Rule of law

Over the last week Burma, or Myanmar, has witnessed the re-emergence of some of the most sinister methods of handling public demonstrations in its modern history. The police and civilian attack mobs have violently broken up demonstrations of workers and students in the former capital, Rangoon (Yangon), and the town of Letpadan to its north. […]

Dear Friends, The Advocacy Forum Alliance in Nepal has informed the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) about the suspicious death of Gyani Raja Thakuri. The family of the deceased suspect direct involvement of the police in the death, as it followed an argument with local police officers. The police have, however, denied involvement and attribute […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a minor child, 13 years old, has been abducted, allegedly by members of an ethnic minority political group, the Muttaihida Quami Movement (MQM),  to prevent his father, Mr. Ashiq Chandio,  from giving evidence before an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC).  It is alleged that henchmen […]

A Press Release from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) On Monday, 23 February 2015, at 13:30 hours, the Criminal Court is going to deliver a verdict on the Black Case no. 3528/2557 filed by the public prosecutor against Mr. Patiwat (last name withheld) and Mrs. Pornthip (last […]

The academic activities of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology (FUUAST), where 13,000 students are enrolled, are severely affected by the defunct vice chancellor and suspended registrar who have filed cases against 14 teaching staff. Besides cases, the suspended registrar has issued, on three different occasions, the show cause notices to chairman […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission wishes to inform you about the release of the first comprehensive study that analyses the evolution of the media in post-colonial Sri Lanka. Published by Sage, the book, edited by William Crawley, David Page, and Kishali Pinto-Jayawardena is titled Embattled Media: Democracy, Governance and Reform in Sri Lanka. Contributors to the […]

Women and minorities are the most marginalized faction of the Pakistani society; the Muslim majority is increasingly being intolerant towards people professing religion other than Islam. In a recent case of increasing rape incident of Christian girls, as reported by British Pakistani Christian Association, two minor Christian girls from Jaranwala, Punjab, Farzana aged 14   and […]

“The idea that after the fall of the USSR we would have this liberal democracy spreading around the world was of course naive but, in many cases, these are issues of power. We have a Western elite that isn’t really interested in democracy unless its friends win. Otherwise, they are happier with a dictator whom […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding continuing threats to torture victim Padam Bahadur Khadka, who was 14 years old at the time of the original incident. On 2 October 2011, Mr. Man Bahadur Khadka, a Lance Corporal in the Nepal Army, allegedly tortured Padam, suspecting Padam of killing a […]

A Statement from the Burmese Students in Hong Kong forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission We, the Burmese students in Hong Kong, stand by our fellow students in Myanmar(Burma), who are now courageously fighting against the newly enacted National Education Law, which has been designed to perpetuate the military-dictatorship-era education system. Although we are […]

This week’s episode of Weekly Roundup brings you stories from across Asia The episode begins in Sri Lanka where the former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake is being reinstated and the recent de facto Chief Justice Mohan Peiris has been ousted; a victory for the return to rule of law. AHRC TV then turns to Bangladesh where the […]

Enforced disappearances and extrajudicial executions are on the rise amidst the political crisis in Bangladesh. At least nine people including two women have been disappeared, and seven men extrajudicially murdered between 5 January and 27 January 2015. Personnel from the Detective Branch (DB) of Police, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and the Joint Forces (which […]

On 21 January, the Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics has unanimously adopted a draft anti-torture bill. PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar moved The Torture, Custodial Death and Custodial Rape Bill, 2014, last August and the Chairman Senate referred it to the Committee. The objective of this Bill is to prevent and protect all persons from […]

For more information or inquiries, please contact Ms. Eun-ji KANG by email (khis21[at]hanmail.net) from Korean House for International Solidarity. – Chairperson Hyun Byung-cheol should reflect on himself whether he is qualified as the head of a NHRI of A status In the Plenary Committee meeting on 12 January 2015, Hyun Byung-cheol, chairperson of the National […]

Public places in Bangladesh have become unsafe today for the people when protest rallies are held. Even without a public protest, person and property in the country does not have any guarantee to their security. The overall breakdown of law and order is of such state, that a pro-government group, or those protesting against the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a young man, Faraz Alam, who has been tortured to death in police custody and the Sindh Provincial Government, has to-date failed to conduct an inquiry and to set up a judicial commission of inquiry into this incident despite promises by the Minister […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information that in South Korea, there are deep concerns over the so-called ‘insurrection conspiracy charges against National Assembly Member and incumbent lawmaker Lee Seok-ki’ and several others in South Korea, by the Seoul High Court – for which he and several others have been sentenced to […]

The 100-day reform programme of the new government is an opportune moment for rebuilding the legal structure of Sri Lanka, a precondition for achieving the “good governance” that has been promised. The legal structure of Sri Lanka has suffered a great fall, due to what has been termed as “tomfooling with the constitution”. From 1972 […]

A Statement from the Bar Association Of Sri Lanka forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission At an Emergency Meeting of the Executive Committee of the BASL, which was attended by close to 90% of its members, it was unanimously decided to issue a Statement calling for the resignation of Hon. Mohan Peiris, PC, in […]

Schools across Pakistan reopened on 12th January 2015 following the horrors of the Peshawar carnage that was unleashed on 16th December 2014, on the innocent school children at the Peshawar Army Public School (APS). Parents and teachers along with the Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Shareef attended the sombre morning assembly where the surviving students vowed […]