Rule of law

The Surendranagar firing that killed three Dalit youth on 21 September this year has once again brought to light the concern, that in India, the police do not have adequate training nor the government has necessary resolve to overhaul the police service into one that fits a modern democracy. An affidavit filed by the Gujarat […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received the information regarding a torture case took place in Medan, North Sumatra. The victim was blindfolded by the police and taken to an unidentified place where he was severely beaten with a wood block on his head and back. The victim’s mother submitted complaints in […]

Daily life in Pakistan is today marred by terrorist attacks that range from bombings to shootings and execution-style killings. All these are taking place in an environment where the law enforcement agencies are helpless to intervene. Little in the way of investigation takes place and even when the identities of the perpetrators are known no […]

Dear friends, Mr. T. A. Erantha Srinath is a clerk by profession. He was illegally detained and tortured by the Giriulla Police on 31 August 2012. Erantha Srinath and his colleagues were at Hettipola to worship the Kapilawasthu Relics, his mother & a little child who came with them went missing so he pleaded for […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Porawakara Arachchilage Pramesh is being harassed by officers of the Thambuththegama Police Station because he assisted a friend to file a fundamental rights application. The Officer-in-Charge of that station has personally threatened Pramesh with arrest and false charges if he continues his […]

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-044-2012 November 18, 2012 An article from the Sunday Times, forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission SRI LANKA: Drawing back from […]

Even the worst of criminals have a right to a fair trial before an independent judiciary. A judge in an impeachment proceeding in Sri Lanka does not have that right. Article 107 of the Constitution and the standing orders as they stand now preclude that right. Is the quality of citizenship of a judge of […]

SDPI’s study on poverty shows that every third Pakistani is living his life below the poverty line. This is very shocking revelation for all of us. About 58.7 million out of 180 million Pakistanis are living below the poverty line. This below the poverty line population is living 52% in Balochistan, 33% in Sindh, 32% […]

Dear friends, Ms. Muddara Pedilage Suneetha Sandamali (16) succumbed to severe burn injuries at the Puttalam Base Hospital. She had been admitted by her partner, a soldier attached to the Civil Defence Force, and the Saliya Wewa Police Station. Shortly before the victim’s death she made a statement to the police that her partner had […]

An Open Letter from the Asian Human Rights Commission to the Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh; case of Mr. Razzak justifies AHRC’s position about the NHRC of Bangladesh ‘The ridiculous role of the NHRC in a completely collapsed rule of law system.‘ Prof. Mizanur Rahman Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission 11th Floor, Gulfeshan […]

The visit of President Obama to Cambodia between November 17-20 should be an occasion to ask some vital and serious questions regarding the commitment of the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and the international community on the issues of democracy, the rule of law and human rights. To be very blunt the […]

When I talked to a Sri Lankan friend about the killings of prisoners which happened yesterday and tried to convince him that people should demand justice, his instance reply was, “ Dhang justice naah” (now there is no justice) . In the past, this expression meant that there were serious concerns about justice. However, now it […]

Basil Fernando Humankind has at least a few millenniums of experience in keeping prisons. It is part of the unfortunate predicament of humanity that there is this need to have prisons. However, over these long years, through bitter experiences, humanity has learned to lessen the suffering involved for the inmates of prisons and to make […]

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-039-2012 November 11, 2012 An article from the Sunday Times, forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission SRI LANKA: Shameful stifling of freedom […]

Dear friends, We wish to share with you the following article written by Tisaranee Gunasekara who is a Sri Lankan columnist based in Colombo Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ————- An article written by Tisaranee Gunasekara, forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission SRI LANKA: Make the Impeachment Boomerang on the Rajapaksas Tisaranee Gunasekara […]

Yesterday (9th of October), at least 11 prisoners were gunned down and around 35 were injured by the STF. The shooting was carried out when the STF entered the Welikada prison for some inspections. (Photo Courtesy: Sunday Times, Sri Lanka) According to an eye witness, interviewed by the BBC Sinhala service, when some prisoners who […]

Mr. Gordon Brown, UN Special Envoy for Global Education, has declared November 10, a global day of action in support of Malala and girls’ right to education. Malala Yousafzai, an ardent campaigner for the right of education for girls, was shot by Taliban while on her way home from school in Swat valley, in northern […]

Basil Fernando The Chief Justice (CJ) has refuted all allegations made against her contained in the much publicized impeachment motion filed in parliament. (File Photo of the Chief Justice, Mrs. Shirani Bandaranayake) The CJ’s legal representatives have said in a letter “In the circumstances, in summary: (a) Our Client has declared all her operative bank […]

A comparison with the Titanic is most appropriate. Titanic at the time was thought of as a wonder ship that could never sink. It was not expected ever to perish. Sri Lanka also was considered a wonder. It was expected to be an example to other countries. It was expected to prove that democratization of […]

In yet another shocking revelation, private companies have been found to be engaged in stealing food earmarked for welfare schemes aimed at arresting malnutrition, the biggest ‘national shame’ according to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and ‘humiliation like none other’ according to President Pranab Mukherjee. The only thing that is more shocking than the revelation […]