Women's rights

India has never been known for investing in the health of its citizenry. The nation’s public expenditure on health hovers around 1% of its gross domestic product; it is among the lowest in the world. This makes the recent decision to slash the health budget by 20% appalling. The move will not just deflate citizen […]

This week’s episode of Weekly Roundup brings you stories from across Asia. The episode begins in Nepal where the drafting of a new constitution has stalled, leading to violence. Advocate Dipendra Jha, provides a view from Kathmandu. AHRC TV then turns to Burma, for more on illegal land grabbing. Thein Than Oo, a Chief Court Advocate, elaborates. […]

Since 15 January 2015, the Bangladesh government has deployed “Joint Forces”, comprising the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB), and the police to conduct operations against the opposition. Houses and shops of those identified as opposition supporters in northern Bangladesh are ending up demolished. Hundreds of people, including women and children, have been […]

(Hong Kong, December 10, 2014) The family of Renante Gamara, a labour leader who was tortured and detained over fabricated charges, has informed the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) that the court will decide on Renante’s appeal to dismiss that charges against him tomorrow, December 11. In her email to AHRC, Nicolette Gamara, daughter of Renante, […]

17-year-old Malala Yousafzai became the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner for her work promoting young people’s rights. Here she is, accepting that honour. In the name of God, The Most Beneficent, The Most Merciful. Honourable UN Secretary General Mr Ban Ki-moon, Respected President General Assembly Vuk Jeremic Honourable UN envoy for Global education Mr Gordon […]

In recognition of the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women, which was observed on Wednesday, this week’s episode of Weekly Roundup covers the topic of women’s rights in Asia. The episode begins with recent revelations from Indonesia that women who join the police force are required to undergo unnecessary and traumatizing “virginity tests”. […]

The non-implementation of the laws created for the protection of women keep them forever in virtual slavery. The dismal situation, despite several laws namely the Women’s Protection Act, the Acid Control and Crime Act, the Protection Against Harassment at Workplace Act, theLaw of Inheritance and the ratified Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of […]

by Avinash Pandey A doctor conducted sterilization surgeries on 83 women in 5 hours in an abandoned hospital with no infrastructure. The women were made to lay on floor for the surgery and there are allegations that the medicines came from a small, one room factory that is owned by close affiliates of the party […]

(The following article was originally published in the Ethics In Action, a bi-monthly publication devoted to discussing how movements and leaderships claiming to uphold ethics and morality have failed to promote and protect human rights. Click here to read the latest issue of the journal   ) The word ‘rights’ very often seem so wrong—politically,  socially […]

เผยแพร่วันที่ 22 ตุลาคม 2557 ใบแจ้งข่าว สองผู้ต้องหาพม่าคดีเกาะเต่า ยื่นหนังสือผ่านตัวแทนสภาทนายความ ร้องขอความเป็นธรรมต่อพนักงานอัยการจังหวัดเกาะสมุย ปฏิเสธไม่ได้ฆ่าหรือข่มขืนนักท่องเที่ยวชาวอังกฤษ ระบุถูกเจ้าหน้าที่ซ้อมให้รับสารภาพ เมื่อวันที่ 20 ตุลาคม พ.ศ. 2557 คณะกรรมการสิทธิมนุษยชน สภาทนายความ ได้แต่งตั้งคณะทำงานเพื่อให้ความช่วยเหลือคดีที่ผู้ต้องหาชาวพม่าสองราย นาย วิน หรือเนวิน และนายซอ ถูกตั้งข้อหาในคดีอาญา จากเหตุการณ์ฆาตกรรมสองนักท่องเที่ยวชาวอังกฤษ นายเดวิด มิลเลอร์ วัย 24 ปี และนางสาวฮันนาห์ วิทเธอริดจ์ วัย 23 ปี ที่เกาะเต่า จังหวัดสุราษฎร์ธานี เหตุเกิดเมื่อวันที่ 15 กันยายน พ.ศ.2557 โดยมีนายสุรพงษ์ กองจันทึก เป็นหัวหน้าคณะทำงานช่วยเหลือคดีและประเด็นอื่นๆที่อาจจะเกี่ยวข้องกับการละเมิดสิทธิมนุษยชนของผู้ต้องหาในคดีอาญา โดยมีทนายความอาวุโสจำนวนหนึ่งร่วมเป็นคณะทำงานดังกล่าวด้วย ความคืบหน้าล่าสุด วันที่ 21 ตุลาคม พ.ศ. 2557 ทนายความของคณะทำงานดังกล่าวได้เข้าพบผู้ต้องหาเพื่อสอบข้อเท็จจริง โดยทางเรือนจำอำเภอเกาะสมุยได้จัดพื้นที่ให้คณะทนายความได้พูดคุยกับผู้ต้องหาได้อย่างเป็นอิสระ การสอบข้อเท็จจริงใช้ระยะเวลากว่า 5 ชั่วโมง […]

( Hong Kong, October 23, 2014) 20th October 2014, The Human Rights Commission of the Lawyer Council of Thailand set up a working group to provide legal aid to Win or Win Saw Thun and Zaw Lin, the two Burmese suspects in the murder of David Miller, 24 and the rape and murder of Hannah Witheridge, […]

A tribute by Bushra Khaliq Well done, Malala! Every Pakistani is proud of you. Today you have made our head high. After Dr. Abdus Salam, Malala is second person who has shown other side of Pakistan and introduced terror-torn Pakistan’s soft face to the world and provided us a moment of real joy. For all […]

During the last two weeks, a video showing a policeman beating a young woman on a public road in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka, has generated heated discussion in the media. Reactions shown in the media and in social media such as facebook show public contempt for the behavior and conduct of the police. What is near […]

Pakistan like other developing countries that face, dearth of democracy and abundance of abusive authority has never been a homogenous country. There is the Pakistan of masses and there is the Pakistan of classes. For the poor and powerless of this sixth most populous country, human development based on essential core values like self esteem, […]

More than a Policy, Children Need Commitment! On 10th June 2014, Pawan Korku (4 years) and Durgesh Korku (6 years) climbed into an iron drum in their house along with their toys presumably as part of a game they were playing, in their house in Harrai village, District Betul, a tribal dominant district of Madhya […]

In the 38th episode of Human Rights Asia Weekly Roundup, AHRC TV opens the programme with a gruesome crime against a child in Pakistan, and the ensuing failure of both law enforcement and hospital care. A 10-year-old boy lost both arms as he was flung into a harvesting machine by a landowner who had a […]

The fast-unto-death hunger strike of Nanda Prasad and Ganga Maya Adhikari, better known as the Adhikari couple, has reached 278 days and counting. Their only demand is an investigation and prosecution of those who killed their son, Krishna Prasad Adhikari. In other words, they demand justice. Krishna Prasad was abducted and brutally murdered in June […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a young couple was murdered after they married in a court on their own choice. The local Panchayat decided to kill both, groom and bride, and father of the groom was ordered to handover a girl to the father of bride. The Panchayat […]

by Avinash Pandey The phone calls were going unanswered. A group of men had broken into a female friend’s house and were holding her hostage. I was frantically calling the Senior Superintendent of Police, the local police station, and officials in the district administration. Every passing minute sent shivers down my spine. I thought to […]

In the recent case of three Rupandehi boys being tortured by two police personnel deployed in the Area Police Offices of Suryapura and Rupandehi, the Court delivered a verdict on 22 June 2014 ordering departmental action against the guilty police personnel and NRs. 3000 compensation to be paid to each of the three victims pursuant […]