Human rights defenders

A Press Release from Human Rights Commission of Pakistan forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) Islamabad, May 08: A consultation organised by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) here on Thursday concluded with an 11-point charter of demands calling upon the government to ensure safety and protection for human rights defenders and to […]

The announcement by Greenpeace India of its imminent shutdown is saddening. However, it was only a matter of time. How long could the organization have continued running with its bank accounts frozen and with a ban on foreign funds? That this has happened after the Delhi High Court’s judgments in two cases related to the […]

A Statement from NGO Federation of Nepal, forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Nepal is reeling under crisis since 25 April 2015 after it was hit by 7.9-magnitude tremor and several aftershocks.  The earthquake death toll has crossed 5,000 according to the Armed Police Force data provided to the National Emergency Operation Center. The […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) condemns the brutal murder of a peace activist and human rights defender by the so called ‘unknown persons’ after arranging an open discussion on the gross violation of human rights in Balochistan. Ms. Sabeen Mahmud, who was receiving life threats from the persons belonging to spy agencies […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) deeply regrets to inform you that three people were killed on March 8, 16 and 24, 2015 respectively. One of the victims was an indigenous member fighting for their ancestral domain. The second victim was a farmer claiming resettlement, and the third was a union leader believed […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding military intervention in academic discourse on the subject of Balochistan. A talk scheduled at the Lahore University of Management Science on Balochistan has been cancelled on the written orders of Lieutenant-General Rizwan Akhter, Director General of Pakistan’s notorious intelligence agency, the ISI. Two prominent […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the persecution, kidnapping, and premeditated murder of Mr. Indra Pelani (22), an activist of a local peasant group, in Pelayang Tebat Village, Lubuk Mandrasah Sub-District, Tebo Regency, Jambi Province, Indonesia. The AHRC notes that the murder of Indra constitutes premeditated murder, considering the […]

A Statement from the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) joins the Filipino people in the call to save the life of OFW Mary Jane Veloso who has been sentenced to death by the Indonesian Government allegedly […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. J M Piyathilaka, who is a social activist and a member of the Justice of the Peace (JP.), was assaulted in public by three people at a restaurant at Jaffna Junction in Anuradhapura on 21 February 2015. He lodged a complaint at Police […]

Dear Friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that members of the Southern Peasants Federation of Thailand (SPFT) continue to face death threats in Surat Thani Province. Despite a legal judgment in favour of the Agricultural Land Reform Office five months ago, one that ordered the Jiew Kang Jue Pattana Co. Ltd., a […]

One of the promises of Mr. Maithripala Sirisena, as common candidate at the last presidential election, was the elimination of corruption, i.e. something the last government was steeped in. Elimination of corruption is therefore a major objective of his newly elected government. His catchwords were Yaha palanaya (good governance), which itself implies radical elimination of corruption. Today, […]

Many, including President Barack Obama, have been paying glowing tributes to Lee Kuan Yew since the announcement of his death this morning, 23rd March 2015. However, recalling what Lee Kuan Yew did to Dr. Chia Thye Poh and many other persons who aspired for multi-party democracy and respect for the freedom of expression in Singapore […]

Dear Friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes with deep concern regarding ongoing threats by soldiers to a woman human rights defender. She had been forced to act as their guide in military operations pursuing rebels. If she refuses or tells them there are no rebels in the area, they threaten her. The victim […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information, that a business couple from Meetiyagoda, in the Galle District, had been brutally murdered in broad daylight, in cold blood by a criminal gang. Previously, they repeatedly lodged complaints with the police requesting an investigation and protection from the criminal actions of these gangs. […]

In this week’s special episode, AHRC TV brings you excerpts from a lively panel discussion between four Right Livelihood Award Laureates during a regional conference held in Mumbai last week. The panel of Laureates comprised of Afghan doctor and human rights defender Sima Samar, Indian social activist Medha Patkar, Dalit rights activist Ruth Manorama, and Asian […]

A Statement from Human Rights Defenders and Promoters (HRDP) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Violent crackdown on the students, monks, journalists, and supporting civilians demanding education reform on 10 March 2015 in Lepadan is totally unlawful and obviously violating the agreement that the government signed on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Civil […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) regrets to inform you that three months after a land rights activist was killed in Negros Occidental, there is no progress in the investigation of his case. He was assisting farm workers to organize their community as they attempted to claim ownership of the land they were cultivating. After […]

This week’s episode of Weekly Roundup includes: From Hong Kong, the sentencing of Law Wan-tung, the woman convicted of abusing Erwiana, has become a rallying point of its own as the Judiciary enters the debate on domestic helper regulations. Two cases from Sri Lanka, one showing that the policing system is still in dire need of reforms […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Udon Thani Environmental Conservation Group about the intensification of ongoing threats and surveillance of human rights defenders who are members of the group. They have been engaged in a long-standing struggle for community participation in decisions about potash mining in Udon Thani province. Similar […]

Organised by: International Human Rights Committee (IHRC) UK Hosted by: Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) Hong Kong Title: Freedom of Belief in Pakistan Date: 12 March 2015 Time: 15:30 – 17:00 Venue: Room XXII, Palais des Nations Chairperson: Mr. Baseer Naweed, Senior Researcher – ALRC Speakers: Mr. Heiner Bielefeldt – UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion […]