Extrajudicial killings

NEPAL: Authorities must arrest Major Niranjan Basnet, the accused in the Maina Sunuwar murder case, arriving in Kathmandu today

Basnet is repatriated by the UN from his posting in Chad as the UN is informed about a pending arrest warrant against the officer from a court in Nepal. While the government of Nepal is expected to arrest Basnet upon his arrival at Thribhuvan international airport in Kathmandu today, it is equally the responsibility of […]

PHILIPPINES: AHRC launches online petition to revoke Maguindanao’s martial law

(Hong Kong, December 9, 2009) The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) today launched an online petition to call upon the members of the Philippine Congress to revoke a proclamation which placed the province of Maguindanao, in southern Philippines, under martial law.  Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed the Proclamation No. 1959 on December 4. However, the […]

BANGLADESH: A former liberation fighter gets state honours at his funeral, but no investigation into his murder in custody

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that the Khulna police have killed a man in a so-called ‘encounter’. The victim was known as a freedom-fighter for his role in the Bangladesh liberation from Pakistan, but no investigations have been made into his death after he was illegally arrested and detained. Relatives […]

PHILIPPINES: Three journalists who survived the Maguindanao massacre fear for their lives

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is closely monitoring the investigation into the massacre in Maguindanao on November 23, which left 57 people dead, among them two human rights lawyers and 30 local journalists. The AHRC is deeply concerned for the safety of three journalists who escaped. More than a week into the […]

PHILIPPINES: How could the ‘Maguindanao massacre’ have been allowed to happen? — Asian Human Rights Commission

(“We don’t care about it, we don’t know about it” – the Acting Head of the Provincial Police)     As it has been widely reported, 57 people-including two human rights lawyers and 30 journalists – were slaughtered on November 23 in Maguindanao, a province in central Mindanao. While much of the stories and worldwide […]

INDIA: Encounter killings are exposed as murder in Assam, yet police refuse to investigate

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about the extrajudicial killing of two men by soldiers of the Kumaon Regiment, Assam. The men were reported to have been killed in an encounter incident, but they were in custody and had left notes hidden in their clothing that predicted their murder. The […]

PHILIPPINES: LRWC and ALRC denounce massacre on November 23, 2009 in Maguindanao Province

Wednesday, November 25, 2009 Lawyers Rights Watch Canada (LRWC) and the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) condemn the execution of two human rights lawyers, Concepcion Brizuela and Cynthia Oquendo, along with 55 others in the November 23, 2009 massacre in Maguindanao province of the Philippines. condemn government failure to investigate the murders of more that […]

UPDATE (Philippines): Four years after his murder a widow is still waiting for the investigation report of her activist husband’s death

Dear Friends,   The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes with deep regrets with regard to the lack of substantial progress in the investigation of the murder of an activist we reported to have been killed on November 28, 2005. His wife has yet to obtain a copy of the official reinvestigation report into his […]

PHILIPPINES: Three people die, including a 7-year-old boy, when policemen illegally demolish shanties of informal settlers

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) deeply regrets to inform you that three persons have been killed, including a 7-year-old boy, when a group of policemen opened fire at the informal settlers who resisted an illegal demolition in Pasay City. When the demolition was carried out the demolition team had no valid court […]

BANGLADESH: Government should probe extrajudicial killings and reform the system instead of making denials — Asian Human Rights Commission

Bangladesh’s Minister for Home Affairs Ms. Sahara Khatun has reportedly said that “no ‘crossfire’ killing [has] occurred since her party has assumed office” in January this year while she was speaking to the media yesterday, 17 November 2009. The minister made this statement on the same day when a Division Bench of the High Court […]

UPDATE (Philippines): The remains of two victims of extra-judicial execution have been stolen

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has just learned that the remains of two persons, believed to have been summarily executed by police officers, have been stolen from their graves. The family of the victims had requested that their bodies be exhumed to collect evidence, but they were told that there was no […]

INDONESIA: The killing of a Papuan at a demonstration remains unpunished

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is concerned that no one has been held accountable for the shooting of indigenous Papuan Mr. Opinus Tabuni over a year ago during an operation by armed forces, and no progress has been seen in the investigation. Mr. Tabuni was shot dead in Wamena during a celebration […]

INDIA: Director General of Police in Manipur confirms extrajudicial execution of more than 260 persons in Manipur in the past eleven months

Independent Citizens Fact Finding Mission to Manipur, Imphal, November 7, 2009 PRESS RELEASE A team of concerned citizens comprising of Dr. K. S. Subramanian IPS, formerly of the Manipur-Tripura cadre and currently visiting professor, Jamia Millia University, New Delhi; Mr. Sumit Chakravartty, Editor, Mainstream; Ms. Kavita Srivastava, National Secretary PUCL; and Ms. Vasundhara Jairath of […]

PHILIPPINES: An urban poor leader and her son killed for defending their dwelling

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) deeply regrets to inform you of the death by shooting of an urban poor leader and her son in Quezon City, Metro Manila on October 9, 2009. The victims were shot at close range by security guards when they tried to prevent them from fencing off their […]

PAKISTAN: Military is the main obstacle in the investigation of extrajudicial killings of three Baloch nationalists — Asian Human Rights Commission

No progress has been made in the investigation into the extrajudicial , Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, Sher Mohammad Baloch and Lala Muneer Jan Baloch, after their abduction by the persons from the military, frontier corps (FC) and intelligence agencies, on April 3, 2009 from their lawyer’s office. It is reported that the army and FC, who […]

UPDATE (India): A human rights defender has been tortured in custody and remains at risk

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is distressed to learn that human rights defender and freelance journalist Jiten Yumnam has been tortured by police in custody. We have also obtained court documents which show that he and the seven other accused were arrested on mere suspicion and unsubstantiated allegations. The documents stand as […]

INDIA: A detained human rights defender is at risk of false charges and torture

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is extremely concerned for the safety of human rights defender and freelance journalist Jiten Yumnam, who it has learned, has been arrested and detained in Manipur. Jiten was reportedly taken into custody by officers from the Manipur State Police Special Commando Unit stationed at Imphal West Police […]

INDONESIA: Police officers torture a man to death and falsify his autopsy report

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that police from Slawi station in Central Java tortured a man to death shortly after his arrest and torture by Tegal station police. The victim was reportedly forced to confess to a crime that he did not commit, with the post mortem report fabricated by […]

INDONESIA: A theft suspect is tortured to death by police in Aceh

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Krueng Raya police arrested a man without a warrant and tortured him in custody. He died in hospital on the day of his arrest, however no legal action has been initiated against the officers responsible.  CASE DETAILS:  According to the Aceh Legal Aid […]

INDIA: Encounter killing and custodial torture, a disgrace for the nation

Statement | India | 13-08-2009

India will celebrate its 62nd year of independence tomorrow. While politicians and national leaders celebrate the Independence Day, delivering speeches and attending dinners, they will have to struggle to explain why often men and women in the country lose their life each year in encounters with the law enforcement agencies. The policy makers of the […]