Freedom of religion

CAMBODIA: Police allegedly extort bribes in arrest in Rattanakiri province

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that the police allegedly ordered parents to pay a bribe of 150000 riels (US$37.5) each if their sons were not to be arrested after these youths had damaged a party sign in Soeung commune, Bor Keo district, Rattankiri province. On 2 July 2008, they arrested […]

UPDATE (Indonesia): Decree banning religious group must be revoked

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes with deep concern on the issuance of a decree banning a religious minority, Ahmadiyah, from spreading their religious practices by the government on 9 June 2008. The AHRC is concerned that the decree would encourage other Muslim groups critical of them to carry out more attacks […]

INDONESIA: Yet another attack on a group advocating religious freedom

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed of yet another attack on a peaceful gathering of groups advocating religious freedom by a group of Muslims in Jakarta on 1 June 2008. The policemen, who were in the area when it happened, failed to intervene to prevent the attack. At least 28 […]

INDONESIA: Failure to provide protection for religious group

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding another attack against a religious group by other religious groups in West Java on 27 April 2008. As a result of the attack a mosque was burnt down and other facilities were damaged. The AHRC has previously reported the attacks against the group […]

PAKISTAN: A Hindu worker is lynched for blasphemy as punishment for loving a Muslim girl

A 27 year old Hindu worker, Mr. Jagdesh Kumar was killed by fellow Muslim workers on the charge of blasphemy in the presence of more than two dozen policemen including an officer. The police and factory management made no attempt to stop the factory workers killing the young man. Some reports suggest that the victim […]

WORLD: AHRC appeals for global Buddhist boycott of Burma regime

(Hong Kong, September 20, 2007) The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) on Thursday urged the Buddhist community worldwide to join with monks in Burma and boycott anybody from or associated with its military regime. “We urge the honourable members of the Sangha (Buddhist community) everywhere to follow the example set by their counterparts in Burma […]

INDONESIA: Religious persecution escalates on minority Islamic group, Ahmadiyah in Tasikmalaya, West Java

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the continued attacks and threats to the minority Islamic sect Ahmadiyah in Tasikmalaya, West Java, from 19-26 June 2007. An Ahmadiyah mosque was attacked by mobs from three other Islamic sects, and there are continuous threats from the mobs to ban the religion. […]

INDONESIA: Government failed to respond to threats to civil society and religious group in Surakarta, Central Java

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from KontraS regarding the continued violation of religious freedom in Indonesia by alleged “extremist” elements of society and the police. Several cases have been reported in mid-June 2007 in Surakarta, locally referred to as Solo (Central Java) in which religious sects (either Christian or […]

PAKISTAN: Another Hindu girl forcibly converted to Islam after being abducted

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) received the information that a 17-year-old Hindu girl, Deepa has been missing since she was abducted by her Muslim tuition teacher on 31 December 2006. It is alleged that she was forcibly converted to Muslim and married to the said teacher. It is also reported that the […]

CAMBODIA: Forced eviction of 229 families in Sihanoukville

[NOTICE: The AHRC have developed a new automatic letter-sending system using the “button” below. However, in this appeal, we could not include e-mail addresses of some of the Cambodian authorities. We encourage you to send your appeal letters via fax or post to those people. Fax numbers and postal addresses of the Cambodian authorities are […]

PHILIPPINES: Delays in prosecution causes prolonged detention of two farmers

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you about the prolonged detention of two farmers in Davao Oriental province, the Philippines. Both of them have been detained for almost three years without any progress in their case because the prosecution witnesses failed to appear in court on six occasions. One of […]

PHILIPPINES: Policemen allegedly harass and illegally search a convent of sisters after forced entry

PHILIPPINES: Harassment, intimidation and illegal searches; violence against the religious community; arbitrary and abusive acts by police officers; collapse of rule of law ————————————- Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you about the alleged illegal search and harassment at the convent of Contemplative Sisters of the Good Shepherds (CGS) in […]

PAKISTAN: International intervention urgently needed into Damadola killings

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is shocked by the October 30 air attack on a religious school that reportedly killed around 100 persons at Damadola, near Khar in the Bajaur tribal district on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan. There are many serious questions arising from the attack. Among them, the two most pressing […]

GENERAL APPEAL (Pakistan): Sindh provincial government’s deliberate negligence to protect the Hindu religious minority

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the recent repression of Hindu religious minorities by Muslim extremists in Karachi, Sindh province, Pakistan. In particular, the local police has not only refused to record the complaints from the victims and launch investigations into the incident, but also actively collaborated with alleged […]

GENERAL APPEAL (Pakistan): Recent suppression of Ahmadi sect of Islam in Punjab

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has been informed about two separate incidents against the religious minority called Ahmadi sect in Punjab province, Pakistan. In one case, the Daily Al-Fazal run by Ahmadi sect was banned by the Punjab government for the reason of disseminating “hate-literature”. In another case, about 100 Ahmadis of Jhando […]

MALAYSIA: State orchestrated destruction of Hindu temples

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has come to learn of several cases involving the demolition or at least partial damage of Hindu temples in Malaysia following orders by government authorities. Furthermore, in addition to such acts, which are a violation of domestic laws, those ordered to carry out the destruction have used […]

INDIA: Fabricated case and delay of justice involving persecuted Christian adivasis in Gujurat

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding a fabricated case filed against Dattu Rupa Valvi (33), Vijay Rupa Valvi (45), Ganesh Rupa Valvi (36) and five other Christian adivasis with regards to a broken Hindu deity in Mogalbara village, Surat district, Gujurat on 13 February 2004. On February 13 Dattu Rupa Valvi […]

INDIA: Hindu festival poses threat to adivasi identity, culture and religion; violence feared

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that adivasis (indigenous people) in the Dangs District in the Indian state of Gujarat are living in fear as a Hindu festival in their district from 11 to 13 February 2006 approaches. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu fundamentalist organisation, is mobilising about 500,000 non-adivasis from […]

UPDATE (Bangladesh): Three detained and tortured leaders have been released from prison in Chapainawabganj

[RE: UP-013-2006: BANGLADESH: Three persons tortured by the Chapainawabganj police; UA-041-2006: BANGLADESH: Eight people killed and at least one hundred injured by police fire in Chapainawabganj district; UA-013-2006: BANGLADESH: Two people killed and thirty-five injured by police fire in Chapainawabganj district] ———————————– UP-016-2006: BANGLADESH: Three detained and tortured leaders have been released from prison in […]

INDONESIA: Illegal arrest and detention of a leader of a religious minority sect called Eden Community

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Ms. Lia Aminuddin, a leader of a religious community called Eden Community, which is located in Jl. Mahoni, Senen Jakarta Pusat, was illegally arrested along with 47 members by police officers from the District Police Office of the Special Territory of the Capital […]