Human rights defenders

by Basil Fernando The existence of a mass grave may come to the notice of the public by many different ways; a statement by a witness made during a court hearing – as in the case of Chemmani Mass Graves: discoveries of some scattered remains of bones by workers when digging a site for constructions […]

A group of human rights defenders in northeast Thailand are facing death threats and a defamation case in court over their attempts to protect community resources against a gold mining operation. According to Rights Coalition and Community Resource Centre Foundation (CRC), the Khon Rak Ban Kerd group of human rights defenders was formed in 2007 […]

A Joint Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders [a joint programme of FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)], and Odhikar The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, the Asian Human Rights Commission, and Odhikar urge the global human rights community to […]

A Press Release from the Cross Cultural Foundation (CrCF) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has issued the order no. 13/2559 on 29 March 2016 titled, “The Prevention and Suppression of Certain Offences Detrimental to the Maintenance of Public Order or Harmful to the National […]

This week’s episode of Just Asia begins in Pakistan, where Easter Sunday was marked with a suicide bomb blast killing 78 persons, mostly Christian women and children, and injuring more than 350 others, including Muslims. The blast occurred in a park, devastating families who had come to enjoy their holiday. A local organization with links […]

Twelve years after the disappearance of Somchai Neelaphaijit, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) calls upon the Thai authorities to begin a new investigation into Somchai’s case, and to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. Somchai Neelaphaijit was a noted a lawyer and human rights defender in Thailand. […]

An article from International Coalition Against Enforced Disappearances (ICAED)forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission The International Coalition Against Enforced Disappearances (ICAED) has published a Primer on the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance for NGOs. Prof. Emmanuel Decaux,President of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED)has written the Preface of […]

A Press Release from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) On 26 March 2016, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has ordered military officers to arrest Mr. Worachai Hema, a former MP, at his residence. The officers did not inform his family and relatives of […]

This week’s episode begins with Indonesia, where the trial of 26 human rights defenders began on March 21. The criminal charges against them are believed to be part of the government’s effort to end demands for labour welfare and for the cancellation of Government Regulation No. 78, which supports cheap labor in Indonesia. Just Asia […]

A Statement from Human Rights Lawyer Association (HRLA) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) by Gen. Chalermchai Sitthisat, Deputy Chief of Staff of the NCPO, acting on behalf of the Chief of Staff, issued a most urgent letter dated 16 March 2016 addressed to the director […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the murder of a Pakistani human rights defender Ms. Perveen Rehman on 13 March 2013. Since then, the government has failed to conduct an investigation or arrest the murderer/s. A petition about her case is pending in the Supreme Court since July 2013. […]

The bail finally granted to Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya is welcome. Despite the media gaze, it took almost a month for the students, who are accused of sedition on flimsy grounds, to be released. This showcases the nature of Indian Magistracy, and yet the repeated rejection of their bail […]

Just Asia is pleased to announce its new website www.alrc.asia/justasia. All episodes of the news programme can now be viewed there. This week, Burma’s Parliament elected Htin Kyaw as the country’s civilian President after decades of military government. Prevented from becoming president by a constitutional clause, Aung San Suu Kyi has said she will be “above […]

An Article by Camelia Nathaniel, titled ‘A Clear Indictment On Sri Lanka Police”, published in the Sunday Leader of 18March 2016, forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2016/01/24/a-clear-indictment-on-sri-lanka-police/ By Camelia Nathaniel The National Police Commission (NPC) has so far received 752 complaints against the police from October 21, 2015 to date. According to the secretary […]

A Press Release from Cross Cultural Foundation (CrCF) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) On 13 March 2016, the Cho-airong Hospital was laid siege by an unknown group of armed insurgents. It was further reported that more than 20 armed men with war weapons have raided and taken control of the hospital and […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learnt that the only person facing charges in the murder case of human rights defender Mr. Chai Boontonglek, has been acquitted by the Wieng Sra Provincial Court. Mr. Boontonglek was murdered on 11 February 2015, and is the fourth human rights defender killed in Khlong Sai […]

Dear Friends, The situation in Chattisgarh is veering out of control. Activist lawyers of the Jagdalpur Legal Aid Group, journalist Malini Subramaniam, and activist and politician Soni Sori have been harassed, threatened, and subject to violence. The attacks on their person and freedom of movement expose the situation in Chattisgarh to be dire. It is […]

A Statement from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Over 30 police and military officers have raided and arrested Mr. Sarawut Bamrungkittikhun, admin of the “PeodPraden” (Open Issues) Facebook page from his residence in Suratthani since 9 March 2016. Today, 16 March 2016, the Thai Lawyers for Human […]

An ominous open tweet threatening to expose “media bosses” would perhaps be the last thing to expect from member of Indian Parliament and media honcho, even if this is someone who is under investigation for “defrauding” publicly owned IDBI bank of INR Rupees 900 Crore. This is all the more surprising given that this corporate […]

The government’s trend of arresting political leaders and cadres at the forefront of recent Madhes protest, in order to weaken the ongoing Madhes movement, continues. Earlier, 11 front-line leaders and cadres were arrested by the government in the Terai, something the Asian Human Rights Commission addressed its statement released on 24 February 2016. Thereafter, last week, two […]