Latest news with #proDemocracy
NHK
3 days ago
- General
- NHK
Tiananmen Mothers call for probe 36 years after crackdown
Bereaved families of those killed in the crackdown on pro-democracy protests at Tiananmen Square in China's capital Beijing have called for bringing the truth to light ahead of the incident's 36th anniversary. On June 4, 1989, the Chinese military opened fire on crowds of pro-democracy students and citizens who had gathered in and around the square. Many were killed or injured. Tiananmen Mothers, a group formed by victims' relatives, issued online a statement signed by 108 people. It says several of the group's members have died in the past year, and asks people to remember "the torment they carried for 36 years." The document calls on China's government to conduct an impartial inquiry into the incident, make public the full list of those killed, and compensate the victims and their families. It also demands that the government pursue legal accountability for those responsible. The group is urging the government to resolve the issue through dialogue. One of the group's members, 87-year-old Zhang Xianling, lost her 19-year-old son in the incident. She said in a video message that the bereaved families have repeatedly proposed dialogue to resolve the issue, but that the authorities have used all means to monitor and eavesdrop on the families instead of responding. Zhang stressed that the group will continue to seek justice for the victims. The Chinese government maintains that it made the right decision, and strictly controls dissemination of information about the incident. Public access to the statement and video released by the group is restricted in China.
CNA
3 days ago
- General
- CNA
Changes to Thailand's strict school rules welcome, but deeper issues persist
BANGKOK: As the new school year in Thailand enters its second week, students are finally getting what some feel are long-overdue changes. Crew cuts for boys and bobs for girls have been part of a regimental practice that has persisted for decades in Thai schools, after a directive was issued in 1975 when the country was governed by a military dictatorship. This has been strictly enforced by some school personnel. Videos of them haphazardly cutting students' overly long hair during morning assemblies, often in a jagged, uneven way, can be easily found circulating online. But over the last decade, some schools across the country have gradually relaxed their hairstyle rules. This includes allowing girls to have long hair, for instance. Inspired by university students who took a leading role in Thailand's pro-democracy protests of the 2020s, some student activists also filed a legal petition against the directive, arguing that it was unconstitutional and infringed on their human dignity. Thailand's Supreme Administrative Court ruled in their favour earlier this year, finding that mandating how students should wear their hair violated individual rights and is out of touch with today's society. The court decision was met with mostly positive feedback. GAP REMAINS Still, some like Laponpat 'Min' Wangpaisit, who was part of the movement behind the push for reform five years ago, cautioned that there is still a gap in the passing of the verdict and its actual enforcement. Schools are now supposed to agree with students and parents on what standard to follow, which could mean sticking to the 50-year-old one or being more lenient. 'No one has said it's prohibited to issue (any) regulations restricting student hairstyles. No one says schools are not allowed to interfere with students' hair. That simply doesn't exist,' said Laponpat, who is now studying in university. Laponpat added that if the education ministry wants to protect students' rights, it must clearly ban any interference with their hair, not just leave it up to schools. 'Equality isn't about restricting everyone the same way. It's about not restricting anyone's rights in the first place.' As attitudes and rules about school uniforms shift slightly, some shops selling uniforms have also been affected. A new directive by Thailand's education ministry now exempts students from having to wear Scout uniforms about once a week, in order to relieve parents of the financial burden of buying them. Each uniform costs about 1,300 baht (US$40). Bangkok shopkeeper Surapong Setteamee said that business had already been slow before the rule change. 'It's been very quiet this year, unlike the others. The shop would normally be full of customers, but it's been slow this year,' he told CNA. QUALITY OF EDUCATION IN QUESTION Despite a quiet revolution taking root this new school year, some experts said shortcomings remain in Thailand's education system. 'Schools are very strict when it comes to checking students' uniforms. But during the six hours that students are in class, can schools truly say they're providing high-quality education?' questioned Athapol Anunthavorasakul, director of Chulalongkorn University's Center for Educational Research and Development for Sustainable Development. A significant amount of government funds is allocated to the education ministry every year - about 10 per cent of the annual budget - but that has not translated into better performance by Thai students. In the last Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test in 2022, which is conducted worldwide by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Thai students scored below the OECD average in reading, mathematics and science. They also did worse than students in neighbouring Malaysia and Vietnam. In terms of creative thinking, Thailand scored significantly below the OECD average. Critics have pointed to the core curriculum not being updated in over 15 years, the emphasis on passive rote learning over critical thinking and creativity, and an understaffed and overworked body of teachers. Thailand's education ministry did not respond to CNA's requests for a comment. 'Nowadays, both national and international assessment results clearly show that the quality of Thai education is declining across all dimensions, whether its competency measured by PISA exams, language proficiency, or even civic knowledge,' said Athapol. He urged education authorities to focus on improving educational standards instead of punishing uniform violations, such as deducting points for incorrect attire or barring students from taking exams for not wearing them. While these kinds of shifts take time, the fact that the changes are already underway are a positive sign, said Athapol. 'Norms are created by humans, so humans can change them. They're not meant to last forever.'
CNA
3 days ago
- General
- CNA
Second group of Hong Kong democrats freed after 4 years in jail
HONG KONG: Four people jailed in the landmark Hong Kong national security trial of "47 democrats" accused of conspiracy to commit subversion were freed on Friday (May 30) after more than four years behind bars, the second group to be released in a month. Among those freed was long-time political and LGBTQ activist Jimmy Sham, who also led one of Hong Kong's largest pro-democracy groups, the Civil Human Rights Front, which disbanded in 2021. "Let me spend some time with my family," Sham said after arriving at his home in the Kowloon district of Jordan. "I don't know how to plan ahead because, to me, it feels like today is my first day of understanding the world again. So, as for what I can do or should do in the future, or where is the red line, I feel like I need to explore and figure it out all over again." CHRF was one of the largest pro-democracy groups in the former British colony and helped to organise million-strong marches during pro-democracy protests in 2019 that turned violent at times and had a major impact on business and tourism. The others who were released were Kinda Li, Roy Tam and Henry Wong. At the end of April, former pro-democracy lawmakers Claudia Mo, Kwok Ka-ki, Jeremy Tam and Gary Fan were released from three separate prisons across Hong Kong around dawn. Since the 2019 protests, which disrupted Hong Kong for most of that year, China has cracked down on the democratic opposition as well as liberal civil society and media outlets under sweeping national security laws that were imposed in 2020. The 47 pro-democracy campaigners were arrested and charged in early 2021 with conspiracy to commit subversion under a Beijing-imposed national law which carries sentences of up to life in prison. Forty-five of the defendants were convicted following a marathon trial, and given sentences of as long as 10 years. Only two were acquitted. The democrats were found guilty of organising an unofficial "primary election" in 2020 to select their candidates for a legislative election that was later postponed. Prosecutors accused the activists of plotting to paralyse the government by engaging in potentially disruptive acts had they been elected. Some Western governments, including the US, called the trial politically motivated and had demanded that the democrats be freed.
NHK
5 days ago
- General
- NHK
ASEAN leaders call for extended ceasefire in Myanmar
The leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have urged all parties in the ongoing conflicts in Myanmar to extend and expand a temporary ceasefire declared after a major earthquake in March. They issued a statement on Tuesday after wrapping up a series of their summit talks in Kuala Lumpur. In Myanmar, fighting has continued between the military and pro-democracy forces since the military coup in 2021. The ASEAN chiefs said in the statement that they remain deeply concerned over the escalation of conflicts and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Myanmar. They urged all parties to immediately cease acts of violence against civilians and public facilities. The military and pro-democracy forces declared a temporary ceasefire to prioritize relief efforts following the massive earthquake in March. The ASEAN leaders said they appreciate the declaration and called for the sustained extension and nationwide expansion of the ceasefire to achieve a peaceful solution. Wednesday marks two months after the magnitude 7.7 earthquake devastated central Myanmar. The military says the temblor killed more than 3,700 people and injured over 5,000. Many people are still living in tents and temporary houses. The United Nations says about 2 million children are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance and is calling for long-term support from the international community.
The Guardian
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Former prisoners and hostages urge Starmer to secure release of Jimmy Lai
Former prisoners and hostages wrongly held abroad have urged the UK prime minister to urgently secure the release of the pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai before he dies in a Hong Kong jail. The 77-year-old media mogul, who is a British citizen, has been held in solitary confinement for 1,602 days and his family fears he might not survive another summer in Hong Kong, where temperatures can reach 40C (104F). A letter to Keir Starmer signed by 22 people who were detained abroad and their family members, says he must act 'before it is too late'. The signatories include Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Jason Rezaian who were held in Iran, Matthew Hedges who was imprisoned in the UAE, and Vladimir Kara-Murza, Alsu Kurmasheva and Paul Whelan, who were released by Russia last year in a prisoner swap with the US. They write: 'We know firsthand the horror of these cases and the reality of living everyday with the knowledge you may never see your loved one again. We also know that resolving these cases and bringing British citizens home to the UK depends on robust, principled, strategic action by the UK government.' At a press conference in London on Wednesday, Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, lead international counsel for Lai and his son, Jimmy, said there had been 'outrageous foot dragging' in Lai's case, involving charges under the city's punitive national security law. She said it was supposed to last 30 days when it started after multiple adjournments in December 2023 but a current six-month pause meant closing submissions would not take place until August. Richard Ratcliffe, husband of Zaghari-Ratcliffe, said: 'I think we do need to be looking at government squarely in the eye and saying … 'How dare you not prioritise the protection of your citizens from torture, from profound injustice and from the risk of death?'' An emotional Anoosheh Ashoori, 71, who was released in Iran at the same time as Zaghari-Ratcliffe, said: 'Luckily, I was only 116 days in a solitary confinement. With someone who has been there for such a long time, even for me it is difficult to imagine how resilient he must be and what he has been through.' The signatories urge Starmer to urgently accede to the Lai's son's request for a meeting with the prime minister. Gallagher said that raising Lai's case bilaterally was not enough, the UK government had to make the Chinese understand 'that actually there is a conditionality or an impact if they don't engage'. A UK government spokesperson said Lai's case was a priority, adding: 'We continue to call on the Hong Kong authorities to end their politically motivated prosecution and immediately release Jimmy Lai.'
