Women's rights

PAKISTAN: The Country has turned into a Killing Field

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 […]

INDIA: Mother’s Quest for Justice

Article | India | 28-11-2013

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 […]

ASIA: AHRC TV – Weekly Roundup, Episode 7

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to announce the launch of its weekly video news bulletin, the Human Rights Asia – Weekly Roundup. The seventh episode, released today, 27 November 2013, features a special focus on police torture for the purpose of extortion. Several examples from countries in Asia, such as the Philippines and Bangladesh, […]

SRI LANKA: AHRC condemns the state media attack on Nimalka Fernando

The threats posed to the life of Ms. Nimalka Fenando, a well-known trade unionist, political activist and a human rights defender, by the commercial channel of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation on November 4, 2013 is yet another example of the stark and blatant abuse of the State Media to intimidate, harass and humiliate a […]

ASIA: AHRC – Weekly Roundup, Episode 5

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has launched a new episode of its weekly video news bulletin, the Human Rights Asia Weekly Roundup. The fifth episode, covers an extended report on Sexual Violence in Asia. The report looks at how widespread sexual violence is in many Asian countries and the fact that going to the […]

INDIA: Irom Sharmila’s ‘attempted suicide’ enters 14th year, democracy’s murder 56th

Article | India | 07-11-2013

Irom Sharmila Chanu’s story is a bizarre, almost schizophrenic, tale of absurdities. It has a woman who has not eaten a morsel for a full 13 years. It has a state that has kept her incarcerated for most part of all these years and is force feeding her through a tube in her nose. The […]

INDIA: Fallen through the cracks: Malnourished children in Growing Gujarat

Article | India | 31-10-2013

The fact that every third child of Gujarat is malnourished comes as no revelation. It cannot be for a state whose Chief Minister Narendra Modi, now Prime Ministerial Candidate of the main opposition party in the country, had infamously blamed the growing malnutrition in his state on ‘beauty conscious girls’ trying to maintain slim figures. […]

ASIA: Gender gap in Asian countries – an overview based on the 2013 Global Gender Gap Report

Article | Asia | 25-10-2013

“What can be measured, can be addressed, that’s the point of the Global Gender Gap Index”. With these words Ms. Saadia Zahidi, report founder and co-author of The Global Gender Gap Report, launched the 2013 edition on October 24. “We are trying to understand how countries are empowering women economically, politically, how much access they […]

INDONESIA: ‘Genosida yang diabaikan’ – peluncuran laporan tentang rangkaian pelanggaran HAM di Papua tahun 1977 – 1978

UNTUK DITERBITKAN SEGERA (Hong Kong/Wuppertal, Kamis, 24 Oktober 2013) Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) dan Human Rights and Peace for Papua (ICP) meluncurkan sebuah laporan mengenai pelanggaran hak asasi manusia (HAM) yang terjadi di Pegunungan Tengah Papua, Indonesia, selama tahun 1977–1978. Laporan ini membahas pelanggaran-pelanggaran atas Konvensi Pencegahan dan Penghukuman Kejahatan Genosida yang dilakukan pemerintah […]

INDONESIA: ‘The Neglected Genocide’ – a report detailing series of abuses in 1977–1978 in Papua is launched

Indonesian (Hong Kong/Wuppertal, Thursday, 24 October 2013) The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and Human Rights and Peace for Papua (ICP) are launching a report on the human rights abuses that took place in the central highlands of Papua, Indonesia during the course of 1977-1978. The report discusses violations under the Convention on the Prevention […]

PAKISTAN: New draconian laws provide legal cover to disappearances, extrajudicial killings, torture, & unfair trial

The government of Pakistan has – within a short period of less than two weeks – promulgated two draconian laws, ostensibly, to combat terrorism. The first ordinance was promulgated on October 11. It has amended the Anti-Terrorist Act, 1997, and curtailed fundamental rights of citizens. Now the government has gone ahead and promulgated another ordinance […]

ASIA: AHRC – Weekly Roundup, Episode 2

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to announce the launch of its weekly video news bulletin, the Asian Human Rights Commission – Weekly Roundup. The second episode, released today, 21 October 2013, covers a wide range of human rights issues, including custodial rape in Pakistan, how Pakistan’s anti-terror laws negate fair trial guarantees; India’s appalling […]

PAKISTAN: A reference against three judges of the Supreme Court has been filed before the Supreme Judicial Council

The Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA), the largest bar association of the country, in a general body meeting has passed a resolution against the conduct of three judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan including the Chief Justice, Iftekhar Muhammad Chaudhry. The resolution has demanded that a reference be filed against them before the […]

WORLD: The human rights movement strongly recommends Malala Yousafzai for the Nobel Peace Prize

Statement | World | 10-10-2013

In this age where women and girl children do not receive the protection promised to them by the constitutions of so many countries the challenge for the human rights community in this century is to uplift their rights and lives. The struggle must include equality for women and justice for the violence perpetrated against them. […]

WORLD: The laws of war, belligerent reprisal and Gandhian Nonviolence

Article | World | 09-10-2013

The following interview originally appeared in the latest issue of the Torture: Asian and Global Perspectives. Norman Finkelstein is an American scholar, political activist, and author. He is an expert on the Israel-Palestine Conflict, the politics of the Holocaust, and the life and beliefs of Mahatma Gandhi. He earned his Ph.D in Political Science from Princeton University […]

WORLD: Why Torture Is Wrong

The following interview was originally printed in the latest issue of the Torture: Asian and Global Perspectives. An exclusive conversation with Dr. Nora Sveaass Born in Oslo, Norway, in December 1949, Dr. Nora Sveaass is a clinical psychologist who has been engaged in various parts of the world in relation to human rights and rehabilitation after […]

PAKISTAN: An Islamic country cannot protect its minors from sexual assault and the perpetrators enjoy impunity

Cases of sexual assault on minors have increased in the country during the recent months. During the month of September alone, a number of such cases were registered, however, there are many cases which were not reported because of the fear of a backlash from powerful persons and the police, also some of the cases […]

PAKISTAN: Strict yet victim-friendly legal mechanisms are required to minimize sexual violence against women and children

The brutal rape of a five-year-old girl in Lahore last week has literally shocked the country, from the officials in the highest office down to the ordinary citizen in the street. The tragic incident has sparked a nationwide debate and outcry against the lack of a safety mechanism in the country for women and children. […]

SRI LANKA: ‘Judgeitis’ — disease of the judges

The Guardian reported on September 11 that Lord Carlisle has argued for an inspectorate of judges which could deal with problems before they lead to complaints. Meanwhile new regulations dealing with complaints against judges come into force at the beginning of next month.  The new regulations come on the basis of the Constitutional Reform Act […]

INDIA: Report of the fact finding investigation conducted by All India Dalit Mahila Adhikar Manch to ascertain facts in the case of alleged rape and murder of Dalit girl in Jind district of Haryana

We wish to share the following Fact Finding Report conducted by All India Dalit Mahila Adhikar Manch to ascertain facts in the case of alleged rape and murder of Dalit girl in Jind district of Haryana, India.   A Fact Finding report by All India Dalit Mahila Adhikar Manch forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission All […]