Administration of justice

By Basil Fernando “A large crowd of people gather here every day,” a social worker told me, pointing to a two-storey building that is now a toddy shop. There was a banner with a familiar advertisement: Ra Bomu – lets drink toddy. People were going to and from the building. Pointing to the property annexed […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), received information regarding the death of a patient at the Kuliyapitiya District Base Hospital. Mrs. Uragoda Appuhamilage Somawathi told the doctors and nurses at the hospital that she was allergic to antibiotics, but she was still given an antibiotic injection, which lead to her death on June […]

Read Letter HERE We refer to the statement we issued yesterday “How some lawyers trivialise legal proceedings”. We produce below Fr Nandana’s letter to the relevant lawyer demanding that the lawyer should publicly withdraw this statement. 12th July 2017 Mr. Nalin Ladduwahetty, President’s Counsel, Attorney-at-Law, No : 33, Royal Range, Dolalanda Watte, Kottawa Road, Thalawatugoda. Dear […]

An article from The Mint forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission The death of prisoner Manjula Shetye in Byculla jail last month reminds one of the 1983 Mulla committee report on prison reforms. More than three decades old, words from the report may not ring truer than now: “Do they continue to be citizens of the country […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam), a human rights organization in East Kalimantan province, about a teenager drowning in a mining hole left by the Gunung Bayan Pratama Coal Company. Reluctant to investigate the case, the local police have argued that the death falls within […]

Sanjeewa Weerawickrama [1] Torture is an act, a form of punishment, a horrible experience, causing severe physical pain and mental suffering. It uses force to make a person confess to a crime he did not do. [2]. A person has the fundamental right not to be tortured. Freedom from torture is covered in the next two examples […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the case of the missing poet and activist Farhad Mazhar, who has been found. His disappearance and subsequent rescue has thrown up more questions than answers as our update will show. The AHRC had earlier issued an Urgent Appeal urging the relevant […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the gang rape of a constable’s daughter by influential persons. The district police of Jacobabad, Sindh province, are trying to protect the perpetrators. They have tampered with evidence and are making it difficult for the victim’s family to seek justice. At the same […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from a local partner about the arbitrary arrest and detention of three indigenous Papuans in Nabire, Papua province, Indonesia. Three indigenous Papuans, who are members of the National Committee for West Papua (KNPB), are illegally detained in the Nabire Police Office (Polres Nabire) without […]

This week Just Asia begins with Pakistan, where police brutality and violence continues. Three videos show how law enforcement officials regularly transcend their authority and abuse ordinary citizens, with a complete lack of accountability. In the most recently surfaced video, a group of police officers are baton charging unarmed women mill workers in Muzaffargarh, Punjab. […]

Article by Basil Fernando I arrived at the Katunayake Airport and there was my friend whose car I usually use in my visits. On our way from the airport into the roads a conversation immediately started and of course my first concern was to note how my friend was doing in his business – which […]

By Avinash Pandey The arrests of 31 Dalit activists in Lucknow, state capital of Uttar Pradesh, is an ominous marker of the things to come. Add the circumstances of their arrest and they also hint at an authoritarian regime lurching around, set for the takeover of whatever little is left of dissent, democracy and the […]

Watch English Version Watch Sinhala Version The Asian Human Rights Commission is happy to present two video presentations; one in English and one in Sinhala by Mr. Basil Fernando on the Folk School method. For almost 25 years, the Asian Human Rights Commission has constantly utilized the Folk School methodology, as its approach for developing a human […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Makassar Legal Aid (LBH Makassar), South Sulawesi Province, regarding the attack committed by a military officer and housing security against three teenagers. They were accused of theft without any evidence or investigation, and immediately attacked, causing them to be hospitalized with serious injuries. […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information regarding Mr. G P Rojan Asmi Rathnapala. He lodged a complaint on 20 May 2017 with the Cinnamon Garden Police Station. He owned an antique Dutch Lightning Conductor valued at Rs. 10 million and jewelry worth Rs. 550, 000–all of which were stolen by an […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the case of Mr. Thilanga Roshan Perera who is a prisoner in New Dumbara (Bogambara) Prison, Kandy. According to Roshan, he is continuously tortured and treated inhumanly by the prison officials. Although he has complained on several occasions regarding the violations of his […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information regarding Mr. Kushan Shalika Herath (30), a teacher at the Kuliyapitiya Central College. Mr. Kushan has been transferred to Narammala Central College, effective 11 June 2017, on charges of writing poems on Facebook (FB). The teacher, who taught advanced level Technology at the Kuliyapitiya Central […]

Referring to the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Mr. Tomin J. Thachankary, the former State Police Chief, Mr. Senkumar, has said that this officer is a butcher stationed at the state police headquarters. Allegations against Thachankary, one of the senior most officers in service in the state, is nothing new. The only difference this […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding Mr. Harsha Dammika Dematawala, a teacher at Kuliyapitiya Central College. Harsha continually pointed out financial malpractice, corruption and human rights violations in the school. Several other teachers shared his views and joined the fight for justice within the school. On his way home […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding Mr. Nihal Ajith Peiris of Helen Wawatha, in Wennappuwa Police Division in Puttalam District. On 25 June 2017 at 5:45 a.m. Nihal was abducted by an unidentified group of persons. His whereabouts are still unknown. His wife lodged a written complaint with the […]