HUMAN RIGHTS IN ASIA-PACIFIC: REVIEW OF 2019 Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 7 million people who campaign for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all. Our vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. We are independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion and are funded mainly by our membership and public donations. © Amnesty International 2020 Cover photo: Except where otherwise noted, content in this document is licensed Pro-democracy protesters react as police fire water under a Creative Commons (attribution, non-commercial, no derivatives, cannons outside the government headquarters in international 4.0) licence. 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First published in 2020 by Amnesty International Ltd Peter Benenson House, 1 Easton Street, London WC1X 0DW, UK Index: ASA 01/1354/2020 Original language: English amnesty.org HUMAN RIGHTS IN ASIA-PACIFIC REVIEW OF 2019 CONTENTS REGIONAL OVERVIEW 5 AFGHANISTAN 7 AUSTRALIA 10 BANGLADESH 12 CAMBODIA 14 CHINA 16 HONG KONG 19 INDIA 21 INDONESIA 25 JAPAN 27 KOREA (DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF) 29 KOREA (REPUBLIC OF) 31 MALAYSIA 33 MALDIVES 36 MONGOLIA 38 MYANMAR 40 NEPAL 43 NEW ZEALAND 46 PAKISTAN 48 PAPUA NEW GUINEA 51 PHILIPPINES 53 SINGAPORE 56 SRI LANKA 58 TAIWAN 60 THAILAND 62 VIET NAM 65 HUMAN RIGHTS IN ASIA-PACIFIC: 4 REVIEW OF 2019 Amnesty International physical assaults, abuse in detention – crackdown on Turkic Muslims intensified millions showed their resolve, demanding as the true horrors of the “re-education REGIONAL accountability and insisting on their camps” became apparent. We also saw human rights to free expression and this in Kashmir, hitherto India’s only peaceful assembly. Muslim-majority state, which saw its OVERVIEW special autonomous status revoked and in The bright flames of peaceful protests its place a siege imposed that continues were also sparked across India, where to this day. It was a year of repression, but also of millions came out on to the streets resistance. The Chinese government against a new law that discriminates The politics of demonization also fell on clamped down with renewed force on the against Muslims when deciding who the island nation of Sri Lanka, where freedoms promised to the people of Hong can or cannot become an Indian anti-Muslim violence erupted in the Kong under the terms of the handover citizen. Asia’s two largest and most wake of the Easter Sunday bombings of the territory in 1997. In the streets, powerful states are trying to impose – which claimed the lives of more than those freedoms were doughtily defended their own bleak, domineering vision on 250 people, mainly Christians, in three against the steepest odds. Month after the continent, perceiving minorities churches and three hotels. In November, month, in the face of the police’s as a threat to “national security”. We Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected abusive methods – including countless saw this in the nominally autonomous president, taking his place on an already volleys of tear gas, arbitrary arrests, Chinese province of Xinjiang, where the crowded stage of strongmen leaders Women takes to the streets in Lahore during Aurat March on March 8, 2019. © Ema Anis for Amnesty International HUMAN RIGHTS IN ASIA-PACIFIC: 5 REVIEW OF 2019 Amnesty International and dimming hopes that the wounds of growth rates they covet. They often marriage becoming legal in March. The the decades-long internal conflict will remain tranquil in the face of the ravages Pakistani government announced new be healed. In the Philippines, Rodrigo of climate change. measures to tackle climate change and Duterte’s murderous “war on drugs” air pollution. The people of Hong Kong But as hard as it has become to resist, proceeded with only modest ripples of forced the authorities to withdraw its young people across the continent protest internationally. extradition bill. The Maldivian Supreme continue to take great risks and defy the Court appointed two women as Supreme Across Southeast Asia, repressive established order. In Pakistan, the non- Court judges for the first time, defying governments entrenched themselves violent Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement still pressure from religious hardliners. further, silenced their opponents, rallies tens of thousands against enforced muzzled the media, and shrank civic disappearances and extrajudicial The wheels of justice slowly began to turn space to the point where, in many executions, even after its supporters for the Rohingya, as the International countries, even participation in a have been charged and detained, and Criminal Court (ICC) authorized an peaceful protest can trigger arrest. In its protests banned. Climate strikes saw investigation into crimes committed South Asia, governments appeared thousands take to the streets in several by the Myanmar military in 2017. This anxious to keep up, innovating new ways countries, including Afghanistan, where followed a decision by Gambia to take to perpetuate old patterns of repression peace marchers also braved grave threats Myanmar to the International Court – especially through the introduction to call for an end to a conflict that has of Justice for the crime of genocide. of draconian laws that punish dissent been going on since before they were There are also hopes that the ICC will online. born. In Viet Nam, people protested revisit its decision to not authorize an against China’s policies. In Laos, they investigation into war crimes and crimes To try and legitimize their repression, protested against the shoddy construction against humanity committed by all sides government across Asia ritually demonize of a dam. in Afghanistan, after capitulating to their critics as pawns of “foreign pressure from the US administration. forces”, who are at best “naïve” and at The protests and other efforts of civil worst “treasonous” – toxic smears that society were successful too. In Sri The coming year is likely to be as trying are amplified through sophisticated Lanka, lawyers and civil society activists as the one that has just passed. But social media operations. They resist successfully staved off the resumption as young activists across Asia have accountability for corporations, claiming of executions. In Taiwan, they fought for repeatedly shown, where there is no this will impede the rapid economic equality for LGBTI people, with same-sex hope, it must be created. HUMAN RIGHTS IN ASIA-PACIFIC: 6 REVIEW OF 2019 Amnesty International Afghan protesters march for peace and ceasefire as they shout slogans and hold banners in the Kandahar province on January 17, 2019. Several hundred protesters marched in three cities in southern and eastern Afghanistan on January 17 to call for peace and a ceasefire in the 17-year war, the latest action in a movement launched in May 2018. In Kandahar, the southern cradle of the Taliban, and in the eastern cities of Khost and Jalalabad, they marched holding placards saying: “No War”, “We want ceasefire” and “We want Peace”. © JAVED TANVEER /AFP via Getty Images continued to forcibly return Afghan A high number of civilian casualties in AFGHANISTAN asylum-seekers and refugees. Gender- 2019 were caused by attacks involving based violence against women and girls improvised explosive devices deployed Islamic Republic of Afghanistan persisted due to weak rule of law and by “anti-government elements.” There Head of state: Muhammad Ashraf Ghani existence of harmful traditional and was an increase in casualties caused by cultural practices. It became increasingly aerial and search operations conducted The civilian population suffered crimes difficult for journalists to work and they by “pro-government” forces. under international law, human rights faced reprisals from armed groups, state violations and abuses because of the officials, and security forces. At least five continuing conflict. Conflict-related journalists were killed by the Taliban and CRIMES UNDER INTERNATIONAL violence led to thousands of deaths other armed groups. LAW AND ABUSES BY ARMED and injuries and the displacement of GROUPS hundreds of thousands. The International Criminal Court (ICC) decided not to ARMED CONFLICT The Taliban unlawfully killed and injured investigate crimes against humanity and In the first nine months of 2019, civilians including in indiscriminate war crimes committed, but the decision 2,563 civilians were killed and 5,676 attacks; Islamic State Khorasan Province is currently subject to appeal. Human injured, according to the United Nations’ (IS-K) deliberately targeted civilians rights defenders were intimidated, Assistance Mission in Afghanistan in attacks against Shi’a communities threatened, detained and killed. (UNAMA). July was the single deadliest and the Hazara ethnic group – who European and neighbouring countries month in the past decade of the conflict. mostly follow the Shia sect of Islam. In HUMAN RIGHTS IN ASIA-PACIFIC: 7 REVIEW OF 2019 Amnesty International August, an IS-K suicide bomb attack at REFUGEES AND INTERNALLY women and girls. On the other hand, a wedding in Kabul killed at least 63 DISPLACED PEOPLE the government is failing to establish civilians and injured more than 200. At Elimination of Violence Against Women least 14 people, mainly civilians were Half a million Afghans were forcibly courts and prosecution units in all 34 killed and 145 injured in a suicide returned from neighbouring countries in provinces. bomb outside a police station in a 2019, more than 476,000 of them from Iran alone, according to the International predominantly Shi’a neighbourhood in Women constitute 27 per cent of the Organization for Migration (IOM). western Kabul, claimed by the Taliban.