Impunity

INDIA: Paranoia at Writer’s Building

Statement | India | 12-04-2012

Referring to the reactions of the government of West Bengal to demands of public causes and justice under the leadership of Ms. Mamata Banerjee, as paranoid, would be in fact an understatement. The state government led by the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) that was elected to power – reflecting the people’s wish for change, […]

PAKISTAN: Police insist an 18-year-old girl to settle a case of raping for five years with the rapist cum stepfather

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the rape of an 18-year-old girl in the captivity of her stepfather, a police tout, for more than five years. Her mother has also been kidnapped by the perpetrator and her whereabouts remain unknown. A case was filed after agitation from local communities […]

SRI LANKA: Interviews of the abducted Premkumar Gunarathnam’s mother and his sister

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward you the following statement from the mother of Premakumar Gunarathnam and his sister. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong —————————– A statement from the mother of Premakumar Gunarathnam and his sister, forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) Earlier, we reported about the abduction of […]

PAKISTAN: No inquiry has yet been initiated in to the case of the torture to death of a school teacher

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) condemns the recent ruthless, barbaric, and torturous murder of Mr Abdul Qudoos Ahmad, a school teacher, Ahmadi religious group of Islam. The AHRC calls on the Pakistan government to immediately bring the perpetrators to justice. The level of ruthless barbarity seen in this murder is unacceptable and seldom. It […]

SRI LANKA: Notice of disappearance of Kumar Gunaratnam and Dimuthu Atygalle and appeal for accountability

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward you the following statement from the movement for people’s struggle and the Frontline Socialist party. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong —————————– A statement from the movement for people’s struggle and the Frontline Socialist party forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) This […]

SRI LANKA: Two arrested from JVP dissident group

Mr. Premakumar Gunarathnam the leader of the JVP dissident group and Ms. Dimuthu Attigala a member of the same group are reported to be missing from yesterday night. According to a report, published today in the Daily Mirror, both have been arrested. However the grounds on which they were arrested or the location of the place of […]

PAKISTAN: In a hate campaign against the Ahmadis the police tortured to death an innocent school teacher

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the illegal arrest, detention and custodial torture which led to the death of Mr Abdul Qudoos Ahmad, a school teacher and the president of the Nusrat Abad chapter of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat, by the Chenab Nagar police. He was kept in illegal detention […]

PAKISTAN: Complainant of a 14-year-old girl’s gang-rape case is murdered in order to force the relatives withdrawing the complaint

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information on the gang rape of a 14 year old girl (For further details, please see the original appeal: AHRC-UAC-064-2010). The victim’s uncle, who was the complainant in the case, was gunned down by the accused persons who were accused by names in the rape […]

INDIA: BSF murders four teenagers and assault their parents for complaining

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information from MASUM, concerning the case of gruesome murder of four teenagers by the Border Security Force at Harudanga Mini BSF Border Outpost Camp, near Golpak (a rivulet of Padma) situated at Nirmal Char under the jurisdiction of Ranitala Police Station, in West Bengal […]

PAKISTAN: A newspaper terminates its editor after threats from fundamentalists

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that an editor of a daily newspaper was terminated from his job after threats of the filing of a blasphemy case against him. Threats of blasphemy cases were also made against the publisher, editor and editor of the editorial page by Muslim fundamentalists. After […]

PAKISTAN: Police tortured a young man in custody for extracting confessional statement on murder of a boy

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a young man was seriously tortured by the police of City Bhalwal, Sargodha, Punjab Province, and was forced to confess to the murder of a 14-year-old student. The victim was kept blind folded in solitary confinement where he was tortured. As he would […]

PAKISTAN: Six power loom workers were detained, tortured and tried in Anti-Terrorism Court for formation of trade union

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that six trade union activists were arbitrarily arrested by the Pakistan Rangers, a paramilitary organization, on the behest of the owners of a power loom factory accused of creating a trade union for the workers. The six trade union activists were tortured for 30 […]

SRI LANKA: Destructive effects of racial nihilism

Nilantha Ilangamuwa “Those whom God wishes to destroy, he first deprives of their senses.” – Euripides The government has about an year to improve governance in terms of human rights, instead of selling racial nihilism and isolating itself from the world and the people. Next March (2013 March) the High Commissioner for Human Rights would […]

PAKISTAN: Fisherfolk Blues…

By Qurat Mirza I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; “and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.” […]

SRI LANKA: A torture victim is detained for 3 years without trial

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Surendra Rajan of Matale has been in remand prison without being charged or even informed of the reason for his arrest for three years. His problems began when he was asked to pay compensation by his employer, a government minister, after he […]

SRI LANKA: Possibility of new opportunities – successful UN resolution

The successful United Nations Resolution on reconciliation and accountability should pave the way for a new period of commitment to cure the wounds of a long conflict, caused upon individuals as well as on the institutional structure of democracy and the rule of law in Sri Lanka. A responsible approach to dealing with the past […]

INDIA: Quackery of justice

The National Human Rights Commission is a specialised statutory body mandated to protect, promote and fulfil human rights. Set up by virtue of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, the NHRC is the result of India’s pre-emptive commitment to United Nations General Assembly resolution 48/134 of 20 December 1993, also known as Principles relating […]

SRI LANKA: Civil society urges government to stop hate campaigns and protect human rights defenders

Dear friends, We wish to share with you the following statement from a group of Sri Lankan human rights defenders. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ————- A Statement from a group of Sri Lankan human rights defenders forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission SRI LANKA: Civil society urges government to stop hate campaigns […]

INDIA: Brutal custodial torture by Harora and Ashoknagar police in West Bengal

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) concerning another case of brutal custodial torture of Mr. Samad Mondal. It is reported that the police from Haroa Police Station arrested the victim from a Gopalpur market on 20 January 2012. It is alleged that the police tortured […]

SRI LANKA: Extrajudicial Killings — The miserable breakdown of the rule of law

By Nilantha Ilangamuwa Our lives are spinning out from world to world; the shapes of things are shifting in the wind. What do we know beyond the rapture and the dread?- Stanley Kunitz* “They finished off my husband after two days of torture, and then took me to Hambantota where a number of women were […]