Statement

The decision by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League- N (PML-N) to restore all the deposed judges of the superior courts including the chief justice, Mr. Iftekhar M. Choudhry is of monumental importance not only to Pakistan but also to all those who are concerned with post conflict justice after periods […]

On 22 February 2008 the deputy prosecutor attached to Phnom Penh Court named Hing Bunchea led a police force to execute the Supreme Court’s order to evict 23 families in Banla Saet village, Khmuonh commune, Russey Keo district, Phnom Penh. Hing used a police force of 500 men armed with assault and other rifles, batons, […]

According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan it is estimated that a woman is raped every two hours and a gang rape occurs every eight hours and about 1,000 women die annually in honor killings. The Women Rights bill passed in Pakistan by the National Assembly in 2006, has not changed the state or […]

The announcement by the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) that they are quitting the Presidential Commission of Inquiry comes as no surprise at all. The surprise is as to why the IIGEP agreed to be part of this process in the first place. The Presidential Commission was so obviously an eye-wash and the […]

The present military backed caretaker government of Bangladesh has banned all political activities since the state of emergency was proclaimed on 11 January 2007, which supplemented the Emergency Powers Ordinance-2007 and the Emergency Powers Rules-2007. This ban was partially lifted by the government in a gazetted notification, which came out as an amendment of the […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) congratulates the Corruption Eradication Commission of Indonesia (KPK) for their success in the struggle against corruption in the Indonesian prosecution system. Kito Irkhami, a state prosecutor has recently been detained on corruption charges that also involve his superior, Attorney General M.A. Rachman. This development is a major move forward […]

Basharat Mughal, the president of a group of minority Muslims — the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Halqa Manzoor Colony – in Karachi, was murdered on the 24 February 2008. The forty five year old was shot on his way to Fajr, the first of the Muslim morning prayers, becoming, says the group, the 88th person from the […]

Most of the national daily newspapers of Bangladesh, including the Daily Star and the Prothom Alo, published reports on 28 February 2008 stating that three personnel of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) were ‘closed’ from their current postings in the RAB-3 on February 27 following an incident of beating of a staff of the Dhaka […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  AHRC-STM-053-2008 March 3, 2008 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission PAKISTAN: Lawyer’s movement is the ‘vanguard of democracy’ The lawyer’s movement in Pakistan will complete its first year on March 9, the day on which, in 2007 the Chief Justice of the country was illegally and unconstitutionally deposed by the […]

The political parties who won in the February 18th elections have informed the Chief Executive, Presidnet Musharraf that have the two thirds majority to form the new government. This is now quite well known to the people of Pakistan. They have jointly announced that they will work to strengthen the parliament, restore the deposed judiciary […]

The only long lasting achievement that can come out of the recent electoral victories of the people against the military lead regime of President Musharraf would be the restoration of the chief justice and the other 55 judges who were ousted from the judiciary due to the president’s political moves. If this does not happen […]

In January 2008, the Cambodian government set up a “quick response team” to counter opposition news media and foreign radio stations that publish information attacking it. The announcement of this new team has created fears that it will consolidate the government’s restriction on freedom of expression. It is highly likely the new team will further […]

Four human rights defenders associated with a human rights organisation, Right to Life, based in Sri Lanka, have been deprived of their right to engage in peaceful activities by a permanent injunction issued by the District Court of Negombo which has held that there is no legal right to engage in such peaceful activities. They […]

Pakistan is seeing the greatest political upheaval it has witnessed in its history as the people have given a clear verdict in defence of the judiciary. The position of the chief justice, ousted judges, and the lawyers’ movement has been vindicated by the people. In the years to come, the key question in Pakistan will […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AHRC-STM-044-2008 February 21, 2008 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission SRI LANKA: A fatal blow to Sri Lanka’s Bribery Commission While the 17th Amendment to the Constitution is being ridiculed by the government the reasons for the fear of the appointment of the Constitutional Council and the independent commissions has […]

In media reports of 20 February 2008 the commanding officer of a unit of Border Patrol Police officers accused of abducting and torturing dozens–possibly hundreds–of persons in Thailand has denied that he was responsible for their actions. Pol. Col. Somkiat Nuathong, commander of Task Force 42 based in Nakhon Si Thammarat, reportedly said that he […]

The voting for the general elections for the National and Provincial assemblies has been completed and the unofficial results show that the political parties who were against the Musharraf regime are now in a comfortable position to form a government. The most surprising outcome of the elections is the victory of secular and democratic forces […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AHRC-STM-041-2008 February 19, 2008 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission SRI LANKA: Lessons to be learned from Pakistan’s secular forces The authoritarianism of general Musharraf, who later became President Musharraf, backed by the world’s most powerful superpower the United States, has found itself being severely bashed by the Pakistani judiciary […]

In a flurry of mudslinging just days before the general elections President Pervez Musharraf has called former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry “the scum of the earth — a third-rate man — a corrupt man,” in an interview to Jemima Khan that was published in the Independent, London, on February 17. The President also hinted that the […]

Concerning the forthcoming eighth general election in Pakistan two questions remain unanswered — whether the election will be held on February 18, 2008 and whether it will be free and fair? The elections were scheduled to be held on January 08, but were postponed due to the assassination of Ms. Benazir Bhutto, the Chairperson of […]