Rule of law

INDIA: Irom Sharmila’s ‘attempted suicide’ enters 14th year, democracy’s murder 56th

Article | India | 07-11-2013

Irom Sharmila Chanu’s story is a bizarre, almost schizophrenic, tale of absurdities. It has a woman who has not eaten a morsel for a full 13 years. It has a state that has kept her incarcerated for most part of all these years and is force feeding her through a tube in her nose. The […]

THAILAND: No amnesty for state-sponsored murder

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) would like to express grave concern about the current state of the draft amnesty bill in Thailand. The draft amnesty bill (in full, the Draft Amnesty for Those Who Committed Offences as a Result of the Political Protests and Political Expression of the People B.E…..) is broad, vague, and […]

BANGLADESH: Release Human Rights Defender Elan Immediately

The Asian Human Rights Commission condemns the detention of ASM Nasiruddin Elan and demands his immediate release. Mr. ASM Nasiruddin Elan, Director of Bangladeshi human rights organization, Odhikar, has been detained in prison by the Cyber Crimes Tribunal of Dhaka, today, November 6, 2013. This detention is part of the continued repression against the whistle-blowers […]

ASIA: AHRC – Weekly Roundup, Episode 4

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to announce the launch of its weekly video news bulletin, the Asian Human Rights Commission – Weekly Roundup. The fourth episode, released today, 4 November 2013, covers an exclusive report on Disappearances in Asia. The report covers extensively on patterns of disappearances in Asia and how, even in states […]

PAKISTAN: An entire Ahmadi family was targeted in sectarian killings

Mr. Bashir Ahmad Kiyani (70), was murdered as a result of religious hatred in Karachi. He was shot dead while on his way to Friday Prayer Services at the nearby Mosque in Korangi, Karachi. In the last three months both Mr. Kiyani’s son and son-in-law were also killed by Muslim fundamentalists. According to the details […]

INDIA: Fallen through the cracks: Malnourished children in Growing Gujarat

Article | India | 31-10-2013

The fact that every third child of Gujarat is malnourished comes as no revelation. It cannot be for a state whose Chief Minister Narendra Modi, now Prime Ministerial Candidate of the main opposition party in the country, had infamously blamed the growing malnutrition in his state on ‘beauty conscious girls’ trying to maintain slim figures. […]

PAKISTAN/IRAN: 16 Balochis were executed in an act of revenge by Iran

Between 314 and 544 persons have been executed in Iran in 2013 alone 16 Baloch political prisoners were executed in Iran in an act of revenge for an attack on the border security forces. The executed Balochis were already in Zahedan prison and took no part in the attack. It was alleged that the Baloch […]

PAKISTAN: A reflection on peace talks with the Taliban

“It is madness for sheep to talk peace with a wolf,” said British historian and clergyman Thomas Fuller. In other words, we cannot change the nature of wild creatures. We cannot predict when snakes, lions, wolves or any other wild animals will attack, and without protecting ourselves we cannot sit calmly. In the context of […]

PAKISTAN: the country ranks third in the Global Slavery Index

Modern slavery: a matter of poverty, the rule of law and the indifference of the national government Pakistan ranks third in the Global Slavery Index. It is estimated that there are 2,000,000 – 2,200,000 people involved in various forms of modern slavery in Pakistan. Pakistan counts a population of 179,000,000 people and with the increasing […]

PAKISTAN: The Long March against disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan commences

Civil society must join the peaceful long march in solidarity with the relatives of disappeared persons and provide all possible assistance to the marchers The relatives of missing persons from Balochistan started a 730 kilometre peaceful long march for the recovery of disappeared persons. The participants assembled and started their march from the Quetta Press […]

INDIA: Irrelevance of National Human Rights Commission in the North East

The Government of India, when it set up the national and the state Human Rights Commissions (NHRC and SHRC) in 1993, the mandate of these commissions excluded atrocities committed by the army and the paramilitary forces. When the Manipur State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC) was being constituted, the Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) […]

SOUTH KOREA: How long will the government let Samsung have its own way in denial of the Constitution?

It is alleged that the ‘No-Union Policy’ has been the management principle of the Samsung group since it was established 75 years ago. This policy has allegedly been perpetrated and has subsequently become public knowledge. According to the information received, a lawmaker disclosed a document (called, “2012 S group’s labour and management strategy” in Korean, personal information in […]

ASIA: Watershed legislation criminalising torture & custodial violence enacted in Bangladesh

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission ASIA: Watershed legislation criminalising torture & custodial violence enacted in Bangladesh The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) congratulates the people of Bangladesh for the enactment of the Torture and Custodial Death (Prohibition) Act, 2013. The Jatiyo Shangsad (National Parliament) enacted the draft law, the Torture and Custodial Death (Prohibition) Bill, […]

PHILIPPINES: The narrative of a torture victim: a quest to clear one’s name eleven years on

He is Jejhon Macalinsal. To those who know him he was a young activist, those that did not would fear him. In April 2002, he and two others were arrested, tortured and detained after the police illegally raided their home and planted explosives for which they were charged with possession. They were linked to a […]

INDIA: Supreme Court blasts the government for turning citizens into guinea pigs

It should not have taken a Supreme Court order for the Indian government to know that it cannot turn its citizenry into guinea pigs for private companies. This is one of the very basic duties, the raison d’être in fact, of a government bound to protect the lives and dignity of its citizens. Sadly, the […]

PAKISTAN: New draconian laws provide legal cover to disappearances, extrajudicial killings, torture, & unfair trial

The government of Pakistan has – within a short period of less than two weeks – promulgated two draconian laws, ostensibly, to combat terrorism. The first ordinance was promulgated on October 11. It has amended the Anti-Terrorist Act, 1997, and curtailed fundamental rights of citizens. Now the government has gone ahead and promulgated another ordinance […]

INDONESIA: ‘Genosida yang diabaikan’ – peluncuran laporan tentang rangkaian pelanggaran HAM di Papua tahun 1977 – 1978

UNTUK DITERBITKAN SEGERA (Hong Kong/Wuppertal, Kamis, 24 Oktober 2013) Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) dan Human Rights and Peace for Papua (ICP) meluncurkan sebuah laporan mengenai pelanggaran hak asasi manusia (HAM) yang terjadi di Pegunungan Tengah Papua, Indonesia, selama tahun 1977–1978. Laporan ini membahas pelanggaran-pelanggaran atas Konvensi Pencegahan dan Penghukuman Kejahatan Genosida yang dilakukan pemerintah […]

INDONESIA: ‘The Neglected Genocide’ – a report detailing series of abuses in 1977–1978 in Papua is launched

Indonesian (Hong Kong/Wuppertal, Thursday, 24 October 2013) The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and Human Rights and Peace for Papua (ICP) are launching a report on the human rights abuses that took place in the central highlands of Papua, Indonesia during the course of 1977-1978. The report discusses violations under the Convention on the Prevention […]

INDIA: “Recognize and protect the rights of human rights defenders of Manipur”

An outcome statement from the Manipur Convention on “Protection of Human Rights Defenders of Manipur” forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Resolution Adopted at the Manipur Convention on “Protection of Human Rights Defenders of Manipur” Manipur Press Club, Imphal, Manipur, 19 October 2013 The participants of the Manipur State Convention on “Protection of Human […]

ASIA: AHRC – Weekly Roundup, Episode 2

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to announce the launch of its weekly video news bulletin, the Asian Human Rights Commission – Weekly Roundup. The second episode, released today, 21 October 2013, covers a wide range of human rights issues, including custodial rape in Pakistan, how Pakistan’s anti-terror laws negate fair trial guarantees; India’s appalling […]