Statement

The Right to Know the Fate of Relatives What was the fate of Prageeth Eknaligoda? What Prageeth Eknaligoda’s wife and children are asking is this very elementary right: The Right to Know the Fate of Relatives Is there anyone in Sri Lanka who will not want this right for themselves? Is there any culture in […]

As Prageeth Eknaligoda remains a matter of concern the principles of international law relating to the right to truth is a relevant issue. we reproduce below the General Comment on the Right to the Truth in Relation to Enforced Disappearances of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances Preamble   The right to the truth — sometimes […]

This is a narrative of the husband of the victim, a 17 year old woman with a two month old child, who was subjected to the horrible experience of being beaten about 100 times with the hard centre stem from a coconut frond in the presence of the committee members of the mosque situated in […]

The negligence of the authorities and improper mechanisms to deal with natural disasters has put the lives of millions of people in peril after the heavy rains in Pakistan. As a result the lives of the people have been drastically affected with the destruction and loss of vast areas of agriculture lands. More than 1,600 […]

The Nepal Army announced on 14 July that an internal inquiry had found Major Basnet ‘innocent’ of the torturing to death of Maina Sunuwar. The details of the enforced disappearance, torture and killing of this 15-year-old girl while in army custody triggered the indignation of the Nepalese civil society and the international community. The continuous […]

The Nepal Army announced on 14 July that an internal inquiry had found Major Basnet ‘innocent’ of the torturing to death of Maina Sunuwar. The details of the enforced disappearance, torture and killing of this 15-year-old girl while in army custody triggered the indignation of the Nepalese civil society and the international community. The continuous […]

After the arrest of Sakvithi many persons from the more affluent sections of Sri Lankan society are demanding the money which they have invested in his illegal business. This raises many issues regarding the relationship between the Sri Lankan middle class and the crisis of rule of law. According to reports, there are many who […]

For several decades now the Sri Lankan people have been exposed to extraordinary acts of separation, large scale forced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, torture, illegal arrest and detention. This and large scale displacement of people from their homes by way of internal displacement or by leaving the country altogether and the disappearance of even elementary forms […]

The fear of arbitrary use of contempt of court charges has a negative effect on legal profession and legal process. Twice United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC)has commented on this issue relating to two complaints from Sri Lanka. Government of Sri Lanka has failed to comply with recommendation of the UNHRC. GOSL has failed to […]

An interview conducted by the Asian Human Rights Commission. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the AHRC. Philippines–I usually encourage crime victims to go to the police, but for my own problem I don’t feel safe Beverly Anne Santos is 24 years old. She is a television reporter for a local television station […]

The opinion expressed by Justice K. G. Balakrishnan on encounter killings – a euphemism for extrajudicial executions in India – that ‘encounter killings’ are sometimes unavoidable is condemnable. That the former Chief Justice of India, now heads the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), paints a depressing picture for the victims of extrajudicial executions since the […]

In times of serious repression such as the situation that Sri Lanka is faced with now, the courts are the citizen’s last resort. If the citizens are intimidated from seeking redress from the courts the people lose even that last resort. Therefore, protecting the people rights to have access to court is of great importance. […]

A Statement by the Asian Legal Resource Centre Over the past two years, India has been attempting to address problems adversely affecting its law enforcement agencies. These efforts, all of them initiated by the government, unfortunately are not capable of tackling the central issue concerning law enforcement — the question of torture.  Use of torture […]

Sixth months after the disappearance of her husband, Prageeth Eknaligoda, Sanya Ekaneligoda and her son held religious ceremonies at the famous Kalli Amma Kovil, a Hindu temple at Modara, Colombo on 24 June. Mrs. Eknaligoda prayed to supernatural forces for help in finding the whereabouts of her husband who disappeared on the 24th January 2010. […]

On two occasions the United Nations Human Rights Committee has viewed that the GoSL has abused contempt of court laws The Human Rights Committee of the United Nations has found that the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has abused its contempt of court powers in the case of Anthony Michael Emmanuel Fernando (CCPR/C/83/D/1189/2003—29th April, 2005). […]

On 5 November 2010, Ms. Irom Chanu Sharmila, a Manipuri poet and human rights defender, will complete ten years of her indefinite hunger strike in Imphal, Manipur state. Sharmila started her fast on 5 November 2000, the day infamous for the Malom massacre in Manipur. On that day, the Assam Rifles, a paramilitary unit stationed […]

Nepal’s politics is reeling under frequent changes but the alarming governmental lethargy regarding the issue of caste-based discrimination seems to be a constant, barely affected by the evolution of the political scene. As the major parties now aspire to lead the government it is time for them to properly address the issue of Dalits, which, […]

An interview conducted by the Asian Human Rights Commission. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the AHRC. Nishanthi, 42 is a housewife with two children and a husband who works as a veterinary assistant in Korea. Two years ago she joined a support group run by a local human rights organization, and […]

Mr. Mohammad Iqbal Awan, who was kept in an army torture cell by Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) officials for five years, announced that he will commit suicide along with his wife and child on August 14, on Independence Day of Pakistan, if the government and Pakistan army do not rehabilitate him and his family. After […]

Bihar is one of India’s most impoverished states; it is also India’s most lawless region. From the point of view of crime it has reached the Situation where many local citizens are leaving the area for reasons of security. Abductions for ransom is now commonplace. With the increase in crime, forms of extrajudicial punishment have […]