Environmental protection

INDIA: Tuberculosis and Children in India

Article | India | 06-08-2014

The title of this article may rather appear weird. However, the annual report released by the Central Government year-on-year on situation of tuberculosis or TB in India is invariably titled as TB India, (with year as the subscript). The one for the current year is titled as TB India 2014. Situation of TB in India […]

NEPAL: Police brutality results in Dolpo deaths in Dolpa district

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about a brutal police crackdown on 3rd June 2014 in Dho village, located in the upper regions of Nepal’s Dolpa district, which has left 2 persons dead and more than 50 critically injured. Most victims belong to Dho and the neighboring Tsarka villages, where […]

THAILAND: Villagers and rights defenders lives under threat

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that threats against human rights defenders in the Khon Rak Ban Koed Group working to protect their communities from the negative effects of mining in Loei Province in Thailand are facing grave threats against their lives. CASE NARRATIVE: As we described in our original appeal […]

THAILAND: Villagers and rights defenders at imminent risk of violence

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that threats against human rights defenders in the Khon Rak Ban Koen Group working to protect their communities from the negative effects of mining in Loei Province in Thailand are again at imminent risk of violence, under the cover of the military takeover of the […]

HONG KONG/PHILIPPINES: Filipinos do have a role in fight for democracy in Hong Kong

(Note: this article was first published in the May 4, 2014 issue of the Sunday Examiner) I am a Filipino but I see myself a Hong Konger. If we are to take the guidelines of Hong Kong Unison, a non-profit organisation advocating for the protection of the rights of ethnic minorities, a Hong Konger is any person […]

PAKISTAN: Drought in Thar-A ray of hope!

Cyclic drought and rise in temperature due to climate change has again brought havoc to the people of Tharparkar. The worst affected being women and children. Shahid Hussain Tharparkar is one of the 23 districts of Sindh province and is spread over 77000 square kilometres. It is the continuation of ancient Indian Desert – the […]

THAILAND: Demanding Immediate Explanation and Investigation by Relevant Officials Regarding the Disappearance of a Karen Hill-Tribe Human Rights Defender

Cross Cultural Foundation For immediate release on April 20th, 2014 Public Statement Demanding Immediate Explanation and Investigation by Relevant Officials Regarding the Disappearance of a Karen Hill-Tribe Human Rights Defender ​According to a news report, Mr. Billy or Por Cha Lee Rakcharoen has disappeared since the afternoon of April 17th 2014. At the time of […]

INDIA: Open letter to all political parties to take up the issue of repeal of AFSPA

To, Representatives of all political parties of India The World’s largest democracy has plunged into the election season as the 16thLokh Sabha elections are approaching. The environment is tense. While you all are busy organizing rallies, giving speeches, proving yourself better and different from others, the media and the public are busy in speculations and […]

PAKISTAN: Apathy of the state and the civil society towards a violence called Dowry

An Article by the Asian Human Rights Commission on Women’s International Day Dowry system and related violence is a product of patriarchy that in turn needs to be understood, unloaded and unpacked through gender lens. If there is a formula for defining gender it should be sexes + class +ethnicity.  This implies that gender is […]

PHILIPPINES: Rizal Park is not for sale.

“RIZAL Park is not for sale. RIZAL Park is for the people.” This is the statement of Defend Job Philippines in the midst of a looming privatization plan for Luneta Park. On February 6, 2014, a Public consultation on the Master Planning of the Rizal Park Complex, Manila (Luneta Park) as a flagship Tourism Enterprise […]

INDIA: A mandamus writ will not ensure safety

Statement | India | 20-02-2014

The Supreme Court of India has directed the Union Government to take adequate measures to guarantee the safety of the people from the northeast, in the rest of the country against alleged racial discrimination. The court issued the directive while hearing a public interest litigation filed in court, following a series of incidents, where people […]

SRI LANKA: Authoritarianism or Democratic Governance?

The Friday Forum 2, Greenlands Avenue, Colombo 5, Sri Lanka E-Mail; chandraj111@gmail.com Telephone; 0773634444   Fax; 2504181 PRESS RELEASE 27th January 2014. There has been, in recent times, public discussion in regard to whether our country is moving towards an authoritarianism that undermines democratic governance. The President, Ministers and government spokespersons have consistently denied this allegation. They refer in particular to the […]

WORLD: Cricket needs comprehensive governance reforms not a concentration of power

27 January 2014 – Transparency International (TI) chapters from nine cricket-playing countries, including Australia, India and United Kingdom, express serious concern at proposed reform of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and call on the ICC to publish a formal response to the Woolf Report and meanwhile halt any other significant governance reforms. A joint statement […]

CHINA: For Freedom, Justice and Love – My Closing Statement to the Court

For Freedom, Justice and Love – My Closing Statement to the Court Xu Zhiyong, 22 January 2014 This is Xu Zhiyong’s closing statement on January 22, 2014, at the end of his trial. According to his lawyer, he had only been able to read “about 10 minutes of it before the presiding judge stopped him, […]

INDIA: Government overlooked people’s concerns on Mapithal Dam constructions

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Mapithel Dam Affected Villagers Organization (MDAVO), Citizens Concern for Dams and Development (CCDD) and Centre for Research and Advocacy (CRAM), Manipur regarding the final stage II Forest Clearance for Mapithel Dam of Thoubal Multipurpose project in Manipur by the Ministry of Environment […]

INDIA: Paramilitary Still Squats in Chhattisgarh Schools

Statement | India | 11-01-2014

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from CGNet Swara, an organization promoting community journalism in India, regarding the continuing occupation and use of educational institutions in Chhattisgarh by the Indian paramilitary. AHRC has learnt that two companies of the Border Security Force (BSF), deployed at remote Kodapakha village of Kanker district, about […]

SRI LANKA: Church leaders draw attention to the problem of malnutrition

Following is an extract from the Pastoral Letter of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka, entitled ‘Towards Reconciliation and Rebuilding of the Nation’. Even though exact statistics may vary and may be disputed, malnutrition does exist in Sri Lanka. There are many families who just cannot manage even one proper meal a day. And […]

PAKISTAN: Freedom from Hunger-privilege granted or acknowledged right?

“Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food.” Aly Ercelan and Muhammad Ali Shah A recent publication of Rome-based UN agencies (FAO along with IFAD and WFP of the UN) aims at global food security. It is worth a serious commentary for […]

INDIA: Violent Attack, Arbitrary Detention, Death Threats to activists of Meyor Community, Arunachal Pradesh

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from civil society groups regarding death threats, arbitrary detention and harassment of members of the Meyor community, a group of indigenous people in Arunachal Pradesh. They are being targeted for their activities on conservation of community land and natural resources. The Meyor community with […]

SOUTH KOREA: Civil society launches ‘Samsung Labor Watch’

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward to you the following press release and declaration from ‘Samsung Labor Watch’. For more information, please directly contact below. Mr. CHO Dae Hwan Samsung Labour Watch Address: 3/F, 135, Dangsan-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Korea Telephone: +82 (0)2 3667 1210 Fax: +82 (0)2 312 1638 e-mail: […]