AHRC News

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BURMA: Imprisoned Burmese prodemocracy activist is awarded 2009 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AHRC-STM-105-2009 May 12, 2009 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission BURMA: Imprisoned Burmese prodemocracy activist is awarded 2009 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Awa...

INDIA: Detained for no reason

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) on 8 May had issued a statement exposing the controversial steps taken by the Rajasthan state government in the excuse of ensuring security in the state. The s...

SOUTH ASIA: Militarisation and Human Rights in South Asia

This paper was presented to a conference organized by the World Council of Churches held in Bangalore India in April 2009 on Peace, Security and Development in South Asia. As a background to this pape...

BANGLADESH: Re-election to the Human Rights Council must be accompanied by significant improvement in human rights situation

On May 12, 2009, the United Nations General Assembly will hold elections to the UN Human Rights Council. Five seats will be available to the Asian region. Only five States from the region – Banglades...

SRI LANKA: Abduction of a human rights defender Stephen Suntharaj after his 2 month detention and release by the courts: Immediate intervention needed to save his life

Stephen Suntharaj, age 39, has been working for Centre for Human Rights and Development (CHRD) since March 2008 as program officer. He formerly worked for Child Protection Authority, Jaffna branch. St...

INDIA: Borstal in Rajasthan is a graduate school for crime

During the fourth phase of the national general elections held yesterday in India, the state government of Rajasthan has resorted to controversial security measures. On the pretext of ensuring safety,...

CAMBODIA: The Bar Association must not be an instrument to curtail professional freedom

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  AHRC-STM-100-2009 May 8, 2009 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission CAMBODIA: The Bar Association must not be an instrument to curtail professional freedom The inter...

THAILAND: NHRC no longer complies with Paris Principles, must lose status in United Nations forums

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  May 8, 2009 AHRC-OLT-017-2009 An Open Letter to the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for Human Rights by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) J...

INDIA: Mere votes do not guarantee democracy

India is about to complete the national general elections to the 15th Lok Sabha. The fifth and the last phase of the election is expected to be completed on 13 May. The results will be declared on 16 ...

SRI LANKA: UN Secretary General’s offer of assistance should not be ignored

The world’s attention at the moment is fixed on about 192,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) and another 50,000 – 100,000 civilians trapped within a five square-kilometer area in what...

AZERBAIJAN: UN member States urged not to elect Azerbaijan to the Human Rights Council

To:  The Member States of the General Assembly Your Excellency, On the occasion of the Human Rights Council elections on May 12, 2009, we, the undersigned international human rights organizations, wi...

NEPAL: The Prime Minister’s resignation defies the peace process

The resignation of the Prime Minister of Nepal and its prompt acceptance by the country’s President, expose the vulnerability of the ongoing democratisation process in that country. The peace pr...

SRI LANKA: Fundamental rights upheld

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AHRC-STM-096-2009 May 6, 2009 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission SRI LANKA: Fundamental rights upheld Supreme Court holds that police authorities have not heeded ch...

PAKISTAN: The dubious role of Pakistan army in dealing with Taliban thereby legitimizing the massacre

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  AHRC-STM-097-2009 May 06, 2009 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission PAKISTAN: The dubious role of Pakistan army in dealing with Taliban thereby legitimizing the mas...

THAILAND: To support human rights, NHRC should resign

Last Friday, May 1, the appointee Senate of Thailand elected seven new persons as the country’s National Human Rights Commission. They are, Police General Vanchai Srinuwalnad, assistant commissi...

SRI LANKA: Non-violent action needed to crush criminal gangs

The parents in Batticaloa decided to stop sending their children to school for a week as a mark of protest over the kidnapping and killing of an eight year-old girl Satheeskumar Thinuska. Earlier six-...

SAUDI ARABIA: UN member States urged not to vote for Saudi Arabia in upcoming Human Rights Council Elections

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 28, 2009 AHRC-OLT-014-2009 A Joint Open Letter from Civil Society Organisations to the Foreign Ministers of all UN member States Your Excellency: SAUDI ARABIA: UN member ...

THAILAND: Strongly oppose nomination of Parinya Sirisaragarn to the NHRC and again call for delay in process

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  April 30, 2009 AHRC-OLT-015-2009 A Third Open Letter to the Senate of Thailand by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) Prasobsuk Boondech President Senate of Thailand Offic...

SRI LANKA: Nationalists call for the use of choppers and machetes

“We may have to take choppers and machetes, we will have to attack with choppers those who jump over the boundaries,” chanted a group of people from Hela Urumaya, (a Sinhala heritage party...

CAMBODIA: Why should an MP defamation plaintiff be sued and have her immunity suspended?

At a news conference on 23 April 2009, Ms Mu Sohua, Member of Parliament (MP) for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), flanked by her lawyer, announced that she was going to file a defamation lawsui...