Human rights defenders

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 22, 2005 AS-84-2005 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) What is the point of Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation? For at least the third time, Thailand’s Ministry of Justice has announced that its Department of Special Investigation (DSI) will take over the inquiry into disappeared human rights lawyer […]

It should come as no surprise to anyone that has followed the saga of missing Thai human rights lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit to hear that his wife Angkhana has now taken his case directly to the U.N. Human Rights Committee in Geneva. The Committee is considering Thailand’s compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political […]

(RE: UA-164-2004: INDONESIA: The family receives death threats for demanding an impartial inquiry into the death of Munir; UP-30-2005: Unveiling of suspect in Munir’s death may end further inquiries; UP-47-2005: INDONESIA: State intelligence officers delay Munir investigation; UP-72-2005: INDONESIA: The mandate of the fact-finding team investigating Munir’s murder has to be extended/Family of Munir and […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is outraged that five Thai police officers have filed defamation complaints against a senior forensic scientist and government bureaucrat following the latter’s comments over an apparent extrajudicial killing which the police have maintained was a suicide. Although all evidence points to the fact that the police killed […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from a reliable source regarding alleged fabricated charges laid against a human rights activists, who is a member of the Human Rights Commission fact-finding mission investigating a possible women’s rights violations of which the Chief Minister may have played a role that took place […]

[UA-34-2005: Killing of a labor rights activist for the Hacienda Luisita farm workers in Tarlac City, UP-26-2005: Priest supporting for the Hacienda Luisita farm workers in La Paz, Tarlac killed and two others wounded, UA-34-2005: Attempt on the life of a human rights lawyer working for the Hacienda Luisita farm workers] Dear friends, The Asian […]

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

Dear friends, According to updated information received by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), the Indonesian police have named two further suspects in the death of human rights activist Munir. They are Oedi Irianto and Yeti Susmiarti, both employees of Garuda, who have been taken in for questioning. Meanwhile, senior Garuda officials responsible for issuing […]

[Re: Case 1: UA-135-2004: Alleged illegal detention and torture of a man by officers at Kuruwita Police; UA-63-2005: Need for inquiry into police and inquiring officers conduct in investigating a torture victim’s complaint; Case 2: UP-57-2004:  Case of Chamila Bandara; the issue of the Kandy Coordinator and the rights of the people in Kandy for human rights […]

[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 […]