Social media companies came under fire again last week after another mass shooting was linked to a hate-filled manifesto posted online. For years, Twitter Inc. and Facebook Inc. largely reacted to horrific events after the fact. Now they’re now being asked by politicians to take a more proactive approach to prevent domestic terrorism. But while the companies certainly want to make their platforms safe and not be seen as nests for violence or hatred, the proposals from politicians wouldn’t be easy to achieve and could even backfire on some of the proponents. The attacker in El Paso, Texas, who killed 22 in a rampage at a Walmart Inc. store last Saturday, posted a racist screed on message site 8chan minutes before the attack began, laced with words and phrases President Donald Trump has used in reference to immigrants and the media. On Monday, the president ordered federal officials to work with social media companies to identify people who may perpetrate … [Read more...] about Facebook, Twitter pressed to help prevent domestic terrorism
Organizations to help human trafficking
Australia launches $55m anti-trafficking effort for Asean
Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne waves during a group photo with Asean foreign ministers at a meeting in Bangkok on Thursday. (AP photo) Australia on Thursday launched a new A$80-million (US$55 million) programme to help Southeast Asian nations combat human trafficking. Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the 10-year programme was an extension of Canberra's assistance to the region to tackle the menace in the last 15 years. She said Australia has helped train more than 13,000 judicial officials who bolstered their legal systems to fight human trafficking and ensure better protection for victims in Asean. Ms Payne said at the launch of the programme with her Asean counterparts that the bloc has made progress with the 2015 launch of its own action plan to combat trafficking, especially in women and children, but deeper cooperation was required as the scale of the challenge remained "immense". "There are many deep-rooted factors that enable transnational … [Read more...] about Australia launches $55m anti-trafficking effort for Asean
Rohingya refugee voices amplify across Southeast Asia
The 2017 Rohingya humanitarian crisis caused by Myanmar is not only affecting Bangladesh, which has taken in 740,000 refugees, but it's also causing strife in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. Despite Myanmar’s alleged attempts at repatriation, Rohingya have stayed put in camps and cities fearing the security situation in their villages and towns of Rakhine state. More Rohingya are returning to the seas, retracing the migration route of the 2015 Rohingya refugee crisis from ports in Myanmar and Bangladesh across the Andaman Sea to the Strait of Malacca. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo mentioned the need to end the Rohingya refugee crisis and begin voluntary repatriation to Myanmar, at the recent 2019 ASEAN Summit in Bangkok. Survivor: A Rohingya’s Journey is the title of Ziaur Rahman’s autobiography, to be published later this year. Rahman – a married father of two – has lived in his adopted city of Kuala Lumpur for the last six years. But … [Read more...] about Rohingya refugee voices amplify across Southeast Asia
Starved, tortured, bombed: the fate of refugees trapped in Libya
NGOs have sounded the alarm regarding overcrowded and unsanitary conditions at camps in Libya -- such as this one at Zawiyah, west of Tripoli PARIS - Acute malnutrition, forced labour, torture: NGOs have sharpened their tone against the shocking conditions endured by refugees and migrants in Libya, where over 40 people were killed in an air strike on a detention centre.Tuesday night's strike on the centre at Tajoura near the capital Tripoli, in which 70 people were wounded, underscored the vulnerability of the mainly African migrants trapped in conditions the UN has called "ghastly".Their plight has been blamed by NGOs on an agreement between EU nations and the Libyan coastguard to prevent the migrants from reaching Europe's shores by boat.Since January, over 2,300 people have been intercepted at sea and brought back to Libya, according to the UN.Once back in Libya, they are transferred to detention centres like the one in Tajoura. The situation has deteriorated further … [Read more...] about Starved, tortured, bombed: the fate of refugees trapped in Libya
Marriage promises trap women in trafficking
It had never crossed MN’s mind that she would be exploited by her own husband in a country far away from Indonesia, until the 23-year-old experienced it by herself. In September, the girl from Sompak district, Landak regency in West Kalimantan — which is located around 129 kilometers from capital Pontianak — went off to China to live with a husband she had just met several weeks earlier through a matchmaker. According to MN, the husband’s family treated her well on the day she arrived by throwing a welcoming party at their residence. The good treatment changed drastically on the following day, as she was asked to wake up early in the morning to do all of the household chores. “I was also employed at a factory that required me to work from 7 in the morning till 7 in the evening,” she said on Sunday at a press conference held by the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) and the Migrant Workers Network (SBMI) in Jakarta. “All of my salary was … [Read more...] about Marriage promises trap women in trafficking