Judicial system

SRI LANKA: Brutal attack of the police on the people in Baddegama village in Madahapola who campaigned against crime

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned about the brutal attack by the police on the people of Baddegama village, Madahapola on 31 December 2003. When the torture victim’s mother went to the Gokarella Police Station to lodge the complaint, about 200 drunken policemen and their supporters who had gathered at […]

SRI LANKA: A 15 year old boy tortured by officers from the Department of Excise and falsely charged

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about the torture and false charges against a 15 year old boy in Sri Lanka. This is another example of brutal custom of torture and disregard for the rule of law in Sri Lanka. AHRC calls for your solidarity to pressure the local authorities […]

SRI LANKA: Arbitrary arrest and torture of 22 year old Shiron Jeewantha Pallekanda at the Katugastota Police Station

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about another severe torture case from Kandy, Sri Lanka. According to the information received, Shiron Jeewantha Pallekanda, 22, was severely tortured after being arrested by the police from the Katugastota Police Station on 7 December 2003. The police have not provided any medical treatment […]

SRI LANKA: Torture victim tortured again and remanded on fabricated charges by the police after lodging a complaint against police

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned that torture victim Mahadura Pandula Sri Thaminda was arrested by police officers from the Kandy Police Station on fabricated charges on 10 November 2003, after he refused to withdraw his complaint against the police. According to the victim’s family, the victim received threats from […]

PHILIPPINES: Two young boys shot dead by army soldiers

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission is forwarding information from the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) on killings of two teenage boys by army soldiers. Even though there was no crossfire between them and the alleged Waray-Waray Gang members (wanted criminals), the army soldiers distorted the incident, claming that the two boys […]

SRI LANKA: Brutal torture by the police puts the victim in critical condition

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information on another serious torture case in Sri Lanka. According to information we have received, an innocent man was brutally tortured by the police personnel attached to the Bentota Police Station including its Officer In Charge (OIC) and a Sub Inspector (SI). In particular, the […]

INDIA: Mr. V. L. Joy arrested and tortured by notorious officer of Anthikkadu Police Station

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a young man named Mr. V. L. Joy was illegally arrested and tortured by the Sub Inspector of Police of the Anthikkadu Police Station. More seriously, this SIP had a notorious history of torture in his previous working place. He had committed torture […]

SINGAPORE: J.B.Jeyaretnam Calls for a Criminal Cases Review Commission

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is forwarding a joint press briefing by J.B.Jeyaretnam and the Think Centre. The press briefing is about the rejection of the application of the retrial of Vignes Mourthi, examining the reasons given for the dismissal of the application, which has led to J.B.Jeyaretnam calling for a Criminal […]

INDONESIA/ACEH: The Military Court released 12 soldiers from torture charges

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that the Lhokseumawe Military Court in Aceh released 12 soldiers from Infantry Battalion (Yonif) 301, who had tortured the civilians, even though they had confessed their crime. In Aceh area, the military soldiers arbitrarily arrested and tortured the civilians with genuine impunity, accusing them of […]

THAILAND: Why has the rule of law been made a victim of Thailand’s anti-drug campaign?

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission – AHRC Why has the rule of law been made a victim of Thailand’s anti-drug campaign? Since February, when the government of Thailand opened the way for alleged drug traffickers to be murdered with impunity, over 2000 persons have been killed. This relentless carnage poses an enormous […]

CAMBODIA: Ten years after UNTAC, not an inch of progress in Cambodia’s rule of law

The total destruction of the Thai embassy and businesses in Phnom Penh on January 29, widely reported by the international media, does not come as a surprise to anyone who has worked on the Cambodian justice system since the elections of 1993 under the UN Transitional Authority for Cambodia (UNTAC). These events reveal that there […]

UPDATE (SOUTH KOREA): Korean National Assembly Ratifies ICC Statutes

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed by MINBYUN (Lawyers for Democratic Society) in South Korea that the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea (ROK) has today ratified the Rome Statutes of the International Criminal Court (ICC).  AHRC welcomes this significant step by the government of Republic of Korea to show its […]

UPDATE (INDONESIA): Head of Militia is Presidential Advisor

We are forwarding an appeal from Eviction Watch and the Urban Poor Consortium (UPC) for your further action to protect Indonesian human rights defenders. After the second attack on UPC by the FBR (Betawi Brotherhood Forum) which caused many of you to write protest letters, 7 of the attackers have been arrested. 

ALRC Publication ;article 2 ; Internationally Launched at the UN in Geneva

Statement | Asia | 04-04-2002

The International Launching of the Bi-monthly –- article 2 The international launch of the article 2 was successfully held on the 3 April 2002 at the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland on the occasion of the 58th Session of the Commission on Human Rights. The event was attended by a number of members of […]

AUSTRALIA: ‘Last resort’ for asylum seeker Stephen Khan

Last resort’ for asylum seeker Stephen Khan AUSTRALIA: Mandatory detention and denial of the right to asylum, denial of independent fair trial, serious risk of ill-treatment if expatriated ——————————————————————— AHRC has previously issued urgent appeals drawing attention to the brutal treatment of asylum-seekers and the appalling conditions in detention centres in Australia. Since last year […]

SRI LANKA: A severe case of rape without justice

One of the most shocking cases of the violation of the fundamental human rights of women took place in broad daylight in the town of Talawakelle in the Central Province of Sri Lanka on August 12, 2001.

SRI LANKA: Human Rights Concerns for Reforming the Judiciary

With the Speaker of the House deciding to place the impeachment motion before a select committee and reject the order of the Supreme Court to the contrary, on one hand, and with the government losing its majority in Parliament due to the withdrawal of its coalition partner, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), on the […]

INDONESIA: Restore Rule of Law in Aceh

The Indonesian parliament has authorised the Indonesian Military (TNI) to conduct a ‘limited military operation’ (re-labelled a ‘limited security operation’) in Aceh against the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), who are fighting for an independent Aceh. The operation is supposedly aimed at the leadership of the GAM. However, it is clear that the TNI have used this opportunity to target human rights defenders and to create terror amongst the civilians, as part of a prolonged campaign to destroy the rule of law in Aceh. The following are some recent incidents that have not been properly investigated:

MALAYSIA: Passing away of courageous judge prompts appeal for free judiciary

\”Judges who joined in downing their boss have been rewarded by promotion. Judges who did not, have been cowed into silence….When I am asked what I thought, my usual reply is that I wouldn’t like to be tried by today’s judges, especially if I am innocent.\”

UPDATE (SRI LANKA): Sri Lankan Gang Leader Arrested

The leader of the Gang of 14 is a person called Piyal (who is 28 years old) according to the Wennapuwa Police.  MARCH 23: There has been a development regarding the Urgent Appeal we sent out on March 3, in which a Gang of 14 was operating with impunity in the Sirigampola area, Sri Lanka. […]