Right to education

‘Lawyers for Democracy’ condemns the brutal attack on university students for demonstrating and the subsequent assault and torture at the Slave Island police station causing physical injury to some of the students. We reiterate the fundamental rights of students to protest or demonstrate in a peaceful manner. We deplore the actions of the police in […]

The killing of senior lawyer, Rashid Rehman, on May 7, 2014 in his office in Multan has once again brought into focus at home and abroad how little the Pakistani state values those who risk their lives for the promotion and protection of fundamental rights for all. Rehman was killed despite having earlier expressed serious […]

The provincial assembly of Sindh has took the daring lead on 28th April 2014, that deserves appreciation for becoming Pakistan’s first elected assembly to have passed a bill restraining child marriages under 18 years. The passage of the bill has come on the heels of controversy that was triggered after the council of Islamic Ideology (CII) […]

New Delhi: The National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) strongly condemns the calculated expulsion of three marginalised students from the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) in Hyderabad on Tuesday for their alleged role in breaking the glass door of the university library on March 11 during a protest against the closure of the 24-hour reading room on campus. The […]

Civil society organisations working for the protection of the rights of fishermen in Pakistan and India have launched a month-long joint campaign from April to May this year on both sides of the border to ensure release of fishermen and find permanent solution to avoid disturbing the fisher people of the two countries. Spokesman for […]

Acid attack is a heinous form of violence, one that has instantaneous and lifelong consequences for victims and survivors. Acid violence constitutes a perennial rights violation issue for women in several Asian countries such as India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Cambodia. Even though acid violence occurs against men and boys, it is categorized as gender-based violence […]

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 […]

Although the ethnic war between the Tamil LTTE and the Sinhalese forces of the Sri Lankan government ended in May 2009, the ethics of the conflict is still current. It is being discussed in institutions in Geneva, USA, Canada, UK, EU and many other countries. It is the ethics of the war that the international […]

On January 17, 2014, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) issued an urgent appeal (AHRC-UAC-005-2014, http://www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/AHRC-UAC-005-2014) for immediate intervention and financial assistance to a survivor of acid attack in the Indian state of Assam as per the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court of India in 2013. Women in Governance (WinG-Assam), a network of women […]

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 […]

On 10 February, 2013 a young writer and teacher, Ms. Majoni Das working at a private educational institute in the town of Jorhat, located in the eastern Indian state of Assam, went missing. All that her family knows is that Majoni was instructed by police officials to report to a police station, and that she […]

“RIZAL Park is not for sale. RIZAL Park is for the people.” This is the statement of Defend Job Philippines in the midst of a looming privatization plan for Luneta Park. On February 6, 2014, a Public consultation on the Master Planning of the Rizal Park Complex, Manila (Luneta Park) as a flagship Tourism Enterprise […]

The Supreme Court of India has directed the Union Government to take adequate measures to guarantee the safety of the people from the northeast, in the rest of the country against alleged racial discrimination. The court issued the directive while hearing a public interest litigation filed in court, following a series of incidents, where people […]

Defend Job Philippines joins and supports the people’s protest today in many parts of Metro Manila to show condemnation on the P4.15/kWh power rate hike by the Manila Electric Company or MERALCO. Their group joins the contingent of workers in Plaza Salamanca, Taft Avenue corner Kalaw St. which will march to the Supreme Court of […]

An Announcement forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission The Asian Human Rights Commission wishes to forward the following announcement from the Truth Foundation, South Korea calling for nominations for their Human Rights Award in 2014. The announcement and proposal form can be downloaded here. For inquiries please contact Mr. Kim Jung-Min whose contact details are […]

Battle for Budget: Interim Union Budget Denied Proportionate allocation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes National Confederation of Dalit Organization (NACDOR) is grieved to learn that Union Government failed to population proportionate allocation for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the interim budget. The political parties are preparing for the General Election 2014 and […]

Press Statement January 29, 2013 Reference: Cristina “Tinay” Palabay, Secretary General, 0917-3162831 – Angge Santos, Media Liaison, 0918-9790580 CA decision strengthens anti-torture charges against military/police torturers of security guard Panesa http://www.karapatan.org/CA+decision+strengthens+anti-torture+charges+against+military/police+torturers+of+security+guard+Panesa “The recent resolution of the Court of Appeals denying the motion for the re-arrest of security guard Rolly Panesa strengthens the anti-torture case he […]

The Friday Forum 2, Greenlands Avenue, Colombo 5, Sri Lanka E-Mail; chandraj111@gmail.com Telephone; 0773634444   Fax; 2504181 PRESS RELEASE 27th January 2014. There has been, in recent times, public discussion in regard to whether our country is moving towards an authoritarianism that undermines democratic governance. The President, Ministers and government spokespersons have consistently denied this allegation. They refer in particular to the […]

For Freedom, Justice and Love – My Closing Statement to the Court Xu Zhiyong, 22 January 2014 This is Xu Zhiyong’s closing statement on January 22, 2014, at the end of his trial. According to his lawyer, he had only been able to read “about 10 minutes of it before the presiding judge stopped him, […]

Dr. Govinda KC has been on an indefinite hunger strike at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital for 10 consecutive days after putting forth seven demands including the resignation of Dr. Sharma and reinstatement of Dr. Prakash Sayami. The latter resigned claiming that he could not work due to political interference and another of Dr. Govinda’s […]