Right to life

ASIA: A Nuclear-Weapon-Free World Our Common Good: Legislators and religious leaders join forces for nuclear abolition

A Press Release from Religions for Peace, PNND, & Mayors for Peace forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) Hiroshima, August 6, 2015 ‘Religious leaders, mayors and parliamentarians share the common good of a nuclear-weapon-free world’ announced leaders of Religions for Peace, Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (PNND) and Mayors for Peace at […]

BANGLADESH: RFK Human Rights Center condemns statements by police targeting human rights organistions

A Statement from Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Centre forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights  Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights condemns statements by Bangladeshi police targeting human rights organizations Contact: Daniel Cronin (917) 284-6356 | Email: Cronin@rfkhumanrights.org (August 5, 2015 | Washington, D.C.) Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights condemns the recent […]

BANGLADESH: Repeating lies does not turn ‘falsehood’ into the ‘truth’

The Bangladesh Police has again attempted to justify extrajudicial executions with the excuse of “self-defence”. The latest attempt has been made in a media release (original Bangla and unofficial English translation) sent out from the Police Headquarters and circulated to the country’s media on 2 August 2015. In order to hide its crimes of extrajudicial executions, the […]

PAKISTAN: State fails to protect its citizens from fury of nature

Developing states are most affected by climatic change, with weak infrastructure and even weaker disaster mechanism. The disaster-affected are left to fend for themselves. The developing state of Pakistan remains one of the most vulnerable to adverse impacts of climate change like floods, droughts, climate, and weather variability. Every passing year, Pakistan is being hit by […]

PAKISTAN: Masood Janjua completes 10 years of his enforced disappearance

There is a general sense of impunity for the law enforcement agencies, particularly the intelligence and military, the most powerful institution on Pakistan. The victims of the illegal, violent, and cruel actions of law enforcement personnel, and their families, complain that even when clearly identified by witnesses, no investigation is conducted against the perpetrators, let […]

WORLD: Gross Adulteration of the US TIP Report

A Statement from TENAGANITA Women’s Force forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission The U.S Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report has, for the past few years, been seen by many organizations tackling modern-day slavery as a tool for governments to undertake structural changes that would end the trafficking and enslavement of persons in their […]

PAKISTAN: Raja Dahir, abducted by Rangers in June, found dead, tortured

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the extrajudicial killing of a disappeared person, Mr. Raja Dahir, who was abducted by Pakistan Ranger personnel on June 4. After they raided his house and abducted him his whereabouts had been unknown. Raja Dahir’s corpse was found 20 days ago in […]

ASIA: Weekly Roundup, Episode 82

This Week’s Roundup begins in the Indian state of Kerala where AHRC follows up on the unique police modernisation process underway. Featured in the programme is footage of Member of the State Legislative Assembly V.T. Balram, debating this critical reform process in the Kerala Legislative Assembly. The programme then revisits events in China where more […]

PAKISTAN: Military intelligence clamps down on citizen’s right to freedom of expression

The scope for the right to privacy and freedom of expression is being narrowed further in Pakistan, according to a report published by Privacy International. The report claims that Pakistan’s military and intelligence agencies are closer than ever to removing internet privacy and increasing surveillance of the private data of average citizens, an exercise which […]

INDONESIA: Police attack and shoot at 10 Papuan youth, killing one and injuring others

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the shooting and brutal attack on 10 indigenous Papuan youth conducted by police officers of Tigi Police Sector (Polsek Tigi), Deiyai Regency, Papua Province. The attack resulted in the death of Yoteni Agapa (19), while Melianus Mote (21) was seriously injured. Furthermore, eight […]

INDIA: It’s Yakub only now, justice was hung a while back

Yakub Memon, a terror convict, will be hanged to death, most probably on 30 July 2015. He will be killed by the State because the Supreme Court of India rejected his curative plea, the final appeal, and cleared the way for hanging. He will hang after being convicted under the much reviled Terrorist and Disruptive […]

INDONESIA: The police and military attack and kill 5 teenagers, injure 17 others, in Papua

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding allegations of gross violation of human rights, which has resulted in five students being killed and 17 others getting injured in Paniai Regency, Papua Province, Indonesia. Up until now, the law enforcement agency and the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) have […]

NEPAL: Stop charging innocent citizens under the ruse of maintaining peace and order

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned about the use of excessive force by the police in different districts of the Terai during public’s feedback collection on the first draft of the constitution. The Madhes based parties, Mohan Baidhya and Netra Bikram Chand led Maoist parties, and some other outfits, had decided to […]

ASIA: Mob justice—a symptom of degenerating rule of law

Article | Asia | 20-07-2015

Javeria Younes The mob justice meted out to 13-year-old Samiul Alam Rajon, who was beaten to death in Bangladesh by an angry mob resolute on teaching the youngster a lesson for stealing a bicycle, is a classic case of mob madness witnessed on our streets every day. Throughout Asia, deteriorating rule of law and ineffective […]

ASIA: Weekly Roundup, Episode 81

An Announcement by the Asian Human Rights Commission This week’s Roundup begins in the Indian state of Kerala. The state government has initiated a process of police reforms. This unique initiative involves enabling the police to undertake scientific crime investigation. AHRC TV interviews AHRC Executive Director Bijo Francis to learn more about the outlook for […]

INDONESIA: Police officers illegally arrest, torture and shoot motorcycle theft suspects

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the arbitrary arrest and torture of 19 people allegedly involved in motorcycle robberies. The brutal behaviour of the Serpong police officers resulted in the custodial death of five suspects. According to the police however, their deaths were the result of self defense by […]

INDIA: Police term custodial death of woman as suicide

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information about a woman, Ms. Victoria Dayoun Kharkongor, being found dead inside the toilet of the Dispur Police Station in Guwahati on 5 July 2015. The police claim that she was mentally ill and hung herself inside the toilet. According to the preliminary police reports, Ms. […]

SRI LANKA: Modernising of the police – an example from Kerala

The Asian Human Rights Commission reproduces below the full text of a circular issued on 3rd July 2015 by the Director General of Police of our neighbouring Indian state of Kerala. It announces a historically important initiative to modernise the police, so that the institution will become able to perform its functions within a modern democracy. […]

PAKISTAN: Engineering student tortured to death in “half fry and full fry” police practice

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a final student in University, named Toqier Mashori, has been tortured to death in the Central Prison of Hyderabad, Sindh, within three days of his arrest. His family was asked by the police and prison authorities to pay large bribes for Mashori’s relief […]

INDONESIA: Environmental activist attacked and stabbed to death by Indonesian navy personnel

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the brutal murder of Mr. Jopi Teguh Lasmana Peranginangin (39), an environmental activist who used to work with the Indigenous People’s Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN). He was kicked, beaten, and stabbed to death by Indonesian navy personnel on 23 May 2015 at […]