Violence against women

PHILIPPINES: Torture victims mark Anti-Torture day with poetry, music and painting

(Hong Kong, June 26, 2015) Torture victims and their families will mark the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture today, through art and literature; by reciting their poems, singing their own compositions, and painting live murals. Through art, local event organizer Defend Job Philippines, hopes they could draw attention to the lack of […]

PHILIPPINES: Massive displacement of indigenous peoples due to aerial bombardment

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission is deeply concerned about the aerial bombardment in the mountains of Sarangani province, Mindanao due to military operations, resulting in massive displacement of indigenous Blaans in the area. Soldiers also threatened and forced confessions from villagers on locations of rebel groups in their community.  CASE DETAILS: (Based on information received from […]

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 […]

NEPAL: The grave injustice of waiting and waiting for justice

Statement | Nepal | 09-06-2015

Ganga Maya Adhikari, who staged a 360-day hunger strike last year demanding action against the murderers of her son Krishna Prasad, has given a new 10-day ultimatum to the government to address her demands. Since Friday, 5 June 2015, she has only been taking juice and water, heightening her protest against the continuing injustice. Speaking […]

INDIA: Wife gang-raped by husband’s friends in Kerala; police stonewall victim

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information from Nervazhi, a human rights organisation based in Thrissur District of the Indian state of Kerala concerning the case of Mary (name changed) who was gang-raped by her husband’s friends. Mary struggled to lodge a complaint against the perpetrators with the local police. The police […]

PAKISTAN: Husband kills wife with pretext of defending “honour”; Sindh government supports murderer

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a woman has been killed by her husband and brother-in-law, who claim to have been acting to defend “honour”. The woman was murdered in front of her father and brother. The young woman was first locked in a storeroom for three days, without […]

SRI LANKA: Alleged serial killers take the life of the 18th woman, in Kotakethana in Kahawatte

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 […]

PAKISTAN: Mother and daughter gang-raped and burned alive; police protect rapists, murderers

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 […]

BURMA/MYANMAR: Attack gangs and falsification again the orders of the day

Over the last week Burma, or Myanmar, has witnessed the re-emergence of some of the most sinister methods of handling public demonstrations in its modern history. The police and civilian attack mobs have violently broken up demonstrations of workers and students in the former capital, Rangoon (Yangon), and the town of Letpadan to its north. […]

PHILIPPINES: Yet another questionable murder case filed against an arbitrarily detained activist

On December 10, 2014, we wrote about Renante Gamara, a labour activist, who was tortured and detained on fabricated charges. He was expecting a decision from the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Taguig City on his pending appeal to have charges against him dismissed. Gamara was arrested on April 3, 2012 in Las Pinas City, […]

NEPAL: ­­­Impartially investigate suspicious death of Gyani Raja Thakuri

Dear Friends, The Advocacy Forum Alliance in Nepal has informed the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) about the suspicious death of Gyani Raja Thakuri. The family of the deceased suspect direct involvement of the police in the death, as it followed an argument with local police officers. The police have, however, denied involvement and attribute […]

PHILIPPINES: Court orders the arrest of the alleged mastermind in the rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that the alleged mastermind in the rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl had already been indicted. The court ordered his arrest without bail. In our earlier appeal, the AHRC expressed concern that he had not been included in the charge despite compelling evidence from […]

PAKISTAN: Women’s Day-despite enactment of progressive laws there is persistent regression of women’s right

8th March is celebrated across the world as the international women’s day, yet many women in Pakistan remain oblivious to the significance of this day. In 2014, the World Economic Forum ranked Pakistan as the second worst country in the world in gender equality. The report measured the size of gender inequality in 142 countries in […]

PAKISTAN: Services of Pakistani Nobel laureates Dr. Abdus Salam and Malala eulogized

A Press Release from Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) KARACHI, Feb. 16: A civil society gathering has demanded the government that the Punjab University should be renamed as Dr. Abdus Salam University and Peshwar University as Malala Yousufzai University. Civil society of Karachi, in collaboration with Shaheed Zulfiqar […]

WORLD: Erwiana Sulistyaningsih’s February 10th Speech

A Press Release from Erwiana Sulistyaningsih forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) 10th February, 2015, Hong Kong SAR: I am happy that I won my case and the justice for me and other victims are finally upheld. I would like to thank Riyanthi for helping me at the airport and make my abused case known […]

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 […]

BURMA/MYANMAR: Villagers still without remedy for police attack on protestors

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information that no redress has yet been provided for farmers from central Burma that were attacked violently by the police during peaceful protest. Without any warrant or court order, the police used guns on the protesters. Farmers lodged a case against the police but […]

ASIA: Weekly Roundup, Episode 63

This week’s episode of Weekly Roundup brings you coverage of recent human rights success stories in Asia. The episode begins in Hong Kong. The former employer of Indonesian domestic worker Erwiana was found guilty on 18 of 20 charges relating to her treatment of Erwiana. AHRC TV has footage from the press conference where Erwiana and her […]

PHILIPPINES: Immediately release Maritess and Rosario, hold their torturers accountable

A Statement from Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission TFDP STATEMENT February 11, 2015 Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) calls on the immediate implementation of the Review Resolution issued by the Department of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima and the immediate release of the two Agta […]

NEPAL: Pregnant woman beaten for marrying Dalit, in-laws threatened

Dear Friends, The Jagaran Media Center (JMC) has informed the Asian Human Rights Commission that a pregnant 21-year-old woman, Rajani Thapa Magar, who married Lal Bahadur Bishwokarma, a Dalit man, has been beaten by her family. The woman’s family belongs to the Magar ethnic community. The police have apprehended five members of Rajani’s family. However, […]