Enforced disappearances and abductions

(Hong Kong, September 9, 2011)  The Asian Human Rights Commission in a previous Open Letter to the Inspector General of Police and Urgent Appeal brought to the attention of the authorities a series of threats to Diyaththara Kalutara Kalusayakkarage Sajith Shehan Fernando of Ja-Ela. We are now issuing a YouTube presentation in which Shehan and […]

Dear friends, We wish to share with you the following article from the Sunday Leader, written by Jamila Najmuddin. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong An article from the Sunday Leader forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission The UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances has once again called on Sri Lanka to […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Centre for Organisation Research and Education (CORE) concerning the case of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance of a person from the indigenous community in Imphal, Manipur. It is reported that on 18 August at about 7.00 pm, some persons from the Assam Rifles […]

Dear friends, We wish to share with you the following article from The Express Tribune, written by Shamsul Islam. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ————- With International Day of Victims of Enforced Disappearance coinciding with Eidul Fitr this year, 2011 became twice as sorrowful for the families of missing persons in the country. ”This […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward to you the following press release from Reporters without Borders. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ————- A Press Release from Reporters without Borders forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) Reporters Without Borders – Reporters sans frontières Press release – Communiqué de […]

Dear friends, We wish to share with you the following statement from Defence of Human Rights Pakistan. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ————- A Statement from Defence of Human Rights Pakistan forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Year 2011 has turned into a doubly sorrowful symbol for the families of Missing persons of […]

A Joint Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission, International People’s Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice in Indian-Administered Kashmir and The Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons We welcome the report of the State Human Rights Commission of Jammu and Kashmir (SHRC) on unmarked graves in the north of the Indian-administered Kashmir (dated July […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) appreciates the efforts taken by the State Human Rights Commission of Jammu and Kashmir in conducting an enquiry and filing a report concerning the mass graves in the state. The 17-page report of the Commission’s special investigation team, headed by a Senior Superintendent of Police, reveals that 2,730 unidentified […]

Dear friends,  At a time that the proxy military government in Burma is purporting to bring about political change, it is continuing to arrest and falsely accuse citizens in various criminal cases. In this appeal, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) draws your attention to 14 persons accused in connection with a bombing in Pegu […]

A court in Bangkok on 10 August 2011 sentenced a torture victim to two years in prison for having spoken out against his alleged torturers. Police Major General Chakthip Chaijinda brought the criminal complaint (Black Case No. 2161/2552) against Mr Suderueman Malae, one of the clients of forcibly abducted and disappeared human rights lawyer Somchai […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information that the land mafia of the coastal area of Karachi has abducted two fisherfolk activists, Mr. Latif Dorai and Bilal Ahmed Baloch on 18 July, 2011. The land mafia physically abused both and Mr. Latif was more seriously beaten whereas Mr. Bilal was […]

A collection of photos from activists in Sri Lanka published by the Asian Human Rights Commission The AHRC has received the following photos from the exhumation of disappeared human rights activist Mr. Pattini Razeek in Sri Lanka from a local source. Please also read our earlier statement on the case: SRI LANKA: The body of […]

Mr. Pattini Razeek, a well known human rights activist and a member of the executive committee of Forum Asia disappeared on February 11, 2010, yesterday (July 28) his body was exhumed before the Valachchenai Magistrate. The body had been buried within a half built private house in a remote village in Uddamaveli, Valachchanair and the […]

An Open Letter from the Asian Human Rights Commission to Mr. Federico Mayor, President of the International Commission against the Death Penalty Mr. Federico Mayor President International Commission against the Death Penalty C/o The Secretariat Edificio Torres Ágora, Serrano Galvache 26, 28071 Madrid SPAIN Tel: +34 91 394 89 53 Email: asunta.vivo@icomdp.org Dear Mr. Mayor, […]

Dear friends, We wish to share with you the following article from HUFFPOST UK, written by Peter G Tatchell. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ————- Peter G Tatchell Pakistan’s secret, dirty killings in the province of Balochistan are escalating, according to the Asian Human Rights Commission. Since the beginning of this year, at least […]

According to reports yesterday, July 5, 2011, about 2,000 persons from the Kahawatte area participated in a protest demanding the removal of the police working in the area. The reason behind this protest is the inability of the police to effectively investigate the murders of seven women who were killed in separate incidents. The people […]

Basil Fernando In my earlier short essay titled Replacing investigations with gossip, I tried to point to the absence of outrage against forced disappearances in Sri Lanka, which I ended by saying that there must be some cultural for such an attitude. In this second short essay I venture to look into what that cultural root […]

(Hong Kong, June 29, 2011) The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Cross Cultural Foundation that Mr. Sudeerueman Maleh, one of those who alleged that he was tortured by police in the case of stealing weapons in 2004 has been criminally counter-charged by the police on the charge of making a […]

Dear friends, We wish to share with you the following statement from Sri Lankan Civil Society Activists. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ————- A Statement from Sri Lankan Civil Society Activists forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission On 25th June 2011 we marked 500 days since the disappearance of Mr. Pattani Razeek, a […]

The attempt to trivialize the campaign on the disappearance of Prageeth Ekneliagoda Basil Fernando There are discussions about Prageeth Eknaliagoda’s abduction and disappearance that go something like this: Was he a journalist or was he not a journalist? Was he a great journalist or was he a lesser journalist? Was he abducted and made to […]