Rights

Rights • STORY OF THE DAY • Jul 27, 2021 • 4 min read

Mini-documentary Pushed to the streets: Phnom Penh’s sex workers during Covid-19

By Kiana Duncan and Ines Sothea • Jul 27, 2021
As KTVs and massage parlours continue to be interrupted, sex workers in Phnom Penh say they’re increasingly desperate for clients as debt piles up. With limited ability to change jobs and scant government aid, many have turned to the streets to find customers

Rights • STORY OF THE DAY • Jul 22, 2021 • 8 min read

Human rights In Malaysia, animated film reignites debate on deaths in police custody

By Ashley Yeong • Jul 22, 2021
Human rights groups in Malaysia have for years battled impunity surrounding deaths in police custody, with little success. Now, following police attempts in recent weeks to suppress an animated film recounting abuses, the discussion has come to the fore once again

Rights • STORY OF THE DAY • Jul 16, 2021 • 8 min read

Opinion On International Day of Justice, Myanmar needs the world to act

By Ka Hsaw Wa • Jul 16, 2021
As the world marks International Day of Justice, EarthRights International Executive Director Ka Hsaw Wa reflects on how the Yadana gas pipeline inspired him to first resist the junta in the 1990s, and how the fight for justice has evolved today in the wake of the coup

Rights • Jul 12, 2021 • 7 min read
Opinion

Transformative justice: Abolishing the death penalty in Singapore

Singapore is known for its harsh approach to crime and punishment, justified on the grounds of deterrence. But the Transformative Justice Collective is looking to change this mindset, promoting alternative approaches to criminal justice in the city-state
By Kirsten Han • Jul 12, 2021

Rights • Jul 06, 2021 • 7 min read
Opinion

How neglecting migrant workers has exacerbated Thailand’s Covid crisis

Thailand's millions of migrant workers have long acted as a scapegoat for many of the kingdom's social ills. With Covid-19 outbreaks occurring in these cramped and impoverished communities, they've again become a go-to for authorities looking for someone to blame
By Mark S. Cogan • Jul 06, 2021

Rights • Jun 30, 2021 • 3 min read
Podcast

Anakut Season 2 is here! First up, Cambodia’s LGBTQ+ community

Welcome to Season 2 of the Anakut podcast! As June is the Pride Month, we're kicking off with Cambodia's LGBTQ+ community, discussing the hopes and challenges facing individuals today. Joining us is Skyler Ros, a transgender fashion designer, and Seng Reasey, executive director of rights group SILAKA
By Andrew Haffner • Jun 30, 2021

Rights • Jun 22, 2021 • 6 min read
Rohingya crisis

Understanding the death of Saiful, a child refugee on Bhasan Char

Only five months after being relocated to the island of Bhasan Char off the coast of Bangladesh, the life of 10-year-old Rohingya Saiful would come to an abrupt end in May. Today, his death shines a light on the treatment of refugees from the persecuted ethnic group
By Shafiur Rahman • Jun 22, 2021

Rights • May 03, 2021 • 8 min read
Opinion

A year since the transient worker Covid crisis: Lessons for Southeast Asia

The past year has seen countries across Southeast Asia enter into some form of lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19. While average citizens have been hit hard, these measures have exposed the great inequalities experienced by the region's millions of migrant workers
By Fanzura Banu and Shee Siew Ying • May 03, 2021

Rights • Apr 23, 2021 • 4 min read
Human rights

Virus-hit Indonesia orders the execution of prisoners online

Indonesia has sentenced scores of prisoners to death over Zoom and other video apps during the pandemic, turning to virtual court hearings as Covid-19 restrictions shut down most in-person trials
By Haeril Halim/AFP • Apr 23, 2021

Rights • Apr 06, 2021 • 7 min read
Myanmar coup

A township under siege: Residents recall assault on Sanchuang

The March 8 siege of Yangon's Sanchuang township – a 12-hour ordeal in which security forces surrounded some 200 people – stands out even among the brutal months since the military’s February 1 coup. Here, the district's residents recall the terror of that night
By Eustace Jones • Apr 06, 2021

Rights • Apr 02, 2021 • 14 min read
Sex work

Criminals or victims? Cambodia’s sex workers suffer under legal limbo

In a country rife with anti-trafficking efforts, the Cambodian government’s failure to clearly define and distinguish between prostitution and trafficking creates loose standards for police and NGOs targeting sex workers, worsening exploitation in unsafe working conditions
By Kiana Duncan • Apr 02, 2021