Impunity

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information regarding Pitawalagedara Chandrarathna (47), resident of Bakamuna Police Division. Chandrarathna was arrested on 4 May 2017 charged with participation in a murder. After being detained for 14 days, he was found dead on 18 September 2017–murdered inside the Polonnaruwa Remand Prison.   Prison Authorities said that they […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information from our local partner in Papua, that the Military Court III-19 sentenced a defendant for burning Bibles to 30 months imprisonment, and dismissal from service. However, there has been no further investigation into the army’s excessive use of force in dispersing protesters, including […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about the extra-judicial killing of Mr. D P Premasiri (65) of Stace Road, Grandpass, Colombo 14 in the Colombo District. On 9 August 2017, Premasiri was illegally arrested, severely tortured at his house in front of his relatives and neighbors. Later, he was handcuffed […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding Mr. Randeer Kaushalya (22), resident of Ragama Police Division, Gampaha District. On 15 August 2017, Randeer was illegally arrested by Police of the Ragama Police Division. He was not given any reason for his arrest. After detaining him at the Police Station, he […]

With the publication of the 2017 Global Hunger Index Report, it is clear that India’s dreams of becoming a superpower, with world class airports and bullet trains, are all hyperbole. The utopian narrative of modern India overlooks the fact that it is a country that fell three places down to 100 in the 2017 Hunger […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information regarding the case of Mr. Rayan Jayalath, Convener of the Medical Faculty Students Action Committee (MFSAC) of Sri Lanka. Rayan is a medical student at the Ruhuna University, and has played a pivotal role in organizing the peoples’ movement against privatizing free education in Sri […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the stagnant investigation of the acid attack case against Mr. Novel Baswedan, a senior investigator of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). Even after six months, the police investigation has still produced no results. Despite family and public requests for President Joko Widodo […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding Mr. Vedamahagedara Janaka Aruna Shantha (40) of Udispaththuwa, Theldeniya a resident of Theldeniya Police Division. On 15 August 2017, Aruna was illegally arrested by Police Officers attached to the Negombo Headquarters Police Station. At the time of arrest he was not given the […]

An article from The Wire by the Asian Human Rights Commission The Indian Penal Code (IPC) is home to many archaic provisions, provisions that hold India back and permit it to take refuge in the dusty annals of ancient law books. It is preposterous and embarrassing that Section 375, Exception 2, has been allowed to remain […]

Dear Friends, Mr. S H Pushpakumara (32) of Uragasmanhandiya Police Division was a resident of Galle District. He went missing on 12 August 2017. He was a regular soldier attached to the Gajaba Regiment of the Sri Lanka Army. He visited his home on a one day pass. He had permission to visit his mother […]

This week Just Asia begins with Nepal, where a distressing case of caste discrimination saw a 14-year-old Dalit girl paraded in Belbari Municipality-2 of Morang district with shoes around her neck, soot smeared on her face, and the tag of ‘thief’ stuck on her body. She was also beaten with nettle greens, causing her body […]

Dear Friends, Asian Human Rights Commission has received information regarding the case of 31 Rohingya refugees. They were harassed, threatened and warned with more violent assaults unless they left the country. These actions were carried out by a well-organized group. The refugees comprised 16 children, 7 women and 8 adult men. They were all under […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from our partner in East Java province, the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS), Surabaya office. It is regarding the case of Mr. Sugeng Sugiono, a victim of wrongful arrest and a fabricated case. Police Officers in Surabaya city, East Java […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about the extra-judicial killing of Mr. Naiwala Appuhamilage Gamini Edwad (50) resident of Divulapitiya Police Division. On 2 October 2017, he was illegally arrested by Crime Branch Officers of the Police Station. Later, during his interrogation, he was tortured and pressured to admit committing […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding Mr. Andige Lakshitha Piyumal Peiris (26), a permanent resident of the Trincomalee District. On 6 July 2017, Piyumal was illegally arrested by Police Officers attached to the Kantale Police Station. He was accused of assaulting two Police Officers which he vehemently denied. He […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information regarding Mr. D M Jayawardena Minipe in the Badulla District. He was a migrant worker who went to Saudi Arabia from Sri Lanka in 2013. On 14 November 2013 he was involved in a traffic accident which resulted in minor damage to the other vehicle. […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) would like to inform you about the case of excessive police force against a peaceful public protest at Hambantota Town on 6 October 2017. The protest was attended by thousands of people, including religious leaders, political party leaders, members of parliament, provincial council members, local government body […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about the extra-judicial attempt to kill Mr. Jayalath Pedige Udaya Samantha Sooriyakumara (31), Devala Kanda, Dorawaka a resident of Warakapola Police Division in Kegalle District. At 5:30 p.m. 15 August 2017, Samantha was walking along with his mother. On the flyover at Veyangoda, on […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) received information about Mr. Susantha Bandara Karunarathna, a journalist working for the ‘Sunday Apple’ newspaper. He was tortured by the Assistant Superintendent of Police of Tangalle, I. T. Daluwath. Susantha was engaged in his duties as a journalist, covering a peaceful protest at Hambantota Town on 6 […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received the information regarding the case of Mr. Mohanathas Iyathurai (40), resident of Kopay Police Division in Jaffna, who was arrested by police officers attached to the Terrorist Investigation Department (TID) of Sri Lanka Police. Not only was he arrested illegally, but his lawyer was also not […]