Open Letter

This is the first of five open letters that the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) feels compelled to write to the UN Human Rights Council concerning the horrible human rights situation in Bangladesh, and its causes. We are doing this as we are deeply concerned for the integrity and credibility of the Council if Bangladesh […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission has reliable information regarding the violation of the basic human rights of psychiatric patients in the mental health wards in Colombo and elsewhere in Sri Lanka.  Following are some of the violations: Patients are systematically given shock treatment (ECT) as it is cheaper than antipsychotic drugs. Whenever they are asked […]

Today, July 28, 2006 a nine-month-old child, a baby resident of Belwa village in your district of Varanasi died due to malnutrition. Her case is known to you. Her name was Seema Musahar. Her parents, Laxmi and Chotelal had sought your help. The best you could do was get her admitted to the Varanasi District […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has read with concern your interview published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer of 25 July 2006 entitled, “PNP clears Palparan on killings”. The article refers to how you have exonerated Major General Jovito Palparan, the commander of the 7th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army from allegations of serious […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has since 2004 studied your candidacy to become the next Secretary-General of the United Nations with interest. To be honest, we are a bit perplexed. Try as we might, we have failed to identify the qualifications upon which you could be elected to the job. As a Harvard law […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to you in advance of your State on Monday, July 24. While we look forward to what you will be reporting regarding the present situation of your country and future plans, we would like to draw your attention to the state of human rights in the Philippines, which […]

It is with great concern that we watch the rapid deterioration of – perhaps it would be more accurate to say the deliberate flaunting of – the rule of law and international norms in Western Asia.  You, like most persons who have been following developments there, are familiar with the relevant facts: An Israeli soldier […]

Thank you for your message to the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) of 13 July 2006 in reply to our open letter to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Myanmar, ‘Violent crime by state officers causing lawlessness’ (AHRC-OL-030-2006). You argue that persons who violate a country’s laws should face sanctions. In fact, […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is writing to you with regards to many serious allegations of brutal and oftentimes murderous violent crimes by state officers in Myanmar, which it understands should be a subject of concern for your office.  Some of the alleged cases that have come to the attention of the AHRC in […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is writing to you further to open letters to the chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of Thailand, Lawyers Council of Thailand and Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva on the need for a concerted response to the alleged attempt to abduct Vasant Panich, NHRC member […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 7, 2006 AHRC-OL-028-2006 An open letter to the Inter Ministerial Committee on Human Rights The Inter Ministerial Committee on Human Rights Thro- Hon. Mahinda Samarasinghe Minister for Disaster Management and Human Rights Parliamentary Complex Colombo 1 SRI LANKA July 6, 2006 Dear Sirs, SRI LANKA: The case of Chamila Bandara, HC […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is writing to you further to open letters to the chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and Lawyers Council of Thailand regarding the apparent lack of a response from the government of Thailand to the alleged attempt to abduct a member of the NHRC, Vasant Panich, who […]

The HRCSL under the leadership of the earlier commissioners decided to send a legal representative from the HRCSL to attend the trials relating to the torture and murder of the victim, Gerald Perera who was waiting to give evidence in a torture case against several police officers from the Wattala Police Station for severely torturing […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to congratulate you on your appointment as the new chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on 5 July 2006. On the occasion of your appointment, the AHRC wishes to suggest to you that your top priority as police chief must be to address the unabated killings of […]

I am sure you are aware of the murder trial of Gerald Perera, a torture victim who was assassinated while waiting to give evidence in a trial against several police officers from the Wattala Police Station for severely torturing him. Prior to the assassination the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka held that these officers had […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is writing to you further to our open letter to the chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of Thailand of July 4 because we are deeply concerned over the apparent lack of a firm public and civil society response to the alleged attempted abduction on 28 June […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission is writing to you to express its persistent concern over the alleged attempted abduction on 28 June 2006 of Vasant Panich, a member of your National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of Thailand and the head of the Subcommittee on Legislation and Administration of Justice.  The facts of the case, as […]

Gerald Perera was fatally shot on November 21 2004 while waiting to give evidence before the Negombo High Court against several police officers who had been accused of causing serious injuries to him after he was arrested on mistaken identity.  A few days after the shooting he died of his injuries and was thus prevented […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is writing to protest the list of new members appointed to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, posted on your website. Your recognition of the new commissioners is a betrayal of the Sri Lankan human rights movement and of national human rights institutions worldwide. You are fully aware […]

Mrs. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo President Republic of the Philippines Malacanang Palace JP Laurel Street, San Miguel Manila 1005  PHILIPPINES Fax: +63 2 736 1010 Dear President Arroyo, Re: Did you discuss extrajudicial killings with Pope Benedict? The is writing this letter after seeing a press photograph of your self with Pope Benedict, where the Pope […]