Threats and intimidation

BANGLADESH: Police allegedly mishandle a case

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the police authorities have allegedly received bribes for arbitrarily arresting people from a community involved in a case land dispute. It is reported that when the villagers exposed corruption of the police and the harassment they were suffering, the police threatened them to […]

SRI LANKA: Protection urgently needed for the family of a rape victim

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the case of the rape of a 17-year-old girl after her abduction allegedly by a politician on 17 December 2007. While the Biyagama police have commenced an investigation into this case they have failed to secure the family’s safety despite the fact that […]

INDIA: Police tortured a man in Kerala

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Nervazhy, a local human rights organisation working in Kerala concerning the case of Binish, a deaf person who was taken into custody by Pattanakadu police on 28 February 2008. It is reported that the police officers who took Binish into custody, tortured him […]

SRI LANKA: Police allegedly fabricated charges against a man and his family members

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Baduraliya police allegedly fabricated charges against a man and his family members on 8 March 2008 in Sri Lanka. Police took one family member to police custody and forced him to sign a statement, which he never made. Later all four family members […]

INDIA: One more person killed by Border Security Force (BSF) in West Bengal

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from MASUM, a local human rights organisation in West Bengal, India, regarding the case of death of a man by the Border Security Force (BSF) on 10 December 2007. The officer reportedly threatened the victim’s family not to lodge any complaints. Meanwhile, the officer […]

UPDATE (Nepal): Morang district police have allegedly threaten a victim of torture to withdraw her case from court

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from a reliable source that Ms. Noorjan Khatun, a victim of torture in Morang district, is constantly being intimidated and threatened by police officers who have previously tortured her, as well as by other police officers.  Disturbingly, she is being pressured to withdraw her […]

SRI LANKA: Kandana police allegedly tortured a man and warned him not to report the incident

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the alleged torture of a man by Kandana police on 6 March 2008 in Sri Lanka. Police allegedly beat him while recording a statement from him in the station and warned him not to make any complaints regarding this assault. CASE DETAILS: On 6 […]

UPDATE(Nepal): Police Human Rights Cell fails to provide any justice to torture victim

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that three senior police officers, who are responsible for the brutal assault of a policeman, were simply transferred to another police post without facing any departmental or legal action. Meanwhile, in its response regarding the case, the Police Human Rights Cell failed to provide […]

CAMBODIA: Village head disperses villagers; prevents Member of Parliament from meeting with them

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the alleged threat to a Member of Parliament (MP) who was prevented from holding a meeting with villagers by the village head of Tuk Lich village, Siemreap province on 26 February 2008. The MP organised the meeting to listen to the villager’s complaints […]

SRI LANKA: Alleged torture and laying false charges against family members by Kolonne police

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the alleged torture of a man and false charges being made against him and his family members by the Kolonne police on 16 December 2007. The police severely assaulted him at the time of arrest and then arbitrarily arrested other family members who […]

UPDATE (Burma): Family and human rights defenders threatened over complaint

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) regrets to inform you that since our appeal on the case of a child soldier who was jailed in 2005 (AHRC-UAC-016-2008) a number of persons involved in the case have been threatened by local authorities. His aunt, who made the complaint, is under watch, and two people […]

UPDATE (Philippines): Colleague of murdered bishop receives death threats

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that another colleague of the late Bishop Alberto Ramento of the Philippine Independent Church (PIC), a prominent human rights defender murdered in October 2006, has been receiving renewed threats to his life over his mobile phone. The sender of the SMS also claims they […]

SRI LANKA: Kandy police are threatening a torture victim to leave the area

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Kandy police have been threatening a man to leave the area when he returned to Kandy in 2007 since last September. The man was a torture victim and released from the prison due to lots of intervention in 2000. After his return to […]

UPDATE (Philippines): Renewed surveillance on a priest facing threats

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that a priest, Rev. Eleuterio J. Revollido, whom we reported to have been facing continuing threats, has once again been experiencing surveillance. In the testimony he had written, Rev. Eleuterio has said that on several occasions from November 29 to December 7 unknown […]

CAMBODIA: Journalist receives death threats from government official after exposing his neglect of duties

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that a journalist working for Koh Santepheap newspaper, Try Vantha, 46, has been threatened by a senior official of the social affairs department in Preah Vihear province. On 13 November 2007, Try was in a restaurant where the official, Kim Thany, was also present. While […]

CAMBODIA: A military police officer threatened a woman journalist in Kompong Thom province

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding threat of a journalist by military police captain on 27 November 2007. The journalist was interviewing with military police commander Lork Vong of Sandan district in Kampong Thom province regarding a brawl involving two military police officers. While the journalist was interviewing, a […]

INDIA: Human rights activist facing threats for reporting cases in Uttar Pradesh

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) regarding the recent threats to Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi, the convener of the PVCHR in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh state. It is reported that Dr. Lenin has been receiving calls over his telephone from unidentifiable telephone numbers […]

SRI LANKA: Kalutara North police illegally arrested and detained a man

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the illegal arrest and detention of a man by Kalutara North police on 12 November 2007. He lodged a complaint but instead he was detained as a counter measure to harass or frighten him without any inquiry being made into his own complaint. […]

UPDATE(Cambodia): Copies of magazine confiscated and publisher hides due to the fear of retaliation

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the police arbitrarily confiscated all copies of a magazine without the court’s decision in Phnom Penh and the provinces on 1 November 2007 in Cambodia. Whilst the police are repressing the freedom of expression, it is reported that Mr. Lem Pichpisey, a publisher […]

SRI LANKA: No investigation after Piliyandala police assault a man

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the Piliyandala police beat a man on 27 September 2007. It was only after the victim produced a letter from the office of a government minister that a high ranking officer at the station allowed him to lodge a complaint. However no investigation […]