Legislation

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding 73 workers from the Orex Factory in Ekala, Jaela, Sri Lanka, who were unlawfully dismissed after the owner arbitrarily closed down the factory in 2002. The AHRC previously reported that the owner, Mohamed Mohamed Izzath deprived his workers of the Employees Trust […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information through its local partner MASUM in West Bengal that Mr. Gopen Sharma, a human rights activist was illegally detained, threatened and assaulted by the officers at the Block Development Office in Jalangi, Murshidabad District, West Bengal. Mr. Sharma was, at the time of the […]

[Re: UA- 50 -2005: INDIA: Three and a half year wait for justice for the brutal murder of an Adivasi (tribal person) by a forest official in Gujarat] Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information on the case of Manishbhai Motibhai Vasava (30), an adivasi who was murdered by an Indian […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a man named Heeralu Mohottalalage Punchi Banda (39) was illegally arrested and tortured by the Sub Inspector (S.I.) Dhammika Bandara of Samanalaweva Police Post in Balangoda on 26 August 2004. Due to brutal torture, the victim still suffers from severe pain on his […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a 30-year-old woman named Ms. Hidayat was allegedly killed by her husband, Mr. Momin Ali Mahar in Dal village, Lakhi Ghulam Shah Town, Shikarpur District, Sindh Province, Pakistan on 29 February 2004. The case was registered at the Chak Police Station. However, a human […]

Dear Friends We forward to you a Media Statement from Aliran, reagarding the “ISA7”. Media Statement from Aliran Kesedaran Negara (ALIRAN) (National Consciousness Movement) http://www.aliran.com/ The Education Minister Should Show Compassion to the “ISA 7” Students Aliran is deeply disturbed by Education Minister Musa Mohamed’s insistence that the so-called “ISA 7” students should apologise for their […]

On 8 October 2002, Singaporean Court sentenced Chee Soon Juan, Singaporean opposition leader, and Ghandhi Ambalam for five and four weeks jail for breaking Singapore’s Public Entertainment and Meeting Act by holding a public event without a permit, after they refused to pay a S$4,500 (USA$2,540) and S$3000 fine, respectively. Ambalam has since been released, as his family paid the fine, but Chee continues to be imprisoned.

Dear Friends, We are forwarding you the following urgent appeal issued by SUARAM, a highly respected human rights organization in Malaysia, regarding the release of political prisoners held under the Internal Security Act (ISA). On September 6, 2002, the Federal Court, the highest court in Malaysia ruled that the first 60 days of the five […]

Dear Friends We are asking for your urgent action in the light of dramatic developments in the struggle of the ISA detainees for proper medical and legal treatment. The 8-day long hunger strike and several days without water has seriously weakened the six detainees to the point where two have been put on intravenous drip […]

We are forwarding the following urgent press release from SUARAM, a human rights organisation in Malaysia. It concerns the HUNGER STRIKE FOR FREEDOM which six prisoners of conscience in Malaysia’s Kamunting Detention Camp began on Wednesday 10 April. Since Wednesday, one of the six, Badrulamin Bahron, who is suffering from high blood pressure, has been so weakened that he is bed-ridden, two others are suffering severe migraine attacks and the others are losing weight quickly and weakening. However, the Malaysian authorities have refused to bring Badrulamin to hospital, in spite of the doctor’s advice.

Dear Friends,  As this year comes to an end, we cannot but help reflect on the human rights situation in Asia and worry about our friends who are still suffering under miserable conditions. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is involved in the campaign to abolish the Internal Security Act (ISA) in Malaysia as well […]

Dear Friends,  We are requesting you to send solidarity messages to the six ISA detainees who are boycotting prison food in protest of the harsh treatment they are facing. The messages will be read out to the prisoners at a protest rally which is being organised in Malaysia at Kamintang Detention Centre on 27th October. […]

The last year has been an eventful year for Malaysians and seen a tremendous growth of the resistance of the people against a government which became more oppressive as it became more insecure of its support from the people. 

Dear Friends,  We have received news that Khairul Anmad Zainuddin, one of student activist who was arrested on July 5, 2001, was released on July 28, 2001. Khairul was held without charge under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for 23 days.  However, while giving with one hand, the Malaysian government has taken with the other. […]

The Malaysian government has stepped up yet again its deprivation and violation of the basic rights of the ISA detainees. Ms. Mabel Au, fiancee of Mr. Tian Chua (one of the six men detained for 2 years under ISA), has been denied entry into Malaysia. Ms. Au – a Hong Kong resident and coordinator of the Committee for Asian Women Workers (CAW) based in Bangkok – has visited Mr. Chua at the Kamunting Detention Centre in Malaysia once previously since his arrest under the notorious Internal Security Act (see BACKGROUND), but this time was refused entry for unspecified ‘security reasons’. Not only was she not allowed to enter the country, she herself was detained in an airport lock-up for 13 hours pending her deportation flight. She was denied the right to contact her embassy. Her mobile phone was rendered inoperable by the guards after she managed to make a brief call to other family members waiting outside. 

Dear Friends We are forwarding you the following Urgent Appeal from Suaram, a highly respected human rights organisation in Malaysia. Yesterday, July 15th – marked 100 days since the government of Malaysia started arresting those perceived to be their political opponents under the infamous Internal Security Act. In the last 100 days, 12 persons have […]

Dear Friends, Regarding continuous crackdown in Malaysia, we are forwarding the following appeal by SUARAM, one of prominent human rights group in Malaysia. Recently two student leaders were arrested under the ISA. The students join the six other political prisoners (Tina Chua, Mohamad Ezam Mohd. Nor, Saari Sungib, Hishamuddin Rais, Lokman Adam and Badaruddin Ismail) […]

Because of concerns with the use of the Internal Security Act (ISA) in Malaysia to deny the Malaysian people their human rights, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) would like to promote a U.N. letter-writing campaign for the release of detainees being held under the Internal Security Act (ISA) and the abolition of the ISA, a campaign which was originally launched by the Malaysian human rights group, SUARAM.

We are sending you a copy of a letter received from Tian Chua, one of the ISA detainees who is serving a two-year detention order in Malaysia.

Three political and social activists which were held under the draconian Internal Security Act (ISA), namely, Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor (national youth chief of the National Justice Party or Parti Keadilan Nasional), Saari Sungib (chairperson of the April 14 People Memorandum Rally) and Hishamuddin Rais (a columnist and social activist), have been sent to Kamunting Detention Centre to serve a two-year detention order. Datuk Abdullah Badawi, the home minister who has previously denied much knowledge about the arrest, is solely responsible to execute the detention order.