Myanmar's Media under Attack as Crisis Deepens: Daily Brief
Media freedom and opposition under fire in Myanmar; fog of lies engulfing Ethiopia’s war in Tigray; Thai activists detained for insulting the monarchy; major win for the protection of refugees in Malaysia; Japanese companies reassessing businesses using Xinjiang forced labor; Russian police routinely fail to respond to domestic violence complaints; prominent Tunisian LGBT activist jailed; forcibly returned Burundian refugees prosecuted at home; sentenced to death in Congo for exposing corruption; and South Sudanese women make their voices heard.
In an attempt to silence independent media, Myanmar’s military junta has revoked the licences of five media outlets. The outlets had reported extensively about protests against the February 1 coup and the brutal response by the security forces. Meanwhile, Myanmar security forces are using night time raids and brutal mistreatment to break popular resistance to military rule.
Ethiopia's war in Tigray is being fought not just in a blackout, but also in a fog of lies. The United Nations should urgently establish an independent inquiry into war crimes and possible crimes against humanity in the region.
A Thai Criminal Court has ordered three prominent democracy activists to pretrial detention on charges of insulting the monarchy. The order could leave the activists detained for years until their trial is concluded.
A Malaysian court has allowed Amnesty International Malaysia and Asylum Access to challenge the deportation of 1,086 Myanmar nationals, in a major win for rights groups seeking to protect vulnerable people facing persecution back home.
Twelve Japanese companies are considering ceasing business with business partners found to be using forced labor in Xinjiang.
Russian police regularly fail to respond to domestic violence complaints or refuse to act on them.
A prominent Tunisian LGBT rights activist has been sentenced to six months in prison for shouting outside a police station after officers refused to register her harassment complaint.
A sham trial in Burundi of eight Burundian refugees who had been detained and tortured in police custody in Tanzania before being forcibly returned, highlights both the deficiencies of Burundi’s judiciary and the dangers of being a refugee.
Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo should quash the death sentences imposed in absentia on two whistleblowers who provided information on corruption.
And lastly, South Sudanese women have faced the brunt of years of violence, abuses, and repressive gender norms. A new anthology of poems, short stories, and artwork seeks to make their voices heard.