Military

PAKISTAN: Detention of Mohsin Ali and Kashif Khan Kamran without trial violates the Constitution and International law

Two persons, Mohsin Ali and Kashif Khan Kamran, have been in the illegal custody of Pakistan’s security agencies since 19 September 2011, i.e. for nearly four years now. They have not been produced before any court of law since their detention commenced. The people of Pakistan are aware that these two men were brought from […]

PAKISTAN: The AHRC welcomes historic order staying military court executions

A 17-member bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan has passed an order whereby all executions awarded by the recently established military courts are stayed until pendency of a writ petition filed by the Supreme Court Bar Association remains. The pending writ petition challenges the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, which has allowed for the institution […]

PAKISTAN: Director General of ISI must be prosecuted for disrupting academic discourse

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding military intervention in academic discourse on the subject of Balochistan. A talk scheduled at the Lahore University of Management Science on Balochistan has been cancelled on the written orders of Lieutenant-General Rizwan Akhter, Director General of Pakistan’s notorious intelligence agency, the ISI. Two prominent […]

PAKISTAN: Military and ISI seek to muzzle Mama Qadeer

Once again, the Military and the notorious Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) have intervened to stop Voice of Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) Chairman Mama Qadeer from revealing the true face of the establishment and raising his voice for the missing persons of Balochistan. Recently, On 6 March 2015, Mama, along with General Secretary VBMP Farzana Majeed and […]

INDONESIA: National hero’s widow forcibly evicted from home by army, while legal review is pending

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the forced eviction of Mrs. Christina Gurning (85) from her house in Jalan Kusumaatmadja No. 76 of Menteng Sub-District, DKI Jakarta Province, Indonesia. Christina is a widow of Mr. Timotius Markus Gurning, who is a national hero and retired Colonel of the Indonesian Army. […]

PAKISTAN: Military extending tentacles to judiciary

More than 60 convicts have been hung in Pakistan since December 2014. This number is now set to rise, with the military playing its role in executing people. The military junta that has surreptitiously imposed itself upon the pillars of the state, has handed down the death penalty to six convicts over charges of terrorism […]

THAILAND: SPFT Members Subject to Death Threats

Dear Friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that members of the Southern Peasants Federation of Thailand (SPFT) continue to face death threats in Surat Thani Province. Despite a legal judgment in favour of the Agricultural Land Reform Office five months ago, one that ordered the Jiew Kang Jue Pattana Co. Ltd., a […]

ASIA: Weekly Roundup, Episode 67

In this week’s Roundup, AHRC TV covers stories from Burma, the Philippines, and Pakistan. Police and mob violence against peaceful demonstrators in Burma has sown doubt about the democratisation process in the country. AHRC TV talks to several people on the ground about recent crackdowns in Rangoon and Letpadan and whether police are continuing to […]

BURMA/MYANMAR: Student protesters and their supporters denied legal and medical assistance in Tharawaddy Prison

Students and their supporters detained in Tharawaddy Prison continue to be denied access to lawyers. In addition, the authorities have refused medical assistance for the detainees that are injured. Thus, the government continues its persecution of the Burmese students who have taken a stand against the government’s plan with respect to education. The background to […]

THAILAND: Investigation of alleged torture against suspects of the Criminal Court bomb attack urged; Martial Law must be lifted

A Press Release from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) A bomb exploded inside the compound of the Bangkok Criminal Court on 7 March 2015 and nine suspects have been arrested so far. Today, 17 March 2015, the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) has received complaints from […]

BURMA/MYANMAR: Attack gangs and falsification again the orders of the day

Over the last week Burma, or Myanmar, has witnessed the re-emergence of some of the most sinister methods of handling public demonstrations in its modern history. The police and civilian attack mobs have violently broken up demonstrations of workers and students in the former capital, Rangoon (Yangon), and the town of Letpadan to its north. […]

THAILAND: ‘A Wolf’s Bride’ verdict to be delivered at the Bangkok Criminal Court at 13:30 on 23 February

A Press Release from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) On Monday, 23 February 2015, at 13:30 hours, the Criminal Court is going to deliver a verdict on the Black Case no. 3528/2557 filed by the public prosecutor against Mr. Patiwat (last name withheld) and Mrs. Pornthip (last […]

PAKISTAN: The army chief must be stopped lobbying against Baloch at international level

Since the Peshawar carnage, touted to be Pakistan’s 9/11, the Chief of Army Staff General (COAS) Raheel Shareef has been on a spree of visits to garner international support for the war on terror. The army’s confused stance on issues of terrorism and militancy has received a skeptic response from the international community who believe […]

NEPAL: Torture victim threatened by Army Officer

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding continuing threats to torture victim Padam Bahadur Khadka, who was 14 years old at the time of the original incident. On 2 October 2011, Mr. Man Bahadur Khadka, a Lance Corporal in the Nepal Army, allegedly tortured Padam, suspecting Padam of killing a […]

THAILAND: Two-year anniversary of conviction of Somyot Prueksakasemsuk amidst ongoing constriction of freedom of expression

On 23 January 2013 the Criminal Court in Bangkok convicted Somyot Prueksakasemsuk of two violations of Article 112 of the Criminal Code. Somyot Prueksakasemsuk is a long-time labour rights activist and human rights defender. The Court found Somyot guilty on both charges, and he was sentenced to ten years in prison in this case, as […]

PAKISTAN: Anti-Torture Bill presented in Senate will fail to deliver

On 21 January, the Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics has unanimously adopted a draft anti-torture bill. PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar moved The Torture, Custodial Death and Custodial Rape Bill, 2014, last August and the Chairman Senate referred it to the Committee. The objective of this Bill is to prevent and protect all persons from […]

SOUTH KOREA: How can we expect the NHRCK which blames civil society rather than stepping up its efforts for improvement fulfill its mandates as a NHRI?

For more information or inquiries, please contact Ms. Eun-ji KANG by email (khis21[at]hanmail.net) from Korean House for International Solidarity. – Chairperson Hyun Byung-cheol should reflect on himself whether he is qualified as the head of a NHRI of A status In the Plenary Committee meeting on 12 January 2015, Hyun Byung-cheol, chairperson of the National […]

BURMA/MYANMAR: Two teachers tortured, sexual assaulted, and murdered by soldiers

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information that two ethnic Kachin teachers have been tortured, sexual assaulted, and murdered. The two girls were volunteer teachers for the Kachin Baptist Church serving in a village near to the conflict area between Burma army and the Kachin armed group in Northern Shan State. They […]

PAKISTAN: The Missing Commission

More than a month after the deadly attack on Army Public School Peshawar, the tragedy is still under thick impenetrable clouds. The uncertainty about what the Prime Minister termed ‘a national tragedy’ persists with no one even making an effort to fathom. According to umpteen media reports about the December 16th attack, all one could […]

PAKISTAN: Is there no remorse, for the killing of these children? Are they of a lesser God?

2014 was the deadliest year yet, for the children of Pakistan. The year began with the killing of 19 school children on 15th January 2014 – all pupils of the Bright Future High School in Daulatpur, in the Sindh Province. They were returning home after winning a quiz competition, when their van was crushed under the […]