AHRC News

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SRI LANKA: Vesak Greetings – Let us end the Angulimala Complex

On the Vesak Celebration for this year, the Asian Human Rights Commission offers the following greetings.

WORLD: The Cost of Freedom

The days I spent at the RFK Centre, with those who desired personal liberty and freedom Change cannot be achieved by forcing others to accept the world that you have conceptualized as per your will, d...

SRI LANKA: Ganeshan Nimalaruban case: Chief Justice Mohan Peiris denies petitioner’s lawyers right to see replies filed by Attorney General

The Fundamental Rights case of Ganeshan Nimalaruban was taken before the Supreme Court yesterday. The Bench consisted of: Mohan Peiris CJ, P. A Ratnayake PC J and S Hettige J. In the course of submiss...

INDONESIA: After 15 years of reform justice remains beyond the reach of victims of past human rights violations

The twenty first of May 1998 is celebrated by the Indonesians as the birth of reform in their country. It marks the resignation of the then President Soeharto who, at that time had been leading Indone...

BANGLADESH: Collapsed criminal justice system compounds violence against women

A Joint Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission and Odhikar on the occasion of the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women’s visit in Bangladesh Two female Members of Parliament o...

SRI LANKA: Serious doubts on the inquiries into the mass graves at Matale

Serious doubts have emerged regarding the future investigations into the mass grave at Matale where the remains of 156 persons have been found. In today’s press it was reported that the Judicial...

SRI LANKA: Buddha’s Birthday celebrated in Hong Kong tomorrow

The people in Hong Kong will be celebrating what they call Buddha’s Birthday tomorrow (May 17). The term ‘Buddha’s Birthday’ is similar to what is referred to in Sri Lanka as V...

SRI LANKA: A radical abdication of the court’s authority – a blow to the separation of powers

Chief Justice Mohan Peiris stopped further inquiries into a Fundamental Rights application yesterday, stating that the courts do not have the technical competence to go into the issues raised in the c...

SRI LANKA: Two testimonies on enforced self paralysis

Lal Wickrematunge, the brother of the assassinated editor of the Sunday Leader, Lasantha Wickrematunge, and until very recently the owner of Leader Publications, spoke yesterday to the BBC Sinhala Ser...

PAKISTAN: A second human rights defender is assassinated within two months from the same organization and area

It is the responsibility of the government to ensure that Abdul Waheed Khan projects are continued so that his death will not be in vain On May 13 a well known human rights defender, social activist a...

PAKISTAN: A Historical Overview of Blasphemy Laws

The Asian Human Rights Commission wishes to inform you about the research based report on historical overview of Blasphemy laws in Pakistan the Blasphemy published by Center for Research and Security ...

INDIA: What else was expected other than Sanaullah’s murder?

Children are conceived, some born, others grow, and many die in Indian prisons. There is nothing particular about this, since such incidents happen in prisons across the world. However, what is unique...

SRI LANKA: Rajapaksa Paranoia

Another Rajapaksa modus operandi ‘arrest’ has been reported in Colombo where the former deputy mayor of the Colombo Municipal Council was arrested from his daughter’s house under t...

INDIA: Have the judges gone insane?

Insanity is defined as “doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” Albert Einstein said this. Applying this definition, to the predicament and expectation of the ...

BANGLADESH: A massacre of demonstrators

News reports from Bangladesh allege that a series of attacks on demonstrators have taken place, at around 3am today, May 6, 2013. The extent of the injuries and death is difficult to be ascertained at...

SRI LANKA: The arrest and detention of Azath Salley

Azath Salley, a prominent politician and a well-known Muslim leader, has been arrested and held in detention under the Prevention of Terrorism Law (PTA). According to reports a detention order of 90 d...

PAKISTAN: Violence against the Ahmadi community continues with the collusion of the police and authorities of Punjab province

Once again violence against the Ahmadi community has erupted in Punjab province. As the election are approaching (May 11) this recent outburst is seen as an attempt to influence the voters to support ...

SRI LANKA: A Slippery Slope

Some call it the land of murder; it is also known as the land of rape; the land of robbery; the land of corruption; the land of criminals and the land of liars! It must be asked if our country has los...

SRI LANKA: The caste base of our cultural roots

Reconciliation has not been treated as an attractive word in Sri Lanka. The government’s view is that forgetting is the best course available. It argues that reconciliation attempts could reopen...

SRI LANKA: On your knees ladies and gentlemen, on your knees!

Suggesting perhaps that the creative imagination of the cartoonist is catching up with the reality of Sri Lanka the Daily Mirror yesterday carried this cartoon as an illustration for its editorial ent...