Extrajudicial killings

UPDATE (Philippines): No protection for family of murdered activist facing continuing threats

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you regarding the continuing threats to the family of murdered activist Jose Manegdeg III (a.k.a. Pepe). They are forced to take security measures by themselves due to the lack of protection and assistance by the authorities for nearly two years on. The police investigating […]

UPDATE (Indonesia): Final review appeal begins on Munir’s death

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) had been informed that the final review appeal into the Supreme Court’s ruling acquitting the sole suspect into the death of a prominent human rights activist, Mr. Munir Said Thalib, has began on 16 August 2007. Munir died of arsenic poisoning on a Garuda Indonesia Airways flight […]

INDIA: Eleven children and a young man shot dead in Chhattisgarh by the Indian Reserve Battalion

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Chhattisgarh state, India regarding the killing of eleven children and a young man in Nendra village of Dantewada district. The incident happened on March 13, 2007. The children and the man killed in the incident were from the tribal community of the state. […]

UPDATE (Thailand): Commander testifies that he left for dinner instead of overseeing Tak Bai protest operation

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information on the postmortem inquest into the deaths of 78 persons in 2004 at Tak Bai, Narathiwat, Thailand. The commander of the dispersal operation testified that he stayed inside the police station for most of the time during the dispersal; and when more than […]

UPDATE (Burma): First report of death in fuel protests; courts closed; monks to refuse donations from officials

Dear friends, This is the latest update by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) on the protests against fuel price increases in Burma: a leader of the protests has reportedly been tortured to death; courts in Rangoon have been closed for more than two weeks; arrests have continued, particularly in the delta area; monks in […]

UPDATE (Philippines): Trial begins for soldiers charged with homicide after a three-year delay

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that the eight military men, including a sergeant, who are charged of homicide for the death of a couple nearly three years ago in Tagum City, Mindanao, have already been arraigned. This is a significant progress following years of delay in the case. […]

BANGLADESH: Alleged extrajudicial killing of a carpenter by army personnel at Moulovibazar

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received a report from Odhikar, a human rights organization in Bangladesh, regarding the alleged extrajudicial killing of a carpenter by army personnel from the Moulovibazar Army Camp on or around 18 June 2007. It is reported that the victim was arrested by a team of 15 […]

THAILAND: Death in custody and alleged torture of man in southern Thailand

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information of the torture and death of a man in custody in southern Thailand. The AHRC calls for a thorough police investigation and prosecution of those responsible. CASE DETAILS: According to information from the Working Group on Justice for Peace (WGJP), on 27 June 2007 […]

PHILIPPINES: Police kill farmer in front of his family; another activist disappears

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) deeply regrets to inform you that another farmer has been killed and a community organizer disappeared. Policemen shot dead farmer Arturo Tolentino in front of his wife and children on October 26 2007 in Samal, Bataan. Another activist, Pedro Calilung, had been reported missing after he was […]

PHILIPPINES: Two activists shot dead respectively by armed group

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) deeply regrets to inform you that two activists were shot dead respectively by armed group. One activist was shot dead in front his wife and children on 17 July 2007. Another activist was dead after a shot on June 15 2007. CASE DETAILS: (based on the Alliance for […]

NEPAL: Army shoots and kills 12-year old girl

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information concerning the alleged extra-judicial killing of 12-year old girl Kamala Shah by a member of the Nepalese army on June 23, 2007. The police have still not registered an FIR or begun investigating this serious incident, which is providing impunity to those responsible for […]

BURMA: Two more alleged killings in police custody; no investigations

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has information of two more alleged killings by the police in Burma that appear to have been successfully covered up. Although in both cases complaints have been made to the authorities, no action is known to have been taken against any of the accused officers. After both […]

UPDATE(Thailand): Another five killings in which Kalasin police suspected of involvement

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is continuing its series of appeals on the alleged torture, abductions and killing committed or organised by police officers in Kalasin, northeastern Thailand, over the last three to four years. In this update we report on the killing and abduction of four more persons in which these […]

INDONESIA: Alleged extrajudicial killing of a man and attempt to cover up by Tombolo Pao police in South Sulawesi

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from KontraS (The Commission for Disappearances and Victims of Violence) regarding the illegal arrest and alleged extra-judicial killing of Caci Bin Tibu by the Tombolo Pao Police on 26 June 2007. The victim was arrested without a warrant, and later his body was returned […]

PHILIPPINES: No action against soldiers who kill youth; another activist survives attack

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) deeply regrets to inform you that no action has been taken against the soldiers, including a lieutenant, accused in killing youth leader Nelson Asucena, six months ago in Rizal, Cagayan. No investigation was conducted despite the filing of criminal charges against them in court. In a separate […]

UPDATE(Burma): Family of young man killed by local council members intimidated & kept in the dark

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is sorry to inform that as feared local officials in Rangoon appear to have successfully covered up their murder of a young man in March (UA-096-2007). The family of Ko Naing Oo has not been notified about any of the legal proceedings or other matters since his […]

SRI LANKA: ICJ concerned about grave human rights situation and effectiveness of criminal justice system: Asks President to consider establishment of human rights field operation

For immediate release 15 June 2007 Meeting with the President of Sri Lanka yesterday, the Secretary-General of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) expressed serious concern about the grave human rights situation in Sri Lanka, including, renewed patterns of enforced disappearances and targeted killings of civilians, as well as shrinking space for civil society. “I […]

UPDATE (Thailand): Rights commissioner tells court that no evidence victims of police killings were insurgents

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information on the post-mortem inquest into the killing of 19 young men by the police in southern Thailand during 2004 (UP-075-2007). At the end of May, a member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of Thailand told the court investigating the killings that […]

UPDATE (Philippines): Killing of two peasants and wounding of six others in a violent attack

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) deeply regrets to inform you that another two peasants were killed while six others were wounded when security guards of an influential landlord open fired on them on 4 June 2007. The guards started shooting at the farmers to prevent them from entering a portion of the […]

INDONESIA: At least 5 villagers allegedly shot dead by Navy force in Pasuruan, East Java

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding alleged extra judicial killings of at least 5 villagers in Pasuruan on 30 May 2007. Such incident happened for the reason that the villagers were trying to halt the cultivation process conducted by Rajawali Nusantara Corporation (RNC) in a dispute land. Several Navy […]