Philippine police and their agents carry out extrajudicial killings with impunity as part of the government’s anti-drug campaign, Human Rights Watch said today, 10 years to the day after then-President Rodrigo Duterte began his vicious “war on drugs.” New from @hrw.org www.hrw.org/news/2026/06...

The World Bank's IFC Board’s decision to reject the findings of its own ombudsman is a blow for accountability in Cambodia’s microfinance sector & for millions of indebted microfinance borrowers in Cambodia. Read @hrw.org's reaction to the IFC statement here 👇 www.hrw.org/news/2026/06...

New @hrw research - how does the Cambodian government silence activists & opposition members? By threatening and jailing them with absurd charges & then coercing & publicizing confessions to secure their release, forcing them to join the ruling CPP. www.hrw.org/news/2026/06...

Quote from me responding to news in Indonesia and light sentences handed down to 4 soldiers accused of an acid attack on human rights defender - this is a mockery of justice. 👇https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/military-court-jails-four-indonesian-soldiers-over-acid-attack-on-activist

This week marks 37 years since the Tiananmen massacre. Chinese authorities strictly censor anything related to Tiananmen Square or June 4 & since 2020, censorship in Hong Kong on Tiananmen has increasingly resembled the strict controls long imposed in mainland China. www.hrw.org/news/2026/06...

Quote from me re pardoning on Kem Sokha in Cambodia: “Hun Sen’s decision to pardon Kem Sokha after more than eight years in arbitrary detention partially reverses a grievous injustice, but it is deplorable that Sokha remains barred from participating in politics or leaving the country."

The Indonesian government shouldn't determine who is a human rights defender. That undermines the autonomy needed to objectively monitor the government's conduct. www.hrw.org/news/2026/05...

Details of the massacre in Rakhine State only began emerging more than a year later, after some survivors fled to Bangladesh and Malaysia. HRW interviewed several dozen witnesses and survivors, corroborated their accounts by satellite imagery, and analyzed and verified photographs and videos.

The 56-page report documents the May 2, 2024 attack, in which Arakan Army fighters deliberately fired on unarmed villagers who were seeking safety after the armed group advanced on two Myanmar military bases in the vicinity.

Skeletons and Skulls Scattered Everywhere. Two years after the Arakan Army killed and wounded 100s of Rohingya Muslims and burned down their village in Myanmar, the survivors remain unable to return home, with many effectively detained. New report @hrw.org⤵️ www.hrw.org/report/2026/...

New @hrw.org report documents how the Arakan Army committed war crimes killing hundreds of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar’s Rakhine State & burning down their village, the survivors are still denied justice & cannot return to their homes. Read more here 👇 www.hrw.org/news/2026/05...

New @hrw report out today - "Start with the Youngest Children" - the Chinese government is imposing Chinese-language education and ideological indoctrination on kindergarten children in its efforts to force Tibetans to assimilate. www.hrw.org/report/2026/...

A statement to our community about why RightsCon 2026 will not take place in Zambia https://www.rightscon.org/rc26-statement/

The Myanmar junta has moved 80 year old Aung San Suu Kyi from prison to house arrest. But it is still arbitrary detention and she should be immediately and unconditionally released, alongside all other political prisoners held in Myanmar. www.irrawaddy.com/news/politic...

@hrw.org is seeking an Asia media director to maximize strategic coverage of HRW’s research on traditional & emerging media platforms across the region. Would suit a journalist working in the region looking for a change & passionate about human rights.👇 job-boards.greenhouse.io/humanrightsw...

The protests by young Nepalis were a demand to end entrenched inequities & that can only be addressed with transparent and accountable governance. Nepal's new government have an opportunity to bring lasting human rights reforms. New from @hrw.org @amnesty.org & ICJ 👇 www.hrw.org/news/2026/04...

Today the Phnom Penh Court of Appeal upheld the politically motivated conviction of the Cambodian political opposition leader Kem Sokha. So long as the government uses the courts to unjustly punish political opponents, elections will have no legitimacy in Cambodia. www.hrw.org/news/2026/04...

The People’s Court of Đắk Lắk, #Vietnam, sentenced human rights defender Dr Nguyễn Đình Thắng to 11 years in prison on charges of terrorism under Article 299(2) of Vietnam’s Penal Code at a trial in absentia on 28 April. Read more: www.csw.org.uk/2026/04/29/p...

As Pakistani airstrikes into Afghanistan continue, a reminder that warring parties are obliged to take “constant care” to protect civilians during mil ops. In March, @hrw documented a strike on a drug treatment center in Kabul, which was unlawful & a potential war crime. www.hrw.org/news/2026/03...

Who Benefits from Thai Foreign Minister’s Visit to Myanmar? www.hrw.org/news/2026/04...

The Taliban's system of repression does not stop at Afghanistan’s borders. They attempt to control & silence Afghan women abroad through demands that media outlets enforce their abusive rules on those who speak out and challenge Taliban abuses. @fereshtaabbasi.bsky.social www.hrw.org/news/2026/04...

A new governmental decree undermines the independence of lawyers in Vietnam & will impede efforts to hold officials accountable. Decree 109 represents a serious new threat to Vietnam’s already politicized legal system. New from @hrw.org www.hrw.org/news/2026/04...

Timor-Leste joining ASEAN has created a rare opening for ASEAN to clarify whether it stands for anything more than procedural restraint. So far, ASEAN's response to the Myanmar crisis has been feeble and ineffective. More here on what is needed: thediplomat.com/2026/04/a-te...

Such good news that Duterte's case will move to trial. Great to see the ICC working as it should - as a court of last resort to prosecute those accused of the most serious crimes. But it's also coming at a time when the ICC is under unprecedented attack. www.hrw.org/news/2026/04...

🚨The 2026 FIFA World Cup risks becoming a Trump sportswashing bonanza and a cautionary tale about the need to address human rights risks at major sporting events. Want to know more? On 27-4 @hrw.org launches a Reporters' Guide during a hybrid event / expert panel in Berlin.

Good news! Judges from the ICC have confirmed all charges against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. His case is going to trial. He is charged with crimes against humanity committed in the Philippines when he was mayor of Davao City & later as president. www.reuters.com/world/asia-p...

The arrest of 4 people in Bangladesh for posting social media content supposedly critical of the new government is an alarming continuation of the previous government’s repressive practices. www.hrw.org/news/2026/04...

Surge in forced returns of Afghan refugees from Pakistan. As fighting between Afghanistan & Pakistan has intensified since February 2026, police have expanded operations against Afghan communities in several Pakistani cities. www.hrw.org/news/2026/04...

This month Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi traveled to Pyongyang for his first visit since 2019. As the relationship between China and North Korea deepens, North Koreans trying to escape across the border face even greater risks of forced return. www.hrw.org/news/2026/04...

'When I returned from Gaza they called me a hero. But I felt I was a monster.' IDF soldiers talk about killing civilians in Gaza & the 'moral injury.' Accountability is needed for these crimes. www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...

The Indian government should immediately withdraw rules that would allow greater executive control over online content and further undermine privacy in the country. New from @hrw.org www.hrw.org/news/2026/04...

Chinese authorities are increasing pressure on underground Catholic communities to join the state-controlled official church. The Chinese government has tightened ideological control, surveillance & travel restrictions on the country’s estimated 12 million Catholics. www.hrw.org/news/2026/04...

The Singaporean government should immediately halt the execution of Omar bin Yacob Bamadhaj, scheduled for April 16, 2026, for trafficking cannabis. Joint statement from @hrw.org @amnesty.org @cpjpaus.bsky.social & @adpan.bsky.social www.hrw.org/news/2026/04...

Thai authorities should urgently, thoroughly & impartially investigate the assassination attempt on Kamonsak Leewamoh, a Muslim member of parliament & prominent human rights lawyer. New from @hrw.org www.hrw.org/news/2026/04...

A senior cabinet minister in Thailand has brought criminal defamation lawsuits against two prominent journalists who reported about a bribery case, raising serious concerns for media freedom. New from @hrw.org www.hrw.org/news/2026/04...

Despite the sluggish pace of justice for Afghan victims, the arrest of decorated Australian soldier Ben Roberts-Smith on war crimes charges sends a powerful message to Australia’s armed forces that even those deemed “war heroes” are not above the law. www.hrw.org/news/2026/04...

@hrw.org is hiring a senior China researcher. Do you have strong written and spoken Mandarin and English, excellent open source investigative skills, and experience working on mainland China? See more details here: job-boards.greenhouse.io/humanrightsw...

"Concerned countries should press Pakistan to provide genuine accountability and ensure that failures in intelligence, target verification, and decision-making are identified and fixed so such strikes never happen again.”

“As the Middle East conflict has spread and intensified, so too has the dangerous rhetoric by leaders on all sides, including open threats to commit war crimes.” - @bolopion.bsky.social / @hrw.org on the past month of war in the Middle East Read more ⤵️

In a landmark class action lawsuit in Thailand, a court held a multinational corporation accountable for contamination from a gold mine and recognized the right of villagers in affected areas to effective remedies. 👏 www.hrw.org/news/2026/03...

"A Europe that systematically embed human rights across trade, procurement, migration, and security policies, would strengthen not only its credibility, but also its security, acting as a stabilizing force in an unstable world." - @benjeannerod.bsky.social & @mayawang.bsky.social in @lemonde.fr

Breaking - Indonesia's TNI spox says BAIS chief Lt. Gen. Yudi Abrimantyo hands in notice over acid attack on activist. That's not enough. We still need a full investigation into all those involved in orchestrating the attack & perpetrators held to account. en.tempo.co/read/2094490...

NEW: UN Security Council resolution on new framework to deal with impasse around Morocco’s claims to Western Sahara does not ensure that the right to self-determination for the territory’s peoples is upheld and is consistent with international law @hrw.org www.hrw.org/news/2026/03...

The Singapore government should drop criminal charges against Jay Ish’haq Rajoo & repeal the repressive Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) law says @hrw.org @amnesty.org @civicusalliance.bsky.social + Forum Asia www.hrw.org/news/2026/03...

“President Prabowo should set up an independent fact-finding team to investigate the attack against Andrie Yunus to ensure that all those responsible are brought to justice.” New from @hrw.org / @andreasharsono.bsky.social ⤵️

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos has declared a national energy emergency, “in light of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.” The Philippines, along with many Asian countries, is heavily reliant on Middle ​Eastern oil for fuel. www.bbc.com/news/article...

The brutal acid attack in downtown Jakarta against a prominent rights activist raises grave concerns for Indonesia’s entire human rights community. Indonesian President Prabowo should set up a fact-finding team independent of the military to fully investigate the attack. www.hrw.org/news/2026/03...

How the world failed the Philippines. Aside from the belated case at the International Criminal Court, institutions of international accountability have been missing in action. Oped by @carlosconde.bsky.social thediplomat.com/2026/03/drug...

Want to hear rare good news? A Belgian court opened a criminal trial against a former Belgian official for his alleged involvement in the killings of Lumumba, the DRC's first PM, & two senior officials during decolonization. Justice delayed shouldn't be justice denied. www.hrw.org/news/2026/03...

“For the families of those killed in the “drug war” watching tearfully from the public gallery, this hearing marked the first real step towards justice after years of violence, denial, and dehumanisation of their loved ones.” - @elainepearson.bsky.social / @hrw.org in op-ed @aljazeera.com