Torture

An Open Letter from the Asian Human Rights Commission to The Honourable Minister of Justice Wijedasa Rajapakse and the Honourable Minister of Law and Order & Southern Development Sagala Rathnayake 15 March 2017 Dear Ministers Wijedasa Rajapakse and Sagala Ratnayaka Two more extrajudicial killings at police stations have been reported in Sri Lanka. One of the […]

The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, said the following in a message on International Women’s Day. “On International Women’s Day, let us all pledge to do everything we can to overcome entrenched prejudice, support engagement and activism, promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.” The 2017 UN theme on International Women’s Day is–Women in the Changing World of Work: […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding human rights violations committed by police officers and the Adidaya Tangguh Company in North Moluccas province, Indonesia. The pattern of violations is one of land confiscation, deprivation of liberty and a vicious attack against local community members on Taliabu Island. Substantial members of […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward an appeal from the International Coalition for Papua (ICP) regarding a torture case in the highland city of Wamena, which was committed by six members of the Jayawijaya District Police, Jayawijaya regency, Papua province. The torture occurred on 11th January 2017 during detention at […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information that a prominent activist from Pakistani Kashmir, Mohammad Rafiq Khawaja, who is also Editor of an Urdu daily, is under State repression. He is being victimised for standing up for the rights of the struggle of Kashmiris and for bringing to light the […]

This week Just Asia begins with Sri Lanka, where five police officers have been arrested in connection with the custodial death of a suspect at the Peliyagoda Police station. The 42-year-old Chadik Shyaman Wickramarachchi was arrested on February 25, following information provided by another suspect. The next day, Chadik’s body was recovered by his family at the Police Mortuary […]

This week Just Asia begins with Pakistan, where two blasts occurred outside a court in Charsadda, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province on Monday. At least eight people were killed and 20 injured in the attack. Since the beginning of 2017, Pakistan has witnessed an unprecedented spike in violence, with 20 terrorist attacks claiming the lives of more than […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information that Pakistan Rangers and police have conducted joint operations against Sindhi political activists after the suicide bomb blast at the shrine of Shahbaz Qalander, Sehwan, wherein 88 persons were killed and 288 were injured. Although ISIS, the international terrorist organization conducted the blast, […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward an appeal from KARAPATAN Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights. For more information, please contact: (+632) 435 4146 Thank you. Urgent Appeals Desk  Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)  ———————————————————————– Political activist illegally arrested after GRP’s “cancellation” of peace talks with the NDFP Dear […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Terai Human Rights Defenders Alliance (THRDA). They stated that police used excessive force against secondary school students in the Marchawar area of Rupandehi district, Nepal. Now the students are living in fear, with many leaving for India, due to mass arrests and […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Commission for Disappearances and Victims of Violence (KontraS). It is a national, human rights NGO, handling the case of torture which caused the death of Mr. Afriadi Pratama (23). The case was occasioned by a personal conflict, namely a love triangle, between […]

This week Just Asia begins by speaking to Adem Carroll, the Burma Task Force director for New York and UN programs regarding the dire situation faced by the Rohingya in Burma. Carroll calls for an independent commission of inquiry into the military abuses against the Muslim minority group. He also says that citizens of ASEAN […]

A Statement from National Fact Finding Mission forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission In light of the apparent information blackout concerning the fire that devoured the House Technology Industries main building (HTI) inside the Cavite Export Processing Zone, various labor institutions and people’s organization initiated a National Fact Finding Mission to probe the extent […]

Barely one and a half months into this year, eight terrorist attacks in different parts of Pakistan have claimed at least 50 lives, including of 24 security officials. The tall claims of the government and military establishment of breaking the back of terrorism are a shambles. Pakistan, with the world’s sixth largest army and more […]

The sudden and inexplicable surge in violence against women this year has sent shivers down the collective spine of the country. Not that previous years had been any different in terms of violence against women. However, the year 2017 appears to be particularly brutal with more than a dozen honour killings occurring in the first […]

“74% of psychology students had received less than one hour of instruction about military medical ethics and most gave incorrect answers when tested on specific instances in which the Geneva Conventions apply, about when military personnel are expected to disobey unethical orders from superiors, or about how prisoners are to be treated,” J. Wesley Boyd […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about continuing attacks on Human Rights Defenders in Chhattisgarh, India. In the most recent case, around 30 goons attacked Bela Bhatia, an internationally renowned activist and researcher, in her home in Bastar and threatened her to leave the area immediately. They left only after […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information that 24-year-old Arbind Kewat (Sahani), residing in Jhumka village of Rupandehi District, and working as a motorcycle mechanic at Amawa Chowk of Amawa Village Development Committee (VDC) has been illegally arrested by the police while he was eating a snack with two of his friends. […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the alleged enforced disappearance, in the first week of January, of four human rights defenders from different cities. There are two bloggers, a writer and a professor. All four were pro-active on social media against state atrocities on the issues of disappearances and […]

A 10-year-old child working as a household help was tortured by her employers, an Additional Sessions judge and his wife; the girl has been severely injured. The judge has used his influence and position to settle the case outside the court with the father of the maid. The Chief Justice of Pakistan took suo motto […]