Democracy

Gabriel Garcia Marquez once spoke of Fidel Castro as a person “incapable of conceiving any idea that is not colossal”. During the last few months in Sri Lanka too there has been an interest in colossal ideas. One such colossal ambition is the idea of eliminating corruption.  It even became a major theme in an […]

Photograph by CJ Chanco © Note: this article was first published in latest issue of the Torture: Asian and Global Perspectives (Torture Magazine) by Danilo Reyes In August 2014, police arrested a Chinese national caught transporting ten kilos of high grade shabu (poor man’s cocaine) in his car in Quezon City. The suspect was visibly having difficulty understanding […]

The passing of the Amendment 19A, is a step towards undermining the authoritarian constitutional structure imposed on Sri Lanka through the 1978 Constitution.  This together with the appointment of a new Chief Justice in Sri Lanka constitute two important steps towards creating a greater space for interventions of people in order to protect their dignity […]

by Basil Fernando  Last week, 23 April 2014, the television programme ‘Sathyagaraya’ – a Sinhala language programme telecast by the Independent Television Network (ITN) and produced by Upul Shantha Sannasagala – broadcast a long conversation with Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasignhe. Our concern in this article, is about one particular question raised by the producer, Mr […]

by Avinash Pandey  Gajendra Singh, a farmer from Rajasthan hung himself from a tree in the middle of a political rally against the Union government’s indifference to the plight of peasants. His suicide, recorded and broadcast live, has brought the horrors that plague the countryside straight into the discomfort of the homes of everyone with […]

An Open Letter from the Asian Human Rights Commission to the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi  Shri Narendra Modi Prime Minster Government of India Room No. 148 B, South block,  New Delhi INDIA Fax: + 91 11 230111857 Dear Prime Minister Narendra Modi,  INDIA: Citizens should not be forced to drown themselves for […]

Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, a social reformer and jurist, is the father of the Indian Constitution. Ambedkar, however, is better known and revered for his lifelong work against caste-based discrimination, which played a central role in bringing to the forefront the plight of untouchables in both pre-independent and post-colonial India. Today, 61 years after Ambedkar’s death, […]

An Open Letter from the Asian Human Rights Commission and KontraS to Mr. Yasonna Hamonangan Laoly, the Indonesian Minister of Law and Human Rights Mr. Yasonna Hamonangan Laoly Minister of Law and Human Rights Jalan H.R. Rasuna Said Kavling 6-7 Kuningan Jakarta 12940, INDONESIA Tel: +62 21 525 3004 Fax: +62 21 526 3082 Dear […]

by Avinash Pandey  The world’s largest democracy witnessed its police force killing 25 of its citizens in two encounters in Andhra Pradesh. “Encounters”, for the uninitiated, are a euphemism for killing unarmed civilians in staged gun battles. The police version of both the alleged encounters is such that it could be laughed-off had they not […]

The Prime Minster of India, Mr. Narendra Modi, invited the top judges of the country and the Chief Ministers of the states to his official residence for a dinner. The judges accepted the invitation and dined with the Prime Minister. This is the first time in Indian history that a Prime Minister has resorted to […]

A statement made in court by the driver of a movie actor has again exposed the abundant opportunities for exploitation of the criminal justice process in India; defending his employer, the driver has stated it was the driver, not the actor, behind the wheel when the vehicle sped out of control, killing a person sleeping […]

An article from the Kathmandu Post, written by Kanak Mani Dixit forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission The Teaching Hospital at Maharajganj is presently dealing with two fasts-unto-death, one, which has already seen its tragic and terrifying finale and another that is ongoing. Nanda Prasad Adhikari died 187 days ago while on a second-time […]

By Avinash Pandey  The Supreme Court’s scrapping of Section 66 A of the Information Technology Act for being “unconstitutional in entirety” is indeed a great moment in the life of the democracy. The Act did, in fact, invade citizenry’s right of free speech “arbitrarily, excessively and disproportionately”. However, is this really a moment to celebrate […]

In this week’s special episode, AHRC TV brings you excerpts from a lively panel discussion between four Right Livelihood Award Laureates during a regional conference held in Mumbai last week. The panel of Laureates comprised of Afghan doctor and human rights defender Sima Samar, Indian social activist Medha Patkar, Dalit rights activist Ruth Manorama, and Asian […]

A Statement from Asia Press Office, Right Livelihood Award Foundation forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission The Western Ghat ecosystem supports the lives of people in six states of India. The Western Ghats face serious threats of ecological destruction, which will ultimately have disastrous effects on the lives of millions of people of these […]

A Press Release from Asia Press Office, Right Livelihood Award Foundation forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) India has new opportunities to lead a global initiative for a nuclear-weapon-free world according to nuclear policy analyst Alyn Ware, a recipient of the Right Livelihood Award, often referred to as the “Alternative Nobel Prize.” Mr. […]

Amila Sampath, founder of the Human Rights Asia Weekly Roundup presenting its’ 64 episode ( AHRC Photo) This week’s episode of Weekly Roundup covers recent event involving human rights groups in Asia. The show begins with an announcement about the Asian Human Rights Commission. The AHRC is moving to a new office in Hong Kong. In Mumbai, India, the […]

A Press Release from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) On Monday, 23 February 2015, at 13:30 hours, the Criminal Court is going to deliver a verdict on the Black Case no. 3528/2557 filed by the public prosecutor against Mr. Patiwat (last name withheld) and Mrs. Pornthip (last […]

This week’s episode of Weekly Roundup brings you coverage of recent human rights success stories in Asia. The episode begins in Hong Kong. The former employer of Indonesian domestic worker Erwiana was found guilty on 18 of 20 charges relating to her treatment of Erwiana. AHRC TV has footage from the press conference where Erwiana and her […]

An article from Kathmandu Post forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission The government has finally formed a Commission on Enforced Disappearances (CED) and a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), as committed to in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2006. On February 9, a Recommendation Committee recommended names for the respective commissions with political consensus, […]