Statement

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of human lives in Nepal. It is a moment of unprecedented tragedy; the devastation of human lives and property is heartbreaking. This is again a testing time for the Nepal government. The series of aftershocks have created an environment of fear. Even people whose […]

The passing of the Amendment 19A, is a step towards undermining the authoritarian constitutional structure imposed on Sri Lanka through the 1978 Constitution.  This together with the appointment of a new Chief Justice in Sri Lanka constitute two important steps towards creating a greater space for interventions of people in order to protect their dignity […]

Bangladesh has witnessed one more fake election yesterday, 28 April 2015. The process of electing people’s representatives to the City Corporations of Dhaka and Chittagong has been marked by fraudulence. Rigging and ballot stuffing by ruling party cadres, polling officers, and law-enforcement agents reigned all across the two cities, as witnessed by human rights defenders […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) joins the world in grieving the deaths and loss of property in Nepal after the massive earthquake that has hit Nepal today at 11:50 am Nepali time. The 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck 80 km east of Pokhara in Nepal has devastated the country causing human casualties and other damages […]

On 19th to 24th of April 2015, the Asian-African Conference has been held in the Republic of Indonesia, with representatives of more than a hundred countries participating on the theme of “Strengthening South-South Cooperation to Promote World Peace and Prosperity”. During the event, several bi-national meetings have also been held. The host country President, Joko Widodo, has […]

The largest commercial city of Pakistan, Karachi, since the past few years has been the hub of extra judicial killings where the law enforcement agencies i.e. the police and Pakistan Rangers enjoyed impunity to shoot and kill in the name of maintenance of law and order. During the year 2014, according to the newspapers reports […]

A revolt has been organized by few irresponsible politicians through a campaign to stop investigations into allegations of bribery and corruption. The latest name to be added to the list of those who are being investigated on such allegations is the former president Mahinda Rajapaksa himself. There cannot be a greater attempt to drag a […]

The 2006 amendment to the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, clearly states that truth is a valid defence against contempt of court proceedings in India. This Act, number 6 of 2006 of the Indian Parliament, amends Section 13 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, incorporating Sub-section (b) to Section 13. Sub-section 13 (b) reads: […]

Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, a social reformer and jurist, is the father of the Indian Constitution. Ambedkar, however, is better known and revered for his lifelong work against caste-based discrimination, which played a central role in bringing to the forefront the plight of untouchables in both pre-independent and post-colonial India. Today, 61 years after Ambedkar’s death, […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission has documented that an increasing number of peaceful protesters are being arrested and jailed under the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Act. Citing the maintenance of peace and tranquility in the country, and ensuring the upcoming 2015 election remain peaceful, authorities, especially Administrative Officers, have filed cases against numerous peaceful […]

Two persons, Mohsin Ali and Kashif Khan Kamran, have been in the illegal custody of Pakistan’s security agencies since 19 September 2011, i.e. for nearly four years now. They have not been produced before any court of law since their detention commenced. The people of Pakistan are aware that these two men were brought from […]

A 17-member bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan has passed an order whereby all executions awarded by the recently established military courts are stayed until pendency of a writ petition filed by the Supreme Court Bar Association remains. The pending writ petition challenges the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, which has allowed for the institution […]

The former Chief Whip of the ruling coalition in Kerala, Mr. P. C. George, has released a letter to the media, which he has sent to the Chief Minister of the State, Mr. Oomen Chandy. In the letter, among other accusations, George alleges that the Finance Minister of the State, Mr. K. M. Mani, had […]

Once again, the Military and the notorious Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) have intervened to stop Voice of Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) Chairman Mama Qadeer from revealing the true face of the establishment and raising his voice for the missing persons of Balochistan. Recently, On 6 March 2015, Mama, along with General Secretary VBMP Farzana Majeed and […]

More than 60 convicts have been hung in Pakistan since December 2014. This number is now set to rise, with the military playing its role in executing people. The military junta that has surreptitiously imposed itself upon the pillars of the state, has handed down the death penalty to six convicts over charges of terrorism […]

Since 10 March 2015, the Burmese government has detained 70 students and their supporters in Tharawaddy Prison. Out of the 127 students arrested and detained, 70 are still being held in detention. These arrests were part of a crackdown to quash the student protest march against the National Education Law that was passed on 30 […]

The Prime Minster of India, Mr. Narendra Modi, invited the top judges of the country and the Chief Ministers of the states to his official residence for a dinner. The judges accepted the invitation and dined with the Prime Minister. This is the first time in Indian history that a Prime Minister has resorted to […]

A statement made in court by the driver of a movie actor has again exposed the abundant opportunities for exploitation of the criminal justice process in India; defending his employer, the driver has stated it was the driver, not the actor, behind the wheel when the vehicle sped out of control, killing a person sleeping […]

On March 24, pictures of four detainees, one of them a woman, with their hands chained and padlocked together, circulated online. The photos were taken by Bong Son, a newspaper photographer, while the detainees were being transported to another detention facility in Manila City. Photo: GMA News screen grab In response to public condemnation, Senior […]

Discrimination based on caste practices, including untouchability, is a deep and unhealed wound in India’s collective conscience. Caste-based prejudices adversely affect an estimated 160 million Indians. Despite a constitutional injunction and legislations that seeks to prohibit caste-based discrimination, the practice continues in India. Most tribal communities in the country also face discrimination that has its […]