Urgent Appeal Update

[RE: UA-112-2004: BURMA: Complaints against forced labour blocked and victims punished issued on 3 September 2004] Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is happy to inform you that on 31 January 2005 the Kawmhu Township court sentenced four local officials to prison terms of 8–16 months for using forced labour in public development projects. […]

INDIA: Calcutta high court instruct the West Bengal government to inquire into custodial death of a young man Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission wants to share an update with you regarding the case of Soumyendu Mondal, who was allegedly tortured to death by the Kharagpur police in Midnapur District, West Bengal, India on […]

[RE: UP-04-2005: THAILAND: Repeated torture at Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Police Station; UA-170-2004: Anther case of torture to obtain confession at Ayutthaya Police Station, UP-75-2004: Demand immediate criminal action against police torturers, UP-71-2004: More serious allegations of police torture emerge in Thailand, UA-153-2004: Two cases of extremely serious torture and cruel and inhuman treatment by […]

[RE: UA-03-2004: A man who gave up illicit liquor sale was tortured by police from the Katugastota Police Station on 12 January 2004 and UP-72-2004: A torture victim has received threats by Katugastota Police, after he lodged a complaint against them on 19 November 2004] Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply […]

[Re: HA-08-2004: BURMA: Several thousand villagers fled from army attacks in Papun Township, Karen state on 29 December 2004] Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has recently received photos that show damage to houses and crops, and internally displaced persons hiding due to the Burma army’s ongoing attacks in Papun Township, Karen State, […]

[Re: UA-180-2004: SRI LANKA: Ministry of Health announces list of medical items required to deal with tsunami aftermath; and UP-02-2005: SRI LANKA:  List of items urgently required in Kalutara, Matara and Batticaloa districts to deal with tsunami aftermath] ——————————————————————— Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received an updated list of items to […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Pol. Lt-Col. Suebsak, who was involved in two other brutal torture cases that the AHRC had reported on (Reference: UA-153-2004, UA-170-2004), was also among the seven police officers responsible for the torture and forced confession of four Thai men in September 2004 (See further: UP-71-2004).  All four […]

Dear friends, The AHRC has received information that Mt. Lavinia police, who is in charge of the investigation into the death of Mr. M. Ranson Peiris is purposely evading being present at the non-summary inquiry being held at the Moratuwa Magistrate Court (Case No. 67417NS/2004). They have already been absent in court inquiry five times in last […]

(UP-01-2005: SRI LANKA: Police officers interdicted regarding three torture cases of Gerald Perera, Lalith Rajapakse and Channa Prasanna Fernando; UP-54-2004: SRI LANKA: Urgent protection is necessary for the torture victim; UA-122-2004: SRI LANKA: Second torture of a torture victim who was kidnapped by the perpetrator issued on 22 September 2004) Dear friends, The Asian Human […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission is sharing the updated information about items urgently needed to the people affected by tsunami through local authorities in Kalutara, Matara and Batticaloa districts in Sri Lanka. We also received the news that Sri Lanka is currently short of stocks of flours for consumption. Prompt foreign aid is […]

[RE: UP-81-2004: SRI LANKA: Continuing death threats to human rights activists and torture victims after murder of Gerald Perera; UP-77-2004: SRI LANKA: More death threats to a torture victim and a human rights defender; Witness protection is urgently needed, UP-76-2004: SRI LANKA: Gerald Perera died after gunshot; His family needs urgent protection, UP-74-2004:  SRI LANKA: […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to inform you that Mr Jeewan Shrestha, who we have reported on in the past (UA-159-2004), has been re-arrested for the third time by security forces, as punishment for his informing human rights organisations of the situation he is in. According to the latest information we […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the Bojong shooting in Indonesia, where police officers opened fire at demonstrators. The AHRC is concerned that no criminal charges have been brought and no independent inquiry held, even though the police disciplinary committee that was held regarding the incident has merely […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned by the exorbitant delay in the rape case of 16-year-old victim Rita, by the Attorney General’s Department. According to the information received, Rita’s case (No 32151) was returned by the registrar of Nuwara-Eliya Magistrates Courts on the request of the Attorney General’s Department on […]

[RE: UP-77-2004: More death threats to a torture victim and a human rights defender; Witness protection is urgently needed, UP-76-2004: SRI LANKA: Gerald Perera died after gunshot; His family needs urgent protection, UP-74-2004:  No action from the government to protect torture victim even after attempt on his life; UA-157-2004: Torture victim pursuing criminal torture case […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission is seriously concerned by the apparent delay of a trial of Ma Suu, a Burmese migrant worker who died after being beaten and set on fire by her employers, Suchart and Yuwadee Akkavibul in July 2002. The accused Thai airforce officer and his wife had escaped justice for […]

[RE: UP-77-2004: SRI LANKA: More death threats to a torture victim and a human rights defender; Witness protection is urgently needed, UP-76-2004: SRI LANKA: Gerald Perera died after gunshot; His family needs urgent protection, UP-74-2004:  SRI LANKA: No action from the government to protect torture victim even after attempt on his life, UA-157-2004: SRI LANKA: Torture victim pursuing criminal torture […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is pleased to announce that the two cases of torture and cruel and inhuman treatment recently reported as having occurred in Lumpini (Bangkok) and Ayutthaya police stations (UA-153-2004) have been transferred to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI). The DSI is headed by a police officer, but […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned by another case of death threats on a torture victim and a human rights defender, following the death of Mr. Gerald Perera, a torture victim who succumbed to his injuries yesterday after being shot by an unknown person on 21 November 2004. (See further: UP-76-2004, UP-74-2004 and UA-157-2004) […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is very sorry to inform you that Mr. Gerald Perera, a torture victim who was shot by an unknown person on 21 November 2004, succumbed to his injuries at around 1:00pm local time on 24 November 2004, at the Colombo Hospital, Sri Lanka. (See further: AHRC statement AS-51-2004 and […]