Enforced disappearances and abductions

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) urges the Indonesian Authorities to ensure that cases of human rights violations that occurred in Papua must be investigated properly, under fair trial principles and the Rule of Law. In the last two months, the AHRC has documented and reported some three cases of serious human rights violations, as […]

Khaosod reporter Pravit Rojanaphruk charged with sedition and computer-related crime On 8 August 2017, Mr Pravit Rojanaphruk, senior reporter at Khaosod English, reported to the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) to hear his charges in two separate cases. First, Pravit is accused of sedition offence under Section 116 of the Thai Criminal Code and computer-related […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the disappearance of a young activist by the Pakistan Rangers. He was organizing villagers protesting the contaminated water provided by a multi-national Oil and Gas Company. At the time of his arrest, the activist was beaten by six Soldiers. He remained unconscious […]

A Report by the Asian Human Rights Commission/Asian Legal Resource Centre to the 113 session of United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) are concerned about the increase in cases of enforced disappearances in Pakistan. The state has utterly and […]

This week Just Asia begins with Bangladesh, where police have arrested several persons involved in the rape and torture of a teenager, after pictures of the victim and her mother at hospital with shaved heads caused outrage. Tufan Sarkar, a unionist linked to the ruling Awami League party, has been charged with raping the 16-year-old at home on July […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the sudden increase of disappearances of activists including peasant leaders, human rights defenders and nationalists. Security Forces geared up their process of arrests and disappearances. It is based on information that the Sindhis, the indigenous people, will observe a Black Day on […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission strongly condemns yesterday’s late evening attack on Narmada Bachao Andolan’s peaceful sit-in and fast by the Madhya Pradesh state police. The police forcibly arrested Ms. Medha Patkar and 11 others and have detained them. The activists were protesting against Madhya Pradesh government’s decision to submerge the area violating the Supreme Court of […]

This week, Just Asia begins with the resignation of Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif. The country’s Supreme Court disqualified Nawaz Sharif on July 28, and called for criminal charges to be filed against Sharif and his family. Under the constitution of Pakistan, the prime minister is elected for five years. Until today however, no elected […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding two missing persons. A brilliant, 16 ½ year old student and a 21 year old day laborer who were picked up by uniformed Officers and others in plainclothes. The laborer’s family could not file a case because of monetary concerns. In the […]

The New York Times has published an editorial titled “The Opposition Disappears in Bangladesh” on 28 July 2017. Citing the United Nations human rights experts the New York Times editorial said that “. . . [T]he United Nations called in February for “Bangladesh to act now to halt an increasing number of enforced disappearances in the […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from MASUM, our partner organization in West Bengal. It concerns the enforced disappearance of a civilian at the hands of Border Security Force (BSF) officers at the Indo-Bangladesh border. In the span of a decade, there have been over 1,000 civilian deaths at the […]

By Basil Fernando A lawyer practicing in Negombo was abducted on the night of 12 July 2017 and taken to a deserted field. There six persons, two of whom were wearing camouflaged uniforms, beat him thoroughly on his back and his head, threatening him that, “you should not be messing with us,” and “you should […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the disappearance of a youth by the police and persons from intelligence agencies. His two older brothers were already extrajudicially killed earlier. Eighteen year old Sajjad went to Karachi city from his village to meet his assassinated brother’s family, and was abducted […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information regarding the assault of Mr. Mohamad Ali and his daughter on 7 July 2017, by an influential businessman. When Mr. Mohamad made a complaint to the Hidogama Police Station, the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the police station illegally arrested and detained the complainant, while releasing the […]

There have been repeated outbreaks of cross-Line of Control firing in Jammu Kashmir, with both sides reporting deaths and injuries including of civilians. Heavy weapons are killing innocent civilians, destroying homes, public and private property. The civilians are forced to flee on both sides of the LOC. Kashmiris of both the sides are leading a […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward an appeal from Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz-A (MQM-A).  For more information, please contact: Dr. Meer Alam Mari, Chairman, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz-Areesar (JSQM-A), he can be contacted at meeralam23@yahoo.com Thank you.  Urgent Appeals Desk  Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)  ———————————————————————– PAKISTAN: Jeay Sindh Qaumi […]

This week Just Asia begins with India, where the Supreme Court passed a historic judgment last Friday, ordering the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe into the allegations of ‘fake encounters’ by uniformed personnel in the conflict ridden state of Manipur. To ensure an impartial investigation, the Court ordered that no member of the Manipur […]

DIG Lalith A Jayasinghe was arrested and is now being remanded for harbouring an offender and aiding the escape of the chief suspect Swiss Kumar, for the gang rape and the murder of 18 year old Sivaloganathan Vidya on 13 May 2015. The DIG is suspected of having committed an offence punishable under Section 209 […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the abduction of a minor from the Bhutto family home. Previously, two brothers from this family were abducted, disappeared and extra-judicially killed. A video of their sister went viral on social and electronic media. She was narrating how persons from military intelligence […]

This week Just Asia begins with Pakistan, where Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been found guilty of corruption by the Supreme Court’s Joint Investigation Team. The team found the Sharif family wealth to be beyond their sources of income. The country’s political parties and Bar Associations are now demanding Sharif’s resignation. Moving to Burma, the […]