Rule of law

SRI LANKA: Is the Executive really more accountable to Parliament

Months after the 18th Amendment: Is the Executive really more accountable to Parliament? The 18th Amendment, we were told, would make the President more accountable to Parliament. The Editorial of the Sunday Observer noted back in the day. By making it mandatory for the President to attend Parliament at least once in three months to […]

PAKISTAN: Extremists openly plan to kill hundreds of Ahmadis–government turns a blind eye

The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information from Faisalabad city of Punjab province, the second largest industrial and commercial city of the country that a plan has been chalked out to kill the owners and their family members of 36 commercial and industrial establishments belonging to Ahmadiyya community. The plan includes the people working […]

SRI LANKA: The death of law

(Hong Kong, June 11, 2011) This is a discussion on the serious crisis of law in Sri Lanka. 33 years of the promulgation of the present Constitution, what is legal and what is not has been obliterated in Sri Lanka. As an illustration of the crisis of law, three incidents are discussed:  • The killing […]

PAKISTAN: AHRC condemns the killing of Sarfaraz Shah, a young man shot dead in a public place by the Rangers

(Hong Kong, June 10, 2011) The people of Pakistan were stunned when they watched the video showing Rangers personnel killing a young man in cold blood in a public place during the night of 8 June 2011. Passers-by gathered around the scene and made videos of the incident. The videos were then supplied to different […]

PAKISTAN: A young man was shot dead at public place by the Rangers — a complete breakdown of the rule of law

People of Pakistan were stunned when they watched the video showing Rangers personnel killing a young man in cold blood in a public place during the night of 8 June 2011. Passers-by gathered around the scene and made videos of the incident. The videos were then supplied to different television channels who broadcasted them immediately. […]

NEPAL: Torture victim in need of immediate medical treatment

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding repeated torture inflicted on Mr. Kedar K.C. by a police team deployed from Hanumandhoka Metropolitan Police Crime Division, Kathmandu under interrogation regarding his alleged involvement in a robbery case. The victim is denied medical treatment and is kept in the custody of the […]

INDIA: Police try to cover-up custodial death as suicide in Manipur

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Human Rights Alert (HRA) that the 12 Maratha Light Infantry stationed at Patsoi in Imphal West district of Manipur has tortured to death a young man in custody. Upon information concerning the murder, the local police have concluded that the case is […]

THAILAND: Call for observers in the case of torture and murder of Mr. Kiettisak Thitboonkrong; strengthening Witness Protection is needed

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the case of Kiettisak Thitboonkrong that on 7 June 2011 at 9 am at the Criminal Court in Bangkok, the witness hearings of the defendant will continue in the case of Mr. Kiettisak Thitboonkrong, who was one of the 28 victims of […]

THAILAND: FCCT calls for press and discussion on “UNJUST”, documentary film regarding 3 women Human Rights Defender in Asia

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward to you the following press release from Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong UNJUST A Documentary Film by Josefina Bergsten, followed by Q & A 8pm Tuesday June 7, 2011 At Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand Non-members 300 Baht, […]

SRI LANKA: Use of live bullets on protesters – A discussion on video

(Hong Kong, June 3, 2011) On May 30, 2011 the Sri Lankan police used live ammunition on a group of demonstrating workers. As a result a 22-year-old man has died and about 200 people were injured. The incident shocked Sri Lankan society and there is an ongoing public debate on this issue. In this lecture […]

PAKISTAN: President of newspapers’ society confirms that Saleem Shahzad was receiving threats from ISI

Mr. Hameed Haroon, the chief executive officer of the Dawn, a leading daily newspaper of Pakistan and the president of the All Pakistan Newspaper Society, an organization of owners of the print media, has confirmed that the slain journalist, Mr. Saleem Shahzad, had received threatening messages from Pakistan’s notorious intelligence agency, the ISI on at […]

PAKISTAN: Police fail to arrest the murderers of two fisher folk activists whereas encouraging false charges upon the villagers

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information from the fact finding team that conducted a fact finding mission concerning two deceased fisher folk activists murdered by a land mafia on May 6, 2011. The police initially refused to register the case against the alleged murderers, and the Medico Legal Officer […]

PAKISTAN: Invisible agencies take the life of another well known journalist Saleem Shahzad

Saleem Shahzad, who had earlier announced the danger to his life from the intelligence services (ISI) in Pakistan was abducted last Sunday, May 29, and his body was discovered on May 31. This is one more of the mysterious abductions and extrajudicial killings that have been taking place in Pakistan on a regular basis. He […]

SRI LANKA: Who gave the orders to use live bullets on protesters at Katunayake?

The government of Sri Lanka has announced the appointment of a one-man commission to inquire into the shooting at Katunayake on May 30, where, according to reports over 200 persons were injured when police opened fire against demonstrators using live ammunition. About 20 workers are reported to have been critically wounded and are being treated […]

PAKISTAN: A senior journalist is missing after exposing the Al-Qaida network in the navy

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a senior journalist of Asia Times, a Hong Kong-based news agency, was abducted by unidenfied persons from Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan. Mr. Saleem Shahzad was going to a private television channel to give an interview on his revelation about the militants […]

SRI LANKA: Innocent man brutally assaulted and DIG (Central Province) prevented the victim from making a complaint

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Suppaiah Sivakumar (33) of No: 51/2, Pinnakutiya Watte, Allepola, Senarathwela, Teldeniya in the Kandy district was illegally arrested and severely tortured by police officers attached to the Teldeniya Police Station on 15 May, 2011. Sivakumar with his family members went to see […]

PAKISTAN: Six more disappeared persons extra judicially killed in Balochistan

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the bodies of six disappeared persons have been found in different areas of Balochistan. The bodies had bullet wounds and marks of torture. All the victims were abducted from different areas of Balochistan province. Eye witnesses stated that they were abducted by persons […]

SRI LANKA: Lawyers for Democracy urges independent verification of facts contained in UN Report on Sri Lanka; asks for professional responses

A Press Release from Lawyers for Democracy forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) Press Statement- Lawyers for Democracy The war in the North and East has come to an end. Due to the blanket censorship on conflict related news, local and international media did not have the freedom to cover the conflict. Consequently,the […]

SRI LANKA: In-Service English Teacher Advisor assaulted by the principal of Badulla Devananda Central College

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that an In-Service English Teacher Advisor, Mr. Ewaduge Sisira Chandra of Ury Estate, Office Road, Thalgahathenna in Badulla District was assaulted by the principal of the Sri Devananda Central College at Mirahawatta in Badulla district on 24 May, 2011. The unprovoked assault was carried […]

SRI LANKA: Kandy and Kahathuduwa Police refuse to investigate abduction of a girl

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the 17-year-old daughter of Mr. Mohamed Niyasdeen of No. 439 Peradeniya Road Kandy has gone missing. Mr. Niyasdeen is a businessmen. When his daughter went missing he made a complaint to the Kandy Headquarters Police Station and to the Women and Child Care […]