Freedom of religion

We the Catholics of the entire Roman Catholic Diocese of Jaffna, comprising of Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and Jaffna Districts are sad and perturbed to know from the media that Reverend Father Proveen Mahesan, resident at Amathipuram, an Oblate settlement and Rukki Fernando a Human Rights activist of the South have been arrested in the Kilinochchi area […]

For Freedom, Justice and Love – My Closing Statement to the Court Xu Zhiyong, 22 January 2014 This is Xu Zhiyong’s closing statement on January 22, 2014, at the end of his trial. According to his lawyer, he had only been able to read “about 10 minutes of it before the presiding judge stopped him, […]

Introduction The term sovereignty is frequently confronted with hostile claims. Human Right and Anti Corruption Movements are often challenged by various groups with different notions and ideologies on sovereignty.  The purpose of this brief article is to examine some of  the legal issues with reference to the concept of sovereignty in a global political context, […]

Whether fully or partially responsible for a crime, whether involved or not in an offence, women in Pakistan frequently come off worst when it comes to punishment. Gender-biased practises and discriminatory attitudes have become social norms which have even gained the status of religious dictates. Islam, in its original doctrine and essence, promotes equal recognition […]

Each year, in South Asian communities, thousands of young brides lose their lives over dowry disputes. They are burnt, killed or maimed by husbands and in-laws whose material demands remain unfulfilled. Religions including Islam have always been interpreted and applied in favour of men and power structures.  Thus, it is not surprising to notice that   dowry […]

Press Statement on the Report  prepared by Mohan Rao, Ish Mishra, Pragya Singh and Vikas Bajpai, December 30, 2013 A team of independent academics and a journalist carried out an inquiry into the communal violence that shook Muzaffarnagar district in UP this past September. The report is based on the findings of the team during […]

A one-and-a-half-year-old infant was buried four days after she died from pneumonia in Toba Tek Singh, Punjab province. The girl, who was from an Ahmadi family, died on December 19, and was taken for burial the following day. At the cemetery the local clerics gathered with approximately fifty men who were armed with sticks and batons. […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding intimidation by hundreds of villagers together with members of an intolerant group against the Ahmadi congregation in Singkut, Jambi. It was reported that the intimidation is a continuation of previous threats against two Ahmadi families that took place last month, which resulted in […]

The following is a translation of a statement made by Eran Wickramaratne, MP, in Parliament on December 3, 2013. Today, I am going to take the opportunity of the short time accorded to me, to speak on the protection of the lives of those who are being arrested by the police. We all know of the  […]

The full report is available for download at: http://www.humanrights.asia/resources/hrreport/2013/AHRC-SPR-002-2013.pdf/view In commemoration of Human Rights Day on December 10, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is issuing a brief report on the state of human rights in Indonesia. Using the examples of events which took place in 2013, the report highlights three crucial subjects which have been […]

The full report is available for download at: http://www.humanrights.asia/resources/hrreport/2013/AHRC-SPR-005-2013.pdf/view A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on Human Rights Day AHRC releases its Report on the State of Human Rights in Pakistan, 2013 In 2013, the people of Pakistan have remained at the mercy of state and non-state actors who resort to violence as a […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward to you the following press release and declaration from ‘Samsung Labor Watch’. For more information, please directly contact below. Mr. CHO Dae Hwan Samsung Labour Watch Address: 3/F, 135, Dangsan-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Korea Telephone: +82 (0)2 3667 1210 Fax: +82 (0)2 312 1638 e-mail: […]

Mr. Bashir Ahmad Kiyani (70), was murdered as a result of religious hatred in Karachi. He was shot dead while on his way to Friday Prayer Services at the nearby Mosque in Korangi, Karachi. In the last three months both Mr. Kiyani’s son and son-in-law were also killed by Muslim fundamentalists. According to the details […]

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from civil society groups in Madhya Pradesh who have forwarded a fact-finding report regarding another incident of communal violence against Muslims in Khirkiya Nagar Panchayat, Harda District, Madhya Pradesh. The incident, which resulted in numerous people losing movable and immovable property, occurred on 19 […]

(Hong Kong, October 17) Following are excerpts from the press release of the Ahmadyya Jamat Report on the Persecution of Ahmadis in Pakistan, September 2013. The full report may be seen here. In the month of September persecution against Ahmadis continued in Pakistan. In Orangi Town on September 18, Mr. Ijaz Ahmad Kiyani was shot dead […]

Cases of sexual assault on minors have increased in the country during the recent months. During the month of September alone, a number of such cases were registered, however, there are many cases which were not reported because of the fear of a backlash from powerful persons and the police, also some of the cases […]

Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan continue to be persecuted, prosecuted, humiliated, harassed, tortured and subjected to target killings. In the very recent past hundreds of Ahmadis have been murdered for their faith and belief and this horrifying brutality continues under the very eyes of the Government who take no notice or action and blatantly allow the […]

We are forwarding this appeal made on behalf of Ravaya Publication To All Friends, Standing up for media freedom and independence in Sri Lanka Dear colleagues and friends, As you know by now, we as a group have been for the past two months campaigning to raise 20 million SL rupees (US $ 154,000 apprx.) […]

We need to define the concepts of multiculturalism, uniculturalism and monoculturalism before entering into a debate on their application, practice and future direction in Sri Lanka. Multiculturalism refers to that trend in the society where the different cultures are made inclusive, tolerated and accommodated, and these trends are institutionalised in legislation to respect other cultures. […]

By Avinash Pandey Ayodhya was in news, for all the wrong reasons, again. Vishva Hindu Parishad, that venomous organization with equal hatred for the minorities and the nation, had tried to infiltrate into Ayodhya yet again. They were stopped by the state government. It was a game well played. A communal organization has attempted to […]