Myanmar's Junta Releases Journalist: Daily Brief

When will junta in Myanmar release all unjustly jailed reporters?; humanitarian disaster on Poland-Belarus border; open season on solidarity in Europe; Putin regime want to shut down human rights giant; speaking out on India's abuses carries a high price; abuse in Egypt gets rewarded, as country will host next UN climate summit; Winter Olympics looms against a backdrop of crimes against humanity in China. 

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There's rare positive press freedom news from Myanmar, as the military junta has released Danny Fenster, the Managing Editor of Frontier Myanmar, who was convicted to 11 years in prison by a military court last week. Still, at least 46 journalists remain unjustly jailed in Myanmar. They should all be released immediately, and so should thousands of other political prisoners, activists and other people who protested against the military rulers in the country.

The fully manmade humanitarian disaster at the border of Poland and Belarus continues, and it is the most vulnerable people who are paying the price.  People are dying in the forests on either side of the border. Meanwhile the European Union and EU member states such as Poland refuse to act, let alone come up with long overdue right-respecting policies regarding treatment of refugees and migrants.   

Deadly border policies have been a hallmark of Fortress Europe for years. Attacks on human rights organisations and activists working to defend migrants’ rights have increased dramatically, according to a report by the World Organisation Against Torture, published Monday. "Policies to deter migration and seal off borders continue to prevail over the imperative to respect human rights and save lives at both European Union and member State level." 

The Putin regime has moved to shut down Memorial, one of Russia’s oldest and most prominent rights organizations, an outrageous assault on the jugular of civil society in the country. Memorial, which defends human rights, works to commemorate victims of Soviet repression, and provides a platform for open debate.

The arrest in India of activist and politician Talib Hussain, for publicly questioning the security forces’ killing of a Kashmiri man in October, highlights the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government’s growing intolerance of criticism. The authorities routinely abuse laws to punish peaceful dissent, including under India’s counterterrorism law, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act

Countries participating in the next United Nations climate summit (#COP27) should press its host Egypt to release the thousands  of people jailed solely for exercising their right to free speech and peaceful assembly, and halt criminal proceedings against civil society activists before committing to attend. “Egypt is a glaringly poor choice to host COP27 and rewards the repressive rule of President al-Sisi despite his government’s appalling abuses,” says Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.

And with less than three months to go before the start of the Winter Olympics, time is quickly running out for corporate sponsors of the event to address crimes against humanity in the host country China.