Judicial system

UPDATE (Burma): First report of death in fuel protests; courts closed; monks to refuse donations from officials

Dear friends, This is the latest update by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) on the protests against fuel price increases in Burma: a leader of the protests has reportedly been tortured to death; courts in Rangoon have been closed for more than two weeks; arrests have continued, particularly in the delta area; monks in […]

INDIA: A villager mowed down and drowned by the Border Security Force in West Bengal

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from MASUM, a local human rights organisation based in West Bengal, India regarding the case of Mr. Santhosh Mondal who was mowed down and drowned by the Border Security Force [BSF] in West Bengal, India. It is alleged the BSF officers ran a speedboat […]

BURMA: Six persons illegally jailed and charged for talking about workers’ rights

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been following with concern the case of six men who were arrested in Burma on May Day for organising some discussions about worker’s rights. The men have been charged with sedition and were finally brought before a judge nearly three months after their arrests. Their arrest […]

INDIA: A mother and son denied justice by the local police

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from MASUM, a local human rights organisation based in West Bengal, India regarding the case of Ms. Ruksana Sardar and her son Warish who have been denied justice by the local police. It is alleged that Ruksana and her son were assaulted by the […]

INDONESIA: Police deny visit of family members and legal access to arrestee

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute regarding the arbitrary arrest and detention of a man who has been detained in Cengkareng Police Precinct since 28 May 2007. By this time, his family and the lawyer appointed by family members have been denied permission to […]

UPDATE(Burma): Human rights defender sentenced to three years in jail for “illegal tuition”

Dear friends, Further to our most recent update on Burma from last week, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) regrets to inform you that another human rights defender in Burma has been sentenced to jail for three years on the pretext of giving illegal tuition. As described in the previous appeal (UP-105-2007), Ko Min Min […]

SRI LANKA: Yet another custodial death in Ratgama police

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) deeply regrets to inform you of yet another death of a man, Thadallage Chamil Weerasena (29), in custody of the Ratgama police following his arrest on 21 July 2007. Before he died, he told one of his friends that the police had mercilessly beaten him and shown […]

INDIA: Human rights activist charge sheeted upon allegedly false charges

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from MASUM, a human rights organisation based in West Bengal, India that one of MASUM’s staff has been charge sheeted by the local police on allegedly fabricated charges. Mr. Gopen Sharma works with MASUM from Murshidabad district. It is alleged that Gopen is continuously […]

PHILIPPINES: Police kill farmer in front of his family; another activist disappears

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) deeply regrets to inform you that another farmer has been killed and a community organizer disappeared. Policemen shot dead farmer Arturo Tolentino in front of his wife and children on October 26 2007 in Samal, Bataan. Another activist, Pedro Calilung, had been reported missing after he was […]

UPDATE(Burma): Six human rights defenders given jail terms; one awaits verdict

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) regrets to inform you that six human rights defenders in Burma, including one who was seriously assaulted by a gang organised by local authorities in April, have all been sentenced to prison from four to eight years on allegations of upsetting public tranquillity. A criminal complaint against […]

INDIA: Reform criminal justice systems to end apartheid in India

Statement | India | 24-07-2007

Caste based discrimination is the Indian variant of apartheid.  For decades Indians have been separated and divided according to the caste hierarchy. In spite of several laws and even Constitutional guarantees India remains largely divided along the caste lines. Caste based discrimination is omnipresent in India. It is reflected across the societal spectrum. It is […]

INDIA: A mother running pillar to post to get her son released from illegal detention

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from its local partner the PVCHR, a human rights organisation based in Varanasi, regarding the case of Mr. Pahalu Musahar who is currently detained by the Cholapur police in Varanasi district of Uttar Pradesh. It is reported that the police has detained Pahalu to […]

PAKISTAN: Police deny registering the case of disappearance

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the police have refused a the case of a young man who disappeared, at a government hospital since it happened. The hospital also denied providing the man’s medical report to the family. It is alleged that he was killed in the hospital prison […]

PHILIPPINES: Soldiers shoot and torture a villager following arrest

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that a 46-year-old villager, Leo Casal, was shot and tortured by soldiers following his arrest in 10 December 2006 in Loreto, Agusan del Sur. While in military’s custody, he was denied medical attention and legal representation. It was only on May 4 this […]

BURMA: Government-backed group obstructs police investigators after another human rights defender assaulted

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been closely monitoring the case of U Than Lwin, who was assaulted after leading a prayer meeting in Burma for the release of political prisoners. His assailant ran into the office of a government-backed organisation; however, the police were refused access to investigate. Since Than Lwin […]

PHILIPPINES: Two activists shot dead respectively by armed group

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) deeply regrets to inform you that two activists were shot dead respectively by armed group. One activist was shot dead in front his wife and children on 17 July 2007. Another activist was dead after a shot on June 15 2007. CASE DETAILS: (based on the Alliance for […]

BURMA: Two more alleged killings in police custody; no investigations

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has information of two more alleged killings by the police in Burma that appear to have been successfully covered up. Although in both cases complaints have been made to the authorities, no action is known to have been taken against any of the accused officers. After both […]

NEPAL: Kavrepalanchowk Police allegedly denied receiving complaint from widow whose husband abducted and killed by Maoists

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that one woman was denied to file First Information Report (FIR) the District Police Office and the District Administration Office, Kavrepalanchowk district. The district police authority did not receive the FIR whereas the authority of district administration office tried to take their duty over […]

GENERAL APPEAL (Thailand): Hundreds of villagers rounded up and detained in southern Thailand

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned by reports that hundreds of persons have been rounded up and detained at army camps in southern Thailand under emergency regulations, in violation of their fundamental human rights and ordinary domestic law. According to information from a number of sources, and reported from a […]

INDONESIA: Alleged extrajudicial killing of a man and attempt to cover up by Tombolo Pao police in South Sulawesi

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from KontraS (The Commission for Disappearances and Victims of Violence) regarding the illegal arrest and alleged extra-judicial killing of Caci Bin Tibu by the Tombolo Pao Police on 26 June 2007. The victim was arrested without a warrant, and later his body was returned […]