Judicial system

The Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS) and the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) urge the military to make open to the public the upcoming trial in a case of military torture that was committed against Charles Mali and others in East Nusa Tenggara. Closed military tribunals have in the past contributed […]

The long struggle of a female worker has drawn the attention of both the local and international community. Ms. Kim Jin-suk, a member of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) has been occupying the cabin of Crane No. 85, which is 35 metres high, in the shipyard of Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction (HHIC) […]

Basil Fernando  In Plato’s Republic Glaucon narrates a story about a ring of invisibility.  The man who found the ring used his power to enter the palace, rape the queen, kill the king and to take over the throne. ‘They’d have the scope I’m talking about especially if they acquired the kind of power which, […]

Basil Fernando In my earlier short essay titled Replacing investigations with gossip, I tried to point to the absence of outrage against forced disappearances in Sri Lanka, which I ended by saying that there must be some cultural for such an attitude. In this second short essay I venture to look into what that cultural root […]

On the occasion of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, Pictures by the Wayside and the Asian Human Rights Commission, present explaining why torture remains a key problem in Asia. The 15 minute video explains why torture is one of the most difficult human rights issues to address, why the continued use […]

Basil Fernando  The appointment of the first lady Chief Justice would normally have been a day for great celebrations. However, in the context of the attack on the Sri Lankan judiciary since the adoption of the 1978 Constitution such a celebration would belie the actual situation of the judiciary as well as all the administration […]

(Hong Kong, May 5, 2011) The inhabitants of Paikgachha have again held a rally demanding the arrest of Mustafizur Rahman Bokul, a major in the Bangladesh army, and his aides for gouging the eyes of human rights defender FMA Razzak and his brother Bodiuzzaman Bodiar. The rally was held at the zero point of Paikgachha […]

(Hong Kong, May 4, 2011) Hundreds of men, women and children at Paikgachha have taken to streets demanding arrest of eye-gouger Mustafizur Rahman Bokul, a major in the Bangladesh army, and his aides for gouging eyes of human rights defender FMA Razzak and his brother Bodiuzzaman Bodiar. They spontaneously participated in a procession in protest […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that human rights defender FMA Razzak is going to die without proper medical treatment due to tremendous pressures from the officials of the armed forces and intelligence agencies who have cordoned the whole area in plain cloth. Since 9:45AM today, 30 April 2011, Razzak is […]

Dear friends, We wish to share with you the following article from The Daily Times, Pakistan written by Dr. Haider Shah Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ————- An article from The Daily Times, Pakistan forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission PAKISTAN: Mukhtaran Mai and the miscarriage of justice Dr Haider Shah In Pakistan, […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to draw to your attention urgently to the case of a former army captain in Burma who has been held in illegal detention for over three weeks. His family has not been able to meet him and his whereabouts are currently unknown, but he was last […]

The popular movement against corruption in India, led by Mr. Anna Hazare and others, shares broadly, opinions of the average citizen concerning corruption. That, the reign of corruption in the country must be brought under control, if it cannot be immediately eliminated and that there are no adequate domestic legal and executing frameworks at the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is concerned by the case of a group of farmers who lodged a complaint about attempts of an army-owned company and the powerful Htoo Company to acquire their land at a greatly undervalued amount. The farmers’ complaint was rejected in court on grounds that the land was […]

Over the past four months, the Union Law Minister, Mr. M. Veerappa Moily, has been claiming that his ministry wishes to propose a law, on the ‘right’ to justice, which would guarantee justice to every citizen. While the minister’s wish is noble, the country lacks the means and administrative will to assure what the minister […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Nervazhi, a human rights organisation based in Kerala, concerning the case of torture and intimidation of a family by the local police in Ernakulam district of Kerala state. The police, reportedly after accepting offers of bribe, abused, tortured and threatened the family asking […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to draw to your attention the case of a young man in Burma who has been sentenced to 10 years in jail for allegedly sending some politically oriented photographs through the Internet. Aside from the trivial nature of the offence and the fact that the police […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that working journalists and newspapers employees of Pakistan have been denied an increase in minimum wages since 1996. Due to the ongoing litigation in the higher courts the owners of the media houses are enjoying the benefits of the delay in justice. The 7th […]

(Hong Kong, February 28, 2011) The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is publishing this podcast interview with Mr. Bijo Francis, a human rights lawyer from India and programme officer of the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC), regarding his comments and opinion on the trial of the Maguindanao Massacre case.  Bijo has handled numerous human rights […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward to you the following press release from the Cambodian Center for Human Rights. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ————- A Press Release from the Cambodian Center for Human Rights forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) Press release – Phnom Penh, 22 […]

Basil Fernando For the last 20 years I have been living in Hong Kong. Here over 98% of the population is Chinese. I belong to the small minority which includes many other races and will try to illustrate some issues by using this experience. In any country there is a formal legal system and an […]