Right to health

by Avinash Pandey While the whole country was celebrating Holi, a joyous festival of colours, three farmers that were contemplating suicide in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh went ahead and took their own lives. One of them, wearing the same colour soaked dress he had celebrated the festival in, hung himself to a tree. […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Defend Job Philippines about a blaze in Parola Compund, Binonda, Manila, which has displaced thousands of urban poor. The AHRC urges the government of Philippines to ensure all assistance to the community and rehabilitate them as quickly as possible.  CASE NARRATIVE: A fire that broke […]

India has never been known for investing in the health of its citizenry. The nation’s public expenditure on health hovers around 1% of its gross domestic product; it is among the lowest in the world. This makes the recent decision to slash the health budget by 20% appalling. The move will not just deflate citizen […]

The Asian Human Right Commission and Asian Legal Resource Centre has developed  a handbook on torture titled “Let’s Stop torture together” the book is first of its kind in South Asia to have reached out the victims directly and to help them cope with the aftermaths of torture and how to seek legal redress. Our […]

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on Human Rights Day 2014 The more things change, the more they remain the same goes an adage. It holds true for hunger in Asia. Most Asian countries appear to have made momentous gains in addressing absolute hunger, as evidenced by the Global Hunger Report 2014 of […]

(The following article was originally published in the Ethics In Action, a bi-monthly publication devoted to discussing how movements and leaderships claiming to uphold ethics and morality have failed to promote and protect human rights. Click here to read the latest issue of the journal   ) The word ‘rights’ very often seem so wrong—politically,  socially […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information about systemic discrimination against tribals and other marginalised communities affected by cyclone Hudhud. The discrimination, also witnessed in relief work in the wake of other recent disasters in India, includes tribals not being disbursed relief material earmarked for them, and the losses suffered not being […]

(Hong Kong, October 29, 2014) The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is shocked and saddened by a tragic landslide, which, according to reports, has caused the disappearance of more than 300 residents in the mountainous area of Meeriyabedda, Haldummulla, Badulla District, in the early hours of 29th October 2014. The AHRC extends its solidarity to those […]

Two years ago on 11th September  2012 a third degree fire broke out at the Ali Enterprises, garment factory in the industrial area of Karachi, where  259 workers perished – burnt alive. It was one of the most devastating tragedies known in the history of the garment industry. The tragedy sparked a debate but on a […]

The worst ever industrial disaster in Pakistan’s history occurred on 11th September 2012 when a massive fire in the three-storied garment factory called Ali Enterprises situated in the Baldia Town area of Karachi caused the deaths of 259 workers and serious injuries to 55 more. Two years have passed since that tragic accident sent shock waves […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the desert areas of the  Sindh province particularly in Thar District are faced with an extreme drought  and government has not yet even issued notification declaring the drought. There has been no rainfall and there has been an acute shortage of ground water […]

In the 41st episode of Human Rights Asia Weekly Roundup, AHRC TV brings news of the acquittal of Irom Sharmila. Also known as “the Iron Lady of Manipur”, Irom Sharmila, has been on hunger strike for 14 years in protest against the 50-year-old Armed Forces Special Powers Act in northeast India. The law gives security […]

Pakistan like other developing countries that face, dearth of democracy and abundance of abusive authority has never been a homogenous country. There is the Pakistan of masses and there is the Pakistan of classes. For the poor and powerless of this sixth most populous country, human development based on essential core values like self esteem, […]

More than a Policy, Children Need Commitment! On 10th June 2014, Pawan Korku (4 years) and Durgesh Korku (6 years) climbed into an iron drum in their house along with their toys presumably as part of a game they were playing, in their house in Harrai village, District Betul, a tribal dominant district of Madhya […]

The title of this article may rather appear weird. However, the annual report released by the Central Government year-on-year on situation of tuberculosis or TB in India is invariably titled as TB India, (with year as the subscript). The one for the current year is titled as TB India 2014. Situation of TB in India […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the arms of a 10-year-old child were chopped off by a landlord over a minor issue with his father’s payment of electricity bills. His hands were tied and were put in a harvesting machine. Police did not take action for two days and […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) objects to the Contempt of Court Bill, which the government has tabled in Parliament on 9 June 2014. The Bill, if passed, will restrict freedom of expression and the freedom of the press. The Bill, while purporting to uphold judicial dignity, curtails individual freedom enshrined in Article 19 of […]

A side event at the human rights council organised by the Asian Legal Resource Center (ALRC), Franciscans International (FI), International Coalition for Papua (ICP), Pro Papua Foundation, Tapol, Vivat International, West Papua Netzwerk (WPN), on Thursday, June 12, 2014  14:30 – 16:30 (CEST, UTC+2), Room XXII  Palais des Nations, Geneva Live Webcast West Papua in Indonesia […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learnt about the death of two sanitation workers in Hyderabad. They have died while cleaning a gutter, a practice outlawed by the Supreme Court of India. These deaths follow others – one sanitation worker in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, and three in Gujarat – that have taken […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Manoj Singh, a local journalist working with Gorakhpur News Line, regarding the deadly disease Encephalitis, which has struck again in eastern Uttar Pradesh. The toll has already climbed to 60, with monsoons – during which the disease spreads quickly – still distant. Despite […]