Impunity

SRI LANKA: Perpetrators of a brutal attack on a student of Jaffna University have not been arrested

Dear friends, Mr. Rajavarothayan Kavirajan (27) of Nalloor, Punarin in Kilinochchi District, a final year student of Art Faculty of the Jaffna University was severely assaulted by members of an unknown group, who are believed to be of the country’s military intelligence units, in Jaffna on 24 October 2011. Rajavarothayan was seriously injured, and was admitted to […]

SRI LANKA: Udugama Police tortured an innocent man after illegal arrest and laid with fabricated charges

Dear friends, Mr. Henegoda Vithanachchige Gamini (41), of Udugama in the District of Galle was illegally arrested and severely tortured by the police officers attached to the Udugama Police Station on 16 June 2011. On that day when the officers asked him to accompany them he did so without hesitation as he was innocent. Regardless […]

SRI LANKA: Innocent man denied justice for eight years

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Pathrage Don Jayathilaka (56) of Molkava, Baduraliya in Kalutara District was illegally arrested and severely tortured by the police officers attached to the Baduraliya Police Station on 21 October 2003. Then the police officers forced him to accepted crime of possession of […]

SRI LANKA: Innocent couple was illegally arrested, detained and tortured by the Kiribathgoda Police

Dear friends, On 13 August 2010, Mr. Suriyaarachchige Lakshman de Silva was illegally arrested, detained and severely tortured by the police officers attached to the Kiribathgoda Police Station. His wife, B.M. Ajantha Weerasinghe, was illegally arrested, detained and verbally abused. Lakshman, a painting contractor by profession, agreed to do a number of contracting tasks for […]

SRI LANKA: Witness to a corruption case’s home attacked; investigation needed

Dear friends, A retired public school teacher who gave evidence before an inquiry committee appointed by the Department of Education and Ministry of Education on a corruption case, was attacked on 1 October 2011 at Circular Road, Galavilawatte, Homagama in Colombo District. He was inside his home when he heard shots being fired at two […]

INDIA: West Bengal police suspected to be protecting child traffickers

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from MASUM, a human rights organisation working in West Bengal, concerning the case of 15-year-old girl, who was trafficked to Bangalore from the Indo-Bangladesh border. In this unfortunate case, the victim girl from Padmapukur village, was first married to one Mr. Abdulla Mondal son […]

INDIA: Mayawati, the Supreme Court of Uttar Pradesh

In what appears to be an ‘absolutely normal’ practice in India, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh state, Ms Mayawati, has declared, that one of her ministers, accused of having raped a girl, is not guilty. The chief minister also declared, that there would be no investigation against the minister. The incident of rape of […]

SRI LANKA: Innocent man was severely tortured by Dompe Police

Dear friends, On 28 September 2011, Mr. Battharamulla Gamage Susantha Buddhika (19) of No: 243/3, Pelahela, Dekatana, Dompe in Gampaha District was illegally arrested, detained and tortured. He was tortured on two occasions; he was hung from a ceiling beam and beaten with pipes and poles by three officers, including the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the […]

SRI LANKA: Death of the primary suspect in the case of the murder of a newspaper editor should be investigated

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Pichchei Jesudasan, the primary suspect in the murder of veteran journalist editor of the Sunday Leader News Paper, Lasantha Wickramatunga, died while in remand prison. The other suspect who was arrested in relation to this case confessed to the Magistrate that he is […]

INDONESIA: No transparency in military proceedings against officers responsible for violence against Kebumen villagers

Dear friends, Regarding the military violence against Kebumen villagers on April 16-17, 2011, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learnt that there have been some legal proceedings against the villagers. Meanwhile, there is no information regarding any legal process against the alleged perpetrators. The reluctant and secretive nature of the military’s proceedings against the […]

SRI LANKA: Perpetrators of brutal attack on student leader of Jaffna University have not been arrested

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Subramaniam Thavapalasingham, President of the Jaffna University Students Union (JUSU) was severely assaulted by members of an unknown group in Jaffna on 16 October 2011. Thavapalasingham was seriously injured, and was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Jaffna Teaching Hospital. […]

INDIA: The BSF strikes again in West Bengal, this time murdering a man by breaking his skull

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has once again received information from MASUM, a human rights organisation working in West Bengal, concerning the murder of an innocent person who was attempting to cross the Indo-Bangladesh border. The victim in the case Mr Khalil Sk. is a local medical practitioner who went across the […]

INDONESIA: Troops Open Fire On Papuan Gathering

The Indonesian military and police started shooting at around 2:37pm West Papua time, yesterday 19 October. Information about what exactly transpired are still sketchy but at least one person was shot (believed dead), scores have been arrested, hundreds have fled to the hills and jungle surrounding the capital, and the capital is in a state […]

CAMBODIA: Trial Chamber announces date for opening of the substantive hearing in case 002

The Trial Chamber today announced that opening statements in the trial in Case 002 will commence at 9.00 a.m. on Monday 21 November 2011 in the ECCC Main Courtroom and continue over the following days. The hearing of evidence in this case will begin on Monday 28 November 2011. The Initial Hearing in Case 002, […]

SRI LANKA: A man is illegally arrested, tortured and laid with fabricated charges by the Udugama Police

Dear friends, Mr. Sathira Dharshana Jayawickrama (22) of Manigawatta, Ketagoda, Udugama is single and a driver by profession. On 6 June 2011Sathira was arrested by police officers attached to the Udugama Police Station who severely tortured him. He was remanded for 42 days after the police filed a fabricated case against him. After he was […]

INDIA: Police assault a tribal woman in Kerala

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Nervazhi, a human rights organisation working in Kerala, concerning the case of police assault upon a tribal woman. It is reported that Mrs Paru, aged 65 years went to the Malakkapara Police Station concerning a complaint Paru had filed at the station of […]

SOUTH KOREA: Sexual crimes against minor girls by US military based in South Korea

Dear friends, We wish to share with you the following statement from the Women Making Peace (WMP) and the Korean Women’s Association United. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ————- A Statement from the Women Making Peace (WMP) and the Korean Women’s Association United forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission A teenage girl was […]

SRI LANKA: Innocent man was illegally arrested, tortured and denied justice by Thambuththegama Police

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Madabavitage Samantha (38) of No: 127/A/1, Paliyatiyana, Devalapola, Minuwangoda in the Gampaha District was assaulted and robbed of a gold ring by two people in the town of Thambuththegama in the Anuradhapura District while he was on his way home from a […]

SRI LANKA: Executive presidential system and the supremacy of T56

Murders of father, mother and two children in Udawalawe While the whole nation was shocked by the multiple killings at Mulleriyawa, another set of gruesome murders have been reported from Puhulyaya, Panahakaduwa, in Udawalawe. A father M K Lalith (37), mother R Indrani Gnanalatha (32), son M K Dilan Chathuranga (12), daughter M K Nadeeka […]

INDIA: 685-crore Dalit park, a Bokkasan style monstrosity

Statement | India | 14-10-2011

At 5 pm Indian standard time today (14 October), the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Ms Mayawati, will inaugurate a park in Noida, that Mayawati claims is a Dalit memorial to symbolise Dalit liberation and power in India. Noida is close to New Delhi, the national capital. It is reported that the park, constructed at […]