Rule of law

INDONESIA: Poso video calls for establishment of independent procedures for reviewing the use of force by police officers

A video depicting ill-treatment and excessive use of force by police officers has recently been released to the public. In the video, several men who were suspected of being terrorists were lying down on the grass with their hands bound while the police officers asked them questions. One of the suspects was shot in his leg while […]

INDIA: An invitation, murder, and democracy

When a business school invites persons to attend one of its functions, that too expecting the person to deliver nothing less than the keynote address, it must be taking into account many factors. Elementary is the invitee’s credentials, and in the background of the sponsors, who contribute to organise the event. It appears that the […]

INDIA: नियोजन यानी योजना और महात्मा गांधी राष्ट्रीय ग्रामीण रोज़गार गारंटी योजना (मनरेगा 2)

केवल अपेक्षा ही नहीं थी बल्कि उम्मीद भी थी कि राष्ट्रीय ग्रामीण रोज़गार गारंटी योजना न केवल गाँव के लोगों को रोज़गार का अधिकार देगी, बल्कि हमारी चरमराती शासन व्यवस्था (गवर्नेंस) को भी एक ठोस आधार देगी. यही वह क़ानून भी है, जिसने गाँव को यह अधिकार दिया कि वे अपनी योजना और बजट बनाएंगे, […]

INDIA/PAKISTAN: Democracy’s Noose kept Afzal Guru hanging, till death

He had to die. Die, because a nation wanted him to, or so were we told by the Supreme Court of the nation. He had to die to satisfy the collective conscience of the nation, the court added for a good measure. So, he did die, nay, hanged till death. His body was left hanging […]

INDIA: Manipur, a backtracked promise

A court in Manipur yesterday has ordered the detention of Ms. Irom Sharmila Chanu, better known as the iron lady of Manipur. Detention is nothing new to this woman, most humble yet so bold, that she has so far successfully challenged the iron fist of the senselessness Indian state and its Manipuri counterpart, the Government […]

SRI LANKA: An innocent man is detained after a Magistrate released him, severely tortured and is still awaiting trial

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Varnakulasingham Arulanandam was rearrested by the Terrorist Investigation Division after he was released by a court of law for lack of evidence. He has been severely tortured, his wife has only been allowed to visit him twice and there is no indication […]

SRI LANKA: Justice denied for a litigant at courts by the corrupt practices of the Peradiniya Police

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Gopalan Surendra (32) was involved in a minor traffic accident. When the police ‘arranged’ a lawyer for him Surendra decided to employ his own. This angered the police and they have intentionally delayed his case which should have been an open and […]

SRI LANKA: A young man was tortured by the Senior Superintendent of Police, Matara

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Janaka Darshana Kumara was arrested on suspicion of rape by Officer-in-Charge of Sub Police Watch, Deniyaya, while Janaka was at his sister’s place. He was taken to Matara Headquarters Police Station where he was tortured brutally, harassed sexually and detained illegally by […]

SRI LANKA: A woman is tortured by Rajanganaya Police and laid with false charges

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Ms. Punchibandage Indrani was severely tortured by the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of Rajanganaya Police Station. On this day police officers including the OIC came to Indrani’s home and assaulted her brother- in-law. Prior to the beating neither the OIC nor any of the officers […]

SRI LANKA: A detainee in the custody of Tangalle Prison was severely beaten by an inebriated prison guard – no medical treatment has been provided

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the custodial torture of Mr. Suntharallngam Ketheeswaran at the Tangalle Prison. Ketheeswaran was severely beaten by an inebriated prison guard and despite the severity of the injuries he has suffered no medical attention has been provided. CASE NARRATIVE: On Saturday February 23, 2013 […]

PHILIPPINES: Vendors of the Luneta Park forcibly evicted

[RE: AHRC-HAC-004-2013: PHILIPPINES: Vendors face forced eviction and food insecurity] Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information Defend Job Philippines about the eviction of vendors of the Luneta Park. The National Parks Development Committee evicted the vendors from their livelihood places inside Luneta Park on 27 February, 2013 despite the protest […]

PAKISTAN: The killings of journalists continue unabated

Two senior journalists were killed during the short span of 48 hours. As is usual, enquiry committees have been formed by the authorities to investigate the killings and the motives behind the incidents. However, as committees have been formed in the past for the same reason which have not shown any results there is not […]

INDIA: Immediately stop evicting and threatening the floating huts-dwellers of Loktak Lake

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Centre for Research and Advocacy, Manipur regarding continued eviction of floating hut dwellers and destruction of their floating huts at Loktak Lake by the Loktak Development Authority (LDA) of the Government of Manipur and Manipur Police on 23 February 2013. Worryingly, the assault […]

BANGLADESH: Police arbitrarily detain a woman and her teenage daughter whom officers sexually abused on several occasions

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the police of Kushtia district tortured five women from one family. Three of them were detained arbitrarily, followed by illegal arrests and raids on their house without a warrant. One of the teenage girls, studying in college, was sexually abused by police officers […]

PAKISTAN: A young man was tortured to death in military custody in Azad Kashmir

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a young man was tortured and killed in military custody within 24 hour of his arrest. The only apparent reason for his arrest was the fact that he passed by a military zone along the Indian border in Pakistani held Kashmir. His body […]

PAKISTAN: Shia genocide — What exactly is preventing the military and the judiciary from performing their duties against militancy?

After hearing the accusations of covert and overt support for sectarian terrorism and the terrorists the state institutions, like the judiciary and the army are trying to clarify their positions. There is of course, the involvement of the civilian set up that, after a total of 32 years of collision between the army and the […]

INDIA: The great thamasha

Bijo Francis* Overcoming initial reluctance, the Maharashtra state police have finally registered a case in the infamous Bhandara rape and murder incident. This is a case, not much discussed in India, other than for sparse reporting in a few Indian dailies, of the rape murder of three sisters, all minors. Missing of three miserable village […]

INDONESIA: Korban penyiksaan di Papua bicara mengenai kekerasan yang dilakukan polisi

(Hong Kong/Jakarta, February 22, 2013) Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) telah merilis video interview dengan dua warga Papua yang telah menjadi korban penyiksaan oleh oknum aparat Polri. Video tersebut dapat diakses di Saluran AHRC di Youtube di http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMI1HouWMv4. Dalam video yang direkam dan awalnya disebarkan oleh seorang aktivis lokal, Eneko Pahabol dan Obed Bahabol mengungkapkan bagaimana […]

PHILIPPINES: Vendors face forced eviction and food insecurity

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Defend Job Philippines about an eviction notice served on the vendors of Luneta Park (also called Rizal Park) in Manila. The proposed eviction will not merely leave the vendors jobless but also jeopardize their food security. It would also render many of them […]

INDONESIA: Torture victims in Papua speak out on how the police had ill-treated them

(Hong Kong/Jakarta, February 22, 2013) The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has released the video of interview with two Papuans who were tortured by the Indonesian Police. The video is available on AHRC’s YouTube Channel on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMI1HouWMv4. On the video which was originally recorded and disseminated by a local activist, Eneko Pahabol and Obed Bahabol told […]