Category: Pacific

Chinese and Hong Kong officials have said the law, imposed “overnight” by Beijing in June 2020, was necessary to restore and safeguard stability after anti-government and anti-China demonstrations erupted in 2019. Definition unclear The UN Human Rights Committee underscored the shortcomings of the National Security Law (NSL), including its lack of clarity on “national security” and the possibility of transferring cases from… Read More

Thomas Andrews said he was “outraged and devastated” following what’s believed to be the first use of capital punishment in the Southeast Asian nation in decades. I’m devastated by news that former parliamentarian Zeyar Thaw and longtime activist Ko Jimmy were executed with two others today. UN Member States must honor their lives by making this depraved act a turning… Read More

The UN Country Team called for an “immediate cessation” to the election-related violence amidst a deteriorating security situation in the Highlands region of the southwest Pacific island, with Government sources confirming “deaths, assaults, rape, and the extensive destruction of property and infrastructure”. Investigation and prosecution call The UN in PNG is calling for a “swift investigation of alleged crimes and the prosecution… Read More

The UNAMA findings, confirm many of the concerns voiced over the direction of human rights under the Taliban 11 months ago, after foreign forces pulled-out and the elected government collapsed. While the de facto authorities have taken some steps aimed at improving the human rights situation, the report documents a range of human rights violations — arbitrary arrests, detentions, torture,… Read More

“Sri Lanka’s economic collapse needs immediate global attention, not just from humanitarian agencies, but from international financial institutions, private lenders and other countries who must come to the country’s aid,” they said in statement.  The nine experts expressed alarm over record high inflation, rising commodity prices, power shortages, a crippling fuel crisis and economic collapse, as the country grapples with… Read More

In a statement issued on Friday on behalf of the UN in Sri Lanka, Resident Coordinator Hanaa Singer, said that it was “imperative that the transition of power is accompanied by broad and inclusive consultation within and outside Parliament.” According to news reports, Mr. Rajapaksa offered his resignation after fleeing the country and arriving in Singapore, having first flown to the Maldives on Wednesday… Read More

Ms. Ressa, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 for her work defending freedom of expression as a co-founder of independent news outlet Rappler, was convicted of “cyber libel” in 2020. It followed publication of an article on alleged corruption involving the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in the Philippines. The ruling by the Court of Appeal… Read More

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has yet to comment publicly on the occupation of his residence, along with that of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, but the Prime Minister’s office reportedly said it had been informed that the President planned to step down on Wednesday. President Rajapaksa has become the focus for widespread protests in recent months over dire food, fuel and medical… Read More

Cambodia, which has a wealth of medicinal plants native to the country, has a real potential to benefit from bioprospecting, but is at risk of a variety of threats, such as the overexploitation of plants, overharvesting of forest products, and climate change.] However, since 2011, the UN has been helping Cambodia, and other countries, to better manage their resources, conserve… Read More

As prices keep healthy meals out of reach, some 61 per cent of households are regularly using coping strategies to cut down on costs, such as reducing the amount they eat and consuming increasingly less nutritious meals.  And with opportunities to make enough income in the medium to long-term decreasing for an estimated 200,000 families, the UN food relief agency… Read More