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Australia: Don’t Prosecute for Exposure of Misconduct

Whistleblowing Former Spy, Lawyer Face Hearing for Revealing Bugging Operation

(Sydney) – Australian authorities should not prosecute a former Australian spy and his lawyer for exposing government wrongdoing, Human Rights Watch said today. The Magistrates Court in the Australian Capital Territory is scheduled to hold a…
Barrister Bernard Collaery speaks at an event in Sydney.
News

Balibo's Ghosts and East Timor's Media Law

Australia's stake in East Timor's media freedom is rooted in that country's hillside town of Balibo. It was there on October 16, 1975 that invading Indonesian military forces killed, execution-style, five journalists - Greg Shackleton, Tony Stewart, and…
News

East Timor: Revise Repressive Media Law

Official Licensing System Threatens Press Freedom

(New York) – East Timor’s president should refuse to sign a new media law until parliament revises provisions that will chill free speech, Human Rights Watch said today. The country’s foreign donors should publicly express concern at the attempts by the…
News

Timor Leste Press Law (2)

NATIONAL PARLIAMENT, RDTL Office of the President Decree No. 10/III Media Act Whereas the right to information, freedom of speech and of the press are fundamental for the consolidation of democracy, the Timorese State prepares to strengthen the media…
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Timor Leste Press Law (1)

H.E. PRESIDENT OF REPUBLIC REQUESTS THE COURT OF APPEAL TO REVIEW MEDIA LAW   Dili, 14 July 2004 - His Excellency the President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, Taur Matan Ruak, this Monday, 14 July 2014, submitted Decree no. 10/III of the…
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Australia should take the lead on human rights in South-East Asia

"It's not our role to tell countries what to do. These are internal affairs of the state." These sound like the words of a Chinese official, yet this is what an Australian diplomat told me on a recent visit to South-East Asia. Geographically on the…
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Indonesia: Drop Censorship of Critical Film

End Censorship Board’s Sweeping Powers

(New York) - The Indonesian government should rescind its censorship of a film depicting a military atrocity prior to Indonesia's 1975 invasion of East Timor, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch called on the government to revoke the…
News

UN: Sri Lanka’s Defeat a Victory for Human Rights Council

UN Vote Upholds Council Membership Standards on Rights

(New York) – UN member states enforced the standards they established for the new Human Rights Council by not re-electing Sri Lanka to the body today. Domestic and international human rights advocates who had opposed Sri Lanka’s re-election to the council…
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Justice for Suharto-Era Crimes Still Matters

Much of the commentary since Suharto’s death on Jan. 27 has focused on his economic legacy. Of late, triumphalist accounts seem to be eclipsing more nuanced assessments, as observers debate whether overall economic growth during his 32-year tenure…
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Indonesia: Suharto’s Death a Chance for Victims to Find Justice

Government Should Investigate Crimes of Former Dictator’s Regime

(New York) - The death of former president Suharto at age 86 provides an opportunity to commemorate the many victims of his oppressive regime, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch said the Indonesian government should make a serious…
Report

Out of Sight

Out of Sight Endemic Abuse and Impunity in Papua's Central Highlands Map of Papua and West Irian Jaya I. Summary Methodology II. Key Recommendations Human Rights Watch urges the Indonesian government to: III. Background Roots of the Papuan conflict…
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Timor-Leste: Candidates Should Prioritize Human Rights

Strong Leadership on Rights Needed After Major Setbacks in Past Year

(London) - Candidates in Timor-Leste’s presidential election on April 9 should publicly commit to addressing the country’s human rights problems and propose needed institutional reforms, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch urged all eight…
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Timor-Leste: UK Launch of Timor Justice Report

Joint Press Release by the Parliamentary Human Rights Group, TAPOL the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign, Amnesty International, Progressio, and Human Rights Watch

(London) - British parliamentarians who campaigned for human rights in Timor-Leste (then East Timor) were today urged to press the UK government for action on key recommendations of a landmark report on violations committed in Timor-Leste. The…
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East Timor: Government Allows Investigation of Police Violence

Just weeks after Human Rights Watch released a report on torture and mistreatment by police in East Timor, the country's foreign minister wrote to the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, inviting experts—including the U.N. special rapporteur on…
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East Timor: Torture and Mistreatment by Police

Government Must Check Abuse Before It Spreads

(Dili) - The East Timorese government needs to urgently address the problem of police torture and ill-treatment of detainees before it becomes widespread, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today. Independent and internal accountability…
Report

Tortured Beginnings

Tortured Beginnings Police Violence and the Beginnings of Impunity in East Timor Map of East Timor I. Introduction Key Recommendations II. Methodology III. Background Establishing the East Timor Police Force Composition of the East…
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Joint letter to UN Permanent Representatives

Dear Ambassador: We are writing to express concern that the report of the independent Commission of Experts appointed to review the prosecution of serious violations of human rights in Timor-Leste in1999 has not yet been scheduled for discussion by the…
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Joint letter to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan

His Excellency Kofi Annan Secretary-General The United Nations 1 United Nations Plaza New York, New York 10017-3515 Dear Mr. Secretary-General: We are writing to express concern that the report of the independent Commission of Experts appointed to…