Joshua Villanueva is a JURIST Assistant Editor and a 2L at UC Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings), He files this dispatch from San Francisco. Beginning this weekend, world leaders will gather in San Francisco for the 2023 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Week, the largest international event this vibrant city will have witnessed since [...]
Search Results for: Malaysia
Malaysia warns TikTok and Meta against blocking pro-Palestine content
Malaysian Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil announced on Thursday that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) issued a warning to social media platforms TikTok and Meta for blocking pro-Palestinian content. Fadzil also stated on Thursday that if the MCMC’s warning was ignored, he would not hesitate to take further actions against the two social media [...]
The War Crimes of Hamas: Hostage-Taking in International Law
On October 7th, 2023, the State of Israel was brutally attacked by the terrorist organization known as Hamas, instigating an all-out war. In the early morning of October 7th, Hamas terrorist fighters made their way into Israel from the Gaza Strip, invading and occupying Israeli towns, cities, and military bases. This surprise attack in Israel [...]
Philippine Coast Guard removes floating barrier allegedly placed by China
A Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson announced Monday that the PCG removed a floating barrier allegedly placed by China near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. This comes days after the PCG claimed that China had placed the floating barrier to prevent Philippine fishermen from accessing fishing grounds near the shoal, which [...]
Human rights groups condemn Malaysian police ‘scare tactics’ against peaceful protestors
Human rights advocate groups Article 19 and CIVICUS on Thursday released a joint statement expressing concern that peaceful protestors across Malaysia are being met with harassment from police. The statement has come in the wake of a series of protests in the region, which has included farmers protesting against land eviction policies, a ‘Save Malaysia’ [...]
Malaysia police investigate abduction of Myanmar refugee activist Thuzar Maung and family
The police chief of Malaysia’s Senagor state police, Hussein Omar Khan, told Reuters on Tuesday that police in the Malaysian state of Senagor are investigating the disappearance of Myanmar refugee and activist Thuzar Mong and her family. Khan’s comments come two days after Human Rights Watch urged the Malaysian government to look into the July [...]
Malaysia to take legal actions against Meta for failure to remove 'undesirable' posts
The Malaysian government announced on Friday that it would take legal action against Facebook parent company Meta for its failure to remove “harmful” content relating to race and religion. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), the public body regulating communications and multimedia in Malaysia, published an official statement on its website with resentments. It [...]
Malaysia charges 4 Thai nationals with trafficking offenses relating to 2015 Wang Kelian case
Deputy National Police Chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn told state news on Friday that four Thai individuals have been extradited to Malaysia and were charged with trafficking and smuggling individuals from Myanmar. This case and prosecution relate to the May 2015 discovery of human trafficking camps and mass graves found in 2017 in Wang Kelian [...]
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released their 2023 Press Freedom Index and accompanying report Wednesday, noting that the rise of artificial intelligence, “fake content” and authoritarianism endanger journalistic integrity and expression around the world. As in past years, the organization says that most countries have “problematic,” “difficult” or “very serious” press freedom situations. RSF has also [...]
Malaysia abolishes mandatory death penalty for certain criminal offenses
Malaysia’s Parliament Tuesday passed two bills reforming death penalty sentencing and abolishing the mandatory death penalty for certain offenses. Human rights groups welcomed the move as a step towards abolishing capital punishment entirely. The Abolition of Mandatory Death Penalty Bill 2023 and the Revision of Sentence of Death and Imprisonment for Natural Life Bill 2023 [...]