Right to life

A Press Release from Human Rights Commission of Pakistan forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) Lahore, May 13: The barbaric killing of members of the Ismaili community in a bus attack in Karachi is highly condemnable, but it deserves more than mere words of censure and sympathy from the authorities, the political parties […]

Today, persons hailing from the Ismaili community (a branch of Shia Islam) have been attacked while they were travelling on a passenger bus managed and operated by the community. According to media reports, six unidentified assailants on motorbikes opened fire on the bus from all sides, leaving at least 46 dead and 24 injured. Many […]

Another earthquake, this one with a magnitude of 7.3 on the Richter scale, struck Nepal on 12 May. It has led to 65 deaths and counting, adding to the more than 8,000 lives lost since the first earthquake hit Nepal two weeks ago on 25 April 2015. Tuesday’s earthquake was centred about 76 km (47 […]

A Statement from the Migrants Working Group forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission It was reported that on 1 May 2015, that police officials from Sadao District, Songkhla, uncovered a concealed camp at which they found 26 dead bodies in Ban Taloh, Tambon Padang Besar, Sadao District, Songkhla. It is almost certain that the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Defend Job Philippines about on-going demolition and evictions targeting the urban poor community of the Laguna Lakeshore area of Taguig city. This drive aims to clear the area to facilitate the Lakeshore Development project. It is the largest Public-Private Partnership Project of the […]

Bangladesh has witnessed one more fake election yesterday, 28 April 2015. The process of electing people’s representatives to the City Corporations of Dhaka and Chittagong has been marked by fraudulence. Rigging and ballot stuffing by ruling party cadres, polling officers, and law-enforcement agents reigned all across the two cities, as witnessed by human rights defenders […]

  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from media reports and grassroots activists. These activists are engaged in rescue and relief operations for the earthquake victims in Nepal who are facing imminent threats of starvation and epidemics. Things are particularly grave for those in distant mountainous villages. Much of the relief material […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the imminent execution of a mentally ill man, who was tried and convicted on illegal drugs charges in Indonesia. Rodrigo Gularte has a long history of severe mental illness, dating back long before his arrest, and he continues to suffer from paranoid schizophrenia. […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) condemns the brutal murder of a peace activist and human rights defender by the so called ‘unknown persons’ after arranging an open discussion on the gross violation of human rights in Balochistan. Ms. Sabeen Mahmud, who was receiving life threats from the persons belonging to spy agencies […]

On 19th to 24th of April 2015, the Asian-African Conference has been held in the Republic of Indonesia, with representatives of more than a hundred countries participating on the theme of “Strengthening South-South Cooperation to Promote World Peace and Prosperity”. During the event, several bi-national meetings have also been held. The host country President, Joko Widodo, has […]

An Open Letter from the Asian Human Rights Commission to the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi  Shri Narendra Modi Prime Minster Government of India Room No. 148 B, South block,  New Delhi INDIA Fax: + 91 11 230111857 Dear Prime Minister Narendra Modi,  INDIA: Citizens should not be forced to drown themselves for […]

by Basil Fernando A determination issued by the United Nation’s Human Rights Committee on 1st April 2015, reveals extraordinary failures on the part of Sri Lankan State agencies – the police, the forensic pathologist, the Attorney General, and the Supreme Court – regarding a custodial death that took place at the Moragahahena Police Station on 26th July […]

by Basil Fernando  Last week, several news reports revealed the story of an 8-year-old child (reported as a 10-years-old by some media houses) from Ambathenna, Katugastota. The mother made the initial report about her missing child to the Katugastota police. Initially, the police ignored the complaint and did nothing to begin searching for the child. […]

by Avinash Pandey  The world’s largest democracy witnessed its police force killing 25 of its citizens in two encounters in Andhra Pradesh. “Encounters”, for the uninitiated, are a euphemism for killing unarmed civilians in staged gun battles. The police version of both the alleged encounters is such that it could be laughed-off had they not […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about a minor girl and her mother being set on fire after their being gang-raped by three men. The girl, who suffered 90% burns, died the following day in hospital, while the mother has survived her 60% burns, regaining consciousness from coma after 26 […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information from Defend Job Philippines about the planned relocation of the victims of Parola Compound Fire. The National Housing Authority is planning to relocate 1,000 families to places located faraway from their sources of livelihood in Parola, Tondo. The AHRC has also learned that […]

On March 24, pictures of four detainees, one of them a woman, with their hands chained and padlocked together, circulated online. The photos were taken by Bong Son, a newspaper photographer, while the detainees were being transported to another detention facility in Manila City. Photo: GMA News screen grab In response to public condemnation, Senior […]

Discrimination based on caste practices, including untouchability, is a deep and unhealed wound in India’s collective conscience. Caste-based prejudices adversely affect an estimated 160 million Indians. Despite a constitutional injunction and legislations that seeks to prohibit caste-based discrimination, the practice continues in India. Most tribal communities in the country also face discrimination that has its […]

By Avinash Pandey  The Supreme Court’s scrapping of Section 66 A of the Information Technology Act for being “unconstitutional in entirety” is indeed a great moment in the life of the democracy. The Act did, in fact, invade citizenry’s right of free speech “arbitrarily, excessively and disproportionately”. However, is this really a moment to celebrate […]

In this week’s Roundup, AHRC TV covers stories from Burma, the Philippines, and Pakistan. Police and mob violence against peaceful demonstrators in Burma has sown doubt about the democratisation process in the country. AHRC TV talks to several people on the ground about recent crackdowns in Rangoon and Letpadan and whether police are continuing to […]