By Yves Dam Van and Jocelyn Gecker Associated Press KOH SAMUI, Thailand (AP) — A Thai court on Dec. 24 sentenced two Myanmar migrants to death for the murder of two British backpackers on a resort island last year, in a case that raised questions about police competence and the judicial system in Thailand. Human […]
Malaysia taken off US human trafficking blacklist
By Matthew Pennington Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic lawmakers and rights groups on July 27 accused the State Department of politicizing its annual rankings of nations on their efforts to combat modern-day slavery, as key trading partner Malaysia was taken off a blacklist. Cuba was also given an upgrade, a week after the U.S. […]
Journalists charged by Thai navy
By Thanyarat Doksone Associated Press PHUKET, Thailand (AP) — Testimony began July 14 in a criminal defamation lawsuit filed by Thailand’s navy against a small news website over a report it posted saying naval forces accepted money to assist or turn a blind eye to the trafficking of refugees from Myanmar by sea. The navy […]
About 4,000 fishermen stranded on Indonesian islands
By Margie Mason and Robin McDowell Associated Press JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) —The number of foreign fishermen stranded on several remote eastern Indonesian islands has spiraled to 4,000, including some revealed in an Associated Press investigation to have been enslaved. Many are migrant workers abandoned by their boat captains after the government passed a moratorium on […]
Vietnamese leader says banning social media sites impossible
AP Wire Service HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnam’s prime minister said Thursday that it is impossible to ban social media such as Facebook so authorities in the communist nation instead should provide correct information to inform public opinion.
Vietnam frees dissident on appeal
By Chris Brummitt Associated Press HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — A Vietnamese appeals court overturned a six-year prison sentence against a dissident and halved the jail term of another in a rare show of leniency by the country’s Communist authorities.
US, Vietnam far apart on human rights
By Chris Brummitt and Matthew Pennington The Associated Press HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnamese authorities seeking to stop a well-known democracy activist from meeting an American diplomat last weekend deployed an unusual weapon — a group of elderly ladies.
Vietnam jails two songwriters
By Staff The Associated Press HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Two musicians in Vietnam whose topical songs are popular among overseas