Freedom of religion

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that an anchor person working for a prominent television channel has incited Muslims in Pakistan to kill – to devastating effect. The targets are followers of the Muslim Ahmadi sect, a group which has been declared non-Islamic under the constitution of Pakistan. The first […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) and the International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) hasten to bring to your urgent attention the ongoing violence reported from the state of Orissa, India. It is reported that as of now in Orissa, particularly in parts of the state […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that the police allegedly ordered parents to pay a bribe of 150000 riels (US$37.5) each if their sons were not to be arrested after these youths had damaged a party sign in Soeung commune, Bor Keo district, Rattankiri province. On 2 July 2008, they arrested […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes with deep concern on the issuance of a decree banning a religious minority, Ahmadiyah, from spreading their religious practices by the government on 9 June 2008. The AHRC is concerned that the decree would encourage other Muslim groups critical of them to carry out more attacks […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed of yet another attack on a peaceful gathering of groups advocating religious freedom by a group of Muslims in Jakarta on 1 June 2008. The policemen, who were in the area when it happened, failed to intervene to prevent the attack. At least 28 […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding another attack against a religious group by other religious groups in West Java on 27 April 2008. As a result of the attack a mosque was burnt down and other facilities were damaged. The AHRC has previously reported the attacks against the group […]

A 27 year old Hindu worker, Mr. Jagdesh Kumar was killed by fellow Muslim workers on the charge of blasphemy in the presence of more than two dozen policemen including an officer. The police and factory management made no attempt to stop the factory workers killing the young man. Some reports suggest that the victim […]

(Hong Kong, September 20, 2007) The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) on Thursday urged the Buddhist community worldwide to join with monks in Burma and boycott anybody from or associated with its military regime. “We urge the honourable members of the Sangha (Buddhist community) everywhere to follow the example set by their counterparts in Burma […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the continued attacks and threats to the minority Islamic sect Ahmadiyah in Tasikmalaya, West Java, from 19-26 June 2007. An Ahmadiyah mosque was attacked by mobs from three other Islamic sects, and there are continuous threats from the mobs to ban the religion. […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from KontraS regarding the continued violation of religious freedom in Indonesia by alleged “extremist” elements of society and the police. Several cases have been reported in mid-June 2007 in Surakarta, locally referred to as Solo (Central Java) in which religious sects (either Christian or […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) received the information that a 17-year-old Hindu girl, Deepa has been missing since she was abducted by her Muslim tuition teacher on 31 December 2006. It is alleged that she was forcibly converted to Muslim and married to the said teacher. It is also reported that the […]

[NOTICE: The AHRC have developed a new automatic letter-sending system using the “button” below. However, in this appeal, we could not include e-mail addresses of some of the Cambodian authorities. We encourage you to send your appeal letters via fax or post to those people. Fax numbers and postal addresses of the Cambodian authorities are […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you about the prolonged detention of two farmers in Davao Oriental province, the Philippines. Both of them have been detained for almost three years without any progress in their case because the prosecution witnesses failed to appear in court on six occasions. One of […]

PHILIPPINES: Harassment, intimidation and illegal searches; violence against the religious community; arbitrary and abusive acts by police officers; collapse of rule of law ————————————- Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you about the alleged illegal search and harassment at the convent of Contemplative Sisters of the Good Shepherds (CGS) in […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is shocked by the October 30 air attack on a religious school that reportedly killed around 100 persons at Damadola, near Khar in the Bajaur tribal district on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan. There are many serious questions arising from the attack. Among them, the two most pressing […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the recent repression of Hindu religious minorities by Muslim extremists in Karachi, Sindh province, Pakistan. In particular, the local police has not only refused to record the complaints from the victims and launch investigations into the incident, but also actively collaborated with alleged […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has been informed about two separate incidents against the religious minority called Ahmadi sect in Punjab province, Pakistan. In one case, the Daily Al-Fazal run by Ahmadi sect was banned by the Punjab government for the reason of disseminating “hate-literature”. In another case, about 100 Ahmadis of Jhando […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has come to learn of several cases involving the demolition or at least partial damage of Hindu temples in Malaysia following orders by government authorities. Furthermore, in addition to such acts, which are a violation of domestic laws, those ordered to carry out the destruction have used […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding a fabricated case filed against Dattu Rupa Valvi (33), Vijay Rupa Valvi (45), Ganesh Rupa Valvi (36) and five other Christian adivasis with regards to a broken Hindu deity in Mogalbara village, Surat district, Gujurat on 13 February 2004. On February 13 Dattu Rupa Valvi […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that adivasis (indigenous people) in the Dangs District in the Indian state of Gujarat are living in fear as a Hindu festival in their district from 11 to 13 February 2006 approaches. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu fundamentalist organisation, is mobilising about 500,000 non-adivasis from […]