Administration of justice

INDONESIA: Local community in Sanghiang Island victim of land grabbing and fabricated case

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Banten People Legal Aid (LBH Rakyat Banten) about land grabbing and a fabricated case against the local community of Sanghiang Island, Banten province. Despite the local community having lived on the island for many years, the PT. PKP company suddenly claimed that the […]

AHRC TV: UN wants to strengthen ASEAN’s human rights mechanism and other stories in JUST ASIA, Episode 197

This week Just Asia begins with the ninth ASEAN-UN Summit on Monday, where United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the UN wants to work with ASEAN to strengthen the regional bloc’s human rights body. This comes as several ASEAN countries face human rights related controversies. Particularly troubling is Burma’s violence against the Rohingya Muslim minority, […]

INDONESIA: Peaceful protesters in Slamet Mountain brutally attacked and dispersed by the Police

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received the following information from our local partner. Violence and a brutal attack were carried out by Police Officers and the Civil Service Police Unit (Satpol PP) against the Local Community in Banyumas Regency, Central Java province. The Local Community has been struggling to fight for […]

NEPAL: Maligning campaign against Ms. Mohna Ansari, Member, NHRC and our request for prompt action

15 November 2017 Mr. Anup Raj Sharma Honourable Chairperson National Human Rights Commission Pulchowk, Lalitpur NEPAL Fax: +977 1 55 47973 Tel: +977 1 5010015 E-mail:complaints@nhrcnepal.org nhrc@nhrcnepal.org Dear Mr. Anup Raj Sharma, Re: Maligning campaign against Ms. Mohna Ansari, Member, NHRC and our request for prompt action The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is writing […]

INDIA: MASUM activists intimidated and falsely charged by corrupt police in West Bengal

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from MASUM, our partner organization in West Bengal, about the tactics used by police personnel to intimidate and suppress a human rights activist employed with MASUM, due to their reporting and data collection on human rights violations and abuse of power by Border Security […]

INDONESIA: Anti Communist mob forcibly dispersed access to rights workshop

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about the forced dissolution of a national workshop on access to economic, social and cultural rights for victims and family members of past human rights abuses in Indonesia. The workshop was part of an advocacy effort by victims and human rights groups to seek […]

AHRC TV: UN Security Council urges Burma to end Rohingya violence and other stories in JUST ASIA, Episode 196

This week Just Asia begins with Burma, which has been called on by the UN Security Council to end the violence in Rakhine state and allow hundreds of thousands of Muslim Rohingya to return. In a unanimous statement backed by China, the Council strongly condemned the violence forcing more than 600,000 Rohingya to flee across […]

INDIA: Do Not Endanger The Life Of Chandrashekhar Ravan, Revoke NSA and release him NOW

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) expresses its deep concern over the inhuman and degrading treatment being meted out to Dalit rights activist Chandrashekhar Ravan by the government of Uttar Pradesh. Last reported, Mr. Ravan, was rushed to the Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College from Saharanpur on Nov 8, 2017 for ‘stomach infection’. Mr. […]

INDIA: Civil Society must unite to get NSA against Chandrashekhar Ravan revoked

A Statement from The Committee for the Defense of Bhim Army (CDBA) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission The Committee for the Defense of Bhim Army (CDBA) expresses it shock at the act of the Uttar Pradesh government and the Saharanpur district administration in slapping charges under the National Security Act on Bhim Army founder President […]

INDIA: The Role of Women in the Armed Forces Needs to be Re-Evaluated

Statement | India | 08-11-2017

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) had previously reported on the illegal confinement and subsequent discharge of Sabi Giri from the Indian Navy. Sabi, who transitioned from male to female after seven years of service, has challenged her discharge before the Delhi High Court. While the High Court accepted the Navy’s argument that Sabi’s status as a woman rendered […]

NEPAL: Girl gang raped and family beaten after they protested

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received the following information from the Terai Human Rights Defenders’ Alliance (THRDA). On 29 October 2017, a 17-year-old Muslim girl, a resident of the Parsauni Rural Municipality-4, Sakhuwa of the Parsa District, had been gang raped. Mukhtar Ansari, 22, son of Ward Chairperson, Jumadin Ansari, and […]

SRI LANKA: Tensions unravelling across the reform road-map

The weekly Times column, Focus on Rights, titled ‘Tensions unravellingacross the reform road-map’ by Kishali Pinto Jayawardena, in the Sunday Times, Sri Lanka, on 05 November 2017, forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission by Kishali Pinto Jayawardena There appears to be a brisk uptick in the tone of visiting European lawmakers to Sri Lanka this week as compared […]

NEPAL: Rooting out torture requires new measures and mechanisms

by Raksha Ram Harijan The routine practice of torture in Nepal is nothing new; decades of work by human rights organizations working on torture and impunity can provide solid examples of the Nepal Police and Nepal Army practicing torture during their work. Despite the government’s ratification of the Convention against Torture (CAT) on 14 May […]

INDONESIA: Police officers in South Aceh involved in fabrication of charges and extortion

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about a fabricated case lodged by police officers of the South Aceh Police Office and Sawang Police Office in South Aceh regency, Aceh province. Without proper investigation and a lack of evidence, the police accused Mr. Abas Rizal bin Agusmar alias Sibay of illegally […]

AHRC TV: Dalit girl loses eye in brutal rape and attack and other stories in JUST ASIA, Episode 195

This week Just Asia begins with Nepal, where a 14-year-old Dalit girl was raped by a 19-year-old youth. After raping the girl on October 28, the non-Dalit Santosh Shrestha tried to kill her by slashing her with a sickle, and gouging out her left eye. The delay in receiving treatment cost the girl her left […]

NEPAL: Mysterious custodial death of a girl must be investigated

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely disturbed by the mysterious death of 16-year-old Priyanka Yadav in police custody on October 29, 2017. The Area Police Office (APO), Mirchaiya arrested Priyanka and 14-year-old Sanjay Sah on October 28 for the murder of Bhavesh Yadav, Priyanka’s 13-year-old cousin brother. The next day, Priyanka was found […]

PAKISTAN: Shia man tormented with frivolous charges on account of his Faith

Dear Friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about the enforced disappearance of a Shia man, Muhammud Bilal, by officials of a Law Enforcement agency. He has been disappeared twice and indicted on murder charges under frivolous grounds. A few days before his disappearance, Bilal had a hernia operation. To date his […]

SRI LANKA: Entire family is under harassment by the Wattegama Police

Dear Friends, Asian Human Rights Commission has received the information regarding the case of Mr. Sudarshana Wijekoon (49) who is resident of Wattegama Police Division. On 9 September 2017, team of police officers attached to the Wattegama Police Station forcefully entered and searched his house. The officers failed to present any tangible, credible evidence for […]

INDIA: Arbitrary use of force at the border an epidemic that must be contained

Over the past decade, Human Rights Watch has recorded the occurrence of over 1,000 killings of civilians at the hands of Border Security Force (BSF) personnel, in which a majority of victims were unarmed. Despite these numbers, arrests are rare in such instances of arbitrary use of force – which often result in the death of the […]

ASIA: 20th Anniversary of the Asian Charter for Human Rights; A People’s Charter – A Video Documentary

In this short video, Mr Basil Fernando explains the preparation for updating of the Asian Charter for Human Rights – A People’s Charter which was launched in Gwangju, South Korea in May 1998. This Video explains the purpose for which this Charter was adopted, the process of consultations which led to the drafting of the Charter, the […]