Administration of justice

UPDATE (Sri Lanka): Government and police authorities fail to respond to the custodial death of a man

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that no action has been taken by the authorities in Sri Lanka to arrest or prosecute those police officers allegedly responsible for the custodial death of a 53-year-old man. As reported to you through our urgent appeals programme on 6 June 2005 (UA-90-2005), […]

SRI LANKA: The Auditor General’s report on tsunami mismanagement should not be ignored

Last week, the Auditor General published a report concerning the numerous irregularities in tsunami reconstruction, rehabilitation and fund management. Covering the period from December 2004 to June 2005, the document is an interim report on post-tsunami activities and was presented to the Sri Lankan parliament.   The media has commented on the tough stance taken […]

SRI LANKA: A blatant attempt to cover up the suspicious death of a child monk

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from a reliable source regarding the alleged murder of a young student monk at the hands of those whose care he had been left in. Fifteen year old W. M. Kapila Chandra Kumara was taken by his parents to study under the Diyamalkanda temple […]

UPDATE (Thailand): Final witnesses for defence to speak in trial of media campaigner Supinya

(UA-73-2004: THAILAND: Human rights defender faces preliminary decision in libel case on 21 June 2004 and UP-31 2004: THAILAND: Criminal Court decides to let libel suit against Ms Supinya Klangnarong proceed on 29 June 2004; UP-62-2004: THAILAND: Update on libel suit against media-reform activist Ms Supinya; UP-31-2005: THAILAND: Media reform campaigner Supinya holds fund-raising event […]

UPDATE (India): Further threats made to the wife of a victim allegedly killed by the police

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wrote to you on 20 September 2005 detailing the police beating of Mr. Chheparuddin Mondal, which led to his death. We also commented that the police had threatened the victim’s wife and the local population not to lodge a complaint against this matter. (For further details please […]

PHILIPPINES: Possible negligence by a local court delays the arraignment of five persons

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from a reliable source regarding the possible negligence by a local court in General Santos City, Mindanao, Philippines, which has resulted in the delay in the arraignment of five persons. Under Section 7 of the Republic Act 8493, an act which ensures speedy trial […]

SRI LANKA: Politician allegedly demands Rs. 80,000/ bribe for the return of a man’s motorbike

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you of a case concerning alleged bribery and theft on the part of a local politician from Ragama, Sri Lanka. According to our sources, Mr Henry Bernard had his motorbike stolen by unknown persons in March 2004 and the matter went to court. When […]

INDIA: Human rights defender physically assaulted, threatened and detained by government officials

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information through its local partner MASUM in West Bengal that Mr. Gopen Sharma, a human rights activist was illegally detained, threatened and assaulted by the officers at the Block Development Office in Jalangi, Murshidabad District, West Bengal. Mr. Sharma was, at the time of the […]

SRI LANKA: Meningitis caused by neglect and the responsibility of Sri Lanka’s religious leaders

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 2, 2005 AS-94-2005 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) Meningitis caused by neglect and the responsibility of Sri Lanka’s religious leaders Medical negligence in Sri Lanka has made headlines again, with at least two persons dead and 12 others diagnosed with meningitis in recent weeks. The disease was […]

UPDATE (Philippines): Court commences trial of three men due to pressure following frequent postponement

[Re: UA-74-2005: Trial of three men yet to begin after three years; UP-78-2005: Delay in trial due to possible neglect by the court and prosecutor] Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is pleased to inform you that the case of three men whose trial has been delayed for years due to frequent postponement […]

UPDATE (Thailand): Special call for observers to attend September 7, 8 & 9 court hearings over missing human rights lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit

[RE: FA-06-2004: THAILAND: A human rights lawyer Mr. Somchai Neelaphaijit missing… UP-20-2005: THAILAND: Human rights lawyer still missing after nearly one year; Action needed today to have case transferred; UP-24-2005: THAILAND: Thai minister refuses to act on missing human rights lawyer case; UP-37-2005: Thai PM orders action on missing human rights lawyer, while court hears […]

UPDATE (Indonesia): House of Representatives must recommend the establishment of an ad-hoc human rights court on the Trisakti/Semanggi killings in its coming plenary session

[RE: UA-23-2002: Sign petition for attorney general to bring justice to May 1998 riot victims; UP-81-2005: INDONESIA: Attorney General Refuses to investigate gross violations of human rights that were committed at Trisakti/Semanggi.] Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information from the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (Kontras) […]

UPDATE (India): Wait for justice continues after ten years; Vacant court denies justice to a handicapped woman

[Re: UA-07-2005: INDIA: Handicapped torture and rape victim waits ten years for justice. Ms. Hasna Mondal, a handicapped woman, from East Daukimari, District Jalpaiguri, West Bengal is still waiting for the perpetrators to be punished, ten years after the brutal incident. A complaint which was filed the day after the incident, on 28 February 1995, […]

UPDATE (Philippines): Prosecutor’s failure to ensure appearance of its complainants and witnesses postpones trial of five men

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information from a reliable source that the hearing of five men in Davao City on July 25 was once again postponed. This is yet another incident of the prosecutor’s failure to ensure that its complainants and witnesses appeared for scheduled hearings. In June, the […]

INDIA: Non-cooperation by police in the case of a young man’s death in West Bengal

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from MASUM, a human rights organisation in West Bengal about the local police in Jalangi, Murshidabad District, not only shielding all the accused in a murder case but also fabricating a case against the victim. On 15 October 2004, Subhash Mondal and his elder […]

UPDATE (Thailand): Repeated failed commitment to assign Department of Special Investigation to Somchai case

[RE: FA-06-2004: THAILAND: A human rights lawyer Mr. Somchai Neelaphaijit missing; UA-94-2004: Severe torture victims still in custody while police torturers remain in posts; UP-14-2004: Mr. Somchai Neelaphaijit is still missing and the police may be involved in his disappearance; UP-26-2004: 5 suspects in the alleged abduction of missing human rights lawyer Mr. Somchai Neelaphaijit […]

UPDATE (India): No compensation to family of adivasi, murdered by forest official, despite a four year wait

[Re: UA- 50 -2005: INDIA: Three and a half year wait for justice for the brutal murder of an Adivasi (tribal person) by a forest official in Gujarat] Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information on the case of Manishbhai Motibhai Vasava (30), an adivasi who was murdered by an Indian […]

SRI LANKA: A court magistrate receives death threats prior to giving evidence in an inquiry

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned by another threat made against a judge in Sri Lanka. According to the information we have received, former Magistrate of Wellawaya Magistrates’ Court, Janaka Bandara has recently received death threats by way of phone calls from unknown persons. These threats come prior to the […]

SRI LANKA: Immediate protection required for threatened court magistrate

Just as the trial into the murder of High Court Judge Sarath Ambipitiya has concluded, another judge, former Magistrate of Wellawaya Magistrate’s Court, Janaka Bandara has received death threats. The threats, which came by way of telephone call, demanded that the magistrate resign from the Judicial Service and refrain from attending an inquiry to be […]

SRI LANKA: A street movement to fight zero justice in Sri Lanka

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) expresses serious concern about the visible loss of interest in torture cases by the Attorney General’s Department. While the government and its officials may have lost interest in the issue of torture, this apathy is not apparent in the people of the country who will begin a series of […]