Statement

Abductions, killings and robbery have become regular incidents in Sri Lanka. The telltale symptoms of a broken down rule of law and a system that has failed to address it. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has issued several statements in the past expressing its concern over the widening gap between the fact and fiction in Sri […]

The judicial system in Pakistan is very weak and can not deliver justice to the people. The weakness of the judiciary can be blamed on the continuous interference by successive governments, in particular by military governments. The judiciary in Pakistan has traditionally always supported those in power, even if they came to power by ousting […]

Under the international peace agreements concluded in 1991 to end a protracted war in the country as well as under its own constitution, Cambodia has undertaken to ensure the respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms of its people, including the establishment of an independent judiciary for the protection of those rights […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 31, 2007 AL-012-2007 HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL Fifth session A Written statement submitted by the Asian Legal Resource Centre, supported by the Law and Society Trust, Sri Lanka SRI LANKA:  Serious Concerns Affecting Sri Lanka’s Judiciary 1. Introduction Sri Lanka’s legal system was originally a combination of the Roman-Dutch Law and English […]

The Prime Minister of India in his foreword in the ‘Report to The People’ dated May 22, 2007, claims: “In this 60th year of independence, the country should have the satisfaction of recording for the fifth year in a succession a rate of economic growth of over 8.5%.”  [1] The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) […]

On 30 May 2007 Thailand’s senior judges participated in a farce that was not of their making but has, thanks to their acquiescence to the country’s military regime, been made to appear one of their doing. By sanctioning a decision that was made well before 19 September 2006, they have caused immense damage to already […]

On Tuesday, May 29, 2007, three senior journalists received death threats in the city of Karachi, Sindh province. Envelopes containing live bullets were found attached to the driver’s side of the windscreen on two cars. In a third, a bullet was found on the driver’s seat. The journalists who received the first bullets are, Mr. […]

The killing of five members of a single family at Delgoda over a land dispute, a subsequent mob attack in which three houses in the neighbourhood were burned, followed by the shooting of two alleged suspects whilst in police custody, which killing has been declared by a magistrate as justifiable homicide, has been subjected to […]

The Supreme Council of the Magistracy (SCM) of Cambodia, the supreme judicial body governing the judiciary, should be commended for having recently adopted a code of ethics for judges. The adoption of this code is a significant development in the protracted legal and judicial reform programme undertaken by the Cambodian government. If effectively enforced and […]

Chhattisgarh and Kerala are two states in India. Chhattisgarh is a newly formed state compared to Kerala. Chhattisgarh and Kerala have nothing much in common. For example, the Chief Justice of India is from Kerala whereas judges like Mr. Jagdish Bhalla are asked to serve in Chhattisgarh. What is so special about Justice Bhalla? Justice […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AS-106-2007 May 23, 2007 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission INDONESIA: It is not “MALTREATMENT UNTIL DEATH” but “TORTURED TO DEATH” On 14 May 2007, the Indonesian Surakarta District Court decided that the death of Roni Ronaldo was caused by “maltreatment until death.” The six defendants were police officers, one […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission has learned that the suspended Chief Justice, Mr. Iftehkar Chaudhry, will address the members of (SCBA) on May 26, 2007 in the premises of the Supreme Court, Islamabad. It is a non-transferable duty of the government of General Musharaff to ensure that the meeting is allowed to proceed safely and […]

After observing the situation of the rule of law in Sri Lanka for several years and meticulously observing recent developments, the Asian Human Rights Commission is compelled to announce that what Sri Lanka is facing now is a situation of lawlessness of epidemic proportions. Such lawlessness is manifested by the ongoing abductions and forced disappearances, […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) was happy to note that a new person has been appointed to the position of the Attorney General in Indonesia. This comes as a sigh of relief for the victims and the families of victims of gross human rights violations, and for the wider humanitarian community, who have long […]

There have been further developments concerning the death of prominent human rights lawyer Munir Said Thalib on board a flight of Indonesia’s national carrier on September 7, 2004. Munir died of arsenic poisoning aboard a Garuda Indonesia Airways flight destined for Amsterdam. It is believed that he was assassinated due to his work in favour […]

With the conclusion of the legislative and local elections in the Philippines on May 14, the extent of deaths, violence and corrupt practices that have occurred during this electoral exercise is extremely appalling. This violent exhibition of democracy has cast serious questions upon the capability of the government, in particular the Philippine National Police (PNP), […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AS-100-2007 May 13, 2007 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission PAKISTAN: The Asian Human Rights Commission condemns violence unleashed by the military regime leading to killing of 30 persons in Pakistan The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) condemns the violence unleashed on peaceful protestors by the military dictator in Karachi, […]

As the movement to defend the suspended Chief Justice and the independence of the judiciary in Pakistan has gathered momentum in all part of the country as demonstrated by mammoth crowds congregating to greet him in the streets, the military regime has begun to use violent tactics to suppress this movement. An organised attempt is […]

In 2005, the Phnom Penh Court convicted and sentenced two men — Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun — to 20 years in prison for the murder of renowned labour union leader Chea Vichea in 2004. In April 2007, the Court of Appeals upheld their sentences. Both judgments have been severely criticised as they were […]

On May 5, 2007, a man told the media how he had been brutally tortured as part of a police investigation inside Camp Rafael Crame in Quezon City, the national headquarters of the Philippine National Police (PNP). Ricardo Ayeras alleged that he was beaten, kicked, electrocuted and was deprived of sleep, according to a report […]