Statement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 29, 2006 AS-200-2006 Closing statement of the 6th Human Rights Folk School of the Asian Human Rights Commission ASIA: Still a long way to go to rule of law & human rights in Asia The 6th Human Rights Folks School of the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) was held in Hong […]

On 27 August 2006 it was reported that fighter jets and helicopters attacked the south western province of Balochistan, killing some 37 government opponents, including a former governor and chief minister of the province, Sardar Akbar Khan Bugti. The military action is also reported to have claimed the lives of two members of the provincial […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) on August 24 issued yet another appeal about further threats and violations of fundamental rights by the Border Security Force (BSF) stationed along India’s border with Bangladesh. In the latest incident this August 18 the family of a torture victim was allegedly threatened by a BSF intelligence officer over […]

The Bangkok Post on August 23 reported a spokesperson of the deputy prime minister of Thailand as saying that the government of Argentina understands the human rights situation in Thailand. According to the news report, an aide of the deputy prime minister, Surakiart Sathirathai, said that “Argentina has no problem with Dr Surakiart’s qualifications” to […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 24, 2006 AS-196-2006 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission  BANGLADESH: Lawless law-enforcement & the parody of judiciary The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and its sister organisation the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) have today released a landmark new report on the collapsed and primitive policing and judicial systems […]

An announcement by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo that she is appointing a high level Commission of Inquiry to probe into the extrajudicial killings was exposed as a hoax within just a few days of the announcement and even one of the nominated commissioners, a catholic bishop, publicly announced that he would not be party to […]

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has announced the proposal for the appointment of a high level commission to investigate allegations of extrajudicial killings, as well as to supervise the actual investigations carried out by Task Force Usig.  This announcement comes as there is mounting pressure from within the Philippines as well as internationally against the government […]

While the call for a peaceful resolution of the Sri Lankan conflict has arisen from high level sources such as the Secretary General of the United Nations and even the Pope, these make hardly any difference to the dismal situation of complete neglect of the suffering caused to the people by all parties to the […]

The Amnesty International report on the political killings, human rights violations and peace process in the Philippines published in August 2006 points to the need for the political will to investigate and stop political killings and the legacy of impunity in the country:   “Unearthing the evidence establishing responsibility for the current pattern of political […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) welcomes the decision of the government of Kerala to initiate action on reported custodial deaths in police stations. However, while some may consider this to be a bold step by the state government–contrasted by feet-dragging in the central government of India on police abuses–in fact it is but a […]

Last week Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post (SCMP) published an editorial entitled the ‘UN should not ignore [the] Sri Lankan conflict’ (August 8, 2006).  The editorial wondered as to why despite the levels of violence in the Sri Lankan conflict being equal to, or worse when compared to Lebanon and other theatres of conflict, […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is concerned but not surprised to hear that a senior police officer was threatened with death on 9 August 2006 when an anonymous caller to the police headquarters in Colombo said that a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) from the Tamil community would be killed soon.  The AHRC is concerned […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AS-188-2006 August 10, 2006 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission PAKISTAN: Court delays, rights violations and impunity give no cause for celebration of Supreme Court’s Golden Jubilee As part of its celebrations of fifty years of existence, the Supreme Court of Pakistan is holding an International Jurists Conference starting August […]

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 […]