Accountability Under Threat: Human Rights in China, Myanmar, and Singapore

Across Asia, governments continue to face scrutiny for grave human rights violations and the suppression of justice. In China, the testimony of a Uyghur survivor highlights both the scale of abuses in East Turkistan and the impunity with which the Chinese government denies accountability. In Myanmar, a new UN-backed report exposes the military’s systematic destruction of Rohingya lands during the 2017 clearance operations, while funding shortfalls now threaten the continuation of critical investigations. Meanwhile, Singapore presses forward with executions under its strict drug laws, resisting international calls for reform. Together, these cases illustrate the persistence of authoritarian practices, the challenges of securing justice for victims, and the urgent need for stronger international engagement.

China 

This past week, a Uyghur man who endured five years in a concentration camp in East Turkistan shared his story on Facebook and X. In his publications, the man addresses the impunity of the Chinese government. This man has “repeatedly filed complaints,” but no government official has answered his reports. This testimony is important as more news arises on how the Chinese government has manipulated journalists and retired state officials to hide the genocide against the Uyghur people. The impunity of the Chinese government is exacerbated by ceremonies such as the one that took place on September 26, 2025, in which Chinese leader Xi Jinping celebrated the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

Myanmar 

On 29 September 2025, the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) released a report titled “The Destruction and Dispossession of Rohingya Land and Property during the 2017 Clearance Operations – Public Summary”, outlining the Myanmar military’s systematic destruction of Rohingya villages. In August 2017, violence against the Rohingya escalated when the Myanmar military launched operations to drive thousands of Rohingya from their homes in Rakhine state. The report found that seized land was used to build Border Guard Police (BGP) bases, and that Myanmar security forces and other entities participated in this process. The report names several groups that benefited from the clearance operation, including the Ministry of Home Affairs, who funded and led the development of BGP facilities; the BGP itself, who gained control of the confiscated lands; and corporations such as Asia World Company, which constructed bases, roads, and other security infrastructure. Furthermore, the report classified the crimes committed as genocide, stating that “deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of a group includes the systematic expulsion from and destruction of homes.” The report reiterates earlier IIMM investigations, which found that the Myanmar military campaign involved mass atrocities against the Rohingya, including the burning of villages, mass killings, and sexual violence. The IIMM was created by the UN in 2018 to investigate serious crimes in Myanmar. However, it now faces a critical funding crisis that may prevent it from continuing its work beyond the end of the year.

This Tuesday, September 30th, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) will meet to discuss a solution for the millions of Rohingya who remain in refugee camps in Bangladesh. Amnesty International, releasing a report to update the struggles persisting for Rohingya refugees who have fled to Bangladesh, names various effects that recent funding cuts from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have had. Issues such as unsanitary living conditions, limited access to education and health needs, restrictions on movement, and a state of uncertain future and statelessness all continue to affect Rohingya refugees. Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government, has given a stark warning that without critical funding, food rations may have to be halved, pushing Rohingya refugees deeper into hunger. The goal of this meeting is to revive international engagement and secure needed aid for this crisis. Although leaders like Yunus are calling for enhanced contributions from donors now, they also stress that the crisis lies inside Myanmar. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres maintains that the primary solution is a safe, voluntary, and dignified return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar and the creation of conditions for democracy to take root.

Singapore 

Singapore retains some of the world’s harshest death penalty laws, with executions carried out primarily for drug-related offenses. The use of mandatory sentencing means judges have little discretion, a policy that has long drawn international criticism for violating human rights norms.  This week, the government signaled its continued commitment to these laws, rejecting calls to review capital punishment despite growing global opposition. This past week, Singapore executed Datchinamurthy Kataiah, a 39-year-old Malaysian convicted of trafficking 45 grams of heroin, marking the city-state’s 11th use of the death penalty in 2025.  Civil society groups, including Amnesty International, continue to condemn Singapore’s stance. They argue that drug offenses do not meet the “most serious crimes” threshold under international law, and that capital punishment in such cases undermines justice. Both organizations are urging Singapore to impose a moratorium, review its laws, and create space for public debate on the issue.