Democracy

UPDATE (Sri Lanka): Police’s deliberate inaction in a labour case is in violation of court orders

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding 73 workers from the Orex Factory in Ekala, Jaela, Sri Lanka, who were unlawfully dismissed after the owner arbitrarily closed down the factory in 2002. The AHRC previously reported that the owner, Mohamed Mohamed Izzath deprived his workers of the Employees Trust […]

INDIA: Human rights defender physically assaulted, threatened and detained by government officials

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information through its local partner MASUM in West Bengal that Mr. Gopen Sharma, a human rights activist was illegally detained, threatened and assaulted by the officers at the Block Development Office in Jalangi, Murshidabad District, West Bengal. Mr. Sharma was, at the time of the […]

UPDATE (India): No compensation to family of adivasi, murdered by forest official, despite a four year wait

[Re: UA- 50 -2005: INDIA: Three and a half year wait for justice for the brutal murder of an Adivasi (tribal person) by a forest official in Gujarat] Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information on the case of Manishbhai Motibhai Vasava (30), an adivasi who was murdered by an Indian […]

INDIA: Death of a young boy in a state sponsored agitation in Siliguri, West Bengal

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from MASUM, a human rights organisation in West Bengal, about the death of a young student who received injuries in a clash between students and supporters of the Siliguri Unit of Student Federation of India (SFI) in Siliguri Hindi High School, West Bengal. On […]

SRI LANKA: A ten-year-old pupil assaulted by his schoolteacher

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the alleged assault of a 10-year-old pupil by a schoolteacher on 12 May 2005 for not giving a satisfactory answer on the latter’s question during their English class. The boy was hospitalised for seven days and had to undergo succeeding treatment due to […]

UPDATE (Thailand): Media reform campaigner Supinya holds fund-raising event to fight criminal libel case

(UA-73-2004: THAILAND: Human rights defender faces preliminary decision in libel case on 21 June 2004 and UP-31 2004: THAILAND: Criminal Court decides to let libel suit against Ms Supinya Klangnarong proceed on 29 June 2004; UP-62-2004: THAILAND: Update on libel suit against media-reform activist Ms Supinya) Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission again draws […]

UPDATE (Nepal): Citizens at risk as human rights violations continue

[Re: UP-18-2005: NEPAL: Additional lists of arrested political leaders/activists and human rights defenders; UP-16-2005: NEPAL: List of arrested political leaders and human rights defenders; International intervention is urgently required; UG-01-2005: NEPAL: Latest information on the situation in districts in Nepal; FA-05-2005: NEPAL:  Updates regarding emergency situation on Nepal; FA-03-2005:  NEPAL: Latest information regarding emergency situation on […]

UPDATE (Nepal): Additional lists of arrested political leaders/activists and human rights defenders

[Re: UP-16-2005: NEPAL: List of arrested political leaders and human rights defenders; International intervention is urgently required; UG-01-2005: NEPAL: Latest information on the situation in districts in Nepal; FA-05-2005: NEPAL:  Updates regarding emergency situation on Nepal; FA-03-2005:  NEPAL: Latest information regarding emergency situation on Nepal] Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to […]

UPDATE (Nepal): List of arrested political leaders and human rights defenders

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward updated information to you regarding recent arrests in Nepal’s worsening crisis. The following are some cases of arrest and detention committed daily by the Nepalese security forces since the royal proclamation on February 1.We have received this information from a reliable source but cannot reveal […]

CAMBODIA: The silencing of the Cambodian parliamentary opposition

CAMBODIA: withdrawal of parliamentary immunity; violation of constitution provision; criminal defamation Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the withdrawal of parliamentary immunity to Cambodia’s opposition leader Sam Rainsy and legislators Cheam Channy and Chea Poch. The move is an attempt by Cambodia’s ruling parties to silence the parliamentary opposition […]

NEPAL: Latest information on the situation in districts in Nepal

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is sending you the report which includes latest situation in districts in Nepal. The report includes the information up to 10 February 2005 since the2005 February 1 coup d’ètat by the king. The AHRC observed that many political leaders, student activists, human rights activists and journalists have been arrested by the […]

NEPAL: UN Secretary General’s statement a vital opportunity to end the misery of Nepalese People

Statement | Nepal | 24-12-2004

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) shares the concerns expressed by the Secretary General of the United Nations in his statement on the human rights situation in Nepal. Time and again the AHRC has stressed that regional governments such as India, international governments and bodies such as European Union, national political parties and the King […]

SRI LANKA: A man tortured and prosecuted with false charges by the Samanalaweva Police Post

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a man named Heeralu Mohottalalage Punchi Banda (39) was illegally arrested and tortured by the Sub Inspector (S.I.) Dhammika Bandara of Samanalaweva Police Post in Balangoda on 26 August 2004. Due to brutal torture, the victim still suffers from severe pain on his […]

UPDATE (Nepal): Arbitrary detention and arrests continued

Dear friends Further to the Asian Human Right Commission’s urgent appeal issued yesterday on the dire situation in Nepal [see http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2004/654/], we have received updated information on further arrests in large numbers on 15 April 2004. Violations of human rights by the Government of Nepal continue; over 1000 peaceful demonstrators, including the President of the Nepali […]

PAKISTAN: A young woman killed by her husband on the pretext of honour killing

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a 30-year-old woman named Ms. Hidayat was allegedly killed by her husband, Mr. Momin Ali Mahar in Dal village, Lakhi Ghulam Shah Town, Shikarpur District, Sindh Province, Pakistan on 29 February 2004. The case was registered at the Chak Police Station. However, a human […]

AHRC calls for Security Council intervention in Burma

Embargoed for Release: Friday, 6 June 2003 At: 02:00 GMT For more information, please contact: In Hong Kong, Basil Fernando: +852-2698-6339 AHRC calls for Security Council intervention in Burma (Hong Kong, 6 June 2003) – The UN Security Council must urgently intervene to address the situation in Burma after the most recent attack on the […]

SINGAPORE: Oppositionist fined and imprisoned for defending his right to freedom of assembly in defiance of police warning not to hold the rally for workers’ rights.

On 8 October 2002, Singaporean Court sentenced Chee Soon Juan, Singaporean opposition leader, and Ghandhi Ambalam for five and four weeks jail for breaking Singapore’s Public Entertainment and Meeting Act by holding a public event without a permit, after they refused to pay a S$4,500 (USA$2,540) and S$3000 fine, respectively. Ambalam has since been released, as his family paid the fine, but Chee continues to be imprisoned.

UPDATE (BURMA): Dr Salai Tun Than’s case was raised at the 58th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights 2002

Dear Friends,  “This as that I will be here between Myanmar Independent Monument and Yangon city hall until either the government agrees to my petitions or simply kills me. I am here offering my life for the cause of the rights of Myanmar citizens.”  You might remember the above old Burmese professor’s appeal for democracy […]

PAKISTAN: People’s Right to Resist

PAKISTAN: The Referendum to Complete Pakistan’s Journey to the Dark Ages – PEOPLE’S RIGHT TO RESIST Today, Pakistan’s military leader General Pervez Musharraf mocked the nation and the international community by holding a referendum as to whether he could remain as the Head of State for another five years. This is an absolute abuse of […]

UPDATE (PALESTINE): UN Envoy says Jenin devastation ‘horrific beyond belief’ – requires immediate intervention

Richard Cook, Director of UNRWA operations in the West Bank: 
“The reports we are getting are of wholesale destruction of a kind more normally associated with natural disasters such as earthquakes…. We implore the Israeli authorities to open up the camp to allow our relief teams to help its desperate population.”