Human rights defenders

[RE: FA-06-2004: THAILAND: A human rights lawyer Mr. Somchai Neelaphaijit missing; UA-94-2004: THAILAND: Severe torture victims still in custody while police torturers remain in posts; UP-14-2004: THAILAND: Mr. Somchai Neelaphaijit is still missing and the police may be involved in his disappearance; UP-26-2004: THAILAND: 5 suspects in the alleged abduction of missing human rights lawyer […]

On April 11, staff of the West Bengal-based human rights group Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (Masum) went by appointment to raise their concerns over attacks on Gopen Sharma, a local human rights defender, before the West Bengal Human Rights Commission. Gopen Sharma, who was present with one of his children, is being pursued by the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information from MASUM, a human rights organisation in West Bengal, regarding the case of Mr. Gopen Sharma, a human rights defender who is under attack by the police. The Jalangi police have laid false charges against Mr Sharma based on his wife’s complaint, which […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from MASUM, a human rights organisation in West Bengal, regarding a police attack on a human rights defender, Mr Gopen Sharma, and his family. Gopen has been working in the hunger hit areas of Jalangi, Murshidabad District, West Bengal (Ref: Hunger Alert on this […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the arrest of Garuda pilot Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto, in relation to the death of human rights activist Munir. (See further: UA-164-2004) While we welcome the police investigation and arrest, AHRC is concerned that the current direction of the inquiry may lead to a lack […]

Dear friends, Further to our previous appeal (UA-34-2005) regarding the killings of human rights defenders and workers in Hacienda Luisita, Tarlac, Philippines, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR) about another killing of a priest who supported workers on strike in Hacienda Luisita. Fr. William […]

[RE: FA-06-2004: THAILAND: A human rights lawyer Mr. Somchai Neelaphaijit missing; UP-14-2004: THAILAND: Mr. Somchai Neelaphaijit is still missing and the police may be involved in his disappearance; UP-26-2004: THAILAND: 5 suspects in the alleged abduction of missing human rights lawyer Mr. Somchai Neelaphaijit bailed out; UP-20-2005: THAILAND: Human rights lawyer still missing after nearly […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR) in Eastern Visayas regarding the attempt on the life of Fr. Allan Caparro (40) and his wife Aileen (34) on 18 February 2005. The couple survived the attempt but were seriously wounded. Aileen remains in the […]

[RE: UP-77-2004: More death threats to a torture victim and a human rights defender; Witness protection is urgently needed, UP-76-2004: SRI LANKA: Gerald Perera died after gunshot; His family needs urgent protection, UP-74-2004:  No action from the government to protect torture victim even after attempt on his life; UA-157-2004: Torture victim pursuing criminal torture case […]

Dear friends, It has come to the attention of the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) that the family of Indonesian human rights activist Munir (38), who died of arsenic poisoning aboard a plane flight on 7 September 2004, has been receiving death threats for demanding that an impartial inquiry be held regarding his death. Munir, […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding approximately 50 civil activists who were charged with sedition against the State by the police after they held a protest at the Lakhi Gate Tower Ghowk on 17 October 2004. The protesters gathered at the Lakhi Gate Tower Ghowk to express their concern […]

Dear friends, In response to the previous update on the case of disappeared human rights lawyer Mr Somchai Neelaphaijit, the Thai Minister of Justice, Mr Pongthep Thepkanchana, has defended himself and insists that progress has been made in the inquiry.  The Minister has said that although the Special Investigation Department had not taken over the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned by the delay in investigating the disappearance of a prominent human rights lawyer, Mr. Somchai Neelaphaijit, who has been missing since 12 March 2004. This case has been pending for a considerable time, due in large part to inaction by the authorities. Despite assurances […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a man named Heeralu Mohottalalage Punchi Banda (39) was illegally arrested and tortured by the Sub Inspector (S.I.) Dhammika Bandara of Samanalaweva Police Post in Balangoda on 26 August 2004. Due to brutal torture, the victim still suffers from severe pain on his […]

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from its partner organisation in West Bengal, Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (Masum), about a violent attack on a group of human rights defenders engaged in a street meeting in Hooghly, greater Kolkota. Over 50 persons led by local leaders of the ruling communist party attacked […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that The Prachuap Khiri Khan criminal court on 20 July 2004 approved a warrant for the arrest of Provincial Administrative Organisation member Manot Hinkaew on charges of involvement in the murder of environmental activist Charoen Wat-aksorn. Pol Maj-Gen Yutthana Thaipakdee, deputy chief of Police Region […]

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the assault on Kailash Satyarthi, chairman of the Indian non-governmental organization Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save the Childhood Movement), on 15 June 2004 at the Great Roman Circus premises, Colonelganj, Gonda district, Uttar Pradesh, India. Satyarthi was leading a group of activists and parents […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned of the information that several officers of the Human Rights Commission (HRC) of Sri Lanka has been harassed and intimidated by the officers at the Paiyagala Police Station at least on two occasions in June 2004. According to the information we have received, when […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned by the murder of Charoen Wat-aksorn (37) in Prachuap Khiri Khan provincial town on 21 June 2004. The two perpetrators have not yet been arrested. Charoen led a high-profile protest against the Bo Nok coal-fired power plant project in Prachuap Khiri Khan for a […]

Dear friends, We call for your immediate intervention! The lives of people who were released from prison with a court order are at risk. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Advocacy Forum, a human rights organization in Nepal, that the security forces surrounded their office to re-arrest seven persons who […]