Democracy

Numbness was the first response to the verdict on Ayodhya dispute. Everything and everyone went numb. And then, an eerie silence settled in the room where we were anxiously watching the live streaming of Indian news channels, 5000 miles away from India. We were 6, four Sri Lankans and 2 Indians. It is like one […]

The contempt of court proceedings initiated against Advocate Prashant Bushan in the Supreme Court of India for the allegations he made against some of the former Chief Justices of the country will test the maturity of India’s judicial system and that of its democratic framework. Indeed the Court has a statutory right to initiate proceedings […]

Dear friends, We wish to share with you the following statement from Citizens for Democracy. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ————- A Statement from Citizens for Democracy forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission PAKISTAN: No to Undemocratic and Unconstitutional Change We the Citizens for Democracy are: Concerned about an all-sided institutional, financial and […]

On September 8 (tomorrow) the government will move 18th Amendment to the Constitution, which is to be voted on that day itself to remove the constitutional limitation of two terms on the president and to pass several amendments to the 17th Amendment so as to bring all public institutions under the direct control of the […]

*Avinash Pandey Thinking about tragedies, especially manmade ones, is a subversive process bursting with its inherent dangers. It makes one go numb, outrages the self and at times fills one with the disgusting and incapacitating feeling of losing the humaneness itself, of becoming more and more incapable of having any control over one’s own lives. […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward to you the following open letter from the Union for Thai Democracy to the United Nations. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ——- An Open Letter from the Union for Thai Democracy forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon […]

Sihasak Phuangketkeow President, UN Human Rights Council c/o Permanent Mission of Thailand 5 Rue Gustave-Moynier 1202 Geneva SWITZERLAND Fax: +41 22 715-1000, 715-1002 Tel: +41 22 715-1010 E-mail: mission.thailand@ties.itu.int Dear Mr. Sihasak THAILAND: UN must demand lifting of Emergency Decree The Asian Human Rights Commission is writing to you in your capacity as the newly-chosen President […]

Mr. Ban Ki-Moon Secretary General Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary General United Nations S-378 New York NY 10017 USA Fax: +1 212 963 7055 or 2155 SOUTH KOREA: NGOs facing reprisals for submitting information to UN Security Council  Your Excellency, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is writing this special appeal to you […]

Rasika Sanjeewa Weerawickrama It was a devastating fact that the Korean navy ship ‘ROKS Cheonan’ sinking in the East China Sea around 9.22PM 26th March 2010. Cheonan was a Korean Navy Pohang Class corvette ship. It sank near Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea. At the time of its sinking, the ship was in South […]

An interview conducted by the Asian Human Rights Commission. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the AHRC. Sri Lanka — A woman speaks out against bad policing and torture Sister M. Pradeepa, 34, is from Trincomalee and works at the Ampitiya Convent in Kandy where she is involved with various projects involving […]

Avinash Pandey Samar* On 23 May 2010, police officers, including a woman police constable reportedly tortured and abused a mother and her 12-year-old son in Rajouri Garden Police Outpost in Delhi. It is reported that the officers forced Mala (name changed) to strip naked in front of her minor son and demanded her to have […]

Today, the Union Home Ministry, the Chief Ministers of Manipur and Nagaland and a handful of Naga and Meitei nationalists are celebrating the 61st day of their successful enforcement of an indefinite economic blockade organised against the ordinary people living in Manipur state. In tribute to the strenuous effort of the All Naga Students Association […]

Dear friends, We wish to share with you the following article from The Jakarta Post. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ————- An article from Elaine Pearson (HRW) published in The Jakarta Post forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission INDONESIA: Where questions can lead to convictions Elaine Pearson, The Jakarta Post, June 5, 2010 […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) welcomes the agreement over the extension of the term of the Constituent Assembly in Nepal, though it was arrived at the last moment. It renews the hope to establish strong and long-lasting democratic institutions that could reach out to the people of Nepal. These institutions are expected to form […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has repeatedly drawn the attention of the world’s community to the blatant abuse of Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan. This ongoing abuse is neither investigated properly nor remedied by the government who are effectively depriving them of their fundamental freedoms and Human Rights. The Ahmadi Muslims do not have the […]

The ongoing economic blockade enforced by All Naga Student Association Manipur (ANSAM) and others in the Indian state of Manipur since 11 April 2010 has pushed the people in the state to the verge of existence. The state-wide strike organised by the ANSAM blocking roads and highways, national highway 39 and 53, which are the […]

When the military government of Burma passed five new laws and four bylaws during March in preparation for planned elections later this year, it attracted a lot of interest, discussion and analysis in the global media. The only place where the media did not pick up the story was in Burma, or Myanmar, itself. Aside […]

The government of Burma has set down conditions for the forming of political parties that would have people associate in order to participate in anticipated elections, but nowhere is the right to associate guaranteed. While parties are required to have at least a thousand members to enlist for the national election–500 for regional assemblies–a host […]

One of the basic prerequisites of a fair election is that agencies exist which are responsible for settling disputes that arise before, during and afterwards. These disputes take many forms, and are a normal part of electoral politics. It is essential that well-prepared institutions can address these disputes within rules that are clearly set down […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that a criminal investigator restrained and struck a fisheries union leader while he was detained at Negombo Police Station. Though police assault is classified as torture under Sri Lankan law it remains common and little addressed, and must be met with a criminal investigation. The […]