Hong Kong Police Crackdown on Protests: Daily Brief
Plus: Unlawful fighting in Gaza; a South Sudanese economist is jailed; New York might decriminalize sex work; new UN resolution on missing persons during conflict; Bangladesh should account for enforced disappearances; and HRW's New York Film Festival 2019 is set to begin.
Police have clashed with protesters in Hong Kong who are demonstrating against a new bill that would allow extradition to China. Police have reportedly fired rubber bullets and tear gas at protesters, while protesters are said to have blocked key roads around government buildings and thrown projectiles at police. The controversial new law would make it easy to transfer people to mainland China, or other countries where they are at risk of torture.
Fighting between Israel and Palestinian armed groups in Gaza in early May 2019 involved unlawful attacks by both sides, HRW said today. Fifteen Palestinian civilians and four Israeli civilians died during the fighting.
The South Sudanese economist Peter Biar has been sentenced to two years in prison after he gave interviews to foreign media. Biar had also been arrested for treason.
A proposed new bill in the US state of New York could decriminalize sex work, a move which would help to protect the safety and dignity of sex workers.
A new UN resolution on missing persons during wartime calls on parties to conflicts to better prevent disappearances in the first place, and not to wait until war is over before searching for or marking graves.
Bangladesh needs to account for the enforced disappearances of many people in recent years by conducting credible investigations and making findings public.
And finally, the 30th HRW New York Film Festival kicks off on June 13. The festival will showcase films about human rights issues from around the world.