Enforced disappearances and abductions

Law enforcement agencies in Bangladesh have announced on 3 July 2017, that at 11:30 pm they have ‘rescued’ Mr. Farhad Mazhar from a Dhaka bound passenger bus at Noapara in the south-western district Jessore, bordering India. The police later interrogated him during which he was allegedly ill-treated. Farhad was in police custody till 3:00 pm […]

A video has recently surfaced in Pakistan, where a contingent of police officers can be seen baton charging a group of unarmed women mill workers protesting in Muzaffargarh, Punjab. The scuffle occurred inside the district court of Muzaffargarh in broad daylight, yet the judicial officer never took any action against the erring police officers, nor […]

An article from Baloch Insight forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission By Ahmar Mustikhan “My personal enmity is only with the ISI,” US citizen Afzal Bugti, 57, a successful businessman from Chicago, who went back to Pakistan, said. There were rumors that he had been abducted because of personal enmity when he vanished into […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information from noted writer and poet, Farhad Mazhar has disappeared and been reported missing from Dhaka in Bangladesh since the early hours of 3rd July 2017. CASE NARRATIVE: The Asian Human Rights Commission(AHRC) has received updated information regarding the disappearance of Mr. Farhad Mazhar, […]

READ Report on Independence of Judges and Lawyers  READ Report on Torture The Asian Human Rights Commission strongly endorses the reports of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the independence of Judges and Lawyers, Ms. Monica Pinto and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Dr. Juan E Mendez. For […]

This week Just Asia begins with Pakistan, which observed World Day Against Child Labor on June 12. Despite official fanfare and praise, child labour continues to increase in the country, and child rights groups have criticized the government for not criminalizing it. Civil society is urging the government to formulate policies and laws to eliminate child labour and take […]

On June 9, it was reported that 26-year-old law student, M Stalin, had been tortured by the police in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. On his way to drop his family members at the bus station, he was picked up by the police on suspicion of being part of a red sander smuggling network and detained for 18 hours. […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the disappearances of four persons from Sindh province–a famous writer, a teacher, a government employee, and an Ahmadi–after their arrests by men in uniforms. All four persons are from Badin district. The police deny their arrest and have advised family members to […]

Dr. Kang Yong-ju is a medical doctor from Gwangju, South Korea. Dr. Kang is a victim of the notorious National Security Law and the Security Surveillance Act of South Korea. When Kang was a student in the high school, he participated in the Gwangju democratic movement in 1980, popularly known as the “Gwangju Uprising.” Later, […]

The common perception in Pakistan, that ordinary citizens are not free to express their thoughts, has been validated with state inaction against hate mongers and clamping down on social media activists. What began as a crackdown on blasphemy and hurting religious sentiments has quickly spiralled into curbs on free speech, unveiling the true intentions of the state: […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the case of, Mr. Sajid Hussain, a Kashmiri frontline human rights defender facing deportation to Pakistan from Belgium. We are informed that Hussain has been a vocal advocate for the independence of Kashmir associated with United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP). We […]

Two recent reports prove the predictions that the Asian Human Rights Commission has been making for several years, that Bangladesh is likely to become a major refugee producing country in the Asian region. The UK basedIndependent published a report on 5 May 2017, with the title “Bangladesh is now the single biggest country of origin for refugees on boats as new route to Europe […]

This week Just Asia focuses on World Press Freedom Day, annually celebrated on May 3. The day is marked by celebrating the fundamental principles of press freedom, assessing the state of these freedoms globally, and paying tribute to those journalists who have lost their lives supporting a free press. In its 2017 World Press Freedom […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission wishes to inform you about the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report submitted by the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC). It concerns the third cycle of the UPR. The ALRC’s submission focuses on the criminal justice system, the normative legal framework, impunity for past human rights abuses, the freedom of expression, peaceful assembly […]

This week Just Asia begins with a call from Filipino lawyer Jude Josue Sabio, asking the International Criminal Court to charge President Duterte with mass murder and crimes against humanity. A 77-page complaint to the Court on Monday states Mr. Duterte was the “mastermind” of a campaign that has killed more than 9,400 people since […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission wishes to inform you about an essay with title “Considering Victims to Strengthen Truth and Reconciliation Commission.”This essay reflect from the book “Just and Unjust Peace and Ethic of Political Reconciliation.” The writer also used other books to extend his view on politic of reconciliation. This essay is also reflect to the experience of politic of reconciliation in Indonesia, […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the new wave of enforced disappearances in Pakistan’s Sindh province, which has been under the Rangers’ operation for the last two years. The law enforcement agencies have cracked down against Sindhi nationalist groups, and in April itself, one government officer, a school […]

An article, titled “Prime Minister Hun Sen Was A Successful Wartime Leader But Certainly Not One In Peacetime Cambodia” by Mr Ou Ritthy, forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission By Ou Ritthy Cambodia’s historic “July 22, 2014” ended disputing political parties’ electoral political deadlock and violence. It unleashed a “culture of dialogue” between Hun Sen’s ruling […]

This week Just Asia begins with Nepal, where violence in the Terai region shows little sign of abating. Protests and killings have been occurring since 2015. In early 2016, more than 50 people died. During the March protests this year against the nationwide campaign conducted by the CPN UML, police started shooting to contain the […]

Since Suharto stepped down in 1998, and political reform occurring for the last 18 years, Papua has yet to enjoy real reform, as enjoyed by other provinces in Indonesia. While there have been initiatives to address human rights problems in Papua and West Papua provinces, they have not resulted in significant improvements on the ground. […]