Statement

A serious controversy has resulted after two senior judges resigned from their positions in the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), as they found that remaining in office would compromise their conscience. There have been serious disputes within the Bar Association of Sri Lanka as to what appropriate measures should be taken to respond to this situation. […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission has today learnt that two of the three members of the Judicial Service Commission of Sri Lanka have resigned their posts as continuing to hold them would be incompatible with their consciences. The two are senior Supreme Court judges Shiranee Bandaranayaka and T B Veerasuriya. The third remaining member and […]

On the first anniversary of the infamous royal coup in Nepal, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) notes with concern that the King continues to sacrifice the rights of the people of Nepal while claiming that during the past 12 months the country had been on the right track. On the contrary, the human rights […]

This February 1, 2006, the case of Ma Su Su Nwe will come before the Supreme Court of Burma. The court will be asked to decide whether or not to admit an appeal against Su Su Nwe’s imprisonment on charges of having abused and intimidated members of a local government council. In effect the court […]

Serious irregularities in judicial proceedings at the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Barrackpore, West Bengal speak to how India’s lower judiciary is being run by police. According to Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (Masum), a human rights group based in greater Kolkata, Vijay Kumar Jaiswal was violently and illegally arrested in the middle of the night […]

The Criminal Court in Bangkok on January 12 found that missing Thai human rights lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit had been abducted and that a police officer was among a group of persons, all suspected to be police, who were responsible. The prime minister subsequently said that Somchai has been murdered, and insisted that the Department of […]

A strange notion prevails in Sri Lankan legal circles that presidential immunity extends even to constitutional violations. This is despite the fact that one of the grounds for the impeachment of a president is ‘intentional violations of the Constitution’, as set out in article 38(2) a(i). A judgment made by the Indian Supreme Court on […]

The promise made by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to withdraw criminal defamation lawsuits against five human rights activists is welcomed by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC). The five activists are Mr Kem Sokha, President of the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights (CCHR), Mr Pa Nguon Teang, CCHR Deputy Director and Radio Director, Mr […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received further allegations of human rights violations in relation to the repression of demonstrations in Nepal’s deepening political, security and human rights crisis. Following the disruption of the large-scale demonstrations that had been planned by the seven-party political opposition alliance for Friday 20, 2006 – to protest against […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is releasing a follow-up statement to complement the information that it provided in a statement yesterday concerning the arrests of over 100 political leaders and human rights activists, in a serious development in the deteriorating human rights situation in Nepal (http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2006statements/413/). The AHRC has received the following information concerning […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed of the arrest of over 100 political leaders and human rights activists earlier today, January 19, 2006, in a serious development in the deteriorating human rights situation in Nepal. Reports indicate that the homes of a number of prominent human rights defenders have also been visited […]

In its 2005 Accomplishment Report released on its official website, the government of the Philippines claims to have worked “to improve the operational effectiveness of law enforcement agencies”. Exactly what this means remains unclear, as the government backs its remarks only with a handful of vague statistics that say nothing of reality and the challenges […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) condemns the additional and disproportionate restrictions imposed upon the people in Nepal by the newly enforced curfew and the total ban on peaceful demonstrations which has come into operation on January 17, 2006. The curfew is reportedly being enforced from 11pm to 4 am each night. The security forces […]

This afternoon the Criminal Court in Bangkok will give its verdict on the guilt or innocence of five police charged in connection with the abduction and disappearance of human rights lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit on March 12, 2004. The five–Police Major Ngern Tongsuk, Police Lieutenant Colonel Sinchai Nimbunkampong, Police Lance Corporal Chaiweng Paduang, Police Sergeant Rundorn […]

The BBC Sinhala Service revealed today a report by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) stating that enquiries are ongoing regarding 20 complaints of forced disappearances that are alleged to have taken place during the month of December 2005. The HRCSL’s director of Investigations and Inquiries has been quoted as saying that “some […]

H M G V Kotakadeniya, an advisor to the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defense on police matters, is today reported as having said that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) will now be able to appoint and transfer police, since the National Police Commission (NPC) has ceased to function due to the continued delay in […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 5, 2005 AS-002-2006 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) SRI LANKA: Six years after Chemmani exhumation: Inquiry commission needed to review attorney general’s department Pending indictments being filed at a high court, the case of the Chemmani mass graves was called before a magistrate’s court this week to […]

The recent drug menace plaguing Sri Lanka has been linked to police corruption. On December 31, 2005 the Inspector General of Police was reported to have said that the country’s drug problem cannot be eradicated without addressing the corrupt officials abetting the drug cartels. Earlier in the month, the Advisor to the Ministry of Defence, […]

AS-001-2007 January 2, 2007 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission SRI LANKA: Use of anti terrorism laws to suppress media and human rights organisations – the Sunday Leader episode and CBK’s UNESCO issue The alleged attempt to arrest Lasantha Wickramatunga, the editor of the Sunday Times was treated in the country as an attempt […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) sends greetings to everyone, wishing them a Happy Christmas and New Year. We wish particularly to extend our greetings to those members of our network from around the world who have patiently and consistently supported human rights victims in Asia on whose behalf the AHRC has sent urgent appeals […]