Statement

A Statement on the occasion of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture Nepal underwent political change in 2017, with local level elections held for the first time in 20 years. This was a significant step in ending the country’s political transition following the civil war (1996-2006). After a decade-long conflict in Nepal, the number […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), a regional human rights organization in Asia, condemns the repeated arbitrary arrest and detention occurring in Papua. Three particular cases have come to the AHRC’s attention, documented below. Case 1 On 21 November 2017, members of the Jayapura District Police arbitrarily arrested 14 indigenous Papuans in Nimbontong District, while […]

Sri Lanka Report for 2017 2017 was a decisive year for Sri Lanka, showing what progress had – and hadn’t – been made in the past few years. In January 2015, a new government was elected with a massive intervention on the part of the people. For 10 years, their premiere, Mahinda Rajapaksa, ran an […]

We reproduce below the full text of the view adopted by UNHRC in Rita Jesudasan’s case. The case was submitted to the committee by ALRC. Views adopted by the Committee under article 5 (4) of the Optional Protocol, concerning communication No. 2256/2013*, ** Submitted by: X. (represented by counsel, Sergey A.            […]

With incidents of sexual assault and rape being reported more widely across India, there have been increasing calls for the establishment of a sexual offender registry in the country. The gangrape and murder of a young girl in Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir in January 2018, intensified these calls, along with the demand for death penalty […]

This is a joint statement of the Asian Human Rights Commission and Nervazhi, Kerala, India. Nervazhi is one of the many organisations that the AHRC works with throughout Asia. In question and answer form we are explaining the basic aspects of the relationship between the two organisations. The AHRC, based in Hong Kong, and Nervazhi […]

Like the proverbial animal with thousands of horns, Ilangamuwa has many titles such as “One of the” Editors of Sri Lanka Guardian, a correspondent for Sri Lanka Guardian, Special Correspondent and a spokesman from a concerned group of journalists that does not exist. He also claims that he is publishing from London, Boston, South Africa and […]

On May 22, 2018, the people of Thoothukudi(Tuticorin) were protesting for the 100th day against the environmental damage caused by the copper smelter unit of Sterlite Copper company, a unit of Vedanta Group. 100 days of protests that turned violent on May 22nd, with police firing on the protesters and killing, as on date, 13 […]

Mr. Basil Fernando’s keynote address delivered on 16 May 2018 at the Gwangju Human Rights Forum The 2018 Gwangju Human Rights Forum was jointly organized by the May 18 Foundation and AHRC It is a great honor to be speaking to you all today when we have gathered to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the […]

The 2018 Gwangju Human Rights Forum was jointly organized by the May 18 Foundation and AHRC RIGHT TO JUSTICE Systemic Ways to Ensure Human Rights Are Protected A. Human Rights and the Violation of those Rights Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start. When you read, you begin with A, B, […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) strongly condemns the terrorist attacks and suicide bombings which occurred in several churches in Surabaya, East Java Province. We note that the attacks resulted in at least 11 people killed and 41 injured. When the bombs exploded around 7a.m. they struck terror into the hearts of Indonesia’s sizeable, minority, Christian community. […]

A Joint Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission and the Terai Human Rights Defenders Alliance The proposed draft of Nepal’s National Integrity Policy (NIP)1 has created havoc among the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) and the wider human rights community in the country. It has been reported that the National Integrity Policy drafted […]

When Thomas Hobbes wrote his book, the Leviathan, he likened the state to a mighty fish, using a biblical symbol. His basic argument was that if human beings are to organize their society for their own benefit, so as to overcome each ones’ greed to grab things for themselves alone, there was the need of […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the Government of Bangladesh has engaged its student wing, the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), to unleash violence against the demonstrators. Several students have informed the AHRC that the BCL activists were identifying demonstration participants living in the University of Dhaka dormitories from Sunday night onwards. […]

Joint Statement (28 March 2018): Bangladesh’s incumbent Government has escalated cracking down on the country’s opposition prior to the general elections expected to take place by December 2018. The country’s Law-Enforcement Agencies regularly demonstrate violent attitudes towards the dissents while the poor situation of Human Rights is highly alarming. Documentation on gross violations shows a […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned by the foreseeable displacement of Khokana residents due to the Kathmandu-Terai Fast Track Project, one of Nepal’s ‘national pride’ projects. The 76-km long Fast Track is proposed along the Bagmati River corridor, and is expected to considerably reduce travel time and distance from Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, […]

In 2011, two manual scavengers died while cleaning a sewer in Delhi’s Bawana Industrial area. Finally, on 27th February 2018, in the case of Rajesh and Another v. Delhi Jal Board and Ors (W.P.(C) 7030/2012), the High Court of Delhi brought relief to the families of these victims. Though prohibited, the dehumanising and hazardous practice of manual […]

March 20, 2018 Inspector general of Police, Police Headquarters Colombo Sri Lanka Fax Number: +94 112440440 Re: Complaint against Sound Pollution caused by temple authorities at Sri Devram Maha Viharaya, Pannipitiya Dear Sir, I am writing this on behalf of the Asian Human Rights Commission. Our commission has revived a complaint from about 35 local […]

On March 13 2018, the Third Judicial Magistrate at the First Class Court in Mangalore acquitted Pramod Muthalik, and 25 other members of the Sri Rama Sene of the 2009 assault of several women in a Amnesia, a Mangalore pub. The Sri Ram Sene is a right-wing Hindutva group that has previously been involved in […]

Guria Swayam Sevi Sansthan (Guria), an organization based in Varanasi, has been working against human trafficking and forced prostitution for more than two decades. Guria is AHRC’s partner organisation and in 2016, Guria filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the High Court at Allahabad, seeking guidelines to be issued to the police for the […]