AHRC News

In what amounts to a scandal concerning the manner in which President Mahinda Rajapaske has made appointments to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, one of the nominees and well known human righ...

On May 18, 2006, with the adoption of the House of Representative’s Proclamation, the Nepalese people achieved an historic victory towards the establishment of a truly democratic state. Included...

Sri Lankan newspapers have reported the drafting of a new law severely curtailing civil liberties and media freedoms. Conscription is one of the provisions of the draft law. Other provisions are expec...

India, the self-styled world’s largest democracy, has secured its position in the newly constituted UN Human Rights Council following elections held on May 9th, 2006.  Although India’s in...

Under the Constitution of Sri Lanka, the executive president has not been given the power to select members of any of the commissions established or supervised by the 17th Amendment. The power of sele...

Something very big is happening in Thailand. In recent weeks, people there have been in the grip of a constitutional debate that will have a lasting impact on their society. In fact it is a moment tha...

AHRC-OL-013-2006 May 15, 2006      Open letter to the Attorney General The Hon. Mr. K. C. Kamalasabesan Attorney General Attorney General’s Department Colombo 12 Sri Lanka Fax: +94 11 2 436 ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 12, 2006 AS-107-2006 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission BURMA: The 1974 Constitution and challenge for Burma’s courts U Tin Nyein is among the latest vict...

In his latest outburst, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on May 11 assailed criticism of government choices for 17 judges to sit on the international tribunal for former Khmer Rouge leaders. Some of t...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 11, 2006 AS-105-2006 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) SRI LANKA: Human Rights Council a new forum to discuss Sri Lanka’s human rights record An a...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 11, 2006 AS-104-2006 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission THAILAND: DSI director must be sacked and investigated In a May 9 letter to the permanent secretary of t...

The new Human Rights Council was elected on May 9, 2006. According to the General Assembly Resolution of April 3, 2006,  When electing members of the Council, Member States shall take into account th...

The electoral victory of Sri Lanka’s United National Party (UNP) in 1977 created what is now commonly known as ‘elective dictatorship’. This dictatorship was made permanent through t...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 10, 2006 AS-101-2006 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission INDIA: Snail pace progress at the National Human Rights Commission the Commission must accept responsibi...

Why is a police officer the director-general of Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation? The DSI was established under the Ministry of Justice so that it would not be subject to direct co...

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) notes that the Government of Indonesia is bidding for membership within the United Nations Human Rights Council. Elections are to be held on May 9, 2006. Indon...

A statement made by Sri Lanka’s Chief Justice, Sarath N. Silva at a recent public meeting is causing many comments, both public and private, on the state of the judiciary and rule of law in the ...

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is monitoring India’s candidacy to the United Nations Human Rights Council with interest. India, along with the other 17 candidates from Asia that are vy...

On April 24, the government of Thailand submitted the country’s candidacy for the new UN Human Rights Council. The election of the council’s first members is planned for May 9. The electio...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 4, 2006 AS-096-2006 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission NEPAL: Momentum is key in ensuring positive change toward peace, development and human rights in Nepal Th...