Administration of justice

SRI LANKA: A farmer killed by Police attached to the Central Anti-Vice Unit of Walana, Panadura and the Police Special Task Force

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information concerning Mr. Jayalath Kandambige Chaminda (39), a resident of Meegahajandura, Bandagiriya in Hambantota District in Sri Lanka. He had been extra-judicially killed on 27 April 2017, by officers attached to the Central Anti-Vice Unit of Walana, Panadura and Police Special Task Force (STF). No […]

PAKISTAN: Four persons including a writer, teacher and Ahmadi disappeared after arrest

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the disappearances of four persons from Sindh province–a famous writer, a teacher, a government employee, and an Ahmadi–after their arrests by men in uniforms. All four persons are from Badin district. The police deny their arrest and have advised family members to […]

SRI LANKA: A letter to the public from a retired Judge

  I am writing this to the public as a judge who has presided over the affairs of the public for 16 years as a Magistrate and as a District Court Judge. For all those 16 years, my record has been impeccable. I want to bring to the notice of the public that, due to […]

SRI LANKA: Military must investigate the sexual abuse of young boys by senior students at the Rantambe Military Camp

Dear Friends, According to information received by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), a 15 year old, boy Z, was sexually abused at the Rantambe Military Camp between 16th-23rd February 2017. This is the 3rd individual case out of ten boys who were abused. A group of 23 male students from the Pilawela Maha Vidiyalaya, […]

INDONESIA: Seko Indigenous People victims of torture, ill-treatment and land grabbing

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the torture and ill-treatment of Seko indigenous people in North Luwuk, South Sulawesi province. The North Luwuk police favored the Seko Power Prima Company (PT. Seko Power Prima). They arrested, detained and forced the local people to accept the company’s plan to develop […]

INDONESIA: Prisoner in Padang victim of torture and extortion by other prisoners and prison guards

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Padang Legal Aid (LBH Padang) regarding the torture and ill-treatment of Mr. Muhammad Ridwan, alias Deded. Ridwan was tortured and experienced extortion at the hands of prison guards and other prison inmates. Despite the matter being reported to the West Sumatera regional police […]

AHRC TV: Deportation of Kashmiri activist and other stories in JUST ASIA, Episode 172

This week Just Asia begins with Belgium’s deportation order of activist Sajjad Husain. As a frontline defender for human rights and a free Kashmir, Husain’s work was not appreciated in Pakistan and he sought political asylum in Belgium in 2006. Finally refused asylum, Husain was facing imminent deportation to Pakistan. Due to the AHRC’s Urgent […]

BANGLADESH: Peoples’mobilization needed to end enforced disappearances

A Joint Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission, the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances, and Odhikar, on the International Week of the Disappeared Hong Kong/Dhaka/Manila; 25 May 2017: Enforced disappearance is universally recognized as a ‘crime against humanity’ under International Law. This crime is widespread across the world. Every year, on the last week of May, […]

PAKISTAN/BELGIUM: Stop the deportation of Mr. Sajid Hussain, an asylum seeker currently in Belgium, bearing file number SP 5894203, to Pakistan

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the case of, Mr. Sajid Hussain, a Kashmiri frontline human rights defender facing deportation to Pakistan from Belgium. We are informed that Hussain has been a vocal advocate for the independence of Kashmir associated with United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP). We […]

SRI LANKA: Death of a patient through negligence at the Kandy Teaching Hospital

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), received information concerning Mr. Ranjith Sunil Jayatissa (55) of No: 114, Walgowwagoda, Danture in the Kandy District. On 6 July 2016, while being treated at the Kandy Teaching Hospital, he died due to medical negligence by the doctors. He underwent hernia surgery at the hospital on 27 […]

SRI LANKA: Second boy complains of being sexually abused at the Rantambe Military Camp

Dear Friends, According to the information I have received, the 15 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Newton Perera and Malani Srasinghe, residents of No: 17/1, Arangala, Nattaranpotha in Kandy District had complained to them of being sexually abused together with 10 other boys at the Rantambe Military Camp, between 16th-23rd February 2017. This […]

SRI LANKA: Innocent man illegally arrested by Police to satisfy a corrupt businessman

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information regarding Mr. Harischandra Raja Niroshan (27) of No: 62, Ambakotte, Kengalla in the Kandy District. He was illegally arrested, detained and produced before the Courts on fabricated charges. Mr. Niroshan stated that, when his service was terminated, he requested the rights and benefits due him […]

SRI LANKA: Eleven year-old child tortured by his class teacher at Vidiyartha College Kandy

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Mr. K M M G Sudath of No: 19/1, Watagoda Temple Road, Aruppola, Kandy, about maltreatment of his oldest son. His child was tortured and harassed by his class teacher. Though he lodged a complaint with the Police, they have not investigated these […]

BANGLADESH/WORLD: Establishing effective governance is way to stop refugee flow out of the country

Two recent reports prove the predictions that the Asian Human Rights Commission has been making for several years, that Bangladesh is likely to become a major refugee producing country in the Asian region. The UK basedIndependent published a report on 5 May 2017, with the title “Bangladesh is now the single biggest country of origin for refugees on boats as new route to Europe […]

PAKISTAN: Media management hides casualties to protect powerful tycoon

A criminal nexus between the police, tycoon and media was exposed one week after the collapse of an artificial stadium killing three persons and injuring some 150 persons. When the 22-feet stadium collapsed on 28 April 2017 during the shoot of a game show aired from ARY Channel, a private television channel, the organizers, Bahria Town Islamabad and ARY […]

PAKISTAN: Four Ahmadis gun downed with impunity during the first five months of 2017

In the last 60 days, five Ahmadis, including a woman professor were shot dead. One person was shot and injured in a calculated manner in order to eliminate Ahmadis from the country. For many decades the Ahmadi places of worship (mosques), houses, cemeteries, clinics and educational institutions were attacked and many professionals murdered. On May […]

AHRC TV: World Press Freedom Day and other stories in JUST ASIA, Episode 169

This week Just Asia focuses on World Press Freedom Day, annually celebrated on May 3. The day is marked by celebrating the fundamental principles of press freedom, assessing the state of these freedoms globally, and paying tribute to those journalists who have lost their lives supporting a free press. In its 2017 World Press Freedom […]

NEPAL: Fingers chopped off after a Dalit tried to worship on non-Dalit land

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Terai Human Rights Defenders’ Alliance (THRDA) that 32-year-old Ramparkhan Kori (Chamar) was abused and beaten by local non Dalit villagers for worshiping in a temple located on a non-Dalit’s land. The villagers tried to chop off his head to sacrifice before the […]

INDIA: Biometric identity cards, shelters for stray cows, what for wasted children?

Statement | India | 04-05-2017

The government of India recently informed the Supreme Court that it has formed a Committee for looking into ways to stop the smuggling of cattle–cows in particular. It is headed by the Joint Secretary of the Home Ministry. The government had taken this step in response to a 2015 Public Interest Litigation seeking the Supreme […]

INDONESIA: Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) UPR submission report on Indonesia

The Asian Human Rights Commission wishes to inform you about the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report submitted by the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC). It concerns the third cycle of the UPR. The ALRC’s submission focuses on the criminal justice system, the normative legal framework, impunity for past human rights abuses, the freedom of expression, peaceful assembly […]