Human rights defenders

Basil Fernando  The attempted eye gouging incident in at Paikgachha village, where a human rights defender and journalist, FMA Razzak and his brother were attacked by a about 40 persons mobilized by a major in Bangladesh army, Mustafizur Rahman Bokul, is a painful experience to all. It is necessary to learn from this experience so […]

(Hong Kong, May 11, 2011) Staff and graduate students of the Australian National University on Wednesday submitted a letter to the diplomatic mission of Bangladesh in Canberra voicing their concern over the eye-gouging attack on Bangladeshi human rights defender Abdur Razzak.  Representatives of the Asia Rights group at the ANU met with the first secretary […]

An Open Letter from the Asian Human Rights Commission to Prof. Mizanur Rahman, Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh Prof. Mizanur Rahman Chairman National Human Rights Commission 10th Floor, Gulfeshan Plaza 8, Journalist Selina Parvin Road Mogbazar, Dhaka BANGLADESH Fax: +88 02 8333219 Dear Professor Rahman, BANGLADESH: An Open Letter to the Chairperson of […]

2011年5月9日，亞洲人權委員會、亞洲專訊資料研究中心、亞太學生及青年協會、香港記者協會、Interfaith Cooperation Forum、香港融樂會及世界基督徒學生同盟聯合向孟加拉駐香港領事館遞交公開信表示關注孟加拉人權捍衛者及記者拉扎克先生（FMA Razzak）受到嚴重襲擊及被企圖弄盲雙目的事件。  請願團體關注拉扎克先生（FMA Razzak）在孟加拉庫爾納地區遇到嚴重襲擊。根據亞洲人權委員會收到的消息，在2011年4月29日，拉扎克先生和弟弟受到一班凶徒的襲擊後嚴重受傷。據稱凶徒是受到穆斯塔菲茲.拉赫曼.寶庫爾少校（Major Mustafizur Rahman Bokul）的指使，企圖弄盲拉扎克先生雙目，他們用手指及硬物挖雙目，導致出血。拉扎克先生家人引領警察找到劫持地點，將兩名受害者送往醫院。  目前，拉扎克先生在醫院接受治療。由於事件受到公眾高度關注，孟加拉衛生及家庭部長哈取爾醫生（Dr. AFM Rahul Haque）於5月3日探訪拉扎克先生。現時拉扎克先生的狀況十分嚴重，手腳骨折，雙目嚴重受傷，可能永久盲目。另外，拉扎克先生家人的處境也十分危險。  最新發展是當地警察收到拉扎克先生家人的投訴後逮捕四名人士。然而，主要犯事者仍逍遙法外，特別是穆斯塔菲茲.拉赫曼.寶庫爾少校（Major Mustafizur Rahman Bokul）還保持軍中職務。  請願團體代表向孟加拉駐香港領事館遞交公開信，並與領事阿曼德先生(Ashud Ahmed)會面。公開信要求孟加拉政府將以下事情列為首要工作：  1．向拉扎克先生提供最好的醫療照顧，費用由國家支付，直至完全或達至最好的康復。  2．立刻暫停穆斯塔菲茲.拉赫曼.寶庫爾少校（Major Mustafizur Rahman Bokul）的職務，待此案進行全面的偵查。  3．確保進行認真的刑事偵查，以逮捕及檢控所有犯事者。  4．在整個偵查及往後審訊期間，向拉扎克先生及其家人給予完全的保護以至居住及其他方面的需要，並確保他們獲得全面的補償，保證他們日後的安全。  亞洲人權委員會政策及項目發展主任巴西爾. 費爾南多（Basil Fernando）表示：“這是十分殘暴的襲擊，顯示孟加拉軍人侵犯人權的問題相當嚴重，孟加拉政府必須採取果斷行動，展開認真及全面的刑事偵查，使犯事者受到法律的制裁。孟加拉政府應該利用今次事件明確表示不容許軍人侵犯人權的行為。”  巴西爾. 費爾南多（Basil Fernando）還呼吁：“保護受害者及其他證人的安全至關重要，這影響到偵查及檢控能否成功。孟加拉當局應立刻暫停穆斯塔菲茲.拉赫曼.寶庫爾少校（Major Mustafizur Rahman Bokul）的職務，並採取有效措施保護受害者及其他證人。  可於以下鏈接找到詳細資料：  http://www.humanrights.asia/campaigns/attack-on-fma-razzak   http://www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/AHRC-UAU-023-2011   http://www.humanrights.asia/news/ahrc-news/AHRC-STM-058-2011   查詢可致電852-26986339或 發電郵至media@ahrc.asia.

(Hong Kong, May 9, 2011) On 9 May 2011, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), Asia Monitor Resource Centre, Asia Pacific Students and Youth Association, Hong Kong Journalists Association, Interfaith Cooperation Forum, Unison – Hong Kong, World Student Christian Federation jointly made a petition to the Consulate General of Bangladesh in Hong Kong to express […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding two human rights leaders murdered on May 5 by notorious land mafia from the ruling party, Pakistan Peoples’ Party. The land mafia has been occupying the forest land threatening the right to life and food security of 350 families living in the […]

Bangladeshi national FMA Razzak is the President of the Human Rights Development Centre (HRDC) and Editor of the Pakkhik Gonomichhil in Paikgachha of Khulna district, Bangladesh. On April 29, 2011, Razzak and his younger brother, Mr. Bodiuzzaman Bodiar; brother-in-law, Mr. Bakkar, were attacked after having been kidnapped by the relatives of an army major, Mustafizur […]

WORLD: An appeal for assistance for FMA Razzak (Hong Kong, May 6, 2011) The Asian Human Rights Commission has launched an appeal for financial support for medical, legal and security expenses for human rights defender, Mr. FMA Razzak of Bangladesh. We reproduce below this appeal which was issued yesterday. Payment may be made online; please […]

(Hong Kong, May 5, 2011) The inhabitants of Paikgachha have again held a rally demanding the arrest of Mustafizur Rahman Bokul, a major in the Bangladesh army, and his aides for gouging the eyes of human rights defender FMA Razzak and his brother Bodiuzzaman Bodiar. The rally was held at the zero point of Paikgachha […]

Basil Fernando The attack on FMA Razzak led by Major Mustafizur of the Bangladesh military (BANGLADESH: Army officer’s family gouges eyes and torture after kidnapping Human Rights Defender FMA Razzak, who is going to die without treatment due to pressures from armed forces and intelligence agencies) is now well known. The implications of military officers […]

(Hong Kong, May 4, 2011) The Asian Human Rights Commission welcomes the visit of the Minister for Health and Family Welfare of Bangladesh, Prof. AFM Ruhul Haque MP, to human rights defender Mr. FMA Razzak. Razzak has been receiving treatment for his gouged eyes and broken hand and leg that was caused as a result […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission calls upon all human rights organizations of the world to respond to a brutal attack on a well-known human rights defender in Bangladesh, FMA Razzak and his brother by an army officer and his family. The details of the assault are given below. So far, despite of complaints no inquiries […]

(Hong Kong, May 3, 2011) The Asian Human Rights Commission has launched a new campaign website calling for the protection of human rights defender Mr. FMA Razzak, as well as calling for holding genuine criminal investigations regarding the attack on Mr. Razzak.  This newly launched campaign site will contain all materials regarding the brutal attack […]

At a press conference in Thailand on 24 April 2011, Somsak Jeamteerasakul and several coalitions of academics, human rights activists, and journalists released statements calling for the protection of freedom of speech in Thailand. These statements were in response to a series of blatant threats made towards Somsak over comments that some people have considered […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to draw your attention to the harassment and threats faced by Ms. Yaena Salaemae, a long-time Woman Human Rights Defender (WHRD) in Tak Bai district of Narathiwat province in southern Thailand. The state authorities used an attack on a police checkpoint near her house to search […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a person was abducted by the Taliban on suspicion of working for NGOs. After his escape he was then abducted by the military on suspicion of working for the Taliban. Mr. Hameed Ullah Khan, a human rights defender and social worker, was abducted […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) regrets to inform you that the Asahi Kosei (M) Sdn. Bhd. Company, a firm whom we earlier reported to have threatened to commence legal action against a human rights lawyer, Mr. Charles Hector Fernandez, for blogging about alleged violations of the migrant workers rights the company has […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Badrama Abhyaranya Vikas Parisad and SPREAD, two human rights organisations working in Odisha state, India, concerning the attack upon the life of a human rights defender in Sambalpur district of the state. It is reported that the attack was premeditated and suspected to […]

A Statement from a group of concerned media organisations in Sri Lanka forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission 24th March 2011 In view of insecurity created by a series of incidents in the aftermath of the arson attack of Lanka e-News, staff of Lanka e-News, concerned media and human rights organizations in Sri Lanka […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) deeply regrets, but is not surprised, that the five defendants who were earlier convicted for theft and illegal detention, in connection with the disappearance of human rights lawyer Somchai Neelapaijit, have all been exonerated in an Appeal verdict. The court ruled to acquit all the defendants on […]