Columns

The introspection, debate and outrage generated a month ago by the attacks on two villages in Gojra on July 31 and Aug 1 may be out of public sight, as happened all too often in the past, but the nine people murdered and the homes and churches gutted are not out of mind. Neither is […]

An article by Dr. Gaffar Peang-Meth published by the Asian Human Rights Commission CAMBODIA: “A voice from Phnom Penh — Thinking Gray” Last year, a reader e-mailed me from Phnom Penh to say he has enjoyed reading my columns on the Internet and that he will be the first in line to sign up for […]

An article by Nick Cheesman published by the Asian Human Rights Commission WORLD: WikiLeaks and the politics of Interpol The issuance of an Interpol wanted notice for the Australian founder of Wikileaks within days after his website began releasing hundreds of thousands of classified United States government cables is blatantly political. Interpol’s charter prohibits it […]

Dr. Gaffar Peang-Meth As a student of politics, I understand the usefulness of letter writing, petitioning, appealing to foreign leaders for help. I myself have used these tools. But not today, I have stood as only an observer of Khmer democrats who write, petition, appeal to outside agents to intervene as “elected” dictator Hun Sen, […]

An article by Mr. Imran Bajwa published by the Asian Human Rights Commission PAKISTAN: Forty thousand killed and more than one hundred thousand injured during war on terror By Imran Bajwa With over forty thousand Pakistanis killed and over hundred thousand injured (still counting) and the whole nation terrorised & hopeless, one may ask whose […]

An article by Professor Diane Desierto of the University of the Philippines published by the Asian Human Rights Commission PHILIPPINES: Ongoing institutional persecution of a law school faculty Dear friends and fellow legal scholars, I apologize for this long note, but I thought I should set the record straight on the maelstrom of ongoing institutional […]

An article by Mr. Imran Bajwa published by the Asian Human Rights Commission PAKISTAN: The world spends more than four billion dollars per day on its military And that does not include world’s largest army of China, six declared rogue states and a host of other non-state & undocumented actors. The total global defence spending […]

An article by Dr. Gaffar Peang-Meth published by the Asian Human Rights Commission CAMBODIA: “A Khmer’s ‘one kilo of brain’ that is as good as any other brain” Dr. Gaffar Peang-Meth My Sep. 22 column, “Effect of teachers is long lasting,” brought an anonymous blogger’s comments, signed “kaun khmer” (Khmer child), who thanked all educators […]

An article by Mr. Temogen Tulawie published by the Asian Human Rights Commission PHILIPPINES: “Guilty until proven innocent” “Sige ka, magiging Cocoy ka” This line has become part of the equation to scare Human Rights workers and the people in Sulu away from the very thing that is inherent to human — their rights. The […]

An article by Prof. Angana Chatterji* published by the Asian Human Rights Commission SOUTH ASIA: Kashmir, India’s historically manufactured nemesis “Freedom” represents many things across rural and urban spaces in India-ruled Kashmir. These divergent meanings are steadfastly united in that freedom always signifies an end to India’s authoritarian governance. In the administration of brutality, India, […]

An article by Avinash Pandey Samar published by the Asian Human Rights Commission SRI LANKA: Is it some new political science you are referring to Dr Dayan! Avinash Pandey Samar “Who is the ultimate arbiter whom the citizens of Sri Lanka should follow” is the biggest question troubling Dr Dayan Jayathillake, a Sri Lankan writer. […]

An article by Avinash Pandey Samar published by the Asian Human Rights Commission SRI LANKA: Nations don’t die, they are murdered! (A response to Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka) Avinash Pandey Samar Nations do die, in fact they get murdered despite all the claims on the contrary. Only problem is that one needs to have a little […]

An article by Dr. Gaffar Peang-Meth published by the Asian Human Rights Commission CAMBODIA: “What Cambodians need most urgently in the kind of world they live” Dr. Gaffar Peang-Meth September 15, 2010 The East-West Cold War ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union on Dec. 25, 1991: Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev resigned from his […]

An article by Kishali Pinto-Jayawardena published by the Asian Human Rights Commission SRI LANKA: Our death chant for democracy Kishali Pinto-Jayawardena (This article appeared in the Focus on Rights column of The Sunday Times, September 12, 2010) There were passing antics on display this week over the 18th Amendment to the Constitution. One considerably amusing […]

An article by Rebecca Buckwalter-Poza published by the Asian Human Rights Commission SRI LANKA: 18th Amendment through American eyes Repercussions of the 18th Amendment and the Decline of Democracy Rebecca Buckwalter-Poza “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” – Lord Acton, 1887 (Pictured above: A group of Sri Lankan lawyers burn a coffin […]

An article by Sunalie Ratnayake and Sanath Jinadasa published by the Asian Human Rights Commission SRI LANKA: Proposed 18th Amendment to the constitution — An encoded devious mission of the ruling schemers Sunalie Ratnayake and Sanath Jinadasa In a concise epoch, much succinct than one could have ever imagined, or may have ever anticipated, especially […]

An article by Pepe Panglao published by the Asian Human Rights Commission HONG KONG/PHILIPPINES: Territories and countries — complaining with and without protection Pepe Panglao When I was a little boy I heard countless stories of mothers who lost their sons in senseless killings. There were stories of young men either stabbed or shot dead […]

An article by the Home for Victims of Torture published by the Asian Human Rights Commission SRI LANKA: Nanda Kuman–Torture victim released The Home for Victims of Torture Nandakumar and his family Nanda Kumar was arrested on April 17 2008, while he was working at the BOI in Balagolla. He was arbitrarily arrested by officers […]

An Article by Justice Rajindar Sachar published by the Asian Human Rights Commission INDIA: Peace in Kashmir Justice Rajindar Sachar 19 August 2010 New Delhi The reaction to the Prime Minister’s statement on the question of autonomy is on expected lines – cynics say it is not enough but do not conveniently spell out the […]

An article by Jaran Ditapichai published by the Asian Human Rights Commission THAILAND: National reconciliation and reform: all talk and no action Jaran Ditapichai Three months after the Army’s crackdown on May 19th, 2010 which caused 91 deaths and almost 2,000 injured, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has not yet come to terms with the fact […]