Human rights defenders

SRI LANKA: Legal arguments against the proposal to present the draft Constitution

The basic legal argument against the proposal to present the draft Constitution is as follows; The proposal is based on a false premise as it denies the process of the making of the Constitution whereas it must provide everyone and every group of people the right of participation as it is a Constitution of the […]

INDONESIA: Investigate the 2014 Paniai Case: The Attorney General Needs to Examine the Involvement of the TNI Commander in the Paniai Case

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) supports the Commission for the Disappearances and Victim of Violence (KontraS) highlighting several things about the beginning of an investigation of serious human rights violations in Paniai, Papua that occurred on 7 – 8 December 2014 by the Attorney General’s Office. Previously, the AHRC has issued an urgent appeal […]

WORLD: Desmond Tutu: The man who revived the moral universe

Article | World | 29-12-2021

By Basil Fernando Archbishop Desmond Tutu who passed away this week will be counted among the great human beings who have contributed on the one hand for the great political transformation of his own country, and a person who has revolutionized the idea of achieving equality even under the most difficult circumstances. His great achievement […]

SRI LANKA: Court order prohibiting Human Rights Day event in Kandy

A Statement from Human Rights Office Kandy forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Human Rights Office Kandy (HROK) had organized an event to celebrate international Human Rights Day on 11th December 2021 in Kandy, based on the theme “Ensure the Prisoners their Dignity and Rights to Human Conditions”. As in previous such events, a […]

NEPAL: THE STATE IS FAILING ITS CITIZENS

Statement | Nepal | 10-12-2021

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on the occasion of the 73rd International Human Rights Day Nepal underwent its third cycle of the UN Human Rights Council’s Periodic Review (UPR) in Geneva in January 2021. Nepal has ratified over 24 various human rights conventions and declarations but has been weak in its implementation. […]

INDONESIA: A police officer who slammed a student activist must be prosecuted under the fair trial principle

On Wednesday, October 13, 2021, a video with a duration of approximately 45 seconds circulated, which once again showed the brutality of a police officer. Here is the video link. In the video, a police officer can be seen slamming a participant of a demonstration onto the sidewalk, causing the person concerned to lie down and […]

BANGLADESH: Sweeping Empowerment of Executive Authorities with Impunity in Personal Data Protection Bill will Endanger Rights Activism and Research

Bangladesh’s incumbent Government is about to adopt a new law titled “Personal Data Protection Bill” (PDP Bill). Citing the excuse of protecting the right to protection of citizens’ personal data the Bangladesh Government copied the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) of 2016. They revised it, fitting to the conveniences of an authoritarian rule. It has drastically […]

INDONESIA: Dozens of International Human Rights Organizations Encourage the Protection of Human Rights Defenders in Indonesia

Hong Kong, 12 October, 2021 The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC), the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT), the Frontline Defenders, the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC), the International Network of Civil Liberties Organizations (INCLO), the CIVICUS, the Capital Punishment Justice Project (CPJP), and the Franciscans International […]

SRI LANKA: If I was the Minister of Finance

An article from Chandra Jayaratne forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission By Chandra Jayaratne If I was the Minister of Finance, I will seek the concurrence of the President, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Colleague to structure the 2022 National budget on the undernoted Core Change Management Principles , Key Action Strategies and […]

BANGLADESH: Jibon or Jibika: The struggle for life and livelihood amid pandemic

An article from ubinig.org forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Introduction Conventional narratives, mostly nationalist, statist and GDP centered neo-liberal statistical accounts of development, outright miss or intentionally exclude certain salient facts about the stylized story of Bangladesh development. Bangladesh has been born through a bloody liberation struggle, but nationalist narrative exclude the fact that it […]

INDONESIA: Public Defenders under the Indonesia Legal Aid Foundation face terror and intimidation

ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION – URGENT APPEALS PROGRAM Urgent Appeal Case: AHRC-UAC-010-2021  September 24, 2021 ——————————————————————— INDONESIA: Public Defenders under the Indonesia Legal Aid Foundation face terror and intimidation ISSUES: ISSUES: Fabricated cases, terror and intimidation, human rights defenders, administration of justice —————————————- Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from […]

SRI LANKA: “Should we take the High Commissioner’s statement seriously?” A comment on a TV discussion

By Basil Fernando A discussion on the statement made by the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner (HC) for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, at the 48th Session of the UN Human Rights Council on 13th September 2021, was held on the same day in a television programme, and it is now available on YouTube. The moderator […]

INDONESIA: Two Human Rights defenders receive warning letters after criticizing the Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment

ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION – URGENT APPEALS PROGRAM Urgent Appeal Case: AHRC-UAC-008-2021  September 15, 2021 ——————————————————————— INDONESIA: Two Human Rights defenders receive warning letters after criticizing the Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment. ISSUES: freedom of expression and opinion, access to justice, fair trial —————————————- Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received […]

SRI LANKA: A Cruel Government Supports Torture by Opposing Preventive Law

An amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure allowing the Magistrates to visit places of detention has been turned into a political issue by a section of the government and by some extreme nationalist elements. What this means is that the opposition to the amendment is supporting the continuous practice of torture in Sri Lanka. […]

ASIA: NEGLECT and LOSS (Number 07)

The link to the newsletter is as follows Neglect and loss is a newsletter containing reports and commentaries on current problems in several Asian countries. Today, we are issuing the Seventh (7) newsletter in this series. The purpose of the newsletter is to highlight many forms of unnecessary human suffering imposed on ordinary people in these […]

MYANMAR: International Community needs decisive actions to end militarism for establishing democracy and human rights

An Oral Statement to the 47th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council from the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) Madam President: As there are profound concerns over the latest military coup in Myanmar and subsequent violence offends the conscience of humanity, the urgent questions before the international community should be what to do […]

ASIA: Arbitrary Detention Continues with Denial of Access to Justice and Increases Poverty

An Oral Statement to the 47th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council from the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) Madam President: The report of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention focusing on drug policies sheds lights on the darker sides of the justice mechanisms of many States. It also indicates the attitudes of […]

INDIA: A torturous wait for the end of torture

Statement | India | 28-06-2021

Even as the world commemorated the International Day in support of Victims of Torture as per the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT), there seems to be no end of torture for the foreseeable future in India. In fact, forget urgency, authorities in India seem to […]

INDONESIA: Reforming the Criminal Law Procedure is a Must to Prevent Torture

Torture is still taking place in Indonesia. There is a serious gap between national regulation and international Human Rights Laws. Indonesia is a State Party to two important international human rights instruments. They are the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading […]

বাংলাদেশ: পুলিশী নির্যাতনের প্রাতিষ্ঠানিকতা বন্ধ করতে বিচার ব্যবস্থার আমূল সংস্কার দরকার।

২৬ জুন – নির্যাতিতদের সমর্থনে জাতিসংঘ ঘোষিত আন্তর্জাতিক দিবস উপলক্ষ্যে এশিয়ান হিউম্যান রাইটস্ কমিশনের বিবৃতি বাংলাদেশে পুলিশের মহাপরিদর্শক বেনজির আহমেদ দাবি করেছেন “সন্ত্রাস ও জঙ্গিবাদ দমনে বাংলাদেশ পুলিশের পেশাদারিত্ব, সাহসিকতা ও অভাবনীয় সাফল্য সর্বমহলে প্রশংসিত হয়েছে”। ১৪ জনু রাজশাহীর সারদায় পুলিশ সাব-ইন্সপেক্টরদের প্রশিক্ষণ সমাপনী কুচকাওয়াজ শেষে এক বক্তব্যে তিনি এমন দাবি করেছেন। যেকোনো রাষ্ট্রের আইন […]