AHRC News

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) notes that the Government and of Sri Lanka and, more specifically, its foreign ministry is taking a very passive role in defending the rights and saving the li...

As the Sixty-first Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is taking place in Geneva, we would like to draw attention to the colossal absence of human rights in three countries in the Asia ...

Further to our statement issued on 22 March 2005, regarding the death sentence handed down to a Sri Lankan migrant worker sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)...

“The Government of Sri Lanka, taking serious note of recent allegations regarding torture while in police custody, has introduced short and long-term preventive mechanisms to address the issue, in li...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 23, 2005 AS-32-2005 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission Anticipating Thailand’s missing-persons centre  The announcement last week by Thailand’s n...

Mrs. Geetha Udugama, the wife of Mr. Edirisinghe, who is facing a death sentence in Saudi Arabia, strongly condemns the attitudes taken by many Sri Lankan authorities to her desperate plea regarding t...

Fear continues to grip members of Sri Lanka’s judicial system, media and key witnesses in criminal cases – and rightly so. In only the last few days, a state counsel has revealed that deat...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 15, 2005 AS-28-2005 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission An awakening to the delays in Sri Lanka’s adjudication process The Asian Human Rights Commission ...

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is concerned about another case of a torture complainant being threatened, similar to that of Gerald Perera. Mr. Nimal Silva Gunaratne, a victim of brutal tort...

In exonerating the three generals identified as having been primarily responsible for the killing of at least 85 persons in Narathiwat province on October 25 of last year, the Thai army commander-in-c...

The government of King Gyanendra in Nepal, who took absolute power on February 1, is now mobilising military-backed mobs to engage in extreme acts of violence on the pretext of fighting Maoists. The a...

While the murder case of Judge Ambepitiya–who was killed two days before Gerald Perera was shot–is already fixed for trial at bar, it may take 5-7 years–or even more–before Ger...

Reports of highly orchestrated violence by mobs encouraged and supported by the military and ministers of the government appointed after the February 1 coup in Nepal are now arriving from Kapilabastu ...

“Sri Lanka is now at the threshold of a major disaster”, said the Deputy Solicitor General, (DSG) Palitha Fernando.  Speaking at a conference organised by the Sri Lankan Medical Associati...

The February 1 coup in Nepal has brought the country under the control of the military, with no law controlling its actions. The number of persons under arrest–those under house arrest as well a...

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) strongly condemns the crackdown on migrant workers begun on the dawn of 1 March 2005 by the Malaysian authorities.  AHRC in a statement issued on 1 February 2...

In a February 7 order, the District Administration Office Nepalgunj in Nepal instructed members of the media to falsify news in favour of the government, which since February 1 has been under the abso...

Nineteen years old, Lalith Rajapakse was arrested by two police officers, Sub-Inspector Peiris and Police Constable Wijeratne in April 2002. He was severely assaulted and slipped into a coma while at ...

The Asian Human Rights Commission congratulates Mr. Desmond Fernando on the occasion of being elected as the president of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka.  Mr. Fernando’s election has come at a ver...

In a coordinated move, the governments of the United States and European Union have recalled their ambassadors to Nepal for talks over the rapidly worsening situation there. Announcing the recall, US ...