Judicial system

UPDATE (Burma): Closed door trial sentenced blogger to over 20 years

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) regrets to inform you that a blogger whom we reported earlier to have been charged without evidence has been sentenced on November 10, 2008 to over 20 years of imprisonment. The judgement was rendered after closed door hearings. It consisted of a combined sentence for the three […]

BURMA: Police inaction on rape and murder of schoolgirl

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has followed with concern reports that a group of soldiers raped and killed a teenage schoolgirl in the north of Burma. It has since obtained detailed information on the case and learned that although it was reported to the police so far no action has been taken […]

BURMA: A man charged without evidence for sending news abroad

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been closely following and documenting the detentions and trials in Burma following last September’s mass protests. In this appeal we bring you the case of Zaw Min, who was accused of having sent news abroad, although no independent witnesses or evidence have been brought to the […]

SRI LANKA: Attack against human rights lawyer threatens rule of law and independence of the bar

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) strongly condemns the grenade attack on 27 September against prominent Sri Lankan human rights lawyer, J.C Weliamuna, and calls on the Government of Sri Lanka to launch a prompt, independent, impartial and transparent investigation. At around 11.30 pm on the 27 September a grenade exploded on Mr. Weliamuna’s balcony […]

PAKISTAN: Three more women allegedly buried in same way as five women buried in Balochistan

[NOTICE: The AHRC has developed this automatic letter-sending system using the “button” below. However, in this appeal, we could not include e-mail addresses of some of the Pakistan authorities. We encourage you to send your appeal letters via fax or post to those people. Fax numbers and postal addresses of the Pakistan authorities are attached […]

BURMA: A woman harassed and jailed for making complaints against local officials

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received detailed information on the case of a woman in lower Burma who has been jailed for over one year for allegedly swearing at some local officials. The reason for the case against the accused, Ma Sandar, is that she had previously made complaints against these […]

UPDATE (Nepal): A proper investigation is required on Arjun Bohadur Lama’s disappearance

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) would like to inform you that in August 2008, the Kavrepalanchowk district police finally registered a complaint made by a widow of Arjun Bohadur Lama, whose disappearance in April 2005 allegedly involved Maoists. It took over one year for the widow to register her complaint after the […]

BURMA: A man charged for having contact with overseas radio station

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received detailed information on the case of a man who has been arrested and charged in Burma for having had contact with an overseas radio station, even though it is not illegal to do this. The man, Win Maw, was arrested following the nationwide protests in Burma one year ago for sending news abroad and has been charged with upsetting public tranquillity. […]

UPDATE (Philippines): Abadilla Five’s petition to review conviction suffers further delay

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you regarding further delays in the conclusion of the Petition for Review on Certiorari that the Abadilla Five has filed. We previously reported that the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) was required by the Supreme Court to submit their comment on the petition; […]

PHILIPPINES: A man falsely charged with terrorism

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that a man, whom a prosecutor had falsely charged for committing acts of terror, has been continuously held in detention for six months to face a trial on an offense that has not been substantially proven. CASE DETAILS: (According to information from the Task […]

PAKISTAN: Murder of mother and daughter on the pretext of honour killing

[NOTICE: The AHRC has developed this automatic letter-sending system using the “button” below. However, in this appeal, we could not include e-mail addresses of some of the Pakistan authorities. We encourage you to send your appeal letters via fax or post to those people. Fax numbers and postal addresses of the Pakistan authorities are attached […]

GENERAL APPEAL (Pakistan): Four persons burned alive in hot coal tar while other abuses reported during military operation in Balochistan

[NOTICE: The AHRC has developed this automatic letter-sending system using the “button” below. However, in this appeal, we could not include e-mail addresses of some of the Pakistan authorities. We encourage you to send your appeal letters via fax or post to those people. Fax numbers and postal addresses of the Pakistan authorities are attached […]

BURMA: Three men charged for harbouring a monk after 2007 protests

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) regrets to inform you that yet another three persons have been charged over the protests of last September 2007 in Burma. The three are charged with harbouring a monk who was involved in leading the protests, but as in other cases like it, the police have come […]

BURMA: At least three more rights defenders arrested over cyclone relief work

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) regrets to inform you that at least three more persons have been arrested in recent days apparently because of their work in relief efforts for the victims of Cyclone Nargis. The three are the chairman and members of the Human Rights Defenders and Promoters group. Meanwhile, a […]

BURMA: Three more persons charged without evidence over September protests

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) regrets to inform you of another three cases against three persons who were illegally detained after the protests in Burma last September against the rapid increases in fuel and commodity costs there. The three have been charged with a number of offences for supposedly distributing anti-government literature […]

PHILIPPINES: Labour department’s complicity in unlawful acts deprives sexually abused workers from creating a union

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that several union leaders and factory workers of a footwear company were illegally terminated when some of their female colleagues exposed their employer’s sexual abuse on them. Their termination had also effectively deprived them possibility from having their union legally recognized. As they […]

SRI LANKA: Two young men severely assaulted; one has permanently lost his eyesight due to delayed medical treatment

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the Pitabaddara police allegedly severely assaulted a young man after arresting him during which time they allowed another person to throw acid in his face. Police kept him for several days in custody, refusing to provide medical treatment. Due to the delay, he […]

CAMBODIA: Prime Minister Hun Sen’s nephew assaults a Member of Parliament

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that Prime Minister Hun Sen’s nephew, Hun To, ordered his bodyguards to attack a Member of Parliament named Nuon Vuthy on 19 July 2008 at the ferry pier of Prek Kdam in Ponhea Leu district, Kandal Province. It is reported that Hun To’s bodyguards repeatedly […]

SRI LANKA: Kandy police illegally detain and torture a school teacher

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Shanthigara Suresh Kumar, a teacher at the Trinity College of Kandy, was arbitrarily arrested and detained by the Kandy Police for 68 days. He was brutally tortured while in detention. The authorities have yet to take any action against the alleged perpetrators. […]

UPDATE (Philippines): Solicitor General told to comment on the petition of Abadilla Five in ten days

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that the Supreme Court (SC) has already required the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) to comment on the Petition for Review on Certiorari the legal counsels of the Abadilla Five filed on May 5. The SC’s resolution was issued on June 16 but […]