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We have cautiously welcomed the announcement by the Presidential Media Unit about the appointment of a commission of inquiry into the recent conflict from the perspective of restorative justice. In ou...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AHRC-STM-072-2010 May 7, 2010 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission SRI LANKA: A new commission for restorative justice to deal with difficult past practices of abuse ...

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that a teacher severely caned three young students in Kurunegala before forcing them to eat inedible produce as part of a punishmen...

The AHRC cautiously welcomes the announcement of the appointment of a commission to probe violations of internationally accepted norms of conduct during the final stages of the conflict and the circum...

According to a report in the Daily Mirror newspaper today (May 4, 2010) there are moves to bring the Attorney General’s Department under the direct control of the president. A gazetted notice to...

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that Ambalanthotha police officers and a group of civilians broke into a house without a warrant, damaged furniture and took money ...

MCM Iqbal, Secretary to several commissions of inquiry in Involuntary Disappearances recalls some of narratives of cases told by witness before the commissions. This is from a taped interview with Bas...

Basil Fernando Over the years, Sri Lankan Tamils have had leaders such as J.V. Chelvanayagam, G.G. Ponnambalam, Appapillai Amirthalingam, Velupillai Prabhakaran and Karuna Amman to name a few. The fir...

An interview with Mr. Basil Fernando of the Asian Human Rights Commission by Nilantha Ilangamuwa of the Sri Lanka Guardian (April 24, New Delhi, Sri Lanka Guardian) In the last discussion, we examined...

A few days ago a large group of people protested at Annamaduwa against the officers of the local police stations against the killing of one of the young people from the village. No one has been arrest...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AHRC-STM-067-2010 April 27, 2010 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission SRI LANKA: The IGP must explain the circumstances of Prageeth Ekanaliyagoda’s disappearanc...

“In what country do you appoint an arsonist to put out fires?” Reporters without Borders asked today after learning that Mervyn Silva, a politician notorious for insulting and physically attack...

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has gathered detailed information on the escalating harassment of criminal witness Saman Thialakasir by police before his murder in February. H...

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that a man was arbitrarily arrested, tortured and held in remand for more than two years before he was finally granted bail. Dehiwela...

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that Wellawatte police have taken no action during the two-year period since a young student was allegedly arrested by the Criminal...

Thursday, April 15, 2010Caste origins of authoritarianism in Sri Lanka–Part 2 An interview with Mr. Basil Fernando of the Asian Human Rights Commission by Nilantha Ilangamuwa of the Sri Lanka Gu...

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that a lawyer in Kandy has been ill treated by a high police official while trying to represent his client at a police enquiry. Thi...

Elaris Fernando of Kandana is a special friend of the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC). He passed away today, April 14, after suffering from worm illness. In 2002, when his grandson was tortured b...

Dear friends, We wish to share with you the following article from the Sri Lanka Guardian. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ————- An article from the Sri Lanka Guardian ...

Basil Fernando What makes a nation a nation is above all the justice that prevails within that nation. It is justice that creates the bond between the people. Justice connects one with the other. Just...