Right to fair trial

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding criminal charges brought against Grandma Asyani [63]. She allegedly stole teak wood belonging to the state forestry company, PT. Perhutani. Asyani is being tried in Situbondo District Court, East Java Province, Indonesia, and indicted for violating Law No. 18 of 2013 on Forest […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the enforced disappearance of Mr. Dedek Khairuddin (30), a resident of Pangkalan Brandan Village, North Sumatra Province, Indonesia. Dedek was forcibly abducted from his home by seven soldiers, and has not been seen since. The government has not conducted serious efforts to locate […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is issuing this special Urgent Appeal following a spate of alarming, serial killings, particularly of women in the Kahawatte Police Division, during the past few years – which constitutes several elements of systematic extrajudicial killings. On 4th April 2015, the Kahawatte Police Station received a complaint of […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the forced eviction of Mrs. Christina Gurning (85) from her house in Jalan Kusumaatmadja No. 76 of Menteng Sub-District, DKI Jakarta Province, Indonesia. Christina is a widow of Mr. Timotius Markus Gurning, who is a national hero and retired Colonel of the Indonesian Army. […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about a minor girl and her mother being set on fire after their being gang-raped by three men. The girl, who suffered 90% burns, died the following day in hospital, while the mother has survived her 60% burns, regaining consciousness from coma after 26 […]

By Avinash Pandey  The Supreme Court’s scrapping of Section 66 A of the Information Technology Act for being “unconstitutional in entirety” is indeed a great moment in the life of the democracy. The Act did, in fact, invade citizenry’s right of free speech “arbitrarily, excessively and disproportionately”. However, is this really a moment to celebrate […]

One of the promises of Mr. Maithripala Sirisena, as common candidate at the last presidential election, was the elimination of corruption, i.e. something the last government was steeped in. Elimination of corruption is therefore a major objective of his newly elected government. His catchwords were Yaha palanaya (good governance), which itself implies radical elimination of corruption. Today, […]

In this week’s Roundup, AHRC TV covers stories from Burma, the Philippines, and Pakistan. Police and mob violence against peaceful demonstrators in Burma has sown doubt about the democratisation process in the country. AHRC TV talks to several people on the ground about recent crackdowns in Rangoon and Letpadan and whether police are continuing to […]

Students and their supporters detained in Tharawaddy Prison continue to be denied access to lawyers. In addition, the authorities have refused medical assistance for the detainees that are injured. Thus, the government continues its persecution of the Burmese students who have taken a stand against the government’s plan with respect to education. The background to […]

March 24 marks the fifth annual International Day for the Right to Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed this day in 2010 to honor the memory of victims and recognize the work of countless human rights activists around the world who have devoted […]

Many, including President Barack Obama, have been paying glowing tributes to Lee Kuan Yew since the announcement of his death this morning, 23rd March 2015. However, recalling what Lee Kuan Yew did to Dr. Chia Thye Poh and many other persons who aspired for multi-party democracy and respect for the freedom of expression in Singapore […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a minor child, 13 years old, has been abducted, allegedly by members of an ethnic minority political group, the Muttaihida Quami Movement (MQM),  to prevent his father, Mr. Ashiq Chandio,  from giving evidence before an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC).  It is alleged that henchmen […]

“The idea that after the fall of the USSR we would have this liberal democracy spreading around the world was of course naive but, in many cases, these are issues of power. We have a Western elite that isn’t really interested in democracy unless its friends win. Otherwise, they are happier with a dictator whom […]

This week’s episode of Weekly Roundup brings you stories from across Asia The episode begins in Sri Lanka where the former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake is being reinstated and the recent de facto Chief Justice Mohan Peiris has been ousted; a victory for the return to rule of law. AHRC TV then turns to Bangladesh where the […]

Dear friends, The Terai Human Rights Defenders (THRD) Alliance in Nepal has informed the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) that Juglal Tharu, a 15-year-old, and Mr. Maneshor Tharu, a 28-year-old, both residents of ward 5, Binauna Village Development Committee (VDC), Banke District, have been arrested unlawfully on 14 October 2014 and tortured while in custody. […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that Mujahiddain Khan (alias Kahis Ansari), a 14 year old minor and resident of ward 6, Jaisapur Village Development Committee (VDC), Banke District, has been imprisoned unlawfully since 21 August 2014.The Police Sergeant for the Mid-Western Regional Police Office, Banke, Mr. Netra Bahadur Rana, […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Pancha Bir Lama, aged 50, and his wife, Shaili Maya Lama, aged 38, are on hunger strike demanding impartial investigation into the murder of their 21-year-old daughter, Sushila Tamang. They began their hunger strike on 14 June 2014, at Bhadrakali, Kathmandu, located […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the arrest, detention, and torture of a man charged for cannabis possession. The arrest of Dany Lastino was conducted by two police officers, following an unverified report submitted over the phone by an unidentified caller. The arrest and torture has taken place just […]

The Asian Human Right’s Commission sends its greetings to all those taking active part in making the ‘People’s Tribunal Against Killings at Police Stations’ a reality. When looking into recent killings at police stations in Sri Lanka, it is obvious that the decision to form a People’s Tribunal is an important one. It is a […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the student of a prestigious college in the Kandy District was assaulted by a state educational officer in public. She was subsequently treated at the Kandy Hospital and later examined by a Judicial Medical Officer. The victim complained to the police authorities in […]