Rule of law

The inaction of the Laotian Government with regard to the enforced disappearance of Mr. Sombath Somphone on December 15th is worrying. The Asian Human Rights Commission joins the request made by civil society groups and the diplomatic groups inside Laos, and echoed by numerous international groups and institutions, including the European Union and the United […]

We, the undersigned note with extreme concern, the proceedings related to the impeachment hearing of the first woman Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Banadaranayake by the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC). Any hearing, regardless of the person, must adhere to principles of natural justice and rule of law. In the case of the Chief Justice all those […]

เผยแพร่วันที่ 17 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2555 ใบแจ้งข่าว เมื่อวันที่  17 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2555 องค์กรด้านสิทธิมนุษยชนได้ส่งหนังสือร้องเรียนเรื่อง  การตรวจเก็บดีเอ็นเอชาวบ้านของเจ้าหน้าที่ทหารโดยอำนาจกฎอัยการศึก ไปยังแม่ทัพภาคที่ 4 ผู้อำนวยการกองอำนวยการรักษาความมั่นคงภายในภาคสี่  เลขาธิการศูนย์อำนวยการบริหารจังหวัดชายแดนภาคใต้   นายกรัฐมนตรี ผู้อำนวยการกองอำนวยการรักษาความมั่นคงภายใน (กอรมน.) และ คณะกรรมการสิทธิมนุษยชนแห่งชาติ ระบุว่าขอให้ยุติการตรวจเก็บดีเอ็นเอชาวบ้านของเจ้าหน้าที่ทหารโดยอำนาจกฎอัยการศึกเป็นการละเมิดสิทธิมนุษยชนขั้นพื้นฐาน เมื่อวันที่ 16 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2555 ที่อำเภอไม้แก่น  เวลา 8.00น. ถึง 17.00 น. มีปฎิบัติการของเจ้าหน้าที่ทหาร ไม่ทราบสังกัด แต่ทราบว่ามาจากค่ายอิงคยุทธฯ ได้ดำเนินเรียกตัวชายอายุตั้งแต่ 16 ปี ถึง 35 ปี ที่เดินทางผ่านพื้นที่อำเภอไม้แก่น  และได้บังคับให้ขึ้นรถของเจ้าหน้าที่ไปที่ว่าการอำเภอไม้แก่น ซึ่งมีพื้นที่จัดไว้สำหรับการตรวจเก็บดีเอ็นเอของบุคคลดังกล่าว   รวมทั้งมีเจ้าหน้าที่อีกจำนวนหนึ่ง สนธิกำลังระหว่างเจ้าหน้าที่ตำรวจทหารฝ่ายปกครอง เข้าไปในหมู่บ้านเพื่อนำตัวชายอายุ 16 ปี ถึง 35 ปี ในพื้นที่ตำบลไทรทอง […]

For immediate release on 17 December 2012 On 17 December 2012, human rights organizations submitted a letter of petition concerning the invoking of Martial Law to impose DNA profiling by military officers in the Southern Border Provinces to the Army Area Region 4 Commander, Secretary General of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center (SBPAC), the […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is pleased that Leila de Lima, secretary of the Department of Justice (DoJ), has recommended to President Benigno Aquino III the granting of a “conditional pardon” to the Abadilla Five. The Abadilla Five: Lenido Lumanog, Augusto Santos, Cesar Fortuna, Joel and Rameses de Jesus, are serving terms of life […]

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka passed a historical resolution today opposing the impeachment motion and avowing that, if the incumbent CJ is removed, the Bar Association will not welcome anyone who is appointed in her place. The following is a summary of the resolution given by the Lawyer’s Collective. “The President of BASL formulated […]

Dear friends, We wish to share with you the following statement issued by the Judicial Service Association (JSA) of Sri Lanka on the Findings of the Parliamentary Select Committee which probed the allegations of misbehavior of the Chief Justice of Sri Lanka.. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ————- A Statement from Judicial Service Association […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission expressed grave concern over the present situation in the University of Jaffna. Most students are unable to attend lectures as the whole university is in a state of stalemate. The government has added a “national security” mood to the crisis, rather than taking it as a part of the problem […]

Comments on the views of Rajpal Abeynayake and Nath Amarakoon on judicial review Basil Fernando The SLBC programme inappropriately entitled “People’s Power” is continuing with its misinformation campaign against basic principles of constitutionalism. On the programme that aired on the 13th of December, there were amusing misinterpretations of the constitutional history of the United States, […]

Dear friends, Mr. RHMPB Udangamuwa of Kobbakkaduwa, Yahaletenna in the Kandy District is the Coroner at the Peradeniya Teaching Hospital. While attempting to conduct his professional duties he was prevented from doing so by officers of the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens. He made complaints to the Peradeniya Police Station and a case was filed in the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to inform you of the case regarding the torture of a Papuan in Mimika, Papua. The victim was arrested by officers from the Mimika Sub-District Police wearing civilian clothes without any warrant. The police randomly accused him for being involved in the separatist movement organised by […]

Once a ruler told one of his country’s citizens, Mr. Thinking citizen, you have told me some very beautiful principles. For example, you have said that any inquiry against anyone must be fair, and you have explained what fairness means. But you do not seem to understand that I do not like principles. The thinking […]

The letter written by the senior and well-respected lawyer SL Gunasekara provides a very thought-provoking approach to dealing with the present impasse created by the government’s wish to proceed with the impeachment against the Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake, which they are doing irrespective of the request made by the Supreme Court to delay proceedings on […]

Dear friends, We wish to share with you the following article from the Asian Tribune, written by Tisaranee Gunasekara. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ————- An article from the Asian Tribune, forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Tisaranee Gunasekara “The first waves of a sea of fire….” Ivo Andrić (The Bridge over the […]

Dear friends, We wish to share with you the following article from the Sunday Times, Colombo, Sri Lanka, written by Kishali Pinto Jayawardena. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ————- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AHRC-FAT-051-2012 December 9, 2012 An article from the Sunday Times, forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission SRI LANKA: Reducing of Sri […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward you the following statement from the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ———————— A Statement from the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) SRI LANKA: Chief Justice’s impeachment hearing violates due process […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission is concerned by a recent wave of arrests in Burma, signaling that continuation of repressive practices from earlier periods of direct military rule. Among those arrested are a number of leaders of recent demonstrations against a copper mining project in the north of the country, and a former […]

We call upon the people, in particular the judges and lawyers, to grasp the historic significance of this moment It is news now that the Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake and her legal team, led by Romesh De Silva PC, walked away from the Parliamentary Select Committee proceedings, expressing no confidence in the manner in which […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a wave of persecution against the religious minority groups has again started with the connivance of military and local authorities. In the recent days more than 100 graves of Ahamadis were desecrated by excavating the graves and breaking the headstones bearing the names […]

The Speaker’s ruling relating to the Supreme Court’s notice to the Speaker and the members of the Parliamentary Select Committee does not in any way prohibits the constitutional right of the Court to entertain and to determine the Reference made by the Court of Appeal for a specific question relating to the scope of Article […]