- Human rights protections and civil liberties in Kyrgyzstan continued to decline in 2023, with systematic stifling of critical voices by the authorities. Civil society and media freedom came under severe threat, with criminal cases against leading media outlets and draft laws that would allow the expansion of state control over the work of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and censorship of information. A law was adopted banning “propaganda of non-traditional relations and same-sex partnerships.”
- Buddhism (Wikipedia)
Buddhism (/ˈbʊdɪzəm/ BUU-dih-zəm, US also /ˈbuːd-/ BOOD-), also known as Buddha Dharma, Bauddha and Dharmavinaya (transl. “doctrines and disciplines”), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in present-day North India as a śramaṇa–movement in the 5th century BCE, and gradually spread throughout much of Asia via the Silk Road. It is the world’s fourth-largest religion, with over 520 million followers (Buddhists) who comprise seven percent of the global population.