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Chinese police raided two hide-out places in the outskirts of Beijing, and arrested 65 North Korean refugees and 2 activist workers on October 26th.  Among them, there are 11 teenagers and 1 senior aged over 70. In a press release, the Democracy Network Against North Korean Gulag (NK Gulag) urges chinese government to immediately release the North Korean refugees and the South Korean human rights workers. (29-OCT-2004)  

For her steadiness and her steadfast belief in the powers of democracy and peaceful protest, 40.4% of voters nominated Aung San Suu Kyi as Asia´s Online Hero for 2004, organized by Time Asia. In 1990 she was awarded the Rafto Prize, and in 1991 she was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize. She remains the only living recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize who is still incarcerated. (5-OCT-2004)
 

The Uyghur American Association and the Uyghur Human Rights Project is pleased to congratulate Rebiya Kadeer on winning this year´s Professor Thorolf Rafto Memorial Prize. “It´s a great day not only for Rebiya Kadeer, but for all Uyghurs as well,” Nury Turkel, UAA President said. “Wining the Rafto prize is recognition of not only Rebiya Kadeer´s promotion of human rights for the Uyghur people, but it also is further recognition by the world community that the People´s Republic of China is mistreating the Uyghurs.” (29-SEP-2004)

Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières) urged European Union member states and the European Commission to condemn China¹s latest crackdown on independent websites and publications at the same time as holding dialogue on human rights with the EU. While no announcement has been made on the outcome of the 24 September meeting in Beijing, the international press freedom organisation urged them to react to a wave of closures of publications and arrests of journalists. (29-SEP-2004)

The Professor Thorolf Rafto Memorial Prize for 2004 is awarded to Rebiya Kadeer, from the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR), People’s Republic of China. Kadeer is a prisoner of conscience and a prominent symbol of the Uighurs’ struggle for basic human rights. Through this award, the Rafto Foundation directs a strong appeal to the Chinese government to respect and protect the civil, economic and cultural rights of the Uighurs as well as other minorities in China(23-SEP-2004)
 

The Republic of South Africa announced its official recognition of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), according to a joint communiqué signed today by the Saharawi Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Mohamed Salem Ould Salek and Mrs. Nkozazana Dlamini-Zuma, South African Minister for Foreign Affairs.The communiqué, of which SPS received a copy, declares the decision of the two countries “to establish diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level as of Wednesday, 15th of September 2004”. (19-SEP-2004)
 

Saharawi political prisoners in the Carcel negra (Black Jail) of El Aaiun, launched an appeal to the international community to pressure Rabat so as to conform with the principles of the “conventions, treaties and human rights accords Morocco has ratified”. The Saharawi political prisoners indicated, in a communiqué they publicised Friday, that “it is time to put an end to human rights violations in Western Sahara and to judge the persons responsible of crimes perpetrated against Saharawi population in occupied territories of Western Sahara”. (19-SEP-2004)
 

The Women´s League of Burma has released a new report System of Impunity exposing ongoing sexual violence by the regime´s armed forces throughout Burma (Republic of the Union of Myanmar), as they continue to build up their military infrastructure and consolidate control in every part of the country. Women and girls in all the ethnic states, as well as in Central Burma have suffered experiences of rape by SPDC military personnel, including gang rape and murder, sexual slavery and forced ‘marriage.’ The report details ongoing incidents of sexual violence, as recently as July 31, 2004, when a 12-year-old Palaung ethnic girl was raped in Shan State. (13-SEP-2004)
 

In June 2004, Leyla Zana accepted an invitation from the Rafto Foundation to come to Bergen in September. She was also invited to a meeting with the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs in the Norwegian Parliament. On September 10 Leyla Zana’s daughter announced to the Rafto Foundation that her mother at present is not allowed to leave Republic of Turkey. (11-SEP-2004)