Administration of justice

INDONESIA: Three indigenous Papuans illegally detained after distributing statements on the street

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 […]

AHRC TV: Videos of police brutality in Pakistan and other stories in JUST ASIA, Episode 178

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. […]

SRI LANKA: A Diary of a frequent visitor

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 […]

INDIA: Ominous arrests point at imminent rule of the outlaw in Uttar Pradesh

Article | India | 06-07-2017

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 […]

SRI LANKA: What is Folk School Method and what is its relevance to human rights work – Two Videos;

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 […]

INDONESIA: Three teenagers wrongly accused of theft and brutally attacked by military and housing security

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. […]

SRI LANKA: Civilians robbed of valuables by Police and four men in broad day light in Colombo

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 […]

SRI LANKA: Prisoner protests against continuous ill treatment by prison officials

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 […]

SRI LANKA: Teacher transferred on charges of writing poems on FaceBook

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 […]

INDIA: “This ADGP is a butcher in police uniform” claims the State Police Chief

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 […]

SRI LANKA: Teacher who raised his voice against school corruption was twice assaulted

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 […]

SRI LANKA: Businessman abducted and family demands a speedy investigation to save his life

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 […]

SRI LANKA: Woman sexually assaulted in her home by a Police Officer seeks Justice

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received reliable information about a woman, Mrs. X, resident of Kebithigollewa Police Division in Anuradhapura District. She was sexually assaulted by a Police Sergeant attached to the Public Relations Unit of the Kebithigollewa Headquarters Police Station. This police officer allegedly entered the woman’s house without any legitimate […]

SRI LANKA: Female migrant-worker’s dead body returned from Kuwait missing body parts

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information regarding Mrs. Munisamy Mariannan Gauri. A resident of Mutwal, she migrated to Kuwait as a domestic helper on 8 April 2017. At 6 a.m. on 9 June 2017, the wife of Gauri’s employer in Kuwait telephoned. She told Gauri’s mother, Mrs. Dhanalechchami that her daughter […]

INDONESIA: Judges release three suspects illegally arrested for theft

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information that the Bekasi district court released three suspects being tried for motorcycle theft. The judgment clearly proves that the police investigators at the Jakarta Metropolitan Police Office misused their power in investigating the alleged crime conducted by the three suspects. Therefore, the three […]

INDONESIA: Two months later still no perpetrators found in acid attack against Novel Baswedan

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the acid attack case against senior investigator of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Mr. Novel Baswedan. Since the attack occurred on 11 April 2017 until present, there is no progress. Despite the police having arrested and interrogated the alleged perpetrators, they were […]

PAKISTAN: Jails, breeding places and recruiting grounds for hard-core militants

With the collapse of the overall system of governance in Pakistan, the jail system followed suit and collapsed. As the last resort in the system of criminal justice, jails were meant to reform an individual who has gone astray and resorted to crime. Due to pervasive corruption and incompetence the prison system has been reduced […]

BANGLADESH: Institutionalization of torture within law enforcement defeats the purpose of criminalization

A Joint Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission and Odhikar on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture Bangladesh’s law enforcement agencies have institutionalized torture within their day-to-day operations. Policing, maintaining law and order, and conducting crimeinvestigations, all incorporate torture as an integral part. At the same time, the widespread use of torture […]

SRI LANKA: Mother Seeks Justice for the death of her migrant-worker daughter in Kuwait

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information regarding Mrs. Siranji Siriyawathi Fernando. A resident of Chilaw, she migrated to Kuwait as a domestic helper in 2014. On 15 June, 2017 an official in the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau in Colombo informed Mrs. K Sumanawathi that her daughter had passed away in […]

SRI LANKA: An Open Letter to the Minister of Justice

An Open Letter from Professor A.N.I Ekanayaka, Ph.D (Lond.), DDPH.RCS (Eng.), BDS Emeritus Professor, University of Peradeniya forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) 91, Epitamulla Road, Pita Kotte, Kotte June 22, 2017 Hon Dr Wijeyadasa Rajapaksha PC Minister of Justice Dear Dr Rajapaksha, Arrogant and Foolish Attempt to Deny the Persecution of Christians […]