Police violence

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the Nandail police allegedly assaulted unarmed peasants who were peacefully queuing in line, waiting to purchase fertilizer from government’s dealer at Nandail, Mymensing on 2 March 2007. More than seven farmers were wounded, among them, Kobir Hossain, who was hospitalized and was received […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the illegal arrest and torture of Hendrick Sikumbang by the police officers of Pekanbaru police office on 14 June 2007. By the way it was done, the action wad deemed more an ‘abduction’ than an arrest. The police brutally tortured Mr. Sikumbang after […]

(Note: We are reproducing the report published on June 14 2007 by the International Crisis Group. The Executive Summary and Recommendations follow below). ____________ *INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP – NEW REPORT* Colombo/Brussels, 14 June 2007: The international community must press the warring sides for urgent action to address wide-spread human rights abuses in Sri Lanka as […]

For immediate release 15 June 2007 Meeting with the President of Sri Lanka yesterday, the Secretary-General of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) expressed serious concern about the grave human rights situation in Sri Lanka, including, renewed patterns of enforced disappearances and targeted killings of civilians, as well as shrinking space for civil society. “I […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from its local partner based in Andhra Pradesh, India regarding the death of a person in mysterious circumstances and the failure of the local police to investigate the case. In fact it is alleged that the local police officers are trying to protect the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from its local partner the People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) in Uttar Pradesh regarding an incident where a Dalit medical doctor was insulted in front of her patients. It is alleged that the doctor was insulted when she refused to prescribe medicines […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from our local partner in Jakarta regarding the death of Teguh Uripno, a man who was brutally tortured by officers attached to Serpong sector police in Tangerang district on 20 April 2007. Uripno was detained at the police headquarters following his arrests for defending […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) deeply regrets to inform you that another five activists have been killed while another one was forcibly disappeared in separate incidents in February, March and May of this year. These belated reports received from various sources clearly exposes the reality of the alarming state of insecurity the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from its local partner, the Peoples’ Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR), regarding the bonded labour of three persons from the Musahar community in Asbaranpur village of Varanasi district. Musahar is a scheduled caste and considered untouchable by the caste Hindus. It is alleged […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that S. Kinsley de Silva (48) was brutally tortured by four army officers following his arrest at his residence on 10 May 2007. The military men, all attached to Army Unit at Old Sri Sumangala Boys School, arrested De Silva in Thalpitiya, Wadduwa without […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the inhuman treatment by the police towards a 29-year-old man, Mr. B Sumith Priyantha Fernando, on 26 March 2007. Mr. Fernando was illegally arrested, detained and was subsequently brutally tortured by a police officer, Officer- in Charge (OIC) of the Special Investigation Unit […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received update information regarding the alleged brutal assault of Mr. Dhanawardena by inmates and trainees of the police training college in Ketapola on 27 March 2006 (please see UA-121-2006and UP-110-2006 for more details about the case). The fundamental rights case before the Supreme Court regarding the torture case of […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the brutal murder of Mr. Suherman, for reasons yet unknown, by Police Officers of the Medan District Police on the 11th April 2007. On the 11th April 2007, at around 3:30a.m., around 30 yet unidentified men claiming to be Medan District Police Officers […]

As the country’s prosecution service has long been confronted by the overloading of cases, as well as insufficient resources and manpower, the police commission and justice department have decided to give powers to the Chiefs of Police (CoPs) to act as prosecutors. Under this system, the CoPs are required to first secure permission from any […]

As the campaign period is ongoing and elections will be held on May 14 there is also an increasingly alarming trend of election-related violence. Targeted killings and ambushes of sectoral and local candidates, either a result of fierce political rivalry or threats, had since been taking place–a cycle of violence that has become a subconsciously […]

The government has recently announced that police powers will be granted to the military by way of further emergency regulations. When the BBC Sinhala Service questioned the government spokesman, Minister Keheliya Rambukawella, as to whether the giving of police powers to the military will not result in the re-emergence of torture chambers inside military camps […]

Over two and a half years have passed since Kietisak Thitboonkrong was found tortured to death and dumped in a rural area of northeastern Thailand. Investigations by the National Human Rights Commission and others have pointed the finger of guilt straight at the Kalasin district police, in whose custody he was last seen a few […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is writing to inform you that a young woman was arrested and charged with theft without proper police investigation or concrete evidence against her. Ms. Paththiyadva Amali Chandrika Gunawardena (21) is arrested by the police based on a neighbour’s complaint, but no other investigation was carried out […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from its local partner the PVCHR, a human rights organisation based in Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh state, India regarding the rape of a 13 years old girl. It is alleged that police has failed to register a case against the criminals despite several complaints. […]

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from KONTRAS Sumatera Utara about the severe torture of Mr. Aditya Panji Akbar, an 18 year-old boy while undergoing treatment at the Mental Health Ward of the Bhayangkara (Police) Hospital, by Brigadier Officer Simarmata of the Medan City Police on the 11 January 2007 […]