Democracy

UPDATE (INDONESIA): NGOs condemn latest attack on human rights defenders at Komnas HAM

(RE: UA-11-2002: Attacks on human rights defenders, destruction of property, public use of weapons with impunity)  UPDATE (INDONESIA): Further attacks on human rights defenders, public threats made with impunity  ———————————————————————-  Dear Friends  We are including here a joint statement by 48 Indonesian NGOs in response to another attack by the FBR (Betawi Brotherhood Forum) on […]

BURMA: Arrested Professor prepared to die for democracy

This appeal is for an international response to the arrest and detention of 74 year-old Dr Salai Tan Thun, a retired Burmese university rector who has publicly petitioned the military government to return power to civilian rule. 

SRI LANKA: The Katugastota massacre of 12 persons in election period

SRI LANKA: Denial of right to vote resulted in mass deaths ———————————————————– Consequent to the dissolution of the Parliament the previous month, the elections were held on the December 5, 2001 to elect the peoples’ representatives of the parliament in Sri Lanka. While the elections were marred by unprecedented violence, intimidation, reports of vote rigging […]

INDONESIA: \"This is the New, New Order\" (Pramoedya)

INDONESIA: book burning, arson, ‘sweeping’, banning of books and writings, threats to organisations regarded as ‘leftist’ ———————————————————— \”This is the New, New Order\” That’s the view of Indonesia’s most celebrated author, Pramoedya Ananta Toer, 76, who survived 10 years of incarceration on infamous Buru Island and almost 20 years of house/city arrest years under Suharto, […]

INDONESIA EARLY WARNING: Civil Society under siege

Indonesia’s new democracy is facing its greatest threat to date.  While the world’s attention is on whether President Wahid will stay in office or not some organisations have taken the opportunity to wipe out the main progressive, democracy-building organisations, openly calling it an \”anti-communist\” purge (even though the organisations may be completely unrelated to communism).  […]

SOUTH KOREA: Workers’ blood decorates the gold Nobel Peace Medal

Dear Friends, We’re sending you following appeal made by Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) in South Korea. We urge you to draw your attention and to send protest letter to South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency. Thank you. Urgent Appeals Desk Asian Human Rights Commission ================================================ […]

SRI LANKA: Election Manifests Serious Crisis in Democratic Institutions

Will the perpetrators of violence be brought to justice? An AHRC Statement on Recent General Election, 2000, in Sri Lanka The violence during the election this time has been acknowledged, and even the final results from 23 polling centres have been annulled by the commissioner of elections. In addition, the judgement of overall fairness has […]

CAMBODIA: Parliamentarian threatened in the street by armed military officer

On September 29 a military intelligence officer used his gun to threaten the life of an opposition parliament openly in a busy street in Phnom Penh. As yet no action has been taken against this officer. Details are provided below in a Human Rights Watch press release. Following the press relese is a sample letter and the contact details for the Prime Minister of Cambodia and the chair of the Senate’s Human Rights Commission. Please write to them to try to keep democracy alive in Cambodia. 

SRI LANKA: Call for police to provide peace and security for elections

Further to UA 32/00 \”Early Warning of likely escalation of election violence\”, as of 25th September, 13 had died from election-related violence since the campaign began. As of the 28th, the Centre for Monitoring of Election Violence (CMEV) had recorded 850 incidents of violence (or almost 35 per day), with indications that this level is rising even further (61 cases were recorded on September 27). Kindly see the CMEV website for further info: 
http://cpalanka.org/cmev.html 

SRI LANKA: Escalating violence affects freedom of election

AHRC UA Index: 001003 3 October 2000  UA 35/00: Call for police to provide peace and security for elections  SRI LANKA: Escalating violence affects freedom of election  Further to UA 32/00 \”Early Warning of likely escalation of election violence\”, as of 25th September, 13 had died from election-related violence since the campaign began. As of […]

SRI LANKA (EARLY WARNING): Political killings require investigation and prevention

Two young men have been killed in election-related violence in Sri Lanka in the first 5 days following the announcement of the National Elections to be held on October 10. Here is the sequence of events: 

SRI LANKA: Need for Peace Process to progress faster

The loss during the Easter weekend of the strategic Elephant Pass stronghold by the Sri Lankan government to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) shows the futility of continuing this war which has been going on for two decades and has incurred the loss of well over 55,000 lives and two entire years’ worth […]

MALAYSIA: A Serious Crackdown in Malaysia

  It is reported that several arrests are taking place in Malaysia, which the human rights activists and observers describe as a crack down on the opposition. The most significant among them is the arrest of Karpal Singh who heads the legal team defending the former deputy Prime-Minister Anwar Ibrahim. He is charged with sedition […]

Malaysia: Malaysian People’s Courageous Fight for Democracy

The ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION urge you to continue your support for justice and human rights in Malaysia. Five persons are still detained under the Malaysian Internal Security Act [ISA]. Anwar detained under ISA, which was later lifted, is still remanded in jailed. Meanwhile, 178 persons were charged with illegal assembly, disobeying police orders and […]

SINGAPORE: High Court upheld Dr. Chee’s conviction for speaking in public without a permit

Dear friends,   The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is forwarding to you an appeal from the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) regarding the affirmation of the High Court of the guilty verdict on Dr. Chee Soon Juan for “speaking in public without a permit”.     For more details, please contact them at this website: […]

FORWARDED APPEAL (Sri Lanka): STOP THE WAR: We have a right to live without fear

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission is forwarding an appeal from People to People dialogue on Peace and Sustainable Development regarding the ongoing civil war in Sri Lanka. If you have any inquiry regarding this appeal, please contact Movement for National Land and Agricultural Reform (MNLAR), a member of this group’s steering committee. MNLAR’s contact information […]

FORWARDED APPEAL (Philippines): Political persecution of opposition in the Philippines

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is forwarding to you an appeal letter issued by five Congressmen in the Philippines who are currently facing unjust restraint and the threat of arrest for their stance against the Arroyo government and the recent “state of national emergency”. The five are aware that were they to […]

FORWARDED APPEAL (Nepal): Nepal under Royal Regime – One year of dictatorial rule deepening the national crisis

Dear friends, On the one-year anniversary of the royal take-over of Nepal, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is forwarding to you a joint appeal issued by 48 NGOs, civil society organisations and trade unions from around the world regarding the collapse of democracy, the gross violations of human rights and the continuing conflict with […]

NEPAL: UN Commission on Human Rights adopts resolution on Nepal

Dear friends, We are forwarding you the resolution on Nepal adopted by the Sixty-first Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva.  In the past few months many persons have been much concerned about the human rights situation in Nepal and many human rights activists and groups have worked intensively on this resolution.  […]

NEPAL: Protesting the attempt by the King’s regime to dismantle human rights mechanisms

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward a statement issued by three individuals and 16 human rights organisations in Nepal, with regard to the King’s efforts to dismantle human rights mechanisms in the country. The names of the persons and organisations are deliberately withheld. For updated information on Nepal, please refer […]