Police violence

SRI LANKA: Failure by the police to investigate the brutal assault of a Kalavana farmer

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the brutal assault of a 39-year-old farmer from Pitigala Hill, Kalavana by two policemen from the Kalavana police station on 12 March 2006. The policemen also forced Mr. E. Gnanadasa to sign a written statement, the contents of which he was unaware. Mr. […]

UPDATE (Sri Lanka): Young man who was brutally tortured by the Horana police now threatened to withdraw his Supreme Court Case

[RE: UP-031-2006: SRI LANKA: Supreme Court granted to leave to proceed in a torture case for the compensation filed by S.A. Akila Chaturanga; UA-006-2006: SRI LANKA: Arbitrary arrest, detention and torture of a man by the Horana police] —————————————————— UP-043-2006: SRI LANKA: Young man who was brutally tortured by the Horana police now threatened to […]

SRI LANKA: Failure by police and other authorities to investigate the brutal assault of an elderly man

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the brutal assault of 76-year-old Mr. K Victor Fernando by Police Constable Ratwatte of the Panadura South police station on 13 February 2005, and the police’s failure to take action in this case, despite a year having now passed. On 13 February 2005, […]

INDIA: Police practices continue to erode the rule of law in Varanasi

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding human rights violations in Varanasi, India, at the hands of local police officers who act with complete impunity. In the latest series of incidents an innocent school student was brutally beaten, a man was tortured in police custody and another man was shot-dead […]

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 (Sri Lanka): Threats made against Koraleliyanage Palitha Thissa Kumara must be dealt with immediately

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward to you a letter sent by the AHRC to Mr. Chandra Fernando, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) in Sri Lanka. The letter details recent threats made against Koraleliyanage Palitha Thissa Kumara, who is the torture victim in two cases currently pending before the […]

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 […]

UPDATE (Philippines): Possible irregularities in police investigation; survivor details brutal killings of peasants

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information from a reliable source regarding the killing of peasants in Palo, Leyte, Visayas on 21 November 2005. (Please visit our previous appeals: UA-216-2005; UP-141-2005). Concerns of irregularities in the investigation taken by the Palo Police Station and inadequate handling of the victims have been raised. […]

BANGLADESH: Eight people killed and at least one hundred injured by police fire in Chapainawabganj district

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wrote to you on 10 January 2006 (UA-013-2006) detailing the killings of two people and injuries to at least 35 others following the police opening fire on a group of demonstrators in Chapainawabganj district, Bangladesh. The demonstrators had been protesting outside of the rural electrification Centre demanding […]

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 […]

UPDATE (Philippines): Investigation required into possible police involvement in labour leader’s death

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received further information regarding the case of Diosdado Fortuna, a labour union leader who was slain on 22 September 2005 in Barangay (village) Paciano Rizal in Calamba City, Laguna. (Please visit our previous appeal: FA-27-2005). According to a report by local labour and human rights organisations, there […]

SRI LANKA: Police fail to investigate case as the alleged perpetrator is the son of an Assistant Superintendent of Police

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding an accident victim Alton Laskshman Mendi who was left unconscious by the police who instructed the family members and those around to take the seriously injured victim to the hospital. This was whilst the Pandura police escorted the perpetrator to the Moratuwa police […]

SRI LANKA: Assault on a female police constable by an Inspector of Police of the Matugama police station

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the assault of a female police constable Sunethra Koswatte (WPC No 3134) by an Inspector of Police at the Matugama police station. Please send a letter to the relevant authorities listed below asking them to intervene in this case and to ensure that […]

BANGLADESH: Turag police invade property in violation of court order

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that the Turag police forcefully invaded a disputed land, and the house located on it, despite a court order requesting them not to do so. The owner of the land, Lata Rahman, had previously sought the order following a dispute over the land with […]

GENERAL APPEAL (Philippines): A call to prohibit the practice of showing the faces of arrested suspects to the media and general public

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to voice our contempt for the ‘systematic practice’ by the police, military and government officials in the Philippines in showing the faces of arrested suspects before the media and general public. Although Section 14 (2) of the 1987 Philippine Constitution recognises the principle of ‘presumption of […]

SRI LANKA: Arbitrary shootings and recklessness by the Opanayake police

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the case of Mr. Wijethileka who was shot twice in the back by two Opanayake police officers.  The victim was running away from an unprovoked attack by the Opanayake police on a crowd of villagers who were looking at several valuable gemstones discovered […]

BANGLADESH: A man arbitrarily arrested and tortured by the Kotwali police remains detained in Barisal jail

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that a man, who was arbitrarily arrested, detained and tortured by the Kotwali police continues to remain in Barisla jail despite having had no official charges laid against him. The victim, Imon Chowdhury came into conflict with his father-in-law, who did not recognise the […]

UPDATE (India): Custodial death of a 28-year-old man in Kerala

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that three police officers responsible for the custody and murder of a 28-year-old man, Mr. Udayakumar, was arrested and later released on bail by an order of the local magistrate. The AHRC is informed that the police officers who were arrested were detained in […]

SRI LANKA: Functioning National Police Commission essential in eliminating crime within Sri Lanka

The recent drug menace plaguing Sri Lanka has been linked to police corruption. On December 31, 2005 the Inspector General of Police was reported to have said that the country’s drug problem cannot be eradicated without addressing the corrupt officials abetting the drug cartels. Earlier in the month, the Advisor to the Ministry of Defence, […]

BANGLADESH: Woman and her son beaten and further threatened by the Lalbag police in Dhaka

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that a woman was arrested, assaulted and intimidated by the Lalbag police after they illegally raider her house. The police arrested the woman after receiving money from a group of toll collectors, who had earlier beaten the woman’s son at the Sheikh Sahebbazar crossing. […]