Statement

On February 9, the new prime minister of Thailand made a number of startling statements before international television audiences that expose the huge impediments to protecting human rights in his country. In an interview broadcast on CNN, Samak Sundaravej claimed that only “one unlucky guy” was beaten to death in a brutal rightwing militia attack […]

In July 1996, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) concluded that it had found sufficient evidence to prosecute the 21 individuals, 15 of whom were police officers, involved in arresting and subsequently detaining the “Abadilla Five”. In their resolution, the CHR obtained medical evidence and testimonies detailing torture of the victims while in police custody […]

The detention of Mr. Iftekhar Choudhry, the deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan, has now run into its 100th day and during his detention all the members of his family, including his school-going children have not been allowed to go outside, even to the lawn of the house. There are 15 policemen stationed inside the property […]

From all around Sri Lanka there are constant reports of widespread thieving in the country, particularly around suburban town centres. This has gone so far as to affect even the dressing habits of women traveling in buses or three-wheelers. Although it has been customary among women to wear gold chains or other valuables, now on […]

Although the Independence Day has passed all the people of Sri Lanka, Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and others alike are more worried than ever about the future of independence, meaning the future of democracy in the country. Clearly everyone wants a new nation and all are fed up with the style of the one that exists. […]

On January 29, Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte was quoted by Davao Today, a local online news blog, saying he “does not care” about the report of Professor Philip Alston, special rapporteur of the United Nation on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions. Professor Alston’s report mentioned the killing of about 553 people—including minors—from 1998 to […]

Three prominent lawyers who spearheaded the movement of lawyers, were again arrested and detained for a further month under the maintenance of Public Order Ordinance (MPO). Mr. Aitzaz Ahsan, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Mr. Ali Ahmed Kurd, former vice president of the Pakistan Bar Council and Mr. Justice (retired) Tariq Mahmood, former […]

In recent weeks, a couple of criminal cases involving police officers in Thailand have caught the media headlines there. In the first, three men were found shot dead in Ayutthaya Province, just north of Bangkok, apparently after they had been arrested by the police. The three, Akkharapol “Bank” Sampao, 22; Mongkol Yatra, 20, and Nakhon […]

The reports coming out of Pakistan state that a group of 100 ex-military personnel including former generals, admirals, air marshals and other retired officers are calling for the resignation of President Musharraf with immediate effect. These former senior officers of the armed forces have formed an organization with the name of ‘Ex Servicemen’s Society’ with […]

Soeharto breathed his last in the quiet confines of Pertamina Hospital in South Jakarta in stark contrast to the hundreds of thousands that were compelled to breathe their last in agony in prisons, caves, rivers or places of detention during his rule. There were cases of victims being shot or the heads chopped off at […]

In March 2006, the legal counsel for two of the five prisoners known as the Abadilla Fivesubmitted a complaint to the United Nations Human Rights Committee under the Optional Protocol of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). In their complaint, they cited that the Philippine government had violated its obligation under the ICCPR, […]

A panel of five Supreme Court judges made the unanimous verdict of Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto being guilty of premeditated murder of the prominent human rights defender Munir Thalib and was sentenced to twenty years of imprisonment.  In 2005 a lower court convicted Polycarpus of the killing of Munir. This was later overturned by the Supreme […]

President Musharraf, while talking to a gathering of 800 Pakistanis in London, has asked the overseas Pakistanis to “put one, two or three punches” to Pakistani journalists who are destroying the country’s image outside the country. Mr. Musharraf was annoyed by a senior Pakistani journalist, Mr. Zia Uddin, a correspondent of the Daily Dawn who […]

For many years land grabbing has claimed many victims among the poor and the weak in Cambodian society.  Land grabbers, mostly the rich and powerful, have scarcely resorted to the due process of law. They simply secure, though illicit means, government eviction orders and law enforcement agents to force those victims out of their homes […]

On February 4, Sri Lanka will celebrate the 60th anniversary of its independence from the British colonial empire. There is hardly any mood to celebrate in the country, however. Beset by enormous economic hardships and price hikes, by ever unprecedented levels of blatant corruption and abuse of power, rejection of adherence to the Constitution itself […]

When a farmer was found dead four days after he was allegedly abducted and disappeared on January 16, the police within a short period concluded their investigation effectively exonerating policemen from any responsibility. The special investigating body, Task Force Usig, concluded that the victim, Tildo Rebamonte of Claveria, Masbate, was a rebel killed in a […]

Today, January 23, 2008, the Board of Directors of the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is pleased to announce that it has decided to grant its 3rd jointly to Muneer Malik, former President of the Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association, together with his successor, Choudhry Aitezaz Ahsan. The award is in recognition of the historic […]

Lawyers Rights Watch Canada (LRWC), the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) and the Dutch Lawyers for Lawyers Foundation (L4L) call for: The immediate unconditional release of all jurists arrested under preventative detention measures, including: Aitzaz Ahsan, President of the Supreme Court Bar; Chief Justice Iftikhar Choudhry, removed from office by the Musharraf regime; Ali Ahmed Kurd; […]

A Joint Statement by the Human Rights Watch, the Amnesty International, the Asian Human Rights Commission, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, and the International Trade Union Confederation CAMBODIA: Release scapegoats for labor leader’s murder Four Years On, Still No Justice in Killing of […]

As the independence of the judiciary in Pakistan is being treated by the military as a threat to national security 55 judges remain un-constitutionally retired out of which 13 are from the Supreme Court. Eleven out of the 55 are still under house arrest and several senior advocates are also under detention. Their love for […]