Urgent Appeal Case

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that the trial of two men whom police tortured and forced to confess to charges of murder seven years ago is dragging on. They were charged for allegedly bombing a public market on December 12, 2004; however, their allegations of being falsely charged […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the shooting of a civilian on 24 September, 2012 by the police in Nabire, Papua. The police shot the unarmed civilian in the right thigh after the latter blocked the road connecting Nabire and Pedalaman. The police later brought the victim to the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that police in Rangoon in July tortured a 39-year-old man to death during interrogation over a murder. Officers at the Mayangone police station allegedly illegally detained the young man and after two days notified that family that he had died in custody due to […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a businessman named Mr. Md. Karamat Ali of Satkhira district town has been missing for ten years. Md. Hossain Ali, the prime suspect in the disappearance of the victim, has run a business right in front of the police station for the past ten […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a female human rights defender, Mrs. Shampa Goswami, is facing suspension from her job as teacher for standing up for a victim of gang rape. The alleged perpetrators, well connected to influential political leaders, have been directly attacking her person, by circulating doctored […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a man arrested for snatching a gold chain had been severely tortured while in custody of the District Police Office, Kaski, for two days from 9 to 10 September, 2012, in spite of having confessed to the crime immediately. At the time of […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information that a fifteen-year-old domestic worker, Mr Rameshwor Chhaudari, was arrested by the police on 16 August under allegations of theft. He was brought before the Chief District Officer although Nepali law mandates that minors should be tried by a Juvenile bench. Since then, he has […]

Dear friends, According to information the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) received Mr. Thangaraja Ramesh Kumar (32) has been detained by the law enforcement agencies of Sri Lanka for more than four years despite the fact that the High Court ordered his release. After his arrest he was transferred from one police station to another […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned about the recent arrests and detention of two land rights activists consecutively in just two days. They are currently being held in pre-trial custody for their involvement in land protests. Ms. Yorm Bopha (29), an outspoken Boeung Kak Lake village representative, was arrested on […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) that the Madhya Pradesh state administration has illegally arrested and detained activists associated with the NBA and villagers who were protesting against the increase of water level in the controversial Indira Sagar Dam in Khardrapani village of Harda […]

Dear friends, Mr. Koggala Marakkalage Thushara Samanthilake (37) of No.66, Cheythiya Pura, Ranna/ East, Ranna in Hambantota District was a Security Officer attached to a private security firm and stationed at the Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery at Colombo. On 16 August 2012, at about 5.00pm, Thusharawent to Hungama Town to buy some vegetables and as he […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding an incident of rape. An 11-year-old girl has been raped by a policeman in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The minor girl has suffered serious physical, psychological, and social trauma due to the sexual assault for which the local police initially refused to register […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) deeply regrets to inform you that two people were killed in separate incidents on September 3 and 4, 2012. One of the victims was the son of a leader of an indigenous tribe opposing mining and the other was a transport leader advocating for the interest of […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a journalist was attacked and beaten by Muslim fundamentalists for watching television and listening to some religious music which were against the particular sect of the attackers. Police refused to take action because of the involvement of a powerful Islamic seminary. His neighbours […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the attack committed by a group claiming to be the followers of a fundamentalist Islamic sect against the Shia community in Sampang, East Java, on the 26th of August 2012. It is reported that the angry mob consisted of approximately 500 people. Early […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that when Ms. Warnakulasuriya Tresa Dorin Marcus tried to make a complaint to the officers of the Pamunugama Police Station that her son-in-law was in possession of an illegal weapon the officers sided with the culprit and verbally and physically abused her. Working under […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received a report from the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) that a large group of villagers who have been evicted from their land without compensation for the construction of the Omkareshwar Dam are protesting against the illegal increase in the water level, beyond that is allowed by the Supreme […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that human rights defenders working with WOREC Nepal, a leading women’s rights organization, and Mitini Nepal, an organization working for the rights of LGBTI women, have come under threat after supporting a victim of domestic violence. Anita (name changed) filed for divorce after living […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that yet another innocent victim has been arrested and severely tortured by the Thambuththegama police in revenge for allegedly taking part in the demonstration held at the police station. Mr. D P Anil Thushara was a witness to the incident but did not take […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Dasan Human Rights Center, South Korea that thugs acting as private security contractors hired by a company had seriously beaten the trade union members while the police did nothing to prevent it. While the extreme violence was ongoing, the police stationed at […]