Statement

Yesterday the world celebrated the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. Ironically, it was also yesterday the Government of Kerala reinstated nine police officers to office following their suspension for suspected involvement in an infamous case of custodial torture and murder. The case is still under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation […]

We reproduce below the section on Sri Lanka from the Report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Frank La Rue. The Report was submitted to the Seventh Session of the Human Rights Council. The Full report can be viewed at: http://www.humanrights.asia/news/alrc-news/human-rights-council/hrc17/ahrc1727.pdf/view  Sri Lanka Urgent […]

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on the Occasion of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, June 26, 2012 Torture in custody is a serious problem affecting the rule of law, used as the most common means to obtain confessional statements in Pakistan. It has become endemic and on many […]

Speaking at the 20th session of the Human Rights Council, under the agenda item clustered ID with the Special Rapporteur on Health and the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, Sri Lanka attacked the United Nations’ role in developing international norms and standards relating to human rights. Speaking on the issue of education, the […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information that two days ago, a group of people who have identified themselves as members of the Ministry of Defense, visited the neighbourhood in which Dr. Nirmal Raanjith Devasiri, (the President of the University Teachers Union and the Secretary of the Arts Faculty Teachers’ Association of the University […]

The concept of sovereign immunity is incompatible with the notion of democracy. It is an anachronistic relic drawn from the British Common Law principles at odds with the constitutional architecture of a state that claims to respects the supremacy of its people. Integral to democracy is the conviction that a government that draws its legitimacy […]

A response to the article by Jeevan Thiyagaraja on a Fact Sheet: Prevention of Torture The Human Rights Plan that is being talked of in an article by Jeevan Thiyagaraja entitled, A Fact Sheet: Prevention of Torture is no different to Sri Lanka’s Presidential Task Force for Dengue Prevention. Despite the fact that this was […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission has followed closely reports since March of the death in custody of a young woman, Nan Woh Phan, in Rangoon, Burma, followed in May by the arrest and detention of her partner for alleged illegal business activity. The commission is concerned that whereas by now the family of the victim […]

Yesterday (19th June 2012) Sri Lanka’s United National Party (UNP) published a statement demanding the resignation of the Secretary of Defence. The UNP claimed that the resignation was warranted in light of the recent deaths of two people at the JVP meeting at Katuwana, Hambantota. However, a larger issue that should be considered in this […]

Two persons were killed and several others were injured attending a JVP meeting on 15th June. This has once again reminded the country of the system of political terror which has undermined the political and legal system. The killing was the result of shots fired by motorcyclists, who fled after the incident and according to […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission shares the worldwide concern about the communal violence in Arakan (Rakhine) State in Burma over the last fortnight, which has received widespread reportage in the international media, and joins in calls for its earliest cessation, and for the provision of relief to persons affected by the events that have unfolded […]

As the criticism both from within the country as well as internationally mounts against what is happening in the name of law and order in Sri Lanka, new types of distortions and aberrations are taking place in the country’s courts. There has been quite a lot of criticism about the delays of adjudication in courts […]

The former Attorney General, Mohan Peiris, last November told the United Nations CAT Committee that he knew personally, through a reliable source that Prageeth Eknaligoda was living in a foreign country. However, last week when giving evidence before the Homagama Magistrate’s Court he said that he does not know whether Prageeth Eknaligoda was dead or […]

Today, June 4, in the Daily Mirror on line edition the police spokesperson, SP Ajith Rohana is quoted as saying “Generally as a practice torture never takes place in Lankan Police stations.” This police spokesperson, who is also said to be an Attorney-at-Law, is further quoted as saying, “Torture is often misconstrued by the Media […]

inggris versi   Pernyataan bersama KontraS, SETARA Institute, Asian Human Rights Commission, International Center for Transitional Justice, Persekutuan Gereja Indonesia dan Protection International KontraS (Komisi untuk Orang Hilang dan Korban Tindak Kekerasan), SETARA Institute, AHRC (Asian Human Rights Commission), ICTJ (International Center for Transitional Justice), PGI (Persekutuan Gereja Indonesia) serta Protection International (PI) menyambut baik […]

Indonesian A Joint Statement by Kontras, SETARA Institute, Asian Human Rights Commission, International Center for Transitional Justice, Indonesian Church Fellowship and Protection International KontraS (The Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence), SETARA Institute, AHRC (Asian Human Rights Commission), ICTJ (International Center for Transitional Justice, PGI (Indonesian Church Fellowship) and PI (Protection International) welcome […]

A Joint Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission Phnom Penh, 30th May 2012– We, Cambodian and International civil society organizations represented in this statement, condemn the use of armed force and escalating violence against citizens peacefully defending their land, labor and natural resources rights. We are referring to not only the events earlier last […]

The political debate that followed the murder of Mr. T. P. Chandrashekharan in Kerala provided a unique opportunity for reformation of the policing system in the state. However, none in the state, not even the police, is willing to take up the chance and garner the support needed to end the despicable misuse of the […]

We reproduce below a news item that appeared in the Asia Tribune. The article describes the pathetic plight of Rizana Nafeek, who may be beheaded at any time. Ever since the initial verdict of the Dawdami High Court sentencing her to death, the Asian Human Rights Commission has maintained that she is innocent of the […]

Bangladesh’s State Minister for Home Affairs Mr. Shamsul Haque Tuku has advised the journalists to keep a ‘safe distance’ from the country’s police while both the journalists and the police are on duty. The minister is cited in the national media including The Daily Star’s online edition on 30 May 2012, that he said, “I […]