Arbitrary arrest & detention

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been following closely events in Burma since the government multiplied the cost of fuels there without warning over a week ago, prompting public protests. Latest reports from many sources indicate that at least 65 persons have now been taken into custody in connection with the demonstrations. […]

Indonesia, which received the second highest number of votes in elections to the United Nations Human Rights Council earlier this year, will celebrate its sixty second Independence Day on August 17, 2007. Given these election results, we could imagine that Indonesia is considered as being a moderate nation which consistently promotes and protects human rights. […]

Dear friends, This is the latest update by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) on the protests against fuel price increases in Burma: a leader of the protests has reportedly been tortured to death; courts in Rangoon have been closed for more than two weeks; arrests have continued, particularly in the delta area; monks in […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been following with concern the case of six men who were arrested in Burma on May Day for organising some discussions about worker’s rights. The men have been charged with sedition and were finally brought before a judge nearly three months after their arrests. Their arrest […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute regarding the arbitrary arrest and detention of a man who has been detained in Cengkareng Police Precinct since 28 May 2007. By this time, his family and the lawyer appointed by family members have been denied permission to […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the abduction of two men by two unidentified persons on 27 July 2007. Police subsequently arrested and tortured a family member to force the family to withdraw their complaint. They even attacked family member’s house. With the lack of investigation into the abduction, […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the whereabouts of three professors of Rajshahi University remain unknown after they were produced before the Chief Metropolitan Magitrate’s (CMM) Court of Rajshahi on 25 August 2007. None of them has been seen since. A report from a reliable source states that the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that a 46-year-old villager, Leo Casal, was shot and tortured by soldiers following his arrest in 10 December 2006 in Loreto, Agusan del Sur. While in military’s custody, he was denied medical attention and legal representation. It was only on May 4 this […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the torture, illegal arrest and detention and the fabrication of charges of a 42-year-old man by the police. He was brutally tortured and denied medical treatment. His lawyer informed court about the torture but despite of the threat to his life the Magistrate […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from KontraS regarding the arbitrary arrest and alleged assault of a man by Benteng police sector in Tangerang City on 4 July 2007. The man was falsely charged after torture by the police. CASE DETAILS: According to the information received from KontraS (The Commission […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned by reports that hundreds of persons have been rounded up and detained at army camps in southern Thailand under emergency regulations, in violation of their fundamental human rights and ordinary domestic law. According to information from a number of sources, and reported from a […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information about the continued harassment and intimidation of a torture victim who was allegedly severely assaulted by the Moratuwa Police in September 2004. The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) had recommended compensation of Rs. 12,500 (approximately 112 US dollars) to be paid […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the alleged torture of a man in Dhaka. He was arrested by army personnel and taken to an army camp where he was allegedly tortured and forced to sign some documents, the contents of which were not explained to him on 11 June […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the savage assault of a father of five by the Eheliyagoda Police—allegedly on the instigation of his wife. The victim was hit and kicked all over his body and when he fell down, trampled with heavy police boots. He was handcuffed the whole […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about the brutal torture of two men, both belong to Muslim minorities, following their arrest by soldiers over allegations they are involved in incidents of bombing in Central Mindanao. Victim Thos Ulimpain and his cousin Nasser Mendo were arrested by soldiers in Midsayap, North […]

(Hong Kong, July 23, 2007) An online petition has been launched in support of a Thai lecturer who has been accused of insulting the monarchy through the questions asked in a university examination paper. Boonsong Chaisinghanon, who teaches philosophy at Silpakorn University, has been asked by its administration to hand copies of his examination papers […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from its local partner in Andhra Pradesh regarding the case of abduction and disappearance of two students. It is reported that the students were abducted on 5 March 2006 and since then their parents have not heard anything about them. The complaints made by […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information regarding the arbitrary arrest and detention of 7 student activists belonging to the Bangladesh Students League (BSL) by the joint security forces in May 2007. All the victims were arrested from their residence within a two day period between May 7-9 with the charge of […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to inform you of two further cases of arbitrary arrest and torture connected to the case of the brutal torture and attempted rape of one woman which we had reported previously (UA-177-2007). As in the previous case, the victims in both cases were arbitrarily arrested by […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received two further alleged torture cases committed by Sri Lankan police. In one case, the 17-year-old victim was illegally arrested by the the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of the Vavuniya police on 22 May 2007, and subjected to brutal torture. It is reported that the police […]