Refugees, IDPs & Asylum seekers

The Norwegian freighter, Tampa with 438 asylum-seekers on board, primarily people from Afghanistan, remains just outside of Australia’s territorial waters off the coast of Christmas Island about 1,000 miles west of the mainland. The Australian government has refused to allow the freighter carrying these people who were rescued from a sinking Indonesian vessel late on Sunday to land in Australia. The Australian government has insisted that, although Australia is willing to offer humanitarian help, the ship should have taken the people to the closest port, which is in Indonesia. Thus, the Australian government now maintains that the issue is a matter between the Norwegian and Indonesian governments.

Twenty-two detainees arrested and hunger strike AUSTRALIA: The denial of the right to asylum and inhumane treatment ——————————————————————— On May 26, 2001, at 4:00 a.m., 170 police officers and guards, armed with guns, batons and shields, made a surprise raid on the Port Hedland migrant detention centre. During the raid, men, women and children were […]

As issued previously (UA 151/00), Mr. Thuingaleng Muivah (67), General Secretary and chief negotiator of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN), a leader of the Naga indigenous peoples in the northeast of India, has been denied refugee status by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

More than 100 stateless people in the Tegal Alur slum in Cengkareng, West Jakarta, have appealed to the government to grant them Indonesian citizenship. All of the stateless people are Chinese migrants who lead meager lives, mostly working as laborers, fishermen or vendors. Many of them were born in Cengkareng and have given birth to children there.

UA 151/00 SAFHR’s Appeal 30 November 2000 THE REFUGEE STATUS CASE OF MR.MUIVAH   We are forwarding this following appeal made by South Asia Forum for Human Rights (SAFHR). This is a very important case about which we have drown your attention earlier. We urge you to respond to the latest developments in this case, […]

Following is an Urgent Appeal from South Asian Forum for Human Rights regarding the expulsion of Chin-Burmese refugees (asylum-seekers) from India back to Burma – an action which puts their lives in grave danger. 
Many others may be expelled soon, so please write letters to the Indian authorities and UN High Commissioner for Refugees as outlined below. 

THAILAND: Max Ediger released on bail but 6 Burmese minorities remain in detention.  11 February 2000 Mr. Norman Max Ediger, an American missionary and peace and human rights activist, was bailed out. At the time of the arrest, he was conducting training on promoting non-violence to several ethnic minorities from Burma.  Thai police arrested 8 […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is forwarding an appeal from the Partnership for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development Services, Inc. (PARRDS), a coalition of non-governmental organisation advocating for genuine agrarian reform, regarding the desperate plight of hundreds of farmers in Bondoc Peninsula, Quezon. According to PARRDS’ report, several farmers in San Narciso, […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is forwarding to you an appeal from the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) – Luzon, regarding the massive displacement of villagers in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan since 28 February 2006. The TFDP reported that one hundred villagers living at the Towerville Subdivision, a government […]

Dear friend, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is forwarding to you an appeal from the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines – Luzon (TFDP) regarding the massive displacement of villagers in Quezon province, Luzon. The villagers were forced to leave their village for fear of being caught in a fight between government forces and […]

Dear friends, Please find below a statement issued by a group of Korean non-governmental organisations regarding nine Burmese National League for Democracy (NLD) members, whose refugee applications have been rejected.  Having been informed that they will be deported on 18 July 2005, the nine persons are planning to take their case to the court with […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is forwarding the mission report prepared by various peace groups in Mindanao, Philippines, urging the Government of Philippines to take immediate action for about 57,900 displaced people due to continuous fighting between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward an appeal from SUARA RAKYAT MALAYSIA (SUARAM) on the continued arrest and detention of refugees recognized by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. For more information, please contact:  SUARAM: 433A, Jalan 5/46, Gasing Indah, 46000 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. Tel: +6 03 7784 3525, […]

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 […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward to you the following urgent appeal from the Cross Culture Foundation (CrCF) to call for Royal Thai Government to immediately stop involuntary repatriation of Lao Hmong, to terminate using of all coercive tactics without regards to humanitarian principle and undermine human dignity of the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is forwarding an appeal calling for humanitarian assistance for the people living in flood-damaged parts along the Koshi River in Nepal. According to the government figures, over 50,000 locals of four Village Development Committees (VDCs) in Sunsari district were displaced last week after torrential rains caused the […]