Rule of law

The Asian Human Rights Commission congratulates Mr. Desmond Fernando on the occasion of being elected as the president of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka.  Mr. Fernando’s election has come at a very crucial time when the rule of law in the country has suffered an exceptional collapse, the independence of the judiciary has been […]

The establishment of the ‘People¡¦s Committee for the Establishment of the Rule of Law Again’ by a group of concerned people is a welcome move. At the very inception of such well-intentioned work however, it must be asked whether this is not a belated move. If such a question does not precede the work, all […]

Democracy in Cambodia was plunged into a serious crisis as the Parliament withdrew parliamentary immunity to Cambodia’s opposition leader Sam Rainsy and two other members of Parliament from his party. The move is an attempt to silence the parliamentary opposition in the country. Parliamentary assembly members in Cambodia are normally exempt from legal prosecution or […]

This year’s Independence Day is celebrated amidst a complex background. The disastrous consequences of the 26 December 2004 tsunami have merely added to the burdens faced by Sri Lanka’s political and legal systems due to the authoritarian model of governance introduced through the 1978 constitution, which gave rise to conflicts in the south, north and […]

Nearly a week has passed since the Thai Ministry of Defence announced the setting up of a panel to investigate three officers implicated in the killing of at least 85 persons by security forces in Narathiwat last October 2004. The men stand accused of having “mishandled” a protest outside the Tak Bai police station, leading […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is writing to direct your attention to the serious human rights violations committed by the arrest of Mr Kem Sokha and Mr Yeng Virak on December 31, 2005. Mr Kem Sokha is a senior Cambodian politician, who has been a member of parliament since its inception in 1993 after […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) shares the concerns expressed by the Secretary General of the United Nations in his statement on the human rights situation in Nepal. Time and again the AHRC has stressed that regional governments such as India, international governments and bodies such as European Union, national political parties and the King […]

According to the latest news, the National Police Commission (NPC) of Sri Lanka has received documentation based upon sources in the ministry of defence on 22 police officers allegedly having close links to underworld leaders and drug dealers. The officers include one senior deputy inspector general, two deputy inspector generals, two assistant superintendents of police, […]

Signs of recent days are that the government-appointed inquiry into the October 25 mass killing in southern Thailand is about to end with a whitewash. Worrying reports suggest it is likely to conclude that the killing of at least 85 persons in Narathiwat was accidental, and something that everybody should just understand and forget about. […]

The proposal now being discussed within the government of Thailand to introduce a national security law allowing prolonged detention without judicial recourse is an invitation for national disaster. Such a law would only exacerbate the already volatile security situation in the country, while at the same time violating the principles underpinning the constitution of Thailand […]

The assassination of the High Court Judge Sarath Ambepitiya took place on the 19th of November. To date, no one has owned up to the responsibility for the failure to provide security to the Judge, who held senior position in the judiciary. In any democracy or in any country that respects the rule of law, […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that police constable Prasanna of the Keselwatta Police Station, Sri Lanka has not been arrested despite several requests from the Panadura Magistrate, in connection with his alleged involvement in the death of Mr. Done Lakshman Priyantha Rathnayake on 15 October 2004. PC Prasanna is […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that 23-year-old Mr. E.R. Kumara was arbitrarily arrested and tortured by Kalutara North police officers on 14 October 2004. At the time of arrest, it is reported that a Sub Inspector (SI) failed to show a memo of warrant to Mr Kumara. He then […]

Torture of 17-year-old boy on 11 August 2003; UP-31-2003: Update on torture of 17-year-old boy, Chamila Bandara, by Ankumbura police on 20 August 2003; UP-38-2003: The security of the torture victim and his mother is severely threatened by the perpetrators on 25 September 2003; UP-39-2004: No action by the Attorney General to prosecute the torture […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Halwitapaththinige Mahinda Perera (39) is suffering from the inaction of the Panadura police about his complaint which was made on 22 April 2004. The victim also alleges that the police attempted to hush up the case by withdrawing his complaint without his agreement. […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a man named Heeralu Mohottalalage Punchi Banda (39) was illegally arrested and tortured by the Sub Inspector (S.I.) Dhammika Bandara of Samanalaweva Police Post in Balangoda on 26 August 2004. Due to brutal torture, the victim still suffers from severe pain on his […]

On 21 September 2004 Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations, addressed the General Assembly emphasising the primacy of the rule of law over all other factors governing global affairs, be they international or domestic in scope. In particular, he observed that: “We must start from the principle that no one is above the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that an 11-year-old boy named Khokan Hembram died due to severe assault by Mr. Ujjal Laha and his hired goons who suspected him as a theft without any evidence in Dohali village, Sagardighi Police Station, Murshidabad District, West Bengal on 5 September 2004. It […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that despite the earlier appeal of Mr. R.K.L.G. Dingiri Banda to the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, nothing has yet been done to correct the matter. Mr. Dingiri Banda had complained to the Bar Association that he had filed a fundamental rights application before […]

Court takes historic step towards restoring independence of judiciary in Malaysia  The decision of Malaysia’s highest court to acquit Anwar Ibrahim, the former deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia from all charges marks an important moment in the political and legal history of the country.  Anwar Ibrahim became the symbol manifesting an acute crisis in Malaysia […]