Administration of justice

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a union leader was dismissed allegedly for wearing a protest T-shirt while outside of work on July 30, 2008. While a protest regarding her dismissal has continued, tens of colleagues who held a protest were threatened with dismissal and suspension. CASE DETAILS: Body […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that a group of lawyers in Mindanao has joined appeals for the authorities to exhaust every effort in solving cases of vigilante killings in Davao City and calling for an end to the killings. Their appeal came days after a police director tried […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed by MASUM, a local human rights organisation in West Bengal that a man who is an Indian national has been falsely identified as a Bangladeshi citizen in a fabricated case created by the Border Security Force (BSF). He was shot in the left leg […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that several union leaders and factory workers of a footwear company were illegally terminated when some of their female colleagues exposed their employer’s sexual abuse on them. Their termination had also effectively deprived them possibility from having their union legally recognized. As they […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that the police authorities, in particular in Davao City, are now trying to exonerate themselves from their continued failure to have each of the vigilante killings solve and effectively prosecuted, by putting the blame on either the lack of witnesses or refusal to […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that vigilante groups have murdered another 13 persons, two of whom are minors, in separate incidents from February 2 to June 13 of 2008.   Of these, ten victims had been murdered in the city of Davao. Investigation into each of these cases has […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been receiving information continuously that more persons have been murdered recently, including minors and women, on the pretext of “vigilante killings”. The police, once again, instead of thoroughly investigating each of these cases, justified the murders as being due to the victim’s criminal records. UPDATED INFORMATION: (According […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that the five men, collectively known as the Tagaytay Five, whom we reported to have been missing but were later found in police custody two years ago, will have their petition seeking the dismissal of their case heard tomorrow, July 18. The five […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that the police allegedly ordered parents to pay a bribe of 150000 riels (US$37.5) each if their sons were not to be arrested after these youths had damaged a party sign in Soeung commune, Bor Keo district, Rattankiri province. On 2 July 2008, they arrested […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes with deep concern on the issuance of a decree banning a religious minority, Ahmadiyah, from spreading their religious practices by the government on 9 June 2008. The AHRC is concerned that the decree would encourage other Muslim groups critical of them to carry out more attacks […]

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 […]

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 […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that a man has died in police custody following his arrest after he was falsely accused of stealing a palm oil nut on 26 March 2008. The police officer and three unidentified companions, who had taken the victim with them, have not been […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that another six persons have been killed on the pretext that they were either involved in criminal activities or had criminal records in General Santos City. The AHRC is seriously concerned by the continued failure by the concerned authorities to prevent these murders and […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes with deep concern regarding the continuing failure by the police and the local government to ensure protection and prevent the systematic murders in General Santos City. At least 29 persons, five of whom are minors, have already been killed from February 4 to May 16, 2008 […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that a man was found dead with a broken neck and severe injuries on his head in a river in Takeo province on 8 May 2008. The police have classified the case as accidental drowning. It is suspected that the man’s death was a political […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received additional information concerning the case of rape that was reported earlier by the AHRC on 31 March 2008. The AHRC is informed through Navsarjan that the case is currently taken up for trial. The AHRC is also informed that the victim suspects unfair practices during […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that following the Court of Appeals (CA) conclusion of its appellate review affirming the conviction imposed by a lower court on the Abadilla Five, the lawyers for the accused are seeking to nullify the CA’s decision on April 1. They filed a Petition […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Bangladesh that a judge of a Special Tribunal for Women has ordered the detention of two persons in absence of a thorough investigation and solely on the basis of a false complaint. The two detainees, whom the police have arrested on March 30, […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information from the Legal Aid Institute of Surabaya (LBH Surabaya) that autopsy reports confirmed that four persons died due to gunshots. Several others were injured due to shooting by naval officers. Questions have been raised on the fairness of the trial and possibility of […]