Corruption

THAILAND: Police compensated for committing murder in the line of “duty”

The Asian Human Rights Commission is shocked to learn that a regional police commander in Thailand has recently given a substantial financial gift to five police officers convicted of murdering a teenager, Kiettisak Thitboonkrong, during the 2004 “war on drugs”. On 25 September 2012, Pol. Lt. Gen. Sompong Khongpetchsak, the Police Region 4 commander, presented […]

PAKISTAN: The ‘lady gangster’ remains at large while her victim’s whereabouts are unknown

While the daughter of the chief minister of Punjab remains at large her husband, Ali Imran Yousuf, has been arrested in an effort to show that the chief minister is willing to respect the rule of law. The entire provincial machinery is attempting to influence the witnesses and manipulate the case in favour of chief […]

WORLD: What does World Food Day mean to the malnourished?

Statement | India | 16-10-2012

A malnourished Dalit girl in Aiyer Tolla of Varansi District, Uttar Pradesh state, India. Having to repeat oneself year after year and keeping hope alive against all odds, what can be more melancholic than this? Only the fact that one does it counting the bodies of those who perished because of our failure in keeping […]

BANGLADESH: Inability to probe cannot certify innocence

The former Railway Minister of Bangladesh, Mr. Suranjit Sengupta, has claimed that he was proven “clean and innocent in the investigation” of an alleged act of corruption. The driver of the former minister’s assistant personal secretary, exposed the corruption accused against Sengupta when the driver instead of driving his car to the minister’s house took […]

PAKISTAN: No legitimacy to be at the UN with Ahmadis disfranchised

The Ahmadis, a sect that believes in Islam and claims to be an ardent follower of it, has been declared as non-Muslim under the Pakistani legislation. Evidently, the Government of Pakistan has not only confiscated their freedom to faith, belief and practice, but also proactively victimises them socially, economically and educationally. The declaration goes against […]

INDIA: Why insult the nation Dr. Manmohan Singh?

Statement | India | 11-10-2012

The Prime Minister, who yesterday said that “[m]indless atmosphere of negativity and pessimism that is sought to be created over the issue of corruption can do us no good”, has attacked and insulted the collective aspiration of the nation that longs for the government to setup an effective machinery to end all forms of corruption in India. […]

INDIA: Modus tollens

Statement | India | 09-10-2012

The Right to Information Act 2005 (RTI Act) is a watershed legislation in India. This law is perceived of having the potential to expose corruption, and ideally contribute to prevent it. However, the exposé today from the state of Kerala, involving the State Information Commissioner, Mr. Natarajan, sheds light into methods with which the very […]

INDIA: Betrayed and threatened, but success wrenched out

(Hong Kong & Bhopal – India, October 6, 2012) The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is certain that you are all aware of the developments in Barwani where a peaceful march by the indigenous people under the banner of Jagrit Dalit Adivasi Sangthan (JADS) was first stopped and attacked by the thugs allegedly led by the […]

INDIA: Betrayed and threatened, but success wrenched out

None can find fault with the villagers protesting against corruption in Barwani district of Madhya Pradesh state. A large number of villagers, representing mostly the tribal community, and of the poorest of the poor living in the district, have, for the past two days, gathered at a place named Court Chauraha of the district head […]

BANGLADESH: Three persons faced detention in a fabricated case, lodged by illegal-sand-miners, who are being aided by ruling party parliamentarians

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding illegal sand mining in the Meghna River adjacent to the Mayadip and Nunertek islands. There has been an investigation conducted by the government of Bangladesh, following intervention by the Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing of the United Nation, which itself followed the […]

INDIA: Robbery guarantee scheme of MP

Statement | India | 03-10-2012

A protest rally organised today by the Jagrit Adivasi Dalit Sangathan (JADS) against corruption and non-distribution of wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in Badwani, Madhya Pradesh state is on the verge of being forcibly disbursed by the state police with the support of local politicians associated with the ruling […]

BANGLADESH: Businessman remains missing for ten years while police deny credible investigation – family struggles to survive despite attacks from thugs

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a businessman named Mr. Md. Karamat Ali of Satkhira district town has been missing for ten years. Md. Hossain Ali, the prime suspect in the disappearance of the victim, has run a business right in front of the police station for the past ten […]

SRI LANKA: Disappearance of land titles among other frauds

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to bring to the attention of the Sri Lankan public that we have learned about the massive frauds relating to tampering with land titles and also other frauds by the misusing the criminal justice process by way of fabrication of charges. The incidents narrated hereunder would explain the […]

INDIA: Drowned by a dam; disowned by a democracy

Article | India | 11-09-2012

With dejection written large on her face, Leela Bai stood submerged neck deep in water, as she had been for the last 11 days. So were about 50 other people from the east Nimaar region of Madhya Pradesh in India, and 200 others who stood submerged for shorter stints in solidarity with Leela Bai and […]

SRI LANKA: Four protests and the results

Last week we reported on three great protests taking place in Asia. We will now add a fourth from Pakistan where there was a worldwide protest against the charging of a 14-year-old girl, Rimsha, under the notorious blaspheme law. We can now briefly look at the partial results of these protests. In India the protestors at the […]

INDIA: Too little too late

After 17 days of daring to stand in neck-deep water, the villagers who are protesting against the unjust compensation package offered for the Onkareshwar Dam in Madhya Pradesh is yet to receive any guaranteed assurances from their government. Yesterday, the Madhya Pradesh State Government has reportedly agreed to reduce the water level in the reservoir, […]

INDIA: Peeling a dead fish

Statement | India | 07-09-2012

The villagers’ protest against the absence of reasonable settlement for the land and livelihood lost to the Omkareshwar and the Indira Sagar Dams in the Narmada Valley project has thus far fallen upon a blind and deaf government. The agitation, though has received wholehearted support from a section of the Indian civil society, has failed […]

INDIA: History repeats in Omkareshwar protest

(Hong Kong, September 05, 2012) “This is taking the Ghandhian method to the water. To be submerged in water continuously for so many days is more difficult, in fact, than fasting…” Mr. Basil Fernando, Director – Polices and Programmes said referring to the ongoing protest in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, India by the villagers who lost […]

BANGLADESH: A black hole for disappeared victims

The people of Bangladesh are scared. Incidents of abduction by plain-clothed people, who often claim to be law-enforcing agents of the country, are ongoing, without any indication of being on the want. The people of Bangladesh are scared because their brothers and sons are disappearing. The stories of disappearances are being exposed by the media […]

INDIA: District administration helps detain girls in brothels

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received a report from Guria – a human rights organization based in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, working against human trafficking – that details how the apathy of the Meerut district administration, and the corruption and ineptitude of district police officers, has prevented the rescue of many children […]