Democracy

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely dismayed by President Joko Widodo’s decision to continue the execution of death row inmates. Prior to the July 29 executions, the AHRC issued an open letter urging the President to stop the third execution, to no avail. President Widodo’s administration has so far executed 19 death row inmates, most […]

Avinash Pandey One doesn’t often see a respected international media house asking a democratic republic’s prime minister to break his silence in an editorial. Even more rare is it to see this “silence” tagged with the adjective “shameful”. The New York Times did exactly that today, 8 August 2016. The editorial forewarns Mr. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of […]

The Pakistan government and its foreign minister were so happy when the Indonesian government stopped the execution of a Pakistani convict, Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Shah, at the last minute. Both the Pakistani government and the Foreign Ministry tried to take credit, as it was an outcome of their best attempts at diplomacy, having stopped the […]

Thailand acceded to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) on 2 October 2007. Nearly ten years later, on 26 May 2016, the Thai government issued a Cabinet Resolution stating that it will pass a Prevention of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act. However, the Asian Human Rights Commission […]

Professor K G Sankara Pillai – is a well-known Indian poet, philosopher and author. He came into prominence in the 1970s with the publication of the poem “Bengal” and is now one of the most popular among the modernist poets of Kerala. A recipient of the state and central Sahitya Akademi Awards (state and central […]

When shall we ever learn that the nation is more important than the power quarrels and ambitions of this or that person? Last week we saw that we shall never learn. A few politicians led a crowd to the street, not for the sake of the nation but, in fact, against the very idea of […]

Avinash Pandey Delhi, the national capital of India, has witnessed another gory incident involving the rape-murder of a minor. This time, a 16-year-old was allegedly raped, strangled, and then set on fire in her own house in East Delhi. The police reportedly tried to pass off the crime as suicide, filing a case of rape and […]

Notorious for its enactment of arbitrary laws such as the Hudood ordinance, Blasphemy laws and the Protection of Pakistan Act, the Pakistan government has now added the Prevention of Electronic Crime Act 2015 to the increasing list of laws infringing upon citizens’ fundamental freedoms. The bill has been approved by both the houses and sent […]

A Press Releasefrom World Sindhi Congress (WSC) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) After an alleged incident of burning Quran in Ghotki on 26th July, in all the large and small towns of district Ghotki including Ghotki, Dharki, Mirpur Mathelo, Rahrki the proxies of the state agencies and vigilantes of religious extremist have […]

The pretext of blasphemy has once again led to communal violence in Sindh, with one teenager Hindu shot dead and another critically injured. The violence started after a newly converted Muslim drug addict allegedly burned pages of the Quran. Twenty-four hours after the incident and his arrest, agitators in the presence of police and the […]

This week’s episode begins with the surprising decision of Indian activist Irom Sharmila to end her 16-year fast, and join politics. Sharmila, known as Manipur’s ‘Iron Lady’, has been spearheading the state’s struggle to repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. Just Asia caught up with Babloo Loitongbam, Director of Human Rights Alert and long […]

The district police of Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkha (KP) province has ordered the externment of the transgender community for an indefinite period. The order will affect more than 1100 transgenders who are scattered throughout the district. Nowshera’s District Police Officer (DPO), a fundamentalist and extremist, issued the order of kicking out the transgender community from the […]

Dear President Widodo: The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), a Hong Kong-based, regional human rights organization, expresses its concern regarding government plans to execute approximately 14 death row inmates. Those to be executed are Mr. Fredi Budiman (Indonesia), Mr. Eugene Ape (Nigeria), Mr. Humphrey Jefferson (Nigeria), Mr. Seck Osmane (South Africa), Mrs. Merri Utami (Indonesia), […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely dismayed by President Joko Widodo’s decision to appoint retired Army General Wiranto as a Cabinet Minister of Politics, Law and Security (Menkopolhukam). An individual with such a dubious human rights record should be prosecuted for his actions, rather than given a seat in government. According to the […]

A fact-finding team of the Dalit Civil Society has concluded that Ajit Mijar, found dead at Kumpur – 3 in Dhading District, did not die as a result of suicide. His was, rather, a staged murder. They have made this declaration in a report, based on the facts and findings collected during their three-day visit […]

By Phattranit Yaodam and Samira Saran August 7, 2016 is scheduled for the constitutional referendum by the Thai Military government and the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), the junta-ruling body. It is during times of political change that the right to freedom of expression is most essential, ensuring that a well-informed and empowered […]

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed concern over moves to revive the Protection of Pakistan Act (POPA), which had expired on July 15, and urged the government to avoid resorting to laws that violate the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution. In a statement issued on Friday, the Commission said: “HRCP notes […]

By Basil Fernando It has been 33 years since Black July, 1983. These 33 years have been part of our lifetime. We have witnessed not only the horrendously criminal acts of July 1983, but also what happened by way of justice after those serious crimes. I would like to illustrate my point in terms of […]

Naseer Memon The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) have released a report “Multidimensional Poverty in Pakistan” which depicts a grim picture of social well-being in the country. The concept of poverty has evolved over time. As knowledge about the complexity of human societies is growing, poverty has […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from MASUM about yet another starvation death in Dumchipara Tea Garden owned by Duncans group. The tea plantation has been shut down for a while now and this has exposed workers to hunger and starvation. The AHRC demands immediate intervention and urges the authorities […]