Beginning with Thailand this week, the Provincial Court of Songkhla read the verdict of Appeals Court Region 9 regarding the case of Mr. Anat Hayeemasae, former member of the Satun Provincial Administration Organization (PAO). He had appealed the order of the Court of First Instance, which had sentenced him to 22-years-and-six-months-imprisonment for an offence against the Anti-Human Trafficking Act B.E.2551 (2008), the Penal Code’s provisions concerning an offence against life and liberty, and the Immigration Act (1979). He had been ordered to provide indemnity to the Rohingya people, who have become victims of trafficking in persons.
In the Philippines, 48-year-old Jimmy Saypan, a member of the Mandaya tribe, Secretary General of the Compostela Farmers Association and a resident of Barangay Ngan, Compostela, was shot on 10 October 2016 by an unidentified motorcyclist. Saypan was shot three times but still attempted to go after his assailant. Saypan was initially brought to Montevista District Hospital but later transferred to Tagum Regional Hospital. He was operated on but the victim stated to gradually weaken until he was declared dead on 11 October 2016 at 2:20 p.m.
Moving to Indonesia, even after 18 years of political reform, victims and their families are still seeking justice and remedies for the tragedies that took place from 13 to 15 May 1998. Despite current President Joko Widodo’s promise to take up the case, the investigation report remains with the Attorney General. Just Asia speaks to Mrs. Ruyati Darwin, a family member of a victim of the tragedy.
The Pakistani police have been accused of holding people for ransom, committing robberies, the abduction of women and custodial rape. In a recent event, Jacobabad police abducted four women and kept them for eleven days in an undisclosed location. The women were later traced to RD 44 Police Station by Saidan tribesmen, and were released after paying a huge amount in cash and handing over 800 kilograms of rice, one fish farm and other crops.
Finally, the Urgent Appeals Weekly features three cases, one each from Thailand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
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