Videos
SRI LANKA: True independence -- a YouTube presentation
The Asian Human Rights Commission has issued a short video presentation on the 65th Anniversary of Sri Lankan independence.
INDIA: Protest through submersion by villagers against unfair eviction at the Omkareshwar Dam
This video depicts the plight of the ordinary Indian, when their government and courts abandon them. The video is made on the tenth day where the evictees of the Omkareshwar Dam, one of the 30 large dams constructed in the controversial Narmada Valley Project, have decided to protest by staying in neck-deep water, after the Madhya Pradesh state government in India decided to increase the water level to 196.60 meters, though many villagers who lost their land and livelihood are yet to be identified and adequately compensated by the government. This is from the 10th day of the protest in water.
SRI LANKA: Police Torture Documentary
Right to Life in collaboration with the Asian Human Rights Commission has created a video discussion between a Sri Lankan police officer and Mr. Basil Fernando of the AHRC relating to the elimination of torture in Sri Lanka. The video was produced by Sirimao Wijesinghe.
PHILIPPINES: An interview with Edwin Egar
Edwin Egar, a pastor of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), talks about the fabricated murder charges filed on him and 71 other human rights and labour activists.
SRI LANKA: The Police Torture Epidemic in Sri Lanka -- a documentary
In this film several victims talk about their experience of torture by the Sri Lankan police and the continuing ordeals they suffer, psychologically and socially due to this torture. All of them state that their arrests were baseless and that after their arrest the police tortured them even before asking any questions at all. Torture has been used as a means of trying to collect evidence in cases which the police have failed to investigate and solve.
The AHRC and RCT launches the Asian Alliance against Torture and Ill-Treatment (AAATI)
The idea that we have to form the Asian Alliance against Torture and Ill-Treatment comes after almost 15 years of work to introduce the idea of the elimination of torture and ill-treatment to Asia. When the Asian Human Rights Commission started work on torture, we were pioneers in the region. The human rights movement in Asia did not pay much attention to this problem at that time. Perhaps many thought that it was too big a problem to be addressed. However, in our work we have found so many friends from almost all countries of Asia, and we have also found that the desire to address this issue firmly is very much a part of the consciousness of the ordinary folk in Asia.
ASIA: Widespread torture in Asia explained in a new video production
Spokespersons of the AHRC for Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand narrate the widespread use of torture in Asian countries, and explain the causes that produces this way of social control by the use of torture. The video describes the adverse impact of torture on individuals and on society as a whole, the loss of the rule of law and the loss of confidence of the people in the law enforcement agencies. The consequences of such change of attitudes is emphasized by the spokespersons.
SRI LANKA: Wide spread torture is only a symptom of failed policing
A police spokesman commenting on the report on torture issued by the Asian Human Rights Commission last week stated that there had been a weakening of the policing system during the prolonged conflict with the LTTE where the priority was given to anti-terrorism. Answering questions from the BBC Sinhala Service the police spokesman mentioned that the training of the police has suffered greatly during this period and now there are efforts on the way to remedy the situation. The police spokesman also said that human rights are now included in the police education programme at training centres.
SRI LANKA: A report on 323 cases of police torture in Sri Lanka - Lecture 7
The Asian Human Rights Commission which has documented over 1500 cases of torture and ill treatment by the Sri Lankan police has now compiled a report of 323 cases. In this presentation Mr. Basil Fernando, the Director of Policy and Programmes explains the causes of police torture in Sri Lanka and the consequences of having a policing system that has lost its internal control structure.Fernando also explains how the CAT Act, Act No 22 of 1994 is no longer being implemented in the country and how there is no credible complaint mechanism or witness protection law available to the citizens. The overall consequence of losing a law-based policing system is the creation of extra-legal measures to control crime. These extra-legal measures include torture, and extra-judicial killings. "Wide spread torture is only a symptom of the much larger problem of lawlessness created by the operation of 1978 constitution", tells Fernando.
SRI LANKA: The death of law - Lecture 6
This is a discussion on the serious crisis of law in Sri Lanka. 33 years of the promulgation of the present Constitution, what is legal and what is not has been obliterated in Sri Lanka.
PAKISTAN: AHRC condemns the killing of Safaraz Shah, a young man shot dead in a public place by the Rangers
The people of Pakistan were stunned when they watched the video showing Rangers personnel killing a young man in cold blood in a public place during the night of 8 June 2011. Passers-by gathered around the scene and made videos of the incident. The videos were then supplied to different television channels who broadcast them immediately. Before the video was aired, making the reality of the incident public, a spokesperson of the Sindh Rangers, a paramilitary force, issued a press statement claiming that the 25 year old Sarfaraz Shah was killed during an encounter with Rangers deployed outside a park in Karachi. The press release further claimed that Sarfaraz Shah was caught red handed while snatching cash and valuables from park visitors and that when Rangers officials entered the park, the young man fired at them. The Rangers went on to claim that they then returned fire, killing the so-called 'bandit'. The AHRC condemns this murder and demands an inquiry into the functions of the Rangers who excise police powers in Pakistan.
Five hundred days since the forced disappearance of Prageeth Eknaligoda - Lecture 5
Five hundred days after the disappearance of journalist and cartoonist, Prageeth Eknaligoda, the family and friends of Prageeth as well as media organizations and human rights organizations took to the streets to demand for inquiries into his disappearance. A serious transformation has taken place in the criminal justice system of Sri Lanka. Under the present system the obligation for the government to investigate all suspected crimes does no longer exists. The people of Sri Lanka do not have any legal protection against crimes. The result is a very fortunate situation for the criminals and a very ghastly one for the people. In this short video presentation Basil Fernando discusses this important and dangerous transformation and calls on all to demand a deep reorganization of the criminal justice system of Sri Lanka.
Police shooting at Katunayake and issues of public importance - Lecture 4
On the 30th May, 2011 in Katunayake, Sri Lanka, the police used live ammunition against a group of workers. As a result one young worker (22 years old) has died and about 200 have been injured. This incident has shocked the society and there is public debate on this issue. In this lecture the background to this incident and its implications are discussed. The history of the workers movement and how it was suppressed is also discussed in the background of the general strike of 1980 which was crushed by sacking 40 workers. Behind all this is the constitutional history of the country after the 1978 constitution which placed the executive president above the law.
SRI LANKA: To protect the law is to protect the nation - Lecture 3
In this presentation, the failure of the Sri Lankan state to protect the law is discussed as the greatest threat to Sri Lankan society remaining as a nation. Despite much rhetoric about the protection of the nation, the nation has been disintegrating, primarily because of the failure of successive governments to protect law and the institutions that are vital to the protection of rule of law. Thus, much of the discourse on patriotism in Sri Lanka is purely sentimental, when in fact the rule of law has reached its lowest depths. The cause of this disintegration is discussed in terms of the displacement of law by the 1978 Constitution, which has created an Executive President who is outside the jurisdiction of the courts. The undermining of the courts has led to the undermining of the authority of judges, policemen and prosecutors in the country. The trial system is becoming farcical, with the Attorney-General's department being politicized and misusing indictments. The law is treated as an irrelevant factor and the distinction between legality and illegality is lost. This makes abuse of power and removal of protection of the individual and property possible. Thus, as law is displaced, there is nothing to hold together the social organization that is called a nation.
How to improve the discourse of human rights between developed and less developed countries - Lecture 2
Why have the international interventions for investigations and prosecutions of human rights abuses in less developed countries failed to obtain positive responses? Is this only due to bad rulers or the absence of political will as is often said or should we look deeper for the actual reasons? In this short presentation, failures in the discourse on human rights between developed countries and less developed countries are discussed under the theme of the primacy of the rule of law.
Defending Human Rights Defenders - Lecture 1
Societies are silenced by the use of violence by the state. This has gone on for centuries in many countries. Such silencing ended in North America and Western Europe by the end of the 19th century, but that is not the case in many other countries. Those who try to break the silence are suppressed by physical violence. Thus, at one time or another this suppression has to be defeated. Such defeating begins with small efforts. Those who make the initial efforts are called Human Rights Defenders. Thus, by the very nature of their initial work they expose themselves to physical violence perpetrated by their many opponents. If they are to be sustained they need to be defended and supported. This presentation discusses the complex problems relating to defending these Human Rights Defenders.
SRI LANKA: Police brutally torture a man in revenge for complaining to the human rights commission
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Alahendra Acharige Dinesh Priyankara of Panadura North Police Division in Kaluthara district was illegally arrested and severely tortured by police officers attached to the Panadura North Police Station on 23 January 2011. Later he was brought to the station and questioned about a theft which happened in a newly constructed luxury house belonging to a former Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of police.
BANGLADESH: Police enjoy impunity despite torturing villagers and sexually abusing women in Dinajpur
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received credible information that the Dinajpur police commited mass torture of villagers in Daptoir village of Biral upazila in Dinajpur district. The victims included men, women, children and the elderly. They suffered severe injuries and the women victims were sexually molested and abused. The police perpetrators remain unpunished due to the culture of impunity and the absence of legislation to protect the people from torture. The police have filed at least one case against the villagers and are harassing them. To-date no proper investigation has been carried out.
BANGLADESH: Human Rights Defender FMA Razzak under threat of crossfire
The AHRC has received information regarding death threat to the family of F. M. A. Razzak, a human rights defender, and his well-wishers from the relatives of an officer the Bangladesh Army regarding an illegitimate claim of ownership of a land, which had already been settled by the concerned authorities.
BANGLADESH: Journalist Gias Ahmed Describes Story of Police Torture
Gias Ahmed is a senior journalist of the Desh TV based in Dhaka in Bangladesh. On 14 February 2011, the police tortured him at a police outpost in the city of Dhaka. He was detained in the Tejgaon police station until midnight of the day. The perpetrators enjoy impunity and go unpunished.
SRI LANKA: Appeal to save the life of a Tamil complainant in a bribery case against a police officer
This is the story of a young man, now facing death threats after making a complaint against the Sri Lankan police. The AHRC draws your attention to take action in the case of Devarathnam Yogendra to prevent an assassination by police officers. Intervene and save his life.
PHILIPPINES: On Gerry Ortega: "Too painfully young for a man to go"
In this interview, Fr. Robert Reyes, an associate of the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), talks about his close friend and associate, Gerry Ortega. Gerry was murdered on January 24 at a market in Puerto Princesa City.
Human Rights Day 2010
Basil Fernando introduces the Annual Report by the Asian Human Rights Commission on the Human Rights Day, 2010.
Remember Rizana Nafeek
The Asian Human Rights Commission wishes to draw your attention to Rizana Nafeek, the Sri Lankan girl, who is sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia. The case has now reached a most important point as Rizana's file has been forwarded to His Royal Highness, the King of Saudi Arabia. Please remember Rizana on the Human Rights Day, 2010 and take action in her case.
Indonesian military ill-treat and torture indigenous Papuans
(Hong Kong, October 17, 2010) The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received video footage from sources in West Papua, who must remain anonymous for security reasons, showing the torture of indigenous Papuans by the Indonesian military (TNI). The full video can be viewed here. The AHRC has chosen to remove some of the scenes showing the burning of one of the victims' genitals. Full press release available here: http://www.humanrights.asia/news/press-releases/AHRC-PRL-021-2010
SRI LANKA: The sixth anniversary of the assassination of Gerald Perera
On the 22nd November 2004 at 11:30 am, Gerald Perera, a torture victim who was to give evidence in the High Court of Negombo against six police officers from the Wattala Police Station who brutally tortured him, was shot while traveling to work. He died two days later due to his injuries.Subsequent inquiries established that the assassins were the same police officers who were charged under the Convention against Torture Act (Act No. 22 of 1994). Several police officers voluntarily gave statements to the magistrate inquiring into the murder and were later made witnesses in the case of the assassination in an indictment filed by the Attorney General of Sri Lanka.
Torture victim in Sri Lanka for UN International Day against Torture - June 26 2009
UN International Day in Support of the Victims of Torture
Recovering the authority of public institutions
A publication of the Asian Human Rights Commission. The book consists of two parts. In the first there is a study on the drift of Sri Lanka from a rule of law system to a non-rule of law system. It studies the loss of the supremacy of the law where the paradigm shift from a system recognising the separation of powers, having drafted in a such a way in order to bring the military in as the arbiter on national issues.
Torture victim in Pakistan for UN International Day against Torture - June 26 2009
UN International Day against Torture - June 26 2009
Torture victim in Thailand for UN International Day against Torture - June 26 2009
UN International Day in Support of the Victims of Torture
Torture victim in Philippines for UN International Day against Torture - June 26 2009
UN International Day in Support of the Victims of Torture
Torture victim in India for UN International Day against Torture - June 26 2009
UN International Day in Support of the Victims of Torture The fight to criminalise torture in Asia: AHRC broadcasting live on Friday June 26, 2009, 12 noon Hong Kong time.
PHILIPPINES/HONG KONG: Injured Filipino worker sought accident compensation (part 2)
On January 21, 2009, a twenty-year-old Filipino waiter, Tibio Melvin Delos Reyes who suffered second degree burns to his face and chest caught fire in a work related accident has now sought compensation for the injuries he has suffered.
PHILIPPINES/HONG KONG: Injured Filipino worker sought accident compensation (part 1)
On January 21, 2009, a twenty-year-old Filipino waiter, Tibio Melvin Delos Reyes who suffered second degree burns to his face and chest caught fire in a work related accident has now sought compensation for the injuries he has suffered.
Religion and Rights (part 2)
An interview with Irish activist Pierce H. Purcell on the topic of religion and human rights.
Religion and Rights (part 1)
An interview with Irish activist Pierce H. Purcell on the topic of religion and human rights.
PHILIPPINES: Mining Or Food
On the occasion of the release of the report "Mining or Food" by the Working Group on Mining and the Philippines. Fr. Frank Nalley introduces the food problems created through mining activities in the Philippines with an interview with Fr. Roberto Reyes from the Asian Human Rights Commission.
PHILIPPINES/HONG KONG: Injured Filipino worker sought accident compensation (part 2)
On January 21, 2009, a twenty-year-old Filipino waiter, Tibio Melvin Delos Reyes who suffered second degree burns to his face and chest caught fire in a work related accident has now sought compensation for the injuries he has suffered.
PHILIPPINES/HONG KONG: Injured Filipino worker sought accident compensation (part 1)
On January 21, 2009, a twenty-year-old Filipino waiter, Tibio Melvin Delos Reyes who suffered second degree burns to his face and chest caught fire in a work related accident has now sought compensation for the injuries he has suffered.
