Statement

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 […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AHRC-STM-177-2010 August 20, 2010 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission PAKISTAN: Minister tasked with saving US airbase at the cost of the displacement of thousands The presence of Pakistan army personnel speaks to the fact that the breach of Jamali bypass was intentional and ordered from above. It has been […]

On August 17, a national television ABS CBN broadcast the graphic video of a man being tortured by a policeman inside a police station in Tondo, Metro Manila. In the video, the torture victim, whom reports said had been arrested for theft, had his penis pulled by a string tied around it as he was […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AHRC-STM-176-2010 August 19, 2010 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission PAKISTAN: US government must allow Jacobabad air strips to be used for relief operations for 700,000 flood-affected people It is reported in the media that relief operations for around 700,000 persons could not be carried out because an airbase in […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AHRC-STM-174-2010 August 19, 2010 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission BANGLADESH: A lady parliamentarian obstructs investigation into rape of a nine year old girl A young handicapped girl of nine years was raped by a man on August 2, 2010. The incident occurred at an abandoned building of Baluwa Hospital […]

One of the most disturbing features of modern times is the claim of some security agencies of their right to decide on the death sentence and assertion of their right to carry it out. Such claims implies the following: These security agencies steal a judicial power; reasons to death sentence is moved from legal grounds […]

A military tribunal made its decision against General Fonseka finding him guilty of the charge of being engaged in politics while in military service. The Tribunal made the decision without respect to due process and the principles of fair trial. The handpicked ‘judges’ were previous subordinates of the general who had been subjected to disciplinary […]

It is reported in the Pakistani media that intentional breaches were made in the protective embankments at Ghospur and Thorhee bands, Sukkur district, Sindh province in order to protect the agriculture lands of President Mr. Asif Ali Zardari Mr. Qaim Ali Shah, the chief minister of Sindh province, Mr. Khursheed Shah, the federal minister and […]