This week Just Asia begins with Nepal, where a mother is dying in the search for justice. Ganga Maya Adhikari has been on a fast-on-to-death hunger strike for over 30 days, and her health is severely deteriorating. In the ICU of Bir Hospital, Kathmandu, Ganga Maya has a simple demand: the arrest of Chhabilal Poudel, the main accused of her son’s murder. Eighteen-year-old Krishna Adhikari was killed by Maoists in 2004, and since then his family is waiting for justice. Krishna’s father died on his 333rd day of hunger strike in September 2014, and his mother is now on her deathbed.
Next, India saw five more lynchings in the state of Maharashtra on July 1, once again triggered by fake rumours of child snatchers that have been spreading on Whatsapp. The mob comprised of around 35 persons and they thrashed the five victims to death. Apart from Maharashtra, such incidents of lynching have been reported in Tamil Nadu, Assam, Gujarat, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh in the last two months.
In Hong Kong, thousands of residents marched on Sunday, July 1, to observe the 21st anniversary of the territory’s return to China from Britain. The march was also a public demonstration of people’s dissatisfaction with the Hong Kong government and fears about the Chinese Communist Party’s growing influence in the city. This year’s march for the first time explicitly called for the end of one-party rule in China.
Amnesty International Indonesia launched a report on unlawful killings committed by the Indonesian Security Forces in Papua. Amnesty’s report documents unlawful killings between 2010 and 2018; a total of 69 cases resulting in the killing of 95 persons in the last eight years. In many cases, despite clear and strong evidence, nothing has been done to prosecute the perpetrators.
Moving to Pakistan, Human Rights Watch called on the government to allow the participation of the Ahmadiyya religious community in the country’s general elections scheduled for July 25. The rights watchdog said the government should drop discriminatory provisions in the electoral law that effectively exclude Ahmadis because of their religious beliefs.
Finally, the Urgent Appeals Weekly features one case from Indonesia.
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