Judicial system

Adilur Rahman Khan, Human Rights Defender of Bangladesh; AHRC File Photo Mr. Adilur Rahman Khan, a renowned human rights defender, who has been relentlessly persecuted by the incumbent regime in Bangladesh, has been recognized for his courage by the global human rights community. Adilur has been awarded the 2014 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights, which he […]

23rd April 2014, Colombo, Sri Lanka: The Complaint filed by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) and its Executive Director (Complaint No: HRC/3083/13) before the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) against the Independent Television Network of Sri Lanka (ITN) and its Chairmen will be taken up for hearing tomorrow (Thursday, 24th April 2014) […]

• Labeling of lawyers by military continues • Practice of labeling root cause of extrajudicial killings • Pattern of ongoing threats against legal profession Philippines, 23 April 2014 – Lawyers for Lawyers (L4L) and Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada (LRWC) warn in an open letter to President Aquino of the Philippines for the continued labeling of lawyers […]

The ‘Standing Committee on Rule of Law of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka’ condemns the behavior of the members of the ‘Bodu Bala Sena’ who stormed Nipon Hotel where a group of Buddhist monks headed by Rev Watareka Vijitha Thero and other representatives of Civil Society organizations were holding a press conference to explain […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) appreciates the Supreme Court of India’s initiative to institute a panel that will suggest measures to prevent road accidents and to ensure road safety in the country. The court has set up the panel after hearing a public interest litigation, filed by Dr. S. Rajaseekaran, (295/2012) which requested judicial […]

(Hong Kong, April 23, 2014) Yesterday, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada and his delegation arrived in Hong Kong reportedly to offer an apology on behalf of the City of Manila to the victims and families of the 2010 Manila bus hostage incident. In August 2010, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) had also expressed its concerns and […]

‘Lawyers for Democracy’ condemn the harassment of the editor of Lakbima Newspaper, Sman Wagaarachchi by calling him to appear before the CID for questioning for the mere reasons that the caption to a photograph published in the paper has caused embarrassment to a party.   While conceding that it may have coursed embarrassment, we are surprised […]

The Supreme Court of India and its subordinate courts have, over the past six decades, issued more than a dozen directives and orders prohibiting the practice of manual scavenging in India. The evil practice, of literally carrying human faeces or cleaning the same from public toilets, is widespread in the country. In most cases the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that brick kiln owners, with the patronage of the Punjab provincial government, have been holding children, women, and men in illegal detention. Women who have been demanding compliance of the minimum wage and social security have been beaten, their clothes stripped, and their children […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) appreciates the observations made by the Supreme Court of India that the Indian criminal justice process will immensely benefit from crime investigating agencies adopting scientific investigation methods. The apex court has said that the old style of conducting investigations, relying on confession statements and oral evidence in criminal trials, […]

The collusion between the Pakistan military and the Taliban is so strong that the military does not want to hold an operation in North Waziristan If anything flagrant is to be noticed in North Waziristan, it is the lack of seriousness and the obvious collusion of the state with the terrorists organisations based in that […]

(Hong Kong, April 14, 2014) On April 12, Al Jazeera broadcasted a report, titled: “Philippine farmers fight for land rights” indicating that none of those involved in the massacre of farmers in Hacienda Luisita, owned by the family of current President Benigno Aquino III, have been punished for the massacre ten years on. Below is the transcript of Al […]

Civil society organisations working for the protection of the rights of fishermen in Pakistan and India have launched a month-long joint campaign from April to May this year on both sides of the border to ensure release of fishermen and find permanent solution to avoid disturbing the fisher people of the two countries. Spokesman for […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) congratulates the people of India for their participation to elect the 16th Lok Sabha. The process has attracted, as usual, considerable media attention across the world. Media claims the process to be ‘the largest democratic exercise of the world.’ Contestants are in what may be termed as a lobbying overdrive. […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission has learned about the death of Pawan, a sanitation worker who died while cleaning sewerage in Chauka Ghat, Varanasi, in the state of Uttar Pradesh. As per news reports, Pawan entered a manhole without protective gear. This occurred despite the practice of manual cleaning of human excreta, in any form […]

The journalists reporting on the two conflicts, namely Taliban militancy and the Baloch insurgency are faced with double jeopardy. They walk a tight rope while reporting The recent attack on the Express Television anchor, columnist and consulting editor for the Friday Times, Raza Rumi indicates the serious threats faced by Pakistani journalists in their line […]

The Supreme Court, Pakistan Army and Balochistan government unite to shield the military perpetrators in cases of disappearances The case of the disappearance of Mr. Ali Asghar Bangulzai and the manner in which the courts and the military are dealing with the case shows a remarkable lack of sensitivity and exposes the invisible adherence of […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is concerned about the case of a group of farmers who were accused of trespassing and destroying the teak field of a company, NRDC, in the forest reserve area in which the farmer had been growing their paddy for years. They were prosecuted and locked up in […]

A man entered a gutter to clean it and fainted in the bad air. His comrade waiting outside realized this and entered the gutter to save him. He too fainted. They both died of asphyxiation. This happened a mere two days after Supreme Court outlawed manual scavenging again, and ordering, not ‘directing’, the states to […]

Today the AHRC releases the 24th Episode of the Human Rights Asia Weekly Roundup.  In this week’s programme we report on the encouraging peace agreement which has been signed in Mindanao, putting an end to a 40-year-old conflict between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Philippine government. In Qatar, hundreds of migrant workers have died […]