Police violence

ASIA: Arbitrary Detention Continues with Denial of Access to Justice and Increases Poverty

An Oral Statement to the 47th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council from the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) Madam President: The report of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention focusing on drug policies sheds lights on the darker sides of the justice mechanisms of many States. It also indicates the attitudes of […]

বাংলাদেশ: পুলিশী নির্যাতনের প্রাতিষ্ঠানিকতা বন্ধ করতে বিচার ব্যবস্থার আমূল সংস্কার দরকার।

২৬ জুন – নির্যাতিতদের সমর্থনে জাতিসংঘ ঘোষিত আন্তর্জাতিক দিবস উপলক্ষ্যে এশিয়ান হিউম্যান রাইটস্ কমিশনের বিবৃতি বাংলাদেশে পুলিশের মহাপরিদর্শক বেনজির আহমেদ দাবি করেছেন “সন্ত্রাস ও জঙ্গিবাদ দমনে বাংলাদেশ পুলিশের পেশাদারিত্ব, সাহসিকতা ও অভাবনীয় সাফল্য সর্বমহলে প্রশংসিত হয়েছে”। ১৪ জনু রাজশাহীর সারদায় পুলিশ সাব-ইন্সপেক্টরদের প্রশিক্ষণ সমাপনী কুচকাওয়াজ শেষে এক বক্তব্যে তিনি এমন দাবি করেছেন। যেকোনো রাষ্ট্রের আইন […]

SRI LANKA: A Sister’s 20 Year Long Struggle For Justice For Her Brother Killed By The Police

By Basil Fernando On the universal day for torture victims, this year, a book will be launched by The Right to Life organization working in collaboration with the AHRC on a long standing case, which is continuing in courts, regarding a man who was killed extra-judicially, inside a Police station. The author of the book […]

MYANMAR/BURMA: Myanmar Situation Update (31 May – 6 June 2021)

A Statement from ANFREL forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Download the Full Statement Here The National Unity Government (NUG) held its very first press conference on Friday 4 June. The junta shut down the internet between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m to disrupt that press conference being held by the parallel government. The NUG […]

ASIA: NEGLECT and LOSS (Number 05)

The link to the newsletter is as follows Neglect and loss is a newsletter containing reports and commentaries on current problems in several Asian countries. Today, we are issuing the fifth (5) newsletter in this series. The purpose of the newsletter is to highlight many forms of unnecessary human suffering imposed on ordinary people in these […]

MYANMAR/BURMA: Myanmar Situation Update (24 to 30 May 2021)

Download the Full Statement Here The protests continued in different parts of Myanmar despite the crackdown by the junta. The clashes between the junta forces and the civil resistance fighters or Ethnic Armed Organizations also emerged in several places in Myanmar, such as in Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Chin, Shan, Sagaing and Yangon States/Regions. The Karen Peace […]

BANGLADESH: Government Abuses COVID-19 Lockdown for Mass Arrests and Muzzling Freedoms

The Bangladesh Government continues its ruthless campaign of gagging freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly. In the spree of muzzling the people’s freedom of expression, hundreds have been arbitrarily detained under the Digital Security Act-2018, Anti-Terrorism Act-2009, Special Powers Act-1974, Official Secrets Act-1923, the Penal Code-1860, and other draconian laws under the incumbent Government of Sheikh Hasina. Investigative Journalist […]

BURMA/MYANMAR: Myanmar Situation Update (3 to 9 May 2021)

A Statement from ANFREL forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Download the Full Statement Here The pro-democracy protests continued across the country in different townships despite the continuing lethal attacks by the junta forces and arrets of protests and the youth. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) figures showed that as of 9 May, […]

INDONESIA: Pretrial detention under the existing Code of Criminal Procedure and the Bill of Criminal Procedure

Under the Soeharto regime, which is known as the New Order Era, Indonesia issued Criminal Procedure Code Number 8 of 1981 (known as KUHAP). This Law was issued to replace the old Criminal Procedure legacy of the Dutch Colonial era, known as the Update Indonesia Regulation (RIB) or also called Het Herziene Indonesisch Reglement. After […]

BURMA/MYANMAR: Myanmar Situation Update

A Statement from Anfrel forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission The pro-democracy protests continued across the country while the Myanmar community outside of the country also conducted the protests in places such as London, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo and Seoul. The protests started again in Yangon last week just before the ASEAN summit after a […]

BANGLADESH: UN Rights Chief needs to act to address excessive use of force leading to extrajudicial killings and torture amidst mass arrests

The Bangladesh Government continues using dis-proportionate lethal force and brutal crackdowns on dissidents. The authorities have been using the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the excuses for denying the rights of liberties and livelihoods to the people. The Bangladesh Government, in its signature style, chose to crackdown on protesters for staging two peaceful protests. They were aimed […]

INDONESIA: Long Journey of the Work of AHRC Empowering and Inspiring

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and its sister organization, the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC), have long history of journey working with local human rights networks and organizations in Indonesia. In addition, the AHRC also has long experiences working with association of victims and family of victims of past human rights abuses such as […]

SRI LANKA: Institutional theories about the use of torture

By Basil Fernando There are a number of entrenched beliefs which have become institutional doctrines within the policing system which contribute to the continuing practice of torture. No suspect will ever tell the truth. Therefore, it is better not to waste time asking questions before torturing the person. This is a practice almost invariably followed […]

SRI LANKA: Why do Sri Lankan Police officers torture suspects? Part II

By Basil Fernando “Police officer” refers mostly to persons working for the Sri Lanka Police Service. But in the context of custodial torture, it also includes others who at times are called upon to do Police-related duties such as conduct interrogations, similar to the military and other agencies. Another aspect, relevant to this discourse, generally […]

SRI LANKA: Why do Sri Lankan police officers torture suspects?

By Basil Fernando “Police officer” refers mostly to persons working for the Sri Lanka Police Service. But in the context of custodial torture, it also includes others who at times are called upon to do police-related duties such as conduct interrogations, similar to the military and other agencies. Another aspect, relevant to this discourse, generally speaking, […]

SRI LANKA: A Lunatic Police Attack

By Basil Fernando A brutal attack by Police Officers caught on a video tape has gone viral on social media. It has caused expressions of public dismay about the levels of violence that Sri Lankan Police practice. The video shows how a Police Officer jumps on the body of a fallen young driver and attacks […]

INDIA: The Bogey of Public Inconvenience to Snatch the Right To Protest

Article | India | 04-02-2021

Democracies across the world are defined by the virtue of the right to protest. Yet, in India, that fancies itself as the largest democracy of the world, the governments are seen to be chipping off that very right by raising the bogey of public inconvenience. They have mobilised people, mostly their party members, to even […]

NEPAL: Police used excessive force against civil society members and human rights activists

ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION – URGENT APPEALS PROGRAM Urgent Appeal Case: AHRC-UAC-002-2021 January 26, 2021 ———————————————————————————- NEPAL: Police used excessive force against civil society members and human rights activists ISSUES: Torture, excessive use of force ———————————————————————————- Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is bringing to your attention a disturbing incident where the Nepal Police […]

BANGLADESH: Authoritarian repression in curbing civic space harms more than the pandemic

The Bangladesh Government continues its repressive campaigns of curtailing civic space in the country’s ever-deteriorating human rights situation. The Authorities have been using the COVID-19 pandemic as an additional excuse for encroaching on the freedoms of assembly, expression, including the freedom of the press. Bangladesh’s Law-Enforcement Agencies kept playing their predatory role in detaining the […]

BANGLADESH: Stop Intimidating Activists, Victims’ Families

The Bangladesh authorities should end the ongoing harassment and threats against activists, human rights defenders, and their families by law enforcement and intelligence agencies, four human rights groups said today. Amnesty International, Asian Human Rights Commission, Human Rights Watch, and Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights condemned the government’s attacks on those exercising their right to freedom of […]