Arbitrary arrest & detention

PHILIPPINES: Soldiers allegedly threaten union leaders and workers to stop their activities

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 […]

SRI LANKA: Police allegedly assault minor and fabricate charges

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 […]

SRI LANKA: Police allegedly torture a man and detain him for four months

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 […]

BURMA: Police inaction on rape and murder of schoolgirl

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 […]

BURMA: A man charged without evidence for sending news abroad

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 […]

UPDATE (Philippines): A man is continuously held for six years without trial

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 […]

PHILIPPINES: An army sergeant has the obligation to disclose the identities of the soldiers who assaulted a man

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 […]

GENERAL APPEAL (Pakistan/India): At least 61 persons including minors are detained in India for alleged forged documents issued by Pakistan authorities

[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 […]

UPDATE (Nepal): Torture victim Sumitra is transferred to Morang District Police Office

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 […]

BURMA: A woman harassed and jailed for making complaints against local officials

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 […]

UPDATE (Nepal): A woman torture victim faces threats by police after disclosing her torture incident

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, […]

SRI LANKA: Senior police assault and fabricate charges against other officers

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. […]

BURMA: A man charged for having contact with overseas radio station

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. […]

BANGLADESH: Whereabouts of a man remain unrevealed after being arrested by the Rapid Action Battalion in Barisal

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 […]

SRI LANKA: Police allegedly hung a man upside down and poured the juice of chilies in his eyes and nose in order to extract information

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 […]

PHILIPPINES: A man falsely charged with terrorism

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 […]

INDONESIA: Eight people in Aceh convicted of disseminating pamphlets

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that eight human rights activists accused of disseminating pamphlets on the allegation of land expropriations were sentenced by the district court on 14 August, 2008 in Aceh, Indonesia. The case is currently pending in the High court after the prosecutor lodged an appeal. It […]

BANGLADESH: A man is killed by the Rapid Action Battalion in Barisal

[NOTICE: The AHRC has developed this automatic letter-sending system using the “button” below. However, in this appeal, we could not include e-mail addresses of some of the Bangladesh authorities. We encourage you to send your appeal letters via fax or post to those people. Fax numbers and postal addresses of the Bangladesh authorities are attached […]

PHILIPPINES: Four activists receiving threatening messages for investigating disappearance

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes with deep concern that four human rights activists, all of whom are staff members of the Alliance for the Advancement of Peoples Rights (KARAPATAN) in Cebu City, have been receiving threatening messages on their mobile phones. The message contains warning they will “suffer the consequence” if […]

GENERAL APPEAL (Pakistan): Four persons burned alive in hot coal tar while other abuses reported during military operation in Balochistan

[NOTICE: The AHRC has developed this automatic letter-sending system using the “button” below. However, in this appeal, we could not include e-mail addresses of some of the Pakistan authorities. We encourage you to send your appeal letters via fax or post to those people. Fax numbers and postal addresses of the Pakistan authorities are attached […]