Right to fair trial

INDONESIA: Local community in Sanghiang Island victim of land grabbing and fabricated case

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Banten People Legal Aid (LBH Rakyat Banten) about land grabbing and a fabricated case against the local community of Sanghiang Island, Banten province. Despite the local community having lived on the island for many years, the PT. PKP company suddenly claimed that the […]

INDIA: Arbitrary detention of Mr. Chandrashekhar Ravan makes a mockery of the rule of law by the UP state government

Article | India | 14-11-2017

By Avinash Pandey Mr. Chandrashekhar Ravan, the founder of the Bhim Army remains in custody despite the Allahabad High Court granting him bail in all the cases registered against him. Ravan is in custody because of the Government of Uttar Pradesh has registered a case against him under the provisions of the draconian, National Security […]

PAKISTAN: Morality in the back burner as the LEA resorted to disappearing women and children

by Javeria Younes  Despite lacking legal framework on disappearances Pakistan’s constitution prohibits illegal and arbitrary detention and under article 10. Though the phenomenon of disappearance has been ongoing incessantly for two decade to make matters worse the LEA officials have now adopted the tactic of picking up and disappearing innocent women and children of wanted man as […]

NEPAL: Girl gang raped and family beaten after they protested

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received the following information from the Terai Human Rights Defenders’ Alliance (THRDA). On 29 October 2017, a 17-year-old Muslim girl, a resident of the Parsauni Rural Municipality-4, Sakhuwa of the Parsa District, had been gang raped. Mukhtar Ansari, 22, son of Ward Chairperson, Jumadin Ansari, and […]

SRI LANKA: Tensions unravelling across the reform road-map

The weekly Times column, Focus on Rights, titled ‘Tensions unravellingacross the reform road-map’ by Kishali Pinto Jayawardena, in the Sunday Times, Sri Lanka, on 05 November 2017, forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission by Kishali Pinto Jayawardena There appears to be a brisk uptick in the tone of visiting European lawmakers to Sri Lanka this week as compared […]

NEPAL: Rooting out torture requires new measures and mechanisms

by Raksha Ram Harijan The routine practice of torture in Nepal is nothing new; decades of work by human rights organizations working on torture and impunity can provide solid examples of the Nepal Police and Nepal Army practicing torture during their work. Despite the government’s ratification of the Convention against Torture (CAT) on 14 May […]

INDONESIA: Police officers in South Aceh involved in fabrication of charges and extortion

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about a fabricated case lodged by police officers of the South Aceh Police Office and Sawang Police Office in South Aceh regency, Aceh province. Without proper investigation and a lack of evidence, the police accused Mr. Abas Rizal bin Agusmar alias Sibay of illegally […]

AHRC TV: Extrajudicial killings on the rise in Sri Lanka and other stories in JUST ASIA, Episode 194

This week Just Asia begins with Sri Lanka, where a man was shot dead Monday by the Special Task Force of the police while travelling with his friends in a car. The police later claimed that they only began firing after the vehicle fired on them first, but there is no evidence to support this […]

INDONESIA: Student in West Papua tortured and ill-treated by police officers

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from our local partner in Papua about the torture and ill-treatment of a high school student, Yunus Manauri, in Teluk Wondama regency, West Papua province. After Yunus refused to hand over his motorcycle for not having the vehicle’s document as well as a driving […]

AHRC TV: India’s top court rules sex with wife below 18 is rape and other stories in JUST ASIA, Episode 193

This week Just Asia begins with India, where the Supreme Court ruled that sex with a wife younger than 18 is rape. This is a much needed legal development for child rights, and will help in the fight to end child marriage in the country. Sadly, the fight against marital rape for adult women continues. […]

SRI LANKA: Extrajudicial killings with impunity are increasing

The table given below sets down 09 extrajudicial killings, 01 attempted killing – 09 of which are at the hands of the police at various police stations and the other, in a prison. These 10 incidents are the ones reported to the Asian Human Rights Commission based in Hong Kong during this year. However, at […]

SRI LANKA: Innocent man tortured to death by Police of Colombo North Division

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about the extra-judicial killing of Mr. D P Premasiri (65) of Stace Road, Grandpass, Colombo 14 in the Colombo District. On 9 August 2017, Premasiri was illegally arrested, severely tortured at his house in front of his relatives and neighbors. Later, he was handcuffed […]

INDONESIA: Six months later still no perpetrators found in acid attack against Novel Baswedan

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the stagnant investigation of the acid attack case against Mr. Novel Baswedan, a senior investigator of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). Even after six months, the police investigation has still produced no results. Despite family and public requests for President Joko Widodo […]

AHRC TV: Dalit girl paraded as ‘thief’ and other stories in JUST ASIA, Episode 192

This week Just Asia begins with Nepal, where a distressing case of caste discrimination saw a 14-year-old Dalit girl paraded in Belbari Municipality-2 of Morang district with shoes around her neck, soot smeared on her face, and the tag of ‘thief’ stuck on her body. She was also beaten with nettle greens, causing her body […]

INDONESIA: Police investigators improperly discontinue investigation concerning attack and violence against public lawyer

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the decision issued by the police investigators of South Jakarta Police Office discontinuing the investigation into a brutal attack against Mr. Aldo Felix Januardy, a public lawyer at Jakarta Legal Aid. Since the attack was reported to the police, there has been no […]

NEPAL नेपाल: राज्यको प्राथमिकतामा पर्दैन जातीय विभेद

Article | Nepal | 06-10-2017

रक्षाराम हरिजन नेपालको सार्वभौम संसदले देशलाई छुवाछुत मुक्त राष्ट्र घोषणा गरेको एक दशक पूरा भइसकेको छ । वि. सं. २०६३ जेठ २१ गते संसदले नेपाललाई छुवाछुत मुक्त घोषणा गरेको थियो । तर छुवाछुत मुक्त घोषणा कागजमा मात्रै सिमित रहेको देखिन्छ किनभने जात, वंश, समुदाय वा पेशाका आधारमा हुने छुवाछुत तथा जातीय भेदभावको घटनामा खासै कमी […]

AHRC TV: Pakistani teenager shot dead for refusing feudal lord’s proposal and other stories in JUST ASIA, Episode 189

This week Just Asia begins with Pakistan, where a teenage student, Tania Khaskheli, was murdered for turning down a marriage proposal from an influential feudal lord in Sindh province’s Sehwan city. The Sehwan police only filed murder charges after strong civil society protest. While two persons have since been arrested, the feudal lord is still […]

NEPAL: Dearth of honesty

An oped from the Kathmandu Post forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission A country cannot survive in the absence of honesty and integrity. Additionally, there is a need for unity, compassion and eagerness for development among the people. Similarly, the government must observe the rule of law for the regulation of good governance. Nepal has had […]

AHRC TV: Rohingya injured by landmines as they flee violence and other stories in JUST ASIA, Episode 188

This week Just Asia begins with Burma, where many Rohingya are suffering horrific injuries and loss of limbs by landmines along the Burma-Bangladesh border in their attempt to flee the violence. After the militant Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (Arsa) attacked several police posts on August 25, the Burmese government carried out a brutal counter-insurgency clampdown. […]

SRI LANKA: Domestic violence and sexual assault complaint not investigated by Godakawela Police

Dear Friends, According to the information that the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received, Ms. Sashikala Maduwanthi Dharmapalain was severely assaulted by her husband’s family on 14 August 2017. Although she made a domestic violence and sexual assault complaint to the police on the very same day, a month later the police have not […]