Freedom of expression

Governmental repressions continue as Bangladesh keeps curbing the civic space of the people with impunity. The Sheikh Hasina government has systematically using multiple technics and spying technological tools to curb the freedom of expression in online and off-line. The pro-regime cyber-worriers have launched a trend of creating fake copyright disputes over the contents that criticise the government. […]

By Basil Fernando The people of Sri Lanka, like those in several other countries, are learning that their past could cost them their lives and the lives of their loved ones and those of many others. Covid-19 seems to be mocking them. It seems to ask “Can’t you find someone among yourself who is capable of […]

By Basil Fernando As the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) is reaching its first year of governance, which some may call non governance, the question that may be in the minds of many is where is it going? That is a question relevant not only for the SLPP but for the people of the entire […]

By Basil Fernando As compared to the key words and concepts which were commonly used in the social movements of Sri Lanka which were sometimes also referred to as Leftist movements, the language that is now being used has undergone a very significant change. These changes are not merely a change of words and expressions […]

An Open Letter from the Asian Human Rights Commission to Inspector General of Police, Mr. C. D. Wickramaratne Inspector-General of Police, Mr. C. D. Wickramaratne New Secretariat, Colombo 01. SRI LANKA Fax: + 94 11 2 440440 / 327877 Email: igp@police.lk Dear Mr. C. D. Wickramaratne SRI LANKA: The Complaint by a young mother of […]

An amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure allowing the Magistrates to visit places of detention has been turned into a political issue by a section of the government and by some extreme nationalist elements. What this means is that the opposition to the amendment is supporting the continuous practice of torture in Sri Lanka. […]

The link to the newsletter is as follows Neglect and loss is a newsletter containing reports and commentaries on current problems in several Asian countries. Today, we are issuing the Seventh (7) newsletter in this series. The purpose of the newsletter is to highlight many forms of unnecessary human suffering imposed on ordinary people in these […]

Torture is still taking place in Indonesia. There is a serious gap between national regulation and international Human Rights Laws. Indonesia is a State Party to two important international human rights instruments. They are the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading […]

An article from Thuppahi’s Blog, written by Michael Roberts forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Basil Fernando: A Short Abstract re the book Body, Mind, Soul, Society: An Autobiographical Account This book (176 pages) is an attempt to contribute towards an understanding of the impact of violence on human persons and the society. It […]

The link to the newsletter is as follows Neglect and loss is a newsletter containing reports and commentaries on current problems in several Asian countries. Today, we are issuing the fifth (5) newsletter in this series. The purpose of the newsletter is to highlight many forms of unnecessary human suffering imposed on ordinary people in these […]

Download the Full Statement Here The protests continued in different parts of Myanmar despite the crackdown by the junta. The clashes between the junta forces and the civil resistance fighters or Ethnic Armed Organizations also emerged in several places in Myanmar, such as in Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Chin, Shan, Sagaing and Yangon States/Regions. The Karen Peace […]

The Bangladesh Government continues its ruthless campaign of gagging freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly. In the spree of muzzling the people’s freedom of expression, hundreds have been arbitrarily detained under the Digital Security Act-2018, Anti-Terrorism Act-2009, Special Powers Act-1974, Official Secrets Act-1923, the Penal Code-1860, and other draconian laws under the incumbent Government of Sheikh Hasina. Investigative Journalist […]

On May 18th, the Gwangju uprising is being celebrated in the Republic of Korea as well as elsewhere. It has been the position of the Asian Human Rights Commission that May 18th should be recognized as a universal day of commemoration and also reaffirm the commitment to democracy, human rights, and human dignity. The most […]

A Statement from ANFREL forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Download the Full Statement Here The pro-democracy protests continued across the country in different townships despite the continuing lethal attacks by the junta forces and arrets of protests and the youth. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) figures showed that as of 9 May, […]

This article is part of the Anatomy of a pandemic series. Click here for the first part.) By Avinash Pandey The World sent India millions in Covid Aid. Why it is not reaching those who need it most screams the headline of a CNN report. A reporter in the daily press briefing of the United States’ Department of State raised […]

The link to the newsletter is as follows. Neglect and loss is a newsletter containing reports and commentaries on current problems in several Asian countries. The purpose of the newsletter is to highlight many forms of unnecessary human suffering imposed on ordinary people in these countries due to the neglect of authorities to carry out their […]

A Statement from Anfrel forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission The pro-democracy protests continued across the country while the Myanmar community outside of the country also conducted the protests in places such as London, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo and Seoul. The protests started again in Yangon last week just before the ASEAN summit after a […]

The Bangladesh Government continues using dis-proportionate lethal force and brutal crackdowns on dissidents. The authorities have been using the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the excuses for denying the rights of liberties and livelihoods to the people. The Bangladesh Government, in its signature style, chose to crackdown on protesters for staging two peaceful protests. They were aimed […]

A Statement from ANFREL forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Download the Full Statement Here The protests continued for the 12th week across the country despite the brutal crackdown. After a weeks- long absence, protesters returned to the streets in downtown Yangon ahead of the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting. The media also reported that more than […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and its sister organization, the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC), have long history of journey working with local human rights networks and organizations in Indonesia. In addition, the AHRC also has long experiences working with association of victims and family of victims of past human rights abuses such as […]