Statement

The Asian Human Rights Commission wishes to express grave concern about the filing of charges against Apichat Pongsawat under Martial Law, the Criminal Code, the 2007 Computer Crimes Act (CCA), and the orders of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), the military junta that carried out a coup in Thailand on 22 May […]

At approximately 9 pm on 1 June 2014, the National Council on Peace and Order Maintenance Council (NPCO) issued Orders No. 42-44/2014 broadcast on the radio and television demanding that 38 persons report themselves to the Jamjuree Room at the Army Club on Thewet Road between 10 am and noon on 1 June 2014. Similar […]

The Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee (PHSC) has endorsed the eight nominees for judges to the Supreme Court on 27 May 2014. Six judges, namely Gopal Parajuli, Deepak Raj Joshi, Govinda Upadhyay, Devendra Gopal Shrestha, Cholendra Shumsher Rana, and Jagdish Sharma Poudel, have been elected through voting. Two others, Om Prakash Mishra and Baidya Nath Upadhyay, […]

Thanks to promising monsoons, India is all set for a bumper harvest. This seemingly good news, however, has a caveat to it. To begin with, an open procurement policy based on government announced minimum support price the government is duty bound to buy all foodgrain that reaches its Krishak Mandis (farmers’ markets). The Food Corporation […]

On 27 May 2014 the state media in Burma (Myanmar) published the latest in a series of anti-democratic laws for the national legislature to consider: the Law Relating to Religious Conversion (Draft). Like other anti-democratic draft laws brought through the legislature since the country’s shift from overt to covert military rule, this new draft law […]

ในเวลา ๓ นาฬิกา ของวันที่ ๒๐ พฤษภาคม ๒๕๕๗ พล.อ.ประยุทธ์ จันทร์โอชา ผู้บัญชาการทหารบก ประกาศใช้กฎอัยการศึก และสองวันถัดมา พล.อ.ประยุทธ์ก็เป็นผู้นำก่อรัฐประหารท่ามกลางสถานการ์อันไม่แน่นอน ซึ่งมีกฎอัยการศึกและรัฐบาลรักษาการแต่ในนาม ในเวลา ๕ นาฬิกา ของวันที่ ๒๒ คณะยึดอำนาจเรียกตัวเองว่า คณะรักษาความสงบแห่งชาติ (คสช.) ยกเลิกรัฐธรรมนูญ พ.ศ.๒๕๕๐ และตั้งตนเองเป็นผู้ปกครองอันที่จริง ความเข้มงวดเรื่องการห้ามแสดงความคิดเห็นและเสรีภาพทางการเมืองมีมาตั้งแต่ใต้กฎอัยการศึกแล้ว กองทัพอ้างอำนาจล้นฟ้าในการจับกุมและคุมขังตามอำเภอใจ ก่อนหน้าการยึดอำนาจนั้น มีความเข้มงวดต่อการแสดงออกทางการเมือง และหลังการยึดอำนาจแล้วคณะยึดอำนาจจึงห้ามการชุมนุมทางการเมืองทั้งหมด การรัฐประหารได้เพิ่มอำนาจให้กับกองทัพ ในช่วงความขัดแย้งทางการเมืองล่าสุดที่ดำเนินมามากกว่า 6 เดือน กองทัพเงียบมาโดยตลอด จนกระทั่งมาทำลายความเงียบด้วยการยึดอำนาจครั้งนี้ หนึ่งวันหลังจากการรัฐประหาร พลเมืองเริ่มการประท้วงต่อต้านรัฐประหารอย่างสันติ แสดงความไม่เห็นด้วยต่อกฎอัยการศึกและคำสั่งของคณะรัฐประหาร การประท้วงเริ่มมาตั้งแต่ ๑๗ นาฬิกา ของวันที่ ๒๓ พฤษภาคม ๒๕๕๗ โดยประชาชนมารวมตัวกันต่อต้านอย่างสงบ ณ หอศิลปวัฒนธรรมแห่งกรุงเทพมหานคร บริเวณสยามแสควร์ ซึ่งเป็นใจกลางกรุงเทพฯ ประชาชนผู้มาต่อต้านต่างก็จุดเทียนยืนรวมกันเป็นกลุ่ม และชูป้ายวิพาษ์วิจารณ์การยึดอำนาจและการใช้อำนาจของกองทัพ นอกจากนี้ การต่อต้านรัฐประหารยังเกิดขึ้นตามจังหวัดต่างๆทั่วประเทศ […]

The Rajasthan board of secondary education has recently announced its intent to include a chapter on the life and achievements of Mr. Narendra Modi, the Prime Ministerial candidate of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in its school textbooks. Following this, the Madhya Pradesh state government has announced the same. The announcements have no shock value […]

The world is once again shocked by the news of the stoning to death of a 25-year-old pregnant woman, Farzana Parveen Iqbal, in Pakistan. The stoning took place before the Lahore High Court where she had attended due to a summons. The stoning was carried out by 20 members of her own family including her […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission is saddened to learn of the death of Deshamanya Ranjith Abeysuriya PC, a man of impeccable integrity who contributed for many years in various capacities to the protection of the rights of Sri Lankan citizens in a period which saw some of the most devastating attacks on democracy and the […]

Since the May 22, 2014 coup, the ruling military junta of the National Peace and Order Maintenance Council (NPOMC) has begun a process of mass arrests of those deemed to oppose them. This has included the arrest of peaceful demonstrators in various cities, the arrest of citizens who have responded to ongoing public summons to […]

Since the May 22, 2014 coup, the ruling military junta of the National Peace and Order Maintenance Council (NPOMC) has begun a process of mass arrests of those who oppose them. This has included the arrest of peaceful demonstrators in Bangkok on May 23, 2014 (AHRC-STM-099-2014) and in Chiang Mai and Bangkok on May 24, […]

At approximately 10 am on May 24, 2014, the National Peace and Order Maintenance Council (NPOMC, formerly NOMC) issued Order No. 5/2014 broadcast on the radio and television demanding that 35 persons report themselves to the Army auditorium at Thewet Road by 4 pm on May 24, 2014. At 9 pm on May, the NPOMC […]

At 3am on May 20, 2014, General Prayuth Chan-ocha, the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army, announced that martial law was immediately in force. After two days of uncertainty, in which martial law co-existed with the constitution and the caretaker government remained nominally in power, General Prayuth led a coup at approximately 5 pm on […]

A Statement by the Asian Legal Resource Centre BANGLADESH: Incommensurable with the rule of law    The international community continues to invest effort in developing governance systems in countries like Bangladesh. Understanding the dynamics of the country where resources are invested thus remains a quest. Human rights experts hailing from countries with mature democracies and […]

A 17-year-old boy named, P.H. Sadun Mallinga, from Atturukudua, Megahakiula, was arrested with his brother and brutally assaulted by a group of policemen from the Kandaketiya police without any reason. He died at the remand prison due to the severe injuries he suffered by the assault. He died in his brother’s arms. Now the brother […]

At 3am on 20 May 2014, General Prayuth Chan-ocha, the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army, announced that martial law was immediately in force. After over six months of increasing political contention during which the military remained largely silent, they have spoken through this action. Whether or not this constitutes, or will lead to, a […]

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed an application in a CBI Special Court seeking approval for criminal charges to be framed against the Director General of Police, Mr. Sumedh Singh Saini, of the Punjab state police. The accusation against Saini relates to his conduct of defence in a criminal case in which Saini […]

A Reflection on religious freedom with justice Puzzling Decisions and worrying trends The recent government decision to appoint a special police unit to deal with inter-religious conflict adds to the prevailing confusion on the freedom of religion and the rule of law. While the decision implies seriousness in arrestingthe current religious tensions, the government’s reluctance […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) congratulates the people of India and the Election Commission for successfully concluding a free and fair national election. This election has shown once again that the people of India value their ballot and are capable of changing governments through democratic and peaceful means.The task now falls upon the political […]

Two Indian journalists have been ordered to leave country no later than May 20 without being given any reason for the non-renewal of their visas. It is claimed in certain government circles that the decision was made by the military establishment. The Daily News International, quoting some close aides of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, said […]