Statement

On August 4 a court in Argentina sentenced Julio Simon to 25 years in prison. Simon, who is now 65, was a police officer who in late 1978 was among those responsible for the abduction and killing of Jos?Poblete and Getrudis Hlaczik. The couple was held incommunicado for at least a month before being killed. […]

A report on the proceedings of the trial – second day Hong Kong, August, 4, 2006 Today, August 4, Don Gayan Chandimal Amarakoon gave evidence before court stating that Sub-Inspector Suresh, the first accused in this case took him in his car on the morning of the shooting.  One Pradeep (a police officer) and Ajith, […]

On July 26, 2006 the UN Human Rights Committee published the view adopted by the Committee on July 14, regarding the communication filed by Sundara Arachchige Lalith Rajapakse holding that Sri Lanka had violated the rights of Lalith Rajapakse guaranteed under Article 2, paragraph 3 in connection with Article 7, Article 9 paragraph 1, 2, […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission is writing to condemn the continuing spree of extra-judicial killings that are plaguing the Philippines at present. Estimates from various sources indicate that over 700 such killings of political activists, journalists, lawyers, human rights defenders and members of the clergy have been perpetrated since 2001. It appears that, despite rising […]

The public information on the situation of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) became even more confused with the statement made by one of the commissioners, D. Jayawickrama who was quoted in the Sunday Island, July 30, 2006.   Mr. Jayawickrama stated that the reason the Commission had stopped proceedings in the inquiries […]

The higher courts of Pakistan have failed to respond to the growing number of abductions and forced disappearances at the hands of the country’s security forces. Instead they are in effect acting as accomplices to the perpetrators.  In what manner have the courts failed? Either they fail to take notice of a case, or they […]

India is trying to project itself as a state looking toward a place in the league of developed nations. It has put a claim as a leading Asian and global power with a right to permanent membership in the UN Security Council. To substantiate the claim, its government iterates statistical data showing annual economic growth […]

According to a report in the press (Daily News July 26, 2006) the Chief Justice is quoted as having said:  ‘”go slow” activity as a pernicious act committed against the whole country. He noted that the whole country had to suffer because of the strike country also lost billions of rupees.’ [sic] The argument by […]

The following story about Fr. Terry, a Pastor in Pangasinan, shows how extrajudicial killings and other forms of violence and harm are planned and, more often than not, carried out in the Philippines against individuals who try to engage in community activities for the benefit of the people.   It is this type of planning […]

In an historic judgment the Criminal Court of Thailand held yesterday (July 25, 2006) that the Election Commission was guilty of malfeasance and illegal assistance to the Thai Rak Thai Party in the April 2 Election and Repeat Vote.  The Court sentenced the three members of the Commission to four years in gaol, revoked their […]

The president of the Philippines Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo made her State of the Nation Address (SONA) during the 3rd Regular Session of the 13th Congress of the Republic of the Philippines.  Except for mentioning her condemnation of political killings in the harshest possible terms and urging the witnesses to come forward, and mentioning that together we […]

Lee Kuan Yew in a recent publication has paid himself a cheap compliment by comparing the tragic situation of Sri Lanka with Singapore.  He attributes Sri Lanka’s collapse from a one time better position than Singapore to the present crisis to the one man, one vote (universal franchise) system.  He is using the Sri Lankan […]

On July 18 the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) described how a victim of alleged abduction, torture, armed robbery, illegal detention and extortion by Thai police has over three years been unable to excite any genuine interest or attention in his case by any government agency. As there is no part of the government with […]

The Daily Tribune has published an article by Marie A. Surbano on July 7, 2006 entitled “Papal Nuncio twits GMA on slay spree”, we reproduce this article below. In his comments the Papal Nuncio attempts to highlight the central importance of dealing with .  We hope that this will be an eye-opener for all the […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  AS-172-2006 July 21, 2006 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)  SRI LANKA: Torture, worse than absurd  (This is the second in the series of statements which shows both the worst than absurd situation that results in torture and the worst attitudes in dealing with complaints of torture by the Sri […]

The Philippine National Police have a unique definition of the word “solved”. According to them, once a charge is filed against a suspect with the Office of the Prosecutor it is solved. Suspects not arrested? No matter, it is solved. Investigation flawed? No matter, it is solved. Requests of victim’s family for more inquiries unanswered? […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 20, 2006 AS-170-2006 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission THAILAND: UN charge that killings “official policy” cannot be ignored On July 18 a senior UN human rights expert made an extraordinarily powerful and precise statement about life under the gun for the population of southern Thailand. While the government […]

In a very strange move that will surprise anyone concerned with the global effort to eradicate disappearances and gross human rights violations, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL), which claims to be the country’s prime agency for the protection and promotion of human rights, officially decided to stop further inquiries into disappearance cases […]

On July 17 the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) issued an appeal on the alleged torture, armed robbery, illegal detention, and attempted rape and extortion of two persons in Saraburi, just northeast of Bangkok in Thailand. According to Uthai Boonnom, he and his partner were taken–at gunpoint and blindfolded–to a house in the forest where […]

This year is the 23rd anniversary of the Black July of 1983.  In a book published in June 2002, Sirisena Cooray, very much an insider to the regime in power in 1983 gives the story of the manner in which the racial riots in Colombo broke out and the responsibility of president Jayawardene for not […]