Urgent Appeal Update

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) would like to inform you regarding the recent developments of the Bhutanese Refugees’ indefinite Dharna (means hunger strike) that began on 7 January 2003. For your attention and support, AHRC is sending you the following latest information from the organizers of this event and other reliable sources. If you […]

Regarding our previous appeal on the case of missing after 8 days of illegal detention in police custody in Sri Lanka (see at http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2003/394/), the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that the victim, KORALAGAMAGE Sujith Dharmasiri (23) was produced before a magistrate after frantic search by parents, a human rights organization and […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that more than 100,000 Bhutanese refugees in Nepal have decided to go on an indefinite hunger strike beginning today (Jan. 7) in order to demand that both the governments of Bhutan and Nepal announce the results of the verification process to determine their refugee status, which […]

Regarding our previous appeal and update on the case of two people tortured to death at the same police station in Sri Lanka (see http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2002/379/ and http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2002/380/), the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that the initial investigation into the death of a young man, which was conducted by a special police team […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that a 25-year-old man was tortured by the police at the Kirindiwela police station – the same police station where a 70-year-old man, P. A. Piyadasa, was tortured to death (see our previous appeal at http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2002/379/; please note that his correct age is 70, not 78).  […]

Regarding the special report, ‘Torture committed by the police in Sri Lanka’ by the Asian Legal Resource Center (ALRC) on October 3, 2002, you can find a comment on the report at the following site; 
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=32&ItemID=2618 

Regarding our previous appeal (http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2002/298/) and update (http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2002/319/) about demands to amend the Special Act to Find the Truth on Suspicious Deaths in South Korea, we have been informed that the Korean National Assembly passed the amended legislation on Nov. 14, 2002, allowing the mandate of the Presidential Truth Commission on Suspicious Deaths (PTCSD) to […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that Amnesty International (AI) has issued a press release to urge the government of Sri Lanka to end torture.  In the press release, AI urged the prime minister of Sri Lanka to implement key recommendations made by the UN Committee against Torture (CAT) and also called […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed by MINBYUN (Lawyers for Democratic Society) in South Korea that the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea (ROK) has today ratified the Rome Statutes of the International Criminal Court (ICC).  AHRC welcomes this significant step by the government of Republic of Korea to show its […]

“Even though my son who was dead mysteriously, cannot come back to life, I never want these tragedies to happen again in which young people are unjustly accused of suicide.” “If we can reveal the truth about suspicious deaths, freezing weather will not be an obstacle to our struggle.” The above statements were made by […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updates regarding the imprisonment of Dr. Chee Soon Juan, Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) and Chair of the 18-nation Alliance for Reform and Democracy in Asia (ARDA). Dr. Chee is being abused in a Singapore prison during his 5-week sentence (now at the end of […]

This is an update on the attack at the office of IDAR-O-INSAF (Institute for Justice and Peace) on 25 September 2002, which left seven activists dead and one seriously injured. The sole witness of the incident, Mr. Robin Peeran Ditta (32) was kidnapped by the police and later released. Actually, Mr. Ditta had been illegally […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) sent an urgent appeal on Oct. 15, 2002, regarding the brutal action of the police in Mirpur in Pakistani-administrated Kashmir on Sept. 30, 2002. The detainees of Sept. 30 are still behind bars. The following report is an update regarding another brutal action of the police in Muzaffarabad, the […]

Regarding the recent attack on the office of IDAR-E-AMN-O-INSAF (Institute for Justice and Peace), where seven innocent Christians were murdered on 25 September 2002 in Karachi, Mr. Robin Peeran Ditta (32), the only surviving employee at the time of the incident, has been illegally confined in police custody. Instead of arresting the real culprits, Mr. […]

Dear Friends,  Regarding our pervious forwarded appeal about the death penalty in the Philippines, including the case of Mr. Rolando Pagdayawon, a former police officer, we are sending you the following information received from Amnesty International (AI).  We are pleased to learn that the president of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, has ordered all executions to […]

Dear Friends,  Regarding our previous appeal on the mysterious death in custody of Mr. S. Tharma Rajen, we have been informed that the office of the Chief Justice of Malaysia has ordered the Sepang Magistrate Court to conduct an inquest on this case. Thereafter, the first inquest was held on September 3 and the second […]

Dear Friends,  We have been informed that the President of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has decided to reprieve for 90 days the execution of Mr. Rolando Pagdayawon, who was previously scheduled to be executed on 30 August, and two other men who were both to be executed in September.  We welcome the President’s decision and […]

Dear Friends,  Regarding our earlier forwarded appeal on the crackdown on Burmese dissidents and pro-democracy activists in Thailand, we are again requesting you to take action to prevent the arrested persons from being forcibly repatriated to the Burmese military regime.  According to news reports, the Thai authorities have officially announced that they sent them all […]

In AHRC’s last communication on this matter, AHRC informed of a letter it had received from the Attorney General’s Department of Sri Lanka, stating that the case had been referred the Prosecution of Perpetrators of Torture Unit, functioning under the Attorney General’s Department, for investigation. After investigation by this unit, the Attorney General will study the file for the purpose of filing charges. The charges are under the Convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman, degrading punishment and treatment Act (Act No.22 of 1994). The offences defined under this Act carry a mandatory sentence of 7 years and a fine of not less than Rs.10,000 (104 USD).

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) welcomes the decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan to overturn the conviction of Ayub Masia, a Christian who was sentenced to death for blasphemy, and the order of his immediate release.