International human rights mechanisms

SOUTH KOREA: The internal malpractice in the judiciary invites miscarriage of justice

The judiciary is that branch of the state which adjudicates on conflicts between state institutions, between the state and the individual and between individuals. The judiciary is independent of both legislature and the executive. This is a feature of judicial independence which is of prime importance, both in relation to the government according to law […]

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 […]

PAKISTAN: Saleem Shahzad case -rule of law or rule of ISI?

Freedom of expression is one of the essential pre-requirements for the practice, protection and promotion of democracy. If we are to speak of a democratic Pakistan we need to examine, whether the media is free. Each and every day media professionals are facing threats of kidnapping or murder for telling the truth. The truth about […]

SRI LANKA: Drama on the Ah

If a girl sits badly, it is up to her mother to cover her thighs. – Orma (Kenyan) Proverb Again, it works, doesn’t it? But for how long you are going to trap the public with this same strategy which has different faces? When the person who has abused power and undermined the basic rights of […]

NEPAL: Ratification of the third Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child on a Communications Procedure

An Open Letter from the Asian Human Rights Commission, Advocacy Forum, Concern for Children and Environment (Concern) Nepal, Backward Society Education (BASE) Nepal and Himalayan Human Rights Monitors (Himrights) to the Prime Minister of Nepal   To, Rt. Hon. Dr. Baburam Bhattarai Prime Minister of Nepal Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Nepal Singh […]

BANGLADESH: HR violations are evident

Dear friends, We wish to share with you the following editorial published by the Daily Star, an English-speaking national daily newspaper of Bangladesh, on 17 January 2012. The original editorial can be available for the readers at: http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=218604. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ————- An Editorial from the Daily Star forwarded by the Asian Human […]

PHILIPPINES: Inability to protect has created a ‘parallel system’

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on the Occasion of the International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2011 The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) today published its 25-page report containing its analyses on what it has observed as the irreparable ‘social and systemic impact’ of the ongoing violations of human rights in the […]

SRI LANKA: International human rights agencies failed to notice the collapse of the Sri Lanka’s public institutions of justice

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on the Occasion of the International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2011 The international community, including leading human rights agencies and organisations, has failed to understand the depth of collapse of rule of law in Sri Lanka and have failed to make any effective intervention in this […]

BURMA: Abuses remain “systemic, entrenched”, AHRC warns

(Hong Kong, December 9, 2011) Despite signs of political change and the easing of restrictions on freedom of expression in Burma, rights abuses remain “systemic, deeply entrenched and vast in scale”, the Asian Human Rights Commission said today in its annual State of Human Rights in Asia report.   The 17-page Burma report, entitled “From blinkered […]

INDIA: Human rights a utopia without justice

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on the Occasion of the International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2011 The state of human rights in a country is directly proportional to the extent of justice achieved in that jurisdiction. Justice is not a physically quantifiable concept. It is “truth in action” as held by […]

PAKISTAN: The government dodges the international community on civil and political rights

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on the Occasion of the International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2011 The full report is available for download at http://www.humanrights.asia/resources/hrreport/2011/AHRC-SPR-008-2011/view. The state has become dysfunctional in providing basic human rights to the people. Though the parliament exists it either cannot assert its constitutional duties or does not […]

SOUTH KOREA: Human Rights in 2011 – Systematic setup to restrict rights vs. systematic failure to protect rights

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on the Occasion of the International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2011 On the occasion of the International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2011 the AHRC is publishing the annual report on the State of Human Rights in South Korea in 2011. The full report is available […]

BANGLADESH: State appears bankrupt in protecting rights

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on the Occasion of the International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2011 International Human Rights Day is going to be ‘observed’ in Bangladesh amidst numerous victims facing gross abuses of human rights without an access to legal remedies from the existing criminal justice system. On the eve […]

NEPAL: Commitments to accountability and justice continue to be jeopardized in 2011

Statement | Nepal | 07-12-2011

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on the Occasion of the International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2011 On the occasion of the 63rd Human Rights Day, the Asian Human Rights Commission is releasing its annual report on the state of human rights protection in Nepal through 2011. The report is available here. Given […]

INDONESIA: Human Rights in 2011 – The Decay of Pancasila and Constitutional Protections

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on the Occasion of the International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2011 On the occasion of the International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2011 the AHRC publishes its annual report on the State of Human Rights in Indonesia in 2011. The full report will be made available […]

SRI LANKA: Concluding observations of the Committee against Torture

Dear friends, We wish to share with you the following statement from the Committee against Torture at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ————- 1. The Committee considered the combined third and fourth periodic report of Sri Lanka (CAT/C/LKA/3-4) at its 1030th and 1033rd meetings, […]

SRI LANKA: International Commission of Jurists – Submission to UNCAT Committee — Sri Lanka

The International Commission of Jurists has recently forwarded a submission to the United Nations Committee against Torture. We present here the executive summary. The full report may be found at http://alrc.net/PDF/ICJ_CAT47_SriLanka_Submission_2011.pdf. Executive Summary In this submission the ICJ provides alternative replies to some of the questions raised in the List of Issues to be considered during […]

CAMBODIA: Trial Chamber announces date for opening of the substantive hearing in case 002

The Trial Chamber today announced that opening statements in the trial in Case 002 will commence at 9.00 a.m. on Monday 21 November 2011 in the ECCC Main Courtroom and continue over the following days. The hearing of evidence in this case will begin on Monday 28 November 2011. The Initial Hearing in Case 002, […]

Human Rights and Democratic Governance

(This is the text of a presentation at A Consultation on Peace and Security in Asia and Ecumenical Responses held on August 1-6, 2011, organized by WCC and CCA) As a start we may try to reflect on some of the concerns expressed by the participants of this meeting who have spoken so far. One […]

PHILIPPINES/ASIA: The AHRC questions the membership of former President Arroyo in the International Commission against the Death Penalty (ICDP)

An Open Letter from the Asian Human Rights Commission to Mr. Federico Mayor, President of the International Commission against the Death Penalty Mr. Federico Mayor President International Commission against the Death Penalty C/o The Secretariat Edificio Torres Ágora, Serrano Galvache 26, 28071 Madrid SPAIN Tel: +34 91 394 89 53 Email: asunta.vivo@icomdp.org Dear Mr. Mayor, […]