Rule of law

A Report by the Asian Human Rights Commission/Asian Legal Resource Centre to the 113 session of United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) are concerned about the increase in cases of enforced disappearances in Pakistan. The state has utterly and […]

Salman Ali William Ewart Gladstone, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the late 19th century, once said, “Justice delayed is justice denied”. Moreover, the right to receive justice without delay was one of the promises made by King John of England in the Magna Carta 1215. Unfortunately, today’s Pakistan presents a typical example […]

This week Just Asia begins with Bangladesh, where police have arrested several persons involved in the rape and torture of a teenager, after pictures of the victim and her mother at hospital with shaved heads caused outrage. Tufan Sarkar, a unionist linked to the ruling Awami League party, has been charged with raping the 16-year-old at home on July […]

By Basil Fernando The procedures that should be followed by the police in the investigations into crime are found in the Criminal Procedure Code of Sri Lanka (CPC). Ever since the British introduced the basic procedures for investigations of crime based on their own laws, basic elements of the Criminal Procedure have remained the same. […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information from the Narmada Bachao Andolan about the re-arrest of Medha Patkar and other activists. They were first arrested on 7 August 2017 after a 12 day fast against the Madhya Pradesh government’s decision to submerge the area where more than 7000 families are living. The […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the sudden increase of disappearances of activists including peasant leaders, human rights defenders and nationalists. Security Forces geared up their process of arrests and disappearances. It is based on information that the Sindhis, the indigenous people, will observe a Black Day on […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission strongly condemns yesterday’s late evening attack on Narmada Bachao Andolan’s peaceful sit-in and fast by the Madhya Pradesh state police. The police forcibly arrested Ms. Medha Patkar and 11 others and have detained them. The activists were protesting against Madhya Pradesh government’s decision to submerge the area violating the Supreme Court of […]

This week there were a few public discussions on the issue of delayed justice. The ‘Satana’ Programme of Sirasa TV on 1st August 2017 was mainly focused on the issue of delay in justice. On the other hand in another video broadcast on YouTube, a reputed lawyer Nagananda Kodithuwakku, raised series of serious questions of the actual independence of […]

This week, Just Asia begins with the resignation of Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif. The country’s Supreme Court disqualified Nawaz Sharif on July 28, and called for criminal charges to be filed against Sharif and his family. Under the constitution of Pakistan, the prime minister is elected for five years. Until today however, no elected […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding two missing persons. A brilliant, 16 ½ year old student and a 21 year old day laborer who were picked up by uniformed Officers and others in plainclothes. The laborer’s family could not file a case because of monetary concerns. In the […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission wishes to share a video clip of a speech made by Nagahawatte Kodithuwakku, a reputed lawyer on the state of judiciary in Sri Lanka. It is a thought provoking speech that should receive the attention of all who are concerned with serious problems facing democracy, rule of law and human rights in Sri Lanka. Click […]

The New York Times has published an editorial titled “The Opposition Disappears in Bangladesh” on 28 July 2017. Citing the United Nations human rights experts the New York Times editorial said that “. . . [T]he United Nations called in February for “Bangladesh to act now to halt an increasing number of enforced disappearances in the […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from MASUM, our partner organization in West Bengal. It concerns the enforced disappearance of a civilian at the hands of Border Security Force (BSF) officers at the Indo-Bangladesh border. In the span of a decade, there have been over 1,000 civilian deaths at the […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding Mr. Juwan Arachchilage Lakshan Sandaruwan (18), of No: 120/1, Thrincomalee Road, Kantale in the Trincomalee District. He was severely tortured by two Police Officers attached to the Kantale Police Station and two other assailants who allegedly participated in the torture following the instructions […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about the extrajudicial killing of Mr. A D Pushpakumara. He was arrested on 18 June 2017 by police officers attached to the Pitigala Police Station following a domestic violence complaint made by his wife. He was publicly tortured at the time of his arrest, […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from our partner in East Java, the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS), Surabaya office, regarding criminalization against Sumberagung villagers. Due to their advocacy against mining, they have been falsely charged with crimes against the state and circulating Communist symbols. CASE […]

By Basil Fernando A lawyer practicing in Negombo was abducted on the night of 12 July 2017 and taken to a deserted field. There six persons, two of whom were wearing camouflaged uniforms, beat him thoroughly on his back and his head, threatening him that, “you should not be messing with us,” and “you should […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is horrified by the news of the rape of a 17-year-old on the orders of a jirga (tribal council). The girl from the Rajpur area of Multan, Punjab province, was raped to avenge the rape committed by her brother. When a jirga was convened and informed that Umer sexually […]

This week Just Asia begins with the case of Bangladeshi lawyer and human rights defender Adilur Rahman Khan, who was detained by Malaysian immigration authorities for more than 12 hours at Kuala Lumpur airport last week. Without giving any reasons for the detention, the authorities finally deported him back to Dhaka. Just Asia speaks to […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information regarding the assault of Mr. Mohamad Ali and his daughter on 7 July 2017, by an influential businessman. When Mr. Mohamad made a complaint to the Hidogama Police Station, the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the police station illegally arrested and detained the complainant, while releasing the […]