Arbitrary arrest & detention

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about two important situations. First, there was a brutal attack against local community members and student activists in the area of the New Yogyakarta international Airport (NYIA). Second, there was the lack of an Environmental Permit. Joint Security Forces, made up of Police officers […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Terai Human Rights Defenders Alliance (THRDA) that traffic police officers attached with the Lahan District Traffic Office thrashed Mr. Dhananjaya Yadav for failing to stop his motorcycle near them. Yadav was beaten for nearly 30 minutes. This incident is indicative of the […]

by Avinash Pandey More than 3 lakh (300,000) suicides in thirty years and millions of other lives ruined, would qualify as a national disaster, forcing the Government to tackle it all guns blazing in any democracy. Alas, it does not in the one that claims to be the largest democracy of them all-India. In fact […]

Declassified US Embassy documents reveal Indonesian Military involvement in the 1965 -66 Indonesian Massacre that killed nearly 500,00 persons. Many believe the number to be much larger as much as 2.5 Million persons. These killings were a part of a well-planned massacre in order to completely destroy the Indonesian communist party, which was then the […]

By Avinash Pandey Mr. Chandrashekhar Ravan, the founder of the Bhim Army remains in custody despite the Allahabad High Court granting him bail in all the cases registered against him. Ravan is in custody because of the Government of Uttar Pradesh has registered a case against him under the provisions of the draconian, National Security […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from MASUM, our partner organization in West Bengal, about the tactics used by police personnel to intimidate and suppress a human rights activist employed with MASUM, due to their reporting and data collection on human rights violations and abuse of power by Border Security […]

This week Just Asia begins with Burma, which has been called on by the UN Security Council to end the violence in Rakhine state and allow hundreds of thousands of Muslim Rohingya to return. In a unanimous statement backed by China, the Council strongly condemned the violence forcing more than 600,000 Rohingya to flee across […]

by Javeria Younes  Despite lacking legal framework on disappearances Pakistan’s constitution prohibits illegal and arbitrary detention and under article 10. Though the phenomenon of disappearance has been ongoing incessantly for two decade to make matters worse the LEA officials have now adopted the tactic of picking up and disappearing innocent women and children of wanted man as […]

An article published in the Colombo Page on 8th November 2017, titled “Sri Lanka responds to media report on allegations of torture by government, assures investigations into the claims” forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Nov 08, Colombo: Sri Lanka, today responding to an Associated Press report which alleged that dozens of Tamil men were raped […]

Dear Friends, Asian Human Rights Commission has received the information regarding the case of Mr. Sudarshana Wijekoon (49) who is resident of Wattegama Police Division. On 9 September 2017, team of police officers attached to the Wattegama Police Station forcefully entered and searched his house. The officers failed to present any tangible, credible evidence for […]

By Basil Fernando This article is a response to an article titled “International Convention on Enforced Disappearances violates the Constitution” published in a reputed newspaper The Island of 22nd October 2017, written by Neville Ladduwahetty. The crux of the argument in that article is that the definition of enforced disappearances as contained in the International Convention on […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information regarding the case of 14-year-old Kahingala Waduge Kanidu Minsara Silva, who was illegally arrested, detained and tortured by the Moratuwa Police Station on 10 October 2017. Minsara is a student at Uyana Kanishta Vidyalaya. On October 8, he had a non-violent dispute with a senior […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about the extra-judicial attempt to kill Mr. Pathirana Champika Kumara Jayatunga (28), a resident of Biyagama Police division by SFT Officers. The victim went out with his friend to purchase a new vehicle. Their rented van was fired on by a group of STF […]

The table given below sets down 09 extrajudicial killings, 01 attempted killing – 09 of which are at the hands of the police at various police stations and the other, in a prison. These 10 incidents are the ones reported to the Asian Human Rights Commission based in Hong Kong during this year. However, at […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information regarding Mr. Nalaka Danushka Kumara (33) of Moragasmulla, Rajagiriya. He is a resident in the Rajagiriya Police Division. He was abducted by a group of powerfully-built men in a Blue Van at 7 p.m. on 15 October 2017. Relatives of the victim lodged a complaint […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding Mr. Alawaththa Kamkanamge Tharindu Madusha (31) a resident of the Ragama Police Division. Madusha was illegally arrested and detained 15 August 2017, by Officers of the Negombo Police Station. On 16 August, he was produced before the Negombo Magistrate on fabricated charges which […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information regarding Pitawalagedara Chandrarathna (47), resident of Bakamuna Police Division. Chandrarathna was arrested on 4 May 2017 charged with participation in a murder. After being detained for 14 days, he was found dead on 18 September 2017–murdered inside the Polonnaruwa Remand Prison.   Prison Authorities said that they […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about the extra-judicial killing of Mr. D P Premasiri (65) of Stace Road, Grandpass, Colombo 14 in the Colombo District. On 9 August 2017, Premasiri was illegally arrested, severely tortured at his house in front of his relatives and neighbors. Later, he was handcuffed […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding Mr. Randeer Kaushalya (22), resident of Ragama Police Division, Gampaha District. On 15 August 2017, Randeer was illegally arrested by Police of the Ragama Police Division. He was not given any reason for his arrest. After detaining him at the Police Station, he […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding Mr. Vedamahagedara Janaka Aruna Shantha (40) of Udispaththuwa, Theldeniya a resident of Theldeniya Police Division. On 15 August 2017, Aruna was illegally arrested by Police Officers attached to the Negombo Headquarters Police Station. At the time of arrest he was not given the […]