Rule of law

We the Catholics of the entire Roman Catholic Diocese of Jaffna, comprising of Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and Jaffna Districts are sad and perturbed to know from the media that Reverend Father Proveen Mahesan, resident at Amathipuram, an Oblate settlement and Rukki Fernando a Human Rights activist of the South have been arrested in the Kilinochchi area […]

Dear friends, These are dark days. On Thursday the prominent campaigner for the disappeared Jeyakumari Balendran was arrested along with her 13 year old daughter. While the daughter was released, Jeyakumari continues to be held in Boosa detention centre. She is being held under the draconian Prevention of Terrorism act, under which a person can […]

On January 17, 2014, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) issued an urgent appeal (AHRC-UAC-005-2014, http://www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/AHRC-UAC-005-2014) for immediate intervention and financial assistance to a survivor of acid attack in the Indian state of Assam as per the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court of India in 2013. Women in Governance (WinG-Assam), a network of women […]

A draft resolution promoting reconciliation, accountability, and human rights in Sri Lanka is to be discussed at the United Nations Human Rights Council. The proposed resolution calls for, among other things, the Office of the High Commissioner, “To lead a comprehensive investigation into alleged serious violations and abuses of human rights and related crimes by […]

While the alleged fabrication and concealment of evidence by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) is gaining more weight in a case of Mr. Yu who is on trial, charged with violation of National Security Act (NSA), it is noticeable that few legislatures have started joining in support of the NIS. It is a normal practice of political […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Samarasinghe Arachchilage Samantha Dassanayake is a jailor of the Sri Lanka Prison Department attached to the Negombo Prison. He was illegally arrested and detained by the officers of the Seeduwa Police Station who allowed a ward member of Negombo Municipal Council and […]

Today the AHRC releases the 21th Episode of the Human Rights Asia Weekly Roundup. In this week’s programme we continue our International Women’s Day coverage of stories from around Asia on women’s human rights. We start in Sri Lanka with stories of brutal and widespread domestic violence, entirely neglected by police, courts, and politicians. In Pakistan, peace […]

Dear friends, Mr. Selambaran Wanaraja, a resident at the Hunnasgiriya Estate where he is employed obtained permission to collect fallen branches to use as firewood by the established means of applying in writing to the administration office of the Hunnasgiriya Estate. As he was collecting the firewood in the company of his friends he was […]

An Article by the Asian Human Rights Commission on Women’s International Day Dowry system and related violence is a product of patriarchy that in turn needs to be understood, unloaded and unpacked through gender lens. If there is a formula for defining gender it should be sexes + class +ethnicity.  This implies that gender is […]

In its latest direct onslaught on the women rights, Pakistan’s Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has declared laws regarding second marriage of a man in the presence of first wife, against religious principles. The chairman of the council Maulana Mohammad Khan Sheerani, has said in a press statement that “Sharia allows men to have more than […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. A.H Ranjith was falsely accused by some neighbours of stealing a quantity of gold, arrested without warrant, illegally detained and brutally tortured by the Acting OIC of the Weligama Police Station. Complaints made to the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission, the Inspector […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information from the Forum for Protection of People’s Rights, Nepal (PPR Nepal), that the Nepal police officers stationed at the Hanumandhoka Metropolitan Police Range (MPR) resumed their torturous call to the Thakur family living in Kathmandu. The family had allegedly been under investigation for […]

Dear friends, Sunil Samaradeera of No: 34/2, Baseline Mawatha, Borella, a human rights activist based in Wanathamulla, in Colombo District was abducted in broad daylight by persons believed to be connected to the Secretary of Defense. On 13 of February Sunil had met with the Secretary, Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, regarding issues concerning a housing scheme […]

An Article by the Asian Human Rights Commission released on the occasion of International Women’s Day One of the rare positive impacts of armed conflict on gender relations is the increased movement, mobility and opportunities for women in political spaces for leadership in constructing and reconstructing peace in the society during conflict and post conflict […]

International Women’s Day 2014  A pact with the Taliban will destroy what little freedoms remain for women The shadow of darkness shrouds Pakistan. In a country that already has a repressive attitude towards women; the possibility of upholding women’s rights shrinks further. In an environment in which a woman’s worth is considered to be only […]

(Hong Kong, March 6, 2014) Academics of the Australian National University on Thursday submitted a letter to the diplomatic mission of Thailand in Canberra marking the tenth anniversary of the enforced disappearance of Thai human rights lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit. File photograph of Thai human rights lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit The 23 scholars said they lamented that nobody […]

The AHRC releases today the 20th Episode, of the Human Rights Asia Weekly Roundup  In this week’s programme we bring you coverage of the following stories from across Asia.  As we approach International Women’s Day, we will bring you stories from around Asia on how women’s human rights are trampled on by severe inequalities, entrenched patriarchal […]

By Avinash Pandey At 218 in 2013 and 237 in 2012, one would expect a national outrage on the unusually high number of body bags returning to India from Qatar. One would think especially so, for the fact that these body bags belonged to Indian citizens. It must have incensed even the apologists of neoliberal […]

Last week the U.S. Embassy denied entry permits to Nepalese police officers as they have been stationed at police stations that have alleged track records of human rights violations during the insurgency and in other periods. The Police Headquarter sought help of the Home Ministry after the visas of 14 police officers were rejected as […]

On 10 February, 2013 a young writer and teacher, Ms. Majoni Das working at a private educational institute in the town of Jorhat, located in the eastern Indian state of Assam, went missing. All that her family knows is that Majoni was instructed by police officials to report to a police station, and that she […]