Threats and intimidation

PHILIPPINES: Overt surveillance on a peasant leader in Bataan

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that renewed surveillance is being carried out on peasant leader in Bataan. The victim has actively participated in campaigns and human rights activities. A series of surveillance operations had been recognize by his family at their residence.  CASE DETAILS: (Based on the documentation by […]

INDONESIA: Police officers beat up a journalist in Enarotali, Papua

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the torture of a journalist in Enarotali, Papua, by three police officers. The Chief of Paniai District Police has apologised to the victim and promised that he will take action against the three officers. It is likely, however, that the ‘action’ will be […]

PAKISTAN: Serial rapist and stalker assisted by Sindh government; a Christian nurse living in fear as influential person tries to force her to marry and convert to Islam

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a young Christian nurse and her family members are facing threats and harassment from a former assistant to a minister of Sindh province, an influential landlord, who is trying to convert her to Islam and marry him. The nurse has been threatened with […]

PHILIPPINES: Immediately stop threatening a community with demolition and displacement

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received disturbing information from Defend Job Philippines regarding the threats of a demolition drive affecting more than 5500 families, or 30000 people of San Roque, North Triangle, Quezon City. The aforesaid demolition and eviction drive for making way to the implementation of the Vertis North Project […]

NEPAL: Victim and human rights activist assaulted and forced to drop charges in a case of attempted rape

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that after reporting a case of attempted rape to the police station, the 23 year old victim was assaulted by a mob to prevent her from pursuing the charges. An activist who had helped her register the case was assaulted by the mob as […]

BANGLADESH: Mr. Shahed Kayes, a human rights defender abducted and stabbed, requires immediate protection

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) condemns the abduction and attack upon Mr. Shahed Kayes, a human rights defender working in Narayanganj district in Bangladesh. A group of persons abducted Mr. Shahed Kayes, a well-respected human rights defender, working in Narayanganj district of Bangladesh, yesterday, 25 July. The AHRC is informed that Kayes’ abductors, with […]

INDIA: Judicial Magistrate takes up the witch-hunt against Ms. Madhuri Krishnaswamy, a human rights defender in Madhya Pradesh state

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Badwani, Madhya Pradesh state regarding the continuing witch-hunt against human rights defender Ms. Madhuri Krishnaswamy of the Jagrut Adivasi Dalit Sangathan (JADS). Having braved an externment notice, followed by attacks from the locally elected Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) and then a vilification […]

INDIA: Punish the perpetrators of assault on women Human Rights Defenders in Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received very disturbing information regarding the assault on five women human rights defenders working with Sahjani Shiksha Kendra (SSK) in Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh. The women, belonging to the Dalit and backward communities, were physically and verbally assaulted while inaugurating an adult literacy centre for Dalit women. […]

PAKISTAN: The office and staff of an NGO are under threat from the authorities and intelligence agencies

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is writing to inform our readers that police action was taken at the offices of the Association of Global Human Rights and Ethics (AGHE). The police with the help of a magistrate have sealed the office and forcibly removed the staff. The government of Gilgit and Baltistan […]

INDONESIA: Activists are detained by the police for reporting deaths due to lack of medical treatment in Tambrauw, Papua

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the detention of two activists by the Sausapor Sub-District Police in Papua. The activists were taken from their house to the police station and were being interrogated in relation to an investigation they conducted regarding the death of villagers in Tambrauw Regency due […]

INDONESIA: Bekasi authorities demolish a church thereby nurturing religious intolerance in the territory

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the demolition of a church in Bekasi by the local authorities. The authorities claimed the demolition was performed as the church does not hold the necessary construction permit required by law. The permit was actually ‘being processed’ by the relevant authorities after the […]

INDIA: Repeal the Manipur Loktak Lake Protection Act of 2006 and end forced evictions

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is providing an update on the situation of the local Indigenous people of Loktak Lake and the abuses perpetrated by the Loktak Development Authority in accord with the ineffective and outdated Manipur Loktak Lake Protection Act of 2006. UPDATED INFORMATION: Since 2010, The Loktak Development Authority (LDA) […]

NEPAL: A minor torture victim at risk of reprisals and false charges

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a fifteen year old boy was arrested under allegations of illegal possession of arms and robbery and was tortured three times in the same day to make him confess those crimes. He has been remanded in custody on three occasions for a total […]

INDONESIA: Religious minority group’s leader in Bekasi is named suspect for blocking attack directed to him

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the case concerning the congregation of Batak Protestant Church (HKBP) Filadelfia in Bekasi. The leader of the congregation, Reverend Palti Panjaitan, has been named as a suspect by the police after he previously defended himself from an attack by local residents of […]

INDIA: Ensure safety of Human Rights Defenders and punish those threatening them

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received disturbing information from Samaj Chetna Adhikar Manch, Rewa, Madhya Pradesh regarding local goons threatening to kill its activists. The organisation, working in Java block of the district, has been in the forefront of the struggle against malnutrition and the widespread corruption in welfare schemes that […]

PHILIPPINES: Daughter of detained political activist writes about delay in trial of her father on questionable charges

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to share with you the testimony of the daughter of a political activist. The man is now in jail and his daughter relates as to how he was arrested, deliberately kept from his family and how the trial of his case is being dragged out. The […]

PHILIPPINES: Renewed pattern of targeted attacks on human rights and political activists

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned that the pattern of targeted attacks on human rights and political activists, which was common in the past, has once again emerged. An activist had been killed, their relatives arrested over questionable, if not fabricated charges, and offices and colleagues robbed in a systematic […]

NEPAL: One year on, no progress in the investigations into Chhori Maiya Maharjan’s disappearance

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the lack of progress in the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Chhori Maiya Maharjan which occurred one year ago. Chhori Maiya went missing on February 28, 2012 in Kathmandu, after visiting a friend to whom she had lent money to […]

PHILIPPINES: Vendors of the Luneta Park forcibly evicted

[RE: AHRC-HAC-004-2013: PHILIPPINES: Vendors face forced eviction and food insecurity] Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information Defend Job Philippines about the eviction of vendors of the Luneta Park. The National Parks Development Committee evicted the vendors from their livelihood places inside Luneta Park on 27 February, 2013 despite the protest […]

INDIA: Immediately stop evicting and threatening the floating huts-dwellers of Loktak Lake

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Centre for Research and Advocacy, Manipur regarding continued eviction of floating hut dwellers and destruction of their floating huts at Loktak Lake by the Loktak Development Authority (LDA) of the Government of Manipur and Manipur Police on 23 February 2013. Worryingly, the assault […]