Human Rights

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Facebook said Monday that it is banning Myanmar’s powerful military chief and 19 other individuals and organizations from its site to prevent the spread of hate and misinformation.

The social media giant was heavily criticized for permitting itself to be used to inflame ethnic and religious conflict in the country, particularly against minority Rohingya Muslims. It has been accused of being lax in fighting online misinformation and manipulation in many countries, but Myanmar is one where it has been most closely tied to deadly violence.

GENEVA (AP) — Three experts working for the U.N.’s top human rights body say the governments of Yemen, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia may have been responsible for war crimes including rape, torture, disappearances and “deprivation of the right to life” during 3½ years of escalated fighting against rebels in Yemen.

In their first report for the Human Rights Council, the experts also point to possible crimes by rebel Shiite militia in Yemen, which has been fighting the Saudi-led coalition and Yemen’s government since March 2015.

BERLIN (AP) — German police and security officials faced criticism Tuesday following violence during a far-right protest in the eastern city of Chemnitz that left at least six people injured.

The protest late Monday, sparked by the killing of a 35-year-old German man in an altercation with migrants over the weekend, erupted into clashes between neo-Nazis and left-wing counter-protesters.

By Meryem Goktas

ANKARA; 27 Aug 2018; AA: The UN on Monday called for an investigation and prosecution of Myanmar's top military officials for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes against Rohingya Muslims.

According to a report by the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, human rights violations and abuses committed in Kachin, Rakhine and Shan States need to be probed at the International Criminal Court.

JERUSALEM; 27 Aug 2018; AA: Arab members of Knesset (Israel’s parliament) are seeking UN censure of Israel over a recent law recognizing Israel as the “nation-state of the Jewish people”, The Jerusalem Post daily reported.

“The Palestinian delegation, in cooperation with Knesset members from the Arab parties, is planning steps aimed at smearing Israel and damaging its image through incitement and lies,” Israel’s ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) refused to provide details of extradition request to Malaysia to extradite Di Zakir Naik, who is now a permanent resident of that country.

The request was made by a PTI correspondent, in accordance with Section 8 (1) (a) (f) and (h) of the Right to Information Act, 2005.

MEA said the information cannot be provided because it would impede the process of investigation or apprehension or prosecution of offenders.

MOSCOW, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- The United States and its allies are planning to carry out new missile strikes on Syria on the pretext of a provocation that the Syrian government is behind a "chemical attack," the Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday.

By Kyaw Ye Lynn

YANGON, Myanmar; 232 Aug 2018; AA: A leading human rights group said on Tuesday that international monitoring was vital in the repatriation of thousands of Rohingya Muslims as Myanmar authority has tortured and imprisoned returnees from Bangladesh.

Since Aug. 25, 2017, more than 750,000 refugees, mostly children and women, have fled Myanmar and crossed into Bangladesh after Myanmar forces launched a crackdown on the minority Muslim community, according to Amnesty International.

By Umar Farooq

WASHINGTON; 22 Aug 2018; AA: Inmates in at least 17 U.S. states on Tuesday began one of the largest prison strikes in U.S. history.

The strike, which is scheduled to last until Sept. 9, is being led by inmates of the legal group Jailhouse Lawyers Speak.

The group said prisoners will take part in work strikes, sit-ins, and hunger strikes.

Muzaffarnagar (UP), August 21 PTI:  Two Muslim youths were beaten up and paraded by a cow vigilante group under Adarsh Mandi police station in Shamli here, police said today.

Police yesterday registered a case against twenty activists of the cow protection group and also arrested their chief, said circle officer Ashok Kumar. Police are trying to identify the remaining accused persons using a video which was shot when the two youths were being thrashed.

Later police rescued them and booked them under Prevention of Cow Slaughtering Act.