Statement

ASIA: Civil society needs to converge to protect rights

Statement | Asia | 10-12-2013

Commemorating the 64th Anniversary of Human Rights Day, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has released a comprehensive report, State of Human Rights in Asia 2013, covering Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Hunger in Asia. The report can be accessed here. The global theme for this year is 20 Years: Working for your rights. […]

PHILIPPINES: The killings of five journalists and activists in a week is evidence of a ‘license to kill’

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned over the renewed targeted attacks against journalists, human rights and political activists and indigenous people, in the Philippines. The victims, journalists, who are known critical of corruption and in local politics; rights activists and indigenous people, who are engaged in advocacy against extrajudicial killings and for […]

SRI LANKA: Indebtedness, militarization, & the threat against all human rights

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on Human Rights Day Sinhalese The full report is available for download at: http://www.humanrights.asia/resources/hrreport/2013/AHRC-SPR-006-2013.pdf/view International human rights day is a day for the celebration of human dignity. It is an appropriate date to take stock of what progress, if any, has been made in the promotion and protection […]

ශරී ලංකාව: ණයගැතිබව, හමුදාකරණය, සහ සකල මානව හිමිකම්වලට එරෙහි තර්ජනය

English The full report is available for download at: http://www.humanrights.asia/resources/hrreport/2013/AHRC-SPR-006-2013.pdf/view අන්තර්ජාතික මානව හිමිකම් දිනය මානව අභිමානය සමරන දිනයකි. එහිදී, ශරී   ලංකාවේ මානව හිමිකම් පර්ත වර්ධනය හා ආරක්ෂාව සම්බන්ධයෙන් යම්කිසි දියුණුවක් ලබා තිබේ නම් එම දියුණුව කුමක්දැයි සලකා බැලීම සඳහා මේ දිනය යොදාගැනීම සුදුසු ය. අවාසනාවකට මෙන් මේ සම්බන්ධයෙන් පරුසුගමනයක් දැකගත නොහැකි අතර ඒ වෙනුවට පැහැදිලිවම […]

ASIA: World’s economic powerhouse is home to hunger

The full report is available for download at: http://www.humanrights.asia/resources/hrreport/2013/AHRC-SPR-007-2013.pdf/view The tale of hunger in Asia is a troubling one. It tells of people who have slipped through the cracks. Such people, citizens, supposed to enjoy the universal human rights promised to all human beings, have become invisible. While their states celebrate extraordinary tales of economic growth, […]

INDONESIA: Democracy incomplete in 15 years of reform

The full report is available for download at: http://www.humanrights.asia/resources/hrreport/2013/AHRC-SPR-002-2013.pdf/view In commemoration of Human Rights Day on December 10, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is issuing a brief report on the state of human rights in Indonesia. Using the examples of events which took place in 2013, the report highlights three crucial subjects which have been […]

INDIA: Where freedom & dignity remains a mirage

The full report is available for download at: http://www.humanrights.asia/resources/hrreport/2013/AHRC-SPR-003-2013.pdf/view Human Rights Day commemorates the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948, which declares freedom and equality for every human being in the world. The Indian constitution, adopted by the people of independent India a year later, guarantees each Indian citizen right […]

NEPAL: Human Rights in Abeyance

The full report is available for download at: http://www.humanrights.asia/resources/hrreport/2013/AHRC-SPR-004-2013.pdf/view The dissolution of the Constituent Assembly in May 2012 stalled efforts to trigger debate on human rights and institutional reform. The political transition kept Nepal in limbo in 2013 as well, until a successful second Constituent Assembly elections on 19 November 2013. The elections have been lauded […]

PAKISTAN: The Country has turned into a Killing Field

The full report is available for download at: http://www.humanrights.asia/resources/hrreport/2013/AHRC-SPR-005-2013.pdf/view A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on Human Rights Day AHRC releases its Report on the State of Human Rights in Pakistan, 2013 In 2013, the people of Pakistan have remained at the mercy of state and non-state actors who resort to violence as a […]

ASIA: Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela — AHRC salutes a great man, embraces his Legacy

Statement | Asia | 06-12-2013

The Asian Human Rights Commission joins all people across the world to salute Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela of South Africa, who passed away at the age of 95 yesterday. In the person of Nelson Mandela the world can proudly celebrate a towering personality, whose life has universal relevance for all times to come. His life and […]

PAKISTAN: During the last eleven months 7,170 persons were killed and 8,746 were injured in different acts of violence

The killings were the outcome of bomb blasts, terrorist attacks, sectarian violence, targeted killings, operations by law enforcement agencies and US drone attacks During the year up to November 30 there were hundreds of incidents of sectarian violence, target killings, terrorist attacks, suicide bombings and the killings by armed forces and intelligence agencies, and of […]

PAKISTAN: “Death in custody constitutes murder” rules the CJ in cases of disappearances

Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry makes laudable efforts to hold the security forces accountable for enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings and in pursuing the cases of missing persons It has been reported that the Attorney General informed the Supreme Court that two missing persons have died, allegedly in military custody. According to the daily Express News, which […]

BANGLADESH: Attorney General’s Office Supersedes High Court

The Asian Human Rights Commission has learned that direct intervention from the Attorney General’s Office of Bangladesh is preventing the release of ASM Nasiruddin Elan, Director of Odhikar, a Bangladesh based human rights organisations, despite the High Court having granted bail to the prominent human rights defender. That the Attorney General’s Office can impede a high […]

PAKISTAN: A prominent lawyer and five other activists were disappeared after their arrest by persons from security agencies

With the change in Army command on November 27, a crackdown against the people in Balochistan started. A prominent lawyer, Mr. Haider KB son of Khuda Bux age 33, resident of Koshkalat, was arrested by plain clothed persons riding in a non registered two door jeep. The police stations in Quetta, capital of Balochistan province, […]

SRI LANKA : Extrajudicial Killings – as an indicator of the collapse of the ethical and moral order

Yesterday, in our statement titled murders and extra judicial killings we commented on the killing of a police constable and his wife followed by what clearly appeared to be extra judicial killings of three persons who were alleged suspects of the said crime. The inquiries into the murder of the police constable and his wife, […]

SRI LANKA: Murders and extrajudicial killings

On November 22, a suspect in the killing of a police constable and his wife was himself killed after arrest. The suspect was a 30-year-old former instructor of the Commando Battalion of the army. It is alleged that he was taken to identify some weapons and when he attempted to attack the police with one […]

PAKISTAN: Freedom of expression – the voices that need to be heard are ignored and even silenced

Nine journalists suffered the worse kind of suppression with assassinations and attacks ( Graphic Courtesy: pakistanfoemonitor.org ) With the successive governments the reality of freedom of expression grows thinner and thinner as the right guaranteed by the Constitution of Pakistan is further constricted. Apart from blatant interference by the government, freedom of expression is also being […]

PAKISTAN: The violence-related casualties in October was reduced to 568 from the 1,048 reported in September

The month of October witnessed a significant decline in violence-related casualties bringing some relief to the terror-ridden people of the country. However, the issues related to security and peace remained the most common topics of attention for the people and media alike.  To tackle terrorism and heinous crimes in the country, the President promulgated the […]

INDIA: Female police officer complains against the police

Statement | India | 22-11-2013

This statement is released to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, 25 November Ms. Padmini, a traffic warden, has accused local police, investigating her complaint of sexual harassment, of intimidation in order to protect the interest of the offender. The officer’s contention is that, while she was on traffic duty, […]

PAKISTAN: The Long Marchers have completed 700 km and entered Karachi after travelling 27 days on foot

Before reaching Karachi a car tried to ram the walkers on three occasions and the marchers are receiving death threat messages on their cell phones The Long March for the Baloch missing persons has entered its 27th day after completing 690 KMs. It will reach its intended destination at the Karachi Press Club, Karachi, the capital […]