Military

NEPAL: A travesty of justice – military personnel who tortured 15 year old Maina Sunuwar to death must be tried by a civil court

Statement | Nepal | 04-09-2006

Maina Sunawar was 15 years old when members of the Nepalese armed forces arbitrarily arrested her. Since this date – February 17, 2004 – she has disappeared. All the evidence indicates that she was tortured to death by members of the military, who have since sought to deny her arrest and cover up her death. […]

INDIA: Army officer in Manipur threatened, intimidated and allegedly tortured student union activists who were on their way to meet the Chief Minister of the state for a peace talk as per the Minister’s invitation

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed of yet another incident of intimidation and inhuman treatment by the Indian Army officers from Manipur, a state in the north-east of India. On 15 July 2006, a vehicle in which the representatives of the student movement in Manipur were traveling, while on their […]

INDIA: BSF officers engaged in murder spree in Murshidabad district, West Bengal

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from its local partner in India, MASUM about yet another brutal killing by the Border Security Forces (BSF) at the Indo-Bangladesh border. According to the information received Mr. Saifuddin, a farmer was forcefully taken into custody by the BSF officers on 1 June 2006, […]

WEST ASIA: Response to terrorism in the far west of Asia

It is with great concern that we watch the rapid deterioration of – perhaps it would be more accurate to say the deliberate flaunting of – the rule of law and international norms in Western Asia.  You, like most persons who have been following developments there, are familiar with the relevant facts: An Israeli soldier […]

NEPAL: Vigilante groups in Nepal must be disarmed and disbanded

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is writing to express our deep concern with regard to ongoing grave human rights violations being perpetrated by armed vigilante groups in Nepal. The AHRC congratulates the Government of Nepal for their role in recent events in Nepal, which raise hopes of an end to the gross […]

SRI LANKA: Sixth day of mourning against executive interference into the judiciary and other independent institutions — Sri Lanka is ceasing to be a law based society

The numerous appointments to key national commissions by the executive president, contravening constitutional requirements, are a very clear indication of Sri Lanka’s drift from a law-based society to one in which the law plays a significantly reduced role.  While criticism against presidential actions has pointed to matters including the fact that no person is above […]

INDIA: Paddy farmer murdered to conceal corruption amongst Border Security Force officials with cross border smugglers

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received the following information regarding the brutal death of farmer Mr. Bagbul Islam Mondal from its partner organisation Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (Masum). On 12 May 2006, Mr. Bagbul and his brother Masidul were working on their farm cultivating paddy crops at dag. No 273 and […]

INDIA: Corrupt Border Security Force officers connive with cross border smugglers and murder innocent farmer in Murshidabad district, West Bengal

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from its local partner, Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (Masum), regarding the death of Mr. Abhilash Mondal, who was shot dead by the Border Security Force (BSF) officers stationed at Out Post number 1, Harudanga Camp (136 Battalion of BSF) on 17 April 2006. It is […]

PHILIPPINES: Villagers abandon homes for fear of continued harassment by military in San Ildefonso, Bulacan

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a family of villagers in San Ildefonso, Bulacan, was forced to abandon their home and live elsewhere for fear of continued harassment by the military. Elements of the 24th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army, led by Master Sergeant Rollie Castillo allegedly continued to harass […]

NEPAL: Supreme Court ruling on the Royal Commission for Corruption Control and the release of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba welcomed

Statement | Nepal | 14-02-2006

The Asian Human Rights Commission welcomes the landmark ruling by the Supreme Court of Nepal on Monday February 13, 2006, which declared the controversial Royal Commission for Corruption Control (RCCC) unconstitutional and ordered it to be scrapped immediately. This has paved the way for the release of ousted Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who had […]

UPDATE (Bangladesh): Three detained and tortured leaders have been released from prison in Chapainawabganj

[RE: UP-013-2006: BANGLADESH: Three persons tortured by the Chapainawabganj police; UA-041-2006: BANGLADESH: Eight people killed and at least one hundred injured by police fire in Chapainawabganj district; UA-013-2006: BANGLADESH: Two people killed and thirty-five injured by police fire in Chapainawabganj district] ———————————– UP-016-2006: BANGLADESH: Three detained and tortured leaders have been released from prison in […]

BANGLADESH: Students beaten by the Rapid Action Battalion in Bagerhat

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that ten students were beaten by soldiers of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). The victims were demanding the punishment of some errant staff of the public transport system for charging extra bus fares to college students. When the students blocked the road that the […]

INDONESIA: Army personnel attack three hamlets, injuring five residents and destroying village property

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information concerning an alleged attack on three hamlets in South Sulawesi by a group of army personnel in retaliation over a traffic accident. On 29 November 2005, soldiers from Haerudin’s battalion attacked three hamlets, Karama, Bonto Gaddong and Ujung Moncong, Janeponto, South Sulawesi. They and […]

UPDATE (Saudi Arabia/Sri Lanka): Renewed plea for commuting the death sentence of Sri Lankan men to the new King of Saudi Arabia

[RE: UP-43-2005: SAUDI ARABIA/SRI LANKA: Questions remain in Sri Lanka’s willingness to save three of its citizens; UP-39-2005: Three Sri Lankans face imminent execution in Saudi Arabia; UP-38-2005: SAUDI ARABIA/SRI LANKA: Please send a letter to the King of Saudi Arabia urging his intervention to commute the death sentence of three Sri Lankans; UP-34-2005: Death […]

UPDATE (Sri Lanka): Police’s deliberate inaction in a labour case is in violation of court orders

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding 73 workers from the Orex Factory in Ekala, Jaela, Sri Lanka, who were unlawfully dismissed after the owner arbitrarily closed down the factory in 2002. The AHRC previously reported that the owner, Mohamed Mohamed Izzath deprived his workers of the Employees Trust […]

INDIA: Karang villagers in Manipur suffer human rights violations by the military during a recent military operation

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Forum for Indigenous Perspectives and Action in Manipur, India regarding human rights violations committed by the security personnel at Thanga Karang, Bishenpur District, Manipur. According to the information received, members of the 73 Mountain Brigade under the aegis of 57 Mountain Division […]

INDIA: Human rights defender physically assaulted, threatened and detained by government officials

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information through its local partner MASUM in West Bengal that Mr. Gopen Sharma, a human rights activist was illegally detained, threatened and assaulted by the officers at the Block Development Office in Jalangi, Murshidabad District, West Bengal. Mr. Sharma was, at the time of the […]

SRI LANKA: Three policemen searching for a child abuse suspect detained by the LTTE

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that three policemen from the Bureau for the Prevention of Abuse of Children and Women in Colombo were taken by the Tamil rebel group (LTTE) in Arippu on 10 September 2005 and have been detained since then, after they had gone to a LTTE […]

INDIA: Border Security Forces kill unarmed man despite his pleas of innocence

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you of the killing of an unarmed man allegedly at the hands of Border Security Forces (BSF), despite the victim pleading his innocence in regards to the allegations the BSF were making against him. According to witnesses, on 24 August 2005, Mr. Ashutosh Roy […]

UPDATE (India): No compensation to family of adivasi, murdered by forest official, despite a four year wait

[Re: UA- 50 -2005: INDIA: Three and a half year wait for justice for the brutal murder of an Adivasi (tribal person) by a forest official in Gujarat] Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information on the case of Manishbhai Motibhai Vasava (30), an adivasi who was murdered by an Indian […]