标签： Asia

In Bangladesh, escalating violence against religious minorities has created an atmosphere of pervasive fear as the nation approaches critical elections. The brutal killing of 27-year-old Hindu garment worker Dipu Chandra Das in December exemplifies the crisis—accused by Muslim colleagues of blasphemy, he was beaten to death, hanged from a tree, and set ablaze by a violent mob.

This incident triggered widespread protests across Dhaka and other cities, with demonstrators demanding justice and enhanced protections. The interim government under Muhammad Yunus initiated an investigation resulting in approximately a dozen arrests. However, human rights organizations and Hindu leaders maintain this represents not an isolated event but a systematic pattern of violence fueled by rising polarization, resurgent Islamist influence, and a culture of impunity.

Statistical evidence reveals alarming trends: The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council has documented over 2,000 communal violence incidents since the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. These include at least 61 killings, 28 gender-based violence cases including rapes, and 95 attacks on places of worship involving vandalism, looting, and arson.

The political landscape has significantly contributed to the crisis. With Hasina’s Awami League barred from elections and her exile in India, Hindus—historically perceived as aligned with her party—face increased vulnerability. The reemergence of Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh’s largest Islamist party, alongside its student wing National Citizen Party, has further intensified tensions. Although these groups have attempted image rehabilitation through symbolic gestures like nominating Hindu candidates, analysts consider these moves largely superficial.

The violence has transcended national borders, inflaming diplomatic tensions with India. New Delhi has accused Bangladesh of minimizing what it terms ‘disturbing patterns of recurring attacks,’ while Dhaka characterizes Indian criticism as systematic anti-Bangladesh sentiment. The dispute has expanded to include visa service suspensions and even affected sporting events, including cricket tournaments.

For affected families like Das’s relatives in Mymensingh district, the trauma remains profound. As his mother Shefali Rani Das demands justice for her son’s horrific killing, the broader Hindu community confronts what human rights activist Ranjan Karmaker describes as ‘an existential crisis’ with many fearing the upcoming elections may unleash even greater violence.

Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings has initiated international arbitration proceedings against Panama following a controversial Supreme Court decision that invalidated its subsidiary’s concession to operate ports along the vital Panama Canal. The legal escalation marks a significant deterioration in diplomatic relations and highlights growing geopolitical tensions in the region.

The dispute centers on Panama Ports Company, a Hutchison subsidiary that has managed terminal operations at both Atlantic and Pacific entrances to the strategic waterway since 1997. Last week’s Panamanian court ruling, which declared the operating concession unconstitutional, has drawn fierce condemnation from Chinese authorities who warned of substantial political and economic consequences should Panama maintain its position.

China’s Hong Kong Affairs Office issued a strongly-worded statement via WeChat, characterizing the judicial decision as “legally groundless and ridiculous” while accusing Panamanian authorities of capitulating to “hegemonic powers”—an apparent reference to United States influence. The statement emphasized China’s “sufficient means and tools” to protect its interests within the international economic order.

The arbitration proceedings, filed under the rules of the International Chamber of Commerce’s Paris-based International Court of Arbitration, introduce new complexity to Hutchison’s pending $4 billion port asset sale to a consortium including BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners. The transaction has already faced scrutiny from Chinese anti-monopoly regulators amid worsening US-China relations.

Panamanian President Laurentino Cortizo has sought to reassure citizens regarding uninterrupted port operations, while US officials including Senator Marco Rubio have characterized port management as a national security concern. The situation places CK Hutchison—controlled by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing’s family—in a delicate position between Beijing’s expectations and Western geopolitical interests.

A significant internal rupture has emerged at Human Rights Watch (HRW) following the resignation of its former Israel-Palestine director, Omar Shakir. In a damning resignation letter, Shakir accused the organization’s senior leadership, specifically new Executive Director Philippe Bolopion, of deliberately suppressing a fully-vetted report that concluded Israel is committing crimes against humanity by denying Palestinians their right of return.

The report, titled “‘Our Souls Are in the Homes We Left’: Israel’s Denial of Palestinians’ Right to Return and Crimes Against Humanity,” was allegedly blocked from publication in late November despite having completed the standard review process. Shakir revealed that the report was so near to release that donors had been briefed, it was coded into HRW’s website, and an embargoed press link was prepared.

Shakir stated that Bolopion justified halting publication over concerns that detractors would misinterpret it as HRW endorsing a call to ‘demographically extinguish the Jewishness of the Israeli state.’ Shakir condemned this reasoning as ‘cooking the books’ and allowing ‘pragmatism’ to dictate legal findings—a approach he characterized as more typical of politics than principled human rights advocacy. He cited this decision as a fundamental compromise of HRW’s commitment to fact-based reporting and consistent application of international law, which ultimately led to his resignation.

The right of return is a principle codified in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which HRW itself has upheld in other contexts, such as a 2023 report on the Chagos Islands. The historical context traces back to the 1948 Nakba, where Palestinians were expelled following Israel’s establishment, and further displacements occurred after the 1967 war.

Shakir also acknowledged the intense scrutiny he faced in his role, particularly following the October 7th attacks and the subsequent war in Gaza, which has resulted in over 71,800 Palestinian deaths and has been deemed a genocide by numerous UN experts and institutions. He contrasted the suppression of the right-of-return report with the publication of HRW’s 2024 report on the October 7th attacks, which drew backlash from Palestinians but was published because it was ‘the principled thing to do.’

HRW did not respond to requests for comment on these allegations by the time of publication.