Suppression of the China Democracy Party
    September 2000

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