Democracy

AHRC TV: Indian judgments spotlight arbitrary nature of death penalty sentencing and other stories in JUST ASIA, Episode 170

This week Just Asia begins with the arbitrariness of the ‘rarest of the rare’ doctrine in India regarding the death penalty. The Supreme Court upheld the death penalty awarded to four convicts in the 2012 Delhi gangrape and murder case on May 5. Another judgment in the same week was passed in the 2002 Bilkis […]

BANGLADESH/WORLD: Establishing effective governance is way to stop refugee flow out of the country

Two recent reports prove the predictions that the Asian Human Rights Commission has been making for several years, that Bangladesh is likely to become a major refugee producing country in the Asian region. The UK basedIndependent published a report on 5 May 2017, with the title “Bangladesh is now the single biggest country of origin for refugees on boats as new route to Europe […]

PAKISTAN: Media management hides casualties to protect powerful tycoon

A criminal nexus between the police, tycoon and media was exposed one week after the collapse of an artificial stadium killing three persons and injuring some 150 persons. When the 22-feet stadium collapsed on 28 April 2017 during the shoot of a game show aired from ARY Channel, a private television channel, the organizers, Bahria Town Islamabad and ARY […]

PAKISTAN: Attempted lynching to dislodge Hindu business

Mob violence continues to grab national headlines; most recently, a mob of some 500 persons gathered outside a police station in Balochistan, demanding that Hindu trader Prakash Kumar, arrested on blasphemy charges, be released so they could publicly lynch him. When police refused, the mob opened fire and started beating police officers, resulting in the […]

INDIA: Attorney general Mukul Rohatgi says torture is alien to Indian culture. Is he right?

An article from Scroll.in forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Indians have internalised the notion that criminals deserve some pain. And the country still does not have a robust law against torture. The popular Malayalam film Action Hero Biju, as the name suggests, is full of “action” performed by the “hero” Biju, a police officer in Kochi, Kerala. The […]

AHRC TV: World Press Freedom Day and other stories in JUST ASIA, Episode 169

This week Just Asia focuses on World Press Freedom Day, annually celebrated on May 3. The day is marked by celebrating the fundamental principles of press freedom, assessing the state of these freedoms globally, and paying tribute to those journalists who have lost their lives supporting a free press. In its 2017 World Press Freedom […]

INDONESIA: Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) UPR submission report on Indonesia

The Asian Human Rights Commission wishes to inform you about the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report submitted by the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC). It concerns the third cycle of the UPR. The ALRC’s submission focuses on the criminal justice system, the normative legal framework, impunity for past human rights abuses, the freedom of expression, peaceful assembly […]

BANGLADESH: Press Freedom cannot be achieved without effective justice institutions

Bangkok/Kathmandu/Hong Kong/Dhaka: The World Press Freedom Day, on 3 May, is celebrated as an occasion to revisit the essence of fundamental principles of the freedom of press. The state of press freedom is analysed throughout the world. The day is marked by highlighting sacrifices of journalists – in various forms – for their professional dedication, defending […]

PAKISTAN: International Labour Day – Government must align itself with the ILO conventions

Given the lack of any basic medical care, health teaching, affordable housing, universal education, clean drinking water and a decent way of life including the right to life–the demand for labour rights sound hollow and meaningless. Feigning regard for this class, society is deeply prejudiced against celebrating Labour Day in Pakistan. Hardly any respect is […]

INDIA: Breaking down the Supreme Court judgment in the Babri Masjid demolition case

Article | India | 26-04-2017

By Urmila Pullat On April 19, 2017, the Supreme Court of India(SC) passed an important judgment with respect to the fraught Babri Masjid demolition case. The matter in question pertained to FIR 198 of 1992 which was one of many FIRs filed on Dec 6, 1992 after the demolition of the Babri Masjid. FIR 198/92 […]

INDONESIA: Considering Victims to Strengthen Truth and Reconciliation Commission

The Asian Human Rights Commission wishes to inform you about an essay with title “Considering Victims to Strengthen Truth and Reconciliation Commission.”This essay reflect from the book “Just and Unjust Peace and Ethic of Political Reconciliation.” The writer also used other books to extend his view on politic of reconciliation. This essay is also reflect to the experience of politic of reconciliation in Indonesia, […]

CAMBODIA: Prime Minister Hun Sen Was A Successful Wartime Leader But Certainly Not One In Peacetime Cambodia

An article, titled “Prime Minister Hun Sen Was A Successful Wartime Leader But Certainly Not One In Peacetime Cambodia” by Mr Ou Ritthy, forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission By Ou Ritthy Cambodia’s historic “July 22, 2014” ended disputing political parties’ electoral political deadlock and violence. It unleashed a “culture of dialogue” between Hun Sen’s ruling […]

SRI LANKA/ INDIA: Annihilation of Caste is now available for the Sinhala readers

A Sinhala Translation of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s book Annihilation of Caste is now available in Sinhala translation entitled “ Kulaya Mulin Uputa Demeema” The book has been translated into an easy, readable language by Osadhi Nayantara Gunasekera and published by the Asian Human Rights Commission. The book is now available in bookshops in Sri Lanka. Annihilation of Caste […]

INDIA: Assamese Human Rights Defender Bondita Acharya violently threatened on social media.

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is writing about the death threats, rape threats and other abusive messages received by renowned Human Rights Defender, Bondita Acharya, in Assam. She shared her thoughts on a social platform in Jorhat, condemning the arrest of three people for the possession of beef. CASE NARRATIVE: On April […]

NEPAL: Thirteen years after murder of Maina Sunuwar, court sentences ex-army officials to 20 years’ imprisonment

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is pleased to share that the Kavrepalanchowk District Court has finally sentenced three army officers to 20 years’ imprisonment for the murder of 15-year-old Maina Sunuwar at the height of the Maoist insurgency in February 2004. On April 17, a single bench of Judge Medini Prasad Paudyal convicted the former army officers Colonel […]

PAKISTAN: The AHRC condemns the lynching of a university student on accusation of Blasphemy

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) strongly condemns the brutal murder of a 23-year old student by lynching on the accusation of Blasphemy by a mob at Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, KPK province. The AHRC also condemns the violence in the name of blasphemy as it is deeply disturbing and sets an extremely dangerous […]

PAKISTAN: Stop crusade against Ahmadiyya community

A new wave of persecution and killings of the Ahmadi sect has started after an Islamabad high court judge took a position on religious matters of individuals, particularly about free discussions on social media. Judge Shaukat Siddiqui is generally known as a bigot and hate monger. Leading the movement for the release of Constable Mumtaz […]

AHRC TV: Violence continues in Nepal’s Terai region and other stories in JUST ASIA, Episode 167

This week Just Asia begins with Nepal, where violence in the Terai region shows little sign of abating. Protests and killings have been occurring since 2015. In early 2016, more than 50 people died. During the March protests this year against the nationwide campaign conducted by the CPN UML, police started shooting to contain the […]

NEPAL: Dr. C.K. Raut’s properties and bank accounts frozen and passport annulled by the government

Statement | Nepal | 11-04-2017

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) strongly objects to the following decision of the Nepalese government: the process of annulling Dr. C.K. Raut’s passport, freezing his properties and his savings account. The government’s decision suffocates the very livelihood of his family, which includes a pregnant wife and two young children. Their daily necessities, medical treatment […]

PAKISTAN: State infringes upon the people’s right to freedom of speech

By Javeria Younes Intellectual freedom has always been viewed as a threat to hegemonic and tyrannical government, for whom dissent in any form is unacceptable, as it shakes the very foundation upon which the tyrannical status quo rests. Ideas and ideologies encompassing freedom and equality for the masses are always dangerous, as the existence of […]