Statement

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to express its deep concern to the injured victims and the families of those who lost their lives in the bomb blasts in Mumbai, India on July 11, 2006. While the AHRC is shocked by the scale and brutality of the attacks, which targeted innocent citizens, it is […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 11, 2006 AS-165-2006 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission BURMA: Bloody killings expose myth of “state stability” In recent weeks and months there have been a growing number of reports of bloody killings of ordinary people by police and other state officers in the cities and towns of Burma. […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  AS-164-2006 July 10, 2006  A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) SRI LANKA – Torture, worse than absurd – (this is the beginning of a series of statements which shows both the worst than absurd situation that result in torture and the worse attitudes in dealing with the complaints of torture […]

The Criminal Procedure Code of India has been amended to include a provision for plea bargaining with effect from 7 June 2006. The new chapter in the statute, Chapter XXI A, allows plea bargaining to be used in criminal cases where the prescribed maximum punishment is below seven years. Plea bargaining is not allowed in […]

Throughout June, the authorities in Cambodia systematically used large numbers of police to attack the poor. Five cases included assaults on legally-demonstrating workers and evictions of large numbers of people from their houses to make way for big business.  On June 6, Keo Chutema, governor of the Municipality of Phnom Penh sent around 700 police […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that its poster issued on the occasion of the June 26 International Day in Support of Victims of Torture in the Philippines has been altered by some unknown persons who inserted a different picture but retained the name and logo of the AHRC. The altered posters, which […]

The bench of three judges of the Supreme Court made an order on June 30, 2006 directing the Attorney General to consider whether action is warranted against two citizens who filed a fundamental rights petition relating to the appointment of four judges by the president without the recommendation of the Constitutional Council.  The basis is […]

On June 21 the National Assembly passed the annual Finance Bill, with effect from July 1. Or did it? And what was it that was passed anyway?  By law, the Finance Bill is passed to establish the annual budget. It is limited to this specific purpose. It cannot change or amend other laws. And as […]

In recent days there have been reports that the Minister of Law, Justice and Human Rights in Pakistan has embezzled large amounts of Norwegian money that was allocated for human rights victims. According to reports in the Daily Times and other local newspapers, Mohammad Wasi Zafar has allegedly misappropriated millions of rupees of Norwegian government […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is shocked at the news of the suspected attempt to abduct Vasant Panich, the chairperson of the Subcommittee on Legislation and Administration of Justice of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand. Vasant is a senior lawyer who has for years worked to advance human rights in Thailand, including […]

The Asian Legal Resource Centre has today, June 30, released a new report on witness protection in Thailand, the first in a planned series of detailed studies on specific institutional obstacles to human rights there.  Witness protection is all about the fight against impunity that is at the heart of human rights struggles worldwide. Without […]

Mechanisms for making complaints about human rights violations, for conducting investigations into such violations, for the arrest and prosecution of offenders, for the protection of complainants and victims, as well as all other avenues for the pursuit of redress are now completely closed in Sri Lanka. The promotion and protection of human rights by the […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 26, 2006 AS-155-2006 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission CAMBODIA: Support for rights of workers to march On 20 June, Touch Naruth, the police commissioner of Phnom Penh, and Kuoch Chamroeun, governor of Meanchey district, led a mixed police force of 200 men armed with riot shields, truncheons and […]

A Joint NGO Statement WORLD: Prohibitions against torture under attack     As we observe the annual U.N. International Day in Support of Victims of Torture on June 26, we would like to celebrate advances that have been made to end the deliberate infliction of pain on others to obtain confessions, gather information or any […]

On June 21, the representative of Thailand to the United Nations in Geneva addressed the first sitting of the new UN Human Rights Council. In his speech, Dr Chaiyong Satjipanon stated that, “Thailand is in favour of the retention of the [former Commission on Human Rights’] Special Procedure mandates, as we believe that they are […]

Although Pakistan is now an elected member of the new UN Human Rights Council, the practice of torture throughout the country is on the rise. Since its election on May 9, 2006 gross human rights violations including torture and forced disappearance have been committed against political and religious groups in Pakistan. Twenty persons from the […]

Cambodia acceded to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment in October 1992. In September 2005, the Cambodian government signed the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, but has yet to ratify it. However, neither the Convention nor the Protocol have become effectively operational; the government has not […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 23, 2006 AS-152-2006 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on the International Day in Support of Torture Victims and Survivors, June 26, 2006 THAILAND: Failure to ratify UN Convention against Torture damaging Thailand’s international reputation as well as the lives of victims Remember Ekkawat Srimanata?  Ekkawat was arrested on […]

The International Day in Support of Victims of Torture is a sad reminder of Sri Lanka’s complete failure to eliminate torture.  This is even sadder because it was the past practices of horrendous torture which created the cyanide carrying militants and prevented the possibility of a negotiated settlement for the country’s minority problems.  In the […]

On 7 June 2006 a Committee in the Philippine Congress approved a consolidated bill seeking to outlaw torture. By approving this long overdue bill, the Committee acknowledged the need to enact an enabling law on torture. While this development is warmly welcomed the issue of how to consistently push for it is a matter of […]