Administration of justice

In blatant violation of Sri Lanka’s constitution, President Mahinda Rajapakse took it upon himself to appoint members to the National Police Commission and the Public Service Commission. These appointments bypassed the constitutional process, which requires the appointments to be approved by the Constitutional Council. Before granting approval, the council is to examine the merits of […]

[RE: UA-141-2005: BURMA: Alleged rape of a woman by two police officers in Twente Township; UP-008-2006: BURMA: Two police to go to court over alleged rape; UP-039-2006: BURMA: Unnecessary delays in trial of two police accused of rape; UP-039-2006: BURMA: Unnecessary delays in trial of two police accused of rape] ——————————————————————— UP-075-2006: BURMA: Two police […]

Dear friends, Since last year, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has closely followed the case of U Aye Myint, a lawyer who was arrested at the end of August 2005 and imprisoned at the end of October for helping a group of farmers to lodge a complaint with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) over […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is happy to inform you that Mr. Yun Il-kwan, the 36-year-old Korean farmer and last anti-WTO protester facing prosecution, was acquitted by the Fanling Magistrates’ Courts, Hong Kong yesterday. We wish to thank you very much for your great support in this case. On 30 March 2006, […]

Today, March 30, 2006 the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has nominated three outstanding widows of human rights defenders to receive jointly the prestigious 2006 , awarded by the May 18 Memorial Foundation, Korea. The three are: Angkhana Neelaphaijit, wife of disappeared Thai human rights lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit; Suciwati Munir, wife of murdered Indonesian human […]

[RE: 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 of torture; UP-45-2005: Wife of missing human rights lawyer intimidated; […]

On 30 March 1997 Sam Rainsy–now leader of Cambodia’s opposition party–organised and led a peaceful demonstration in front of the National Assembly in Phnom Penh. The rally was called to protest at the corrupt judiciary, which then as now was under the control of the dominant Cambodian People’s Party (CPP). Approval had been obtained for […]

Dear friends, In 2001, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) reported on the death of Mr. Lasantha Jagath Kumara, who after five days of illegal detention and brutal torture at the hands of the Payagala police, finally succumbed to his injuries on 20 June 2000. After a long delay in investigations and a further delay […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding another threat to a torture victim, Mr. Hom Bahadur Bagale by the police administration, which are responsible for investigating his torture incident. The victim was arbitrary detained and tortured by his senior officers in November 2002 because he refused to do work […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 28, 2006 AS-051-2006 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) SRI LANKA: Fear syndrome may also extend to Auditor General’s department Reports following the attack by Sri Lanka’s Treasury Secretary on the Auditor General indicate there is a deliberate attempt to intimidate and undermine the Auditor General’s Department. On […]

[RE: UP-033-2006: SRI LANKA: Threats to 14-year-old boy and his family to withdraw complaint of brutal assault by teacher; UA-060-2006: SRI LANKA: Brutal assault on 14-year-old by his games teacher] ———————————– UP-056-2006: SRI LANKA: Fundamental rights application to proceed in case of brutal assault against a 14-year-old boy SRI LANKA: brutal assault of a minor; […]

An article in Friday’s Thai Day supplement to the International Herald Tribune quoted an officer of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) working on the case of abducted human rights lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit as saying that “the case is proving very difficult” because “the DSI only took up the case late last year” (‘DSI condemned […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the failure to investigate the brutal assault on Rathnasiri Senadheera by Superintendent of Police Saliya, the former Officer In Charge(OIC) of the Horana police station (see further: UA-141-2004). On 29 September 2004, Mr. Senadheera visited his brother who was in custody at the […]

[RE: UA-216-2005: Soldiers kill nine farmers in Leyte, Visayas; UP-141-2005: Peasants were brutally massacred by soldiers; pregnant woman among the dead; UP-019-2006: PHILIPPINES: Possible irregularities in police investigation; survivor details brutal killings of peasants] ———————————– UP-053-2006: PHILIPPINES: Commission on Human Rights (CHR) set to file charges against soldiers allegedly involved in killing peasants in Leyte […]

While the incident of two Supreme Court judges resigning on the basis of matters of conscience is still very much a part of the public debate, the Auditor General of Sri Lanka has now also come under attack by the government.  The attacks have come in response to several critical reports published by the Auditor […]

The latest draft of Cambodia’s law on peaceful demonstrations is so restrictive, that if adopted, the Cambodian people will be unable to exercise their rights to demonstrate and express their opinion at all. This law is the latest move by the government to institutionalise restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly (see AS-038-2006 for further discussion). Such […]

[RE: UA-251-2005: PHILIPPINES: Brutal torture of a 25-year-old man over mistaken identity in General Santos City, Mindanao; UP-007-2006: PHILIPPINES: Investigation into the brutal torture of a man by mistaken identity begins] ———————————– UP-047-2006: PHILIPPINES: Torture victim denied treatment while police director exonerates his men’s acts as justifiable PHILIPPINES: Torture; denial of detainees’ rights to medical […]

[RE: UA-23-2002: Sign petition for attorney general to bring justice to May 1998 riot victims; UP-81-2005: Attorney General Refuses to investigate gross violations of human rights that were committed at Trisakti/Semanggi; UP-102-2005: House of Representatives must recommend the establishment of an ad-hoc human rights court on the Trisakti/Semanggi killings in its coming plenary session.] ———————————————————————- […]

In an attempt to fill Sri Lanka’s legal lacuna, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka has adopted a draft Contempt of Court Act to be submitted to the government this month, March 2005. The draft broadly incorporates principles embodied in the United Kingdom Contempt of Court Act (1981) and the Indian Contempt of Court Act […]

[RE: UA-164-2004: 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 follow […]