Human rights defenders

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the ongoing judicial harassment of Ms. Sirikan Charoensiri. She is a human rights lawyer and legal and documentation officer at Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR). On 22 October 2016, Ms. Sirikan reported to the police at Bangkok’s Samranrat Municipality Police Station. […]

Mr Faraz Shauketaly, Host of the News First – TV1’s “Hot Seat” programme on 26th October 2016 interviews Mr Basil Fernando, Director of Policy and Programmes of the Asian Human Rights Commission in Hong Kong on the developments with regard to the Central Bank Bond issues scandal, as well as several other pertinent issues such […]

The Rupavahini, TV channel’s “Suba Udesanak” ( Good Morning ) programme on 28th October 2016, telecast an interview with Mr Basil Fernando of the Asian Human Rights Commission where he discusses issues of human rights, and national reconciliation and their progress in Sri Lanka, in the backdrop of the two students being killed in Jaffna […]

A Press Releasefrom Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has urged the authorities to halt the imminent execution of a mentally challenged death row prisoner who is scheduled to be hanged in Vehari on November 2. In a communication sent on Thursday, […]

This week Just Asia begins with Nepal, where 22 Madhesi activists were arrested on October 23 while participating in a Leadership Development workshop. Affiliated with Dr. C.K. Raut and his campaign, the activists from Nawalparasi District were meeting at a local hotel. A group of around 40 police officers abruptly closed the workshop, hit the […]

(Hong Kong, Bangkok-Dhaka-Geneva-Madurai-Paris-Quezon City, 26 October 2016) The High Court in Jammu and Kashmir has again prolonged the arbitrary detention of Kashmiri human rights defender Mr. Khurram Parvez, who has already spent 40 days in jail. Our organisations call on the Indian authorities to release him immediately. On 25 October 2016, the Jammu and Kashmir […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding judicial harassment against human rights lawyer Ms. Sirikan Charoensiri. The AHRC wishes to note that it has been seven months since she reported herself to the Prosecutor’s Office in Bangkok for a hearing on the prosecution order of her offence on concealing […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission wishes to inform you about the publication of a paper analysing the Indonesian Universal Periodic Review (UPR) first cycle session in 2008 and second cycle session in 2012. This paper is published to prepare for the third cycle of the Indonesian UPR in 2017. It will help to asses and monitor the extent of progress of […]

Beginning with Pakistan this week, the appeal of Ms. Asia Bibi, a Christian woman accused of blasphemy and on death row for the past seven years, has been further adjourned by the Supreme Court. After receiving threats from fundamentalists, Justice Hamid-ur Rehman recused himself from hearing the appeal. Asia Bibi’s lawyer said it would probably […]

Mr. Khurram Parvez is a human rights defender from the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. On 14 September 2016 when Khurram turned up at the New Delhi international airport to travel to Geneva, the authorities prevented him from boarding the plane and exiting the country. The grounds were that the Intelligence Bureau of India […]

As expected, the Judiciary has again stalled resolution of the blasphemy case of Christian woman Asia Bibi. In doing so, the Judiciary continues to bow down to Muslim fundamentalist groups, and fails to provide justice to vulnerable members of society. Two days prior to the hearing of Asia Bibi’s appeal in the Supreme Court, fundamentalist […]

An article from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Since the 22 May 2014 coup staged by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), the currently ruling body led by Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-ocha, a trend of judicial harassment against human rights defenders, who express dissenting […]

On 5 October 2016, Joshua Wong, a student activist who became a global icon for the fight for democracy in Hong Kong, made headlines in media once again after the Immigration in Thailand barred him from entering the country and detained him for around 12 hours at an undisclosed place. He was eventually deported to […]

Just Asia begins this week the detention of Hong Kong student activist Joshua Wong at Bangkok airport, for being a threat to Thailand’s national security. Invited to give a talk at Chulalongkorn University, Joshua was barred from entering the country by immigration officials. According to the Thai Deputy Police Commissioner, Joshua’s detention was purely a […]

LENIDO LUMANOG or “LEN” for short, the leading figure of the so-called “ABADILLA 5,” was buried on 15 September 2016. He died on 6 September 2016 at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) after a lingering kidney condition incurred while already in prison and shortly after turning 60 on 2 September 2016. He was […]

This week Just Asia begins with the killing of six Pakistani Shias in two cities under military control. In Quetta city, the capital of Balochistan, four women were shot dead in a bus on their way home on October 4. On the same evening, two Shias were killed returning from their mosque in the military […]

A Press Release from Muslim Attorney Centre Foundation (MAC) and Cross Cultural Foundation (CrCF) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) On 11 October 2016 from 09.00 -16.00 at the courtroom no. 2, 2nd floor of the Pattani Provincial Court (new court), a hearing in the post mortem inquest will take place in the […]

Basil Fernando A new dimension was added to the debate on the proposed amendment to the criminal procedure code when the Minister of Justice attempted to defend the amendment on the basis that it is required to enable investigations into crime. The proposed amendment is that lawyers would not be able to represent people at […]

On 17 August 2016, the Office of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRC) officially informed Ms. Pornpen Khongkachonkiet that the NHRC could not investigate the facts revealed in a torture report that she and two other human rights defenders had submitted to the NHRC. The Commission claimed that the report failed to provide […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding ongoing judicial harassment of Ms. Sirikan Charoensiri, human rights lawyer and legal and documentation officer at Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR). Ms. Sirikan is now facing accusations of sedition under Section 116 of the Thai Criminal Code, as well as violation […]