Urgent Appeal Case

CAMBODIA: Police pressurise officer to relinquish his rights in a land dispute in Rattanakiri province

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that the police in Rattanakiri province have applied disciplinary measures to pressurize one of its officers named Sven Vev to stop joining a collective action against the grabbing of his indigenous community’s land and forests in Tapang village, Lumpat district in that province. Sven fears […]

SRI LANKA: Men allegedly with the backing of police threaten petitioners to withdraw case

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that four members of a family received death threat by four men allegedly hired by police on 23 June 2008. It is reported that four men threaten the family members to withdraw the case which is currently pending under the Fundamental Rights jurisdiction at […]

INDIA: Two manual scavengers killed while working without any equipment in Gujarat

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Navsarjan, a human rights organisation working on Dalit rights in Gujarat about the death of two manual scavengers. It is reported that the deceased were employed by a Municipal Corporation in Gujarat. The two victims died inside manhole at about 10:30 pm, two […]

INDIA: Bonded labour of children continues in Jaunpur of Uttar Pradesh

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from local human rights organisation, the People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) regarding the case of bonded labour of children in Chaturpur village in Newariya of Jaunpur district. It is reported that the children are forced out at gunpoint by a local landlord. […]

NEPAL: Kanchanpur district police refuse to take action on the alleged murder of a woman

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned with the deliberate negligence of the Kanchanpur district police in the murder of a woman, who was allegedly murdered by her husband on 6 June 2008. According to information received from the National Alliance of Women’s Human Rights Defenders (NAWHRDs), the police delayed in […]

INDIA: Corrupt police officers aid murder suspects

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) about a murder case in Azamgarh district, Uttar Pradesh. Despite the Superintendent of Police conducting an investigation into the case from 8 August 2008, the police have not arrested the suspects. On the contrary, the […]

INDIA: West Bengal state administration trying to intimidate human rights defenders

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the MASUM, a local human rights group working from West Bengal, India that their office was searched and documents seized by the West Bengal Police on 12 June 2008. MASUM is a human rights group of high reputation and has intervened in several […]

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES/PAKISTAN: A Pakistani television channel asked to stop its transmissions

[NOTICE: The AHRC have developed this automatic letter-sending system using the “button” below. However, in this appeal, we could not include e-mail addresses of some of the Pakistan authorities. We encourage you to send your appeal letters via fax or post to those people. Fax numbers and postal addresses of the Pakistan authorities are attached […]

INDIA: Police fail to investigate a case of rape and mother receives death threats

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from MASUM, a local human rights group working from West Bengal, India that a woman whose daughter was raped and murdered has been threatened at gunpoint to withdraw her case against the perpetrators.  The local police have refused to perform their duties to cooperate […]

PHILIPPINES: A pastor freed following his abduction now fears for his life

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that a pastor who was released several days after he was abducted and tortured in captivity now fears for his life. Over a month after the incident took place in May 6, there has not been an adequate investigation or any effort by […]

CAMBODIA: Unlawful arrest of a newspaper editor in Phnom Penh

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned that Dam Sith, the editor of Moneaksekar Khmer newspaper, was arrested on charges of alleged defamation, insult and disinformation on 8 June 2008. Dam has been facing a criminal lawsuit after his newspaper published an opposition politician’s remarks about the Khmer Rouge affiliation of a government […]

SRI LANKA: Inadequate police action into the sexual abuse of a girl

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the Kandy Police Station has failed to take proper and prompt action into the complaint involving the sexual abuse of a nine-year-old girl on 2 June 2008. The police, instead of arresting the suspect and investigating the case, told the girl’s father to […]

SRI LANKA: Torture victim suffers hearing loss following assault

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that a torture victim has suffered hearing loss after having been severely assaulted by Excise Officers on 17 May 2008. Furthermore, one of the officers has allegedly attempted to coerce sexual favours from the victim’s wife, urging her to cooperate with them to allow […]

BURMA: Elderly protestor wrongly detained, tried and imprisoned

Dear friends, While the Cyclone Nargis tragedy has continued, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has at the same time been closely following the ongoing cases against persons detained and tried in Burma after the nationwide protests of 2007. In this appeal we bring you details of the illegal detaining and trial of U Ohn […]

SRI LANKA: Teacher severely beats a student once again

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that a boy, who had been previously beaten by his teacher, was taken to a hospital for his injuries after having been beaten once again. The father of the boy has already made a complaint to the police, but they, instead of conducting a […]

SRI LANKA: Police continuously detain and torture a man arrested without charge

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that a man has been continuously detained without any charge after having been illegally arrested on 31 May 2008. The victim, who is presently detained at the Theldeniya Police Station, was arrested on the pretext that he had connections with a terrorist group […]

INDIA: Forcibly evicted Dalit families struggling to survive in Gujarat

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Navsarjan, a human rights organisation working on Dalit rights in Gujarat, concerning the case of 27 Dalit families evicted from their homes in 2005 by the local government so that a public water plant could be built. These 27 Dalit families had come […]

INDONESIA: Yet another attack on a group advocating religious freedom

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed of yet another attack on a peaceful gathering of groups advocating religious freedom by a group of Muslims in Jakarta on 1 June 2008. The policemen, who were in the area when it happened, failed to intervene to prevent the attack. At least 28 […]

BURMA: Leading comedian working for cyclone victims arrested

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) regrets to inform you that Zarganar, a famous comedian in Burma who has been leading some of the relief efforts after Cyclone Nargis, had his house searched and was taken away last night, June 4. CASE DETAILS: According to information from a number of sources, around seven […]

SRI LANKA: Police severely tortures brothers in custody; one now suffers from a psychological disorder

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that two brothers were arbitrarily arrested on suspicion of being terrorists without any concrete evidence in the middle of April 2008 and allegedly tortured by the police. The police did not inform their relatives of the arrest. After suffering torture, one victim is showing […]