Human rights defenders

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that three peasant community organizers who were illegally arrested, tortured and laid with questionable charges in November 23, 2009 are still being detained. They were held for 17 days in a military camp on the pretext of being a security risk where they […]

After the Yongsan incident took place in January 21, 2009 (please also refer to AHRC-FUA-001-2009), the bodies of those killed during the incident had been kept in the Soon Chun Hyang University Hospital in Seoul. Their relatives had stayed in the hospital together with rights activists against whom the arrest warrants were issued since the incident […]

Menghaobi, alias Ms. Irom Chanu Sharmila, more known as Manipur’s beacon of peace and hope, received the Lifetime Achievement Award on 26 January. Sharmila shares the award with Mr. Tenzing Tsude, Prof. Hassan Mansoor, Fr. Claude, Mr. Abhay Sahoo, Mr. Prasanta Paikray, Mr. Cherkadi Rama Chandra Rao, Mr. H. Ganapati Appa Sagara, Ms. Anasuyamma Allalasandra […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been closely following the case of democracy activist Kyaw Zaw Lwin, whom the military regime in Burma has accused of involvement in a bombing plot. Authorities at the airport arrested him in September 2009 and he has been tried for a number of offences but none […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and the Front Line are pleased to inform you of the release of Mr. Jiten Yumnam and seven other persons from custody in Manipur state, India. The administration released the detainees on 7 January. Jiten is a human rights defender and freelance journalist working in the Indian state of […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a human rights defender is under death threats from retired army men for arranging a love marriage for a girl from a higher caste with a person from a lower caste. The police of the area could not provide security for the couple […]

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), condemns the wave of arrests hitting dozens of human rights defenders since yesterday, including journalist Emad Baghi and the sister of co-founder of the Defenders of Human Rights […]

23 December 2009 His Excellency the Prime Minister CC: H.E. Minister of Justice Director General of Department of Special Investigation Since your ascension to the premiership, you have fervently declared to public your intention to set up a special committee to restore inquiries into important cases that have gained much attention from society. Previous governments […]

(“We don’t care about it, we don’t know about it” – the Acting Head of the Provincial Police)     As it has been widely reported, 57 people-including two human rights lawyers and 30 journalists – were slaughtered on November 23 in Maguindanao, a province in central Mindanao. While much of the stories and worldwide […]

Dear Friends,   The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes with deep regrets with regard to the lack of substantial progress in the investigation of the murder of an activist we reported to have been killed on November 28, 2005. His wife has yet to obtain a copy of the official reinvestigation report into his […]

On 23 October 2009, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights defenders, Ms. Margaret Sekaggya (Uganda), called on States in the Third Committee of the General Assembly to do away with laws that required NGOs to register before they could operate. She was concerned that States were increasingly using security and counter-terrorism laws or more […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received details of a new case brought against a human rights defender who has for some years worked to support the land rights of farmers in Burma. U Aye Myint, was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment this September on a spurious charge of threatening to injure […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that intimidation tactics are being used against a group advocating labour rights. Men giving a military impression have been openly surveying the office in shifts and photographing visitors to the building. Three of the men also beckoned a volunteer to them, late one night. These […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) deeply regrets to inform you of the death by shooting of an urban poor leader and her son in Quezon City, Metro Manila on October 9, 2009. The victims were shot at close range by security guards when they tried to prevent them from fencing off their […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that police and government officials have refused to look into a case of corruption and sponsored thuggery in a Varanasi village, where leaders are abusing a government scheme to relieve poverty. Human rights activists and villagers were beaten by an organised gang in a village […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is distressed to learn that human rights defender and freelance journalist Jiten Yumnam has been tortured by police in custody. We have also obtained court documents which show that he and the seven other accused were arrested on mere suspicion and unsubstantiated allegations. The documents stand as […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is extremely concerned for the safety of human rights defender and freelance journalist Jiten Yumnam, who it has learned, has been arrested and detained in Manipur. Jiten was reportedly taken into custody by officers from the Manipur State Police Special Commando Unit stationed at Imphal West Police […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) deeply regrets to inform you that a Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Davao City, southern Mindanao, has denied a human rights lawyer temporary judicial protection via a Writ of Amparo petition. The court ruled that he failed to prove ‘by substantial evidence’ that the inclusion of his […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a leading rights activist and partner of the AHRC has been accused of criminal defamation by the former deputy chief of Indonesia’s State Intelligence Agency, after he testified against the latter for his involvement in the murder of Munir Said Thalib. Munir is […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a human rights lawyer who offers free legal counsel to victims of the country’s harsh blasphemy laws, has escaped an attempt on his life and is receiving continual death threats from Muslim fundamentalist groups. Local police officers have repeatedly rebuffed his requests for […]