Administration of justice

This week Just Asia begins with highlights from an exclusive interview with UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Professor Juan E. Mendez. Speaking to the editor of Torture Magazine, Nilantha Ilangamuwa, Mr. Mendez shares his views on various issues, including his most recent visit to Sri Lanka. […]

In the absence of a fair and functional judicial system that can uphold the rule of law, Pakistan citizens are at the mercy of landlords, who dole out punishment in whimsy. Recently, two peasant brothers from Phul Village, Nowshehro Feroz District, Sindh Province, were ordered to seek forgiveness from their landlord, while holding their shoes […]

An article from Countercurrents.org forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Polling has concluded in Kerala but political parties and commentators alike have missed out on a crucial need in the state. In spite of the rape and murder of the poor Dalit law student that shook the nation and deeply disturbed a state that […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that at least 94 officials including government official of North Cotabato, police and military officers were filed criminal charges by the farmers who was illegally arrested, tortured all the human rights violations committed against the Kidapawan violent dispersal of 6,000 farmers last April […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Mannikkuge Sumith Dayaratne of Madhuwa, in Katunayake, has been extrajudicially killed by officers attached to the Negombo Law Enforcement Unit and the Special Task Force (STF). The fact that no proper investigation has been carried out yet is a denial of justice […]

An article from Thai Human Rights for Lawyer (THRL) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission The second cycle of the Universal Periodical Review (UPR) of Thailand was held on 11 May 2016 in Geneva, Switzerland. Many UN member states raised concerns and questions about the use of military courts to try civilians. To respond […]

Dear Friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward an appeal from our partner organization MASUM in West Bengal. The appeal alleges that a young man was shot dead by Border Security Force personnel while he was trying to smuggle cattle across the border to Bangladesh.  For more information, please contact: Kirity Roy, […]

Dear Friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward an appeal from our partner organization, MASUM in West Bengal. A Scheduled Caste woman was allegedly tortured by Border Security Force (BSF) guards on 10 April 2016 in Dinhata police station limits, West Bengal. For more information, please contact: Kirity Roy, Secretary, MASUM & […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Devatha Pedige Jayathilaka from Karandupana, in the Kegalle District, for no apparent reasons, has been produced before the Kegalle Magistrate Court, having been framed on fabricated charges by the Kegalle Police, on 27 June 2015. Meanwhile the Rambukkana Police have also filed […]

Dear Friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned that a father and son were tortured for allegedly stealing from a convenience store. They were interrogated and beaten up to admit to the crime. The perpetrators were members of the Special Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit Active Auxiliary (SCAA).  CASE DETAILS: (Based on […]

Dear Friends, According to information received by the Asian Human Rights Commission, Mr. Neil Silva an owner of a hotel in Kandy has been illegally arrested, detained and produced before the Magistrate of Kandy on fabricated charges by the police officers attached to the Peradeniya Police Station on 3rd December 2015. Mr. Neil Silva states […]

Strengthen protection mechanisms and ensure accountability for human rights abuses (Bangkok, 9 May 2016)—We, the undersigned organizations and community-based networks, urge the Thai authorities and several mining companies to drop legal proceedings against community-based human rights defenders and call on Thai authorities to strengthen mechanisms to protect human rights defenders and ensure accountability for human […]

In this month five-year-old Hindu girl, Shazia Bheel, was murdered by Zahid Sheikh, a man who was dressed as a woman when he raped and murdered the child in Hyderabad. An FIR (# 22/2016), was lodged for murder and rape against the culprit on the compliant of the father of the deceased child. Women and […]

This week Just Asia begins with Pakistan, where three cases of honour killings have been reported from the country over the last 15 days, killing five women. Such acts are the result of a typical mindset that women must be killed for disobeying men, and besmirching their honour. The year 2015 saw more than 7,010 […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is concerned about the recent political move in Nepal. The political parties have ganged up to undermine the ongoing transitional justice process, to flout the verdict of the Supreme Court of Nepal – on how those involved in crimes committed in the conflict period can be given amnesty, and […]

The UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment Mr Juan E Mendez, published his preliminary findings on 7th May 2016 following an official visit to Sri Lanka. He has observed that torture is a common practice in Sri Lanka and structural reforms are required to prevent it. In […]

Dr. Deepika Udagama Chairman, National Human Rights Commission Head Office,  No. 165 Kynsey Road,  Borella, Colombo 08 Sri Lanka Dear Dr. Deepika Udagama, Request for special action regarding Ms M K Malani, presently being held at the Dumbara-Bogambara Prison – tortured, sexually abused and incarcerated under fabricated charges by Nawalapitiya Police The Asian Human Rights […]

Ms. Patnaree Chankij, a 40-year-old single mother of four children, including anti-junta student activist Mr. Sirawit, aka, ‘Ja New’, has been charged with defaming the monarchy. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) deems Ms. Patnaree’s arrest a new low in the junta-ruled country. Mr. Sirawit is a Thammasat student activist who has been actively involved […]

Hello. On 9 May 2016, Tanya Shrivastava, a 21-year-old journalism student, made a distress call to 1091, the toll free womens’ helpline. An intern with The Times of India, a prominent Indian newspaper, Tanya had just survived an attempted kidnapping right outside her newspaper office. As she dialled, her kidnapper was trying to get way. What […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) would like to inform you that three police officers attached to Area Police Office Surkhet District have tortured two youth, aged 15 and 19. Following the torture, the policemen garlanded the young man and the juvenile with shoes and slippers and paraded them in the market. After […]