Human Rights Watch Daily Brief, 18 March 2014

A United Nations report accuses South Sudan of beating UN personnel and disrupting convoys delivering food, medicine and other humanitarian aid just as the UN Security Council prepares to discuss the mission on the ground. Human Rights Watch has documented war crimes by both sides in two key oil hubs in South Sudan - the world's newest nation has seen political and economic uncertainty, escalating violence, and ongoing repression of civil and political rights in the last year. (AFP/Getty images) Two hunger strikes at two different immigration detention centers operated by the same private corporation, the GEO Group, in Washington state and Texas are calling attention to the Obama administration's immigration policy, or lack there of. In Washington, ICE officials said 130 of 1,300 detainees continue to refuse food, which is also one of their reported grievances. Detainees say the facilities' food lacks nutrition and snacks can cost five days pay. Prisoners are also upset about deportation policies; by the time he leaves office, President Barack Obama will have deported more immigrants than any other US president. In yet another tragedy at sea, seven bodies, including two children, have been recovered in the Aegean Sea as their boat tried to make the journey from Turkey to Greece. In another incident, more than 600 migrants, hailing from Syria, Palestine and Eritrea, were fortunate to have been rescued by the Italian navy. Deaths of migrants and asylum seekers trying to reach European shores are a recurring tragedy. As the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre approaches, China is repressing media freedom with renewed fervor. Three journalists reporting on events in Tiananmen Square, including the treatment of citizens petitioning the government, were jailed and well known human rights blogger was taken from his home last week.