Rule of law

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) supports the Commission for the Disappearances and Victim of Violence (KontraS) highlighting several things about the beginning of an investigation of serious human rights violations in Paniai, Papua that occurred on 7 – 8 December 2014 by the Attorney General’s Office. Previously, the AHRC has issued an urgent appeal […]

On November 25, 2021, the Constitutional Court in its judgment Number 91/PUU-XVIII/2020 stated in essence: 1. The Establishment of the Law Number 11 of 2020 concerning Job Creation is contrary to the 1945 Constitution and does not have conditionally binding legal force as long as it does not mean “no amendments have been made within two […]

ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION – URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME Urgent Appeal Case: AHRC-UAC-016-2021  December 15, 2021 ——————————————————————— INDONESIA: Nineteen Civilians Shot With Rubber Bullets and Seriously Injured ISSUES: Access to justice, impunity, remedy, excessive use of force, torture, fair trial ——————————————————————— Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Commission for […]

By Basil Fernando The discussion on the making of a new constitution through an intensely participatory process, as against underhand methods, is now on. These are a few thoughts as a response to some questions that are being discussed. In dealing with the problem of the 1978 Constitution, we are in fact confronted with the […]

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on the occasion of the 73rd International Human Rights Day Nepal underwent its third cycle of the UN Human Rights Council’s Periodic Review (UPR) in Geneva in January 2021. Nepal has ratified over 24 various human rights conventions and declarations but has been weak in its implementation. […]

Fifteen people including one soldier were killed in Mon district of the North Eastern state of Nagaland in India in what the security forces are calling a botched up operation that unfolded in several batches. Though the details of the botched up encounter are still hazy and contested, the gravity of the incident was lost […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) supports the Commission for the Disappearances and Victims of Violence (KontraS), a prominant national human rights organization and the Murder Victims and Research Foundation 1965-1966 (YPKP 1966), a national organization established by victims and families of victims of past human rights abuses, condemn the revision of the Prosecutor’s Law […]

On Wednesday, October 13, 2021, a video with a duration of approximately 45 seconds circulated, which once again showed the brutality of a police officer. Here is the video link. In the video, a police officer can be seen slamming a participant of a demonstration onto the sidewalk, causing the person concerned to lie down and […]

(Issued on 27 October 2021, 31st annual commemoration of the disappeared in Sri Lanka.) A statement on enforced disappearances Every year, on the 27th of October, there is a commemoration of the persons who have been made to disappear by force. The day is called ‘the day of commemoration of the enforced disappearances. On this […]

A video presentation produced by Mr. Victor Ivan published by the Asian Human Rights Commission The Asian Human Rights Commission wishes to share with you the following video produced by Mr. Victor Ivan Kindly see the following link for a valuable interview with Victor Ivan on the objection to the new constitution proposed by the […]

By Basil Fernando There are many objections that can be taken against the proposed Code of Criminal Procedure Bill on the basis of the unconstitutionality of many of the provisions of the Bill. Some of these objections are as follow; The essence and core of the Bill is to dispense with the requirements of the […]

By Basil Fernando The proposed Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill to amend the Code of Criminal Procedure Act No. 15 of 1979 will open up a Pandora’s box of serious abuses. In essence what the Bill proposes is to allow Magistrates to dispense with the personal attendance in court of a suspect or accused. […]

Hong Kong, 12 October, 2021 The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC), the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT), the Frontline Defenders, the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC), the International Network of Civil Liberties Organizations (INCLO), the CIVICUS, the Capital Punishment Justice Project (CPJP), and the Franciscans International […]

An Oral Statement to the 48th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council from the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) Madam President: The Asian Legal Resource Centre endorses the report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Madam High Commissioner, You have rightly concluded that there is “a human rights catastrophe” in Myanmar. We […]

An Oral Statement to the 48th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council from the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) Madam President: The protection and promotion of all human rights – the civil, political, economic, social, cultural, and the right to development – rest on the foundation a State’s capacity to enforce the law […]

An Oral Statement to the 48th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council from the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) Madam President: The Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) has commendably contributed to the United Nations Human Rights Mechanisms during the global pandemic. The incidents of enforced disappearances involving extraterritorial transfers, as […]

Basil Fernando A guy enters into two prisons with a gang of his friends. In one of the prisons he threatens a group of prisoners undergoing trial by placing his pistol on the forehead of one. He tells them what they should do about their case. Inside another prison he wants his friends and himself […]

By Basil Fernando Human rights have now become very much an integral part of public discussions in almost all public media. At one time, it remained an interest confined to a few groups and persons who were either advocates of human rights or those who attacked the very notion of human rights as part of […]

An Open Letter from Committee for Protecting Rights of Prisoners forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the UN General Assembly Mr. António Guterres, Secretary General of the UN (Through the UN Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka) 22nd September 2021 Today, the day the Sri Lankan President addressing the […]

By Basil Fernando A discussion on the statement made by the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner (HC) for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, at the 48th Session of the UN Human Rights Council on 13th September 2021, was held on the same day in a television programme, and it is now available on YouTube. The moderator […]