Freedom of religion

This week Just Asia begins with the ninth ASEAN-UN Summit on Monday, where United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the UN wants to work with ASEAN to strengthen the regional bloc’s human rights body. This comes as several ASEAN countries face human rights related controversies. Particularly troubling is Burma’s violence against the Rohingya Muslim minority, […]

Dear Friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about the enforced disappearance of a Shia man, Muhammud Bilal, by officials of a Law Enforcement agency. He has been disappeared twice and indicted on murder charges under frivolous grounds. A few days before his disappearance, Bilal had a hernia operation. To date his […]

On 8 October 2017, the Kerala State Public Service Commission (PSC) announced the list of candidates who have been recommended by the PSC to be appointed as priests in Hindu temples in the state. Out of the 62 persons named in the list 36 are non-Brahmins. Out of this, 6 persons are from the Dalit […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information. It regards the hate speech against a religious minority group, the Ahmadi Muslims. It was delivered by a member of the ruling political party, the PML-N. He is the son-in-law of the former Prime Minister, Mr. Nawaz Shareef. The speech resulted in dangerous […]

This week Just Asia begins with the death of 60 Rohingya in a boat capsize off Bangladesh on September 28, as they were fleeing violence in Burma. A UN spokesman said 23 people were confirmed dead and 40 more were “missing and presumed drowned”. Dozens of Rohingya have already died trying to cross into Bangladesh […]

This week Just Asia begins with two shocking judgments in India, in two different cases of sexual assault. In the first, the Punjab and Haryana High Court suspended the sentences of three law students convicted of raping and blackmailing their female classmate, on the basis of unrelated and irrelevant aspects of the survivor’s lifestyle. In […]

An article from Daily Times forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Salman Ali One sided history, false references, half-truths and a biased approach — this is what you will find in Pakistani textbooks. The curriculum that we are currently using in schools and colleges is simply outdated, and does not meet the local needs […]

In August 2017, the government of India had termed Rohingya refugees residing in India as “illegal immigrants”, and had conveyed its intention to deport them. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has previously condemned the genocide of Rohingya Muslims at the hands of Myanmarese security forces, as well as the proposed deportation of Rohingya refugees. While it has been […]

1. Today, on 15 September 2017, a group of 58 Asian human rights defenders, including the Chairpersons of the National Human Rights Commissions of: Indonesia, Nepal, Timor Leste, and the Philippines, having converged in the global human rights city of Gwangju, hereby expresses our deep concern about the on-going violence committed against the Rohingya people […]

A Statement from Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Darker and more dangerous: High Commissioner updates the Human Rights Council on human rights issues in 40 countries Human Rights Council 36th session Opening Statement by Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, United Nations High […]

This week Just Asia begins with Burma, where Rohingya refugees continue streaming to Bangladesh after violence erupted in Rakhine state just over a week ago. Although the Bangladesh government has a zero-tolerance refugee policy, it seems that security officials are ignoring government orders and allowing refugees to cross the border. Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch has […]

Jakarta, 2 September 2017 The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) condemns all violence against Rohingya civilians that has been escalated since Friday, 25 August 2017. The IOM has estimated that more than 18,500 Rohingya refugee fled Myanmar towards Bangladesh, and more than 100 persons died in the armed conflict. We urge the Government of both […]

This week Just Asia begins with Hong Kong, where there is much protest and outrage against the jailing of three democracy activists for their role in the 2014 Umbrella Movement. Hong Kong’s High Court sentenced Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and Alex Chow to six-eight months imprisonment for the non-violent protest related crime of unlawful assembly […]

Rohingya Muslims, an ethnic group belonging to Burma, are considered the most severely persecuted people in the world. The majority of Burma’s 800,000 strong, Muslim populace, identifies as Rohingya and have faced severe discrimination in this Buddhist-majority nation. Rohingyas are routinely denied basic rights to healthcare and livelihood. By the 1982 Burma Citizenship Law they […]

In an act of blatant discrimination against the Christian religious minority, and an infringement of Article 27 of the Constitution of Pakistan, the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has invited applications for the job of sewers from Non-Muslims only. Moreover, applicants are required to take an oath on their religious holy book – Geeta or Bible – […]

by Avinash Pandey ‘Why do armed women cut off a particular organ of Indian soldiers engaged in combating armed insurgencies across India, be it Punjab, Kashmir, Arunachal, Assam, Bengal or Jharkhand?’ asked senior opposition leader Azam Khan. The insinuation was unmistakable, and it had a basis: armed Maoists had indeed chopped off private parts of Central Reserve […]

by Avinash Pandey ‘There are no stains on my government,’ said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to the United States of America. This can only mean that the Prime Minister thinks the bloodstains of innocent Indians are not stains. In actual fact, no one can remember another time when so much blood was […]

The events that unfolded this week shockingly foretells the story of the very rapid collapse of the secular state in Sri Lanka. Although, the events around which a new melodrama unfolded in Sri Lanka were some trivial events of several warrants issued against one Buddhist monk, in which the Sri Lankan state finally proved that […]

The events that unfolded this week shockingly foretells the story of the very rapid collapse of the secular state in Sri Lanka. Although, the events around which a new melodrama unfolded in Sri Lanka were some trivial events of several warrants issued against one Buddhist monk, in which the Sri Lankan state finally proved that […]

An Open Letter from Professor A.N.I Ekanayaka, Ph.D (Lond.), DDPH.RCS (Eng.), BDS Emeritus Professor, University of Peradeniya forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) 91, Epitamulla Road, Pita Kotte, Kotte June 22, 2017 Hon Dr Wijeyadasa Rajapaksha PC Minister of Justice Dear Dr Rajapaksha, Arrogant and Foolish Attempt to Deny the Persecution of Christians […]