Rule of law

SRI LANKA: A woman faces death threats after a powerful politician uses his influence to grab her property

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Ms. Warnakula Gunawardhana Sellapperumage Mangalika Jayasooriya, of 120/1, Bogamuwa, Kalagedihena in the Gampaha District is facing death threats after her properties have been forcibly grabbed by the henchmen of a powerful politician and a deputy minister of the ruling government of Sri Lanka. despite making […]

SRI LANKA: Abduction of a torture victim seeking judicial remedies from the Supreme Court

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that a man who was tortured and illegally detained for 28 months was abducted before the Supreme Court could hear his Fundamental Rights application. The AHRC has in the past documented similar cases wherein police officials were directly involved in abducting and murdering torture […]

INDIA: Rotten corpses symbolise a fallen system

Statement | India | 13-02-2012

Rotten and maggot-ridden corpses lie scattered in compounds; dogs, crows and other rodents run around with human body parts; tables made of broken wooden planks where putrefied human bodies are cut open by Doms (members of a Dalit community known in India for dealing with dead bodies) with crude tools like a chisel or nail […]

INDONESIA: Police killed two villagers and injured 82 others in anti-gold mining protest

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) received information that the police shot local farmers who were demonstrating against the gold exploration plan in several sub-districts in Bima, West Nusa Tenggara Province, on 24 December 2011. Two villagers died and 77 others were injured in the shooting. Five others were also injured by police […]

INDIA: Woman brutally tortured and raped by police while in custody in West Bengal

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from MASUM concerning yet another case of brutal custodial rape at the Hariharpara police station at Murshidabad District in West Bengal, India on 29 and 30 November 2011. In this case, too, it is alleged that the police officers have tortured a poor village […]

BURMA: Appeal for release from jail of former army officer & two other men

Dear friends, As the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has noted in a recent update (UAU-004-2012), we are very happy to see the release in recent months of many people on whose behalf we have campaigned for a number of years. However, many other unjustly imprisoned persons remain in Burma’s jails. As at this time […]

PHILIPPINES: Podcast – Phenomenon of murders in Cebu

(Hong Kong, February 6, 2012) In this episode of cast, the AHRC comments that the phenomenon of murders in Cebu, particularly the killing of a lawyer’s wife and two others, is a result of breakdown of the law in a society. In this report (time code: 02:30-05:09), Virginia Sesbreño, wife of lawyer Raul Sesbreño; her friend Soledad […]

PAKISTAN: Love marriage couple greeted with ‘shoot-on-sight’ order from Jihadi groups

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a couple from Pakistani held Kashmir has threatened with being shot on sight by Jihadi militant groups whenever they are seen at any place in Pakistan. The militants from the Jihadi groups (Islamic holy warriors) have been following the couple from their hide […]

SRI LANKA: An innocent man was illegally arrested, tortured and laid with a fabricated charge

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Kanahipadi Kankanamge Nalin (29) of Dodamgo, Kaluthara is married and a businessman by profession. He was arrested illegally and severely tortured before being laid with a fabricated charge by officers of the Dodangoda Police Station as he had complained about an officer […]

SRI LANKA: Independence without justice

A statement for the commemoration of the independence of Sri Lanka The 64th commemoration of Sri Lanka’s independence takes place at the time when the country’s justice system is in a hopeless crisis. The abuse of the judicial process for political reasons has created doubts about the independence of the judiciary itself. The government shows […]

SRI LANKA: Police refuse to investigate the case of a girl who disappeared after torture by a school principal

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mohamad Rasul (11) is a resident of No: 33/05, Palliyawatte, Poruthota, Koshshikade. Rasul was a student of Palanguthura Al-Fala School. On the 19 January after being subjected to severe torture by the principle Rasul was expelled from the school at 12.30 pm. Up […]

PAKISTAN: The courts and the government bear responsibility for extrajudicial killings in military torture cells

By Baseer Naveed The disappearances, killings in military detention centers and dumping of bullet-riddled bodies including torture marks on the bodies of the victims, by the spy agencies particularly by ISI and military intelligence are no longer a secret. This was exposed during the case of Abdul Saboor (29), which was taken in custody illegally […]

SRI LANKA: Innocent man was illegally arrested, tortured and laid with fabricated charges

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Ramesh Kumar, a casual labourer and owner of a three-wheeler which he used to drive for hire, was arrested at this home by officers attached to the Terrorist Investigation Department (TID) of Sri Lanka Police by while he was at home with […]

SRI LANKA: Police denied justice to student who was fatally assaulted

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Kaluthanthrige Jesus Deneicios Fernando (15), of No: 22/30, Asarappa Road, Asarappa Watte, Negombo was grievously assaulted by some hotel staff on the instigation of the hotel owner. He underwent serious surgery and remains in hospital. The Headquarters Inspector of the Negombo Headquarters […]

PAKISTAN: The people of Balochistan have to bury the mutilated bodies of their loved ones almost every day of the week

56 more bullet riddled bodies of disappeared persons were found in Balochistan during the last six months The disappearances and extrajudicial killings of Baloch activists continue despite claims from the government and security forces that extrajudicial killings have been stopped. The writ of the state is at its minimal and all the responsibilities of maintaining […]

SRI LANKA: A young man is illegally detained for more than 3 years, tortured and laid with fabricated charges

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Soriyamoorthy Givoshan (25) was forcefully recruited into the LTTE when they threatened to abduct his sister. At the end of the conflict he surrendered himself to the government forces and has been held in various detention facilities for the last three years. […]

SRI LANKA: Officers of the Thalathuoya Police Station beat and filed a fabricated charge against a soldier who rescued his friend from their assault

Dear friends, The family members of Mr. L. M. Jagath Kumara (22), a soldier attached to the Vavuniya Army Camp are facing harassment by the OIC and officers of the Thalathuoya Police Station. On 23 December 2010 Kumara was on his way home in a bus accompanied by a friend named Ruwan Chamara. When the […]

INDIA: BSF strikes again, this time a farmer

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from MASUM concerning yet another case of torture by the Border Security Force (BSF), stationed along the Indo-Bangladesh border. In this case too, it is alleged that the BSF has tortured a civilian. The victim in the case is Mr. Tabibar Molla, is a […]

SRI LANKA: Girl student of Ambakotte Tamil Vidayalaya in Kandy was severely beaten by the principle and forced to return to school against her will

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Ms. Chandramohan Denusha is a student at Ambakotte Tamil Vidyalaya. Twelve year old Denusha was severely beaten by the principal of her school and when she refused to return she was forcefully taken by two of the teachers. Corporal punishment has been banned […]

SRI LANKA: An innocent man is illegally arrested, tortured and laid with a false charge by the Wattala Police

Dear friends, Mr. Narahenpita Gamage Sisil Weerasinghe (48), a retired soldier was illegally arrested, detained and severely tortured by officers attached to the Wattala Police Station. Sisil had been waiting for a bus to take him home at around 10 pm when the officers accused him of planning to rob a house in the area. […]