Administration of justice

An Open Letter from the Asian Human Rights Commission to Dr. Zafrullah Chowdhury of Ban I am writing this short letter to express my appreciation with regard to the statement reported in the media; you have been quoted to have said, “you [referring to tribunal judges] misused your power”. We, in South Asia as well […]

A Press Release from International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) is a network composed of 60 judges and lawyers from all regions of the world dedicated to the promotion and protection of human rights through the rule of law. Using its unique legal expertise, […]

A Press Release from Karapatan Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) Press Statement June 3, 2015 Reference:     Cristina “Tinay” Palabay, Secretary General, 0917-3162831 Angge Santos, Media Liaison, 0918-9790580 On the eve of the submission of the joint statement of the Asian Legal Resource Center (ALRC) and […]

Aftab Bahadur Masih is expected to be executed tomorrow, 10 June 2015. He has now been on death row for over 22 years. The Asian Human Rights Commission is reproducing a translation of a letter Aftab wrote recently from his prison cell in Kot Lakhpat, Lahore. The letter has been translated from Urdu by Reprieve, an […]

Ganga Maya Adhikari, who staged a 360-day hunger strike last year demanding action against the murderers of her son Krishna Prasad, has given a new 10-day ultimatum to the government to address her demands. Since Friday, 5 June 2015, she has only been taking juice and water, heightening her protest against the continuing injustice. Speaking […]

by Basil Fernando In this article, the “justice system” refers to the police, the prosecution (Attorney General’s Department), and the judicial institutions, as separate entities and as a collective in their interactions with each other. That these institutions suffered a great set back due to the operation of 1972 and 1978 Constitutions is unanimously acknowledged. […]

by Kishali Pinto-Jayawardena On the 9th of January 2015, the people of Sri Lanka astounded themselves and many others in the world. An authoritarian ruling family cabal which had ruthlessly stripped the country’s democratic institutions and systems of their basic integrity and legitimacy, subordinated the highest Court in the land and unforgivably repressed and alienated Sri […]

by Nasir Saeed Pakistani Christians are now regularly making nation and international headlines, not because they have achieved something, but because of their suffering for being Christians. Thus Pakistan is being maligned by the international community, which is de facto because of the government’s poor policies and obliviousness to Christians’ growing issues. They have been […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) regrets to inform you of yet another killing of a woman in Manipur by the 20th Battalion of Assam Rifles posted in Pallel. The woman received a bullet injury as officers fired indiscriminately without warning towards a group of villagers, who were approaching to identify a masked man […]

by Basil Fernando Rita, a rape victim visited the Magistrates Court 24 times between 2001 and 2004. Then, the case was referred to the Attorney General for the filing of indictment. The visits she made to the High Court thereafter, and reasons for postponements, are catalogued as follows: Case No: HC 57/2007 High Court – […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the torture to death of Ramadan Suhuddin, a sixteen-year-old boy, in the Municipality Police Office, Samarinda City, East Kalimantan Province, Indonesia. The alleged perpetrators remain unpunished. The police are protecting their fellow officers, who tortured the boy. CASE NARRATIVE: On 16 October 2011, […]

In a letter dated 10 April 2015, the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission—an innovation of the current period of political change in Myanmar, or Burma—wrote to the Asian Human Rights Commission concerning the death in police custody of Ma Than Than Aye, and alleged torture of her and her husband Ko Nan Win (AHRC-UAC-128-2014). According […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a man from Mandalay has been sentenced to six months in prison for attempting to join a candlelight vigil. He has been serving a prison term for participating in another peaceful protest, having been prosecuted under the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Act in […]

In this week’s Roundup, AHRC TV reports on the latest turns in the on-going Rohingya refugee crisis in Southeast Asia and the discovery of dozens of mass graves in jungle areas along the Thai-Malaysian border. AHRC TV speaks with international human trafficking expert Matt Friedman, and Glorene Dass of Malaysian organisation Tenaganita. Next in the programme is […]

A Press Release from British Pakistani Christian Association forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) British Pakistani Christian Association (BPCA) Chairman Wilson Chowdhry recently visited Thailand to gain direct knowledge of the situation faced by Pakistani Christian refugees there.  The BPCA had been aware it is very bad and being there confirmed that reality. […]

An Open Letter from Migrant Working Group forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) ATT: Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha  Dear Mr. Prime Minister,  THAILAND: Policy recommendations to the Thai government regarding the Special Meeting on Irregular Migration in the Indian Ocean There has reportedly been the plight of migration of the Rohingya from Myanmar […]

By Basil Fernando The rape and murder of a 17-year-old schoolgirl two weeks ago, has given rise to the biggest protest seen in North in recent times. The police have announced that 9 persons have been arrested and are been investigated. DNA samples have been taken and sent for examination. Meanwhile, the President of Sri […]

An Open Letter from the Asian Human Rights Commission to Chair of the Indonesian Supreme Court, Professor H. Muhammad Hatta Ali Professor H. Muhammad Hatta Ali, SH, MH The Chair of the Indonesian Supreme Court  Mahkamah Agung RI  Jalan Medan Merdeka Utara No 9-13  Tel: +62 21 3843348, +62 21 3810350, +62 21 3457661 Fax: + 62 21 […]

In this week’s Roundup, AHRC TV reports on the refugee crisis in the Andaman Sea, where thousands of Rohingya people have languished in rickety boats for weeks, fleeing persecution in Burma. Finally, this week, after much international pressure, Malaysia, Indonesia, and The Philippines have allowed the boatpeople to come ashore for temporary shelter. A long-term solution […]

A Press Release from Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) Lahore, May 21: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) have expressed deep concern that following the 21stamendment, juveniles suspected of committing offences related to terrorism could end up being […]