Human rights defenders

A new United Nations report (A/HRC/36/31) warns that a growing number of human rights defenders around the world are facing reprisals for cooperating with the UN on human rights. The report, ‘Cooperation with the United Nations, its mechanisms and representatives in the field of human rights’, mentions Pakistan among the 29 countries that have retaliated […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) condemns the attacks against the right to freedom of expression, opinion and peaceful assembly that have occurred frequently over the past year in Indonesia. These have occurred despite constitutional and legal guarantees to protect such rights: Article 28 of the Indonesian Constitution states, “Every person shall have the right […]

06 September 2017 Mr. Krishna Bahadur Mahara Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singha Durbar, Kathmandu, Nepal Phone: 977-1- 4200182/183/184/185 Toll Free No: 1660-01-00186 Fax: 977-1- 4200061/056/160 Email: info@mofa.gov.np Dear Mr. Mahara, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) would like to inform you that we are aware that your office […]

A Joint Statement by Asian Human Rights Commission, Amnesty International Indonesia, Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances, Asia Justice and Rights, East Timor & Indonesia Action Network, The Observatory for Protections of Human Rights Defender OBS, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, Human Rights First, Human Rights Watch, Protection International, TAPOL UK and International Federation […]

Perhaps for the first time in the contemporary history of Sri Lanka, an important debate is now taking place on the need for judicial reforms. This debate has come about as a result of a statement made by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka with regard to a public statement made by Deputy Minister Ranjan […]

A Joint Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission, the Advocacy Forum (AF), Amnesty International, Accountability Watch Centre, Conflict Victims’ Common Platform (CVCP), Committee for Social Justice, INSEC, Inhured International, Peoples’ Voice, Voices of Women Media, NEFAD, DFHRI, HURFON and OHR, on the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances The Commission of Investigation […]

This week Just Asia begins with Hong Kong, where there is much protest and outrage against the jailing of three democracy activists for their role in the 2014 Umbrella Movement. Hong Kong’s High Court sentenced Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and Alex Chow to six-eight months imprisonment for the non-violent protest related crime of unlawful assembly […]

Blogger Ahmed Waqas Goraya, who disappeared earlier this year along with four other social media activists, has recently revealed the names of his abductors. Mr. Goraya posted on his Facebook page that Colonel Khalid of the Pakistani intelligence agency, the ISI, and a civilian deputy director, Mr. Irtiza, tortured him while in custody. Having remained […]

This week Just Asia begins with Thailand, where student activist Pai Dao Din has been sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment for sharing a BBC biography of King Vajiralongkorn. Despite more than 2,000 people sharing the controversial BBC article on Facebook and millions reading it, Jatuphat was the only one arrested for lèse majesté. A […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) urges the Indonesian Authorities to ensure that cases of human rights violations that occurred in Papua must be investigated properly, under fair trial principles and the Rule of Law. In the last two months, the AHRC has documented and reported some three cases of serious human rights violations, as […]

Khaosod reporter Pravit Rojanaphruk charged with sedition and computer-related crime On 8 August 2017, Mr Pravit Rojanaphruk, senior reporter at Khaosod English, reported to the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) to hear his charges in two separate cases. First, Pravit is accused of sedition offence under Section 116 of the Thai Criminal Code and computer-related […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the committee of International People’s Tribunal (IPT) in Klender, East Jakarta city, Jakarta, Indonesia. It relates to a forced termination of a Workshop by Police Officers, Military Personnel, a village head and thugs. They accused the committee and participants of disseminating Communist and […]

A Report by the Asian Human Rights Commission/Asian Legal Resource Centre to the 113 session of United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) are concerned about the increase in cases of enforced disappearances in Pakistan. The state has utterly and […]

Salman Ali William Ewart Gladstone, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the late 19th century, once said, “Justice delayed is justice denied”. Moreover, the right to receive justice without delay was one of the promises made by King John of England in the Magna Carta 1215. Unfortunately, today’s Pakistan presents a typical example […]

The 87-year-old, Pakistan’s Mother Teresa, who devoted her life to control leprosy in Pakistan is no more available at his 2nd floor small room in Marie Adelaide Leprosy Center (MALC), located in a densely populated area of Karachi. Hundreds and thousands of admirers of Dr. Ruth Pfau are in great shock even the Canary bird, […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information from the Narmada Bachao Andolan about the re-arrest of Medha Patkar and other activists. They were first arrested on 7 August 2017 after a 12 day fast against the Madhya Pradesh government’s decision to submerge the area where more than 7000 families are living. The […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission strongly condemns yesterday’s late evening attack on Narmada Bachao Andolan’s peaceful sit-in and fast by the Madhya Pradesh state police. The police forcibly arrested Ms. Medha Patkar and 11 others and have detained them. The activists were protesting against Madhya Pradesh government’s decision to submerge the area violating the Supreme Court of […]

This week, Just Asia begins with the resignation of Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif. The country’s Supreme Court disqualified Nawaz Sharif on July 28, and called for criminal charges to be filed against Sharif and his family. Under the constitution of Pakistan, the prime minister is elected for five years. Until today however, no elected […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission wishes to share a video clip of a speech made by Nagahawatte Kodithuwakku, a reputed lawyer on the state of judiciary in Sri Lanka. It is a thought provoking speech that should receive the attention of all who are concerned with serious problems facing democracy, rule of law and human rights in Sri Lanka. Click […]

The New York Times has published an editorial titled “The Opposition Disappears in Bangladesh” on 28 July 2017. Citing the United Nations human rights experts the New York Times editorial said that “. . . [T]he United Nations called in February for “Bangladesh to act now to halt an increasing number of enforced disappearances in the […]