In this episode, Just Asia continues to cover critical human rights flashpoints in Asia.
In Pakistan, three employees of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) have been killed in clashes near the Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, on February 3. The employees were on a countrywide protest against privatization of the national airlines. Around 30 persons have also been injured, including two women and five journalists, when Pakistan Rangers resorted to baton charges and fired water cannons and rubber bullets.
Staying in Pakistan, Just Asia turns to the annual report of the Freedom Network, an independent Pakistani media and civil liberties watchdog, on the state of the media. According to the report, “The year 2015 proved to be the year of censorship for media in Pakistan.” While 2014 was the most murderous year for press freedom, with 14 journalists killed, the year 2015 has seen a dramatic rise in censorship, states the report.
The programme then pans to Indonesia, where residents of Sukamulya Village, Rumpin Sub-district, Bogor Regency, have been fighting for their land and houses since 2007. The Indonesian Air Force has claimed over 1,070 hectares of land in Sukamulya that belongs to the villagers. The latest protest against this injustice was held in front of the Bogor Regency Office on 29 January 2016.
Next, Just Asia covers the suicide of young Dalit scholar, Mr. Rohith Vemula. Rohith chose to end his life after facing discrimination from the management of the Hyderabad University. Rohith’s suicide is yet another example of the continuing domination that suppresses the less privileged communities in India, particularly the Dalits.
For the past six months, life in Nepal has been at a standstill. The Himalayan nation has undergone a protracted blockade and faces an impending humanitarian crisis. Markets are closed and vehicular movement is stopped. Schools and hospitals barely function in Nepal’s Terai region, due to the ongoing border blockade initiated by the Madhesi groups and supported by the Indian establishment. To cover the latest, Just Asia speaks with Dipendra Jha, Advocate, Supreme Court of Nepal, and Member, Madhesi Think Tank group.
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