Sri Lanka Attacks Contemptible: Daily Brief
Sri Lanka attacks contemptible; Reuters journalists denied appeal in Myanmar; US anti-boycott laws used to punish responsible businesses; European Parliament candidates asked to clarify stance on human rights; US opposes a UN resolution on combating the use of rape as a weapon of war; widespread use of landmines kills and starves civilians in Yemen; censorship in Bangladesh at all-time high; arrest of a pop star & regime critic in Uganda; and female activists around the world fight to save the planet.
The Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka are contemptible acts of violence, Human Rights Watch has said. Sri Lankan authorities should ensure victims get the help they need, act to prevent further violence, and bring those responsible to justice. The bombings were the worst violence since Sri Lanka’s three-decade long civil war ended in May 2009.
Myanmar’s highest court has denied the final appeal of two Reuters journalists who were imprisoned for reporting on the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims.
US states use anti-boycott laws to punish companies who refuse to do business in illegal Israeli settlements, effectively penalizing them for trying to avoid complicity in serious rights abuses.
At a time when respect for human rights and the rule of law are under attack from some European leaders, candidates for the European Parliament should clarify their positions on key human rights issues ahead of the May 2019 polls.
The US is threatening to veto a UN resolution on combating the use of rape as a weapon of war because of its language on reproductive and sexual health.
The Houthi forces’ widespread use of landmines along Yemen’s western coast has killed and injured hundreds of civilians, left farms and wells inaccessible, and prevented aid groups from reaching vulnerable communities.
Censorship in Bangladesh has reached a stifling high. In its annual press freedom index, Reporters Sans Frontières has dropped the country to 150th out of 180 countries – the lowest ranking it has ever received.
Ugandan police have detained pop star Bobi Wine after shutting down one of his concerts and firing tear gas at his fans. Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, has been a fierce critic of President Yoweri Museveni's government since he entered parliament in 2017.
And finally Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish environmental activist who inspired a worldwide student movement calling on governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, has given her support for a general strike for the climate. Thunberg is just one of many female activists around the world who are fighting to save the planet.