Right to redress

BURMA/MYANMAR: MNHRC appeals the President to pardon the all political prisoners

A Statement from Myanmar National Human Rights Commission forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Myanmar National Human Rights Commission Statement No.(15/2015) The Multi-party Democracy General Elections will be held on 8 November 2015. Only a few days remain. The political parties and independent candidates are campaigning earnestly to be victorious in the General Elections. […]

INDONESIA: Bau-Bau District Court convicts officer with light punishment

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the death of Aslin Zalim in police custody in Bau-Bau Regency, South East Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. The Bau Bau District Court has convicted Police Adjunct Senior Commissioner (AKBP) Joko Krisdianto, former Chief of Bau Bau Police Resort (Polres Bau Bau), to six […]

SRI LANKA: Modernising of the police – an example from Kerala

The Asian Human Rights Commission reproduces below the full text of a circular issued on 3rd July 2015 by the Director General of Police of our neighbouring Indian state of Kerala. It announces a historically important initiative to modernise the police, so that the institution will become able to perform its functions within a modern democracy. […]

ASIA: Weekly Roundup, Episode 78

This week’s special Roundup coincides with International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. The programme tunes in to AHRC partners from around the Asian region as they deliver their message to the world on this special day. Viewers can also watch AHRC TV’s special short video produced for DIGNITY Day, which is being celebrated in Copenhagen today. The […]

NEPAL: Reform the police, rather than outsource policing

Statement | Nepal | 16-06-2015

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is dismayed by the attempt of the government of Nepal to outsource policing functions to a paramilitary organization. Rather than reform the police, something the nation and its people sorely need, the attempt to allow the Armed Police Force (APF) to take over policing functions and issue arrest warrants […]

PAKISTAN: Call to save the life of Asia Bibi, who is suffering from intestinal bleeding

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the deteriorating health of Asia Bibi, who is on death row for allegedly committing blasphemy. The 50-year-old mother of five is suffering from intestinal bleeding and is being denied medical treatment by the jail authorities. She urgently needs medical care and her family members […]

PHILIPPINES: Taguig Mayor refuses to assist Laguna Lakeshore victims

[RE: AHRC-HAU-002-2015: PHILIPPINES: Authorities continue demolition drive against Laguna Lakeshore Community Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information from Defend Job Philippines about the ongoing demolition and evictions targeting the urban poor community of the Laguna Lakeshore area of Taguig City. After demolishing the houses of community members living in C6 […]

INDIA: Stop forced land acquisition in Yaithibi Loukon.

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Affected Land Owners’Association against Forced Land Acquisition for Sports University and the Centre for Research and Advocacy, Manipur, regarding the forced acquisition of prime agricultural land despite protests from farmers and residents. The proposed acquisition to set up the National Sports University […]

PHILIPPINES: Stop demolition against Laguna Lakeshore Community in Taguig

[RE: AHRC-HAC-005-2015: PHILIPPINES: Stop demolition against Laguna Lakeshore Community in Taguig Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information from Defend Job Philippines about the ongoing demolition and evictions targeting the urban poor community of the Laguna Lakeshore area of Taguig City. The authorities have already demolished the houses of community […]

PHILIPPINES: Immediately halt the eviction of an entire community in the Orosa Compound, Taguig

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Defend Job Philippines that notices of eviction, has been repeatedly served on the community living in Phase 5, Orosa Compound, Tanyag, Taguig City, Phillipines. We are also concerned over the threat of using the City Ordinance No. 33, a law devised solely for […]

PHILIPPINES: Colonel defends chaining of suspects’ hands in custody in violation of police rules

On March 24, pictures of four detainees, one of them a woman, with their hands chained and padlocked together, circulated online. The photos were taken by Bong Son, a newspaper photographer, while the detainees were being transported to another detention facility in Manila City. Photo: GMA News screen grab In response to public condemnation, Senior […]

THAILAND: Call for observers of sentencing in freedom of expression case

On Monday, 23 February 2015, at 1 pm in the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road in Bangkok, the court will read the verdict and sentence Patiwat Saraiyaem and Pornthip Munkhong. They were formally charged on 25 October 2014 with one count of violating Article 112 of the Thai Criminal Code in relation to the performance […]

PAKISTAN: Appeal to stop the victimization of teaching staff of the Urdu University

The academic activities of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology (FUUAST), where 13,000 students are enrolled, are severely affected by the defunct vice chancellor and suspended registrar who have filed cases against 14 teaching staff. Besides cases, the suspended registrar has issued, on three different occasions, the show cause notices to chairman […]

PAKISTAN: Rape of Christian girls-no issue for authorities

Women and minorities are the most marginalized faction of the Pakistani society; the Muslim majority is increasingly being intolerant towards people professing religion other than Islam. In a recent case of increasing rape incident of Christian girls, as reported by British Pakistani Christian Association, two minor Christian girls from Jaranwala, Punjab, Farzana aged 14   and […]

SRI LANKA: Will and capacity to curb corruption, true test of independence

The 67th anniversary of the declaration of independence will take place as a hopeful event. The defeat of the repressive and corrupt Mahinda Rajapaksa regime and the resolution of the crisis of judicial independence that was caused by the illegal removal of Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake from the post of Chief Justice have created this environment. That […]

BURMA/MYANMAR: Two teachers tortured, sexual assaulted, and murdered by soldiers

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information that two ethnic Kachin teachers have been tortured, sexual assaulted, and murdered. The two girls were volunteer teachers for the Kachin Baptist Church serving in a village near to the conflict area between Burma army and the Kachin armed group in Northern Shan State. They […]

PAKISTAN: Is there no remorse, for the killing of these children? Are they of a lesser God?

2014 was the deadliest year yet, for the children of Pakistan. The year began with the killing of 19 school children on 15th January 2014 – all pupils of the Bright Future High School in Daulatpur, in the Sindh Province. They were returning home after winning a quiz competition, when their van was crushed under the […]

INDIA: A human rights mirage

Statement | India | 09-12-2014

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on Human Rights Day 2014 In the absence of thorough justice institution reforms, human rights guarantees in India will remain a mirage. The transcendent principles of dignity, freedom, and equality to all enshrined in the Constitution and the interpretations that the courts and the Parliament have provided […]

PHILIPPINES: Four political activists and five poor farmers indicted for murder despite proof they never fired any guns

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes with deep concern with the continued detention of four political activists and five poor farmers. They are charged with murder. They allegedly attacked a police station, killing two policemen and wounding three others. Paraffin tests show they never fired a gun. Nevertheless, the prosecutor recommended indicting […]

INDIA: Dalits snare trapped

Statement | India | 21-10-2014

The recent escalation in atrocities committed on Dalits is surprising even for Bihar, a province notorious for crimes against members of the community. The only things worse than the state’s failure to stop the crimes are the reasons the crimes are being committed. Can one really burn alive a 15-year-old child for the “crime” of […]