Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Friday 31 January 2020
Amnesty Int'l: Asia seeing growing repression, resistance

By ELAINE KURTENBACH tests and introducing laws
Associated Press that punish online dissent,
BANGKOK (AP) — Authori- it said. It noted that many
tarian governments in Asia such governments also at-
are undermining human tack their critics with so-
rights and demonizing phisticated social media
their critics, but they face tactics, smearing them as
a rising tide of protest from treasonous.
young people who defy Companies are shielded
grave risks to protest such from accountability to the
repression, Amnesty Inter- public by leaders who de-
national said in its annual fend them for the sake of
report on the region. economic growth, it said.
The human rights group's They also are quick to resort
annual survey of the Asia- to using lawsuits to penalize
Pacific region, released whistleblowers and others
Wednesday, said India who speak out.
and China, the two most ___
populous nations, are try- VIOLENCE AGAINST INDIG-
ing to impose their "own ENOUS GROUPS AND OTHER
bleak, domineering vision MINORITIES: Chinese au-
on the continent, perceiv- thorities subjected Uighurs,
ing minorities as a threat to Kazakhs and other mostly In this Sept. 28, 2019, file photo, a pedestrian walks past posters of Chinese President Xi Jinping,
'national security.'" Muslim ethnic groups in the part of a newly created Lennon Wall, outside the Central Government Complex in Hong Kong.
The "main takeaway" from far western Xinjiang region Associated Press
the report is that in Asia, "we to intense surveillance, arbi-
saw an escalation of the trary detentions and forced ary to September, mainly in their home countries back by security forces, often
repression in many coun- indoctrination. In Sri Lanka, attacks using homemade to sea. In Japan, where detained without charges
tries. But we also saw an anti-Muslim violence broke explosive devices that of- refugees rarely are granted or trial, the report said. Laws
increase in the resistance out after Easter Sunday ten were carried out by asylum, the government against sedition and defa-
and protest, often led by bombings that killed more the Taliban against minority has not yet ratified the Mi- mation were used to cur-
young people from Hong than 250 people, mainly ethnic groups. In Myanmar, grant's Convention to pro- tail media freedoms, while
Kong to India, from Myan- Christians, in three church- the military carried out war tect rights of a growing anti-blasphemy laws were
mar to Thailand," Nicholas es and three hotels. Across crimes in Kachin, Rakhine population of foreign work- used to persecute some
Bequelin, regional director the region, all governments and Shan states, as internal ers. people and justify human
for Amnesty International, need to make more head- strife continued, the report ___ rights abuses. Governments
told The Associated Press. way in protecting and em- said. DISAPPEARANCES and EX- in the Philippines and other
"We saw increased mobili- powering indigenous pop- ___ TRAJUDICIAL KILLINGS: In countries combating drug
zation by young people to ulations, the report said. REFUGEES and MIGRANTS Pakistan, journalists, human abuse and trafficking were
defend their rights. ___ SPURNED: The report also rights defenders and mem- responsible for killings of
Demand accountability, ARMED CONFLICT: In Af- noted Australian deten- bers of the Shiá Muslim thousands of people, usu-
justice, action on climate ghanistan, more than 2,500 tions of refugees and asy- community were among ally from poor and mar-
and rights for all," Bequelin people died and 5,676 peo- lum seekers and turning the hundreds of people ginalized communities, it
said. The effort to silence ple were injured from Janu- boats of people fleeing who were "disappeared" said.q
criticism and prevent the
public from holding public Argentina debates debt restructuring,
officials and corporations
accountable is a worry- reawakening old fears
ing trend, it said. But anti-
government protests in
Hong Kong and elsewhere BUENOS AIRES, Argen- Senate for debate next
showed an abiding will to tina (AP) — The Chamber week.
resist repression, it said. of Deputies voted over- The center-left govern-
Some highlights from the whelmingly Wednesday ment’s handling of the bill
report. to approve a bill to re- in a special session high-
___ structure the Argentine lighted the importance
RISING REPRESSION: Chi- government’s $100 bil- it attaches to the South
nese leader Xi Jinping's lion debt, which officials American country’s huge
push to vanquish dissent say is unpayable amid a debt to the International
and impose the absolute deep recession that has Monetary Fund and pri-
control of the ruling Com- reawakened old fears of vate creditors.
munist Party has intensi- financial crises. Economy Minister Martín
fied persecution of hu- With the support of the Guzmán has warned that Demonstrators protest in front of Argentina's National
man rights defenders and main opposition parties, Argentina needs “a sus- Congress as lawmakers debate a foreign debt restructuring
others, the report said. In the government of Presi- tainable solution” to pay- bill in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020.
China and across South dent Alberto Fernández ing its debt. Associated Press
and Southeast Asia, gov- saw the measure pass “Today the situation is criti-
ernments are increasingly 224-2 while leftist groups cal, the debt burden can- have led it to refinance its economic crisis in its his-
forthright in silencing their opposing the legislation not be sustained,” he said. debt. At the end of 2001, it tory. It is currently dealing
opponents and the me- protested outside con- Argentina periodically declared a record default with a contracting econ-
dia, reducing the space gress. faces financial crises and on just over $100 billion omy, high inflation and a
for even peaceful pro- The bill now goes to the liquidity problems that in debt during the worst weakened currency. q