Statement

(June 26 is observed every year as the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.) Nepal successfully held the Constituent Assembly (CA) election on April 10th, 2008 and was declared a Secular, Federal Democratic Republic by the Constituent Assembly of Nepal on May 28th. It is a significant milestone in Nepal’s history […]

(June 26 is observed every year as the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.) Pakistan signed the Convention against Torture and other cruel, Inhuman or degrading treatment of punishment (CAT) on April 17, 2008, along with ratification of the International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). It also signed […]

(June 26 is observed every year as the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.) Article III, Section 12 (2) of the 1987 Philippine Constitution clearly prohibits the use of torture. Although the country¡¦s Constitution has long protected its citizens against torture, any person claiming a violation of this constitutional right has […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AHRC-STM-172-2008 June 25, 2008 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on the Occasion of the International Day against Torture INDONESIA: International review pointed out country’s torture problem (June 26 is observed every year as the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.) In the second week of […]

(June 26 is observed every year as the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.) The UN declared 26 June as International Day in Support of Victims of Torture in 1997 in order to increase support for victims of torture in countries across the globe.  Many states, thereafter, have come forward to […]

(June 26 is observed every year as the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.) Torture is a way of life at all police stations in Sri Lanka, whether the alleged crimes investigated are those relating to petty criminal offences, serious crimes or offenses under the emergency and anti terrorism laws. Assault […]

(June 26 is observed every year as the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.)  In the second half of the 1970s the Cambodian people experienced among the worst cases of systematic torture in the history of mankind when they were living under the Khmer Regime. In 1992, after the ouster of […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission appreciates and welcomes the announcement by the new government of Pakistan to commute . The AHRC hopes that the government of Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani will abolish the law which allows capital punishment by hanging. On the occasion of birthday anniversary of Ms. Benazir Bhutto, the assassinated former […]

On Thursday (19 June 2008) the media of Bangladesh reported on a survey conducted by the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB). The survey highlights the rampant corruption in the country. The TIB released its report on the “National Household Survey 2007 on Corruption in Bangladesh” at the National Press Club in Dhaka on Wednesday. Quoting the […]

The following is the first part of the interview with Mr. Kantilal Ukabhai, a Dalit human rights activist from India. The interview was done by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) at Hong Kong. Kantilal is currently associated with the Navsarjan, a reputed human rights organisation in Gujarat state, India. Kantilal could be reached at parmar.kantilal@gmail.com  […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received a copy of a petition written by 92 lawyers practicing in Kandy complaining of a serious obstacle to their practice. Furthermore, the right of litigants to select the lawyers of their choice has been interfered with due to a small group of lawyers who engage in touting […]

The government’s response to human rights violations in Sri Lanka, such as torture, extrajudicial killings and attacks on media personnel is that they are definitely concerned about it, but are unable to prevent it due to the lack of technical assistance, meaning money and experts, from the western countries. The government does not want criticism […]

The authorities in India appear to be becoming paranoid about human rights work in the country. For a country that spares no venue to boast about its justice mechanisms, domestic laws and its commitments towards the promotion, protection and fulfilment of human rights not only within the country but also outside, this is a noticeable […]

While the world has had its attention turned rightly towards the Cyclone Nargis tragedy and the worst-ever response to a natural disaster by a government of modern times, the authorities in Burma have carried on with what they do best, prosecuting and imprisoning people who have been identified as leading the nationwide protests against the […]

The Inspector General of the Bangladesh Police, Mr. Noor Mohammad, was widely cited in the national dailies on 10 June 2008 following his comments in a press briefing held at Police Headquarters on 9 June 2008 regarding the ongoing en masse arbitrary arrests in the country. According to a report published in the Bhorer Kagoj, […]

On June 8, a peace advocate, a known broadcast journalist and her two cameramen were reported to have been abducted by an illegal armed group in the Sulu Archipelago, in the southern Philippines. However, days after they went missing, the police have already made premature conclusions, even before conducting a thorough investigation, which implies that […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  AHRC-STM-159-2008 June 10, 2008 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission PAKISTAN: Government should not use force against lawyer’s long march The government of Pakistan is taking steps to ensure that lawyer’s long march is unsuccessful by setting up barriers around the parliament house and all approach roads. The whole of […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has collected details of detention and torture centres in Pakistan, where missing persons are held for long periods of time in order to force them to confess their involvement in terrorist and sabotage activities. The information about the places of illegal detention was collected from the persons who were […]

Cambodia is making preparations for the general election to be held on 27 July 2008. Yet, well before the start of the official campaign period, which is due on 27 June, the 11 registered parties have already been busy. As in previous elections, the ruling Cambodian People’s Party or CPP is exploiting all the advantages […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  AHRC-STM-156-2008 June 4, 2008 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission BANGLADESH: UN Human Rights experts should intervene to stop en massearbitrary arrest The New Age, a national English daily in Bangladesh, reports today that  “(t)he government has so far detained about 12,000 people, including local leaders and activists of major political […]