Elaine Pearson

Australia Should Urge Singapore to Halt Execution Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese should urge Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to halt an execution scheduled on the day of their meeting in Canberra on October 8 for the Australia-Si...

Is the death penalty a priority issue for Australia or not? Previously they have said it is - so PM Albanese should be urging Singapore to halt an execution scheduled to occur on the day of the Australia-Singapore Annual Leaders meeting in Canberra on October 8. www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...

Spoke to @france24.com about China's chilling new ethnic unity bill which could be used to facilitate intensifying ideological controls, target ethnic & religious minorities including by erasing minority language rights & foster control beyond China’s borders.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ddws...

UN Rights Council Creates Afghanistan Accountability Body The United Nations Human Rights Council on October 6, 2025, adopted a landmark resolution creating an independent mechanism to investigate past and ongoing rights abuses in Afghanistan.

"UN Human Rights Council members have sent a clear message to victims, their families & all those bravely fighting for justice in Afghanistan that their voices have been heard & that their suffering is neither invisible nor erasable" @hrw.org on new Aghanistan mechanism www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...

UN Rights Council Creates Afghanistan Accountability Body The United Nations Human Rights Council on October 6, 2025, adopted a landmark resolution creating an independent mechanism to investigate past and ongoing rights abuses in Afghanistan.

Good news - UN Human Rights Council adopts landmark resolution creating an independent mechanism to investigate past and ongoing rights abuses in Afghanistan.

Those responsible for serious crimes in Afghanistan now or in the past will one day face justice in court. www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...

See below for @hrw.org response to the life sentence for the Thai gunman who killed Cambodian former opposition MP Lim Kimya in cold blood on a Bangkok street. All those responsible should be brought to justice despite their political connections. 👇 www.bbc.com/news/article...

Indonesia’s Mass Killings 60 Years on Still Demand Justice The 1965-66 massacres were among the darkest days in Indonesian history. Marxism and communism remain banned in the country and continue to be applied to target critics of the government.

This week marks a grim 60 years since Indonesia’s mass killings. The 1965-66 massacres were among the darkest days in Indonesian history. Marxism & communism remain banned & continue to be applied to target government critics. No one was held to account for the killings. www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...

Afghanistan: Internet Shutdowns Imperil Rights The Taliban’s internet shutdowns are inflicting serious harm on people’s rights and livelihoods throughout Afghanistan.

Afghans were already isolated from the world but with this new internet shut down, now they are completely cut off. The longer the Taliban internet shutdowns continue, the more harmful the consequences for both the people and the country. More from @hrw.org 👇
www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...

Japan Court Drops Key Legal Hurdle for Transgender People A court in Japan has ruled that the legal requirement that transgender people alter the appearance of their genitals to change their legal gender is unconstitutional.

Since 2004 transgender people in Japan who wanted to legally change their gender needed to apply to a family court. Now a
court has ruled that the requirement that transgender people alter the appearance of their genitals to change their legal gender is unconstitutional
www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...

It’s beyond disappointing to see Singapore bending over backwards to please Beijing by rejecting pro-democracy leader Nathan Law at the border.
bbc.co.uk/news/article...

My quote responding to this news below 👇

Vietnam: Free Prominent Rights Activist The Vietnamese authorities should immediately release the prominent human rights activist Trinh Ba Phuong and drop all charges against him.

No tolerance for free expression in Vietnam. Activist Trinh Ba Phuong is serving 10 years in prison. Authorities have now added another 11 year prison term, convicting him of "anti-state propaganda" because he made & hid a sign in his cell condemning the Communist party. www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...

Cambodian lenders have marketed microfinance loans as a pathway out of poverty, but they have pushed Indigenous families into over-indebtedness. These loans have cost many people their land, their health, and sometimes their lives.
New @hrw.org report www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...

Cambodia: Microfinance Lending Harming Indigenous Groups Predatory lending by microfinance institutions in Cambodia is driving land dispossession and human rights abuses against Indigenous communities.

Predatory lending by microfinance institutions in Cambodia is driving land dispossession & human rights abuses against Indigenous communities.

NEW @hrw report "Debt Traps" released today 👇 www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...

EU-Vietnam Trade Agreement Has Failed to Promote Rights When European Union Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič visits Vietnam this week, he should use his meetings with officials to address Vietnam’s violations of the 2020 EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (E...

When EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič visits Vietnam this week he should use his meetings with officials to address Vietnam’s violations of the 2020 EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement & its broken pledges to the EU on human rights, including labor rights. www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...

Sri Lanka is on the Front Line of the Battle for Accountability Victims’ families and human rights defenders at Chemmani, and throughout Sri Lanka, hope that the remains will be identified, the truth will be revealed, and those responsible held to account.

Utter disregard for the laws of war in Sri Lanka's civil war costing tens of thousands of civilian lives is held up today by some Israeli military strategists as a campaign to be emulated. That is only possible because there were no consequences for atrocities committed. www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...

China: Free Student Advocate for Tibetan Rights Chinese authorities should immediately and unconditionally release Zhang Yadi, an advocate for Tibetan rights who had been an international student in France.

Chinese authorities should immediately and unconditionally release Zhang Yadi, an advocate for Tibetan rights who had been studying in France. She could face 5 - 15 years if convicted of offenses related to "undermining national unity." www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...

New Industry Requirements Could Disrupt Abusive Armed Groups’ Trade in Gold Deep in the forest in Venezuela’s Bolivar state, residents live in fear of horrific violence at the hands of armed groups involved in the illicit gold trade.

Illicit gold trade funds abusive armed groups in Venezuela & other conflicts.

A new gold industry requirement by the London Bullion Market Assiciation for global gold refiners could help shed light on these illicit trade routes, a first step towards ending them.

www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...

🚨Did you know that predatory lending by #microfinance institutions in Cambodia is driving land dispossession and human rights abuses against Indigenous communities?

New HRW report, going out on Thursday September 25.

Reporters can DM me for embargoed report, interview requests etc.

EU’s New India Strategy Overlooks Modi’s Repression The European Union unveiled its “New Strategic EU-India Agenda” this week, setting out a range of areas for closer bilateral cooperation. Unfortunately it deliberately overlooks India’s deepening righ...

#EU: new #India strategy, same old silence on repression

EU leaders should reflect on long-term cost of overlooking #Modi's authoritarian drift, link closer ties to rights progress: hrw.org/news/2025/09... #EUIndia

@vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu @kajakallas.bsky.social

A single mother in low-wage work shows her monthly household budget to Human Rights Watch during an interview, Baden-Württemberg, February 2023. © 2023 Kartik Raj/ Human Rights Watch

Germany’s government is set to make major social security cuts, and replace the only recently-created “Citizen’s Income” with a more punitive “New Income for Jobseekers”.

These plans will increase poverty.

Human rights can help guide the debate back to what matters.

www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...

Taliban Deny Afghan Girls’ Their Education and Future September 17 marks four years since the Taliban banned secondary education for girls in Afghanistan. It is a devastating anniversary that should make everyone angry – furious even.

It's now 4 years since the Taliban banned secondary education for girls in Afghanistan. The ban is cruel, harmful & unlawful as @hrw.org's @saharfetrat.bsky.social explains here👇https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/09/17/taliban-deny-afghan-girls-their-education-and-future

North Korea: ‘Lost Decade’ of Rights Abuses A new United Nations report finds that the North Korean government has increased the use of surveillance, forced labor, and severe punishments over the past decade, maintaining “total control” over it...

New UN report finds pervasive surveillance, repression, threats, hunger & pain define the daily lives of millions of North Koreans. This report should be a wake-up call for governments everywhere to refocus attention on one of the world’s worst human rights crises. www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...

UN: World Leaders Should Commit to Human Rights, International Justice World leaders gathering at the United Nations General Assembly on September 23-29 should commit to protecting the UN from powerful governments seeking to defund and undermine the organization’s capaci...

Human rights and the UN itself are in the crosshairs of powerful governments to an unprecedented extent. World leaders gathering at the UN General Assembly next week should pledge action & resources to protect human rights & stop escalating atrocities. www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...

India: Scores of Rohingya Refugees Expelled Indian authorities have expelled scores of ethnic Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh and Myanmar without rights protections since May 2025.

Indian authorities have expelled scores of ethnic Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh and Myanmar without rights protections since May 2025. The authorities have arbitrarily detained several hundred more, mistreating some of them. New from @hrw.org
www.hrw.org/news/2025/08...

We are hiring! @hrw's Asia Division is looking for a new deputy director with expertise on China to supervise our work on China & other countries. We are looking for a strong manager and editor with a keen sense of political judgement. More details here: job-boards.greenhouse.io/humanrightsw...

UN Rights Council Should Support Justice in Afghanistan In a new joint letter, 107 organizations reiterated their call for the United Nations Human Rights Council to act where it has long failed and establish an independent investigative mechanism for Afgh...

107 organizations are calling on the UN Human Rights Council to act where it has long failed & establish an independent investigative mechanism for Afghanistan to advance accountability for past and ongoing grave crimes.

Read why this is important 👇 @hrw.org
www.hrw.org/news/2025/08...

Thailand Allows Myanmar Refugees in Camps to Work Legally On August 26, Thailand’s cabinet approved measures allowing Myanmar refugees living in camps along the border to work legally. For many, it will be the first formal employment of their lives.

Good news from Thailand - the Thai government has approved measures allowing Myanmar refugees living in camps along the border to work legally. For many, it will be the first formal employment of their lives. www.hrw.org/news/2025/08...

Maldives: Authorities Tighten Grip on Media The Maldives parliament is considering a new law that could silence independent media amid an escalating crackdown on basic rights.

The Maldives parliament is considering a new law that could silence independent media amid an escalating rights crackdown. The draft media law is part of a broader effort by the administration of President Mohamed Muizzu to stifle dissent. New from @hrw.org www.hrw.org/news/2025/08...

Sri Lanka: Police Target Families of ‘Disappeared’ Sri Lankan security forces still harass families of victims of forced disappearances and misuse the country’s draconian counterterrorism law a year since President Anura Kumara Dissanayake took office...

One year since President Dissanayake took office with promises of reform, Sri Lankan security forces still harass families of 'disappearanced' & misuse the country’s draconian counterterrorism law. New from @hrw www.hrw.org/news/2025/08...

Australia stands firm in face of Israeli leader's blistering attack on PM Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke hit back at the Israeli prime minister's attack on Anthony Albanese, as he defended the decision to cancel the visa of a member of Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition.

"Strength is not measured by how many people you can blow up or how many children you can leave hungry."

Well-said Tony Burke, Australia's Home Affairs Minister. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08...

Australian Foreign Minister’s Vietnam Trip Should Promote Rights Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong will travel to Vietnam to meet her counterpart, Bui Thanh Son. It’s critical that Australian policymakers don’t lose sight that Vietnam is also one of the regio...

Vietnam is an important relationship to Australia, but @senatorwong.bsky.social shouldn't lose sight of the fact that Vietnam is also one of the region’s most repressive countries. My take on raising rights concerns, particularly Vietnam’s 170+ political prisoners. 👇
www.hrw.org/news/2025/08...