Right to life

AHRC TV – Human Rights Asia Weekly Roundup, Episode 12

The Asian Human Rights Commission is pleased to announce the release of the 12th episode of the Human Rights Asia Weekly Roundup. We start this episode with a special AHRC report on the sham Bangladesh national elections which were boycotted by the main opposition party. The elections were marred by violence and the lack of legitimacy […]

INDIA: Innocent children forced to live in prison with convicts

Statement | India | 07-01-2014

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the National NGO Child Rights Coalition and local journalists about children housed in prison in Kokrajhar, Assam. The AHRC is concerned, as such an arrangement is denying children their basic rights. The children are being housed in prison not for any delinquency on their part […]

SRI LANKA: AHRC calls on the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission to intervene in the death of a suspect in police custody!

Justice Priyantha R. P. Perera Chairman, Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka No 165 Kynsey Road, Borella Colombo 08 Sri Lanka   FAX; +94 11 2 694924 / +94 112 696470/ +94 112 689558 Dear Justice Priyantha Perera, SRI LANKA: A request to the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission to immediately call for a report from the Inspector General […]

ASIA/SRI LANKA: AHRC expresses concern regarding the safety of the common opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena

Statement | Asia | 05-01-2014

The Asian Human Rights Commission expresses concern regarding the safety of the common candidate of the opposition Maithripala Sirisena, who has faced several attacks during the past several days. He has himself alerted the public to the threat to his life in a statement he made yesterday (4th January 2015). We urge the Government and the […]

BANGLADESH: Fake election will cause further bloodshed

Bangladesh’s incumbent regime is forcing the nation to witness a fake ‘general election’, scheduled tomorrow, 5 January 2014. All the opposition parties, except the allies of the ruling regime, have boycotted this election. The government is accused of extreme politicisation of the country’s civil administration, along with the police, paramilitary agencies, and all key institutions, […]

BURMA/MYANMAR: Amnesty does not free all political detainees

The Asian Human Rights Commission welcomes Order No. 51/2013 of 30 December 2013 by the president of Burma (Myanmar), issuing a general amnesty for all persons imprisoned or facing trial or investigation for certain categories of political offences. The categories include persons accused or convicted of offences under the colonial-era Unlawful Associations Act, for charges […]

ASIA: Conversations with a chameleon (katussa) – some thoughts for 2014

As I wanted to discuss many things, and as I found no one else to discuss these things with, I was happy to see you on a branch of a tree in our garden. I told myself, “Ah, here is someone I can talk to.” As I approached and greeted you, you nodded to me […]

SRI LANKA: Badurueliya Hospital to be reopened after weeklong shutdown

In the early morning of December 27, the authorities addressed a large crowd of people protesting outside Badureliya District Hospital. They had come to support a Member of Parliament who was staging a hunger strike demanding the reopening of the hospital. The authorities announced to the crowd that the hospital would be reopened the next […]

SAUDI ARABIA: Ahmadis persecuted in the Kingdom

The Asian Human Rights Commission wishes to forward this statement regarding persons who chose to join the Ahmadiyya sect of Islam and the treatment they received thereafter. It is extremely perturbing that we have to bring to the notice of the world’s community the plight of two innocent, loyal citizens of Saudi Arabia who had […]

SINGAPORE: Handling of riot aftermath exposes national laws and practices that violate international standards

Dear friends,  We wish to share with you the following statement from the Think Centre, an independent non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Singapore. First registered as a business (RCB) on 16 Jul 1999 and today as a society (under ROS) on 20 Oct 2001, the Centre aims to critically examine issues related to political development, democracy, […]

ASIA: AHRC TV – Human rights Asia Weekly Roundup, EPISODE 11

Today, December 23, 2013, the Asian Human Rights Commission releases the 11th Episode, of the Human Asia Rights Weekly Roundup with special reports on Labour Rights from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India. In these countries, specifically in Bangladesh, labour rights have been a matter of serious international concern following several tragic incidents that have led to the […]

INDONESIA/PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Indonesia interferes in the investigation in the death of a West Papuan activist

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the death of Danny Kogoya, regional commander of the Free Papua Movement (Organisasi Papua Merdeka, OPM), in Vanimo, Papua New Guinea. The cause of death was reported to be liver failure due to the presence of unusual chemical substances in his body. A […]

INDIA: Two children executed and one critically injured in Assam

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from North East Dialogue Forum, a coalition of human rights organisations, and North East Research & Social Work Networking, a civil society organisation based in Kokrajhar, Assam, regarding the extrajudicial execution of two school children and the injuring of another by a joint team […]

INDONESIA: Man in Bau-Bau dies under police custody, witnesses at high risk

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS) concerning the death of a man in police custody in Bau-Bau. KontraS and Buton Raya Legal Aid Institute (LBH Buton Raya) reported that bruises were found on the victim’s body, raising the strong […]

WORLD: When freedom replaced “patriotism”

Article | World | 01-12-2013

Nilantha Ilangamuwa The truth has been placed before us that the passing of laws does not mean people will benefit from them without proper implementation through the criminal justice system in the particular country. In the words of the great poet Rabindranath Tagore, “facts are many, but the truth is one.” Recent violence in Bangladesh […]

PAKISTAN: A prominent lawyer and five other activists were disappeared after their arrest by persons from security agencies

With the change in Army command on November 27, a crackdown against the people in Balochistan started. A prominent lawyer, Mr. Haider KB son of Khuda Bux age 33, resident of Koshkalat, was arrested by plain clothed persons riding in a non registered two door jeep. The police stations in Quetta, capital of Balochistan province, […]

SRI LANKA/AUSTRALIA: LCA condemns country’s worsening rule of law

Dear friends,  We wish to share with you the following article from the Lawyer’s Weekly. Asian Human Rights Commission  Hong Kong ————- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AHRC-FAT-025-2013 November 28, 2013 An article from the Lawyer’s Weekly forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission SRI LANKA/AUSTRALIA: LCA condemns country’s worsening rule of law The Law Council of […]

PAKISTAN: Freedom of expression – the voices that need to be heard are ignored and even silenced

Nine journalists suffered the worse kind of suppression with assassinations and attacks ( Graphic Courtesy: pakistanfoemonitor.org ) With the successive governments the reality of freedom of expression grows thinner and thinner as the right guaranteed by the Constitution of Pakistan is further constricted. Apart from blatant interference by the government, freedom of expression is also being […]

SRI LANKA: Eran drops bombshell in P’ment over public finance

Dear friends,  We wish to share with you the following article from the Financial Times (Daily FT), written by Ashwin Hemmathagama. Asian Human Rights Commission  Hong Kong ————- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AHRC-FAT-024-2013 November 27, 2013 An article from the Financial Times (Daily FT) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission SRI LANKA: Eran drops bombshell […]

ASIA: AHRC TV – Weekly Roundup, Episode 7

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to announce the launch of its weekly video news bulletin, the Human Rights Asia – Weekly Roundup. The seventh episode, released today, 27 November 2013, features a special focus on police torture for the purpose of extortion. Several examples from countries in Asia, such as the Philippines and Bangladesh, […]