Statement

The Asian Human Rights Commission congratulates Mr. Desmond Fernando on the occasion of being elected as the president of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka.  Mr. Fernando’s election has come at a very crucial time when the rule of law in the country has suffered an exceptional collapse, the independence of the judiciary has been […]

In a coordinated move, the governments of the United States and European Union have recalled their ambassadors to Nepal for talks over the rapidly worsening situation there. Announcing the recall, US State Department spokesperson Richard Boucher said that “The United States is deeply troubled by developments in Nepal. The dismissal today of its multi-party government, […]

The abrogation of the Nepali democracy through the 2005 February 1 coup d’ètat by the king who took absolute power upon himself, is continuing with harsher repression being exercised over all democrats, human rights workers and the media.  Arrests are continuing and the whereabouts of the arrestees are often unknown.  Even the families of leading […]

The establishment of the ‘People¡¦s Committee for the Establishment of the Rule of Law Again’ by a group of concerned people is a welcome move. At the very inception of such well-intentioned work however, it must be asked whether this is not a belated move. If such a question does not precede the work, all […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 7, 2005 AS-13-2005 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission February will be a chilling month for Democrats, Human Rights Workers and Media in Nepal  Despite international condemnation concerning Nepal’s return to a state of absolute monarchy, King Gyanendra intends to utilise his new-found power to suppress those within the […]

Democracy in Cambodia was plunged into a serious crisis as the Parliament withdrew parliamentary immunity to Cambodia’s opposition leader Sam Rainsy and two other members of Parliament from his party. The move is an attempt to silence the parliamentary opposition in the country. Parliamentary assembly members in Cambodia are normally exempt from legal prosecution or […]

The situation in Nepal following King Gyanendra’s dismissal of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s cabinet and his formation of a new government of which he is the head, poses some hard questions to the international community. Nepal’s closest neighbor, India, has condemned the King’s move despite its previous close links to the King. King Gyanendra […]

This year’s Independence Day is celebrated amidst a complex background. The disastrous consequences of the 26 December 2004 tsunami have merely added to the burdens faced by Sri Lanka’s political and legal systems due to the authoritarian model of governance introduced through the 1978 constitution, which gave rise to conflicts in the south, north and […]

The situation in Katmandu and the rest of Nepal at the moment since the formal dismissal of the government on February 1, 2005, by King Gyanendra and his takeover through the declaration of a state of emergency and the use of the military should be a matter of extreme concern for the international community, particularly […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 1, 2005 AS-08-2005 A statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission Malaysia should be more humane on migrants and the crackdown must stopped The Government of Malaysia has announced that it will crackdown on approximately 800,000 undocumented migrant workers and asylum seekers currently based in the country.  The crackdown was to […]

Nearly a week has passed since the Thai Ministry of Defence announced the setting up of a panel to investigate three officers implicated in the killing of at least 85 persons by security forces in Narathiwat last October 2004. The men stand accused of having “mishandled” a protest outside the Tak Bai police station, leading […]

In recent days there has been serious concern about the rise of deception in Sri Lanka, relating to the use of funds received from all over the world for the relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction of tsunami victims. Deception is not a new game in Sri Lanka, particularly when dealing with foreigners.  It is part of […]

D.G. Premathilaka was initially arrested without any charges and tortured on 8-9 January 2004 by officers attached to the Katugastota police station. Premathilaka subsequently made complaints and inquiries were initiated. The officers from the same police station then threatened Premathilaka and asked him to withdraw his torture complaints on 16 November 2004. He refused, and […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is extremely concerned about the pathetic state of relief operations carried out in India for victims of the tsunami, especially in the states of Tamil Nadu and Pondichery as well as the Andaman and Nicobar islands.  The information that we have received from the two states worst hit by […]

There are heartening stories coming from Thailand regarding the importance communities and the government are attaching to the problems of children and their need to return to school.  In many places parents have provided support and encouraged teachers to return to school so that some level of normalcy can be restored to their children’s lives.  […]

In recent days, the work carried out by UNICEF in Sri Lanka to draw attention to the plight of children affected by the tsunami is most laudable and is an example that must be taken up by others if children are to survive this terrible disaster.  With children constituting over 40% of the dead in […]

Asian Human Rights Commission is deeply concerned by reports of delays in aid distribution in Indonesia, especially in the worst hit region of Aceh. Since the tsunamis hit Sumatra and Aceh, there has been an overwhelming international will and response for Indonesian victims. However, lack of clear distribution procedures, the limited capacity of the central […]

People along the Indian Ocean coastline are beginning recovery efforts after a giant tidal wave swept their shores on 26 December 2004. Hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of people, are today very vulnerable. Enormous operations are getting under way in many parts to bring survivors the fresh water, food, clothing and medical supplies they need, […]

As Sri Lanka attempts to deal with the aftermath of the tsunami, the critical issue in the minds of everyone who wants to help, within the country and outside, is the function of the State as protector of its people. Questions such as could the State have contributed to some form of an early warning […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) shares the grief of those faced with one of the worst natural catastrophes of recent times by way of the tsunamis that devastated several countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia, the Maldives, Myanmar and Malaysia, and calls upon everyone to contribute in all possible ways to help […]