Enforced disappearances and abductions

PHILIPPINES: Disappearance of three men in Nueva Ecija

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you of yet another forcible abduction and subsequent disappearance of three men in General Tinio, Nueva Ecija on 17 May 2006. Armed men believed to be military agents forcibly took victims Domingo Guinto (a.k.a Jojo), Abelardo Interior and Virgilio Tranquilino from their houses. The […]

PHILIPPINES: Abduction and disappearance of two more activists

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you of the abduction and subsequent disappearance of two more activists in separate incidents on 8 and 16 May 2006. Activist Philip Limjoco was last seen on May 8 by his son Glen at a bus terminal in Dau, Pampanga. On May 16 activist […]

PAKISTAN: Two members of the Jeay Sindh Quomi Mahaz Nationalist Party abducted in the latest report of forced disappearance

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is alarmed by the continuing reports of forced disappearances of political activists with the latest incident involving two members from the Jeay Sindh Quomi Mahaz Nationalist Party. The persistent practice of such acts undermines the deepest values of commitment to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms. Intervention […]

UPDATE (Thailand): Second call for special investigation chief to resign; EU expresses concern in Somchai case

[RE: FA-06-2004: THAILAND: A human rights lawyer Mr. Somchai Neelaphaijit missing… UP-20-2005: THAILAND: Human rights lawyer still missing after nearly one year; Action needed today to have case transferred; UP-24-2005: THAILAND: Thai minister refuses to act on missing human rights lawyer case; UP-37-2005: Thai PM orders action on missing human rights lawyer, while court hears […]

THAILAND: DSI director must be sacked and investigated

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 11, 2006 AS-104-2006 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission THAILAND: DSI director must be sacked and investigated In a May 9 letter to the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Justice in Thailand, the wife of disappeared human rights lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit launched a scathing attack on the work […]

PHILIPPINES: Five missing persons are allegedly being detained in the army camp in Lipa City

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information that five persons have been missing since 28 April 2005 in Tagaytay City, Philippines. They are Riel Custodio, Axel Pinpin, Enrico Ybanez, Michael Mesias and Aristides Sarmiento. Riel and Axel are known peasant activists working for the organisation, “Kalipunan ng mga Magsasaka sa Kabite (Kamagsasaka-Ka […]

PAKISTAN: Protests against disappearances deserve public support

There have been many disappearances in Pakistan’s political history. The present disappearances are occurring in the Sindh and Balochistan provinces of the country, largely by law enforcement agencies. In response, Pakistani citizens have organised two protest rallies against these disappearances. One of these will be held in Karachi, Pakistan on April 28, 2006 organised by the […]

GENERAL APPEAL (Thailand): Army commander admits to using “blacklists” in the south

Dear friends, The head of the army in Thailand is reported as having admitted that the security forces in the south of the country are using “blacklists” to hunt down alleged insurgents in the south. He has also admitted that there are names of persons on the lists who are not genuine suspects. The Asian […]

THAILAND: Department of Special Investigation or Department of Sporadic Interest?

Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation (DSI) again appears to have lost interest in the case of abducted human rights lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit. After local human rights defenders obtained the cooperation of the Central Institute of Forensic Science to search an area of the Mae Klong River in Ratchaburi Province during late March, the DSI director-general, […]

PAKISTAN: Fears for whereabouts of disappeared political leader in Pakistan

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you of the disappearance of Dr. Safdar Sarki, a nationalist and political leader in Pakistan. On 24 February 2006, Dr. Sarki was picked up by the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) from his apartment in Gulistan e Jauhar Karachi between 1 and 2pm. Witnesses […]

GENERAL APPEAL (Pakistan): Alarming situation of forced disappearance of political and human rights activists in Balochistan

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned by the continuous disappearances of political and human rights activists in Balochistan, the southern province in Pakistan. It is alleged that government’s security personnel are involved in these disappearances. The latest disappearance took place on 7 April 2006. Mr. Munir Mengal, the management director of […]

PHILIPPINES: Missing activist could be in military’s custody

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding suspicions that an activist who was forcibly abducted and reported missing could be in the custody of the military. Activist Ronald Intal (24) was forcibly taken by armed men at around 11am near a motorcycle terminal in Barangay Balete, Hacienda Luisita on 3 […]

UPDATE (Thailand): EU gets questioned over missing Thai human rights lawyer case

[RE: FA-06-2004: THAILAND: A human rights lawyer Mr. Somchai Neelaphaijit missing… UP-20-2005: THAILAND: Human rights lawyer still missing after nearly one year; Action needed today to have case transferred; UP-24-2005: THAILAND: Thai minister refuses to act on missing human rights lawyer case; UP-37-2005: Thai PM orders action on missing human rights lawyer, while court hears […]

PHILIPPINES: Another disappearance of an activist in Batangas City

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that another activist was forcibly abducted and disappeared on 6 April 2006. Victim Dario Almonte was forcibly abducted in front of his wife Cherry and his six-year-old nephew at 6am in front of his sister’s house in Puyo Compound, Sta. Clara, Batangas City. […]

ASIA: Three outstanding Asian widows jointly nominated for 2006 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights

Today, March 30, 2006 the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has nominated three outstanding widows of human rights defenders to receive jointly the prestigious 2006 , awarded by the May 18 Memorial Foundation, Korea. The three are: Angkhana Neelaphaijit, wife of disappeared Thai human rights lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit; Suciwati Munir, wife of murdered Indonesian human […]

UPDATE (Thailand): First call for special investigation chief to resign over Somchai case

[RE: UP-20-2005: THAILAND: Human rights lawyer still missing after nearly one year; Action needed today to have case transferred; UP-24-2005: THAILAND: Thai minister refuses to act on missing human rights lawyer case; UP-37-2005: Thai PM orders action on missing human rights lawyer, while court hears of torture; UP-45-2005: Wife of missing human rights lawyer intimidated; […]

THAILAND: No obligations, just public relations

An article in Friday’s Thai Day supplement to the International Herald Tribune quoted an officer of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) working on the case of abducted human rights lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit as saying that “the case is proving very difficult” because “the DSI only took up the case late last year” (‘DSI condemned […]

UPDATE (Philippines): Missing labour leader abducted and feared dead

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information from the Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) stating that labour leader Rogelio Concepcion, who was reported missing, is now confirmed to have been forcibly abducted and disappeared on 6 March 2006. His whereabouts remain unknown and his relatives fear that […]

THAILAND: Here is Angkhana, there is Porntip… where is Sombat?

In recent days a visitor to the banks of the Mae Klong River in Ban Pong of Ratchaburi province, west of Bangkok, might have noticed a little dinghy moving about in the middle of the swollen water, a small group of people watching from the shoreline. The dinghy has been occupied by forensic professionals, divers […]

UPDATE (Thailand): Serious developments in case of disappeared human rights lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit

[RE: FA-06-2004: THAILAND: A human rights lawyer Mr. Somchai Neelaphaijit missing… UP-20-2005: THAILAND: Human rights lawyer still missing after nearly one year; Action needed today to have case transferred; UP-24-2005: THAILAND: Thai minister refuses to act on missing human rights lawyer case; UP-37-2005: Thai PM orders action on missing human rights lawyer, while court hears […]