The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is happy to announce the latest issue of its weekly video news bulletin, the Human Rights Asia TV – Weekly Roundup.
The 9th Episode of the Weekly Roundup is being released on the 10th December 2013, on the eve of Human Rights Day, and we are bringing you a special report on how countries across Asia commemorate the Dignity of Human Life on this very important day.
We start with a special report on Burma where, after decades of celebrating the Human Rights day in complete secrecy, due to the recent end of direct military rule in the country, we are able to bring you news on how human rights defenders today are finally celebrating this important day. We also bring you an interview with Burmese human rights defender Min Lwin.
In India we look at its criminal justice mechanism – of the wide gaps that exist between the law of human rights and its practice. Although the Indian constitution has elaborate mechanisms for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, life in India remains vulnerable, particularly in areas where special security laws are in force, permitting excessive use of lethal force.
Indonesia marks 15 years of reform since the fall of the Suharto dictatorship. We bring you the status of Human Rights in Indonesia today; that despite the many changes that have taken place since 1998, much is being ignored by the government, hampering Indonesia’s move towards a full democracy.
In news from Sri Lanka, the AHRC highlights, the use of extrajudicial violence and how it has become the method of rule in the country. We bring you news of the Rule of Law Committee of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, condemning the recent extrajudicial killings of four persons by the police and Special Task Force. These killings followed the alleged murder of a policeman and his wife.
From Pakistan we bring you a special report on how the worst kinds of human rights abuses in Pakistan are committed within the criminal justice system itself, which is deeply flawed, backlogged, and corrupt. We bring you statistics from Pakistan, of 56 women killed for giving birth to baby girls; over 600 men and women killed in so called ‘honour killings’, and more than 2,000 people tortured by state security forces to indicate a few, all of which clearly shows a grave deterioration of the state of human rights there.
In Nepal we follow the results of the election which were recently conducted successfully. We highlight concerns of the fact that very few women and Dalit candidates won in this second constituent assembly election which will, in the long term, jeopardize their issues in the new constitution writing process. We bring you exclusive interviews from activists in Nepal.
We highlight the story of Bangladesh celebrating this year’s Human Rights day amidst bloody political violence where the entire country is infringed in bans and blockades – hundreds of innocent people, including women and children, have already been victims of the ongoing violence. Many have been injured; many leaders and activists have been detained and people are being arrested en mass every day.
In news from across the Philippines, we bring you stories of how despite the unabated torture, killings, disappearances and reprisals on human rights and political activists, victims continue to resist by attempting to assert and protect their dignity.
We also take you to Thailand where we speak with Tyrell Haberkorn, senior lecturer at The Australian National University’s Department of Political and Social Change, on the worsening human rights situation there.
In a special report from South Korea we highlight the serious allegations of fraud in the last December’s Presidential elections as a result of which the country has suffered from political deadlock this year.
The AHRC’s Right to Food Desk officer, Avinash Pandey, explains the relevance of his mission to bring economic, social and cultural rights into the human rights discussion across Asia.
We end this special edition of our new round up, commemorating the International Human Rights Day on 10th December with a message from the AHRC’s Basil Fernando, to bring attention to the importance of highlighting the protracted human struggle for the protection of the dignity of human beings world over.
The bulletin may be seen online at the AHRC You Tube and we welcome human rights news feeds to be considered for the weekly news bulletin, and your suggestions to improve our news channel. Please write to news@ahrc.asia
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