Fleeing countries like Sri Lanka and Myanmar, refugees are risking their lives on a new smugglers route through Asia in search of a better life.

Tags: Australia, Burma, Malaysia, Myanmar, Refugees, Sri Lanka, UNHCR

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The Malaysian authorities must initiate an independent, impartial, prompt and effective investigation into the death of 22-year-old Kugan Ananthan.
Kugan died died on 20 January after being held for five days in the Taipan Police station in Subang Jaya in west Malaysia on suspicion of stealing cars. State Police Chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar has said [...]

Tags: Malaysia

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The Kuala Lumpur High Court has acquitted Dr Irene Fernandez, co-founder and executive director of Tenaganita, a nongovernmental organization that exposes the abuse of migrant workers in Malaysia.
The first words as she was congratulated, Irene said, “I am free! At last I am free!”
A scheduled court appeals hearing, which was to last until Friday 28 [...]

Tags: Malaysia

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Many migrant and domestic workers still face abuse and exploitation in Middle Eastern and Asian countries because governments have failed to adopt measures needed to protect them.
Few domestic workers have access to the justice system in the countries where they work, and even those who are able to make complaints of physical or sexual violence [...]

Tags: Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates

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The Malaysian government should exonerate Irene Fernandez, a leading labour activist convicted in 2003 on politically motivated charges of “publishing false news”. The Kuala Lumpur High Court has scheduled hearings next week in the criminal case against Fernandez, which has continued for more than 12 years.
In July 1995, Fernandez, the director of TENAGANITA, a nongovernmental [...]

Tags: Malaysia

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New information about the arbitrary detention of five Malaysian government critics obtained by Amnesty International researchers highlights the need for the Malaysian parliament to immediately abolish the country’s Internal Security Act, Amnesty International said today.
A recent Amnesty International mission to Malaysia researching the human rights situation there established that the sole reason for the detention [...]

Tags: Malaysia

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Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is free on bail after pleading not guilty to charges of sodomy. According to media reports, his next hearing is on 10 September.
Anwar has declared that the charges will not stop his campaign for a parliamentary seat as part of an effort to dislodge the Barisan Nasional, Malaysia’s ruling coalition [...]

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Police Investigation of Anwar Ibrahim Lacks Credibility
The Malaysian government should immediately withdraw politically motivated charges against opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, Human Rights Watch said today. Police served Anwar, who is running for office, with an order to appear in Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on August 7, 2008, under a colonial-era law that criminalizes homosexual conduct.
Link [...]

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Malaysian police informed Anwar Ibrahim on 6 August that he would be formally charged with “carnal intercourse against the order of nature” and should present himself to the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court at 10 am on 7 August.  Also on 6 August the Elections Commission announced that the by-election for the Permatang Pauh, Penang parliamentary [...]

Tags: Malaysia

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Sodomy charges against Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim may be an attempt to stop him from running for election to parliament, Amnesty International said today.
“Ten years ago the government used a similar charge of sodomy against Anwar Ibrahim and kept him in jail for six years, the conviction was ultimately overturned,” said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty [...]

Tags: Malaysia

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