Impunity

SRI LANKA: Young man illegally arrested by Kantale Police

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding Mr. Warnasooriya Patabandige Lakshan (21), permanent resident of the Trincomalee District. On 15 June 2017, Lakshan was illegally arrested by Police of the Kantale Police Division. He was not given any reason for his arrest. After detaining him at the Police Station, he […]

SRI LANKA: Technician disappeared in Anuradhapura

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information regarding Sudath Darmapriya (40) of Kalawana, Minuwangoda in Gampaha District. Sudath has been missing since 12 July 2017. He is a permanent resident of Minuwangoda and a technician by profession. He was managing a Pandal, in Anuradhapura from 26 June 2017. He telephoned his wife […]

SRI LANKA: Innocent man illegally tortured and arrested by Padukka Police

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information that Mr. Mahinda Dammika Manawadu was illegally arrested and severely tortured by police officers attached to the Padukka Police Station. After Dammika got into a dispute with the owner of the garage where his three-wheeler was under repair, the owner requested the intervention of the […]

NEPAL: Dearth of honesty

An oped from the Kathmandu Post forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission A country cannot survive in the absence of honesty and integrity. Additionally, there is a need for unity, compassion and eagerness for development among the people. Similarly, the government must observe the rule of law for the regulation of good governance. Nepal has had […]

SRI LANKA: Female migrant-worker expresses harassment in Saudi Arabia

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information regarding Mrs. K A Nilanthi Karunarathna. A resident of Baddegama Police Division, she migrated to Saudi Arabia as a domestic helper on 19 January 2015. Within several months at her employer’s house she started to experience severe harassments and complaints. She requested her family members […]

INDONESIA: Discussion forcibly dispersed by a mob that attacked the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation office.

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about the forced dissolution of a Discussion on truth-seeking and settlement of past abuses. The meeting was held in the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) building. On the first day of the Discussion, Police blocked the main entry. As a result, some participants from […]

SRI LANKA: Innocent man illegally arrested, detained, tortured and produced before the Courts on fabricated charges

Dear Friends, Asian Human Rights Commission has received information regarding Mr. Wasala Munidewage Ruwan Dharshana Premarathne (35) of No: 48/4, Opalgala watte, Pussella, Gammaduwa in the Matale District. He was illegally arrested, detained, tortured and produced before the Courts by Police Officers attached to the Paliyagoda Police Station. There was no evidence to show any […]

PAKISTAN: Police officials refuse to file case against perpetrator for rape of blind woman

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the rape of a blind woman at gun point by the brother of an influential government official. The area police of Pakpatan police refused to file the cases of rape and abduction, torture of her husband and his brother for three days. […]

SRI LANKA: Domestic violence and sexual assault complaint not investigated by Godakawela Police

Dear Friends, According to the information that the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received, Ms. Sashikala Maduwanthi Dharmapalain was severely assaulted by her husband’s family on 14 August 2017. Although she made a domestic violence and sexual assault complaint to the police on the very same day, a month later the police have not […]

INDONESIA: Tumpang Pitu villager in mining operations is the victim of a fabricated case

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding a fabricated case against Mr. Heri Budiawan. He is known as Budi Pego, a villager of Sumber Agung village, Banyuwangi, East Java Province. Budi took an active part in advocacy efforts for a safe and protected environment for Tumpang Pitu, Banyuwangi Regency. […]

NEPAL: An Open Letter from the Asian Human Rights Commission to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and to the relevant authorities

06 September 2017 Mr. Krishna Bahadur Mahara Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singha Durbar, Kathmandu, Nepal Phone: 977-1- 4200182/183/184/185 Toll Free No: 1660-01-00186 Fax: 977-1- 4200061/056/160 Email: info@mofa.gov.np Dear Mr. Mahara, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) would like to inform you that we are aware that your office […]

INDIA: Manual scavenging claims more lives in New Delhi

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has taken note of news reports from various media channels on the deaths of several manual scavengers across the country and especially in New Delhi. Manual scavenging has been outlawed in India but still persists, with the State being the biggest employer and enabler of the practice. […]

SRI LANKA: Victim of human rights violations re-arrested by Police to satisfy Educational Authorities

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information regarding Mr. K.M.H Sudath, a resident of Kandy District. On 22 July 2017, he was illegally arrested and detained at the Headquarters of the Police Station in Kandy. Sudath is a victim of human rights violations. When the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (HRC) inquired […]

INDIA: Poor farmers falsely implicated by Police and Excise officials in West Bengal

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding false cases being filed against two persons in Malda, West Bengal. The cases were filed against them for cultivating poppy on their fields, which the victims deny claiming that the lands they own are ‘nama’ land on which it is not possible […]

SRI LANKA: Torture and fabricated charges by Mahiyangana Police with the view of land grabbing

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding continuous harassment meted out by the Mahiyangana Police and the Badulla Police to Herath Mudiyanselage Podi Kumarihami, in order to grab a land which Podi Kumarihami owns and where she has been living for a long time. Police officers attached to the […]

INDONESIA: Security Forces forcibly terminated Workshop on 1965 massacre

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the committee of International People’s Tribunal (IPT) in Klender, East Jakarta city, Jakarta, Indonesia. It relates to a forced termination of a Workshop by Police Officers, Military Personnel, a village head and thugs. They accused the committee and participants of disseminating Communist and […]

INDIA: Two Dalit youth tortured by police in Kerala, one commits suicide

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the brutal police torture and subsequent suicide of a young boy in Thrissur, Kerala. Vinayak (18) was tortured and violated brutally by police officers of the Pavaratty police station, Thrissur, Kerala. He was threatened with dire consequences if he did not admit […]

INDIA: Immediately release fasting NBA activists Medha Patkar and others on 14-day fast, ensure their physical integrity

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information from the Narmada Bachao Andolan about the re-arrest of Medha Patkar and other activists. They were first arrested on 7 August 2017 after a 12 day fast against the Madhya Pradesh government’s decision to submerge the area where more than 7000 families are living. The […]

INDIA: The Northeast is flooded – State efforts are too little too late

Statement | India | 02-08-2017

The Prime Minister of India has just announced a Rs.2000 crore relief package to deal with the damage caused by the devastating floods have impacted the northeast region of India since mid-June, particularly the states of Assam, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh. The floods escaped media attention for quite some time, as is want of events […]

INDONESIA: Alleged brutal shooting and violence by the Paniai Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) in Papua

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from our local partner in Papua Province. It speaks about an alleged brutal shooting and violence committed by the Paniai Police Mobie Brigade. It was carried out against local indigenous Papuans in Oneibo, South Tigi District, Deiyai Regency, Papua. Without any proper warning, the […]