Just Asia: Weekly bulletin on human rights in Asia ( Video)

Just Asia is a weekly bulletin focused the human rights situation in Asia, issued its 108 episode recently. The following announcement issued by the host;

( February 7, 2016, Hong Kong SAR, Sri Lanka Guardian) In this episode, Just Asia continues to cover critical human rights flashpoints in Asia.

In Pakistan, three employees of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) have been killed in clashes near the Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, on February 3. The employees were on a countrywide protest against privatization of the national airlines. Around 30 persons have also been injured, including two women and five journalists, when Pakistan Rangers resorted to baton charges and fired water cannons and rubber bullets.

Staying in Pakistan, Just Asia turns to the annual report of the Freedom Network, an independent Pakistani media and civil liberties watchdog, on the state of the media. According to the report, “The year 2015 proved to be the year of censorship for media in Pakistan.” While 2014 was the most murderous year for press freedom, with 14 journalists killed, the year 2015 has seen a dramatic rise in censorship, states the report.

The programme then pans to Indonesia, where residents of Sukamulya Village, Rumpin Sub-district, Bogor Regency, have been fighting for their land and houses since 2007. The Indonesian Air Force has claimed over 1,070 hectares of land in Sukamulya that belongs to the villagers. The latest protest against this injustice was held in front of the Bogor Regency Office on 29 January 2016.

Next, Just Asia covers the suicide of young Dalit scholar, Mr. Rohith Vemula. Rohith chose to end his life after facing discrimination from the management of the Hyderabad University. Rohith’s suicide is yet another example of the continuing domination that suppresses the less privileged communities in India, particularly the Dalits.

For the past six months, life in Nepal has been at a standstill. The Himalayan nation has undergone a protracted blockade and faces an impending humanitarian crisis. Markets are closed and vehicular movement is stopped. Schools and hospitals barely function in Nepal’s Terai region, due to the ongoing border blockade initiated by the Madhesi groups and supported by the Indian establishment. To cover the latest, Just Asia speaks with Dipendra Jha, Advocate, Supreme Court of Nepal, and Member, Madhesi Think Tank group.

The bulletin can be watched online at AHRC TV YouTube. We welcome both human rights feeds to be considered for weekly news bulletin, and your suggestions to improve our news channel. Please write to news@ahrc.asia. You can also watch our Weekly Roundup on Facebook.

Watch it here:

About the programme: The Asian Human Rights Commission, Hong Kong based Human Rights monitoring and documenting body, launched the first issue of a weekly roundup of human rights issues on October 14, 2013. Since then they produced over hundred weekly bulletins. The weekly roundup is a news programme which aims to highlight a wide variety of current human rights issues in the Asian region. Important stories of people fighting for improving human rights, both in the civil and political rights sphere as well as economic, social and cultural rights are covered in these weekly roundups and we also often meet survivors of human rights violations, who talk of their experiences. The AHRC hopes that this coverage will contribute to the conversation on human rights issues in the region and will also assist in developing greater solidarity in the struggle to achieve universal human rights.

About the Producer: The programme was the result of the concept introduced and developed by a young Sri Lankan journalist Amila Sampath who studied journalism at the College of Journalism in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He has made hundreds of videos for the local NGO, Janasansadaya – The People’s Forum, reporting on torture abuse and other human rights violations from all over Sri Lanka. He subsequently worked as a journalist at Sri Lankan Sirasa TV Channel (news) for two years where he was involved in all aspects of producing news packages and feature reports, before relocating to Hong Kong to join the AHRC. Amila now handles the production, directing and editing of the weekly news roundup, as well as many other video productions in the organisation.”