Uighur teachers to schools throughout mainland China to accompany Uighur students living in boarding schools in Hanmajority areas. The government pledged to increase the number of such dispatched teachers to 7,200 by 2020. The move is billed as a way to “resist terrorism, violent extremism and separatism and promote ethnic solidarity”, but Uighur groups overseas have criticized the plan as a means to dilute Uighur cultural identity. HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION Five booksellers who went missing in Thailand, mainland China and Hong Kong in late 2015 reappeared on television in mainland China in January and February of 2016. Gui Minhai, Lui Por, Cheung Chi-ping, Lee Po and Lam Wing-kee worked for Mighty Current Media, a Hong Kong company known for its books on Chinese leaders and political scandals. Lam Wing-kee returned to Hong Kong in June and held a press conference in which he said he was arbitrarily detained, ill-treated in detention and forced to “confess”.6 Students Joshua Wong, Alex Chow and Nathan Law were tried for their part in events outside government headquarters in September 2014 that triggered the prodemocracy Umbrella Movement. In July 2016, Joshua Wong and Alex Chow were found guilty of “taking part in an unlawful assembly” and Nathan Law was found guilty of “inciting others to take part in an unlawful assembly”, vague provisions in Hong Kong’s Public Order Ordinance. Appeals from both parties were pending at the end of the year. In November the Standing Committee of the NPC issued an interpretation of Article 104 of the Hong Kong Basic Law concerning oath-taking by two pro-independence legislators. This happened before the Hong Kong High Court could rule on a parallel case raised by the Hong Kong government seeking to disqualify the legislators. Amnesty International Report 2016/17 1. China: Two more activists detained for “June 4 baijiu” (ASA 17/4298/2016) 2. China: Falun Gong practitioner said to have been tortured in detention: Chen Huixia (ASA 17/4869/2016) 3. China: Tibetan monk imprisoned after protest (ASA 17/4802/2016) 4. China: Tibetan imprisoned for “inciting separatism” (ASA 17/3908/2016) 5. China: Tibetan education advocate detained: Tashi Wangchuk (ASA 17/3793/2016) 6. China: Authorities’ revelations on detained Hong Kong booksellers “smoke and mirrors” (Press release, 5 February) COLOMBIA Republic of Colombia Head of state and government: Juan Manuel Santos Calderón A peace deal reached between the government and the guerrilla group the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) was ratified by Congress in November. This marked the official end of the five-decade armed conflict between the two sides after more than four years of talks. However, there was an increase in killings of human rights defenders, including Indigenous, Afro-descendant and peasant farmer leaders. The peace process with the second largest guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army (ELN) had not begun by the end of the year. Doubts remained over whether the peace agreement with the FARC would ensure that all those suspected of criminal responsibility for crimes against humanity and war crimes would be held accountable in line with international law. PEACE PROCESS In June, the government and the FARC signed a bilateral ceasefire and cessation of hostilities agreement.1 This came into force on 29 August, although a de facto ceasefire had been in place since 2015. On 24 August, the two sides reached agreement on a peace deal,2 which was signed on 26 September in Cartagena.3 However, on 2 October, the 123