Environmental protection

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information that Mr. Shahed Kayes, who is a leading human rights defender fighting against illegal sand mining in the Meghna River adjacent to the Mayadip and Nunertek islands, was abducted and stabbed on 25 July 2013. The assailants attempted to cut off his left […]

Every ninety minutes a woman is raped in Sri Lanka, said Women for Rights at a press conference held in Colombo on July 14. The organisation further said that Sri Lanka is 5thon a list regarding domestic violence. Crimes causing violence relating to women and children is on the rise. In Sri Lanka the citizens […]

The AHRC staff joins the international community in the celebration of Malala Day and sends sincere greetings to Malala for her 16th birthday “Even if they come to kill me, I will tell them what they are trying to do is wrong, that education is our basic right.” These words are from the well-known, young […]

Sachin Kumar Jain Perhaps, I may not arrive at any conclusions in this feature article. I am in a dilemma over the veracity of the data available on the state agriculture. Perhaps you could help me in this effort. Chances are you could be befuddled as me on the matter! In 2012 Madhya Pradesh government […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward to you the following open letter addressed to Senator Bob Carr, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, from a group of Australian scholars expressing their concern about the abduction and disappearance of Lao activist Sombath Somphone in December 15, 2012. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong […]

The District Court Judge of Homagama, Sunil Abeysinghe and his guard Constable were arrested yesterday (May 30, 2013) allegedly while receiving a bribe of Rs. 300,000/= in order to return a favourable judgement to the bribe giver. Immediately after the illegal removal of Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayke and the appointment of Mohan Peiris as the […]

The Fundamental Rights case of Ganeshan Nimalaruban was taken before the Supreme Court yesterday. The Bench consisted of: Mohan Peiris CJ, P. A Ratnayake PC J and S Hettige J. In the course of submissions by the petitioner’s lawyers, Chief Justice Mohan Peiris made the following remarks: “When the prison is under siege do you […]

We, the representatives of the indigenous people’s organizations of India’s North East concerned over the issue of water and adverse impacts of mega development processes, such as mega dam constructions, mining in the region, coming together on 17 – 18 May 2013 at Dimapur, Nagaland unanimously resolved to: Affirm that water is life and inherent […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received worrying information regarding the imminent inundation and subsequent loss of livelihood for the inhabitants of Balapur Village, Mahadevpuri VDC, ward no. 6, Banke district. This follows a recent field visit undertaken with colleagues from FIAN Nepal. The inundation, caused by the completion of a canal […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding chronic water shortage plaguing the lives of Dalit residents of Duma village in Mugu district of Nepal during a field visit undertaken together with colleagues from FIAN Nepal. In absence of tapper water supply to their village, they have to fetch their water […]

Dear friends: The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information regarding peaceful rallies that took place on March 12, 2013, in observance of International Rivers Day, regarding opposition to the Chakpi Multipurpose Hydroelectric Project. The dam is proposed to be built over Chakpi River in Chandel District, Manipur in the Northeast of India near the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding peaceful protests against the adoption of the European Union (EU) Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the Indian government. The cases took place on 24 February in Maram Khullen, 28 February in Chandel and on 2 March of 2013 in Thamnapokpi. Demonstrators called for […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Centre for Research and Advocacy, Manipur regarding continued eviction of floating hut dwellers and destruction of their floating huts at Loktak Lake by the Loktak Development Authority (LDA) of the Government of Manipur and Manipur Police on 23 February 2013. Worryingly, the assault […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti about brutal police assault on villagers who were peacefully protesting against forcible acquisition of their lands. The 12 platoon strong mobilisation that culminated in the assault started around midnight and the police finally entered the village around 4 in […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learnt about 78 families belonging to fisherfolk community facing threats of imminent eviction during a field visit undertaken by its Programme Coordinator for Right to Food Programme together with a representative of Defend Job Philippines. The local authorities had served the notice of eviction to these […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learnt about the imminent threat to lives of thousands of families in the Narmada Valley which encompasses large tracts of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh through an urgent action alert issued by the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA). The NBA has learnt about an impending meeting of the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Mapithel Dam Affected Villagers Organisation and the Committee on the Protection of Natural Resources in Manipur that the villagers of Riha, Thawai, Lamlai Khullen, Chadong along the Thoubal River in Ukhrul district, Manipur are likely to be evicted by force to complete […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding illegal sand mining in the Meghna River adjacent to the Mayadip and Nunertek islands. There has been an investigation conducted by the government of Bangladesh, following intervention by the Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing of the United Nation, which itself followed the […]

(Hong Kong, September 05, 2012) “This is taking the Ghandhian method to the water. To be submerged in water continuously for so many days is more difficult, in fact, than fasting…” Mr. Basil Fernando, Director – Polices and Programmes said referring to the ongoing protest in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, India by the villagers who lost […]

The ongoing protest by village communities acting against the increase of water level in the Omkareshwar Dam is unique in several aspects. The protest, which has completed 11 days today, is directed against the Madhya Pradesh state government that has failed to adequately rehabilitate those who have lost their land and livelihood to this ‘development’ […]