Freedom of expression

The government decision to call for registration of websites that publish any material relating to Sri Lanka has come under severe criticism from local journalists and other concerned persons and groups and also from many international organisations. While requiring registration the government has taken action to close down the facilities for the viewing of several […]

President Mahinda Rajapaksa Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Temple Trees Colombo 3, Sri Lanka 31 October 2011 Dear President Rajapaksa, Reporters Without Borders, an international organization that defends freedom of information, would like to share with you its concern about the threats received last week by Frederica Jansz, the editor of The Sunday Leader. […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Iis Suparti suffered a miscarriage while taking part in a strike and peaceful protest on 6 May 2011 in the front of the PT Micro Garment factory. Employees of the factory were protesting against the violation of their labour rights. The Solokan Jeruk […]

Dear friends, The AHRC has received information regarding the killing of at least one person and the arrest of hundreds of participants at the Third Papuan People’s Congress including Forkorus Yaboisembut and Edison Waromi on 19 October 2011 in Abepura, Papua. Concerns about the safety of the arrested persons and the need for an investigation […]

The Indonesian military and police started shooting at around 2:37pm West Papua time, yesterday 19 October. Information about what exactly transpired are still sketchy but at least one person was shot (believed dead), scores have been arrested, hundreds have fled to the hills and jungle surrounding the capital, and the capital is in a state […]

(Hong Kong, October 19, 2011) At around 3pm today the security forces surrounding the Third Papuan People’s Congress in Indonesia opened fire and dispersed the event. Possible casualties are not known as of now. Several persons are reported to have been arrested, including Forkorus Yaboisembut and Edison Waromi, indigenous political leaders. The AHRC has received […]

(Hong Kong, Jayapura, October 19, 2011) About 100 TNI soldiers and several members of the mobile brigade of the police (BRIMOB) are reported to have approached closer to the location where the Third Papuan People’s Congress in Jayapura, Papua is currently being held. The organisers fear that the mass violence frequently perpetrated by the armed […]

Among the many analyses of the release of a couple of hundred political prisoners in a total of over 6000 detainees let out of Burma’s prisons last week, the most precise and succinct came from a famous comedian, Zarganar. Imprisoned for criticising the relief effort in the wake of Cyclone Nargis in 2008, Zarganar spoke […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the International People’s Tribunal on Human Rights in Indian-Administered Kashmir (IPTK) and the students of Professor Angana Chatterji and Professor Richard Shapiro concerning acts of persecution by the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) against the two professors. It is alleged that the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the extrajudicial killing of trade union member Peter W. Ayamiseba and the injury of several persons in police shootings during a union protest on October 10, 2011 at PT Freeport Indonesia in West Papua. The workers were protesting against the illegal termination of […]

(Hong Kong, October 12, 2011) The Asian Human Rights Commission today welcomed and strongly endorsed a call by a United Nations expert for the amendment of Thailand’s criminal law so that it cannot be used to silence legitimate public debate. The UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, Frank La Rue, on Monday called on […]

The increase in the government’s tolerance of the actions of the militants and fundamentalists and the subsequent insecurity this causes has put the citizens in a state of wilderness and chaos. The failure of the state to provide security to its citizens and other fundamental rights such as: the right to practice the religion of […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission calls on the Singaporean government to repeal the Internal Security Act (ISA) immediately. The ISA is a draconian law that has been used as a tool to suppress democratic opposition and silence critics for half a century. It also poses a constant threat to the human rights of people in […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information from the Institute for Research, Recognition and Development of Legal Aid (LP3BH) in West Papua regarding the sentencing of another Papuan student and the acquittal of four others in relation to their involvement in a peaceful protest on 14 December 2010. While the […]

Malice, hatred and discrimination against Ahmadi Muslim students in Pakistan are part of a wider scheme to cripple Ahmadis educationally, economically and socially. Ahmadis were declared a non Muslim minority in Pakistan by the amendment in the Constitution and they cannot perform their religious duties in open places, nor can they declare themselves Muslims. And […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Krishan Jeewaka Jayaruk of Matara District is the regional news reporter of the Sinhala medium ‘Lankadeepa’ and English medium ‘Daily Mirror’ news papers, both are the of the most widely circulated newspapers in the island. On 1 September 2011 he received death […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that VFM, one of the Sri Lanka’s leading national electronic media institutions networks, journalist Mr. Ruwan Sugathadasa of Gangaarama Road, Boralesgamuwa in the Colombo District was assaulted by an unknown group of people on 2 September 2011. Ruwan is a journalist by profession and […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward to you the following open letter from the Committee to Protect Journalists to the Prime Minister of Nepal, expressing concerns regarding a plan to massively withdraw criminal cases against party and movement leaders which may include cases involving murders of journalists. Asian Human Rights […]

Dear friends,  The Manokwari district court in West Papua has sentenced two peaceful activists to seven and a half months and two years imprisonment respectively. The trial was characterised by a series of violations of the Indonesian criminal procedure and appeared to be politicised and biased. The victims had participated in a peaceful protest in […]

Dear friends,  The Jayapura regional police in West Papua have charged eight medical workers with incitement and objectionable acts following their peaceful protest against regulation 141/2010 by the provincial governor. The regulation deprives the Jayapura hospital’s medical workers of certain payments. An earlier request to meet and discuss the situation was ignored by the governor. […]