International human rights mechanisms

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, […]

(This is the text of a presentation at A Consultation on Peace and Security in Asia and Ecumenical Responses held on August 1-6, 2011, organized by WCC and CCA) As a start we may try to reflect on some of the concerns expressed by the participants of this meeting who have spoken so far. One […]

An Open Letter from the Asian Human Rights Commission to Mr. Federico Mayor, President of the International Commission against the Death Penalty Mr. Federico Mayor President International Commission against the Death Penalty C/o The Secretariat Edificio Torres Ágora, Serrano Galvache 26, 28071 Madrid SPAIN Tel: +34 91 394 89 53 Email: asunta.vivo@icomdp.org Dear Mr. Mayor, […]

The long struggle of a female worker has drawn the attention of both the local and international community. Ms. Kim Jin-suk, a member of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) has been occupying the cabin of Crane No. 85, which is 35 metres high, in the shipyard of Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction (HHIC) […]

Basil Fernando  In Plato’s Republic Glaucon narrates a story about a ring of invisibility.  The man who found the ring used his power to enter the palace, rape the queen, kill the king and to take over the throne. ‘They’d have the scope I’m talking about especially if they acquired the kind of power which, […]

Yesterday we published an open letter relating to false and defamatory material which also amounted to the publication of a death list. Kindly see : SRI LANKA: AHRC tells the Canada-based Sri Lankan intellectual to stop distribution of false and defamatory material and a death list, at: http://www.humanrights.asia/news/ahrc-news/AHRC-OLT-001-2011. We have subsequently received replies from Dr. […]

We hope that wishing for a happy new year in Sri Lanka is not just mere wishful thinking. We wish: 1. That Rizana Nafeek, facing a death sentence in Saudi Arabia, will be released as soon as possible. This wish can become true only if the Sri Lankan government makes all the diplomatic efforts to […]

An Open Letter to the President of Sri Lanka on the fate of Rizana Nafeek     Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa   President Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Presidential Secretariat Colombo-01 SRI LANKA   Tel: + 94 11 2447400 Fax: + +94 11 2423494 E-mail: secretary@presidentsoffice.lk       Your Excellency President Mahinda Rajapaksa:   SRI […]

Dear friends, We wish to share with you the following statement from UCANEWS. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong   ————- A Statement from UCANEWS forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Posted By pramual On December 21, 2010 @ 3:29 pm In Analysis & Opinion, Countries, Daily Service, Sri Lanka   Hundreds of Sri […]

An Open Letter to the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for Human Rights by the Asian Human Rights Commission   Rosslyn Noonan Chairperson International Coordinating Committee (ICC) Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Attn. Mr. Vladlen Stefanov National Institutions Unit 8-14 Avenue de la Paix CH-1211 Geneva 10 SWITZERLAND Tel: + 41 […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward to you the following open letter from Steering Committee of the NGO Coalition for the OP-ICESCR to the governments of countries which have not ratified the Optional Protocol of International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ——- […]

The government of Thailand claims to be complying with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in its application of the Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations, B.E. 2548 (2005) in response to the recent protests in Bangkok, which is today, 6 July 2010, coming up for renewal. The Asian Human Rights […]

The common candidate for several opposition parties, retired general Sarath Fonseka, has made an appeal to the President of Sri Lanka to ensure security for him through the Inspector General of Police. This has been published through several media channels. The retired general has also stated that there is a plot to arrest and assassinate […]

Very recently the Cambodian authorities spurned the recommendations made by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights following its review of Cambodia’s implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). When asked about the recommendations, Cheam Yeap, a Member of Parliament from the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, who usually […]

We reproduce below the United Nations Security Council resolution of Sri Lanka on 13thMay 2009 which was published by the Department of Public Information – News and Media Division – New York The following Security Council press statement on Sri Lanka was read out today by Council President Vitaly Churkin (Russian Federation): The members of […]

On May 12, 2009, the United Nations General Assembly will hold elections to the UN Human Rights Council. Five seats will be available to the Asian region. Only five States from the region – Bangladesh, China, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan and Saudi Arabia – have announced their candidacy, meaning that they will be elected for three-year terms […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) are very concerned that, on 3 April, the Office of the Co-Investigating Judges (OCIJ) at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), otherwise known as the Khmer Rouge Tribunal (KRT), rejected a request by the defence seeking disclosure of […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that the police allegedly ordered parents to pay a bribe of 150000 riels (US$37.5) each if their sons were not to be arrested after these youths had damaged a party sign in Soeung commune, Bor Keo district, Rattankiri province. On 2 July 2008, they arrested […]

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has started the first session of its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) from yesterday. India is among the 16 states that will be reviewed during this session. The session will end on 18th April. India will be reviewed tomorrow. The review session is held in Geneva. The UPR is […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that two activists from Pakistan arrested in London on 4 December 2007 may be threatened with deportation. They are being held and charged allegedly for conspiring to incite another person to commit acts of terrorism. Their friends and colleagues are worried that the […]