Legislation

An oped from the Kathmandu Post forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission On September 15 2015, twelve-year-old Ranjana Singh Kshetri, a resident of Bethari in Rupandehi district, received a bullet in the neck when she stuck her head out of the kitchen to see what was happening outside. On the same day, BinodLakaul, 48, […]

This week AHRC TV’s Just Asia begins with Burma, where four protesters already sentenced by a court in May 2015, are now facing additional charges for the same incident. Burma’s first democratic election of November 2015 has done little to curb rights violations in the country. Next, the crisis at New Delhi’s Jawarhalal Nehru University […]

An Open Letter from Rights Coalition forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) To, Karmenu Vella EU Commissioner for fisheries, maritime affairs and environment European Commission  1049 Brussels Belgium Respected Commissioner Vella, As the European Commission assesses whether Thailand has taken sufficient measures in the international fight against illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing (IUU), […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information that the high prosecutor (Kejaksaan Tinggi) in East Java province, Indonesia has announced 35 suspects in the brutal attack of two land rights activists. Although the ARHC appreciates this achievement, the investigation should be continued to uncover any alleged involvement of the state […]

While religious diversity forms the bedrock of a civilized democratic state, the right to propagate and freely practice one’s religion is strictly restricted by Pakistan’s orthodox clergy, which is bent upon imposing its own version of the state religion. There is a growing concern within the country over the shrinking social space for minorities. Far […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission’s (AHRC) partner organization the Terai Human Rights Defenders (THRD) Alliance have secured information that the Nepal police have started arresting Madhesi protesters in different cases, mostly related toevents that occurred during the 5 month long protests and blockade in the southern plains. This is a systematic trend of charging with […]

Torture, enforced disappearance, and extrajudicial killings have become endemic in the country marred by internal conflict. Rule of law and justice have become a distant dream for the victims and families of missing persons. And, disappearances, extrajudicial killings, torture in custody and arbitrary detentions, have been given legal and constitutional coverage by the government. Through […]

The trouble fomenting in Indian varsities ever since the new government came to power has now reached one of the most prestigious universities of the country, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). The stir ostensibly started after a group of students organized an event commemorating the death anniversary of Afzal Guru and called his hanging a […]

This week’s episode of Just Asia focuses on Hong Kong, where the first day of the Lunar New Year saw violent clashes between protesters and police. The unrest caused shock and increased the sense of uncertainty lingering in the wake of the disappearance of five booksellers in January. The violence erupted overnight as police attempted […]

One year has passed since the appointment of the new government. Undoubtedly, some changes have taken place and further changes are being discussed. However, there is one very important – perhaps the most important – issue, which has been entirely ignored. This fundamental omission concerns the stability of Sri Lanka as a nation; it is […]

In this episode, Just Asia continues to cover critical human rights flashpoints in Asia. In Pakistan, three employees of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) have been killed in clashes near the Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, on February 3. The employees were on a countrywide protest against privatization of the national airlines. Around 30 persons have also been […]

A 21-year-old woman committed suicide by hanging herself on 28 January 2016. In her suicide note the woman wrote about the most obvious and the ugly truth of India: that of losing faith in the country’s criminal justice process. She wrote: “Please mummy, papa forgive me. I will not get justice anymore, nor will I […]

On February 2, the Pakistan Rangers, who have been given unbridled powers by the Federal government, have taken into custody four trade union leaders. These leaders were picked up from different locations in Karachi. Since then their whereabouts are unknown. The Sindh police deny having the men in their custody; the Rangers are yet to […]

Since inception, Pakistan has been at war with its own citizens; time and again the State has indulged in gross human rights violation to muzzle voices of dissent. Ethnic Balochis have especially suffered discrimination and stigmatization, by successive military and civil governments. Due to State negligence, Baluchistan remains the least developed province even though its […]

RohithVemula’s suicide will not be just another suicide in the statistical records of the National Crime Records Bureau. It will not be so in the same way the 2006 massacre in Khairlanjiwas not. These two cases separated by almost a decade,are far more than a statistic of ordinary crime, such as that committed in a […]

Kishali Pinto Jayawardena Several wickedly problematic tragi-comedies are playing on Sri Lanka’s political stage right now, none of which are to the benefit of the country. Why was no deterrent action taken earlier? The spectacle of mad monks running amok in the Homagama Magistrate’s Court abusing the magistrate, the lawyers and the wife of disappeared […]

In this episode of Just Asia, AHRC TV continues its coverage of the saga of the missing Hong Kong book publishers. One of the five abducted men, Gui Minhai, has turned up on Chinese State television making a “confession” for a years-old alleged drink driving offence. Gui vanished three months ago from holiday in Thailand […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been closely monitoring incidents in Nepal’s Terai. The AHRC had been eagerly waiting for the government and the agitating forces to strike a deal. However, today, even after 6 months of standstill, there is no progression. The government has not discarded its killing attitude; protests and killings are […]

A Press Release from the Kachin Women’s Association Thailand (KWAT) and Legal Aid Network (LAN) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) New report exposes systematic cover-up of Myanmar Army involvement in Kachin rape-murder case A new report exposes the systematic cover-up of the Myanmar Army’s involvement in the rape-murder of two Kachin teachers […]

Sri Lanka Citizens’ Organisations ව්‍යවස්ථා සංශෝධන කමිටුව වෙත ඉදිරිපත් කරනු ලබන අදහස් හා යෝජනා මෙම ලේඛණය ඉදිරිපත් කරනු ලබන්නේ මෙහි අගදී සඳහන් වන ශ්‍රී ලාංකීය රටවැසියන් හා සංවිධාන මඟිනි. ව්‍යවස්ථා සංශෝධන කමිටුව ඉදිරියේ පැවරි ඇත්තේ බැ?රුම් වගකීමකි. එම වගකීම ඉටු කිරිම සඳහා උපරිම සහය දීම සියළුම රටවැසියන්ගේත් රටේ පවතින සියළුම සංවිධාන වලත් වැදගත් යුතු කමක් […]