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SRI LANKA: President Violates 17th Amendment to the Constitution 

The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) expresses its deep concern and opposition to the decision of President Rajapakse to unilaterally appoint members to the National Public Service Commission and ...

SRI LANKA: Child denied right to education despite being the victim of ill-treatment 

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned of the denial of right to education to a five-year-old child by the authorities in Sri Lanka. The child, whose name we withhold, was ...

UPDATE (Sri Lanka): Sixteen year old continues to be denied education after being assaulted by his teacher 

[RE: UA-164-2005: SRI LANKA: Apparent police inaction into the denial of education of a boy and death threats made against an activist who attempted to help the victim] ————...

SRI LANKA: Candidature for membership in the United Nations Human Rights Council must not be accepted

Sri Lanka has presented its candidature for membership within the United Nations Human Rights Council. The 47-member Council replaces the now defunct UN Commission on Human Rights, which was abandoned...

SRI LANKA: From independent commissions to presidential playthings

The Sri Lankan president’s direct appointment of commissioners to the National Police Commission and Public Service Commission is a serious setback to the little constitutionalism remaining in t...

SRI LANKA: President usurped powers of the Constitutional Council; TISL condemns appointments to Police Commission and Public Service Commission 

Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) notes with shock and dismay the appointment of the members to the National Police Commission and Public Service Commission, in violation of the constitution...

FORWARDED APPEAL (Asia): Current threats to Asian democracies

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is forwarding to you a statement issued by the World Forum for Democratization in Asia. The statement points specifically to the current state of...

SRI LANKA: Working committee to consider the problem of court delays in Sri Lanka 

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that the Sri Lankan Cabinet has decided to appoint a working committee of judicial officials and lawyers to consider solutio...

SRI LANKA: President blatantly violates constitution by appointing members to 17th Amendment commissions

In blatant violation of Sri Lanka’s constitution, President Mahinda Rajapakse took it upon himself to appoint members to the National Police Commission and the Public Service Commission. These a...

SRI LANKA: A commentary on the recent case of the prime minister’s fundamental rights violation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 10, 2006 AP-002-2006 A Paper by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) SRI LANKA: A commentary on the recent case of the prime minister’s fundamental rights violat...

SRI LANKA: Re: Rescuing a girl orphaned by the tsunami from having to be sheltered in a prison

We are bringing to your notice a news item that has appeared in several papers recently regarding a girl of 18 years who is said to be a victim of the tsunami tragedy and who, for the lack of any suit...

SRI LANKA: President stresses the urgent need to appoint Constitutional Council 

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that the President of Sri Lanka, Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse has written to the Speaker of parliament, Mr. W.J.M. Lokubandara urgi...

SRI LANKA: Brutal torture of a man by police trainees 

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the brutal torture of OKD Kithsiri Dhanawardena by Ketapola police training college trainees. On March 25, Mr....

SRI LANKA: Cops and robbers at the Nochchiyagama police station 

Dear friends, On 12 March 2006, at about 6pm, an argument ensued between Sameera Harischandra and friends and four persons who were posing as ‘cattle traders’. After some time the four persons aligh...

UPDATE (Sri Lanka): Torture victim threatened to withdraw his complaint by the Mundalama police 

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the further threat and intimidation directed at torture victim, A.P. Jayaweera Sandanayake to withdraw...

SRI LANKA: Weligama Police implicated in the torture and killing of a father and son 

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has come to learn of a case involving the alleged torture and extra-judicial killing of a father and son by the Weligama Police. Despite years ha...

SRI LANKA: The Sri Lankan Human Rights Commission and the importance of independence 

SRI LANKA: Political undermining of the Human Rights Commission; absence of leadership within the Human Rights Commission; government control; failure to implement the 17th Amendment ——...

SRI LANKA: Government attempts to continue Human Rights Commission by means other than compliance with 17th Amendment

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been following the developments regarding the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRC) after its Commissioners’ terms of office ended on April 3, 2...

SRI LANKA: Proposal to destroy independence of Sri Lankan HRC must be vehemently opposed

A report in today’s Daily Mirror newspaper of April 3 states that Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa “is exploring the possibility of setting up independent commissions under the 17th Amend...

SRI LANKA: Chief justice warns judiciary is becoming a joke

Speaking at the induction of the President Elect of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka during its 32nd Annual Convocation, the Chief Justice of Sri Lanka warned that the judiciary could become a laughin...