Impunity

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a group of nine men were arrested by the Matale police at the instigation of the Superintendent of the Hunnasgiriya Estate. The incident occurred after a group of men protested at the office of the superintendent who had earlier assaulted a man for […]

In an Indian election, campaigns are heavily dependent on the media. Yet, however risk ridden the life and livelihood of Indian media personnel may be, their security is not an issue for political parties, governments, or owners of media houses. The north eastern region is no exception to this. North east India is a seat […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the torture case of Riko Yeyandra, an inmate who was tortured by two prison guards at Solok Correctional Facility, West Sumatra. The prison guards were found guilty of maltreatment by Solok District Court and sentenced to one year of imprisonment. The judges, […]

Litigants have approached the Supreme Court of India with manifold requests, solemn and bizarre, that ranges from seeking the court’s intervention to guarantee basic rights for the prisoners to asking the government of India to declare parts of Pakistan as India. These litigations are filed seeking the court to invoke its authority under article 32 […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) appreciates India’s promise to protect and promote a pluralistic civil society. In a speech delivered in a parallel event during the 25th Human Rights Council Session, India said: “[a] pluralistic civil society complements government activities as it is often involved in local level development, advocacy, action research and social […]

In this week’s programme we will bring you a special feature on the 12th anniversary of the gruesome Gujarat massacre during which widespread communal riots killed thousands of Muslims and others as well as how India, despite several investigations, is still deeply divided regarding the events that took place and who should be held responsible. […]

by Nilantha Ilangamuwa The battle is on the edge. Few hours are left. Hopes and despairs are mixed in the air. One of the important establishments after the Second World War is about to take a crucial decision as its next move. This is a decision that would affect over 20 million people. This is […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a 17-year-old girl was buried alive for marrying by her own choice with a three wheeler driver. She was buried alive on the instructions of a Jirga, an illegal court run by tribal chiefs. She was buried in a Hindu graveyard and not […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a young man was severely tortured in police custody for not paying a bribe in a theft case. The police used acid in order to torture him and his elder brother to force them to pay a bribe. Traces of acid were found […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Abeysinghe Gamachchige Manathunga, a farmer, was illegally arrested and tortured by the Hungama police simply because he happened to be in the right place at the right time. The officers needed to arrest a ‘culprit’ in order to fulfill the requirement to […]

There are estimated 15,451 pending cases at the Supreme Court (SC) of Nepal. Last year the Supreme Court gave final decisions on only 4360 cases. There are still 12,114 pending cases from last year and 8097 registered this year that makes total of 20,211 pending cases at the SC. So far this year, the SC […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Weerasinghe Gamage Kularathne is a farmer by profession. On 16 January he was taking some bananas that he had cultivated to market in order to sell them when he was stopped by officers of the Civil Security Force. The officers accused him […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Ms. Balendran Jayakumari and her daughter Vithushaini (13) both were arrested on 13 March 2014, by officers attached to the Kilinochchi Police Station. Jayakumari has been active in the search of disappeared persons, including members of her own family for several years. She […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Yahaluge Wimalasiri (50) of Veliharanawa, Oluganthota, Balangoda in the District of Ratnapura complained to the chairman of the Pradesheeya Sabha for making indecent proposals to his wife. Subsequently he was severely beaten by the chairman’s supporters and then by officers of the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Wiki Wikramarathna, a freelance journalist, videographer and blogger is under threat of death. Mr. Wikramarathna learned about a Singhala New Year Festival being organised by the Civil Security Committee of the Udyana Ward, Dehivala. This committee comes under the Ministry of Defense […]

The following article appeared as the editorial of the latest issue of ‘Torture: Asian and Global Perspectives’, a bi-monthly magazine published by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), based in Hong Kong and the Danish Institute Against Torture (DIGNITY) based in Denmark. by Nilantha Ilangamuwa The long march has clocked a hundred days. The brave […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information that the police force of Burma has dismissed several officers involved in the torturing to death of a 39-year-old man. Other officers have been either suspended from duty or transferred to different townships. Myo Myint Swe was tortured during interrogation over a murder […]

On 11 March 2014 a presidential commission of inquiry into the latest violence in the far west of Burma, or Myanmar, presented its findings. According to the commission, which is the latest in a series examining violence around the country, numbers of security forces in some areas need to be significantly increased. Highlighting Maungdaw Township, […]

A girl commits suicide by self-immolation after her rapists bribed the police to release them. The state institutions remained as silent spectators The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information that an 18 year old student died in hospital after setting herself on fire in the front of a hospital, in Muzzafargarh, Punjab province where […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Samarasinghe Arachchilage Samantha Dassanayake is a jailor of the Sri Lanka Prison Department attached to the Negombo Prison. He was illegally arrested and detained by the officers of the Seeduwa Police Station who allowed a ward member of Negombo Municipal Council and […]