Human rights defenders

NEPAL: Community threatened with eviction, no alternative housing offered or provided

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the threat of forced eviction faced by thousands of slum dwellers. According to the information we received from WOREC and the National Alliance of Women Human Rights Defenders the government is planning to evict thousands of landless slum dwellers living along the banks […]

BANGLADESH: Arbitrary arrests and detention must end immediately

The people of Bangladesh are living in a tense situation prior to a mass rally in Dhaka on March 12, 2012 called by the opposition parties against the ruling regime. The opposition political parties, led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, have organised a march towards Dhaka, on March 12 which is aimed at showing their […]

INDIA: GHE fear at New Delhi

Statement | India | 09-03-2012

INDIA: GHE fear at New Delhi Reading the proposed draft resolution mooted at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) concerning human rights in Sri Lanka, one cannot help wonder why India did not propose such a resolution before? Today by delaying in arriving at a decision, whether to support the resolution or not, India has once […]

SRI LANKA: Forwarded Open Letter from La Via Campesina to the authorities in solidarity with Herman Kumara

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward to you the following open letter from La Via Campesina to the authorities in Sri Lanka. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ——- An Open Letter from La Via Campesina forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) Please note that the AHRC has […]

INDIA: A corpse of rights without justice at its soul

Article | India | 29-02-2012

One of the sad truths that we have to live with today is that the people’s struggles for human rights are highly fragmented in India. Equally disheartening is the fact that whenever or wherever human rights comes up for discussion, it is addressed in piecemeal, ignoring and leaving far behind a comprehensive approach to rights […]

SRI LANKA: A plot to kill or otherwise harm the human rights defender Herman Kumara

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Herman Kumara, a well-respected Sri Lankan human rights defender has received a number of death threats after he helped organize fishermen in protest of rising fuel prices. Soon after, he was followed by a group of people in a white van who […]

BANGLADESH: Rights activists and inhabitants of Mayadip are under threat by illegal sand-miners in connivance with the police and civil administration

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding continuous death threats to environmental rights activists at Sonargaon in Narayanganj district for resisting the illegal mining of sand from the Meghna Rivera that threatens the existence of 900 families living in Mayadip and Nunertek islands under the Sonargaon sub-district of Narayanganj. […]

THAILAND: Trial of ten activists charged for protesting against undemocratic legislation tomorrow

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is calling for court observers at the resumption of the trial of ten activists, who are being prosecuted under Criminal Code on trespassing and coercion in relation to peaceful protest that was held on 12 December 2007 in Thailand. The Black case No. is 4383/2553. The trial […]

PAKISTAN: A human rights defender suffers an illegal and unwarranted raid by the Rangers

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a leader of a fisher folk rights-based movement and human rights activist was threatened with abduction and death by a Lieutenant Colonel of the Pakistan Rangers on 9 February 2012. At around midnight, 20-25 rangers cordoned off his house and entered it without […]

THAILAND: Trial of webmaster charged for computer crime resumes tomorrow

[RE: AHRC-FPR-006-2011: THAILAND: Calling to observe for court trial of Chiranuch Premchaiporn, director of Prachatai website, on 4 – 17 February 2011, 9.00am – 4.00pm at the Criminal Court] ——————————————————————— Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is calling for court observers at the resumption of the trial of Chiranuch Premchaiporn, director of the […]

SOUTH KOREA: Rising attacks on rights defenders under the National Security Act

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to strongly protest against the search and seizure of seven places including the offices of several rights group and of houses belonging to their staff by National Intelligence Service (NIS) on February 9, 2012 under the National Security Act (NSA) and is concerned with the increase in legal […]

SOUTH KOREA: Appeal against a lawyer should be withdrawn

[RE: AHRC-UAC-083-2010: SOUTH KOREA: A criminal charge filed against a lawyer for providing legal advice] ——————————————————————— The State of Human Rights in South Korea in 2011 http://www.humanrights.asia/resources/hrreport/2011/AHRC-SPR-010-2011/view ——————————————————————— Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the case of Mr. Kwon Young-gook, a lawyer who faced criminal charges for obstruction the […]

PAKISTAN: Shahzad Commission results marred by free ride for ISI

Government has to Take on Military and Intelligence Services and end Impunity  (New York, January 30, 2012) – The Pakistani government should redouble efforts to find the killers of the journalist Saleem Shahzad, following the failure of the judicial inquiry commission to identify those responsible, Human Rights Watch said today. The commission concluded in its […]

PAKISTAN: A human rights defender working on fishermen’s rights was killed by land grabbers

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a fisher folk activist and human rights defender was attacked and killed by land grabbers in December 2011. Three persons were injured in the attack and they have not been provided any medical assistance by the authorities The police were reluctant to file […]

PHILIPPINES: Protect journalist facing threats to his life

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes with deep concern that a community journalist had been threatened for condemning the murder of his colleague in General Santos City. The threats made to him sent via his mobile phone cannot be taken lightly as there had been a pattern of targeted attacks against journalists […]

PHILIPPINES: False murder charges on activist must be dropped

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes with deep concern on the continued prosecution of Temogen “Cocoy” Tulawie, a human rights defender, for murder charges based on evidence taken by way of forced confessions. We call on the Department of Justice to (DoJ) to drop the charges on him promptly due to serious […]

PHILIPPINES: The concept of human rights stands accused in trial of Sulu activist

The continued prosecution of human rights activist Temogen “Cocoy” Tulawie, on murder charges based on forced confessions, indicates how human rights are understood in his society of Sulu, and by the public officials ruling it. The case against him questions not only the legality of evidence or the denial of due process, but also reveals […]

PHILIPPINES: Arrest and detention of human rights defender Mr Temogen Tulawie

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward to you the following press release from Front Line Defenders regarding the case of Temogen “Cocoy” Tulawie. You can also visit http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/17068  to take action. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ————- A Press Release from Front Line Defenders forwarded by the Asian Human Rights […]

PHILIPPINES: Temogen Tulawie case – prosecutors uses forced confessions as evidence

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned by the continued prosecution of Temogen “Cocoy” Tulawie, a human rights defender of Tausug roots (one of the indigenous Muslim tribes), and four of his co-accused, for charges of murder in connection with a bombing incident on May 13, 2009 in Patikul, Sulu. The evidence against them was […]

SRI LANKA: The New Year Wish List- 2012

All Sri Lankans will wish that the coming year will not be like the last one and, in fact, that it be different from previous years also, years in which deep insecurity has been prevailing due to the failure of the political system, resulting in serious problems in the legal system. People reduced to powerlessness […]