Statement

Impunity is extensive in Indonesia. The murder of a prominent human rights activist is one of many cases that has made this evident to the international community. The death of Munir Thalib and the obstacles for a thorough investigation into his case, has exacerbated a feeling of urgency in local and international groups to address […]

Amongst the few great achievements of human kind, the establishment of the idea and the practice of fair trial is one of the best examples of civilisation’s struggle against barbarism. Centuries of the practice of the contempt that power has against justice was defeated by the developments relating to fair trial. Absolute rulers and ruthless […]

The granting of amnesties by the president to a number of tycoons, who were convicted by the Korean courts after affording them fair trial, will have the impact of creating the impression that the executive is undermining the judiciary. It will also push back the long and arduous struggle of the people to develop a […]

A resolution, recently passed by the Naloor panchayat in Narikudi block of Virudunagar district in Tamil Nadu state is the quintessence of caste based discrimination in India. The panchayat convened a meeting a few months ago and resolved that the proposed construction of a public library building in the panchayat must not be permitted. The […]

Two inquiries into crimes reported recently reveal the absurdities of policing in Sri Lanka. One is the investigation by the Bribery Commission for an alleged act of corruption by way of undeclared assets on the part of a minister involving Rs. 450 million. The other was an allegation against a poor construction worker regarding the […]

What is silly and what is cruel may be relative. However, what Sarath Kumara Naidos, his wife, Sriyani, his mother, Asilin, his sister, Mangalike, her husband, Neil and his mother, Nandawathie are going through is certainly both silly and cruel by whatever standards. On the 5th July, while Nandawathie was watching, Sarath Kumara who helping […]

Demonstrations have continued since May 2, when the government failed to put an end to the people’s concerns about their right to health. The agreement on beef importation between the Korean government and the United States government is the cause. It is reported that, up to July 31, the police had arrested 1,042 persons on […]

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission WORLD: The US Congress must investigate Dr. Afia’s case The United States and its security organisations including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued a statement confirming that Dr. Afia Siddiqui is in their custody since her so-called arrest from Afghanistan on July 17, 2008.  Dr. Afia […]

A specially trained Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team consisting of 1,700 professional police officers was formed on July 30, 2008, just days was before the visit of President Bush, of the United States to South Korea on August 5. Furthermore, a newly appointed commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced on August 1, […]

On July 30, 2008 the Supreme Court of Cambodia upheld a lower court’s ruling that found Prince Norodom Ranariddh guilty of breach of trust and sentenced him to 18 months in prison. Ranariddh was the president of a political party named FUNCINPEC. FUNCINPEC was a partner of the Cambodian People’s Party since 1993. In 2006 […]

On 24th July the Asian Human Rights Commission issued an Urgent Appeal in the case of the disappearance of a lady doctor. The UA, PAKISTAN/USA: A lady doctor remains missing with her three children five years after her arrest, may be seen at: http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2008/2947/ The American Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), initially admitted that they had […]

A 50 –year-old residential area, home to about 800 families is being demolished in central Colombo. The demolition is taking place in the national security style and is being pursued by the Ministry of Defense. The residents only had seven days notice before the demolition started with the arrival of the bulldozers. The operation is […]

During the previous seven days at least four persons were executed by hanging in different cities of Pakistan despite the decision of the federal cabinet on July 2, 2008, to commute the death sentence into life imprisonment. That decision was made at a meeting under the presidency of Mr. Yousaf Raza Gillani, the Prime Minister. […]

On the 29th July, 2008 the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh stayed the order of the High Court Division on appointing ten former judges, who were illegally sacked, according to a verdict passed by the High Court Division of the Supreme Court. The Appellate Division passed this order following a provisional petition […]

The Federal Law minister, Farooq H. Naek, while talking to the media said that, “The (previously dismissed) judges were welcome to resume their responsibilities. They only had to take a fresh oath under the Third Schedule of the Constitution to resume their responsibilities.”  He added that the seniority of such judges would not be affected. […]

A young man is now in the Colombo Eye Hospital having permanently lost his sight in one eye due to acid being thrown in his face while he was in police custody. The police, acting in connivance with a truck driver, arrested him and beat him severely while the truck driver threw the acid at […]

Three lawyers practicing in the courts in Kandy have complained of having received death threats on several occasions as a result of having signed a petition calling for inquiries into the unprofessional conduct of a few lawyers which affects the rights of litigants as well as the rights of other lawyers. The lawyers who have […]

(As the Criminal Investigation Branch has questioned four representatives from several reputed human rights organisations regarding a pamphlet published on December 10, 2007 calling for the ending of impunity regarding disappearances. We set out below the legal position in Sri Lanka regarding publications as set out by the courts of the country. For details see […]

The recent questioning of some representatives of several well known human rights organisations in Sri Lanka about a pamphlet which called for the ending of impunity regarding disappearances raises many serious questions. The questioning is based on the assumption that the publication amounted to an act that demoralised the armed forces. Emergency regulations have created […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission issued an Urgent Appeal, AHRC-UAC-144-2008, with regard to a young couple (Mr. Muhammad Ibrahim and Mrs. Zainab Ibrahim), who have been threatened with death because they married without the permission of their parents. Powerful persons of the tribe in question, with the support of police authorities, have already killed a prominent […]