Administration of justice

NEPAL: Police use excessive force on protesters demanding investigation into mysterious child death

Statement | Nepal | 31-10-2017

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is alarmed at the Nepali police’s firing in broad daylight, with an intent to kill, at protesters who were protesting at the lack of investigation in the death of an 11-year-old child. Laxman Shiwakoti was found dead in a pool of floodwater on 1 October 2017 after he went […]

SRI LANKA: Police neglect leads to the death of a young man

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information regarding Mr. Kurukulasooriyage Nuwan Chamara Perera of No: 215/5, Jayalath Place, Modara, Moratuwa, in the Colombo District. On October 5, 2017, he was assaulted by four persons, Malshika, Janith, Janithu, and Ishani Shehara at Joseph Place in Moratuwa Modara Police Post Division. He was treated […]

SRI LANKA: Lawful Public Protest not protected by Police who guarded attackers instead

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) would like to inform you about an incident on 13 July 2017. The pepper farmers organized a Protest March from Pallebedda to Palmadulla in the Ratnapura District, marching towards Embilipitya-Ratnapura-Colombo Road. They walked peacefully, respecting the Law and protecting the lives and properties of the public. Unexpectedly, […]

SRI LANKA: Excessive force used by Police against protestors injuring 14 activists

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) would like to inform you about an incident on 10 October 2017. Police used excessive force against protesters in a peaceful Public Protest at Kollupitiya Junction in Great Colombo Area. The protest was organized by the ‘Peoples Wall Against the Private Medical College SAITM.” Thousands of people, […]

AHRC TV: Extrajudicial killings on the rise in Sri Lanka and other stories in JUST ASIA, Episode 194

This week Just Asia begins with Sri Lanka, where a man was shot dead Monday by the Special Task Force of the police while travelling with his friends in a car. The police later claimed that they only began firing after the vehicle fired on them first, but there is no evidence to support this […]

NEPAL: Woman violently beaten by father-in-law for refusing his sexual advances

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about Mrs. Shobha Mahara (28), a resident of the Arnama Rural Municipality-1 in the Siraha District. On 17 October 2017, she was beaten by her father-in-law, Ram Sewak Mahara. Her husband, Ajay Mahara, stood silently by, without protesting or interfering with the violent beating, […]

SRI LANKA: Five students tortured by their Principal still under treatment in hospital

Dear Friends, According to reliable information received by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), four senior girls and a boy were tortured by the Principal of the Deniyaya Central College. On 17 October 2017, the Principal had called five students to his office. He assaulted the students on their head, neck, back, legs and dragged […]

INDONESIA: Police brutally attack journalist of Banten Post

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Banten People Legal Aid (LBH Rakyat Banten) about the brutal attack and illegal arrest of Mr. Panji Bahari, a journalist of Banten Post, while he was covering a student protest. While Bahari has logged a report to the police, there is no guarantee […]

SRI LANKA: Innocent man illegally arrested by Kuliyapitiya Police

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the illegal arrest and detention of Mr. Elibichchi Rajapaksha Appuhamilage Vajira Sampath Rajapaksha, a resident in Kuliyapitiya Police Division, on 23 September 2017. The next morning he was produced before the Kuliyapitiya Magistrate’s Court with fabricated charges. The victim pleaded his innocence, and […]

SRI LANKA: Twenty-four year old fisherman extra-judicially shot and killed in Jaffna

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information concerning Mr. Don Bosco Dino alias Vindan Ridman 24, of Jaffna Police Division in the Jaffna District. He was extra-judicially murdered on 23 October 2017. Dino was shot at 3 p.m. on 22 October, by two individuals who appeared prepared and well-armed. He was […]

SRI LANKA: Man extra-judicially shot to death by a Special Task Force

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information concerning Mr. Nawalage Kushan Thakshila Cooray (35) of the Minuwangoda Police Division in the Gampaha District. He was extra-judicially killed by Officers attached to the Special Task Force (STF) of the Sri Lankan Police Department. The victim was shot dead by the Officers while […]

SRI LANKA: Police fail to investigate the case of three missing females

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding three missing females in the Wellampitiya Police Division on 14 October 2017. According to relatives they have lodged a complaint with the Wellampitiya and the Grand Pass Police Stations. They requested an urgent investigation to ensure the safety of the young women. On […]

PAKISTAN: Court sentences Ahmadis to death

Three Ahmadis were sentenced to death on blasphemy charges by the Islamabad court of sessions on 12 October 2017, for allegedly tearing down a poster outside their place of worship. Incidentally, the sentence came within hours of a hate speech delivered on the floors of the National Assembly, by the son-in-law of deposed Prime Minister […]

SRI LANKA: That the Constitution allows enforced disappearances is a big lie (Loku boruwak!)

By Basil Fernando This article is a response to an article titled “International Convention on Enforced Disappearances violates the Constitution” published in a reputed newspaper The Island of 22nd October 2017, written by Neville Ladduwahetty. The crux of the argument in that article is that the definition of enforced disappearances as contained in the International Convention on […]

INDONESIA: Student in West Papua tortured and ill-treated by police officers

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from our local partner in Papua about the torture and ill-treatment of a high school student, Yunus Manauri, in Teluk Wondama regency, West Papua province. After Yunus refused to hand over his motorcycle for not having the vehicle’s document as well as a driving […]

SRI LANKA: Thirty-three year old ex-soldier missing in Horowpathana

Dear Friends, Mr. Lalsiri Sampath Sugathapala (33) of Meehonda Wewa, Horowpathana was a resident of Horowpathana Police Division. He went missing on 14 April 2017. He was a regular soldier attached to the Sri Lanka Army. After resigning from the military he joined a company in Colombo. He was happy in his job. On 11 […]

PAKISTAN: Government deports Turkish family violating UNHCR’s asylum status and Court’s stay order

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the forced deportation of a Turkish family. They had been granted asylum status by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Secret State Agencies and plain clothes persons arrested and then abducted them. The family included Mr. Mesut Kacmez, the former vice-president […]

SRI LANKA: Girl expelled from government school on unfounded allegations

Dear Friends, According to information received by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), a 15-year-old girl in 10th Grade at A/Madatugama Sri Rewatha Navodya Vidyalaya, Madatugama, Kekirawa was arbitrarily expelled by the Principal. When she began vomiting during an outdoor celebration of International Children’s Day on 2 October 2017, a group of students misinformed the Principal that […]

SRI LANKA: Fourteen-year-old child tortured by Moratuwa Police

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information regarding the case of 14-year-old Kahingala Waduge Kanidu Minsara Silva, who was illegally arrested, detained and tortured by the Moratuwa Police Station on 10 October 2017. Minsara is a student at Uyana Kanishta Vidyalaya. On October 8, he had a non-violent dispute with a senior […]

INDIA/PAKISTAN: Stop shelling the Dharamsal village and other areas on the Line of Control in Jammu Kashmir

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information that around 500 residents in Dharamsal village, a small village on the Line of Control (dividing the State of Jammu Kashmir into Pakistani and Indian administered parts) have been living in equivocal situation since August 13, 2017. The Indian Army is unremittingly targeting […]