Arbitrary arrest & detention

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received two cases regarding arbitrary arrest and detention of three men by police without orders from the court. A young man has been detained for over three months without being produced before the court and two men, one of whom is a member of political organisation, […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a father and his 14-year-old son were illegally arrested and taken to Kurunegala Police Station by officers on 11 July 2008. The officers did not produce them in court within the required statutory 24 hours. During nine days’ detention, the officers tortured the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has previously reported on the case of the nationally renowned Burmese comedian Zarganar, who was taken from his house in June apparently in connection with cyclone relief work that he was doing at the time. The AHRC has since closely followed the cases against him and a […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) regrets to inform you that a blogger whom we reported earlier to have been charged without evidence has been sentenced on November 10, 2008 to over 20 years of imprisonment. The judgement was rendered after closed door hearings. It consisted of a combined sentence for the three […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes with deep concern about the continuing threats to four union leaders, including a union president, and dozens of other workers. Others preferred not to divulge their names. The soldiers had deliberately warned them, one after another that they would suffer consequences if they not stop their […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Ambalantota police officers assaulted a minor and arbitrarily arrested and detained her and her sister in the custody on 1 September 2008. In the police station, the officers forced them to sign a document which was not explained and put their fingerprints to […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the illegal arrest and detention of a man in Kandy in May 2008 who was not produced before a court for four months. During detention the police tortured him to confess to being a terrorist. CASE DETAILS: (Based on the testimony of the victims […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has followed with concern reports that a group of soldiers raped and killed a teenage schoolgirl in the north of Burma. It has since obtained detailed information on the case and learned that although it was reported to the police so far no action has been taken […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been closely following and documenting the detentions and trials in Burma following last September’s mass protests. In this appeal we bring you the case of Zaw Min, who was accused of having sent news abroad, although no independent witnesses or evidence have been brought to the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that a detainee whom we reported previously to have been detained for over two years without charges filed in court has continue to suffer prolonged detention. It was only in October 2005, three years after his arrest and subsequent detention, that he was charged […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that the soldiers responsible for illegally arresting and assaulting a man have remained free. They have not been held accountable because a sergeant, knowing their identities, failed to take action in naming the soldiers’ involved. CASE DETAILS: (According to information from the Task Force […]

[NOTICE: The AHRC has developed this automatic letter-sending system using the “button” below. Please click the button for your participation. We also encourage you to send your appeal letters via fax or post to those people. Fax numbers and postal addresses of the relevant authorities are attached below with this appeal. Thank you.] Dear friends, The Asian […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wants to inform you that a torture victim Ms. Sumitra Khawas, who had remained detained at the Area Police Office (APO) of Belbari, has been transferred to the Morang District Police Office (DPO). UPDATED INFORMATION: According to the information we have received from Advocacy Forum-Nepal, on 22 […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received detailed information on the case of a woman in lower Burma who has been jailed for over one year for allegedly swearing at some local officials. The reason for the case against the accused, Ma Sandar, is that she had previously made complaints against these […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned over the safety of one woman torture victim named Ms. Sumitra Khawas. According to the information received from the Advocacy Forum, a prominent local human rights group in Nepal, the victim is still being detained at the Office (APO) of Belbari in Morang district, […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that on 18 August 2008, senior police officers from the Ratnapura Police Station assaulted police officers from another police station while both parties were traveling on the same road. The assaulted officers were taken to the Ratnapura police station where they were assaulted again. […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received detailed information on the case of a man who has been arrested and charged in Burma for having had contact with an overseas radio station, even though it is not illegal to do this. The man, Win Maw, was arrested following the nationwide protests in Burma one year ago for sending news abroad and has been charged with upsetting public tranquillity. […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that thewhereabouts of Md. Shafik Ullah Monayem, a politician, has not been known for 9 months following an arrest by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in Barisal. His relatives have appealed to top officials, including the head of the government, since his disappearance but no investigation has been conducted. CASE DETAILS: Mr. Md. Shafik Ullah Monayem, aged 38, was aformer cultural affairs secretary of the Barisaldistrict unit of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (student wing of the Bangladesh Awami League). He was an inhabitant of Kuniya area of Barisalcity, a southern city of Bangladesh, around […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a man was severely tortured by Panadura South Police while he was illegally detained in police custody on August 21, 2008. Police hung him upside down and poured the juice of chili peppers into his eyes and nose in order to extract information […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that a man, whom a prosecutor had falsely charged for committing acts of terror, has been continuously held in detention for six months to face a trial on an offense that has not been substantially proven. CASE DETAILS: (According to information from the Task […]