Child rights

Dear friends, Rizana Nafeek of Muthur, Trincomalee in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka left to Saudi Arabia as a domestic helper when she was 17 years old. She became a victim of a recruitment agent who altered her date of birth in her passport, making her as 23-years old and was sent to Saudi […]

A cursory look of Pakistani newspapers and television channels clearly tells that violence against children is increasing very rapidly in our society.  Within a last couple of week, the print and electronic media have reported a number of murder and rape cases against children, both boys and girls.  Additionally, some innocent children, even as young […]

Dear friends, We wish to share with you the following statement from the Right to Food Campaign India. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ————- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AHRC-FST-036-2012 May 30, 2012 A Statement from the Right to Food Campaign India, against the continuous harassment and attempts to criminalise the work of Jagrit Adivasi Dalit […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information concerning caste-based discrimination in the implementation of the Mid-Day-Meal scheme in Maregaon Village of Tehsil Gadarwara, Narshingpur, Madhya Pradesh. The monstrous failure of provincial authorities to distribute such welfare to those most in need is believed to be a reaction to a specific decision […]

We reproduce below a news item that appeared in the Asia Tribune. The article describes the pathetic plight of Rizana Nafeek, who may be beheaded at any time. Ever since the initial verdict of the Dawdami High Court sentencing her to death, the Asian Human Rights Commission has maintained that she is innocent of the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from MASUM concerning the torture and attempted murder of Sanjit Mondal on 15 April 2011 in yet another case of Border Security Forces (BSF) brutality in West Bengal, India. Torture, extrajudicial killings, religious or caste-based discrimination and a culture of impunity are features of […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is informed that District Magistrate Barwani in Madhya Pradesh state has issued a “show cause” notice to human rights defender Ms. Madhuri Krishnaswami on 10 May 2012 asking her why actions should not be initiated against her under the Madhya Pradesh Rajya Suraksha Adhiniyam, 1990 (Madhya Pradesh State Security, […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the situation of the community living on the banks of the Bagmati River, in Thapathali, Kathmandu. On 8 May 2012, 2000 police officers were deployed in the area and conducted the forced eviction, destroying almost 250 houses and rendering almost 1000 persons […]

India will be evaluated at the United Nations’ Universal Periodic Review in Geneva, Switzerland today. The three countries (Troika) involved in the review are Kuwait, Mauritius and Mexico. That these countries have worse records of human rights in comparison to the country they would collectively review suggests how firmly, and perhaps blindly, such processes are […]

The High Court Judge of Kandy, Manilal Vaidyathiaka, sentenced the accused, Mr. Jeevaratnam to 20 years rigorous imprisonment and a Rs. 5000/= and further payment of Rs. 100,000/= as compensation to the victim. The victim was 13 years old at the time she was raped by her neighbor. She was forced to consume alcohol before […]

The observations made by the Supreme Court of India in a case concerning disciplinary action against a former Major of the Indian Army contradict the Court’s own profile. Dismissing the appeal filed by the Major, who had filed the appeal aggrieved by the Army’s action against him, the court held that discipline is paramount in […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from MASUM concerning a case of the extended and illegal detention of three Indian nationals in Bangladesh past the completion of the jail term passed by the Senior Judicial Magistrate of Kushtia, who had also ordered their release and repatriation upon fulfilment of that […]

Aamir Khan is a topmost name in India’s film industry. I  am not familiar at all with Indian films in recent times but I know his name, as almost everybody does. I had the opportunity to watch his series Satyamev Jayate (Truth Alone Prevails), available online here: http://www.satyamevjayate.in/broadcast on StarPlus on Sundays. Aamir Khan emerges here as […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned about the military operations in Agusan del Norte that led to massive displacement of indigenous communities. The soldiers had allegedly indiscriminately fired upon and launched aerial bombardment in the mountain village close to their communities. As a result, the indigenous villagers, including children, had […]

It is hard to detect and substantiate emotional abuse of female child because of many reasons, including a clear lack of an accepted and consistent definition and least importance of the subject matter in feudal and patriarchal societies.  It is widely recognized that verbal abuse of girl child is much prevalent and occurs in a […]

The harassment of Ms. Sandya Ekneligoda by the government’s supporters in Geneva and by the Attorney General’s department, for joining the UN Human Rights Council Mrs. Sandya Ekneligoda was one of the speakers during a side event held on 19th March 2012 during the 19th sessions of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. The […]

Reading the speech of the prime minister and that of the home minister of India, one could easily get carried away by the thought that they are not in fact referring to India, but to some other country in the world. Both ministers were addressing the chief ministers of the country in a conference organised […]

By Amir Murtaza The International Day for Street Children was celebrated for the first time on April 12, 2011.  The success of the International Day for Street Children 2011 has provided a platform to discuss and deliberate the issues of millions these vulnerable children, all around the world including Pakistan.  The International Day for Street […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information on the gang rape of a 14 year old girl (For further details, please see the original appeal: AHRC-UAC-064-2010). The victim’s uncle, who was the complainant in the case, was gunned down by the accused persons who were accused by names in the rape […]

By Nilantha Ilangamuwa Our lives are spinning out from world to world; the shapes of things are shifting in the wind. What do we know beyond the rapture and the dread?- Stanley Kunitz* “They finished off my husband after two days of torture, and then took me to Hambantota where a number of women were […]