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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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UPDATE (Philippines): An appeal for the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for the Military and Other Law Enforcement Office to act on the recommendation of the Commission on Human Rights to file murder charges against the military

Urgent Appeal Update | Philippines | | June 21, 2006

[RE: UA-216-2005: Soldiers kill nine farmers in Leyte, Visayas; UP-141-2005: Peasants were brutally massacred by soldiers; pregnant woman among the dead; UP-019-2006: PHILIPPINES: Possible irregularit...

CAMBODIA: Army unlawfully evicts villagers

Urgent Appeal Case | Cambodia | | June 20, 2006

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has learned that on 15 June 2006 Colonel Neou Ol, Deputy  Director of the Development Centre of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces located in Kompong Spe...

PAKISTAN: Under-trial prisoner killed following fabricated blasphemy charges having been laid against him

Urgent Appeal Case | Pakistan | | June 20, 2006

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned of the stabbing death of an under-trial prisoner in Muzzafar Garh, Pakistan. The prisoner, in police custody at the time of his death...

PHILIPPINES: Inadequate medical attention leads to the death of a factory worker and serious illness to another

Urgent Appeal Case | Philippines | | June 18, 2006

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you of the death of a female factory worker and the serious illness of another caused by diseases allegedly contracted at their ...

UPDATE (Thailand): Please sign petition to remove head of special investigation from post

Urgent Appeal Update | Thailand | | June 18, 2006

[RE: UP-20-2005: THAILAND: Human rights lawyer still missing after nearly one year; Action needed today to have case transferred; UP-24-2005: THAILAND: Thai minister refuses to act on missing human ri...

UPDATE (Pakistan): Missing journalist found dead in Pakistan

Urgent Appeal Update | Pakistan | | June 18, 2006

Dear friends, It is with much regret that the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you of the death of Pakistan journalist, Mr. Hayat Ullah Khan. In a May 2006 appeal (UA-145-2006) th...

GENERAL APPEAL (Thailand): Government authorities in south of Thailand reportedly encourage “shoot to kill” policy with cash rewards

Urgent Appeal General | Thailand | | June 15, 2006

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned by reports that the authorities in southern Thailand have proposed to give large cash rewards to people who have gunfights wi...

BANGLADESH: Man killed by police torture in Gaibandha Sadar police station on the instruction of ruling party political leaders

Urgent Appeal Case | Bangladesh | | June 15, 2006

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that Mr. Sajedur Rahman Sarkar Sajid, who was entrapped by the police and intelligence agents on the instruction of ruling poli...

UPDATE (Thailand): Important programme to commemorate human rights defenders and discuss failed investigations

Urgent Appeal Update | Thailand | | June 15, 2006

[RE: UP-20-2005: THAILAND: Human rights lawyer still missing after nearly one year; Action needed today to have case transferred; UP-24-2005: THAILAND: Thai minister refuses to act on missing human ri...

UPDATE (Burma): Human rights lawyer’s licence revoked; ILO steps up pressure; cases go to Supreme Court

Urgent Appeal Update | Burma (Myanmar) | | June 15, 2006

[UA-119-2006: BURMA: Court appeal against lawyer jailed for helping farmers contact ILO headed for Supreme Court; UA-071-2006: BURMA: Two villagers jailed for reporting extortion; UP-054-2006: BURMA: ...

UPDATE (Thailand): Trial continues against 58 accused in Narathiwat protest; key witnesses for prosecution absent or ignorant

Urgent Appeal Update | Thailand | | June 15, 2006

[Re: UA-143-2004: THAILAND: At least 84 people killed in Southern Thailand on 26 October 2004; UP-65-2004: THAILAND: A list of the victims of the mass killing in Narathiwat province; Immediate interna...

PHILIPPINES: Another activist killed; union leader faces serious threat

Urgent Appeal Case | Philippines | | June 15, 2006

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) deeply regrets to inform you that another activist has been killed while a labour union leader faces serious threat to his life. Activist Markus ...

CAMBODIA: Government set to curb rights and activities of NGOs

Urgent Appeal Case | Cambodia | | June 15, 2006

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has come to learn of the Cambodian government’s intention to enact a law which would highly restrict the rights and activities of NGOs in the co...

SRI LANKA: Threat made against tenant of the late Gerald Perara

Urgent Appeal Case | Sri Lanka | | June 15, 2006

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has come to learn of a threat made against the tenant of the late Gerald Perara. Owing to the seriousness of the threat and given the person who ...

UPDATE (Burma): Professor says he will launch new solo protest; passport illegally revoked

Urgent Appeal Update | Burma (Myanmar) | | June 14, 2006

[RE: UA-004-2002: BURMA: Arrested Professor prepared to die for democracy; UP-004-2002: BURMA: Who is Dr. Salai, Burmese political prisoner?; UP-019-2002: BURMA: Arrested professor sentenced to seven ...

NEPAL: Vigilante groups in Nepal must be disarmed and disbanded

Urgent Appeal Case | Nepal | | June 14, 2006

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is writing to express our deep concern with regard to ongoing grave human rights violations being perpetrated by armed vigilante groups in Nepal....

MALAYSIA: State orchestrated destruction of Hindu temples

Urgent Appeal Case | | June 14, 2006

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has come to learn of several cases involving the demolition or at least partial damage of Hindu temples in Malaysia following orders by governmen...

UPDATE (India): District Magistrate orders the arrest of a human rights defender for the second time

Urgent Appeal Update | India | | June 13, 2006

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from our local partner, People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR), regarding the illegal arrest, detention a...

UPDATE (Bangladesh): Judicial Probe Commission has yet to submit its report regarding police brutality

Urgent Appeal Update | Bangladesh | | June 11, 2006

[UP-095-2006: BANGLADESH: Government names District Judge to conduct a judicial probe into the police brutality on journalists; RE: UP-089-2006: BANGLADESH: Government names the head of the judicial p...

SRI LANKA: Failure of the police to investigate mysterious death of 23-year-old

Urgent Appeal Case | Sri Lanka | | June 11, 2006

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to raise its concern about a mysterious death of a young man and the possible cover-up by his father, who is a police inspector, surroundi...

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