Freedom of expression

8 พฤษภาคม 2555 แถลงการณ์คณะกรรมาธิการสิทธิมนุษยชนแห่งเอเชีย (AHRC) เมื่อวันที่ 30 เมษายน 2555 ศาลอาญา กรุงเทพฯ มีกำหนดอ่านคำพิพากษาในคดีดำหมายเลขที่ 1667/2553 ในความผิดสิบกระทง ที่มีต่อพระราชบัญญัติว่าด้วยการกระทำผิดเกี่ยวกับคอมพิวเตอร์ พ.ศ.2550 จำเลยในคดีนี้ คือ น.ส.จีรนุช เปรมชัยพร อายุ 44 ปี เว็บมาสเตอร์ของหนังสือพิมพ์ออนไลน์ประชาไท ซึ่งเป็นสื่ออิสระ แต่แทนที่จะมีการอ่านคำพิพากษา เพียง 20 นาที ก่อนจะถึงกำหนดการ ทางเจ้าหน้าที่ศาลแจ้งต่อน.ส.จีรนุชและทนายของเธอว่า ศาลจะมีคำสั่งในอีกหนึ่งเดือนถัดไป โดยศาลให้เหตุผลที่กำกวมเกี่ยวกับการเลื่อนการอ่านคำพิพากษา โดยอ้างว่า เนื่องจากมีพยานเอกสารจำนวนมากที่ต้องอ่าน และไม่สามารถเตรียมคำพิพากษาได้ทันตามเวลาที่กำหนด ทั้งความล่าช้าและเหตุผลของความล่าช้า ทำให้เกิดข้อกังวลอย่างจริงจัง ต่อคณะกรรมาธิการสิทธิมนุษยชนแห่งเอเชีย (Asian Human Rights Commission: AHRC) เนื่องจากผู้พิพากษาได้กำหนดวันอ่านคำพิพากษา ตั้งแต่กลางเดือนกุมภาพันธ์ 2555 ซึ่งเป็นวันสุดท้ายของการสืบพยานคดีแล้ว ในช่วงเวลานั้น ผู้พิพากษาย่อมทราบดีถึงคดีและปริมาณของพยานหลักฐานที่ต้องพิจารณา หากมีความจำเป็นต้องขยายระยะเวลาก่อนจะมีคำสั่ง ผู้พิพากษาก็ต้องกำหนดวันนัดในภายหลัง แต่การที่ผู้พิพากษาไม่ได้กำหนดวันนัดฟังคำพิพากษาใหม่ภายหลัง ทำให้เกิดข้อสงสัยต่อข้อแก้ตัวที่เลื่อนการอ่านคำพิพากษา รวมทั้งข้อสงสัยต่อพฤติการณ์การแจ้งข้อมูลให้จำเลยรับทราบ […]

On 30 April 2012, the Criminal Court in Bangkok was scheduled to read its verdict in Black Case No. 1667/2553 on ten alleged violations of the 2007 Computer Crimes Act. The defendant is Chiranuch Premchaiporn, the 44-year-old webmaster of Prachatai, an independent online news site. Suddenly, instead of reading the decision, 20 minutes before the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding a police raid on the office of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) and Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) in Diponegoro Street, Jakarta, following a student protest against the government’s plan to raise the price of fuel. Fifty four people were arrested […]

Nilantha Ilangamuwa I ask no monument, proud and high, To arrest the gaze of the passers-by; All that my yearning spirit craves, Is bury me not in a land of slaves – Frances Harper Read this carefully. Our politicians are not that stupid but maybe we are? You may have different answers: we may debate […]

The attempt by the Supreme Court of India to draw-up operative principles for the media outlining the contours of Article 19 (1) (a) of the constitution is an exercise that the Court should not venture into. In fact, the Court does not have a constitutional mandate to do so. It is within the realm of […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the arrest and trial of Alexander Aan, a 31-year-old civil servant in Padang, West Sumatra, who was arrested for posting a status on Facebook questioning the existence of god and administering a Facebook group called Ateis Minang (Minang Atheists). He is also being charged for […]

A Press Release from Freedom Against Censorship Thailand (FACT) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) 16-04-12 You’re invited! Come to support Somyot Pruksakasemsuk on these upcoming trial dates as trial observers. As much may be learned from prosecution witnesses as the defence. The next trial date will start from Wednesday, April 18, 2012. […]

The harassment of Ms. Sandya Ekneligoda by the government’s supporters in Geneva and by the Attorney General’s department, for joining the UN Human Rights Council Mrs. Sandya Ekneligoda was one of the speakers during a side event held on 19th March 2012 during the 19th sessions of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. The […]

Reading the speech of the prime minister and that of the home minister of India, one could easily get carried away by the thought that they are not in fact referring to India, but to some other country in the world. Both ministers were addressing the chief ministers of the country in a conference organised […]

Referring to the reactions of the government of West Bengal to demands of public causes and justice under the leadership of Ms. Mamata Banerjee, as paranoid, would be in fact an understatement. The state government led by the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) that was elected to power – reflecting the people’s wish for change, […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward you the following statement from the mother of Premakumar Gunarathnam and his sister. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong —————————– A statement from the mother of Premakumar Gunarathnam and his sister, forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) Earlier, we reported about the abduction of […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) condemns the recent ruthless, barbaric, and torturous murder of Mr Abdul Qudoos Ahmad, a school teacher, Ahmadi religious group of Islam. The AHRC calls on the Pakistan government to immediately bring the perpetrators to justice. The level of ruthless barbarity seen in this murder is unacceptable and seldom. It […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward you the following statement from the movement for people’s struggle and the Frontline Socialist party. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong —————————– A statement from the movement for people’s struggle and the Frontline Socialist party forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) This […]

Mr. Premakumar Gunarathnam the leader of the JVP dissident group and Ms. Dimuthu Attigala a member of the same group are reported to be missing from yesterday night. According to a report, published today in the Daily Mirror, both have been arrested. However the grounds on which they were arrested or the location of the place of […]

Salem News interviewed one of the exiled journalists of Sri Lanka. (CHENNAI / COLOMBO) – Nilantha Ilangamuwa is an ambitious young journalist purged by the government for his conviction to uphold freedom of speech and independence of media in the island nation. He was taunted by the agents of the government and its secret service […]

By Nilantha Ilangamuwa  Directions and instructions are determinations of action which have an influence upon a number of minor circumstances too numerous and unimportant for general laws. — Carl von Clausewitz  A new chapter of politics is emerging in Sri Lanka after the UN resolution adopted at the 19th session of the UNHRC in Geneva. […]

From the history of the media in South Korea, the government of the military dictatorship controlled media as well as newspapers and instructed them as to what should be posted and broadcasted. There was one journalist who collected the instructions given by then government and revealed them with other journalists both in a magazine and […]

The Alliance of Media Organizations is disturbed by the recent wave of hate speeches and slanderous personal attacks directed against media personnel and human rights activists in the country, in the aftermath of the United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution on Sri Lanka. Last week, Minister Mervyn Silva, addressing a public rally, threatened to ‘break […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that an editor of a daily newspaper was terminated from his job after threats of the filing of a blasphemy case against him. Threats of blasphemy cases were also made against the publisher, editor and editor of the editorial page by Muslim fundamentalists. After […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding police shooting at farmers on 2 February 2012 in Rokan Hulu regency, Riau Province. The farmers were peacefully protesting against the activities of a palm plantation company, PT Mazuma Agro Indonesia (PT MAI), on disputed land, when the police opened fire against them. […]