Police violence

In the late afternoon of October 16, a week-long strike by workers at the Bright Sky garment factory in Dangkor district of Phnom Penh, Cambodia led to an open confrontation with management. When the strikers went to request that over ten of their peers be allowed to leave the factory, hundreds of heavily-armed police suddenly […]

An October 17 article in the Bangkok Post reported that the Ministry of Justice there has to pay hundreds of millions of Thai Baht in compensation to people who have been wrongfully prosecuted for crimes they did not commit. The law providing for compensation, the Compensation for Victims of Crime Act BE 2544 (2001), arises […]

The tenure of office of Chandra Fernando as the IGP ended last week.  Throughout his tenure the Asian Human Rights Commission has pointed out the failure of leadership on his part to lift up the police service from its legacy of the use of torture as the primary means of criminal investigation, the use of […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission condemns the military coup in Thailand and calls for immediate restoration of civilian government. At approximately 10pm on September 19 a group of officers headed by army Commander-in-Chief General Sonthi Boonyaratglin took power while Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was attending the UN General Assembly in New York. The group, […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that army Lieutenant General Rukmangat Katuwal was appointed as army Chief of Staff of Nepal on September 10, 2006, by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala. Mr. Katuwal, who was set to retire before this appointment took effect, stands accused of being responsible for a plethora of […]

There is a saying in India that, “If a dog goes mad it can be chained; but what can be done if the chain goes mad?” Applied to law enforcement, criminals are the dog, the police are the chain. So applied, the question is very appropriate for India today, and not least of all, West […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from MASUM, a human rights organisation in West Bengal regarding the abduction of three fishermen from Khas Mahal Damush by the officers from Bangladesh Rifles on 6 September 2006. Khas Mahal Damush is in Murshidabad District, West Bengal, India. The whereabouts of these persons […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received another case involving the fabrication of charges by the Mahiyangana police. The victim, belonging to the Adhivasi (indigenous) community was illegally arrested and falsely charged because he insisted on speaking the Adhivasi dialect when the police questioned him. In Sri Lanka, many minority populations do […]

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 […]

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, […]

The Philippine National Police have a unique definition of the word “solved”. According to them, once a charge is filed against a suspect with the Office of the Prosecutor it is solved. Suspects not arrested? No matter, it is solved. Investigation flawed? No matter, it is solved. Requests of victim’s family for more inquiries unanswered? […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has come to learn of a case involving the fabricated charges of a man, owing to the line of work he is engaged in. Though the police have charged the victim with possessing ganja (marijuana), he maintains that he was charged because of the illicit mining conducted […]

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 […]

On July 17 the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) issued an appeal on the alleged torture, armed robbery, illegal detention, and attempted rape and extortion of two persons in Saraburi, just northeast of Bangkok in Thailand. According to Uthai Boonnom, he and his partner were taken–at gunpoint and blindfolded–to a house in the forest where […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 7, 2006 AHRC-OL-028-2006 An open letter to the Inter Ministerial Committee on Human Rights The Inter Ministerial Committee on Human Rights Thro- Hon. Mahinda Samarasinghe Minister for Disaster Management and Human Rights Parliamentary Complex Colombo 1 SRI LANKA July 6, 2006 Dear Sirs, SRI LANKA: The case of Chamila Bandara, HC […]

Dear friends, It has come to the attention of the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) that there has been further violence between police and peasants in the village of Tanah Awu in Central Lombok, Indonesia. On 21 June 2006 government officials from Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara came to Tanah Awu with a large number […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has come to learn of a second assault instituted by a man who is a police informer attached to the Mirihane Police. In both incidents the alleged perpetrator threatened the victims that they too would suffer the same fate as Gerald Perera. That this man believes it is […]

Dear friends, On 1 August 2005, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) released an urgent appeal (UA-130-2005) detailing the case of Subhas Mondal. The AHRC has now received new information from MASUM, a human rights organisation in West Bengal regarding the release of perpetrators after details of a counterfeit First Information Report (FIR) were submitted […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has come to learn of a threat made against the tenant of the late Gerald Perara. Owing to the seriousness of the threat and given the person who made it, the victim lives in fear for his and his family’s life. Mr. Nimal is the neighbour of […]

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 […]