State of emergency & martial law

[RE: UP-43-2005: SAUDI ARABIA/SRI LANKA: Questions remain in Sri Lanka’s willingness to save three of its citizens; UP-39-2005: Three Sri Lankans face imminent execution in Saudi Arabia; UP-38-2005: SAUDI ARABIA/SRI LANKA: Please send a letter to the King of Saudi Arabia urging his intervention to commute the death sentence of three Sri Lankans; UP-34-2005: Death […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding 73 workers from the Orex Factory in Ekala, Jaela, Sri Lanka, who were unlawfully dismissed after the owner arbitrarily closed down the factory in 2002. The AHRC previously reported that the owner, Mohamed Mohamed Izzath deprived his workers of the Employees Trust […]

The deputy permanent secretary to the Justice Ministry in Thailand noted on September 27 that the country has been asked by the UN Human Rights Committee to submit further information on the executive decree granting emergency powers to security forces in the south. Tongthong Chandransu was reported as having said that it would benefit Thailand […]

On 1 February 2005, King Gyanendra usurped all executive powers through a royal proclamation and imposed a “state of emergency” in the country that has been precipitously descending into bloody chaos since his throne following the inexplicable massacre of the royal clan on 1 June 2001.   The king tried to justify his autocratic step by […]

[Re: UA- 50 -2005: INDIA: Three and a half year wait for justice for the brutal murder of an Adivasi (tribal person) by a forest official in Gujarat] Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information on the case of Manishbhai Motibhai Vasava (30), an adivasi who was murdered by an Indian […]

The February 1 coup in Nepal has brought the country under the control of the military, with no law controlling its actions. The number of persons under arrest–those under house arrest as well as those held in military camps–is increasing. The fear of arrest has led large numbers of democrats, human rights workers and those […]

The situation in Nepal following King Gyanendra’s dismissal of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s cabinet and his formation of a new government of which he is the head, poses some hard questions to the international community. Nepal’s closest neighbor, India, has condemned the King’s move despite its previous close links to the King. King Gyanendra […]

The situation in Katmandu and the rest of Nepal at the moment since the formal dismissal of the government on February 1, 2005, by King Gyanendra and his takeover through the declaration of a state of emergency and the use of the military should be a matter of extreme concern for the international community, particularly […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) shares the concerns expressed by the Secretary General of the United Nations in his statement on the human rights situation in Nepal. Time and again the AHRC has stressed that regional governments such as India, international governments and bodies such as European Union, national political parties and the King […]

The proposal now being discussed within the government of Thailand to introduce a national security law allowing prolonged detention without judicial recourse is an invitation for national disaster. Such a law would only exacerbate the already volatile security situation in the country, while at the same time violating the principles underpinning the constitution of Thailand […]

— Peace negotiations, accountability and an end to impunity are required as a matter of urgency   Time is of the essence. The human rights crisis situation in Nepal risks escalating further unless concrete steps towards peaceful resolution of the conflict are undertaken by the belligerent parties. On Wednesday August 25, 2004, the Communist Party […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 22, 2004 AS-26-2004 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission Asian Human Rights Commission is deeply concerned regarding the devastating security situation in Nepal. Current events have exposed the His Majesty’s Government of Nepal’s (HMGN) chaotic state of affairs. The situation of “law and order” and internal security is deteriorating […]

Exactly what happened in Songkhla, Pattani and Yala provinces of Southern Thailand this April 28 is yet to become clear, however, under no circumstances can the killing of at least 107 civilians be justified as “self-defence”. All indications are that security forces there were anticipating attacks, mostly by groups of teenage boys and young men […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a 30-year-old woman named Ms. Hidayat was allegedly killed by her husband, Mr. Momin Ali Mahar in Dal village, Lakhi Ghulam Shah Town, Shikarpur District, Sindh Province, Pakistan on 29 February 2004. The case was registered at the Chak Police Station. However, a human […]

Dear Friends We refer you to the Press Release below on the disastrous situation in Aceh, forwarded by OMCT: PRESS RELEASE Geneva, July 2nd, 2003 The International Secretariat of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), the world’s largest coalition of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) engaged in the fight against torture, would like to express its deep […]

Dear Friends The Indonesian government has used the ‘peace talks’ in Japan as an excuse to start an all-out war in Aceh. Below is a press statement issued through SUARAM on the current situation in Indonesia. PAMELA APPS Urgent Appeals Desk Asian Human Rights Commission ——————————————————————— INDONESIA: No Peace: Martial Law in ACEH SUARAM Press […]

Dear Friends, For your attention, we are forwarding you the following appeal from the Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) in Hong Kong, regarding the Burmese troops’ attack against the Karen (one of ethnic minority groups in Burma) villagers in Thai-Burma border area. Thank you for your attention. Urgent Appeal Desk Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) ========== […]

PAKISTAN: The Referendum to Complete Pakistan’s Journey to the Dark Ages – PEOPLE’S RIGHT TO RESIST Today, Pakistan’s military leader General Pervez Musharraf mocked the nation and the international community by holding a referendum as to whether he could remain as the Head of State for another five years. This is an absolute abuse of […]