Category: Human Rights

(Bangkok) – The Malaysian government began a refugee registration system in January 2026 that has raised protection, rights, and privacy concerns for the hundreds of thousands of refugees and asylum seekers in the country, Human Rights Watch said today. The new initiative, Dokumen Pendaftaran Pelarian (Refugee Registration Document, DPP), aims to replace the current registration system […]

A 2021 Ministry of Education directive—the Children’s Speech Harmonization plan—mandates the use of standard Mandarin Chinese for all preschool instruction and care, including in ethnic minority areas. By severely limiting Tibetan-language education in early childhood, and imposing ideological indoctrination on kindergarten children, the Chinese government is speeding up its erasure of Tibetan language and culture. […]

Volker Türk highlighted growing threats to the media in a message ahead of World Press Freedom Day, observed annually on 3 May.  “When attacks on the media are normalised, freedom itself begins to decay, and with it, the foundations of peace, security, and sustainable development,” he warned.  A dangerous job  The High Commissioner paid tribute to the courageous reporters and photographers across the world “who document horrific […]

(Johannesburg) – The Zambian government’s decision to postpone RightsCon 2026, effectively canceling the summit, raises concerns about the authorities’ commitment to free expression and assembly and about possible Chinese government interference, Human Rights Watch said today. The 14th edition of RightsCon was scheduled to be held in Lusaka, Zambia’s capital, from May 5 to 8, […]

(Geneva) – Nepal’s recently elected Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) government, led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah, which came to power on a wave of popular demands for change, should use this opportunity to bring lasting protections for human rights and the rule of law, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the International Commission of Jurists said […]

Since the start of 2026, according to the UN migration agency, IOM, more than 300,000 people have been forced from their homes, with repeated displacement making it harder for families to recover. “We and our humanitarian partners are prioritising helping people in the worst-impacted areas” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, at the regular Noon briefing.  The World […]

The European Parliament adopted on Tuesday a resolution calling on the European Commission to make consent the determining factor in rape legislation across the EU, with 447 members voting “for,” 160 “against,” and 43 abstaining. Stating that “affirmative, freely given and unambiguous indication of consent is valid and that silence, a lack of verbal or […]

(Bangkok) – On April 30, 2026, the Phnom Penh Court of Appeal upheld the politically motivated conviction of the Cambodian political opposition leader Kem Sokha, Human Rights Watch said today. The court extended Sokha’s de-facto house arrest and 27-year sentence that had been imposed in March 2023 and added an additional five-year ban on international […]

Nepali authorities have stopped processing applications for transgender people to change their legal gender on identity documents. The authorities’ actions are regressing on years of progress and undermining the fundamental right of recognition before the law. The Nepal government should immediately process pending applications and create a clear policy for legal gender recognition aligned with […]

A panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia rejected on April 24 the government’s denial of the right to seek asylum for asylum seekers who arrive at the southern border. The ruling stops summary deportations based on President Donald Trump’s Inauguration Day proclamation of an “invasion” at the US-Mexico […]