Statement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AHRC-STM-175-2009 August 21, 2009 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission PHILIPPINES: Exposing witnesses to risk is systemically entrenched, not a mere ‘lack of funds’ “Lack of funds” is what Senior State Prosecutor Leo Dacera, head of the government’s Witness Protection Programme (WPP), described as the reasons why witnesses to extrajudicial […]

Journalists of the military-torn province of Balochistan are facing direct threats from law enforcement agencies, particularly from the Frontier Constabulary (FC), a paramilitary force operating against nationalists demanding constitutional autonomy. On August 18, 2009, the Daily Asaap, the most widely circulated Urdu-language newspaper of Balochistan province, was forced to cease its publication after receiving threats […]

In an interview posted on the website of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of Thailand, the commission’s new chairwoman, Amara Pongsapich, has effectively promised to make the national rights institution meaningless and irrelevant, other than as an obstacle to human rights. Throughout the process of selecting and appointing the new commission’s seven members, who […]

On the occasion of the death of Kim Dae-jung, the former president of South Korea, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) registers its appreciation of the life and the work of this great leader who lead his people from the rule under brutal militarism to democracy. Modern South Korea owes an eternal debt to Kim […]

While the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) welcomes the development that the proposed law on torture is nearing its approval following the bicameral session of the Senate and the House of Representatives it must also be said that they, the lawmakers, have for over two decades frustrated numerous torture victims in their attempts to obtain […]

Lately there has been a hectic time within the Cambodian judiciary with the actual and planned retirement and appointments of many judges and prosecutors. The government has retired and replaced half of the members, two ex-officio and two appointed, of the Supreme Council of the Magistracy (SCM), the supreme judicial body responsible for the nomination […]

India will celebrate its 62nd year of independence tomorrow. While politicians and national leaders celebrate the Independence Day, delivering speeches and attending dinners, they will have to struggle to explain why often men and women in the country lose their life each year in encounters with the law enforcement agencies. The policy makers of the […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has closely followed the trial of democracy party leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and three other persons in Burma, and has earlier pointed to the defects that marred the process from its inception in May 2009 (AHRC-UAC-060-2009). It shares the heavy frustration and disappointment felt worldwide over the […]

Another member of the Ahmediyya community, Rana Ata-ul Karim (36) was killed on 6 August 2009 in Multan, Pakistan. He was murdered simply for being an Ahmedi, a minority sect of Islam. Mr Karim, a well educated agriculturist, left his home for a few minutes in the afternoon and returned to find that his wife […]

On 29 July, 2009 the Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) announced in a media release that the Government of Bangladesh had decided to withdraw 35 temporary camps, three infantry battalions and a brigade of the armed forces, deployed in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), in the south-eastern part of the country. On 7 August, a […]

Recently, a Rattanakiri provincial court judge, Thor Saran, made a recommendation to a human rights NGO, ADHOC, to remove its prominent human rights defender named Pen Bonnar from the province where he had been working for some ten years. Judge Thor Saran said Pen Bonnar and his colleague, Chhay Ty, were under investigation for incitement […]

Last June the Cambodian government ignored the jurisdiction of the nomination and discipline of judges and prosecutors of the Supreme Council of the Magistracy (SCM) when it bypassed this SCM and got the King, who is chairman of this supreme judicial council, to retire and replace half of the eight SCM members. The retired members […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AHRC-STM-164-2009 August 04, 2009 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission BANGLADESH: Bangladesh should be careful about the Judiciary’s independence The Government of Bangladesh issued a notification on July 30, 2009 that the country’s President had forced the retirement of two Judges — Mr. Abdul Gafur, the District and Sessions Judge of […]

Mu Sochua, a Member of Parliament from the opposition Sam Rainsy party, was tried on 24 July 2009. She was charged with defamation against Prime Minister Hun Sen following her announcement of her own defamation lawsuit against the latter in press conference held in April. In Cambodia, defamation is a non-custodial criminal offense punishable by […]

Korean On 31 July 2009, fourteen judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, led by Chief Justice Mr. Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, added a golden page to the global history of the judiciary by protecting its independence and upholding the constitution. In delivering a judgment on two constitutional petitions, filed by the Sindh High Court Bar […]

In the Pakistani part of Kashmir several political activists and students have been arrested for observing the demands for an independent Kashmir, free from India and Pakistan. Mr. Sardar Liaquat Hayat, the Central President of the Jammu Kashmir National Awami Party, and several activists of the Jamu and Kashmir National Awami Party (JKNAP) and Jammu […]

Pakistan’s former military ruler, General Pervez Musharraf (Retd.) has refused to appear before the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The Supreme Court issued notice on him to appear before the court in the case of a constitutional petition challenging the forced removal of two judges of the Sindh High Court. The petition was filed by the […]

Five suspects in police custody are known to have died in police custody in different locations in Cambodia over the first five months of this year. There have been allegations that they suffered torture or other forms of ill-treatment. However, the police have refuted these allegations and with medical certification as proof, claimed that the […]

Ssang Yong Motor Company fired around three thousands workers. The labour union tried to negotiate this matter with the company, but both parties failed to agree. Subsequently, the workers and the labour union occupied the working place and protested against the dismissal. They also demanded that the government and the company take a genuine step […]

After Pakistan’s accusation of Indian involvement in subversive activities with the nationalist movement in Balochistan province, the law enforcement agencies reacted heavily against the students of the province who have sympathies with nationalist movement. The Para-military forces, particularly, the frontier constabulary (FC) started arresting people, keeping them in incommunicado in unknown places. There are reports […]