Police violence

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a 42 year old man, a former policeman, was tortured by the police in the Banke district on 23 June 2013. The perpetrators told him that it was in their power to kill him and before releasing him made him pay NRs. 1,400 […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a women’s rights defender has been killed by her husband, who acted with the connivance of a police head constable. The local police held an internal inquiry and exonerated the police constable, going so far as to say that there was no such […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the police officers of the Kandy Headquarters Police Station detained three underage children in a police cell overnight without the attendance of either a woman police officer or a matron as prescribed by the Police Standing Orders. When Bro Anton Joe, who was […]

Click here to watch our video presentation The following is a series of reflections by experts, of what has gone wrong in Asia, that despite attempts, torture continues to exist in most Asian states. The response is released marking the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, June 26. Question 1: Is […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the physical abuse of protesters and journalists covering peaceful protests in Biratnagar on 10 June 2013. Two journalists and at least six protesters have been injured in the attack by the police. Witnesses have reported hearing specific orders to target journalists. When the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about allegedly illegal demolition of around 120 houses in Florentino St., Sto. Domingo, Quezon City on April 10-11, 2013. The information sent to the AHRC by Barangay Sto. Domingo Settlers Association through Defend Jobs Philippine asserts that the demolitions were carried out in violation […]

Several police officers from the Karandeniya police illegally arrested Chandila Padmakumara Gurusinghe of Kiripedda, Babuwo Kanda, Karandeniya in Galle District, apparently on the instigation of a cinnamon trader. He was arrested without being informed of the reason for his arrest and he learned it only after he was brought to the police station by listening […]

Mr. MMD Aruna Nilupul Indika (39) of Welipenna, Kalutara District, was illegally arrested and severely tortured. Chili was applied onto his eyes and genitals. On 27 May 2013, he was arrested and tortured on the instruction of the lawyer Anoma Siriweera and her husband. The lawyer’s family had lost some items and suspected Nilupul Indika, […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the punishment of three police officers who tortured and shot a 23-year-old man, Yusli, in 2011. The court sentenced two of the officers to two years of imprisonment and the other one to five years. It found the officers were responsible for […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Amarasinghege Priyantha Samanthilake was severely tortured by police officer P.C 51752 Jayasiri who is attached to the Negambo Police Station. On 27 April 2013, at about 9.30 am, Samanthilake was returning home after taking his daughter to her tuition class. Police Constable […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Badwani, Madhya Pradesh state regarding the continuing witch-hunt against human rights defender Ms. Madhuri Krishnaswamy of the Jagrut Adivasi Dalit Sangathan (JADS). Having braved an externment notice, followed by attacks from the locally elected Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) and then a vilification […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received the information from the Medan Legal Aid Institute (LBH Medan) concerning the death of two brothers from Medan, North Sumatera. The two brothers, who were suspects in a drug case, were shot to death by the police who claimed that they attempted to escape and […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received very disturbing information regarding the assault on five women human rights defenders working with Sahjani Shiksha Kendra (SSK) in Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh. The women, belonging to the Dalit and backward communities, were physically and verbally assaulted while inaugurating an adult literacy centre for Dalit women. […]

News reports from Bangladesh allege that a series of attacks on demonstrators have taken place, at around 3am today, May 6, 2013. The extent of the injuries and death is difficult to be ascertained at the moment. The Daily Star, a Bangladeshi newspaper, gave the figure of deaths as 5. However, several internet reports have mentioned that the […]

Dear friends, The case of a young man from the province of Punjab exposes the lethargic and arrogant attitude of the government, the doctors and the influence of police. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a young man of 29 years was abducted by five police informers kept him for nine […]

Yesterday, on 11 April 2013, the authorities in Bangladesh arrested the Interim Editor of a prominent Bangladeshi daily, Daily Amardesh, Mr. Mahmudur Rahman. When Rahman was brought before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court in Dhaka, he reportedly said: “… I know well that if I appoint any lawyer, he or she will submit prayers for my […]

(Hong Kong, April 10, 2013) A Burma-based lawyers group has released its findings on the Letpadaung land struggle in English. The 39-page illustrated report was submitted by the Lawyers Network (Myanmar) and the Justice Trust in February to the government’s investigation commission into events at Letpadaung, recounts the land struggle and subsequent crackdown on protestors. […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a twenty four young man has been tortured, kept in illegal detention and asked to pay for the restaurant bills of the policemen who had tortured him several times. Parshuram Chaudary was first tortured under interrogation in relation to the investigation of a […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information from a local organisation on a case regarding the torture and fabrication of charges of a man by the police. The Supreme Court has found the man to be not guilty of theft as accused and ordered suitable rehabilitation to be granted to the victim. […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission has since mid-2012 closely followed, documented and reported on the struggle of farmers in the Letpadaung Hills of central Burma against the expansion of a copper mining operation under a military-owned holding company and a partner compay from China. After repeatedly being refused permission to demonstrate against the operation under the […]