Military

Dear friends,  We wish to share with you the following statement from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Asian Human Rights Commission  Hong Kong ————- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AHRC-FST-027-2014 April 17, 2014 A Statement from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), an international institute researching into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament, forwarded by the […]

The collusion between the Pakistan military and the Taliban is so strong that the military does not want to hold an operation in North Waziristan If anything flagrant is to be noticed in North Waziristan, it is the lack of seriousness and the obvious collusion of the state with the terrorists organisations based in that […]

The Panadura High Court judge, Kusala Sarojani Weerawardana, found ten Presidential Security Division (PSD) officers who were accused of assaulting two famous songsters Rookantha Gunathilike and Chanta Chandraleka Perera to be guilty of the charges and sentenced them to four and a half years of rigorous imprisonment. The PSD officers entered the living premises of […]

(Hong Kong, April 14, 2014) On April 12, Al Jazeera broadcasted a report, titled: “Philippine farmers fight for land rights” indicating that none of those involved in the massacre of farmers in Hacienda Luisita, owned by the family of current President Benigno Aquino III, have been punished for the massacre ten years on. Below is the transcript of Al […]

(Note: this article was first published in the April 6, 2014 issue of the Sunday Examiner) Eleven years ago, I was in a small store with a friend in Pikit, North Cotabato, in central Mindanao. We were exhausted after an all day field work of interviewing people about how and why they were evacuated due to […]

The journalists reporting on the two conflicts, namely Taliban militancy and the Baloch insurgency are faced with double jeopardy. They walk a tight rope while reporting The recent attack on the Express Television anchor, columnist and consulting editor for the Friday Times, Raza Rumi indicates the serious threats faced by Pakistani journalists in their line […]

The Supreme Court, Pakistan Army and Balochistan government unite to shield the military perpetrators in cases of disappearances The case of the disappearance of Mr. Ali Asghar Bangulzai and the manner in which the courts and the military are dealing with the case shows a remarkable lack of sensitivity and exposes the invisible adherence of […]

On 26 March 2014, human rights defender Mr Nasrullah Baloch was subjected to death threats and intimidation by state security forces, following his appearance at the Supreme Court hearing regarding cases of missing persons. This follows a pattern of intimidation and threats made against the human rights defender and his family. Nasrullah Baloch is the Chairperson of Voice […]

In this week’s programme we will bring you a special feature on the 12th anniversary of the gruesome Gujarat massacre during which widespread communal riots killed thousands of Muslims and others as well as how India, despite several investigations, is still deeply divided regarding the events that took place and who should be held responsible. […]

We wish to share with you the following article from Prachatai website, written by Thaweeporn Kunmetha. In October 2003, Jawa Jalo, an ethnic Lahu, was captured by armed state officials during a search of a litchi farm in a northern border province. Although the officials who captured him reported to their commanders that no illicit drugs were […]

by Nilantha Ilangamuwa The battle is on the edge. Few hours are left. Hopes and despairs are mixed in the air. One of the important establishments after the Second World War is about to take a crucial decision as its next move. This is a decision that would affect over 20 million people. This is […]

To, Representatives of all political parties of India The World’s largest democracy has plunged into the election season as the 16thLokh Sabha elections are approaching. The environment is tense. While you all are busy organizing rallies, giving speeches, proving yourself better and different from others, the media and the public are busy in speculations and […]

It is widely reported that Acts relating to national security created in various names throughout in Asia have been used, not to protect national security per se, but to oppress persons holding different ideas, or opinions, or critical of policies of the government. It is also a recognised trend that human rights defenders have been […]

The following article appeared as the editorial of the latest issue of ‘Torture: Asian and Global Perspectives’, a bi-monthly magazine published by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), based in Hong Kong and the Danish Institute Against Torture (DIGNITY) based in Denmark. by Nilantha Ilangamuwa The long march has clocked a hundred days. The brave […]

Two prominent Sri Lankan Human Rights Defenders who were detained and questioned at Kilinochchi by officials of the Police Terrorism Investigation Division(TID)on Sunday March 16th night were reportedly brought down to Vavuniya in the early hours of Monday March 17th night.They are to be transferred to Colombo for further interrogation by TID officials. The two […]

On 11 March 2014 a presidential commission of inquiry into the latest violence in the far west of Burma, or Myanmar, presented its findings. According to the commission, which is the latest in a series examining violence around the country, numbers of security forces in some areas need to be significantly increased. Highlighting Maungdaw Township, […]

While the alleged fabrication and concealment of evidence by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) is gaining more weight in a case of Mr. Yu who is on trial, charged with violation of National Security Act (NSA), it is noticeable that few legislatures have started joining in support of the NIS. It is a normal practice of political […]

Today the AHRC releases the 21th Episode of the Human Rights Asia Weekly Roundup. In this week’s programme we continue our International Women’s Day coverage of stories from around Asia on women’s human rights. We start in Sri Lanka with stories of brutal and widespread domestic violence, entirely neglected by police, courts, and politicians. In Pakistan, peace […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received disturbing information regarding 193 children starving to death in Thar district of Pakistan. The authorities have conceded half of the number while trying to attribute them to different diseases but independent sources have conclusive evidence that they are all caused by extreme poverty, chronic shortage […]

An Article by the Asian Human Rights Commission released on the occasion of International Women’s Day One of the rare positive impacts of armed conflict on gender relations is the increased movement, mobility and opportunities for women in political spaces for leadership in constructing and reconstructing peace in the society during conflict and post conflict […]