Arbitrary arrest & detention

Maina Sunawar was 15 years old when members of the Nepalese armed forces arbitrarily arrested her. Since this date – February 17, 2004 – she has disappeared. All the evidence indicates that she was tortured to death by members of the military, who have since sought to deny her arrest and cover up her death. […]

[NOTICE: The AHRC have developed a new automatic letter-sending system using the “button” below. However, we also encourage you to send your appeal letters via fax or post to the Philippine aurhorities. Fax numbers and postal addresses of the Philippine authorities are attached below with this appeal. Thank you.] [RE: UA-275-2006: PHILIPPINES: Eight members of a […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that Uztadz Kusain Abedin, a development worker whom the military illegally arrested and detained, was released on August 4 (Please see for details: UA-260-2006). Abedin was released from custody of the Task Force Tugis, headed by Colonel Salvador Calanoy, after the Task Force could […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received the following information from the Commission of Disappeared and Victims of Violence (Kontras) in Indonesia regarding illegal detention and shooting incident of two men by the Bangsalsari Sector Police in East Java in August 2002. The police illegally detained the victims for about two months […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you of the alleged arbitrary arrest and detention of a development worker, Uztadz Kusain Abedin, in Cotabato City at 6:45pm on August 3, 2006. Abedin was arrested at a bus terminal along Don Rufino Alonzo Street, Cotabato City, for unknown reason and is presently […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that the police in Pakistan arrested a journalist from his hospital bed, where he was receiving treatment for bullet shot wounds. The police arrested the journalist without the permission of the hospital and took him to the Ghotki Sarhad police station where they […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that Mr. Kamrul Hasan Kamal, who was an insurance company worker, was arbitrarily arrested, detained and implicated in a murder case by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) police of Jessore on 12 July 2006. However, after eight days of interrogation in the Joint Interrogation Cell […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the illegal arrest and detention of a man named Saman Rohana Manawadu by the Ingiriya police. Mr. Manawadu was arrested and his van was confiscated due to the police’s claim that his van was a stolen vehicle and used in a murder. The […]

[UA-119-2006: BURMA: Court appeal against lawyer jailed for helping farmers contact ILO headed for Supreme Court; UA-071-2006: UA-155-2006: BURMA: Farmer jailed for complaining about destruction of crops; UP-125-2006: BURMA: Human rights lawyer’s licence revoked; ILO steps up pressure; cases go to Supreme Court] ——————————————————————— BURMA: Extortion; impunity; illegal detention; un-rule of law; attacks on human […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that two persons, both local opposition political leaders, were arbitrarily arrested on suspicion, detained and tortured while in the custody of the Mohonpur police on 2 June 2006. Both victims received considerable injuries including one sustaining a broken hand as a result of the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned about an incident relating to the detention and assault of two US medical students by the police in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. The students were allegedly held on fabricated charges of assault against a man and were detained without permission for bail for 18 […]

Open letter from the AHRC to the Prime Minister of Nepal Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala Prime Minister’s office Singha Durbar Kathmandu NEPAL Fax. + 977 142 27286 Dear Prime Minister Koirala, Re: The urgent need to disarm and disband vigilante groups in Nepal, following the death of three-year old child The Asian Human Rights […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from our local partner, People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR), regarding the illegal arrest, detention and torture of Mr. Santhosh Patel, a staff member of PVCHR, on 7 June 2006. At the time of incident Mr. Santhosh was meeting the District Magistrate Mr. […]

[RE: UA-112-2004: BURMA: Complaints against forced labour blocked and victims punished issued on 3 September 2004; UP-11-2005: BURMA: Four officials sentenced to prison for forced labour in Kawmhu Township, Yangon Division; UP-63-2005: BURMA: Local officials seek revenge against villager who obtained first successful forced labour prosecution; UP-68-2005: BURMA: Preliminary hearing against villager who obtained first […]

The numerous appointments to key national commissions by the executive president, contravening constitutional requirements, are a very clear indication of Sri Lanka’s drift from a law-based society to one in which the law plays a significantly reduced role.  While criticism against presidential actions has pointed to matters including the fact that no person is above […]

[RE: UA-082-2006: PHILIPPINES: Brutal torture of 11 persons and subsequent filing of fabricated charges against them; UP-063-2006: PHILIPPINES: Lawyers for 11 torture victims file motion to withdraw charges against them; UP-067-2006: PHILIPPINES: Torture victims file charges against policemen; UP-092-2006: PHILIPPINES: Plot to kill torture victims in jail; UP-099-2006: PHILIPPINES: Jail authorities failing to ensure adequate […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from our local partner, People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR), regarding the illegal arrest and detention of Mr. Santhosh Patel, a staff member of PVCHR, on 10 May 2006. Mr. Santhosh was meeting the District Magistrate Mr. Rajiv Agarwal to lodge a complaint […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Yoma 3 news service (Thailand) that a farmer in the Irrawaddy Delta region of Burma has been jailed after lodging a complaint that his crops were destroyed due to the negligence of local officials. Although he was supported in his allegations by […]

Dear friends, The head of the army in Thailand is reported as having admitted that the security forces in the south of the country are using “blacklists” to hunt down alleged insurgents in the south. He has also admitted that there are names of persons on the lists who are not genuine suspects. The Asian […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has heard reports through shortwave radio broadcasts and other sources that police in at least two townships of Rangoon are arbitrarily arresting and detaining people at night, including children–then sometimes releasing them after demanding money–since bombs exploded in the city on April 20. According to the information […]