Torture

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is pleased that Leila de Lima, secretary of the Department of Justice (DoJ), has recommended to President Benigno Aquino III the granting of a “conditional pardon” to the Abadilla Five. The Abadilla Five: Lenido Lumanog, Augusto Santos, Cesar Fortuna, Joel and Rameses de Jesus, are serving terms of life […]

(Hong Kong, December 18, 2012) The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is publishing below a letter written in prison from Temogen “Cocoy” Tulawie. Tulawie is an indigenous human rights activist from Sulu, southern Mindanao, now in prison facing fabricated murder charges in Davao City. In his letter received by the AHRC, Tulawie asked that the people of […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission expressed grave concern over the present situation in the University of Jaffna. Most students are unable to attend lectures as the whole university is in a state of stalemate. The government has added a “national security” mood to the crisis, rather than taking it as a part of the problem […]

Professor Noam Chomsky is an Institute Professor and Professor (Emeritus) in the Department of Linguistics & Philosophy at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He was educated at the University of Philadelphia and at Harvard University as a Harvard Junior Fellow. He earned his PhD in Linguistics from the University of Philadelphia in 1955. He has […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has released its 15-page report on the situation of human rights in the Philippines this year. The report, titled “Strong rights, no remedy,” gave detailed analysis on the absence, if not lack of adequate remedy and redress to any forms of violation of rights in the country’s system of justice. The […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to inform you of the case regarding the torture of a Papuan in Mimika, Papua. The victim was arrested by officers from the Mimika Sub-District Police wearing civilian clothes without any warrant. The police randomly accused him for being involved in the separatist movement organised by […]

On the occasion of the International Human Rights Day, 10 December 2012, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) publishes its annual report on the State of Human Rights in Indonesia in 2012. The full report is now available for download at http://www.humanrights.asia/resources/hrreport/2012/ahrc-spr-006-2012.pdf  In the middle of 2012, Indonesia had its state of human rights reviewed by […]

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on the occasion of the International Human Rights Day The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is releasing its annual report on the state of human rights protection in Nepal through 2012 on the occasion of the 64th Human Rights Day. This year the world human rights community […]

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on the occasion of the International Human Rights Day 2012 The full report is available for download at: http://www.humanrights.asia/resources/hrreport/2012/ahrc-spr-008-2012.pdf/view  The PPP-led government under President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Ministers Yousaf Raza Gillani and Raja Pervez Ashraf has made some effort to improve the protection of human rights […]

We call upon the people, in particular the judges and lawyers, to grasp the historic significance of this moment It is news now that the Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake and her legal team, led by Romesh De Silva PC, walked away from the Parliamentary Select Committee proceedings, expressing no confidence in the manner in which […]

Lack of public awareness is one the major reason of absence of watchful oversight of citizens on their rights, issues and concerned authorities. It has been appropriately said that informed citizenry is empowered citizenry; the more people are informed, the more they are vocal and critical on their issues and rights .In this way , […]

In a landmark ruling, a court in Burma has rejected the police version of events that led to the death of a man in their custody, and has opened the door to a charge of murder to be brought against the officers involved. In its findings of 9 November 2012, a copy of which the […]

Today, the federal Ministry for Human Rights arranged an inter-ministerial meeting to discuss the proposed law against torture and custodial death. The proposed draft of the law was submitted by the Asian Human Rights Commission and Anti Torture Alliance Pakistan, with the consent of the Karachi Bar Association, Karachi Union of Journalists, Karachi Press Club, […]

The Surendranagar firing that killed three Dalit youth on 21 September this year has once again brought to light the concern, that in India, the police do not have adequate training nor the government has necessary resolve to overhaul the police service into one that fits a modern democracy. An affidavit filed by the Gujarat […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received the information regarding a torture case took place in Medan, North Sumatra. The victim was blindfolded by the police and taken to an unidentified place where he was severely beaten with a wood block on his head and back. The victim’s mother submitted complaints in […]

Dear friends, Mr. T. A. Erantha Srinath is a clerk by profession. He was illegally detained and tortured by the Giriulla Police on 31 August 2012. Erantha Srinath and his colleagues were at Hettipola to worship the Kapilawasthu Relics, his mother & a little child who came with them went missing so he pleaded for […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Porawakara Arachchilage Pramesh is being harassed by officers of the Thambuththegama Police Station because he assisted a friend to file a fundamental rights application. The Officer-in-Charge of that station has personally threatened Pramesh with arrest and false charges if he continues his […]

Dear friends, Ms. Muddara Pedilage Suneetha Sandamali (16) succumbed to severe burn injuries at the Puttalam Base Hospital. She had been admitted by her partner, a soldier attached to the Civil Defence Force, and the Saliya Wewa Police Station. Shortly before the victim’s death she made a statement to the police that her partner had […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you about a case of arbitrary arrest, detention and torture, as well as the fabrication of charges experienced by two men charged for murder in Medan. The abuses took place in 2011 and the two persons were sentenced to life imprisonment by the court […]

(Hong Kong, November 1, 2012) Janasansadaya has issued a YouTube presentation on the case of torture of Chaminda Sampath by the Bandaragama police. Chaminda says, “I was taken to the police station and kept there for seven days. I was beaten while I was hung. The police put kocchi miris (Chili) in my eyes and […]