AHRC News

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SRI LANKA: A call for a week of mourning against executive interference into the judiciary and other independent institutions – Day Two

Yesterday the AHRC announced a week of mourning following the executive president’s appointment of two judges and the president of the Appeals Court and a judge to the Supreme Court contravening...

SRI LANKA: A call for a week of mourning against executive interference into the judiciary and other independent institutions

With the direct appointment of two Court of Appeal judges, the president of the Court of Appeal and one Supreme Court judge by Sri Lanka’s executive president, the judiciary has been dealt an at...

EAST TIMOR: Increased international support for a peaceful resolution urged as fledgling nation sinks into crisis

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned by the growing crisis that has recently beset East Timor, the world’s youngest nation. Reports indicate that tens of thousands of per...

INDONESIA: Effective state responses needed in dealing with earthquake aftermath

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) expresses its solidarity with the victims and survivors of the earthquake that struck the city of Yogyakarta, Indonesia on May 27, 2006. It has been reported t...

SRI LANKA: The President of Sri Lanka is more powerful than the supreme law of the country and makes appointments to courts contravening the Constitution

The rule of law in Sri Lanka which is in abysmal decay, suffered a further major set back when the President of Sri Lanka acted as if he is more supreme than the Constitution, by making three appointm...

CAMBODIA: Khmer Rouge Trial – a request to advance judicial independence in Cambodia

Thanks to many years of your persistent work with the Cambodian government, the Extraordinary Chambers commonly known as the Khmer Rouge Tribunal for the prosecution of crimes committed by senior Khme...

PHILIPPINES: Task force on killings must start with witness protection

On May 12, the Department of Interior and Local Government formed “Task Force Usig”, a police-led investigative unit to probe the unrelenting killings of activists and family members in th...

SRI LANKA: Failure to govern not failure of state, and its implications for human rights

The AHRC is issuing this statement to coincide with a meeting organised by a group of citizens in Sri Lanka on the theme ‘Saving Sri Lanka from the brink of disaster’, to be held on May 27...

SRI LANKA: Presidential ban of the Da Vinci Code film is an act of dictatorship without any basis in law

The media reported today that the Executive President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapakse, has used his presidential power to ban the Da Vinci Code blockbuster film from public screening. The Daily News, ...

CAMBODIA: Police abuse their power and illegally arrest factory workers

On the morning of May 23, 2006 a police force equipped with electric batons from Dangkor district, Phnom Penh was sent to beat up and disperse a group of workers on strike in front of the Park View ga...

PAKISTAN: Venomous government official threatens freedom of press while a stale Government remains voiceless

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) condemns the attack upon The Dawn, a daily newspaper published from Pakistan, by Mr. Salahuddin Haider, the Chief Minister’s advisor on Information in th...

CAMBODIA: Khmer Rouge trial a golden opportunity to advance judicial independence, not executive control

On May 7, 15 Cambodian judges and two public prosecutors were appointed to serve on the Khmer Rouge tribunal alongside 11 international judges and two prosecutors. The appointment has met with a lot o...

BANGLADESH: Government’s hypocritical talk on upholding rule of law and human rights

By dismissing a case of police torture and degrading treatment on May 21, 2006, the Fourth Special Tribunal for Prevention of Women and Children Repression, under the Chief Metropolitan MagistrateR...

THAILAND: UN Secretary General’s visit an historic opportunity for progress on human rights at a critical time in Thailand

Dear Mr Kofi Annan, The Asian Human Rights Commission sends greetings to you on the occasion of your 25-27 May 2006 visit to Thailand to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of His Majesty the King’...

SRI LANKA: Punchihwewa denies prior knowledge of appointment to HRCSL and refuses to accept the position

In what amounts to a scandal concerning the manner in which President Mahinda Rajapaske has made appointments to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, one of the nominees and well known human righ...

NEPAL: Welcomed landmark proclamation strips King of key powers

On May 18, 2006, with the adoption of the House of Representative’s Proclamation, the Nepalese people achieved an historic victory towards the establishment of a truly democratic state. Included...

SRI LANKA: Proposed anti-terrorism measures will in fact bring back period of terror

Sri Lankan newspapers have reported the drafting of a new law severely curtailing civil liberties and media freedoms. Conscription is one of the provisions of the draft law. Other provisions are expec...

INDIA: Human rights pledge to the international community needs to become reality

India, the self-styled world’s largest democracy, has secured its position in the newly constituted UN Human Rights Council following elections held on May 9th, 2006.  Although India’s in...

SRI LANKA: Authoritarian appointment of Commissioners must be rejected

Under the Constitution of Sri Lanka, the executive president has not been given the power to select members of any of the commissions established or supervised by the 17th Amendment. The power of sele...

THAILAND: Historic constitutional debate will determine future of democracy in Thailand

Something very big is happening in Thailand. In recent weeks, people there have been in the grip of a constitutional debate that will have a lasting impact on their society. In fact it is a moment tha...