Democracy

The Asian Human Rights Commission, in its work to enhance outreach and awareness on human rights abuse, has issued third animated video on transgender. Please click the video In a conservative society like Pakistan, being a trans-person is deemed a crime. The transgender community is treated as outcastes having no identity or rights. Like other marginalized factions of […]

An article from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Since the 22 May 2014 coup staged by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), the currently ruling body led by Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-ocha, a trend of judicial harassment against human rights defenders, who express dissenting […]

On 5 October 2016, Joshua Wong, a student activist who became a global icon for the fight for democracy in Hong Kong, made headlines in media once again after the Immigration in Thailand barred him from entering the country and detained him for around 12 hours at an undisclosed place. He was eventually deported to […]

Just Asia begins this week the detention of Hong Kong student activist Joshua Wong at Bangkok airport, for being a threat to Thailand’s national security. Invited to give a talk at Chulalongkorn University, Joshua was barred from entering the country by immigration officials. According to the Thai Deputy Police Commissioner, Joshua’s detention was purely a […]

Srikant Dixit, a 40-year-old farmer did not die of hunger, claim authorities in Uttar Pradesh. These authorities base their conclusion on the post-mortem report, which states that there was 50 grams of food in the man’s stomach. Yes, for authorities, finding 50 grams of food in the stomach of a man starving for 12 days […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) condemns the government of Pakistan for placing prominent journalist Mr. Cyril Almeida on the Exit Control List (ECL), labelling him as a threat to national security, and barring him from leaving the country. This was done in retaliation for reporting a meeting between the military and civilian government on […]

To enhance outreach and awareness on human rights abuse, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has taken the initiative to make animated video statements on different human rights issues. This is the second animated video of the series. Despite several conventions, laws, and constitutional guarantees in place, there is grave impunity and State apathy to […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the ban on student unions that has been in force since 1985, when military dictator General Zia-ul-Haq issued an ordinance. Successive military and civil governments were failed to lift the ban, even, after the passage of the 18th Constitutional Amendment, which is […]

LENIDO LUMANOG or “LEN” for short, the leading figure of the so-called “ABADILLA 5,” was buried on 15 September 2016. He died on 6 September 2016 at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) after a lingering kidney condition incurred while already in prison and shortly after turning 60 on 2 September 2016. He was […]

This week Just Asia begins with the killing of six Pakistani Shias in two cities under military control. In Quetta city, the capital of Balochistan, four women were shot dead in a bus on their way home on October 4. On the same evening, two Shias were killed returning from their mosque in the military […]

Basil Fernando Kadireshan Ravishankar, 34 was severely tortured by the HQI and other officers of the Hatton police station merely for failing to provide a haircut immediately on his order a couple of days ago. The case exposes the dangers of not allowing lawyers from representing their clients at police station, an amendment Minister of […]

With the arrival of the month of Muharram, killings of Shias have commenced. These killings have occurred particularly in Army controlled areas. On the 2nd day of holy month of Muharram, October 4, two incidents of Shia killings have been reported. Six persons including four women belonging to Shia sect of Islam were gunned downed […]

The demand of political parties that the Government of India provide proof of the Indian Army’s “surgical strike” against Pakistan is brewing a political storm in India. Persons in the government have deplored the questioning, labelling it as anti-Army and against national security. Some have even gone to the extent of demanding that those who […]

To enhance outreach and awareness on human rights abuse, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has taken the initiative to make animated video statements on different human rights issues. This is the first animated video of the series. Child sexual abuse cripples Pakistan, and its future. Cases go unreported as the subject is taboo and […]

Basil Fernando A new dimension was added to the debate on the proposed amendment to the criminal procedure code when the Minister of Justice attempted to defend the amendment on the basis that it is required to enable investigations into crime. The proposed amendment is that lawyers would not be able to represent people at […]

The Police firing, killing 4 citizens, including a minor, in Dadikala Village of Barkagaon Block in Hazaribagh District of Jharkhand, has not come out of the blue. The state authorities were well aware of the popular anger against forced acquisition of villagers’ lands for a coal mine project of the NTPC Limited (NTPC), a public […]

On 17 August 2016, the Office of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRC) officially informed Ms. Pornpen Khongkachonkiet that the NHRC could not investigate the facts revealed in a torture report that she and two other human rights defenders had submitted to the NHRC. The Commission claimed that the report failed to provide […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding ongoing judicial harassment of Ms. Sirikan Charoensiri, human rights lawyer and legal and documentation officer at Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR). Ms. Sirikan is now facing accusations of sedition under Section 116 of the Thai Criminal Code, as well as violation […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission is pleased to witness the historic coming into being of Sri Lanka’s Right to Information (RTI) Commission with three Commissioners being appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena on the recommendation of the Constitutional Council on Friday, 30th September 2016. The three Commissioners, namely retired public administration officer Mahinda Gammanpila (Chair), Attorney-at-Law & […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned about six Pacific countries raising the subject of human rights violations in Papua in the General Debate of the Assembly’s 71st Session, on 26 September 2016. The video can be accessed here. The six Pacific countries are Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Nauru, the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and Tonga. The […]