Rule of law

At the 34th Session of the United Nations, on 14 March 2017, the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) held a joint parallel event in partnership with Right livelihood Award foundation, World Sindhi Congress, UNPO, UKPNP, Baloch Sindhi Forum and the Baloch National Movement. Mr. Baseer Naweed Researcher at the Pakistan Desk of the ALRC moderated the Side Event. The organizations were […]

Dear Friends, According to information I have received a 15-year-old girl was sexually abused on 25th February 2017. Despite the family members filing a complaint with the Maskeliya Police Station, the case has not been properly investigated. The alleged suspect, who comes from a wealthy family, was simply released. He had appeared before a Magistrate […]

Dear Friends, Mr. Warnakula Patabandige Lionel Emmanuel Perera (NIC No: 502892606 V) of No: 444/4, Faris Perera Mawatha, Ja-Ella in the Gampaha District was illegally arrested and detained. On 21 December 2016 he was produced before the Negombo Magistrate on trumped up charges by police attached to the Ja-Ella Police Station. Lionel is a three-wheeler […]

A Statement from China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group (CHRLCG) and Taiwan Support China Human Rights Lawyers Network (TLN) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Chinese version of this statement can be viewed here ( MS Office) or here (PDF) (15 March 2017 – Hong Kong) Since 9 July 2015, the Chinese government has questioned, summoned and […]

This week Just Asia begins with calls by activists for a UN special rapporteur to be appointed to look into deteriorating human rights in Balochistan. Leading the protest outside the UN office in Geneva, Baloch activist Mehran Marri said the past 4-5 months had seen a particular low, with the abduction and disappearance of women […]

On March 6, Higio Gungtey, a 22-year-old man from Arunachal Pradesh studying in Bengaluru was allegedly beaten up by his landlord and forced to lick the landlord’s shoe, in an incident of physical assault, criminal intimidation, and apparent racism. Gungtey alleged that the landlord hurled racial slurs against him and hit him continuously, making him bleed, because of a dispute over […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding Mr. Sutrisno alias Lahido (35). In the Sigi Police Station, (Polres Sigi), Central Sulawesi province, Mr. Sutrisno was tortured to death. He had surrendered peacefully and was very cooperative. Eight police officers have been detained by the Provost and Security unit (Propam), Central […]

An Open Letter from the Asian Human Rights Commission to The Honourable Minister of Justice Wijedasa Rajapakse and the Honourable Minister of Law and Order & Southern Development Sagala Rathnayake 15 March 2017 Dear Ministers Wijedasa Rajapakse and Sagala Ratnayaka Two more extrajudicial killings at police stations have been reported in Sri Lanka. One of the […]

At the 34th session of the United Nations, on 13 March 2017, the AIPD and UKPNP held a joint Parallel Side Event. Mr. Baseer Naweed, Senior Researcher at the Pakistan Desk of the Asian Human Rights Commission, made the following speech during the Side Event: The freedom of expression was never granted, in spirit, to […]

Dear Friends, Dilesh Rukmal Anthony, 14, of No: 08 /1, Wariyagala, Nilambe in the Gampaha District, is a student in grade 09 A at the Gurukelle Nilambe Maha Vidiyala School–Sinhala Medium. On 24 January 2017, three teachers at the school accused Dilesh of assaulting another student. He was directed to go to the Galaha Police […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about Mr. Sunanda Dias, a resident of No: 31, Niwandama, Ja-Ella, in the Gampaha District. He was extra-judicially killed on 04 November 2016, by officers attached to the Gampaha Police Station. No proper investigation has been carried out as yet. This is justice denied […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from a local partner organization, the Association of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters, that a 22-year-old girl had been sexually assaulted and killed by a soldier in Pandaung township, central Burma in September 2016. Despite the soldier admitting to the murder at a police […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about Mr. Chadik Shyaman Wickramarachchi (42), a resident of Rakgahawatte in Biyagama in Gampaha District. He had been extra-judicially killed on 25 February 2017, by officers of the Paliyagoda Police Station. As there has been no proper investigation carried it remains a denial of […]

The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, said the following in a message on International Women’s Day. “On International Women’s Day, let us all pledge to do everything we can to overcome entrenched prejudice, support engagement and activism, promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.” The 2017 UN theme on International Women’s Day is–Women in the Changing World of Work: […]

Dear Friends, S.C. Prasanka Fernando of No. 105, Independent Mawatha, Veyangoda, in Gampaha District, a human rights activist, and Sri Lankan Roman Catholic, who is an announcer by profession, underwent an ordeal at his residence on 05/02/2017. A group of police officers in civil attire, which included Sergeant Dissanayake and S.K. Dissanayake, Officer in Charge […]

by Avinash Pandey The Supreme Court of India is worried about the continuing havoc of farmer suicides in India. It termed it “a sensitive matter of larger public interest and human rights which covers the entire country” this January. The Court has also wondered why there is no national policy to compensate farmers in cases of crop failure and […]

This week Just Asia begins with Sri Lanka, where five police officers have been arrested in connection with the custodial death of a suspect at the Peliyagoda Police station. The 42-year-old Chadik Shyaman Wickramarachchi was arrested on February 25, following information provided by another suspect. The next day, Chadik’s body was recovered by his family at the Police Mortuary […]

A Statement from United Nations Independent Experts of Human Rights forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission GENEVA (24 February 2017) – United Nations human rights experts* are calling on Bangladesh to act now to halt an increasing number of enforced disappearances in the country. The UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances says […]

This week Just Asia begins with Pakistan, where two blasts occurred outside a court in Charsadda, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province on Monday. At least eight people were killed and 20 injured in the attack. Since the beginning of 2017, Pakistan has witnessed an unprecedented spike in violence, with 20 terrorist attacks claiming the lives of more than […]

A Press Releasefrom the Right to Information (RTI) Commission of Sri Lanka forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) Sinhala Version read HERE Tamil Version read HERE 10 February 2017. Colombo. The Right to Information Commission is greatly encouraged by the support and interest evidenced by the public in regard to the effective working of the […]