Rule of law

According to a research, modern day trafficking, aka slavery is a $32 billion annual industry and according to the U.N. about 2.5 million people around the world are ensnared in the web of human trafficking at any given time.  The usual victims of atrocious crimes of sexual and gender based violence, including rape against women […]

We reproduce below copies of the court orders. The first order states that, as the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) is conducting an investigation into the terrorist activities of the LTTE and that if the information gathered during this investigation is given to local or international persons there will be great damage […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Tika Ram Pokharel, a lawyer working with the Forum for the Protection of People’s Rights (PPR Nepal), has been receiving threatening phone calls. The Lawyer has been assisting the Thakur family who has been tortured by the police officers from the Hanumandhoka […]

It is widely reported that Acts relating to national security created in various names throughout in Asia have been used, not to protect national security per se, but to oppress persons holding different ideas, or opinions, or critical of policies of the government. It is also a recognised trend that human rights defenders have been […]

Although the ethnic war between the Tamil LTTE and the Sinhalese forces of the Sri Lankan government ended in May 2009, the ethics of the conflict is still current. It is being discussed in institutions in Geneva, USA, Canada, UK, EU and many other countries. It is the ethics of the war that the international […]

The AHRC would like to congratulate the Jagaran Media Center for launching a national campaign of community radios of Nepal against all kinds of discriminations, especially against caste-based discrimination and untouchability on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, 21st March 2014. A ‘South Asian Parliamentary Forum’ and ‘Asia Dalit Rights […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Abeysinghe Gamachchige Manathunga, a farmer, was illegally arrested and tortured by the Hungama police simply because he happened to be in the right place at the right time. The officers needed to arrest a ‘culprit’ in order to fulfill the requirement to […]

There are estimated 15,451 pending cases at the Supreme Court (SC) of Nepal. Last year the Supreme Court gave final decisions on only 4360 cases. There are still 12,114 pending cases from last year and 8097 registered this year that makes total of 20,211 pending cases at the SC. So far this year, the SC […]

The draft resolution which is soon to be debated can be looked at within a wider perspective from the point of view of the chaos that resulted from insurgencies and counter-insurgencies in all parts of the country since 1971, and by looking more closely into the reestablishment of order within a framework of the rule […]

Today the AHRC releases the 22th Episode of the Human Rights Asia Weekly Roundup. In this week’s programme we report about the teenager in Pakistan who set herself on fire when the men who gang raped her were released after bribing the police. Manipuri hunger striker Irom Sharmila, who has spent 14 years protesting the Armed Forces […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Weerasinghe Gamage Kularathne is a farmer by profession. On 16 January he was taking some bananas that he had cultivated to market in order to sell them when he was stopped by officers of the Civil Security Force. The officers accused him […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Ms. Balendran Jayakumari and her daughter Vithushaini (13) both were arrested on 13 March 2014, by officers attached to the Kilinochchi Police Station. Jayakumari has been active in the search of disappeared persons, including members of her own family for several years. She […]

Dear Madame Pillay, Nanda Prasad Adhikari and Gangamaya Adhikari of Phujel Village of Gorkha District have been on hunger strike together for the last 146 days demanding action against those responsible for the murder of their son, Krishna Prasad Adhikari. Their health condition is fast deteriorating, and it is time for the newly-elected Government of […]

What should the government do when farmers commit suicide in an extreme response to massive crop failures? Mocking these suicides would certainly not figure as a possible response in any sane mind. But that is exactly what Chief Minister of Maharashtra did when alerted to 22 more farmers ending their lives as noted by the […]

18th March 2014, Colombo, Sri Lanka: The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) is deeply concerned by the arrest and detention last week of several individuals in the North and East, including Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). CPA condemns these attempts by the Government of Sri Lanka […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Yahaluge Wimalasiri (50) of Veliharanawa, Oluganthota, Balangoda in the District of Ratnapura complained to the chairman of the Pradesheeya Sabha for making indecent proposals to his wife. Subsequently he was severely beaten by the chairman’s supporters and then by officers of the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Wiki Wikramarathna, a freelance journalist, videographer and blogger is under threat of death. Mr. Wikramarathna learned about a Singhala New Year Festival being organised by the Civil Security Committee of the Udyana Ward, Dehivala. This committee comes under the Ministry of Defense […]

Nepal has been in transition since 2006. Following the failure of the first Constituent Assembly to promulgate a new constitution, the country has been in a state of limbo and to make matters worse, there is no clear indication of when this transition will come to an end. The indefinite hunger strike of Dr. Govinda […]

The following article appeared as the editorial of the latest issue of ‘Torture: Asian and Global Perspectives’, a bi-monthly magazine published by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), based in Hong Kong and the Danish Institute Against Torture (DIGNITY) based in Denmark. by Nilantha Ilangamuwa The long march has clocked a hundred days. The brave […]

Two prominent Sri Lankan Human Rights Defenders who were detained and questioned at Kilinochchi by officials of the Police Terrorism Investigation Division(TID)on Sunday March 16th night were reportedly brought down to Vavuniya in the early hours of Monday March 17th night.They are to be transferred to Colombo for further interrogation by TID officials. The two […]