Statement

While expressions of despair manifest themselves in many countries in the Asian region, all that the governments of these countries offer to those who express their despair is the guillotine. Ruthless repression by way of causing forced disappearances, assassinations, torture and the destruction of property are the only responses of these governments to expressions of […]

The case of Rizana Nafeek, a young girl from Sri Lanka who went to Saudi Arabia as a domestic helper when a 17 year-old teenager, and who was within a very short time accused of the murder of a infant under her charge, has been pending before the Dawadami High Court. Rizana’s defense has always […]

In December 2007, a bishop and three priests of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (Philippine Independent Church or PIC) once again have been threatened that they will be killed and have been the subjects of overt surveillance. They were warned about undertaking their social activities and ministry, or they would be murdered like their colleagues. Within […]

On 31 December 2007 an online news agency — BD News24.com — of Bangladesh published a report with the title ‘DMP commissioner blames failure of police on political pressure’. The report said unwarranted influence and pressure from outside, jeopardised the freedom of the police administration. The report further said that the main cause of harassment […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AHRC-STM-003-2008 January 03, 2007 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission SRI LANKA: Sri Lanka’s further plunge into lawlessness The year 2008 began, for Sri Lanka with the assassination of the Tamil opposition UNP Member of Parliament, T. Maheshwaran. Just a few days earlier a government minister, Mervin Silva forcibly entered […]

The two daughters of Ms. Asma Jehangir, a well known lawyer, human rights activist and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of religion or belief, were assaulted and illegally held for several hours along with their friends by armed persons of the Pakistan Muslim League Q (PML-Q); they were beaten severely […]

The year 2008 began, for Sri Lanka with the assassination of the Tamil opposition UNP Member of Parliament, T. Maheshwaran. Just a few days earlier a government minister, Mervyn Silva forcibly entered the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation) premises with about ten other persons and allegedly assaulted a news manager in retaliation […]

The assassination of Benazir Bhutto, who was the leader of one of the best known political parties in Pakistan that was contesting the election to be held on the 8th January 2008, reflects the nature of the repression and the absence of the rule of law and human rights in the country. To those who […]

As the Muslim world celebrated Eid and as the outside world celebrates Christmas, the forcibly ousted chief justice, Iftehkar Choudhry is being treated as a prisoner, held under house arrest and not even allowed to visit the mosque for performing his religious duties. His main lawyer, Choudhry Aitezaz Ahsan, a well known senior lawyer was […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AS-288-2007 December 24, 2007 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission WORLD/SRI LANKA: Update on Online Petition – send your Christmas greetings by signing the online petition for UN human rights monitoring in Sri Lanka On the 10th December 2007 Louise Arbour, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in an […]

(Washington, DC, December 18, 2007) — Five leading international human rights organizations today called upon the Cambodian government to respect its international human rights commitments as well as United Nations officials mandated to monitor them. The five organizations — Human Rights Watch, the Asian Human Rights Commission, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), the […]

Iftehkar Mhd. Choudhry, the chief justice of Pakistan who was dismissed from office by President Pervez Musharraf after the imposition of the emergency rule, has been recognised as the lawyer of the year 2007 by the National Law Journal, published in the United States. This recognition is most appropriate. In Pakistan now the very existence […]

Iftehkar Mhd. Choudhry, the chief justice of Pakistan who was dismissed from office by President Pervez Musharraf after the imposition of the emergency rule, has been recognised as the lawyer of the year 2007 by the National Law Journal, published in the United States. This recognition is most appropriate. In Pakistan now the very existence […]

In a statement read at the UN Human Rights Council on 11 December 2007, the ambassador of Myanmar (Burma), U Wunna Maung Lwin, said that, “On 31 October 2007, the Government of Myanmar has established the Investigation Body [sic] chaired by the Minister for Home Affairs with a view to investigating offences against fundamental human […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission strongly supports the call for a human rights monitoring mission by the United Nations as a measure to resuscitate the severely damaged criminal investigation capacity of the Sri Lankan policing system. The state, as the sovereign, owes an obligation to investigate into all crimes irrespective as to whether these are […]

The appeal case of Rizana Nafeek is continuing to be heard in the Appellate Court in Saudi Arabia. Rizana Nafeek, who was 17 years old at the time when she was accused of murdering a baby of four months, was sentenced to death by the Dawadami Court, despite her claim of innocence. Rizana claimed that […]

The year 2007 was marked by constitutional and judicial crises; the President as the military leader used the state power against the judiciary, the Constitution of the country, the legal fraternity and the media. Civil society was the most affected section in the country. Every effort was made to undermine the rule of law. To […]

Any improvement in the condition of human rights in a country should be measured on the extent of protection that victims and families have obtained, and how the investigations are made by the police to ensure the possibility of the successful conviction of cases. Without this, any decline in the number of killings would be […]

The year 2007 will be remembered as a year in which brought out increasingly belligerent responses from ruling elites across Asia. It is certain that throughout the region more and more people are resolved to assert their rights. It is also clear that its autocrats will respond more and more aggressively in order to keep […]

A phantom limb is the sensation that an amputated or missing limb is still attached to the body and is moving appropriately with other body parts. The pronouncement of the Sri Lankan government that it has adequate local mechanisms to deal with investigations into human rights violations reflects a similar mentality. The recent statement of […]