Democracy

Avinash Pandey “A mob is the scum that rises upmost when the nation boils.”  John Dryden, English Poet The picture showing two Muslims – one of them a teenaged boy – hanging by a tree in Latehar, Jharkhandis going to haunt the Republic for a long time. Nothing indicts the failure of a criminal justice […]

Just Asia is pleased to announce its new website www.alrc.asia/justasia. All episodes of the news programme can now be viewed there. This week, Burma’s Parliament elected Htin Kyaw as the country’s civilian President after decades of military government. Prevented from becoming president by a constitutional clause, Aung San Suu Kyi has said she will be “above […]

An Article by Camelia Nathaniel, titled ‘A Clear Indictment On Sri Lanka Police”, published in the Sunday Leader of 18March 2016, forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2016/01/24/a-clear-indictment-on-sri-lanka-police/ By Camelia Nathaniel The National Police Commission (NPC) has so far received 752 complaints against the police from October 21, 2015 to date. According to the secretary […]

A Press Release from Cross Cultural Foundation (CrCF) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) On 13 March 2016, the Cho-airong Hospital was laid siege by an unknown group of armed insurgents. It was further reported that more than 20 armed men with war weapons have raided and taken control of the hospital and […]

Today, on 15 March 2016, student leaders of the All Burma Federation of Student Union announced their decision to boycott the current judicial system. They have initiated a “Failed Law” campaign to raise awareness about their protest. The students protest against the failure of judicial system, as well as the 2010 Union Judiciary law, and […]

The frequently asked question nowadays is whether the government intends to create a new constitution, or whether it will amend the 1978 Constitution. It is thus pertinent to recall the statement made by former Supreme Court Judge C. V. Wigneswaran (now Governor of the Northern Province), that the constitutional crisis of Sri Lanka is a […]

The government’s trend of arresting political leaders and cadres at the forefront of recent Madhes protest, in order to weaken the ongoing Madhes movement, continues. Earlier, 11 front-line leaders and cadres were arrested by the government in the Terai, something the Asian Human Rights Commission addressed its statement released on 24 February 2016. Thereafter, last week, two […]

Reports of a series of killings attributed to underworld elements have sent shockwaves amongst all Sri Lankans, whether living in Sri Lanka or outside. Almost everyone was speculating as to what these killings aimed to achieve. Some thought the killings were mainly directed towards witnesses of serious crimes being investigated, or already brought to court. […]

A Press Release from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) Background: Ms. Sirikan Charoensiri is a lawyer from the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights and one of the legal representatives for the 14 activists from the New Democracy Movement (NDM). On the night of 26-27 June 2015, after […]

Burma has experienced its first democratic election in November 2015, and is going to have a newly elected civilian government this April, after half a century under military government. But, despite the historic election having taken place, peaceful protestors have continued to be subject to rights violations. Former political prisoner Nilar Thein of the 88 […]

The government of Maharashtra has finally woken up to the agrarian crisis that has, according to official statistics, already ensnared the lives of 124 farmers in the state in the first 45 days of the year. Awoken, the government has decided to take action. And, the action that the government has decided to take is […]

Domestic violence is rampant throughout the world. In Pakistan, however, female victims of such violence are left without reprieve, as they have to suffer the dogma of being labelled loose women if they decide to stand up to their abusers, who are usually male family members. So Pakistani women have been staying in abusive relationships, […]

This week’s episode of Just Asia begins with the re-arrest of Indian activist Irom Sharmila, two days after being acquitted of attempted suicide charges. On hunger strike for the repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act causing widespread abuses in Manipur, Sharmila has been arrested and released several times over the past 15 years. […]

A Press Releasefrom Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) It has been reported today (2 March 2016) that a dozen of military officers arrested the former Minister of Social Development and Human Security, Mr. Wattana Muangsuk, and took him away from his residence without stating the reason […]

A Press Releasefrom Thai Lawyers for Human Rights forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) 3 March 2016, Ms. Sirikan Charoensiri received a summon warrant to report herself to the inquiry official at the Chana Songkram Police Station in order to be handed over to the special prosecutor in litigious division at the 3rd […]

An oped from the Kathmandu Post forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission On September 15 2015, twelve-year-old Ranjana Singh Kshetri, a resident of Bethari in Rupandehi district, received a bullet in the neck when she stuck her head out of the kitchen to see what was happening outside. On the same day, BinodLakaul, 48, […]

Mr. Kanhaiya Kumar, President of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU), is finally out on interim bail following a Delhi High Court order. Kanhaiya has just spent 20 days in police and judicial remand on the charge of sedition. The manner and facts surrounding his arrest, charge, and detention have caused much consternation. Many eminent […]

A new wave of attacks on religious minority groups has gripped the country after the execution of Mumtaz Qadri, the killer of Punjab’s former governor, for alleged blasphemy. Qadri was executed on February 29, and countrywide protests began simultaneously. On the day of Qadri’s burial, March 1, Qamar Ul Zia, a young Ahmadi businessman was […]

A group of human rights defenders in Northeast Thailand has been forced into a frivolous and damaging case in court, due to their attempts to protect community resources against a gold mining operation. According to Thailand’s Rights Coalition, Protection International, and theCommunity Resource Centre, TungkhumLimited is seeking 50 million Baht (around USD $1.4 million) in […]

A Press Releasefrom the Lawyers Council of Thailand, Human Rights and Development Foundation,The Foundation of Education and Development, Muslim Attorney Centre Foundation and Diocesan Social Action Cantre of Souratthani Catholic Foundation forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) The Provincial Court of Ranong and the Juvenile and Family Court of Ranong have accepted to […]