Impunity

This week Just Asia begins with Sri Lanka, where President Maithripala Sirisena told parliament last week that he was ready to bring back the death penalty for drug offenders within one or two months. The last hanging in Sri Lanka took place in 1976, since when there has been a moratorium on capital punishment. President […]

This week Just Asia begins with India’s north eastern state of Tripura, where police opened fire without any warning against protesters on January 8. Two young men were shot in the chest and are in critical condition. They were peacefully protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016, which is seen as highly inimical to the indigenous peoples […]

This week Just Asia begins with Pakistan, where the overruling of Asia Bibi’s blasphemy conviction and death sentence last week has mired the country in protests. To end the protests, the government made a deal with the Islamist hardliners, where Asia Bibi would remain in Pakistan while a final review of the Supreme Court ruling […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the local network in Jayawijaya Regency, Papua, regarding the arrest and detention of one Polish tourist and other indigenous Papuans. The police have accused the tourist of misusing his visa and being involved in selling illegal bullets in Papua. Civil society and human […]

Since late July 2018 Kerala started receiving unusually high rainfall (a total of 3,368 mm rainfall in this monsoon). This was initially ignored, as this southern-most state is a frequent recipient of torrential rains. With time however, matters worsened and for the first time in history, 35 out of 42 dams in Kerala had to […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS), a national human rights organization, regarding criminal charges against five environmental activists who advocated against pollution caused by the RUM company. The five protested against the Company due to the complete lack of […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been watching Nepal’s political drama unfold over the past month with great concern. The main characters in this drama are Acting Chief Justice Deepak Raj Joshee, who is the nominee for the Chief Justice, the government and the 15 members Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee (PHSC). The Constitutional Committee […]

This week Just Asia begins with India, where two police officers have been awarded the death penalty for the custodial torture and death of 27-year-old Udaya Kumara in Kerala in 2005. For more than 10 years, Udaya’s mother was steadfast in her pursuit of justice. Udaya’s case is a reminder not only of police brutality […]

The deaths of three girls aged eight, four and two from prolonged starvation hascaused much shock and uproar throughout India. This is largely because the deaths took place in New Delhi, the national capital, as well as because the autopsy report found that the children had not eaten anything for eight days straight. The girls had not eaten […]

This week Just Asia begins with Nepal, where justice is finally being served to Ganga Maya Adhikari. Ganga Maya had been staging a fast-unto-death at Bir Hospital demanding stringent action against the murderer of her son. The main culprit, Chhabilal Poudel, has surrendered before the Supreme Court, and is now in jail awaiting trial. The government has […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) condemns the unlawful arrest and detention committed by police officers of the Timika Police Office (Polres Timika) between 9 and 10 June 2018. Five indigenous Papuans were arrested without any arrest warrant: Titus Kwalik (48), Polce Sugumol (31), Julianus Dekme (31), Alosius Ogolmagai (49), and Orpa Wanjomal (40). According […]

This week Just Asia begins with Sri Lanka, where well-known rights activist Amitha Priyanthi was attacked by two motorcyclists on July 6. Dressed in black, with helmets covering their faces, the assailants hit Ms. Amitha on her head and other parts of the body, and took her handbag and mobile phone. There is reason to […]

By Chris Biantoro1 Sejak Suharto lengser pada tahun 1998, dan reformasi telah berjalan selama lebih dari 18 tahun, Papua belum menikmati arti perubahan yang sesungguhnya, sebagaimana dinikmati oleh wilayah lain di Indonesia. Inisiatif untuk menyelesaikan kasus-kasus pelanggaran Hak Asasi Manusia (HAM) di provinsi Papua dan Papua barat, sebenarnya telah beberapa kali muncul, misalkan yang diinisiasi […]

This week Just Asia begins with Nepal, where a mother is dying in the search for justice. Ganga Maya Adhikari has been on a fast-on-to-death hunger strike for over 30 days, and her health is severely deteriorating. In the ICU of Bir Hospital, Kathmandu, Ganga Maya has a simple demand: the arrest of Chhabilal Poudel, […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the brutal attack and forced eviction of Ahmadiyya homes in Lombok Timur committed by anti-tolerant groups. The police and the local government failed to ensure protection for the Ahmadiyya. Up until present, there is no clear law enforcement committed by the law enforcement […]

A Statement on the occasion of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture June 26th every year is marked as the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) works closely with victims of torture through its network of partner organisations across the countries it works in. […]

Growth has remained the buzzword in Indian polity for decades now. It started after the unprecedented economic crisis that the country faced in early 1990s and never really went away after that. It, rather, almost consumed the other big word- development, which now returns to election rallies and then disappears again until the next elections. […]

Sri Lanka Report for 2017 2017 was a decisive year for Sri Lanka, showing what progress had – and hadn’t – been made in the past few years. In January 2015, a new government was elected with a massive intervention on the part of the people. For 10 years, their premiere, Mahinda Rajapaksa, ran an […]

  This week Just Asia begins with Thailand, where police issued summons to at least another 47 individuals on May 29, for exercising their freedom of peaceful assembly to call for elections and democracy. Fifteen others were charged by the police earlier, also for participating at an assembly held at Thammasat University and the UN […]

On May 22, 2018, the people of Thoothukudi(Tuticorin) were protesting for the 100th day against the environmental damage caused by the copper smelter unit of Sterlite Copper company, a unit of Vedanta Group. 100 days of protests that turned violent on May 22nd, with police firing on the protesters and killing, as on date, 13 […]