Urgent Appeal Update

UPDATE (Burma): South Rangoon District Court summarily rejects appeals against prison terms

[RE: UA-112-2004: BURMA: Complaints against forced labour blocked and victims punished issued on 3 September 2004; UP-11-2005: BURMA: Four officials sentenced to prison for forced labour in Kawmhu Township, Yangon Division; UP-63-2005: BURMA: Local officials seek revenge against villager who obtained first successful forced labour prosecution; UP-68-2005: BURMA: Preliminary hearing against villager who obtained first […]

UPDATE (Philippines): Social welfare department fails relatives of disappeared victim in Davao City, Mindanao

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information that the local social welfare department in Davao City, Mindanao has failed the family of disappeared victim, Sabdurah Abdullah Ala. It was learned that although a personnel from the social welfare department, Alice Torejas, has interviewed Aminah Ala and her daughter Mirriam (13), […]

UPDATE (India): Protection required for girls released from prostitution and for the human rights defenders who sought to help them

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the case of the rescue of underage girls from forced prostitution launched by Guria, a human rights organization in Varanasi on 24 October 2005. According to the latest information received, after the rescue operation, the Chairperson of the Child Welfare Committee, Ms […]

UPDATE (Sri Lanka): Police’s deliberate inaction in a labour case is in violation of court orders

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding 73 workers from the Orex Factory in Ekala, Jaela, Sri Lanka, who were unlawfully dismissed after the owner arbitrarily closed down the factory in 2002. The AHRC previously reported that the owner, Mohamed Mohamed Izzath deprived his workers of the Employees Trust […]

UPDATE (Thailand): Constant changes of prosecuting attorneys in Somchai’s case undermines judicial process

[RE: FA-06-2004: THAILAND: A human rights lawyer Mr. Somchai Neelaphaijit missing… UP-20-2005: THAILAND: Human rights lawyer still missing after nearly one year; Action needed today to have case transferred; UP-24-2005: THAILAND: Thai minister refuses to act on missing human rights lawyer case; UP-37-2005: Thai PM orders action on missing human rights lawyer, while court hears […]

UPDATE (Sri Lanka): Main suspect identified in alleged rape incident at Bandaranayake International Airport

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information stating that the main suspect in the alleged rape incident of a female passenger in transit to Kuwait, at the Bandaranaike International Airport (please view our urgent appeal on this case UA-183-2005), Sri Lanka was identified on 28 October 2005 at an identification parade before […]

UPDATE (Thailand): Fifth special call for observers to attend court hearings over missing human rights lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit

[RE: FA-06-2004: THAILAND: A human rights lawyer Mr. Somchai Neelaphaijit missing… UP-20-2005: THAILAND: Human rights lawyer still missing after nearly one year; Action needed today to have case transferred; UP-24-2005: THAILAND: Thai minister refuses to act on missing human rights lawyer case; UP-37-2005: Thai PM orders action on missing human rights lawyer, while court hears […]

UPDATE (Thailand): Grave concern about change of principal judge in case of missing human rights lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit

[RE: FA-06-2004: THAILAND: A human rights lawyer Mr. Somchai Neelaphaijit missing… UP-20-2005: Human rights lawyer still missing after nearly one year; Action needed today to have case transferred; UP-24-2005: Thai minister refuses to act on missing human rights lawyer case; UP-37-2005: Thai PM orders action on missing human rights lawyer, while court hears of torture; […]

UPDATE (Burma): Jailed human rights defender Ma Su Su Nwe reportedly denied medicines

27 October 2005 [RE: UA-112-2004: BURMA: Complaints against forced labour blocked and victims punished issued on 3 September 2004; UP-11-2005: BURMA: Four officials sentenced to prison for forced labour in Kawmhu Township, Yangon Division; UP-63-2005: BURMA: Local officials seek revenge against villager who obtained first successful forced labour prosecution; UP-68-2005: BURMA: Preliminary hearing against villager […]

UPDATE (Indonesia): President and Parliament must audit the police investigation performance in Munir’s case

[RE: UA-164-2004: INDONESIA: The family receives death threats for demanding an impartial inquiry into the death of Munir; UP-30-2005: Unveiling of suspect in Munir’s death may end further inquiries; UP-47-2005: State intelligence officers delay Munir investigation; UP-72-2005: Mandate of fact-finding team into Munir’s murder should be extended and made more effective; UP-83-2005: Police fail to […]

UPDATE (Burma): Villagers released from detention in forced labour case

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Burma Lawyers’ Council (Thailand) and Yoma-3 news service that U Ohn Myint and Ko Khin Zaw, the two villagers jailed for criminal defamation after they had attempted to take complaints of forced labour to the courts, have been released.  According to the information received, […]

UPDATE (Indonesia): Only one torture perpetrator charged with maltreatment while the others are still at large in Kupang

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information from the Initiative for the Development of People’s Advocacy (PIAR) in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia regarding the torture of a colleague student Elfrianus Alfred Ulu (23) by the prison officials of the Penfui Prison, Kupang. According to the information we have received, only […]

UPDATE (Sri Lanka): Trial begins in High Court relating to the torture of Gerald Perera

[RE: UP-32-2005: SRI LANKA: Please write a letter to the Attorney General to speed up Gerald Perera’s murder trial; UP-23-2005: Gerald Perera’s murder trial may not begin for another 5-7 years, UP-14-2005: The assassin of Gerald Perera has been arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department, UP-76-2004: Gerald Perera died after gunshot; His family needs urgent […]

UPDATE (Burma): Latest news on jailing of human rights defender Ma Su Su Nwe

[RE: UA-112-2004: BURMA: Complaints against forced labour blocked and victims punished issued on 3 September 2004; UP-11-2005: BURMA: Four officials sentenced to prison for forced labour in Kawmhu Township, Yangon Division; UP-63-2005: BURMA: Local officials seek revenge against villager who obtained first successful forced labour prosecution; UP-68-2005: BURMA: Preliminary hearing against villager who obtained first […]

UPDATE (Thailand): Fourth special call for observers to attend court hearings over missing human rights lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit

[RE: FA-06-2004: THAILAND: A human rights lawyer Mr. Somchai Neelaphaijit missing… UP-20-2005: THAILAND: Human rights lawyer still missing after nearly one year; Action needed today to have case transferred; UP-24-2005: THAILAND: Thai minister refuses to act on missing human rights lawyer case; UP-37-2005: Thai PM orders action on missing human rights lawyer, while court hears […]

UPDATE (Burma): Human rights defender Ma Su Su Nwe jailed in Insein Prison

[RE: UA-112-2004: BURMA: Complaints against forced labour blocked and victims punished issued on 3 September 2004; UP-11-2005: BURMA: Four officials sentenced to prison for forced labour in Kawmhu Township, Yangon Division; UP-63-2005: BURMA: Local officials seek revenge against villager who obtained first successful forced labour prosecution; UP-68-2005: BURMA: Preliminary hearing against villager who obtained first […]

UPDATE (Thailand): Third special call for observers to attend court hearings over missing human rights lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit

[RE: FA-06-2004: THAILAND: A human rights lawyer Mr. Somchai Neelaphaijit missing… UP-20-2005: THAILAND: Human rights lawyer still missing after nearly one year; Action needed today to have case transferred; UP-24-2005: THAILAND: Thai minister refuses to act on missing human rights lawyer case; UP-37-2005: Thai PM orders action on missing human rights lawyer, while court hears […]

UPDATE (Pakistan): Special investigation team sent to investigate the murder of a 13-year-old girl allegedly killed by her in-laws on the pretext of honour killing

[RE: UA-34-2004: PAKISTAN: A 13-year-old girl was killed by her in-laws on the pretext of honour killing and her body was not found yet] Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is pleased to inform you that the President’s Office in Pakistan has sent a special in investigation team to investigate the murder of […]

UPDATE (Sri Lanka): Government and police authorities fail to respond to the custodial death of a man

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that no action has been taken by the authorities in Sri Lanka to arrest or prosecute those police officers allegedly responsible for the custodial death of a 53-year-old man. As reported to you through our urgent appeals programme on 6 June 2005 (UA-90-2005), […]

UPDATE (Thailand): Final witnesses for defence to speak in trial of media campaigner Supinya

(UA-73-2004: THAILAND: Human rights defender faces preliminary decision in libel case on 21 June 2004 and UP-31 2004: THAILAND: Criminal Court decides to let libel suit against Ms Supinya Klangnarong proceed on 29 June 2004; UP-62-2004: THAILAND: Update on libel suit against media-reform activist Ms Supinya; UP-31-2005: THAILAND: Media reform campaigner Supinya holds fund-raising event […]