Military

Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry makes laudable efforts to hold the security forces accountable for enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings and in pursuing the cases of missing persons It has been reported that the Attorney General informed the Supreme Court that two missing persons have died, allegedly in military custody. According to the daily Express News, which […]

The month of October witnessed a significant decline in violence-related casualties bringing some relief to the terror-ridden people of the country. However, the issues related to security and peace remained the most common topics of attention for the people and media alike.  To tackle terrorism and heinous crimes in the country, the President promulgated the […]

Before reaching Karachi a car tried to ram the walkers on three occasions and the marchers are receiving death threat messages on their cell phones The Long March for the Baloch missing persons has entered its 27th day after completing 690 KMs. It will reach its intended destination at the Karachi Press Club, Karachi, the capital […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received further information from local organizations who are involved in relief efforts in the Visayas. While relief and aid assistance from foreign countries are deeply appreciated, there are concerns over the heavy presence of its military forces, notably the US, which is believed to be disproportionate […]

Mugiyanto, Chairperson of Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) calls on the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (UNWGEID) for more serious efforts in addressing the case of Sombath Somphone based on new information it submitted indicating state involvement in his disappearance. AFAD got information from reliable sources that Lao state agents are […]

The announcement by the de facto chief justice, Mohan Pieris, to introduce regulations in order to limit the maximum age to practice as a lawyer to 70 and to impose further regulations for the renewal of the licenses of lawyers every two years, comes as no surprise. The government’s aim is to bring the military […]

Many participants have suffered bruised and blistered feet but have not been provided with any medical treatment…..their bleeding wounds have been wrapped with nothing more than pieces of cloth The 730-kilometers Long March of the family members of the disappeared persons from Balochistan has covered more than 600 kilometers and entered its 20th day. The Long […]

The following is a statement by participants of the 2nd Conference of Asian Parliamentarians and Human Rights Defenders, 11-13 November, Hong Kong, organised by the Asian Alliance Against Torture and Ill-Treatment: Parliamentarians and human rights defenders from Sri Lanka, India, Burma, Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines, Canada, Hong Kong, and Denmark have attended a meeting to […]

Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) assailed the judge for the military’s acquittal over the slaying of the couple Bacar and Carmen Japalali during a military operation headed by Sgt. Serafin Jerry Napoles last September 8, 2004 in Barangay Bincungan, Tagum City. Hall of Justice, Tagum, Davao del Norte.Photo: AHRC In a nine (9) page […]

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 […]

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 […]

Between 314 and 544 persons have been executed in Iran in 2013 alone 16 Baloch political prisoners were executed in Iran in an act of revenge for an attack on the border security forces. The executed Balochis were already in Zahedan prison and took no part in the attack. It was alleged that the Baloch […]

“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 […]

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) […]

He is Jejhon Macalinsal. To those who know him he was a young activist, those that did not would fear him. In April 2002, he and two others were arrested, tortured and detained after the police illegally raided their home and planted explosives for which they were charged with possession. They were linked to a […]

UNTUK DITERBITKAN SEGERA (Hong Kong/Wuppertal, Kamis, 24 Oktober 2013) Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) dan Human Rights and Peace for Papua (ICP) meluncurkan sebuah laporan mengenai pelanggaran hak asasi manusia (HAM) yang terjadi di Pegunungan Tengah Papua, Indonesia, selama tahun 1977–1978. Laporan ini membahas pelanggaran-pelanggaran atas Konvensi Pencegahan dan Penghukuman Kejahatan Genosida yang dilakukan pemerintah […]

Indonesian (Hong Kong/Wuppertal, Thursday, 24 October 2013) The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and Human Rights and Peace for Papua (ICP) are launching a report on the human rights abuses that took place in the central highlands of Papua, Indonesia during the course of 1977-1978. The report discusses violations under the Convention on the Prevention […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission wishes to announce the launch of its weekly video news bulletin, the Asian Human Rights Commission – Weekly Roundup. The first episode, released on 14 October 2013, covers a wide range of human rights issues, including corruption, judicial independence and military torture in Asian states. The bulletin can be watched online […]

The following review was originally printed in the latest issue of the Torture: Asian and Global Perspectives. by Eran Wickramaratne Basil Fernando’s well researched book documents state perpetrated torture reaching back to 1998 and tells a harrowing narrative of the willingness of state machinery to resort to the most egregious violations of personal security and dignity […]