Freedom of expression

Just Asia completes its 200th episode this week. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)’s news programme was launched on 14 October 2013 as the Weekly Roundup, and provided a platform for the stories of those fighting for human rights throughout the Asian region. On its 100th episode, the news program evolved into Just Asia. Basil Fernando, Director […]

In 2017, Nepal saw local elections taking place in the country after more than two decades. Federal Parliament and Provincial Assembly elections were also conducted this year. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) congratulates the government of Nepal for successfully completing the elections. Voter turnout was high in response to the lack of effective political […]

A Statement from Hong Kong Campaign for the Advancement of Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines (HKCAHRPP), Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN-Hong Kong/ Macau) and Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR-Hong Kong) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission. The Hong Kong Campaign for the Advancement of Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines (HKCAHRPP), […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about two important situations. First, there was a brutal attack against local community members and student activists in the area of the New Yogyakarta international Airport (NYIA). Second, there was the lack of an Environmental Permit. Joint Security Forces, made up of Police officers […]

A Statement from Alliance for the Advancement of Peoples Rights (KARAPATAN)  forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission When we file complaints to the UN, or when we issue any statement or document cases, we ensure that victims, survivors and/or their relatives not only give their consent for their cases to be publicized or filed […]

Reviewed by Basil Fernando The Hand Book for Bare footLawyers and Human Rights Defenders is a very useful and valuable contribution for litigants in Sri Lanka. The book is produced by Janasansadaya, and edited by Chitral Perera and Chandrasena Badhugama. Janasansadaya is a reputed organisation based in Panadura, Sri Lanka, which has been serving litigants from mainly low incomegroups. The […]

A Statement from Center for Trade Union and Human Rights, Inc. (CTUHR) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Twenty workers, trade union organizers and labour rights defenders had been extra-judicially killed since President Duterte came to power and wage its bloody and brutal wars on drugs, on terrorism and insurgency. Women in the informal sector, had […]

The nuclear state surrenders before a religious mob- virtually handing over absolute power and blanket immunity to fundamentalism and militancy The year 2017 in Pakistan has been marked by tussles between state institutions and the army. The chain of events that started with a seemingly whimsical news item about the war of words between the […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned about the following situation. Mr. Setya Novanto, speaker and Chairman of the House of Representatives, was summoned by the KPK(the Corruption Eradication Commission) to take part in an examination process. He is a bribery suspect in the gigantic corruption case of the Electronic Identity Card (E-KTP). There […]

In this video commentary, Mr Basil Fernando of the Asian Human Rights Commission comments on the recommendations of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Legal Affairs, on the expeditious and efficient administration of criminal justice. This Committee made a report on the above topic on the 20th September 2017. In that Report while the Committee admitted that unacceptable and shameful […]

This week Just Asia begins with Indonesia, where the Corruption Eradication Commission finally secured the arrest of Parliament Speaker Mr. Setya Novanto. Novanto is a suspect in the national electronic identity card scheme case, having caused losses of IDR 2.3 trillion. Next, Pakistan observed Universal Children’s Day on November 20 as a mere formality, while […]

An article from www.dawn.com forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission MR Mamnoon Hussain President, Islamic Republic of Pakistan Mohtaram Sadar, (Respected President) I am taking the liberty of seeking Your Excellency’s intervention to secure an end to the plight of six individuals. One of them is a woman journalist and defender of human rights, another is […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the brutal attack against Mr. Saldi Hermanto, a journalist in Timika, Papua. He was attacked by the police after he criticized on Facebook the police handling of security at an entertainment show he attended. Although the Mimika Police Chief has promised to properly […]

by Avinash Pandey More than 3 lakh (300,000) suicides in thirty years and millions of other lives ruined, would qualify as a national disaster, forcing the Government to tackle it all guns blazing in any democracy. Alas, it does not in the one that claims to be the largest democracy of them all-India. In fact […]

This week Just Asia begins with the ninth ASEAN-UN Summit on Monday, where United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the UN wants to work with ASEAN to strengthen the regional bloc’s human rights body. This comes as several ASEAN countries face human rights related controversies. Particularly troubling is Burma’s violence against the Rohingya Muslim minority, […]

15 November 2017 Mr. Anup Raj Sharma Honourable Chairperson National Human Rights Commission Pulchowk, Lalitpur NEPAL Fax: +977 1 55 47973 Tel: +977 1 5010015 E-mail:complaints@nhrcnepal.org nhrc@nhrcnepal.org Dear Mr. Anup Raj Sharma, Re: Maligning campaign against Ms. Mohna Ansari, Member, NHRC and our request for prompt action The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is writing […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from MASUM, our partner organization in West Bengal, about the tactics used by police personnel to intimidate and suppress a human rights activist employed with MASUM, due to their reporting and data collection on human rights violations and abuse of power by Border Security […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about the forced dissolution of a national workshop on access to economic, social and cultural rights for victims and family members of past human rights abuses in Indonesia. The workshop was part of an advocacy effort by victims and human rights groups to seek […]

A Letter from article from Mr. Nagananda Kodotuwakku, Attorney-at-Law ( SL) and Solicitor( UK) and public interest Attorney, on 09th November 2017, to the Bar Association of Sri Lanka forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission READ LETTER HERE The Secretary The Bar Association No 153, Mihindu Mawatha Colombo 12 09th Nov 2017 The need to […]

An article from The Indian Express forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission In India, the shame associated with the naked human body, with exposed skin, makes it easy for police officers to use nudity and sexual abuse as a tool of punishment. This goes back to the theory of punishment our penal system ascribes to – […]