Front Line

27 Jan 2012
On 26 January 2012, Front Line Defenders was informed that the request of human rights defender Mr Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, to have the next session of the court hearing against him heard in Bangkok was rejected by the court.
9 Dec 2011
Human rights defenders Ms Jittra Kotchadej, Ms Boonrod Paiwong, and Mr Soonthorn Boonyord are due to appear in a pre-trial hearing on 23 December 2011 to decide on the dates of their trial. The human rights defenders are officially charged under Section 215 and 216 of the Criminal Code for leading and organising a peaceful assembly in front of the Parliament House in Bangkok. Jittra Kotchadej is an adviser of the Triumph International Labour Union.
1 Dec 2011
On 29 November 2011, the lower house of the Malaysian Parliament approved a Peaceful Assembly Bill. This Bill will severely effect the right of human rights defenders (HRDs) to exercise peaceful assembly to campaign for human rights. The Bill will be reviewed by the Senate on 7 December 2011.
15 Nov 2011
On 9 November 2011, Front Line, together with ACAT France, Access Now, ARTICLE 19, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Index on Censorship, and Reporters Without Borders submitted a letter to Hoang Chi Trung, Director-General of the Department of International Organisations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, calling for the release of more than 20 detained journalists, bloggers, and human rights defenders.
29 Oct 2011
On 10 October and 15 October 2011 respectively, human rights defenders and labour activists Messrs Petrus W. Ajamiseba and Leo Wandegau died from gunshot wounds inflicted by police during a demonstration in Papua Province on 10 October. Petrus W. Ajamiseba and Leo Wandegau were labour activists and members of the All Indonesia Labour Federation (SPSI). SPSI is a national labour union which has branches in 33 provinces of the country, and works to increase the labour standards and improve the rights of all workers in Indonesia.
24 Oct 2011
The 2011 GALAS International Prize for Gay Rights Activist of the year, organised by the National Lesbian and Gay Federation of Ireland (NLGF) was presented to Thai gay rights human rights defender to Paisarn Likhitpreechakul who accepted the award on behalf of the Foundation for Human Rights on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity,
15 Oct 2011
On 11 October 2011, six leading members of Linundigan, an indigenous peoples organisation operating in the province of Agusan del Sur, went into hiding as they were facing imminent risks of being targeted by paramilitary forces. The organisation's Director and his nephew were killed in an attack by a paramilitary group on 30 June 2011. Linundigan is an organisation that works to promote the rights of indigenous peoples, self-determination and indigenous culture, through education, event organising, networking and lobbying.
6 Oct 2011
On 4 October 2011, Front Line Defenders along with nine other international digital freedom and human rights organisations submitted a joint letter to H.E. Nguyen Tan Dung, the Prime Minister of Vietnam calling for the release of human rights defender Mr Pham Minh Hoang, who was sentenced to three years imprisonment on 10 August 2011.
30 Aug 2011
Between 30 July and 16 August 2011, eight human rights defenders were arrested by police officers and officials of the Ministry of Public Security, and are currently being held incommunicado at an unknown location. Since their arrests, their fate and whereabouts are unknown. They are affiliated with the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Dong Chua Cuu) and are actively involved in the promotion and protection of economic, social and cultural rights in Vietnam.
3 Aug 2011
In a letter received by human rights defender Mr Huynh Van Dong on 22 July 2011, the Daklak Bar Association accuses him of violating the Vietnamese Lawyers' Code of Conduct because he provided legal representation to clients persecuted for being critical of the government. Huynh Van Dong is a human rights lawyer and a member of the Daklak Bar Association. He has been a practicing lawyer since 2003 and works primarily on cases concerning the protection of land rights and the right to freedom of expression.
29 Jun 2011
On 24 June 2011 human rights defender and land rights activist Mr Akhil Gogoi was arrested at Guwahati Press Club, in the northeastern state of Assam, where he was addressing a press conference. His arrest follows a protest which took place on 22 June 2011 in the state capital Dispur, during which three protestors were killed and over 50 injured as police opened fire into the crowd. Akhil Gogoi is general-secretary of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) and an activist using the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
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