Urgent Appeals

Extended Introduction: Urgent Appeals, theory and practice

A need for dialogue

Many people across Asia are frustrated by the widespread lack of respect for human rights in their countries. Some may be unhappy about the limitations on the freedom of expression or restrictions on privacy, while some are affected by police brutality and military killings. Many others are frustrated with the absence of rights on labour issues, the environment, gender and the like. Yet the expression of this frustration tends to stay firmly in the private sphere. People complain among friends and family and within their social circles, but often on a low profile basis. This kind of public discourse is not usually an effective measure of the situation in a country because it is so hard to monitor. Though the media may cover the issues in a broad manner they rarely broadcast the private fears and anxieties of the average person. And along with censorship – a common blight in Asia – there is also often a conscious attempt in the media to reflect a positive or at least sober mood at home, where expressions of domestic malcontent are discouraged as unfashionably unpatriotic. Talking about issues like torture is rarely encouraged in the public realm. There may also be unwritten, possibly unconscious social taboos that stop the public reflection of private grievances. Where authoritarian control is tight, sophisticated strategies are put into play by equally sophisticated media practices to keep complaints out of the public space, sometimes very subtly. In other places an inner consensus is influenced by the privileged section of a society, which can control social expression of those less fortunate. Moral and ethical qualms can also be an obstacle. In this way, causes for complaint go unaddressed, un-discussed and unresolved and oppression in its many forms, self perpetuates. For any action to arise out of private frustration, people need ways to get these issues into the public sphere.
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SRI LANKA: Human Rights Defender illegally arrested, detained and produced in Court on fabricated charges

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information regarding Mr. Murugan Velu Rajagopal (56), No: 1/1, Maberitenna, Rajawella, Digana in Kandy District. On 28 March 2017, he was ...

SRI LANKA: A farmer killed by Police attached to the Central Anti-Vice Unit of Walana, Panadura and the Police Special Task Force

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information concerning Mr. Jayalath Kandambige Chaminda (39), a resident of Meegahajandura, Bandagiriya in Hambantota District in Sr...

PAKISTAN: Four persons including a writer, teacher and Ahmadi disappeared after arrest

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the disappearances of four persons from Sindh province–a famous writer, a teacher, a government ...

SRI LANKA: Military must investigate the sexual abuse of young boys by senior students at the Rantambe Military Camp

Dear Friends, According to information received by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), a 15 year old, boy Z, was sexually abused at the Rantambe Military Camp between 16th-23rd February 2017. Th...

INDONESIA: Seko Indigenous People victims of torture, ill-treatment and land grabbing

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the torture and ill-treatment of Seko indigenous people in North Luwuk, South Sulawesi province. The North Luw...

BURMA/MYANMAR: Soldiers who raped teenage girl not punished for crime

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has obtained information that two soldiers in the north of Burma (Myanmar) raped a 17-year-old girl. Although the girl and her family complained ...

INDONESIA: Prisoner in Padang victim of torture and extortion by other prisoners and prison guards

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Padang Legal Aid (LBH Padang) regarding the torture and ill-treatment of Mr. Muhammad Ridwan, alias Deded. Ridwan w...

PAKISTAN/BELGIUM: Stop the deportation of Mr. Sajid Hussain, an asylum seeker currently in Belgium, bearing file number SP 5894203, to Pakistan

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the case of, Mr. Sajid Hussain, a Kashmiri frontline human rights defender facing deportation to Pakis...

SRI LANKA: Death of a patient through negligence at the Kandy Teaching Hospital

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), received information concerning Mr. Ranjith Sunil Jayatissa (55) of No: 114, Walgowwagoda, Danture in the Kandy District. On 6 July 2016, while ...

SRI LANKA: Second boy complains of being sexually abused at the Rantambe Military Camp

Dear Friends, According to the information I have received, the 15 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Newton Perera and Malani Srasinghe, residents of No: 17/1, Arangala, Nattaranpotha in Kandy District had...

SRI LANKA: Innocent man illegally arrested by Police to satisfy a corrupt businessman

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information regarding Mr. Harischandra Raja Niroshan (27) of No: 62, Ambakotte, Kengalla in the Kandy District. He was illegally arrested, ...

SRI LANKA: Eleven year-old child tortured by his class teacher at Vidiyartha College Kandy

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Mr. K M M G Sudath of No: 19/1, Watagoda Temple Road, Aruppola, Kandy, about maltreatment of his oldest son. His ch...

NEPAL: Fingers chopped off after a Dalit tried to worship on non-Dalit land

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Terai Human Rights Defenders’ Alliance (THRDA) that 32-year-old Ramparkhan Kori (Chamar) was abused and beate...

INDONESIA: Police fail to effectively investigate acid attack on senior anti-graft investigator

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the acid attack against senior investigator of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Mr. Novel Baswedan...

INDONESIA: Acid attack against anti-corruption activist in Palembang, South Sumatera province

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about an acid attack against anti-corruption activist, Mr. Sukma Hidayat (38) and his wife. Sukma was attacked after he ...

PAKISTAN: Disappearances continue in Sindh with government officer and headmaster missing after recent arrest

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the new wave of enforced disappearances in Pakistan’s Sindh province, which has been under the Range...

BANGLADESH: Ethnic youth tortured to death by Army Officers who burned the body and enjoy impunity

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that an 18-years old ethnic college student named Mr. Romel Chakma had been tortured to death by officers of the Banglad...

INDIA: Assamese Human Rights Defender Bondita Acharya violently threatened on social media.

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is writing about the death threats, rape threats and other abusive messages received by renowned Human Rights Defender, Bondita Acharya, in Assam...

INDONESIA: Accused thief detained and tortured to death by the Kendari Police

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Commission for the Disappearances and Victims of Violence (KontraS), a national human rights NGO, about the tor...

INDONESIA: Judges sentenced four farmers and a Priest who illegally reclaimed land occupied by Bangun Nusa Indah Lampung Company (PT. BNIL)

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information provided by Bandar Lampung Legal Aid (LBH Bandar Lampung). It is regarding an unfair trial and a fabricated case...