Urgent Appeal Update

Dear Friends  We are pleased to inform you of great success thanks to your efforts in support of the ‘Bandung 19’, wrongfully arrested on June 15 2001, tortured, held incommunicado and subject to unfair trial. You will recall that the young workers, students and activists were protesting the government’s planned increase in oil prices. The […]

On February 7 we released a special joint urgent appeal with People’s Watch Tamil Nadu regarding the expulsion of Sr. Vanaselvi from the religious congregation Mother of Sorrows Servants of Mary, based in Chennai, India. Sr. Vanaselvi had been a model servant of the poor her entire life before being arrested by the Suramangalam police on baseless allegations. The Superior General of the Order, Sr. Corona Mary, not only dismissed her without warning or discussion while in prison, she also ordered all of the nuns of the congregation to completely ostracise Sr. Vanaselvi. 

Dear Friends,  As the National Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka has not yet taken any action on this matter, AHRC has written to the Chairman of the commission about the powers of the commission to act on this mater. AHRC has explained the legal provision under which HRC must act. It has also requested […]

Dear Friends,  We have written several updates on Angelina Roshana’s case. We are also aware that many persons have written to the Sri Lankan authorities on this matter, however the Attorney General has not yet taken any action. We urge readers to again write to the authorities on Ms. Roshana’s behalf. The most recent letter […]

Further to our Urgent Appeal of 28 January 2002 regarding the arrest and detention of Dr. Salai Tun Than in Rangoon, Burma, for holding a peaceful one-man protest, we have received additional details of the Professor’s arrest and his distinguished biography. 

Dear Friends  For your information, following is a letter AHRC has written to the National Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, to urge them to take action against Assistant Superintendent of Police Kodithuwakku (himself the subject of a separate inquiry for allegedly beating a person to death in custody) for interfering with an official inquiry […]

Dear Friends,  We would like to send you a copy of the 18th open letter sent by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) to the Jesuit superior general in Rome regarding Fr. Pallath¡¦s case.  Readers are encouraged to write to the Jesuit superior general and call for an inquiry into Fr. Pallath¡¦s case.  For further […]

Dear Friends,  We would like to send you a copy of the 17th open letter sent by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) to the Jesuit superior general in Rome regarding Fr. Pallath’s case.  Readers are encouraged to write New Year’s greetings to the Jesuit superior general and indicate similar concerns as those expressed by […]

Dear Friends,  As this year comes to an end, we cannot but help reflect on the human rights situation in Asia and worry about our friends who are still suffering under miserable conditions. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is involved in the campaign to abolish the Internal Security Act (ISA) in Malaysia as well […]

Dear Friends We are pleased to give a piece of good news from East Timor: the first prosecution of ‘militiamen’ – who were organised and actively supported by the Indonesian military to terrorize and destroy the small nation if the people voted for independence – for Crimes Against Humanity. They have been given sentences up […]

Dear Friends  Further to the appeal we made for you to write to Ms. Mary Robinson, High Commissioner for Human Rights (regarding her failure to raise the discrimination and atrocities faced by dalits and other low caste people during the ‘South Asians for Human Rights’ meeting in Delhi in November), we have been forwarded the […]

AHRC welcomes the recent capture by the Indonesian police of Tommy Suharto – fugitive son of Gen. Suharto, accused of crimes ranging from corruption and graft to bombings and the assassination of a judge. However, we have serious doubts about the ability of the criminal justice system to proceed effectively, as the system is fundamentally flawed. Time and time again the influential elite and members of military and police charged with horrendous human rights crimes are not prosecuted or let off with ridiculously light sentences; while the poorer sections calling for decent wages and conditions, land for peasants or self-determination for indigenous peoples are harshly punished for raising their voices. 

Dear Friends,  We are requesting you to send solidarity messages to the six ISA detainees who are boycotting prison food in protest of the harsh treatment they are facing. The messages will be read out to the prisoners at a protest rally which is being organised in Malaysia at Kamintang Detention Centre on 27th October. […]

Regarding the campaign for the reduction of milk prices in Sri Lanka, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) issued an urgent appeal and several updates based on the work of the People’s Campaign to Reduce Milk Prices in order to put pressure on the milk companies to lower their prices and the Sri Lankan government to take action to resolve this serious socio-economic issue. 

Dear Friends  Thank you for your continued action for justice for the 19 persons arrested and detained in Bandung, Indonesia, for their legitimate protest against impoverishing labour laws and fuel prices. It seems that the cases against the 12 remaining in prison pending trial were found by the court to be so weak that all […]

Dear Friends,   We would like to send you a copy of the 16th open letter sent by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) to the Jesuit superior general in Rome regarding Fr. Pallath’s case.   For further information, including this letter, please visit http://jjpallath.ahrchk.net.   Thank you.     Urgent Appeals Desk Asian Human […]

Regarding our earlier urgent appeal (30-07-2001) on the unbearable increase of milk prices in Sri Lanka, we are sending the latest activity by the Movement of Mothers to Combat Malnutrition (MMCM) to draw your attention and support for this issue and the response of the milk companies and Sri Lankan government.

Dear Friends,  We would like to send you a copy of the 15th open letter sent by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) to the Jesuit superior general in Rome regarding Fr. Pallath’s case.  For further information, including this letter, please visit http://jjpallath.ahrchk.net.  Thank you.  Urgent Appeals Desk  Asian Human Rights Commission  ===========================  Fifteenth Open […]

The last year has been an eventful year for Malaysians and seen a tremendous growth of the resistance of the people against a government which became more oppressive as it became more insecure of its support from the people. 

According to reliable sources in India, a Dalit (meaning “oppressed” – the name now used for those formerly called “Untouchables” in India) woman belonging to the Dasara community of Bellari in the Indian state of Karnataka was paraded naked in public by the upper caste people because of an allegation that she assisted Maramma, a 15-year-old upper caste girl who belonged to the Valmiki community in Bellari, to elope with her fianc?