Administration of justice

BURMA: Appeal against unlawful conviction for treason & other offences of 8 men

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received detailed documentation on the appeal against conviction for treason of eight men in Burma. The accused, including Hkun Htun Oo, the chairperson of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, a registered political party, have lodged special appeals in the Supreme Court against life imprisonment on […]

BANGLADESH: Formal separation of judiciary must now be made reality

On January 16 the government gazette of Bangladesh announced that the interim president, Professor Iazuddin Ahmed, signed into law the separation of the country’s subordinate judiciary from the executive. This extremely important action was taken, after many years of delays, in accordance with an order from the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court six days […]

CAMBODIA: Forced eviction of 229 families in Sihanoukville

[NOTICE: The AHRC have developed a new automatic letter-sending system using the “button” below. However, in this appeal, we could not include e-mail addresses of some of the Cambodian authorities. We encourage you to send your appeal letters via fax or post to those people. Fax numbers and postal addresses of the Cambodian authorities are […]

PHILIPPINES: Delays in prosecution causes prolonged detention of two farmers

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you about the prolonged detention of two farmers in Davao Oriental province, the Philippines. Both of them have been detained for almost three years without any progress in their case because the prosecution witnesses failed to appear in court on six occasions. One of […]

SRI LANKA: Change of judge in Gerard Perera murder case without cause may jeopardize possibility of finding justice

The Gerard Perera murder case came for further hearing on December 1, 2006 before the Negombo High Court.  This case is being heard by a judge specially appointed to hear the case as another case relating to the torture of Gerard Perera is being heard before the permanent High Court judge of Negombo. When the […]

INDONESIA: Refusal to cooperate with United Nations human rights mechanisms in investigation of Munir’s death

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AS-275-2006 November 06, 2006   A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission   INDONESIA: Refusal to cooperate with United Nations human rights mechanisms in investigation of Munir’s death     The wife of celebrated human rights defender Munir Said Thalib, who was poisoned and died on September 7, 2004 under highly […]

BURMA: Two men illegally arrested & jailed for petition to government

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from a number of sources about the illegal arrest and jailing of two men in Burma who helped to collect signatures for a petition to the government seeking the release of political prisoners. The two men, Ko Win Ko and Phyoe Zaw Latt, were […]

THAILAND: False criminal cases much more than a problem of money

An October 17 article in the Bangkok Post reported that the Ministry of Justice there has to pay hundreds of millions of Thai Baht in compensation to people who have been wrongfully prosecuted for crimes they did not commit. The law providing for compensation, the Compensation for Victims of Crime Act BE 2544 (2001), arises […]

GENERAL APPEAL (Philippines): Escalating violence in Mindanao requires immediate action

PHILIPPINES: Violence against civilians; threat of possible arrests and torture of scapegoats; a need for a peaceful solution to violence; a need to resume peace negotiations —————————————————— Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to draw your attention to the increasing violence in Mindanao, Southern Philippines. On October 10 and 11, 2006, three […]

THAILAND: MILITARY COUP – Junta poses grave dangers to lives and liberties

The Asian Human Rights Commission reiterates its condemnation of the military coup in Thailand and calls for immediate restoration of the constitution and civilian government. Since this morning, September 20, the coup group headed by army Commander-in-Chief General Sonthi Boonyaratglin has made a series of pronouncements under martial law. These include that: 1. The democratic […]

SRI LANKA: The recent judgement of the Supreme Court on the Singarasa case is an attack on the sovereignty of the people

Earlier the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) circulated the complete text of this judgement (please see AS-217-2006).  Among the many completely baseless legal positions on which this judgement is premised there are some outstanding issues.  The AHRC intends to explore a comprehensive critique on this judgement soon.  In the meantime we would like to mention some […]

SRI LANKA: Have no illusions — the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka is a part of the human rights violation mechanism

We reproduced below a judgement made by a bench of five judges, presided over by the Chief Justice, Sarath N. Silva, of Sri Lanka, which leaves no doubt that the court wishes to nullify the impact of Sri Lanka being a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) as well as […]

NEPAL: A travesty of justice – military personnel who tortured 15 year old Maina Sunuwar to death must be tried by a civil court

Statement | Nepal | 04-09-2006

Maina Sunawar was 15 years old when members of the Nepalese armed forces arbitrarily arrested her. Since this date – February 17, 2004 – she has disappeared. All the evidence indicates that she was tortured to death by members of the military, who have since sought to deny her arrest and cover up her death. […]

BURMA: Young man jailed without fair trial over alleged illegal lottery ticket

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received detailed information about the case of a young man in Burma who has been jailed without evidence or fair trial, allegedly for selling illegal lottery tickets. Nyi Nyi Htut, a law student, was arrested in the delta town of Bogalay on 16 June 2006 when […]

THAILAND: Another lost opportunity on human rights for deputy PM

The Bangkok Post on August 23 reported a spokesperson of the deputy prime minister of Thailand as saying that the government of Argentina understands the human rights situation in Thailand. According to the news report, an aide of the deputy prime minister, Surakiart Sathirathai, said that “Argentina has no problem with Dr Surakiart’s qualifications” to […]

SINGAPORE: Why the case of Dr Chee Soon Juan and another must go to trial

The statement: 31 Jul 06 Dr Chee Soon Juan and Ms Chee Siok Chin have applied for the courts not to allow Messrs Lee Kuan Yew and Lee Hsien Loong to proceed with their summary judgement as this would deprive the Defendants of a trial. Lawyer Mr M Ravi argued in his submissions that under […]

PHILIPPINES: Alleged rights abuses by army demand full investigations, not whitewashing

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has read with concern your interview published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer of 25 July 2006 entitled, “PNP clears Palparan on killings”. The article refers to how you have exonerated Major General Jovito Palparan, the commander of the 7th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army from allegations of serious […]

THAILAND: Thai Criminal Court sets an example for eliminating electoral corruption by sending Election Commissioners to jail

In an historic judgment the Criminal Court of Thailand held yesterday (July 25, 2006) that the Election Commission was guilty of malfeasance and illegal assistance to the Thai Rak Thai Party in the April 2 Election and Repeat Vote.  The Court sentenced the three members of the Commission to four years in gaol, revoked their […]

UPDATE (Sri Lanka): Continued harassment of Thaivani and her children by the Yakkalamulla police

Dear friends, In June 2006, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) reported the alleged abduction of K. Thaivani’s three children aged 17, 16 and 8 by tea estate owner, D. Karunadasa who engaged in these illegal activities with the connivance of the Yakkalamulla police (please see UA-176-2006). Amidst the shameful inaction of all relevant state authorities, […]

PHILIPPINES: Police “solve” cases but killings continue

The Philippine National Police have a unique definition of the word “solved”. According to them, once a charge is filed against a suspect with the Office of the Prosecutor it is solved. Suspects not arrested? No matter, it is solved. Investigation flawed? No matter, it is solved. Requests of victim’s family for more inquiries unanswered? […]