Police violence

(RE: UA-11-2002: Attacks on human rights defenders, destruction of property, public use of weapons with impunity)  UPDATE (INDONESIA): Further attacks on human rights defenders, public threats made with impunity  ———————————————————————-  Dear Friends  We are including here a joint statement by 48 Indonesian NGOs in response to another attack by the FBR (Betawi Brotherhood Forum) on […]

Dear Friends,  Following is an appeal which was signed by more than 30 NGOs in Sri Lanka, to urge the Sri Lankan government to take impartial inquiry and action against a high level police attack on the NHRC on 22 January, 2002. The Sri Lankan government, as well as the National Human Rights Commission of […]

Dear Friends  We are pleased to inform you of great success thanks to your efforts in support of the ‘Bandung 19’, wrongfully arrested on June 15 2001, tortured, held incommunicado and subject to unfair trial. You will recall that the young workers, students and activists were protesting the government’s planned increase in oil prices. The […]

Dear Friends,  As the National Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka has not yet taken any action on this matter, AHRC has written to the Chairman of the commission about the powers of the commission to act on this mater. AHRC has explained the legal provision under which HRC must act. It has also requested […]

Dear Friends  For your information, following is a letter AHRC has written to the National Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, to urge them to take action against Assistant Superintendent of Police Kodithuwakku (himself the subject of a separate inquiry for allegedly beating a person to death in custody) for interfering with an official inquiry […]

Dear Friends We are forwarding you an appeal from the highly respected Task Force Deteinees of the Philippines, regarding the torture of a fisherman in Cebu by the police of that region. Please read the short account of the incident and take the action requested. Urgent Appeals Desk ——————————————————————— URGENT ACTION TITLE : Alfredo Bantecil […]

Dear Friends  Thank you for your continued action for justice for the 19 persons arrested and detained in Bandung, Indonesia, for their legitimate protest against impoverishing labour laws and fuel prices. It seems that the cases against the 12 remaining in prison pending trial were found by the court to be so weak that all […]

Dear Friends  This is a matter which requires your immediate attention and action.  We have discovered with dismay that despite a previous Supreme Court stay of execution on the young Pakistani mother Robina Khan (also known as Rubina Ansari), the sentence may still go ahead. President Musharraf has apparently stated that the sentence could be […]

Dear Friends, We would like to send you a copy of the ninth open letter sent by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) to the Jesuit superior general in Rome regarding Fr. Pallath’s case. For further information, including this letter, please visit http://jjpallath.ahrchk.net.   Thank you.   Urgent Appeals Desk Asian Human Rights Commission   […]

24 July 2001  Gen. Colin Powell  US Secretary of State  Dear General Powell,  Every minute, one human life is snuffed out because of small arms. At the United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons, John Bolton, the US Undersecretary of State for Arms Control, stated that the US will […]

Secretary of State  US Department of State  Washington, DC 20520  Sir,  Due to these Small Arms one life per minute has been stamped out because of small arms, resulting in destroyed families, destabilized societies, weakened countries. These was a serious issue because the life of the people in the under developed countries were declining due […]

“In the course of this speech which has lasted for only a few minutes, one life per minute has been stamped out because of small arms, resulting in destroyed families, destabilized societies, weakened countries. To those watching and listening to us, let us give a concrete and bold response. Let us be willful,. Let us be responsible.” 
— Hon. Charles Josselin, Minister Delegate for Cooperation and Francophonie, at the UN conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons. [1] 

UA-22-2001 – Police kill adivasis, arrest activist for protesting rape INDIA: Attempted rape with impunity, denial of freedom of assembly, murder by police with impunity, detention under false charges. ———————————————————– On June 25, following the release from custody of a politician suspected of raping a local tribal woman, the tribal (adivasi) community of Puntamba, Ahemednagar […]

Following is an update from our friends in Indonesia regarding the 19 young activists detained after the labour law and oil prices protests in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. 7 of the 19 have been released thanks to efforts to date. The other 12 were denied access to lawyers and forced to sign statements by the police, and as a result are in danger of being convicted of serious offences carrying long prison terms, despite the miscarriage of justice involved. Please read this short update and send a letter to protest the unfair proceedings being used to stop these young activists from freely expressing their opinion about attacks on worker rights and unbearable costs of living. Your letter could help to free the remaining political prisoners. 

AHRC UA990210 Sri Lanka 10 February 1999 ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION URGENT APPEAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Name : Mr.Ranawaka Ararchige Nihal Padmasiri Age : 30 years Death: Due to police assault Date: 2nd February 1999 An inquest held on the death of Mr.Ranawaka Ararchige Nihal Padmasiri,30, by the judicial medical officer, established that the death had […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is forwarding an appeal from the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) concerning an illegal and forced eviction of slum dwellers in Mumbai, India. It is alleged that the eviction is undertake at the behest of a private property developer. It is reported that human rights activists […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward an appeal from the Narmada Bachao Andolan. On 29 October, the evictees of the Narmada Dam Project started a two-day protest meet in front of the District Collector’s Office in Khandwa district, Madhya Pradesh. The participants of the protest meet are mostly the members of […]