Torture

The suspects are missing after arrest and 150 have been extrajudicially killed during the last three months of the “Karachi operation” The federal government has started an operation in Karachi, the capital of Sindh, under the title: “Targeted Operation” with the support of the police and Pakistan Rangers. The operation, which commenced on September 5, […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is happy to announce the latest issue of its weekly video news bulletin, the Human Rights Asia TV – Weekly Roundup. The 9th Episode of the Weekly Roundup is being released on the 10th December 2013, on the eve of Human Rights Day, and we are bringing you a special report on […]

Commemorating the 64th Anniversary of Human Rights Day, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has released a comprehensive report, State of Human Rights in Asia 2013, covering Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Hunger in Asia. The report can be accessed here. The global theme for this year is 20 Years: Working for your rights. […]

The following is a translation of a statement made by Eran Wickramaratne, MP, in Parliament on December 3, 2013. Today, I am going to take the opportunity of the short time accorded to me, to speak on the protection of the lives of those who are being arrested by the police. We all know of the  […]

Sri Lanka’s ratifications of United Nations human rights conventions signal a certain willingness to adhere to the UN treaties and to be guided by international law. But the record of actual compliance with the international treaties tells a different story. The 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties says individual states must comply in […]

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on Human Rights Day Sinhalese The full report is available for download at: http://www.humanrights.asia/resources/hrreport/2013/AHRC-SPR-006-2013.pdf/view International human rights day is a day for the celebration of human dignity. It is an appropriate date to take stock of what progress, if any, has been made in the promotion and protection […]

English The full report is available for download at: http://www.humanrights.asia/resources/hrreport/2013/AHRC-SPR-006-2013.pdf/view අන්තර්ජාතික මානව හිමිකම් දිනය මානව අභිමානය සමරන දිනයකි. එහිදී, ශරී   ලංකාවේ මානව හිමිකම් පර්ත වර්ධනය හා ආරක්ෂාව සම්බන්ධයෙන් යම්කිසි දියුණුවක් ලබා තිබේ නම් එම දියුණුව කුමක්දැයි සලකා බැලීම සඳහා මේ දිනය යොදාගැනීම සුදුසු ය. අවාසනාවකට මෙන් මේ සම්බන්ධයෙන් පරුසුගමනයක් දැකගත නොහැකි අතර ඒ වෙනුවට පැහැදිලිවම […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS) concerning the death of a man in police custody in Bau-Bau. KontraS and Buton Raya Legal Aid Institute (LBH Buton Raya) reported that bruises were found on the victim’s body, raising the strong […]

The full report is available for download at: http://www.humanrights.asia/resources/hrreport/2013/AHRC-SPR-001-2013.pdf/view (Hong Kong, December 8, 2013) On the occasion of the Human Rights Day, 2013, the Philippine Desk of the Asian Human Rights Commission has produced a 19 page report detailing the prevailing situation in the country. This year’s report is entitled, ‘License’ to torture, kill and to […]

The full report is available for download at: http://www.humanrights.asia/resources/hrreport/2013/AHRC-SPR-002-2013.pdf/view In commemoration of Human Rights Day on December 10, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is issuing a brief report on the state of human rights in Indonesia. Using the examples of events which took place in 2013, the report highlights three crucial subjects which have been […]

The full report is available for download at: http://www.humanrights.asia/resources/hrreport/2013/AHRC-SPR-003-2013.pdf/view Human Rights Day commemorates the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948, which declares freedom and equality for every human being in the world. The Indian constitution, adopted by the people of independent India a year later, guarantees each Indian citizen right […]

The full report is available for download at: http://www.humanrights.asia/resources/hrreport/2013/AHRC-SPR-004-2013.pdf/view The dissolution of the Constituent Assembly in May 2012 stalled efforts to trigger debate on human rights and institutional reform. The political transition kept Nepal in limbo in 2013 as well, until a successful second Constituent Assembly elections on 19 November 2013. The elections have been lauded […]

The full report is available for download at: http://www.humanrights.asia/resources/hrreport/2013/AHRC-SPR-005-2013.pdf/view A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on Human Rights Day AHRC releases its Report on the State of Human Rights in Pakistan, 2013 In 2013, the people of Pakistan have remained at the mercy of state and non-state actors who resort to violence as a […]

At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka at the weekend, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said that while his government ”deplores the use of torture, we accept that sometimes, in difficult circumstances, difficult things happen”. His statement is not only legally and morally indefensible, it is also factually incorrect. Torture is prohibited under […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is happy to announce the launch of its weekly video news bulletin, the Human Rights  Asia TV – Weekly Roundup. Today, 3 December 2013, we release the 8th Episode where we continue with our special feature from last week on how police use torture as a means for extortion with […]

Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry makes laudable efforts to hold the security forces accountable for enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings and in pursuing the cases of missing persons It has been reported that the Attorney General informed the Supreme Court that two missing persons have died, allegedly in military custody. According to the daily Express News, which […]

Nilantha Ilangamuwa The truth has been placed before us that the passing of laws does not mean people will benefit from them without proper implementation through the criminal justice system in the particular country. In the words of the great poet Rabindranath Tagore, “facts are many, but the truth is one.” Recent violence in Bangladesh […]

The culture of women’s movement often set it root in motherhood as symbol or a weapon to create space. The notion of motherhood proved instrumental for women struggle for justice world wide. Patriarchal values existing in the society portrays women as inferior, however, this portrayal raises their presence and accessibility in public life as evident […]

With the change in Army command on November 27, a crackdown against the people in Balochistan started. A prominent lawyer, Mr. Haider KB son of Khuda Bux age 33, resident of Koshkalat, was arrested by plain clothed persons riding in a non registered two door jeep. The police stations in Quetta, capital of Balochistan province, […]

The latest issue of Torture – Asian and Global Perspectives covers the issue of military torture in the article, Psychodynamic – Military torture in UN peace operations. This article by Claus Kold raises the question of human rights abuses committed by soldiers attached to UN peace keeping operations. In the introduction to the article, Kold […]