Civil Society
UN Human Rights Office concerned by Malaysia conviction over film screening
By UN Human Rights South East Asia
BANGKOK – The UN Human Rights Office for South-East Asia is concerned by a Malaysian court’s conviction of human rights activist Lena Hendry over a private screening of a documentary on the Sri Lankan civil war, and the chilling effect on the exercise of freedom of expression and assembly.
Hendry was found guilty on 21 February of showing the film ‘No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka’ which had not been approved by the Malaysian Censorship Board. She will be sentenced on March 22, and faces fines and up to three years in prison.
“Lena Hendry’s conviction for showing a film is a clear violation of her right to freedom of expression and assembly , and we urge the authorities to re-examine the case in line with international human rights law,” said Laurent Meillan, acting regional representative of OHCHR’s South-East Asia regional office.
The UN Special Rapporteurs on the right to freedom of opinion and expression, peaceful assembly and association, and on the situation of human rights defenders have expressed their concerns about the case brought against Hendry.
The Myth of Objectivity: How Singapore’s mainstream media serves power, not the people
NTU upholds zero mark for student initially accused of AI use, citing 14 false citations in essay
Chinese trio trick 77-year-old woman with ‘black magic’ scam, steal S$44k in cash and jewellery
Residents petition against relocation of Geylang East Public Library to Tanjong Katong Complex
Second Singaporean-funded polyclinic opens in North Gaza amid healthcare collapse
‘Letters for Palestine’ participant says delivering letter to PMO was within her rights as Singapore citizen
Indonesian tycoon’s granddaughter buys rare Singapore bungalow for S$25 million
SPCA Singapore appoints Walter Leong as new executive director, succeeding Aarthi Sankar
Singapore man charged for allegedly making drug-laced vapes at home in first local case
Singapore Prison Service denies viral claims of floating prison off nation’s coast
Five Chinese nationals charged in Singapore for bribery plot to extend stay and sell illegal sex drugs
Bishan two-storey executive maisonette sets new resale record at S$1.588 million
Comments3 days agoHo Ching’s cryptic post raises eyebrows following SM Lee-Jamus Lim COE policy exchange
Politics4 days agoSM Lee defends market approach for COE while Jamus Lim urges more empathy and social fairness
Law & Order5 days agoMinLaw penalises 4 law firms over S$3B money laundering case; 1 lawyer referred for disciplinary action
Community6 days agoSingapore retiree loses half of SG60 vouchers to suspected misuse, police investigating
Comments4 days agoSM Lee defends COE system ‘works quite well’, says no easy way to distribute COEs fairly and cheaply
Comments5 days agoPM Wong reaffirms ‘full support and confidence’ in ST as netizens question its impartiality
Education6 days agoJamus Lim backs hiring more teachers but stresses smaller classes, warns on AI reliance
Health6 days agoMalaysia’s health ministry reaffirms efforts to retain doctors as Singapore dangles lucrative job offers