This is not a day or two plan - Ebit Lew : Malaysia

Philanthropist Ebit Lew described the 11 sexual harassment allegations made against him as completely baseless.

“Based on the previous accusation, I see this accusation as a baseless, extreme accusation and indeed intended to undermine my credibility, so that I am humiliated, humiliated, so that I stop my charity work.

"And this is not a plan made within one, two days," he said after being brought before the Magistrate's Court in Tenom, Sabah, today.

Earlier, Ebit Liew was today arraigned in the Magistrate's Court in Tenom, Sabah and charged with 11 charges related to sexual harassment under Section 509 of the Penal Code.

It is about sending pornographic pictures and words with the intention of humiliating someone's honor through the Whatsapp application.

According to police, all the charges allegedly took place in Tenom district between March 2021 to June 2021 involving a woman.

If convicted, the accused can be sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison or a fine or both.

Commenting further, Ebit said to be honest he was a bit shocked by the allegations made against him as it was only informed in the near future.

However, Ebit said what happened did not make him sad.

Ebit said, this is because he knows that he is completely innocent.

“I just found out about the charge and this is just one charge from one of the 11 charges.

"I am also surprised because I am in a charity work program in Sabah, right now.

"But, I don't feel sad because I know I'm innocent and I'm sure this is all the planning of many parties from before for the charity work I do.

"And I am satisfied with all the provisions of Allah SWT, this is also a test of Allah for me and I am calm through it," he said, admitting that what he went through was very hard but always told him to always pray and cry for him when he was tested.

Rohingya demand justice for all oppressed

The International Criminal Court (ICJ) in Gambia will hold its second hearing on the case against Burmese authorities since 2019 on Monday, February 21.

Therefore, Rohingya activists, Human rights groups held an online press conference before the hearing on 17 February.

Shayna Bauchaner, Asia researcher at HRW, says the current justice system is important for both the Rohingya and the people of Burma.

In this regard, Ma Wai Wai Nu, the leader of the Women's Peace Network ....

"After the military coup in Burma, the people have witnessed the oppression of the Rohingya, and they have come to understand the plight of the Rohingya, and civil society groups are grateful for their support for the Rohingya .

U Tun Khin, chairman of the British-based Burmese Rohingya Association, said ....

" The Rohingya on the Burmese side are still being persecuted, and those in Bangladesh are still under restriction and being deported to Bashanchar, so the world needs to support a federal democracy for the persecuted ethnic people and the Rohingya in Burma . "

Phil Robertson, Assistant Director for Asia at Human Rights Watch

"With the extrajudicial killings and killings in Burma, justice must be done to stop these acts, and the ICJ recognizes that this case is being treated as genocide, and we need to continue to work harder to bring the perpetrators to justice," he said.

After the military coup, there were reports that the military council was working with the Bangladeshi authorities to repatriate the Rohingya.

"After the military coup, they just show that they are the authority and that they can solve the political problems. In fact, under the current situation in Burma, no Rohingya will return . "

Phil Robertson, assistant director for Asia at Human Rights Watch, said no Rohingya would be trusted under the circumstances and no one would return.

RFA asked if the NUG government's Rohingya community had any agreement on the NUG's decision to send Burmese Ambassador to the United Nations Kyaw Moe Tun and his delegation to the second hearing.

"We have heard and welcomed NUG's actions in principle, and so far there has been no direct contact between the NUG and the Rohingya community, and we wish to cooperate in the future, which is for justice," Ma Wai Wai Nu said.

Tun Khin, chairman of the Myanmar Rohingya Association, said:

"Of course, we want to see collaboration with NUG, and we need to see NUG move forward and succeed internationally. That's what we want to see."

When asked by RFA what he expects from the second hearing at the ICJ ....

"The ICJ usually takes years to process, so it is unlikely that any significant decisions will be made this time around," she said.

"Actually, given the current situation in Burma, no Rohingya will return."

Finally, Phil Robertson, Assistant Director for Asia at Human Rights Watch, said:

"There have been years of violence and human rights abuses in Burma and there has been no accountability, and now there is a need for accountability to end the Burmese crisis, whether it is a PDF or a CDM," he added.

The Military Council has now appointed International Cooperation Minister Ko Ko Hlaing and Union Attorney General Thida Oo for the ICJ, and the NUG government has appointed Kyaw Moe Tun and two international lawyers.

Akila Radhakrishnan, chairwoman of the Global Justice Center, who attended a briefing yesterday, said the ICJ had not yet decided which side to take and would wait until Monday, February 21, for the hearing to begin.

How are Vietnamese human rights activists violated?

Human Rights Watch accuses the Vietnamese government of blocking and restricting the movement of activists and dissidents. Those prevented from confirming this happened publicly over the years.

On February 17, 2022, Human Rights Watch (HRW) held a report release at the Thai Press Club on the human rights abuses committed by the Vietnamese government towards the world. activists and dissidents. HRW considers guarding against dissidents from leaving their homes on occasions it deems 'sensitive' as a "systematic and widespread" violation.

This has happened in Vietnam for many years, but according to Mr. Phil Robertson, deputy director of HRW's Asia division, this is the first time a violation of citizens' freedom of movement in Vietnam has been reported. detailed and complete system with specific records. He said at the press conference:

“ These are clear examples of a system of repression and intimidation that has made Vietnam one of the worst government abusers of human rights in the Asia-Pacific region. Positive. This is how the government threatens activists and their families, and tries to control them. 

Only when intimidation tactics fail to work, does the Vietnamese state resort to arresting, prosecuting, and imprisoning dissidents. ” 

One dissident (temporarily unwilling to be named for safety reasons) told RFA on the morning of February 17, 2022:

“Today is February 17, so there is a guard at my door right now. They used to have cameras pointed directly at my house. Some days they consider it to be as sensitive as the day of the loss of Gac Ma, the loss of Hoang Sa, and on February 17, there was a whole 'cake market' around the house.

When I left the house, I was pushed back. If I go on purpose, they call for more people and then surround me. When asked why, they were arrogant and said insulting words. If I resist, they beat me and the police around me will arrest me for 'disturbing'. There are security guards with uniforms and plain clothes. They watch openly.”

Le Hoang, a person who has taken to the streets to protest against China many times, told RFA that the people who sit to watch and block are usually plainclothes ward and district police, but those who are often guarded and blocked are not strange to them. He continued:

“I guess they have clear rules. For example, tomorrow, if you send soldiers to stay at home, they won't let you go, they will block you from leaving the door. When I go out, they cause trouble and push me in. They gave about three or four people to watch. Like you are the last name for four people. When four people come out, they push me right in; they do all sorts of things right away, it's not like we can't go there on purpose. In milder cases, for example, when they go to burn incense to commemorate tomorrow, they don't block anymore, but they let about two people follow, then film and take pictures.

I think they filmed, took pictures to report first; The second is to make me afraid or afraid. We all know well that the burning of incense and remembrance cannot be stopped because it is our indisputable right.

If I tell them to do that, it's a violation of human rights, I don't have a problem with supervision or a violation of probation, but following me for example, they don't answer, they avoid."

The young man guarding the door of journalist Huynh Ngoc Chenh's house in January 2021.

“Banh can” is a term that dissidents and human rights activists use to refer to the situation of being guarded by security at the door of the house and not letting them go anywhere.

Security guards around the world operate, bloggers, former prisoners of conscience, ex-prisoners of human rights... on occasions such as party congresses, congressional meetings, US visits to Vietnam, anniversaries of the China war invasion of the northern border, naval battles in Hoang Sa, Gac Ma or before the trials of dissidents ... happened many years ago and victims could only speak out through social networking sites. The government side ignored it, neither acknowledged nor denied. The Vietnamese government is accused of defying international law and public opinion on human rights issues.

In early 2019, when Vietnam hosted the US-North Korea summit, more than a dozen prominent Vietnamese political activists told Reuters that police had stepped up surveillance and prevented them from leaving their homes. At Hanoi.

In early 2021, a few days before the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam opened, many dissidents and critics were watched by security at their doorsteps. Doctor Dinh Duc Long is one of them. He told RFA:

“Legally speaking, if we go out of the house and they obstruct the movement of citizens, they are violating it. If they just watch without hindering me, that's their business. Actually it doesn't matter. There are no orders and no court judgments. They kept watch to see if I was doing anything. As a deterrent, prevention is key.

Of course I feel uncomfortable. When I found out about the incident and I took a picture and posted it on Facebook, some guys even walked past the door swinging their arms and legs and peering into the house. I liken that action to the action of a Chinese warship defiantly patrolling in the South China Sea. Threatening, looting, killing fishermen who live and work honestly in Vietnam's sovereign waters for thousands of generations.

After I did that comparison on Facebook they pulled further. Thus, they have timely monitoring and adjustment. At least in my case.”

The human rights situation in Vietnam was assessed by HRW as not improving when Hanoi systematically punished activists who dared to speak out publicly about the state of the country. At least 63 people are imprisoned in 2021 alone for expressing their opinions or joining associations and groups considered by the State to be anti-government. Among them, many received very heavy sentences after unfair trials based on fabricated accusations.

In addition to HRW speaking out about the human rights situation in Vietnam, on November 1, 2021, the United Nations special rapporteurs sent a letter to the Government of Vietnam, asking for information on arrests. detention and conviction against a number of activists in Vietnam in 2020 and 2021.

On December 21, 2021, the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the United Nations and the World Trade Organization sent a letter requesting an extension of the response period until February 28, 2022.