Human rights defenders

CIJL Newsletter N°3 – April 2013 EDITORIAL Every two years, the leaders of the Commonwealth of Nations assemble at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), the association’s principal policy and decision-making forum. This year, the meeting is set to take place in Colombo from 15 to 17 November, where the Sri Lankan Government will […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is writing to inform our readers that police action was taken at the offices of the Association of Global Human Rights and Ethics (AGHE). The police with the help of a magistrate have sealed the office and forcibly removed the staff. The government of Gilgit and Baltistan […]

The news had sprung up from nowhere. All that I had picked up the newspaper for, was to kill some time on that long flight and here it was, tucked away in a small box, staring at me. Reading it had sent a shiver down my spine. No, it was not about some unseen horrors. […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the detention of two activists by the Sausapor Sub-District Police in Papua. The activists were taken from their house to the police station and were being interrogated in relation to an investigation they conducted regarding the death of villagers in Tambrauw Regency due […]

แถลงการณ์ของ Finnwatch 1 เมษายน 2556 การดำเนินคดีกับนักวิจัยของ Finnwatch เป็นการโจมตีนักปกป้องสิทธิมนุษยชน และเสรีภาพในการแสดงความเห็น ทางการไทยจะต้องดำเนินการสืบสวนการปฏิบัติงานของบริษัท เนเชอรัล ฟรุต และ บริษัท แนท กรุ๊ป (NatGroup) ซึ่งเป็นบริษัทแม่ และจะต้องมีการพิจารณาถึงประเด็นด้านสิทธิมนุษยชนในการเจรจาข้อตกลงการค้าเสรีระหว่างประเทศไทยกับสหภาพยุโรปด้วย บริษัท เนเชอรัล ฟรุต (Natural Fruit) ผู้ผลิตสับปะรดกระป๋องและน้ำผลไม้เข้มข้น ได้ยื่นฟ้องต่อนายอานดี้ ฮอลล์ ผู้เชี่ยวชาญด้านการย้ายถิ่นซึ่งเมื่อเร็วๆ นี้ได้ประสานงานการวิจัยภาคสนามของ Finnwatch ในประเทศไทย สองข้อหา หากศาลตัดสินว่ามีความผิด อานดี้อาจจะต้องรับโทษจำคุกนานถึงเจ็ดปี  บริษัทเนเชอรัล ฟรุต ยังเรียกร้องค่าเสียหาย 300 ล้านบาทในคดีแพ่งอีกด้วย ข้อกล่าวหาที่บริษัทฟ้องร้องนั้นเกี่ยวกับงานวิจัยของ Finnwatch ที่อานดี้เป็นผู้วิจัยในเดือนตุลาคม-พฤศจิกายน 2555 และเกี่ยวกับการสื่อสารผลของการวิจัยต่อสาธารณะ ข้อค้นพบที่น่าตระหนกที่สุดของงานวิจัยมาจากการสัมภาษณ์ลูกจ้างของบริษัทเนเชอรัล ฟรุต  คนงานของบริษัทซึ่งบางคนเป็นแรงงานข้ามชาติที่ไม่มีเอกสารเข้าเมืองตามกฎหมาย ได้เล่าถึงสภาพการทำงานที่ไม่ดี ค่าแรงต่ำกว่าที่กฎหมายกำหนด การยึดเอกสารทางการของคนงานไว้ การใช้แรงงานเด็ก และการให้คนงานทำงานล่วงเวลาเกินไปอย่างมาก  มีการบันทึกการสัมภาษณ์ไว้เป็นเอกสารและสามารถตรวจสอบได้ Finnwatch ได้นำเสนอข้อค้นพบของการวิจัยต่อกระทรวงต่างๆ […]

FINNWATCH STATEMENT 1st of April 2013 Legal actions against Finnwatch researcher are an attack against human rights defenders and freedom of expression. Thailand’s authorities must immediately launch an investigation into the operations of Natural Fruit and its parent company NatGroup. Human rights issues must be tackled also in the ongoing free trade agreement negotiations between […]

Jayapura, Tuesday 16 April 2013 Today the Civil Society Coalition for the Upholding of Law and Human Rights in the Land of Papua, working together with a number of human rights NGOs in Jakarta and internationally will formally launch the Papuans Behind Bars website www.papuansbehindbars.org, or in Indonesian, ‘Orang Papua Dibalik Jeruji.‘ The website is intended to support advocacy for the rights […]

Yet another policy change by the army indicates that the Taliban are now an asset in the new develop of the region As the time of the withdrawal of the USA and the allied forces is coming closer the Pakistan army has suddenly changed its stance against the Taliban. The army has developed its new […]

Yesterday, on 11 April 2013, the authorities in Bangladesh arrested the Interim Editor of a prominent Bangladeshi daily, Daily Amardesh, Mr. Mahmudur Rahman. When Rahman was brought before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court in Dhaka, he reportedly said: “… I know well that if I appoint any lawyer, he or she will submit prayers for my […]

A statement by Asian Jurists on the Impeachment of the Chief Justice, Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, and about the threatened rule of law in Sri Lanka. The statement is issued by the jurists who attended a consultation organised by the Lawyers’ Collective of Sri Lanka and the Asian Human Rights Commission, on the Independence of Judges […]

Today, 11 April 2013, the authorities in Bangladesh have arrested the Interim Editor of a prominent Bangladeshi daily, Daily Amardesh, Mr. Mahmudur Rahman. Officers raided Rahman’s office at about 8:30 am and taken away by the Detective Branch of Bangladesh Police. Rahman’s arrest is an attempt to stifle dissenting voice. Rahman is in a serious […]

It is not unusual for human rights defender to receive death threats from persons, organisations or governments that do not agree with the stance that has been taken. However, when the threats come from a journalist it reveals the devastating plunge in the right to opinion and expression that has taken place in the country […]

Six steps to halt the conflict, protect human rights & secure self-rule “The national democratic movement of Balochistan is weakened by the lack of unity and coordination and by the lack of a peace plan to secure a negotiated political settlement to the six-decades-long conflict,” said London-based international human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, Director of […]

A Reflection by Bishop Duleep de Chickera Over the past months Sri Lankans have been educated on two Arabic words: halal and haram (that which is permissible and not permissible). Unfortunately the circumstances of learning have been an unprecedented antagonism towards the Muslim community much deeper than the halal issue. This trend must be addressed without […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about charges brought against a community educator in Burma for teaching political science. Min Min, a human rights defender based in the country’s lowland, is being prosecuted because he refused to heed warnings that he not teaches a course on political science at his […]

On 21 March 2013 a member of the national legislature in Burma introduced a motion calling for the country to join the United Nations Convention against Torture. In his motion, Dr Aung Moe Nyo, member of the National League for Democracy for Pwintbyu, Magway Region, argued that as the country is now developing and democratising […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission has since mid-2012 closely followed, documented and reported on the struggle of farmers in the Letpadaung Hills of central Burma against the expansion of a copper mining operation under a military-owned holding company and a partner compay from China. After repeatedly being refused permission to demonstrate against the operation under the […]

Pakistan will hold its general elections on May 11, only the second to be held in a civilian environment in 35 years of this new Pakistan. It is, however, the first time in the history of the country that the power would be handed over from one civilian government to another. Under the supervision of […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is writing with deep concern that the investigation conducted by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) after our appeals concerning the fabrication of charges on two urban poor leaders was ineffective. It appears that CHR investigators did not investigate adequately and thoroughly. Rather than conducting a serious […]

The Law Society of Hong Kong notes the Court of Final Appeal (“CFA”) published its judgment (“Judgment”) in the case of Vallejos Evangeline Banao and Domingo Daniel L. v. Commissioner of Registration and Registration of Persons Tribunal (“Vallejos”) and has the following observations: 1.  Foreign Domestic Workers – Right of Abode We note the CFA […]