Administration of justice

In this week’s episode of the Weekly Roundup, AHRC TV is pleased to announce that Basil Fernando, the Asian Human Rights Commission’s Director for Policy and Programme Development, will be awarded the Right Livelihood Award, which is also known as the “Alternative Nobel Prize”, “for his outstanding work to support and document the implementation of […]

by Basil Fernando – Right Livelihood Award Laureate 2014 (This is an article issued on the occasion of receiving the Right Livelihood Award-2014) In 1989 when I learned that some people, due to malice or some other reason unknown to me, had entered my name into a list of persons to be disappeared, a stream […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission wishes to inform you that The Right Livelihood Foundation has announced the laureates for 2014. They are Mr. Edward Snowden, Mr. Alan Rusbridger, Ms. Asma Jahangir, Mr. Basil Fernando, and Mr. Bill McKibben. This award is also known as the “Alternative Nobel Prize.” For further information about the award and […]

by Bushra Khaliq The 2014 floods in Pakistan is the fifth in series of floods since 1973, 1988, 1992 and 2010. This time the late monsoon rains [in the early part of] September unleashed terrific floods in Central Punjab. Swollen rivers, particularly the Chenab breached floodwalls, sweeping away thousands of villages and the Government despite […]

Dear friends, A group of women’s rights activists from the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh has informed the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) that the Madhya Pradesh state government is failing to adequately investigate the death of Ms. Leena Sadhak, a Patwari (a government official who keeps records regarding the ownership of land) at the […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information from the Samaj Chetna Manch Dabhaura about the demolition drive against Dalit and tribal settlements in Chhipiya and Khaiaha Nala, In Java block of Rewa District, Madhya Pradesh. The AHRC has been informed that the administration has threatened them with eviction against its own repeated […]

A Statement from the Malaysian Bar forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) The Malaysian Bar is heavily critical of the recent spate of arrests under the Societies Act 1966 and prosecutions under the Sedition Act 1948 and Penal Code.  The raft of arrests and prosecutions of individuals lately shows that we are undergoing […]

by Kee Thuan Chye “Those whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad.” I hope this famous quotation that has been variously attributed to Sophocles, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and William Anderson Scott holds true for Malaysia, where the Barisan Nasional-led government appears to have gone crazy from its recent untrammelled and unreasonable use […]

Dear friends, The Terai Human Rights Defenders (THRD) Alliance in Nepal has informed the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) that a Muslim family of the Sunni faith, residing at the Gauri Village Development Committee in Kapilavastu District have been forced to flee their home as a result of converting to the Wahhabi sect on or […]

An article from the ‘The Himalayan Times’ forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission by Govinda Sharma ” Bandi” We just marked one more International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearance, but without any significant progress in terms of addressing the past disappearances in Nepal. Enforced disappearances were among the most serious human rights […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information from the Defend Job  Philippines about the forced demolition of roughly 277 houses in Sitio Balacabacan, Laiya, Batangas, Philippines. The demolitions were carried out on 3 July 2014. The AHRC has also learnt that the authorities are intimidating the community which is now living in […]

After almost a year of conflict, the 7-article agreement between the CNRP and the CPP allowed 55 CNRP lawmakers-elect to take their National Assembly seats. Both parties claimed victory. But not everyone sees the accord in the same light. Mr. Brad Adams, Director of Asia for Human Rights Watch (HRW) sees the deal as terrible […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Defend Job Philippines about the forced eviction of a community from Factor Compound in Las Pinas city. The police also fired in the air to intimidate the community. CASE NARRATIVE: On the morning of 19 August 2014, more than 120 members of the […]

Courtesy to Daily Dawn The government, once again has refused to follow the orders of the Lahore High Court which directed police to register a First Information Report (FIR) which names amongst others, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the Chief Minister of Punjab Mr. Shahbaz Sharif and 19 others including federal and provincial ministers and government […]

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has announced its agreement with the Burmese government to collaborate on strengthening the rule of law and addressing significant drug and crime threats. The agreement, the result of over a year of negotiations, will cover a period of three years (2014 – 2017). It has been […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Kamal Singhi, a journalist based in Indore, about continuing social and economic ostracism of Dalits in Sitapat village of Mhow Tehsil in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The ostracism that began some 17 days ago has culminated into the locally powerful landlords cutting off the […]

Courtesy: Mathrubhumi Daily India’s battle against poverty has reached the phase of “elimination” from “alleviation” said President Pranab Mukherjee in his address to the nation. That was last evening, the eve of 68th Independence Day of the republic. It was encouraging to listen to the president explain that the difference was not merely about semantics. […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about Ma Htet Htet, a 14-year-old girl (from Myaung Mya Township, Ayeyawady region, Burma) who is permanently injured and still needs treatment after being discharged from the hospital. As a domestic helper, she endured months of torture at the hands of her employers and […]

At dawn today, Jovito Palparan Jr., a retired military general, wanted on charges of kidnapping and serious illegal detention, was arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), in Sta. Mesa, Metro Manila. Palparan is the principal accused in the abduction, illegal detention, torture and rape of Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeno. Jovito Palparan Jr. […]

On the 4th of August, a meeting for the families of disappeared persons, held at the Centre for Society and Religion in Colombo, was disrupted by a mob of people led by several Buddhist monks. The families, who had travelled from Mannar, Mullaitivu, Killinochchi, Vavuniya, and Jaffna, had also visited the International Committee of the […]