Urgent Appeal Update

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Korean-German scholar Song Du-yul, 59, was indicted by the prosecution for violating the National Security Law on 19 November 2003. Mr. Song has received intensive investigations about his alleged pro-North Korea activities by the prosecution of the Republic of Korea for two months […]

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) notes with grave concern that the father and mother of torture victim Dawundage Pushpakumara (14 years old) have left their home due to threats from the police. It was reported to the AHRC previously that they have been threatened by the police and a local politician after […]

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information from The Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) and the Asian Coalition for Housing Rights (ACHR) regarding the eviction of another 5,900 urban poor people in Jakarta, Indonesia by the local governments. We need your continuous support to solve this matter. Please […]

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) that Irene Fernandez was sentenced to jail for 12 months by the Magistrates Court 5B, Kuala Lumpur, on 16 October 2003. However, she is out on bail in the amount of RM 3,000 and filed an […]

SRI LANKA: Update on Michael Anthony Fernando (Tony) ———————————————————————- Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is very happy to inform you that Michael Anthony Fernando (Tony), a trade unionist as well as human rights activist, was freed on 17 October 2003 after being declared as a winner of the inaugural Human Rights Defenders […]

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that human rights activist Irene Fernandez, who is charged under Section 8A(2) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 with “maliciously publishing false news” for releasing a memorandum at a press conference in 1995 on alleged torture and death in immigration detention centres, […]

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that there was a threat to the life of the torture victim Lalith Rajapakse. Lalith Rajapakse, who was tortured by the police officers attached to the Kandana Police Station, has made complaints about his case, and the case against the perpetrators is currently pending. […]

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Dr Cynthia Maung and her clinic staff will not be deported to Burma. Forum-Asia, said in its statement last week that there was a risk that Dr Cynthia’s clinic would be shut down and its staff would be deported to Burma by the […]

Dear friends, We need your solidarity urgently for the Adivasis people! The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the Adivasis people are on a hunger strike continuously at the Rahata Tahasil office from 6 October 2003, demanding their rights of land ownership. Only four Adivasis are sitting for hunger strike because of […]

Case of Lalith Rajapakse before the Wattala Magistrate’s Court ———————————————————————- Dear Friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is very happy to give you good news that Mr. Lalith Rajapakse, a torture victim, was acquitted of fabricated charges on 29 September 2003. I kindly request you to write to the Government of Sri Lanka to […]

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has grave concerns that the family of torture victim, Dawundage Pushpakumara (14 years old), is being threatened by the police and a local politician after they made a complaint to the human rights organization. On 17 September 2003, the AHRC issued a previous Urgent Appeal regarding the […]

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received the information that the torture victim, Chamila Bandara (17 years old) and his mother have fled their home after being severely threatened by the alleged perpetrators. Also, there was an attack against victim’s mother by a man, who was believed to be instigated by the […]

THAILAND: Violence against women ———————————————————– Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received the information that Amorn Suwannachote who is accused of killing the Burmese migrant worker, Sandar Hlaing in Mae Sot confessed to the local Thai police on 7 September 2003. The accused, a Thai national Ammon Suwanachoke, 40, worked at the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is happy to give you good news that Mr. Ravi Kiran Regmi alias “Nirjeeb” has been released from the Bharatpur Army Barrack in Nepal on 15 September 2003. The AHRC had previously issued urgent appeals regarding his case and called for his immediate release from the detention […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has recently communicated with John P. Abraham, who is involved in the campaign for the rights of the indigenous Adivasi tribals in India. The Adivasi people have been fighting the Maharashtra State Farming Corporation (MSFC) for their rights over disused land that they have occupied in recent […]

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) had previously issued urgent appeals and wrote appeal letters to the Congregation of Mother of Sorrows Servants of Mary calling for the justice for Sr. Vanaselvi who was exqelled by the Congregation while she was in detention. Sr. Vanaselvi was arrested by the Suramangalam Police of Salem […]

Dear Friends Further information has been forthcoming from Mr John P Abraham, who, despite threats to his life, continues to campaign for the rights of the indigenous adivasi tribals in India. A judicial enquiry into the police firing of 2001 has begun. A full background to events is below: BACKGROUND: On 19 June 2001 a […]

Dear Friends We are pleased to be able to give you good news that Mr. Stephen Khan, a Kashmiri asylum seeker, was released on 6 August 2003 after five years of immigration detention. Federal court judge Malcolm Lee agreed to place an interim injunction against immigration Minister Philip Ruddock enabling 28 year-old Stephen Khan to […]

Dear Friends, Doctors informed Chamila Bandara and his family on Aug. 19, 2003, that Chamila Bandara has lost the use of his left arm permanently. Chamila Bandara is at present being treated at the Paradeniya Teaching Hospital in Sri Lanka. He was illegally arrested and detained from July 20 to 28, 2003, at the Ankumbura […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is delighted to inform you that MP Gundalai has been released from detention 25 hours after he was arrested at the airport in Ulaanbaatar on July 24, 2003. The Liberty Centre reported that on Friday July 25 Gundalai was released. In addition to the information below, more […]