Administration of justice

INDONESIA : Peasants in Rokan Hilir brutally attacked to force them to hand over their land

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding a brutal attack against a local famer in Rokan Hilir Regency, Riau Province. Mr. Rajiman, a local palm oil farmer along with his wife and child are victims of torture, ill-treatment, terror and intimidation. These actions were committed by an employee of Mr. […]

INDIA: Strict liability principle applied to compensate families of deceased manual scavengers

In 2011, two manual scavengers died while cleaning a sewer in Delhi’s Bawana Industrial area. Finally, on 27th February 2018, in the case of Rajesh and Another v. Delhi Jal Board and Ors (W.P.(C) 7030/2012), the High Court of Delhi brought relief to the families of these victims. Though prohibited, the dehumanising and hazardous practice of manual […]

SRI LANKA: AHRC Intervenes to Support Residents of Depanama, Pannipitiya to Stop Sound Pollution

March 20, 2018 Inspector general of Police, Police Headquarters Colombo Sri Lanka Fax Number: +94 112440440 Re: Complaint against Sound Pollution caused by temple authorities at Sri Devram Maha Viharaya, Pannipitiya Dear Sir, I am writing this on behalf of the Asian Human Rights Commission. Our commission has revived a complaint from about 35 local […]

PHILIPPINES: UN bodies, int’l rights organizations decry Duterte government’s fake terrorist list UN bodies, int’l rights organizations decry Duterte government’s fake terrorist list

A Statement from Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights (KARAPATAN) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Aside from the statements of the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein and two UN special rapporteurs on the inclusion of the names of UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous […]

AHRC TV: Nepali girl brutally beaten for witchcraft charges on International Women’s Day and other stories in JUST ASIA, Episode 212

This week Just Asia begins with Nepal, where 18-year-old Radha Chaudhary was mercilessly beaten on witchcraft charges, while the world was celebrating International Women’s Day. Led by Ram Bahadur Chaudhary, a self-professed shaman, the horrific beating can be seen in a widely circulated video. None of the spectators bothered to rescue the innocent girl or […]

INDONESIA: The UN Global Compact and Accountability of Trans-National Corporations

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to inform you about a paper‘the UN Global Compact: Mainstreaming human rights to strengthen the accountability of trans-national corporations.” The paper is written by Chris Biantoro, a human rights lawyer and Indonesia desk officer at the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), Hong Kong. For further reading of the […]

INDIA: Acquittal of Pramod Muthalik and others is a shocking travesty of justice

On March 13 2018, the Third Judicial Magistrate at the First Class Court in Mangalore acquitted Pramod Muthalik, and 25 other members of the Sri Rama Sene of the 2009 assault of several women in a Amnesia, a Mangalore pub. The Sri Ram Sene is a right-wing Hindutva group that has previously been involved in […]

PHILIPPINES: Duterte regime’s proscription petition targets critics, rights defenders

Karapatan condemns the listing of more than 600 persons, human rights defenders and critics of the Duterte government in the proscription petition filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ), through Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Peter Ong, at a regional court in Manila on February 21, 2018. The petition not only seeks to declare the Communist […]

PHILIPPINES: Urgent Appeal for Solidarity and Action for Activists, Human Rights Defenders and Political Dissenters in the Philippines Tagged in Duterte’s Terror List

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward an appeal from KARAPATAN Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights For more information, please contact: Cristina Palabay, Secretary General, 0917-3162831 Thank you.  Urgent Appeals Desk  Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)  ———————————————————————– Urgent Appeal for Solidarity and Action for Activists, Human Rights Defenders and […]

AHRC TV: International Women’s Day and other stories in JUST ASIA, Episode 211

This week Just Asia focuses on International Women’s Day, celebrated annually on March 8. The day is an opportunity to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women in the development of their communities. In Indonesia, women rights activists from various civil society organizations […]

INDONESIA: Weak Judicial System and Legal Aid Allow for Unfair Trials

The Republic of Indonesia, an independent state since 17 August 1945, is a State based on the rule of law. Its constitution emphasizes (UUD 1945), in particular article 1 paragraph 3: “The State of Indonesia shall be a state based on the rule of law.” A state based on the rule of law means that the law […]

INDIA: Stop harassment of anti-trafficking activists in Uttar Pradesh and ensure that the re-trafficked victims are rescued

Statement | India | 06-03-2018

Guria Swayam Sevi Sansthan (Guria), an organization based in Varanasi, has been working against human trafficking and forced prostitution for more than two decades. Guria is AHRC’s partner organisation and in 2016, Guria filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the High Court at Allahabad, seeking guidelines to be issued to the police for the […]

INDONESIA: War against terrorism should respect human rights and the Rule of Law

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), a regional, non-governmental, human rights organization in Asia, has learned of the current situation on the war against terrorism in Indonesia. We deplore the action of the Police of the Republic of Indonesia, in particular Special Detachment Anti-Terror Unit (Densus 88). They have not seriously learned from their previous […]

NEPAL: Withdraw the case filed with malicious intention against the Asian Human Rights Commission and other individuals

An Open Letter from the Asian Human Rights Commission to Attorney General of Nepal Mr. Agni Prasad Kharel  Attorney General Office of Attorney General  Ramshah Path, Kathmandu NEPAL Tel: +977 1 4240210, +977 1 4262548, +977 1 4262394 Fax: +977 1 4262582 / 4218051 Email: info@attorneygeneral.gov.np Dear Mr. Agni Prasad Kharel: The Asian Human Rights Commission […]

WORLD: Draft Asian Declaration on right to justice – right to an effective remedy for violations of human rights in terms of Article 2 of the ICCPR

A supplement to the Asian Human Rights Charter launched in Gwangju, South Korea on 17 May, 1998 This declaration is to be launched on the 20th anniversary of launching of the Asian Human Rights Charter (A People’s Charter) The Asian Human Rights Commission (Hong Kong) and the May 18 Memorial Foundation(Gwangju, South Korea) are presenting herewith the […]

PHILIPPINES: Military harass trade unionists in Compostela Valley

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned about the harassment faced by residents and trade unionists of banana plantations affiliated to the May First Labor Movement (Kilusang Mayo Uno) in Mindanao. They were tagged by the military as New People’s Army (NPA) rebel group supporters, and are being summoned to military […]

AHRC TV: Amnesty reports worldwide deterioration of rights and other stories in JUST ASIA, Episode 210

This week Just Asia begins with Amnesty International’s annual report, highlighting a worldwide worsening of human rights. Released last Thursday, the report covers 159 countries. It claims that world leaders are increasingly “undermining the rights of millions,” either by turning a blind eye to rights abuses, or by perpetrating them. The ‘epicenter of human tragedy’ […]

INDONESIA: New Penal Code Bill needs serious revision

Indonesia’s penal code, a legacy of Dutch colonialism, has been discussed for many years in the parliament, resulting in academic papers and draft revisions of the law. Nonetheless, little progress has been achieved, with an official discussion in parliament only beginning in 2015, under President Joko Widodo’s administration. The 100-years-old penal code issued by the […]

INDIA: Ensure that harassment and surveillance of Mr. Urikhimbham, and his organisation is stopped

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Human Rights Initiative, the Committee on Human Rights, Human Rights Alert, and Centre for Research and Advocacy, Manipur regarding the harassment and surveillance on Nobo Urikhimbam, human rights defender and activist. CASE NARRATIVE: The AHRC has received information regarding the military surveillance […]

INDIA: Suicide by a hungry teen in the times of 1.7 billion USD loot by tycoons

By Avinash Pandey In other times Jyoti could have gotten at least a little outrage for her, often all poor and the marginalized get in the country after such tragedies inflicted upon them. Alas, the country is busy over outraging the USD 1.7 billion fraud, and counting, that the Punjab National Bank has complained Nirav […]