Administration of justice

THAILAND: Launching Pattani Torture report of 2014-2015 at PSU Pattani on 10 Feb 2016

A Press Releasefrom Cross Cultural Foundation (CrCF), Duay Jai Group, and Patani Human Rights Networkforwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) And Public discussion on the Prevention of Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment in Thailand’s Deep South Project Rationale The eruption of the unrest in Thailand’s Deep South can be attributed […]

SRI LANKA: Policing Sri Lanka’s Police Force

An article published in the Sunday Leader, on 24th January 2016, which is an English translation of the same, published in the ‘Irudina’ newspaper on 17th January 2016, by WimalanathWeeraratne, forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission by WimalanathWeeraratne It seems that Sri Lanka Police never learns a lesson. Although it has the Dharmachakra (Wheel of the […]

SRI LANKA :On Mad Monks and Chaotic Government

Kishali Pinto Jayawardena Several wickedly problematic tragi-comedies are playing on Sri Lanka’s political stage right now, none of which are to the benefit of the country. Why was no deterrent action taken earlier? The spectacle of mad monks running amok in the Homagama Magistrate’s Court abusing the magistrate, the lawyers and the wife of disappeared […]

PAKISTAN: Judiciary observes meekly as Rangers produce Saeed Baloch eight days after disappearance

After keeping prominent Pakistan fisher folk leader and front line activist Saeed Baloch incommunicado in illegal and arbitrary detention for eight days, the Pakistan Rangers dramatically produced him in court on January 26. Earlier, the Rangers had denied that Saeed was in their custody. On 16 January 2016, Saeed Baloch was called by phone to […]

SRI LANKA: A monk goes berserk in Court and disrupts the proceedings.

In an outrageous incident at the Homagama Magistrate’s Court, when the case of abduction and the disappearance of cartoonist Prageeth Ekneligoda was taken up in Court yesterday, an unusual series of events erupted, with the Chairman of the Sinhala BoduBalaSena, a member of the Bhuddhist clergy, GalgodaaththeGnanasara, stood up in the middle of the Court […]

NEPAL: Corrupt Cops

An oped from the Kathmandu Post forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Corruption in the Armed Police Force (APF) was exposed after four of its inspector generals including a sitting chief were probed by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) over charges of pocketing millions of rupees illegally during their […]

PAKISTAN: 521/2160 girls missing in 2015. 7 murdered children reported.

A Statement from Roshni helpline Research and Development Organization forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission The missing children’s search and recovery organization Roshni Helpline has published its annual report for 2015 on missing children in Karachi Pakistan, one of the largest industrial cities. A total of 2160 children have been reported missing in the […]

INDIA: A state where free speech is systematically stifled

Statement | India | 25-01-2016

The suicide of a young Dalit scholar, Mr. Rohith Vemula, in the University of Hyderabad is not merely the death of an individual. The sordid saga behind what made Rohith take this extreme step exposes all the pretensions of the Indian state and its institutions. It shows how six decades after independence, elitist Brahminical domination […]

PAKISTAN: Prominent fisher folk leader disappeared after arrest by Pakistan Rangers

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the disappearance of  a fisher folk leader after his arrest by the Pakistan Rangers. He was the general secretary of Pakistan Fisher Folk, and an employee of the Fishermen Cooperative Society. Senior Rangers officials at the zonal office called Saeed Baloch to their […]

PAKISTAN: Duality in fight against terrorism must end

It is just over a year since the Peshawar Army Public School carnage of December 2014, where some 135 teens were killed by terrorists. The subsequent promulgation of Pakistan’s National Action Plan (NAP) to combat terrorism, as well as the lifting of the moratorium on death penalties, has shown no sign of decreasing terror attacks […]

AHRC TV: JUST ASIA, Episode 107

In this episode of Just Asia, AHRC TV continues its coverage of the saga of the missing Hong Kong book publishers. One of the five abducted men, Gui Minhai, has turned up on Chinese State television making a “confession” for a years-old alleged drink driving offence. Gui vanished three months ago from holiday in Thailand […]

NEPAL: Protests, violence, and killings persist in Terai, with no solution in sight

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been closely monitoring incidents in Nepal’s Terai. The AHRC had been eagerly waiting for the government and the agitating forces to strike a deal. However, today, even after 6 months of standstill, there is no progression. The government has not discarded its killing attitude; protests and killings are […]

BURMA/MYANMAR: Justice Delayed, Justice Denied

A Press Release from the Kachin Women’s Association Thailand (KWAT) and Legal Aid Network (LAN) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) New report exposes systematic cover-up of Myanmar Army involvement in Kachin rape-murder case A new report exposes the systematic cover-up of the Myanmar Army’s involvement in the rape-murder of two Kachin teachers […]

INDIA: दलित शोधार्थी रोहित वेमुला की आत्महत्यादरअसल हत्या है

Article | India | 19-01-2016

“मैं लिखना चाहता था, हमेशा से, विज्ञान के बारे में, कार्ल सागां की तरह. और आखिर में बस यह एक ख़त (आत्महत्या का) है जो मैं लिख पा रहा हूँ.” हैदराबाद विश्विद्यालय में पढ़ रहे दलित शोधार्थी और छात्र नेता रोहित वेमुला ने कभी मरना नहीं चाहा होगा. उम्मीदों और सपनों के साथ जीने वाला […]

SRI LANKA: Recommendations to the Constitutional Reforms Committee

Sri Lanka Citizens’ Organisations ව්‍යවස්ථා සංශෝධන කමිටුව වෙත ඉදිරිපත් කරනු ලබන අදහස් හා යෝජනා මෙම ලේඛණය ඉදිරිපත් කරනු ලබන්නේ මෙහි අගදී සඳහන් වන ශ්‍රී ලාංකීය රටවැසියන් හා සංවිධාන මඟිනි. ව්‍යවස්ථා සංශෝධන කමිටුව ඉදිරියේ පැවරි ඇත්තේ බැ?රුම් වගකීමකි. එම වගකීම ඉටු කිරිම සඳහා උපරිම සහය දීම සියළුම රටවැසියන්ගේත් රටේ පවතින සියළුම සංවිධාන වලත් වැදගත් යුතු කමක් […]

INDIA: On the Suicide-Murder of Dalit Scholar Rohith Vemula

Article | India | 18-01-2016

“I always wanted to be a writer. A writer of science, like Carl Sagan. At last, this is the only letter I am getting to write.” – Rohith Vemula Rohith Vemula, a young Dalit research scholar and student activist of the University of Hyderabad, was interested in life, not death. This is how it is […]

INDONESIA: Increasing intelligence agents’ authority will do more harm than good in fighting terrorism

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) condemns the suicide bombing and explosion that took place in Sarinah shopping center, Jakarta, Indonesia on 14 January 2016. We express our deep condolences to the victims and the families of those who died as a result of the terrorist attack. Approximately 23 people were victims of the explosion, […]

INDIA: AFSPA should not be enforced in Manipur to support organised lawlessness benefiting illegal drug and weapon smuggling cartels

Statement | India | 15-01-2016

“AFSPA was imposed after declaring the state a disturbed area. You mean to say that in 35 years of Army presence in the state, the situation has not improved to remove the disturbed area tag from the state? Has nothing changed on the law and order front for the last three decades?” The Supreme Court […]

AHRC TV: JUST ASIA, Episode 106

In this episode of Just Asia, AHRC TV reports from Sri Lanka where the police still appear to consider themselves above the law. Police officers in Embilipitiya killed a young man and authorities responded by simply re-locating the perpetrators to other stations rather than investigating the crime. Just Asia continues to report about the missing […]

INDIA: Bundelkhand now on a grass diet

People in Bundelkhand are being forced to eat grass for survival. This dire situation is being aired in reports after report of news channels. Grass and weeds are traditional diet in the area, counter officials of the Uttar Pradesh government. Neither is entirely wrong. What villagers are being forced to eat is not exactly grass, […]