Statement

The Asian Human Rights Commission extends its concerns to the Chinese people and the Chinese government at this moment of tragedy by way of the severe earthquake. After news of the heavy earthquake that hit heavily populated areas in Sichuan province, China on May 12, reached the world, Premier Wen Jiabao quickly referred to it […]

The Supreme Court lawyers decided on Sunday (May 11, 2008) to boycott the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court for two hours on Thursday, May 15, in protest against a series of verdicts, including the highly controversial ruling, which abdicated the power of the Supreme Court to review applications for bail regarding the Emergency Power […]

(This is the second reply to a columnist of the Sunday Leader who wrote his column on May 11, 2008 referring to the Asian Human Rights Commission and its Executive Director, Mr. Basil Fernando). May 12th 2008 Mr. Lasantha Wickramatunga – The Editor The Sunday Leader Leader Publications (Pvt) Ltd. 24, Katukurunduwatte Road, Ratmalana  Sri […]

In Pakistan lawyers and the civil society are observing May 12 as a black day in protest of the killing of about 50 persons on May 12, 2007, by a partner ethnic group in President Musharraf’s government. The Asian Human Rights Commission endorses the protest of the people of Pakistan against the barbaric act of […]

It is astonishing that the newly formed government is still not clear about how to deal with the issue of missing persons. Senator Baber Awan, secretary of Pakistan Peoples Party’s Reconciliatory Committee On Balochistan, has announced the formation of two committees on Blochistan, the army ridden province, by the government of Pakistan (Daily Dawn 05.05.2008). […]

With the news that the military regime in Burma that has for a week denied its people outside help on May 9 seized the World Food Programme’s supplies in Rangoon and forced a planeload of supplies from Qatar to be returned to the country of origin, it is clear that it has crossed the line […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission congratulates the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE) for taking up a pluralistic approach in incorporating members to engage in election monitoring thereby standing above the partition political approach that has been the curse of Sri Lankan politics. Election monitoring must be done on the basis of norms and […]

Cyclone Nargis that devastated Myanmar is likely to claim more lives than what was lost during the 2004 Asian tsunami. The tsunami, widely known in the scientific community as the Great Sumatra-Andaman earthquake, has reportedly claimed 224,000 lives. The number however, was the total of the reported deaths from 11 nations with landmasses bordering the Indian […]

Since the end of the communist regime in the early 90s, the Cambodian people have dared to make complaints and vent their grievances against injustices even though they are still very much gripped by a fear psychosis. There are several venues for such complaints and grievances; they can go directly to the police, the courts, […]

Preparations are now under way for the next general election scheduled for 27 July 2008. Although the electoral campaign cannot begin until 30 days prior to the polls, political parties are already conducting a flurry of activities to challenge one another to score points and win votes. These activities include various measures to enlist more […]

From the very scanty news that has reached the global media it is already clear that a human catastrophe of the highest category is taking place in Burma. Some figures indicate that the numbers of deaths known so far may be around 200,000. In one area alone around 80,000 people are dead. By all indications […]

The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) appreciates the initiative taken by the Government of India in responding to the catastrophe that has devastated Myanmar. According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, India has dispatched two ships, INS Rana and INS Kirpan from the Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet, which has reached Yangon today with relief and […]

With the failure of the newly elected government to solve the crisis facing the judiciary and the restoration of the deposed judges so far, the systems of the rule of law and justice have become a mockery. In Pakistan, the legitimate holder of the position of chief justice, Iftekhar Choudhry has been given the protocol […]

The absence of a witness protection law has been one of the serious defects in the control of crime as well as the elimination of gross human rights abuses in Sri Lanka. The machinery of criminal justice consists of an effective complaint receiving mechanism, an efficient and prompt investigation mechanism, a competent and honest prosecution […]

The decision of the Manipur state government to recruit, train and deploy Special Police Officers (SPO) in the state is a few steps backward in regaining peace in that state. The decision was made in a state ministerial meeting held early last week. The Indian Home Ministry has also approved this decision. Within days, the […]

News is increasingly coming from the areas outside of Rangoon about the extent of devastation in Burma wreaked by Cyclone Nargis. In the Irrawaddy Delta region in particular, the towns of Bogalay, Laputta and Pantanaw and surrounding areas are reported to have been flattened, and the divisional capital, Bassein, greatly damaged. According to the government, […]

The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) wishes to share with you the full text of a decision adopted by the UN Human Rights Committee on 20 March 2008 regarding a complaint filed under the Optional Protocol of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) by Lenido Lumanog and Augusto Santos. They are two […]

The newly elected government of Pakistan has constituted two committees for Balochistan province, one for missing persons and the other for internally-displaced persons. Of all of the country’s provinces, Balochistan suffered was the worst hit by the violence perpetrated by the armed forces including the army and Air Force. Since 2001 hundreds of people have […]

A reply to another statement by SCOPP dated May 5, 2008 entitled response to AHRC The AHRC has engaged in an exchange of statements with Rajiva Wijesinha, the General Secretary of the Secretariat for Co-ordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP), with the deliberate intent to expose the entrenched culture of repression within Sri Lanka. With every […]

The physical damage caused by Cyclone Nargis, which swept through Burma this May 2 and 3 is clearly enormous. In addition to the at least 350 dead and uncounted numbers of injured, hundred-year-old trees have been uprooted, powerlines brought down everywhere, billboards collapsed, and houses demolished. According to government reports, at least 20,000 homes housing […]