Judicial system

Anybody can make a claim to the fish in the open sea. But, once caught, it becomes the property of one who caught it. However, the Law of the Sea 1982, provides the proprietary country the exclusive right to its natural resources, including fishery resource within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 200 nautical miles […]

Violations of Commonwealth Values while the CHOGM 2013 in Progress HR festival obstructed; Hate campaign launched Foreign journalists blocked visiting Jaffna Jaffna protest organisers threatened; people blocked Flights to Jaffna cancelled; Visit to East cancelled Canada denied pro govt media reports Sharma given 3 proposals to implement Leader of the opposition attacked on his way […]

The extension of ‘disturbed area’ status for north eastern states since 1955, and thereby the activation and extension of emergency laws, has been but a routine administrative exercise for the union government. The legacy was upheld this year. The union has again extended the ‘disturbed area’ status of Assam for another six month period, with […]

On November 1, 2010, Andaman Mokiding Binago was arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in a lodging house in Davao City. The NBI claimed that he and the actual accused, Danny Mokiding y Mohamad are one and the same person and charged him with murder charges for allegedly bombing a lottery stall in January 10, 2007 killing […]

Nine years after the brutal murder of Faraz Ahmed Naveed on November 8, 2004 his family still awaits justice. No progress has been made in the investigation. The first report was made by the police officer who attended the scene of the incident and stated that Faraz’ body had a bullet wound in his back […]

According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), “Child labor refers to the employment of children in any work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful”. Child labor has been a persistent problem throughout the South Asia, for […]

(We reproduce below two poems written by Basil Fernando) No tears for departed Attorney Generals Why I have no tears for departed Attorney Generals: Do we feel sorry for ones extinguishing the light Leaving everything in the dark? Is there any crime worse than Killing the soul of a nation? Is not justice the soul […]

In July 2013, public prosecutors in General Santos City wrote to the Supreme Court asking for the transfer of the venue of a murder trial. The trial concerns two persons described as “suspected terrorists and members of the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front” (MILF), “to any venue in Metro-Manila, where the atmosphere […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission condemns the detention of ASM Nasiruddin Elan and demands his immediate release. Mr. ASM Nasiruddin Elan, Director of Bangladeshi human rights organization, Odhikar, has been detained in prison by the Cyber Crimes Tribunal of Dhaka, today, November 6, 2013. This detention is part of the continued repression against the whistle-blowers […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission has learned from the wife of D.A. Ruwan Kumara (27) that he has been taken into police custody by officers of the Bandaragama Police Station and is being tortured. The wife, Chinthini Nadeesa and Ruwan Kumara’s brother have visited him at the police station and have seen him being tortured […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to announce the launch of its weekly video news bulletin, the Asian Human Rights Commission – Weekly Roundup. The fourth episode, released today, 4 November 2013, covers an exclusive report on Disappearances in Asia. The report covers extensively on patterns of disappearances in Asia and how, even in states […]

Mr. Bashir Ahmad Kiyani (70), was murdered as a result of religious hatred in Karachi. He was shot dead while on his way to Friday Prayer Services at the nearby Mosque in Korangi, Karachi. In the last three months both Mr. Kiyani’s son and son-in-law were also killed by Muslim fundamentalists. According to the details […]

On 27 October, about 400 persons from the north and south, most of whom are family members of disappeared persons, gathered at the Monument for the Disappeared at Raddaluwa, Seeduwa. Like the gatherings in previous years, this year’s too was a very sad spectacle to watch. Several of the persons carried flowers or a candle […]

“It is madness for sheep to talk peace with a wolf,” said British historian and clergyman Thomas Fuller. In other words, we cannot change the nature of wild creatures. We cannot predict when snakes, lions, wolves or any other wild animals will attack, and without protecting ourselves we cannot sit calmly. In the context of […]

I was not yet in my first standard of school when the strategies of the Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP) (earlier known as Special Component Plan for Scheduled Castes) were put into force. Way back in 1979-80, the SCSP mandated every State/Ministry to earmark funds from the Plan outlay, atleast in proportion to the population […]

Modern slavery: a matter of poverty, the rule of law and the indifference of the national government Pakistan ranks third in the Global Slavery Index. It is estimated that there are 2,000,000 – 2,200,000 people involved in various forms of modern slavery in Pakistan. Pakistan counts a population of 179,000,000 people and with the increasing […]

Civil society must join the peaceful long march in solidarity with the relatives of disappeared persons and provide all possible assistance to the marchers The relatives of missing persons from Balochistan started a 730 kilometre peaceful long march for the recovery of disappeared persons. The participants assembled and started their march from the Quetta Press […]

The Government of India, when it set up the national and the state Human Rights Commissions (NHRC and SHRC) in 1993, the mandate of these commissions excluded atrocities committed by the army and the paramilitary forces. When the Manipur State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC) was being constituted, the Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) […]

It is alleged that the ‘No-Union Policy’ has been the management principle of the Samsung group since it was established 75 years ago. This policy has allegedly been perpetrated and has subsequently become public knowledge. According to the information received, a lawmaker disclosed a document (called, “2012 S group’s labour and management strategy” in Korean, personal information in […]

September turned out to be the deadliest month so far this year. The total number of casualties during September touched amounted to 1048 persons with 493 being killed and 555 injured; an increase of 35% over the 744 casualties in August. More than 50% of all the total casualties were killed or injured during the […]