Arbitrary arrest & detention

The recent assault and detention of the Maldives’ opposition party leader is indicative of the disturbing use of authoritarian powers by the government to suppress calls for democratic reform. Mohammed Nasheed was detained on August 12, 2005 in Male, together with Ahmed Abbas and some other persons. The two activists had been holding a silent […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the torture of a 17-year-old boy at the hands of the police, following his arrest on seemingly fabricated theft charges. Raj Kumar Rai had used his employer’s motorbike to go to a market to buy some vegetables. Upon leaving the market, Raj discovered […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that a senior Pakistani journalist remains missing after being picked up by police officials on 24 July 2005. Mr Rasheed Channa had recently filed stories pertaining to the Sindh government, the conduct of its officials and Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, the Chief Minister. […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (Kontras) and the Institute for the Development of Legal and Human Rights Study (LPSHAM) about the torture of at least four persons in the wake of the investigation of the May 28 bombings in […]

[Re: UA- 50 -2005: INDIA: Three and a half year wait for justice for the brutal murder of an Adivasi (tribal person) by a forest official in Gujarat] Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information on the case of Manishbhai Motibhai Vasava (30), an adivasi who was murdered by an Indian […]

[RE: UA-84-2005: NEPAL: Re-arrest of Nepalese citizens undermines official court orders and rule of law; UP-16-2005: NEPAL: List of arrested political leaders and human rights defenders; International intervention is urgently required; UA-100-2005: NEPAL: Confirmed re-arrest of at least 32 political activists and human rights defenders in violation of court orders following the royal takeover] Dear […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you of the alleged illegal arrest, detention and brutal torture of a man by the Officer-in-Charge and other police personnel at the Morantuduwa Police Post in Wadduwa, Sri Lanka. Athurugiriyage Jeevananda, a married father of one, was arbitrarily detained by the Morantuduwa police who […]

[Re: UA-101-2005: BURMA/MALAYSIA: Sixty eight Burmese protesters holding a peaceful demonstration are arbitrarily detained by the police] Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the situation of 68 Burmese protesters who were detained on 16 June 2005 after a peaceful demonstration opposite the Myanmar Embassy in Kuala Lumpur (See […]

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from MASUM, a human rights organisation in West Bengal regarding three persons illegally and arbitrarily detained at Jalangi police station of Murshidabad Distrcit, West Bengal India. Even though two of them were arrested and taken into custody on 1 July 2005 and the third […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from a reliable source regarding the current grave human rights situation in Nepal. From this information we can confirm that at least 32 political activists and human rights defenders have been re-arrested by security forces in violation of court orders, since the royal takeover […]

UA-99-2005: NEPAL: Two recent incidents involving threats to a Teachers’ Union leader and the re-arrest of citizens despite Supreme Court release orders Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHFC) has received information from a reliable source regarding two separate incidents of human rights abuse in Nepal. The first incident relates to threats being made […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received further information from the Yoma-3 news service, Thailand about a young man and his cousin (earlier reported as brother) who were jailed in Burma after complaining about a police assault because of a pro-democracy tattoo one of the men bears (UA-81-2005). According to the latest […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Yoma-3 news service, Thailand that a young man and his brother were jailed in Burma after attempting to complain about a police assault because of a pro-democracy tattoo one of the men bears. According to the information, one of the men is […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Yoma-3 news service, Thailand about the worsening health and family conditions of a villager jailed illegally for circulating a petition among farmers opposing the forced production of paddy. In our earlier appeal, we reported that the villager, 48-year-old Ko Sein Win, was […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information of the arbitrary imprisonment and torture of a Sri Lankan youth in Matale District, Sri Lanka. On 21 February 2005, Mr. Rishantha Kumar Nagalingam (20) was arbitrarily arrested and severely assaulted for accidentally knocking against a police officer in the local Court House. He […]

[Re: UP-18-2005: NEPAL: Additional lists of arrested political leaders/activists and human rights defenders; UP-16-2005: NEPAL: List of arrested political leaders and human rights defenders; International intervention is urgently required; UG-01-2005: NEPAL: Latest information on the situation in districts in Nepal; FA-05-2005: NEPAL: Updates regarding emergency situation on Nepal; FA-03-2005: NEPAL: Latest information regarding emergency situation […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the illegal arrest and detention of a man and his appearance before a Magistrates Court on fabricated charges, following his lodging a complaint against a criminal who has alleged connections with police personnel involved in this case. Mr H. A. Chaminda was detained […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from MASUM, a human rights organisation in West Bengal, of the illegal detention of Mr. Ashok Gupta by the Serampore police, in Hooghly District, West Bengal, India. Although the Serampore police had an arrest warrant for Mr. Gupta, based on a complaint of assault […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to you to report further illegal arrests and the forced disappearance of four persons in Parbat District.  According to the information we have received, Tulsi Giri (62), Baburam Parajuli, and Hariratna Puri (57), who reside in Tilahar Village Development Committee (VDC)-8 in Parbat District, were illegally […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to inform you that Mr Jeewan Shrestha, who we have reported on in the past (UA-159-2004), has been re-arrested for the third time by security forces, as punishment for his informing human rights organisations of the situation he is in. According to the latest information we […]