Category: Pacific

The whereabouts of former Xinjiang University President Tashpolat Tiyip have been unknown since his detention in 2017. “The Chinese authorities have indicated to us that Mr. Tiyip is being tried on corruption charges, that a lawyer has been hired by his relatives, and that he has not been sentenced to death,” the experts said. While any proceedings against Professor Tiyip have… Read More

Unsplash/Dan Freeman Rapid industrialization over the past 30 years and subsequent urbanization and intensification of agricultural production in the southeast Asian country, has resulted in the over-exploitation of natural resources and the loss of habitat on a massive scale.  While many impoverished Thai people benefitted from the development, the Eastern Sarus Crane became a casualty, as did the Spoon-billed Sandpiper… Read More

Tadamichi Yamamoto, head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), updated ambassadors on developments since voting took place in late September.  “When the election is completed with credibility, it will become a milestone in the history of establishing a representative political system of the country”, he stated.  Mr. Yamamoto explained that preliminary results are yet to be announced as stakeholders want to ensure the electoral process was as transparent and credible as possible.  “Whatever the… Read More

The amendment to the Citizenship Act gives priority to Hindus, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians resident in India before 2014, but excludes Muslims, including minority sects.  “Although India’s broader naturalization laws remain in place, these amendments will have a discriminatory effect on people’s access to nationality”, Jeremy Laurence, a spokesperson with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said on Friday. … Read More

The first element of concern outlined by Khaled Khiari, was the resumption of missiles testing by DPRK, more commonly known as North Korea, which include the launch of two projectiles on November 28, and the announcement of a test which some analysts believe, he said, were designed to further North Korea’s nuclear programme. Further announcements by State media include references… Read More

The development – announced by UN emergency relief chief Mark Lowcock – means that $2.6 million will be made available for the small Pacific island, where health providers have been reportedly overwhelmed. 87 new cases in past 24 hours “As of this morning, 4,819 measles cases have been reported to the Disease Surveillance Team since the outbreak started, according to… Read More

“I call on each and every organ of the Myanmar State to ensure that absolutely no reprisals are taken against any group or individual that is advocating for justice and accountability in Myanmar,” said the independent expert in a statement issued on Tuesday, adding that those targeted include members of the Free Rohingya Coalition.  Legal proceedings begin  The Rohingya are a mainly Muslim population… Read More

Simona Marinescu, UN Resident Coordinator in the Pacific island nation, reported that the situation remains critical, as the Government commenced a two-day shutdown on Thursday to ensure that all people who have not been vaccinated are protected against the highly contagious disease. The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has supplied more than 200,000 vaccines for the campaign, while the World Health… Read More

Waste collectors, or ragpickers as they are known more colloquially in the cities of Bhopal and Indore, in Madhya Pradesh state, are being encouraged to hand over plastic waste to local collection centres.   Single-use plastics, which would have ended up in landfill sites, are now being used to fuel cement furnaces and build roads, providing an additional income source… Read More

The UN chief said these interconnected issues are important to the stability and security of SCO member states “Breaking up trafficking organizations and addressing the criminal use of fixed routes is crucial to countering movements of foreign terrorist fighters and arms, including to and from Iraq and Syria”, he said. “Our two organizations are also committed to promoting peace in… Read More