Right to fair trial

This week Just Asia begins with Nepal, where violence in the Terai region shows little sign of abating. Protests and killings have been occurring since 2015. In early 2016, more than 50 people died. During the March protests this year against the nationwide campaign conducted by the CPN UML, police started shooting to contain the […]

Since Suharto stepped down in 1998, and political reform occurring for the last 18 years, Papua has yet to enjoy real reform, as enjoyed by other provinces in Indonesia. While there have been initiatives to address human rights problems in Papua and West Papua provinces, they have not resulted in significant improvements on the ground. […]

This week Just Asia begins with Malaysia, where more than one hundred foreigners in immigration detention centers have died in the past two years. There were 83 deaths in 2015, and at least 35 in 2016, from various diseases and unknown causes. More than half of the 118 dead are from Burma. A commissioner from […]

On March 26, in Greater Noida, near New Delhi, India was home to a blatant display of racism, following the death of a teenage boy, Manish Khari. The teenager’s family and neighbours registered an FIR against five Nigerians in the locality, accusing them of ‘cannibalism’ and Manish’s murder, as well as of being drug peddlers […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information provided by Bandar Lampung Legal Aid (LBH Bandar Lampung). It is regarding an unfair trial and a fabricated case faced by the Tulang Bawang farmers and a Priest, Father Sugianto who defended and spent time in solidarity with the farmers. So far, there […]

An Open Letter from the Asian Human Rights Commission to The Honourable Minister of Justice Wijedasa Rajapakse and the Honourable Minister of Law and Order & Southern Development Sagala Rathnayake 15 March 2017 Dear Ministers Wijedasa Rajapakse and Sagala Ratnayaka Two more extrajudicial killings at police stations have been reported in Sri Lanka. One of the […]

This week Just Asia begins with International Women’s Day, annually celebrated on March 8. The theme for 2017 is ‘Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030’. The idea is to work towards the 2030 Agenda, which includes ending discrimination and violence against girls and women, and ensuring free quality education for […]

On February 27th, a Christian priest in Kerala, Mr. Robin Vadakkancherry, was arrested on charges of raping a minor-girl. The incident came to light when the Childline (1098), the crisis helpline for children in distress in India was informed of the rape. The survivor got pregnant and last month, she gave birth in a Church-run hospital in Kerala. It has been […]

The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, said the following in a message on International Women’s Day. “On International Women’s Day, let us all pledge to do everything we can to overcome entrenched prejudice, support engagement and activism, promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.” The 2017 UN theme on International Women’s Day is–Women in the Changing World of Work: […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding human rights violations committed by police officers and the Adidaya Tangguh Company in North Moluccas province, Indonesia. The pattern of violations is one of land confiscation, deprivation of liberty and a vicious attack against local community members on Taliabu Island. Substantial members of […]

Dear Friends, S.C. Prasanka Fernando of No. 105, Independent Mawatha, Veyangoda, in Gampaha District, a human rights activist, and Sri Lankan Roman Catholic, who is an announcer by profession, underwent an ordeal at his residence on 05/02/2017. A group of police officers in civil attire, which included Sergeant Dissanayake and S.K. Dissanayake, Officer in Charge […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward an appeal from the International Coalition for Papua (ICP) regarding a torture case in the highland city of Wamena, which was committed by six members of the Jayawijaya District Police, Jayawijaya regency, Papua province. The torture occurred on 11th January 2017 during detention at […]

This week Just Asia begins with Sri Lanka, where five police officers have been arrested in connection with the custodial death of a suspect at the Peliyagoda Police station. The 42-year-old Chadik Shyaman Wickramarachchi was arrested on February 25, following information provided by another suspect. The next day, Chadik’s body was recovered by his family at the Police Mortuary […]

Following a suicide attack on Lahore’s Mall Road on February 13, which claimed the lives of at least six police officials, Punjab’s law enforcement agencies launched a province-wide crackdown on the ethnic Pakhtun (Pathans) minority. Administrative officials in some Punjab districts issued informal orders asking the population to keep an eye on suspicious individuals who […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the following: forcible closure, intimidation, discrimination and State negligence against the Ahmadiyya congregation (JAI) of the Al-Hidayah Mosque, Depok City, West Java province. Without any reason, the Depok city govermmenet forcibly closed and sealed off the Mosque belonging to local Ahmadiyya groups. The […]

This week Just Asia begins with Pakistan, where two blasts occurred outside a court in Charsadda, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province on Monday. At least eight people were killed and 20 injured in the attack. Since the beginning of 2017, Pakistan has witnessed an unprecedented spike in violence, with 20 terrorist attacks claiming the lives of more than […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Commission for Disappearances and Victims of Violence (KontraS). It is a national, human rights NGO, handling the case of torture which caused the death of Mr. Afriadi Pratama (23). The case was occasioned by a personal conflict, namely a love triangle, between […]

This week Just Asia begins by speaking to Adem Carroll, the Burma Task Force director for New York and UN programs regarding the dire situation faced by the Rohingya in Burma. Carroll calls for an independent commission of inquiry into the military abuses against the Muslim minority group. He also says that citizens of ASEAN […]

17th February 2017 Mr Pradeep Jayatilake  Secretary  Judicial Service Commission  Hulftsdorp St,  Colombo 12,  Sri Lanka Dear Mr Jayatilake, Letter to the JSC by the Asian Human Rights Commission  Over five years of investigation into a baseless and malicious allegation against a District Judge, (now retired) Mr B. A. R Somasinghe I am writing to […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has information regarding the last two years of President Joko Widodo’s administration. It appears that the government has not yet made any effort to resolve past human rights abuses. After President Widodo won the presidential election in 2014, victims and their families had great expectations of him. Instead of […]