Inhuman & degrading treatment

SOUTH KOREA: Human Rights in 2011 – Systematic setup to restrict rights vs. systematic failure to protect rights

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on the Occasion of the International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2011 On the occasion of the International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2011 the AHRC is publishing the annual report on the State of Human Rights in South Korea in 2011. The full report is available […]

BANGLADESH: State appears bankrupt in protecting rights

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on the Occasion of the International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2011 International Human Rights Day is going to be ‘observed’ in Bangladesh amidst numerous victims facing gross abuses of human rights without an access to legal remedies from the existing criminal justice system. On the eve […]

NEPAL: Commitments to accountability and justice continue to be jeopardized in 2011

Statement | Nepal | 07-12-2011

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on the Occasion of the International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2011 On the occasion of the 63rd Human Rights Day, the Asian Human Rights Commission is releasing its annual report on the state of human rights protection in Nepal through 2011. The report is available here. Given […]

INDONESIA: Human Rights in 2011 – The Decay of Pancasila and Constitutional Protections

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on the Occasion of the International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2011 On the occasion of the International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2011 the AHRC publishes its annual report on the State of Human Rights in Indonesia in 2011. The full report will be made available […]

INDIA: Armed robbery by police and security agencies in West Bengal

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 armed robbery by the state police and the security agencies operating in the state on the pretext of anti-Naxalite operations. It is reported that a team of armed police officers […]

INDIA: BSF brutally assaults and injures six innocent farmers in West Bengal

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 torture of six innocent farmers by the Border Security Force (BSF) on mere suspicion. The incident happened when the BSF stooped the farmers for questioning while they were on their […]

INDIA: BSF strikes again, this time, knifing a person

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 brutality practiced by the Border Security Force (BSF) against civilians living along the Indo-Bangladesh border. In this instance, the BSF was in fact assisting the cross-border smuggling gang of which […]

BURMA: Urgent humanitarian intervention needed for jailed monk

An Open Letter from the Asian Human Rights Commission to the President of Myanmar/Burma U Thein Sein President of Myanmar President Office Office No.18 Naypyitaw Myanmar Dear Mr Thein Sein BURMA: Urgent humanitarian intervention needed for jailed monk I am writing to you with an urgent humanitarian request concerning the current conditions of detention for […]

INDONESIA: One person killed, hundreds arrested and five persons charged with rebellion at Third Papuan People’s Congress

Dear friends, The AHRC has received information regarding the killing of at least one person and the arrest of hundreds of participants at the Third Papuan People’s Congress including Forkorus Yaboisembut and Edison Waromi on 19 October 2011 in Abepura, Papua. Concerns about the safety of the arrested persons and the need for an investigation […]

INDONESIA: Jayapura city district police and military arbitrarily torture and arrest Papuan civilians

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the arbitrary arrest and torture of 15 Papuan villagers, including several minors, in Horas Skyline village, Jayapura, Papua, committed by a joint team of Jayapura city district police and Cenderawasih military area command on 31 August 2011. Until now, there is no investigation […]

INDONESIA: Morowali district police shot and ill-treated protesters in Tiaka

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the shooting and ill-treatment of protesters by police between 22-24 August 2011 in Tiaka, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. During the protest for community rights against an energy company, held by the Student Alliance Front for North Bungku Utara and Mamosalato on 22 August 2011, […]

PHILIPPINES: Investigate two separate incidents of torture in Basilan

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received details about the torture of two men in separate incidents in Basilan, Mindanao. The group of soldiers who tortured one of them had previously been accused of torturing a boy. The two victims are presently in detention and being prosecuted over questionable charges.  CASE DETAILS: (based […]

PHILIPPINES: Tortured boy temporarily released to his parent’s custody

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that Asraf Jamiri Musa, a 17-year-old Education student, who was tortured inside a military camp and charged with illegal possession of explosives after evidence was planted on him, has been temporarily released from detention to the custody of his parents. UPDATED INFORMATION: In […]

PHILIPPINES: Soldiers torture a man and set him on fire

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that the soldiers tortured a member of an indigenous minority whom they falsely accused of being a member of an illegal armed group and set him on fire after pouring gasoline on him. The victim was tortured to force him to admit he […]

PHILIPPINES: An armed village chief and his men assaulted a tricycle driver

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that an armed village chief and his men severely assaulted a tricycle driver whom they wrongly accused of attempting to escape liability from an accident.  CASE NARRATIVE: (The summary of the sworn statement by Leonardo Borja written in Filipino)  At 10pm on August 10, […]

ASIA: The Societal Importance of the elimination of torture and ill treatment in the South Asian context

A summary of a presentation made to the Vigil India Movement, Bangalore by the Asian Human Rights Commission Each generation has its own challenges. Not long ago the great challenge was to dispel the foreign invader and to claim our land as our own. Today we face a far different challenge, which is, to become […]

PHILIPPINES: Ombudsman exonerates policemen ignorant of the law from liability

Dear friends,  Despite of our appeal, the Office of the Ombudsman also exonerated the policemen, who were responsible in filing a charge for “serious resistance and disobedience” on seven farmers and four minors, from liability for ignorance of the law. The charge that the police filed does not exist in the list of criminal offenses […]

PHILIPPINES: Concern over Ombudsman’s “closure and termination” of cases

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is from today publishing a series ofInvestigation Reports made by the Office of the Ombudsman on cases they have ruled as “closed and terminated” during the last five years. The AHRC is deeply concerned that the Ombudsman is arbitrarily using its power under the Ombudsman Act of 1989 to dismiss complaints on questionable grounds.  DETAILS OF TERMINATED CASES:  First […]

PHILIPPINES: Policemen who tortured a boy offers bribe, intimidates witnesses and complainants to withdraw prosecution

Dear Friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned that the witnesses and the family of torture victim, Jhon Paul Nerio, have either been offered bribes or are being intimidated after testifying in a trial against the policemen. The policemen were attempting to bribe them to retract their testimony and intimidate them to […]

BANGLADESH/PHILIPPINES: Why Filipinos must protest the attack on FMA Razzak?

Bangladeshi national FMA Razzak is the President of the Human Rights Development Centre (HRDC) and Editor of the Pakkhik Gonomichhil in Paikgachha of Khulna district, Bangladesh. On April 29, 2011, Razzak and his younger brother, Mr. Bodiuzzaman Bodiar; brother-in-law, Mr. Bakkar, were attacked after having been kidnapped by the relatives of an army major, Mustafizur […]