Statement

On 31 August 2010, the upper house of the Indian parliament, the Rajya Sabha, constituted a Parliamentary Select Committee to review the Prevention of Torture Bill, 2010. The Committee, chaired by Mr. Ashwini Kumar has Dr. E. M. Sudarsana Natchiappan, Mr. Shantaram Laxman Naik, Ms. Brinda Karat, Mr. Naresh Gujral, Dr. Janardhan Waghmare, Mr. Ahmad […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission categorically condemns the decision of the second court-martial delivered today in the case against Sarath Fonseka. The political use of the judicial process is a complete denial of the basic freedoms of a citizen. A court-martial manipulated by a political regime is a threat not only to the individual concerned […]

Death visited Orissa once again. Whenever the rainy season comes, death from the waterborne diseases of diarrhea and cholera follow. As the rains are a natural phenomenon, can the deaths also be natural and unavoidable? It is reported that the official death toll hit 39 in Rayagada district, 27 in Nuapada district, 10 in Nabarangpur, […]

The arrest of the printer of a poster and the holding of his family members to force him to surrender indicates the type of suppression that will be extended to all political activities now within the new presidential order achieved through the completion of the authoritarian system by the passing of the 18th Amendment to […]

Today, the 9th September, Sri Lankans woke up to a country which has changed politically in its character and in its legal system. With the passing of the 18th Amendment Sri Lanka has abandoned liberal democracy completely and all the debates that the country has had so far will now change in a most significant […]

The 8th September will mark the end of an historical period and begin that of a dark dictatorship   Today, the 18th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka will be passed by a fast-track-procedure which has effectively disallowed public participation and discussion. The opposition has announced that it will boycott the proceedings as mark […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission has closely followed the case of Phyo Wai Aung, who is the sole person detained and accused in connection with blasts on 15 April 2010 in Rangoon that killed 10 people and injured 168. Phyo Wai Aung has steadfastly maintained his innocence and has complained that he was brutally tortured […]

On September 8 (tomorrow) the government will move 18th Amendment to the Constitution, which is to be voted on that day itself to remove the constitutional limitation of two terms on the president and to pass several amendments to the 17th Amendment so as to bring all public institutions under the direct control of the […]

A Joint Statement by the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS) and the Asian Human Rights Commission The Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS) and the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) strongly oppose the appointment of Lieutenant General TNI Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin as vice minister of defense by the President. […]

A simple way of understanding the 18th Amendment is to compare it to the situation in the United States of America. The president of the United States is elected for a term of four years and is entitled to remain in power for a maximum of two terms. This is an absolute limit. Suppose this […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission states that words are inadequate to express the magnitude of the folly contained in the suggested amendments to the Constitution of Sri Lanka by the Sri Lankan government. Given the availability of a two thirds majority for the government these amendments will be passed. However, these amendments will take Sri […]

Over 12,000 cases are pending before the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) as there are no ‘commissioners’ to order inquiries into them, according to a report published in Daily Mirror. According to the Constitution of Sri Lanka the Commissioners must be appointed by the Constitutional Council. However, this is not possible as the […]

On the 25th August, the Supreme Court discharged the editor of the Lanka Irida newspaper, Chandana Sirimalwatte from charges of contempt of court. Earlier he had been given notice of the issue of a rule against him for a publication. However, the court did not issue this rule and instead discharged him of the charge. […]

In July of this year a web newspaper, the Sri Lanka Guardian reported an alleged case of sexual abuse by an appeal court judge. Last weekend, Lakbima reported that the CID has submitted its report of inquiries into the incident and that the investigation found adequate evidence against the judge. The CID has submitted the […]

A woman domestic worker in Saudi Arabia nailed 24 times Mrs. L.T. Ariyawathi (49), a mother of three has returned from Saudi Arabia after less than five months of employment. Within a short time of her return she was hospitalized for an operation to remove 24 nails from her foot and a needle implanted by […]

The expectation of the Union Home Minister, Mr. P. Chidambaram that the ordinary citizens will come forward to assist law enforcement officers in combating armed militancy and terrorism is unfortunately an illusion. The minister was reiterating his wish and request to his fellow citizens while addressing the top police officers of the country in a […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to express its deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the eight Hong Kong nationals who were killed in a 11-hour hostage crisis in Manila yesterday. Our thoughts also go out to those who were wounded and their families. It is regrettable that the victims who were […]

Two more Ahmadis, Dr. Najam al-Hasan and Pir Habib al-Rehman have been murdered in religiously motivated killings. Once again, no one has been arrested and the likelihood of anyone being prosecuted is virtually nil. Dr. al-Hasan was leaving his clinic in Karachi, the capital of Sindh province, and had just entered his car when he […]

The police spokesman announced that the Magistrate’s Court of Gangodavila has halted the proceedings of the case of abduction of Poddala Jayantha, the senior journalist, the General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) and a key activist of the Free media movement (FMM) of Sri Lanka, due to lack of evidence. It […]

The widely publicised video of a police torture has drawn mixed reactions and opinions from the public, including lawmakers, lawyers and human rights groups, who have all joined in the chorus condemning such a barbaric and cruel act. Most of them share the opinion that ‘lack of education of the law enforcers’ is to blame […]