Asia Pacific

UN official 'deeply concerned' by arrests of Cambodian journalist, union leader

20 October 2005
Declaring that the recent arrests of a Cambodian journalist and a teachers’ leader on charges of defamation “are highly irregular, and illustrate a deeply worrying trend,” a senior United Nations human rights official today called on the authorities to reconsider the issue and ensure the two have free access to legal counsel.

Upcoming HIV/AIDS meeting in the Pacific targets disease's growth says UNAIDS

20 October 2005
HIV/AIDS is a '"storm gathering offshore" in the South Pacific and is about to erupt in Pacific communities in a devastating way unless prevention and support programmes are strengthened, United Nations AIDS experts said today.
Father carries his wounded daughter for treatment

With tens of thousands of lives at risk, Annan urges more quake aid to Pakistan

19 October 2005
With 10,000 children in remote earthquake-stricken parts of Pakistan facing possible death within the next few weeks unless helicopters and other vital needs are supplied immediately, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called for an "immediate and exceptional escalation" of the global relief effort.

Afghanistan, coalition forces must promote rights to cement progress – UN report

19 October 2005
Afghanistan has achieved notable progress in promoting democracy and securing the human rights of its citizens, but the Government and coalition forces there must take further measures to prevent abuses, a United Nations report published today says.

Detained Uzbeks in Kyrgyzstan should be resettled in third country – UN expert

18 October 2005
A United Nations human rights expert today called on Kyrgyzstan not to return four detained Uzbeks to their homeland where torture is reported to be systematic, but to facilitate their resettlement in a third country.

Pakistani quake relief one of world’s toughest challenges ever – UN agency head

18 October 2005
With an estimated 3.3 million people left homeless by the earthquake that devastated remote areas of northern Pakistan, the logistical challenge of bringing in desperately needed aid is one of the toughest the world has ever faced, and time is running out, the head of the United Nations food agency warned today.
Displaced by the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

UN food aid for 130,000 Azerbaijanis faces shut down due to funding shortfall

18 October 2005
Without immediate help from international donors, food assistance to 130,000 Azerbaijanis displaced by the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Armenia could come to a complete halt in just three weeks time, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned today.

More housing needed to help tsunami victims, UN relief coordinator says

17 October 2005
Following a visit to the tsunami-affected region of Indonesia, the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator has praised efforts to feed, clothe and house the victims of the disaster while cautioning that more permanent housing will be needed before the impending rainy season.

UNESCO Director-General deplores new press restrictions in Nepal

17 October 2005
UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura in Paris today deplored Nepal's new restrictions on press freedom and freedom of expression.
Kevin Kennedy briefs journalists

Dropping temperatures in Pakistan pose new hurdles for quake relief – UN official

17 October 2005
Winter’s freezing temperatures are posing new challenges for relief workers delivering life-saving supplies to remote communities devastated by the recent earthquake in Pakistan, a senior United Nations official said today.