Human rights defenders

This week Just Asia begins with Hong Kong, where more than 2000 lawyers marched silently in black on Tuesday, protesting against Beijing’s interpretation of the Basic Law, to prevent two elected activists from taking up their seats in parliament. Prominent advertisements in Tuesday morning papers read ‘Beijing destroys rule of law—Hong Kong world city no […]

Beginning with Thailand this week, the Provincial Court of Songkhla read the verdict of Appeals Court Region 9 regarding the case of Mr. Anat Hayeemasae, former member of the Satun Provincial Administration Organization (PAO). He had appealed the order of the Court of First Instance, which had sentenced him to 22-years-and-six-months-imprisonment for an offence against […]

Sadly, in an atrocious system where innocents spend decades behind bars awaiting justice to be served on them, instead death penalties are handed down as state sanctioned murder. The lack of justice sector reforms coupled with near-collapsed institutions of criminal justice has yet again caused a grotesque miscarriage of justice. In a shocking revelation on year after […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned about the killing of an indigenous leader while on his way home in Compostela province. A week before the incident, the victim had been receiving threats to his life from members of the 66th Infantry Battalion of Philippines Army due to his anti-mining advocacy […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about Rev. Fr. Nandana Manatunga, parish priest of St. Mary’s Church in Wattegama, Kandy District. Also well known as a human rights defender, Father is being harassed by the police including the OIC of Wattegama Police Station. Following a land dispute with the owner […]

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]