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Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader, is travelling to the US for the first time since she was put under house arrest in 1990. The Nobel laureate, who begins her 18-day tour of the US on Monday, will be presented the Congressional Gold Medal and meet various members of the state department and possibly the White House. She will also hold meetings with various Burmese expatriates and groups across the US.

In June and July 2012 three Gambian journalists reporting on court cases were arrested and investigated for alleged contempt of court. ARTICLE 19 calls on the Gambian authorities to provide remedies for the violations of the journalists’ rights to liberty and freedom of expression and to ensure that the media is free to report legal proceedings in the public interest.

The violence, which reached its bloodiest point in June, constituted some of the country’s deadliest sectarian bloodshed in years and raised international concerns about the Rohingya minority group’s fate inside Myanmar.

In devastating circumstances, Rafto Prize laureate Bulambo Lembelembe Josué is fighting for peace through conflict resolution and education. His newest commitment towards peace in the region is establishment of a peace center situated in Goma, in north Kivu province in eastern DR Congo.

Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese opposition leader, the 1990 Rafto Prize laureate and Nobel Peace Prize laureate of 1991, is visiting Norway (Oslo and Bergen) from 15-18 June. On 29 May, Suu Kyi started her travels abroad visiting Thailand, her first trip overseas in 24 years.

The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) held its 4th General Assembly in Tokyo, Japan, from May 14 to 17, attended by more than 120 Uyghur delegates from 20 countries around the world. During the assembly Uyghur democracy leader and the 2004 Rafto Prize laureate Ms. Rebiya Kadeer was re-elected WUC President.

Leyla Zana, the 1994 Rafto Prize Laureate, well-known Kurdish politician and respected human rights defender of Kurds in Turkey, was recently sentenced to ten years in prison by the 5th High Criminal Court.

On the eve of the Eurovision 2012 song contest, which is currently held in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku, a number of Azerbaijani NGOs and activists have initiated information campaigns on human rights violations in the country or called upon international journalists to not only cover the song contest but also make press reports about human rights situation in Azerbaijan.

The new Head of the Rafto Foundation’s Board of Directors is Gunnar Sørbø. He is a Senior Researcher at Christian Michelsen Research Institute (CMI) in Bergen.