Human rights defenders

INDIA: Human rights defender once again receives threats in Uttar Pradesh

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Peoples’ Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) that its convener Dr. Lenin is again receiving life threatening calls over his mobile telephone asking him to stop working for the Dalit communities in the state. The AHRC was informed day before yesterday that […]

PHILIPPINES: Farmer leader object of overt surveillance and threat shot dead

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) deeply regrets to inform you that a farmer leader who had been the object of an overt surveillance and continuing threat had been shot dead on 15 May 2008 in Davao City. The victim, who had been receiving threats from December 2007, had tried to escape from […]

SOUTH KOREA: Two newly elected migrants’ union leaders again deported

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) regrets to inform you that two migrants workers, newly elected as president and vice president of Migrants’ Trade Union (MTU) were again arrested on 2 May 2008 and deported without due process on May 15. CASE DETAILS: Abdus Sabur has been involved in the struggle for migrant […]

NEPAL: Police illegally searched a human rights lawyer’s house in Banke district

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is writing to you regarding the illegal house search of a human rights defender Mr. Sushil Kumar Lakhe by the police in Banke district on 11 May 2008. Mr. Lakhe is a well known human rights lawyer in the area as well as the regional coordinator of […]

UPDATE (Philippines): Surveillance continues against an activist allegedly by military

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information from the Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) that an activist has continuously been under surveillance allegedly by the military. After having his case reported police authorities have conducted an inquiry about his current situation but they failed to provide him […]

INDIA: State government fails to punish corrupt shopkeeper who runs a ration shop in Varanasi

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR), a local human rights organisation working in Uttar Pradesh state, regarding the corruption of the Public Food Distribution System (PDS) shopkeeper. The state government acknowledging the corruption and malpractice cancelled the PDS shop’s license but […]

BURMA: Another human rights defender assaulted

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed by the Yoma 3 news service (Thailand) and other sources that the organiser of the Human Rights Defenders and Promoters (HRDP) group in Burma was on March 27 assaulted on a public street. Although the police said that the victim was entitled to complain, […]

PHILIPPINES: A trade union leader constantly threatened by the military

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information from the Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) regarding serious threats to a trade union leader by the military in Ormoc City, Leyte in the Philippines. The victim has been receiving serious threats since April 2004 due to his activities in the protection […]

UPDATE (Philippines): Labour leader who survives an earlier attempt on his life is killed

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is shocked to learn that a labour leader who survived an earlier attempt on his life in April 2006 was shot dead this morning, March 10. Gerardo Cristobal (a.k.a. Gerry) was driving his vehicle when armed men riding in another vehicle open fired at him soon after […]

THAILAND: Victims have “no confidence” to pursue cases against police without security, investigators told

(Hong Kong, February 22, 2008) The wife of abducted human rights lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit and three victims of police torture on Friday told investigators that they have “no confidence” to pursue cases against the police without continued protection.  The four have been informed that from the end of this month the Department of Special Investigation […]

UPDATE (Burma): Family and human rights defenders threatened over complaint

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) regrets to inform you that since our appeal on the case of a child soldier who was jailed in 2005 (AHRC-UAC-016-2008) a number of persons involved in the case have been threatened by local authorities. His aunt, who made the complaint, is under watch, and two people […]

UPDATE (India): Arrest of human rights activists stayed by the court

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the situation of the human rights activists associated with the People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) who were charged with a false case on 9 December 2007. The AHRC has been informed that the Allahabad High Court has stayed the arrest […]

PHILIPPINES: Yet another activist killed following threats

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed of yet another killing of an activist subsequent to receiving continuing threats on his life in 17 January 2008 in Tagbilaran City. He was in front of a pharmacy buying medicine when one of the two gunmen riding on a motorcycle shot him at […]

SRI LANKA: Police allegedly attempt to abduct a journalist

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a group of unknown persons had attempted to abduct a journalist on 7 January 2008. They came in two vehicles that were later found to belong to the police. But due to his neighbours’s intervention, the attempt to abduct him was failed. Meanwhile, […]

UPDATE (Philippines): Colleague of murdered bishop receives death threats

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that another colleague of the late Bishop Alberto Ramento of the Philippine Independent Church (PIC), a prominent human rights defender murdered in October 2006, has been receiving renewed threats to his life over his mobile phone. The sender of the SMS also claims they […]

UPDATE (South Korea): Government finally deported three migrant activists without due process

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been confirmed that three activists of a union who had been detained were finally deported from South Korea in the early morning of 13 December 2007. It is reported that the immigration officers falsely informed their legal representatives that they did not have any plans to […]

UPDATE (Philippines): Renewed surveillance on a priest facing threats

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that a priest, Rev. Eleuterio J. Revollido, whom we reported to have been facing continuing threats, has once again been experiencing surveillance. In the testimony he had written, Rev. Eleuterio has said that on several occasions from November 29 to December 7 unknown […]

UPDATE (India): False charge filed against Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi and colleagues

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to provide you the update regarding the case of Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi and the People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR). The AHRC has reported on 4 December regarding the death threats faced by the PVCHR activists and Dr. Lenin. The PVCHR has informed the AHRC […]

SOUTH KOREA: Arrest of migrant union leaders due to their activities; waiting for forcible deportation

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that three leaders of the Migrants’ Trade Union (MTU) were arrested and detained on 27 November 2007, by immigration officials outside their homes and workplace in South Korea. Although they have been arrested on the basis of their undocumented status, it is alleged that […]

INDIA: Human rights activist threatened for reporting starvation death

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights [PVCHR] in Uttar Pradesh that their field activist Mr. Manoj Kumar is threatened by the local authorities for reporting a case of death from starvation. Pritam, three-year-old son of Mr. Ram Karan starved to death in […]