Judicial system

SAUDI ARABIA/SRI LANKA: Death sentence to young girl requires urgent intervention by the Sri Lankan government

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) needs your immediate intervention in the case of a Sri Lankan migrant worker, Nafeek Rizana, who has been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for allegedly killing a 4-month-old child. The deadline for her appeal has been set for June 30, but she cannot afford legal aid […]

UPDATE(Indonesia): Falsely implication of family members of a man shot dead by the Medan Police on charges of other crimes

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information about the continued intimidation by members of the Medan District Police towards Suherman’s family, the man who was brutally shot dead by the police on 11 April 2007. The police allegedly tried to cover up the case by offering some money and forcing […]

INDONESIA: Man illegally arrested and tortured by Pekanbaru police

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the illegal arrest and torture of Hendrick Sikumbang by the police officers of Pekanbaru police office on 14 June 2007. By the way it was done, the action wad deemed more an ‘abduction’ than an arrest. The police brutally tortured Mr. Sikumbang after […]

PHILIPPINES: Two men brutally tortured, deprived food inside a military headquarters

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about the brutal torture of two men, both belong to Muslim minorities, following their arrest by soldiers over allegations they are involved in incidents of bombing in Central Mindanao. Victim Thos Ulimpain and his cousin Nasser Mendo were arrested by soldiers in Midsayap, North […]

UPDATE (Pakistan): Sindh police threatened gang rape survivor back to her village

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information that Sindh police again allegedly threatened a gang-rape survivor to immediately leave the apartment where she and her family have been temporarily staying in Karachi for their safety on 21 June 2007. The police threw their household possessions out of the house provided […]

PHILIPPINES: No action against soldiers who kill youth; another activist survives attack

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) deeply regrets to inform you that no action has been taken against the soldiers, including a lieutenant, accused in killing youth leader Nelson Asucena, six months ago in Rizal, Cagayan. No investigation was conducted despite the filing of criminal charges against them in court. In a separate […]

INDONESIA: Young man tortured in police station at Tegal, Central Java

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from its local partner in Jakarta regarding a case in which a young man, Kurniawan, was allegedly tortured by police officers at Tegal police headquarters, on 3 May 2007. He was allegedly tortured in an attempt to force him to confess to a case […]

UPDATE (Philippines): Violent attacks on striking workers; police allegedly refused to register and investigate

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights commission (AHRC) deeply regrets to inform you that the workers of a Korean-owned garment factory, who had been on strike for nine months, were violently attacked by armed men while peacefully holding a picket line in front of their factory on 10-11 June 2007. The attackers, carrying bladed weapons […]

UPDATE(Pakistan): Prime perpetrator involved in severance of penis case is still free under the protection of a Minister

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information that three of alleged perpetrators of the severing of Mr. Hazoor Buksh Malik’s (24) penis, were arrested in early June 2007. However, Mr. Tunio, the main perpetrator, as well as the Station Head Officer (SHO), of the Market police station in Larkana District […]

PHILIPPINES: Police’ vehicle used in forcibly abducting a man in General Santos City

Dear friends, The AHRC writes with deep concern regarding the forcible abduction and subsequent disappearance of a man, Arnold Aliman, in General Santos City on 27 May 2007. Witnesses have revealed that the vehicle used by the abductors, who were armed, has been traced to the local police Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB). The whereabouts of […]

INDONESIA: Alleged threats to lawyers in Medan by military personnel

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the public threats on two advocates from the Medan Legal Aid Institute (LBH Medan) by six members of the Indonesia Armed Forces (TNI-AD) on 5 June 2007, during a court trial at Pancur Batu State Court. It is reported that the military personnel […]

BURMA: Man disappears after being taken away to work as army porter

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that a man who was detained by the army in Burma has since disappeared. Although it is more than one year since Maung Ko Kyi was taken away from his workplace, requests by concerned persons to know what has happened to him have not yielded […]

SRI LANKA: Human Rights Crisis Deepens the Conflict

(Note: We are reproducing the report published on June 14 2007 by the International Crisis Group. The Executive Summary and Recommendations follow below). ____________ *INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP – NEW REPORT* Colombo/Brussels, 14 June 2007: The international community must press the warring sides for urgent action to address wide-spread human rights abuses in Sri Lanka as […]

SRI LANKA: ICJ concerned about grave human rights situation and effectiveness of criminal justice system: Asks President to consider establishment of human rights field operation

For immediate release 15 June 2007 Meeting with the President of Sri Lanka yesterday, the Secretary-General of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) expressed serious concern about the grave human rights situation in Sri Lanka, including, renewed patterns of enforced disappearances and targeted killings of civilians, as well as shrinking space for civil society. “I […]

CAMBODIA: Newspaper publishing report on illegal logging is banned by Government

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information that on 8 June 2007 the Minister of Information, Mr. Khieu Kanharith, reportedly issued a warning letter to the Sralanh Khmer newspaper to stop its publication of the Global Witness report on illegal logging. The GW report, released on 1 June 2007, reportedly exposed the […]

INDIA: Seven families illegally evicted from their rented houses

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from its local partners in Uttar Pradesh – The Peoples’ Union for Civil Liberties [Uttar Pradesh Chapter] and Guria Sansthan – regarding the forceful and illegal eviction of poor and helpless families in Mau city of Uttar Pradesh. It is alleged that the families […]

UPDATE (Burma): Assaulted rights defenders imprisoned & face serious legal action, while officials escape charges of assault

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned about the situation of a group of Burmese human rights defenders who were assaulted with the backing and involvement of local authorities and the police last April (UA-135-2007). Six have been charged upsetting public tranquillity and have been refused bail (UP-062-2007). Meanwhile, the criminal […]

CAMBODIA: Donors must prioritise the rule of law and judicial independence in their aid package

The Cambodia Development Cooperation Forum (CDCF) composed of donors and the Cambodian government will convene on 19-20 June to discuss the progress in the implementation of Cambodia’s development plan and its funding. This meeting is yet another occasion for all participants to honour their human rights obligations towards the Cambodian people under the Paris Peace […]

UPDATE (India): Continuing detention of human rights activist in Chhattisgarh

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that the detention of Dr. Binayak Sen, a medical doctor and human rights activist based in Chhattisgarh, India has been extended to a further period of 14 days. The AHRC had in the past forwarded an appeal issued by the Peoples’ Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), […]

UPDATE (Philippines): Killing of two peasants and wounding of six others in a violent attack

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) deeply regrets to inform you that another two peasants were killed while six others were wounded when security guards of an influential landlord open fired on them on 4 June 2007. The guards started shooting at the farmers to prevent them from entering a portion of the […]