Democracy

SRI LANKA: Legal arguments against the proposal to present the draft Constitution

The basic legal argument against the proposal to present the draft Constitution is as follows; The proposal is based on a false premise as it denies the process of the making of the Constitution whereas it must provide everyone and every group of people the right of participation as it is a Constitution of the […]

SRI LANKA: Fake constitutions create irrational societies

By Basil Fernando A fake Constitution alters the rules of logic that are the basic foundations of a good constitution. The change of logic leads to irrationality. The spread of irrationality into public institutions creates rotten systems within such public institutions. Where the public institutions go rotten, every aspect of social life comes into severe […]

WORLD: Desmond Tutu: The man who revived the moral universe

Article | World | 29-12-2021

By Basil Fernando Archbishop Desmond Tutu who passed away this week will be counted among the great human beings who have contributed on the one hand for the great political transformation of his own country, and a person who has revolutionized the idea of achieving equality even under the most difficult circumstances. His great achievement […]

INDONESIA: Constitutional Court Decision on the Review of the Omnibus Law Regulation: a decision that mocks the Constitution and the people

On November 25, 2021, the Constitutional Court in its judgment Number 91/PUU-XVIII/2020 stated in essence: 1. The Establishment of the Law Number 11 of 2020 concerning Job Creation is contrary to the 1945 Constitution and does not have conditionally binding legal force as long as it does not mean “no amendments have been made within two […]

SRI LANKA: Court order prohibiting Human Rights Day event in Kandy

A Statement from Human Rights Office Kandy forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Human Rights Office Kandy (HROK) had organized an event to celebrate international Human Rights Day on 11th December 2021 in Kandy, based on the theme “Ensure the Prisoners their Dignity and Rights to Human Conditions”. As in previous such events, a […]

NEPAL: THE STATE IS FAILING ITS CITIZENS

Statement | Nepal | 10-12-2021

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on the occasion of the 73rd International Human Rights Day Nepal underwent its third cycle of the UN Human Rights Council’s Periodic Review (UPR) in Geneva in January 2021. Nepal has ratified over 24 various human rights conventions and declarations but has been weak in its implementation. […]

INDIA: A botched up counter insurgency operation and murders most foul

Statement | India | 09-12-2021

Fifteen people including one soldier were killed in Mon district of the North Eastern state of Nagaland in India in what the security forces are calling a botched up operation that unfolded in several batches. Though the details of the botched up encounter are still hazy and contested, the gravity of the incident was lost […]

INDONESIA: Appointing the Parliament and the Military to Resolve Human Rights Violations Proves that the Chief Security Minister Failed to Understand Justice

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) supports survivors and the families of victims of serious human rights violations and strongly condemns the two erroneous statements made during a meeting between the Chief Security Minister, Mr. Mahfud MD and the Indonesian National Army (TNI) Commander General Andika Perkasa on November 25, 2021. The statement that we […]

INDONESIA: Increasing Authority of the Prosecutor’s Office in the Revision of the Prosecutor’s Law is in fact a Breaking of the Law

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) supports the Commission for the Disappearances and Victims of Violence (KontraS), a prominant national human rights organization and the Murder Victims and Research Foundation 1965-1966 (YPKP 1966), a national organization established by victims and families of victims of past human rights abuses, condemn the revision of the Prosecutor’s Law […]

SRI LANKA: Defeating the spurious constitution

An article from Daily Financial Times forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission The constitution can be considered as the supreme law that determines the rights of citizens to life liberty and property and also the most sacred legal document which establishes the structure and the functions of state rule. With the transfer of the […]

ශ්‍රී ලංකා: නව ව්‍යවස්ථාවක තිබිය යුත්තේ මොනවද? විශ්ව විද්‍යාල සිසුන් කණ්ඩායමක් සමග සාකච්ඡාවක්

The Asian Human Rights Commission wishes to share with you the following video The making of the new constitution is now been discussed. In this lecture the way constitutions are developed in modern times is explained to a group of university students. Kindly see the link

BANGLADESH: Sweeping Empowerment of Executive Authorities with Impunity in Personal Data Protection Bill will Endanger Rights Activism and Research

Bangladesh’s incumbent Government is about to adopt a new law titled “Personal Data Protection Bill” (PDP Bill). Citing the excuse of protecting the right to protection of citizens’ personal data the Bangladesh Government copied the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) of 2016. They revised it, fitting to the conveniences of an authoritarian rule. It has drastically […]

SRI LANKA: Beware: The Third Readymade Constitution is Coming Soon

Professor G.L. Peiris has announced that the drafting process of the Constitution is over and that the text is ready. He said that it was to be presented to the Parliament in January next year. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in a televised speech, referred to the Constitution being drafted within the course of next year. This […]

SRI LANKA: A forwarded interview. On the objection to the new constitution proposed by the government

A video presentation produced by Mr. Victor Ivan published by the Asian Human Rights Commission The Asian Human Rights Commission wishes to share with you the following video produced by Mr. Victor Ivan Kindly see the following link for a valuable interview with Victor Ivan on the objection to the new constitution proposed by the […]

INDONESIA: Dozens of International Human Rights Organizations Encourage the Protection of Human Rights Defenders in Indonesia

Hong Kong, 12 October, 2021 The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC), the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT), the Frontline Defenders, the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC), the International Network of Civil Liberties Organizations (INCLO), the CIVICUS, the Capital Punishment Justice Project (CPJP), and the Franciscans International […]

MYANMAR/BURMA: UN Member States’ Urgent Actions Needed for Addressing Human Rights Catastrophe

An Oral Statement to the 48th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council from the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) Madam President: The Asian Legal Resource Centre endorses the report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Madam High Commissioner, You have rightly concluded that there is “a human rights catastrophe” in Myanmar. We […]

SRI LANKA: THAT NONSENSE CALLED CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Basil Fernando A guy enters into two prisons with a gang of his friends. In one of the prisons he threatens a group of prisoners undergoing trial by placing his pistol on the forehead of one. He tells them what they should do about their case. Inside another prison he wants his friends and himself […]

SRI LANKA: If I was the Minister of Finance

An article from Chandra Jayaratne forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission By Chandra Jayaratne If I was the Minister of Finance, I will seek the concurrence of the President, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Colleague to structure the 2022 National budget on the undernoted Core Change Management Principles , Key Action Strategies and […]

BANGLADESH: Jibon or Jibika: The struggle for life and livelihood amid pandemic

An article from ubinig.org forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Introduction Conventional narratives, mostly nationalist, statist and GDP centered neo-liberal statistical accounts of development, outright miss or intentionally exclude certain salient facts about the stylized story of Bangladesh development. Bangladesh has been born through a bloody liberation struggle, but nationalist narrative exclude the fact that it […]

SRI LANKA: Women take humans rights to the mainstream

By Basil Fernando Human rights have now become very much an integral part of public discussions in almost all public media. At one time, it remained an interest confined to a few groups and persons who were either advocates of human rights or those who attacked the very notion of human rights as part of […]