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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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SRI LANKA: Torture of a man detained on fabricated charges

Urgent Appeal Case | Sri Lanka | | August 18, 2005

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you of the alleged torture of a man by police attached to the Gokarella Police Station. On 4 July 2004, Mr H.M. Susantha Herath ...

NEPAL: 17-year-old victim seeks justice from his jail cell

Urgent Appeal Case | Nepal | | August 18, 2005

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the torture of a 17-year-old boy at the hands of the police, following his arrest on seemingly fabricated thef...

UPDATE (India): Updates on death threats to human rights activists working with dalit and marginalized group in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

Urgent Appeal Update | India | | August 18, 2005

[RE: UA-138-2005: INDIA: Human rights activist facing death threats for working with Dalit and Backward Community] Dear friends, The article below includes the updates regarding the death threats to �...

UPDATE (Sri Lanka): Rohitha released

Urgent Appeal Update | Sri Lanka | | August 16, 2005

[RE: UA-136-2005: SRI LANKA: Two persons severely injured after being tortured by iron rods by the Wattegama police; UP-97-2005: A torture victim with serious injuries is chained to his bed due to leg...

SRI LANKA: A pregnant woman died due to the negligence of hospital staff

Urgent Appeal Case | Sri Lanka | | August 16, 2005

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received another case of death cased by negligence of hospital staff. According to the information received, Ms. Deepika Prasadhi Jayasuriya ...

UPDATE (Sri Lanka): Rohitha remains in chains in hospital due to legal technicalities

Urgent Appeal Update | Sri Lanka | | August 15, 2005

[RE: UA-136-2005: SRI LANKA: Two persons severely injured after being tortured by iron rods by the Wattegama police; UP-97-2005: A torture victim with serious injuries is chained to his bed due to leg...

UPDATE (Indonesia): Trial of Pollycarpus ignores fact-finding team reports

Urgent Appeal Update | Indonesia | | August 11, 2005

[RE: UA-164-2004: INDONESIA: The family receives death threats for demanding an impartial inquiry into the death of Munir; UP-30-2005: Unveiling of suspect in Munir’s death may end further inqui...

UPDATE (Sri Lanka): A torture victim with serious injuries is chained to his bed due to legal technicality

Urgent Appeal Update | Sri Lanka | | August 11, 2005

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information about Rohitha Upali Liyange, who was brutally tortured by the Wattegama police. (See further: UA-136-2005) He i...

PAKISTAN: Whereabouts of journalist remains unknown following his detention by police officials

Urgent Appeal Case | Pakistan | | August 11, 2005

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that a senior Pakistani journalist remains missing after being picked up by police officials on 24 July 2005. Mr Rasheed Cha...

UPDATE (India): Another human rights activist threatened for working with Dalits in Uttar Pradesh

Urgent Appeal Update | India | | August 10, 2005

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that further threats have been made to a colleague of Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi, who we reported on only two days ago as having ...

BURMA: Alleged rape of a woman by two police officers in Twente Township

Urgent Appeal Case | Burma (Myanmar) | | August 9, 2005

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned by another rape case committed by the government or security officials in Burma. According to the information received, two p...

UPDATE (Philippines): Survivors of Sulu massacre have yet to receive assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development

Urgent Appeal Update | Philippines | | August 9, 2005

[UA-48-2005: Massacre of a civilian family by military caused intense fighting and massive displacement in Maimbong, Sulu; UP-52-2005: Social Welfare and Development Department provides protection to ...

SRI LANKA: A couple was tortured for refusing the advances of an amorous policeman

Urgent Appeal Case | Sri Lanka | | August 9, 2005

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about the illegal arrest and brutal torture of a couple by the Saliyawewa police on 26-27 July 2005. The incident happen...

INDONESIA: Arbitrary arrest, detention and torture of four persons during the “investigation” into the 28 May-terrorist bombing in Poso, Sulawesi

Urgent Appeal Case | Indonesia | | August 9, 2005

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (Kontras) and the Institute for the Development of Legal...

UPDATE (India): Wait for justice continues after ten years; Vacant court denies justice to a handicapped woman

Urgent Appeal Update | India | | August 8, 2005

[Re: UA-07-2005: INDIA: Handicapped torture and rape victim waits ten years for justice. Ms. Hasna Mondal, a handicapped woman, from East Daukimari, District Jalpaiguri, West Bengal is still waiting f...

INDIA: Human rights activist facing death threats for working with Dalit and Backward Community

Urgent Appeal Case | India | | August 8, 2005

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to bring to your immediate attention the situation faced by Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi, a human rights activist working for the Dalits and the ...

INDONESIA: Military Court verdict for torture and killing of Paulus E. Kusvidiyanto is close to impunity; police investigation into the involvement of civilians stalled

Urgent Appeal Case | Indonesia | | August 4, 2005

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (Kontras) about the torture and murder of Paulus Erwin K...

NEPAL: Threats made to human rights activists by the government

Urgent Appeal Case | Nepal | | August 4, 2005

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you of the threats made to a group of human rights activists in Nepal. The first threat was made by a group of Maoists who insis...

SRI LANKA: Assault of two men in separate incidents by policemen from Wellawaya and Badureliya police stations

Urgent Appeal Case | Sri Lanka | | August 4, 2005

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that two men were injured, one of whom was hospitalised, after several policemen from the Wellawaya and Badureliya polic...

BANGLADESH: Brutal torture of two young men by the Boalia police in Rajsahi

Urgent Appeal Case | Bangladesh | | August 4, 2005

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed of the brutal torture of Azizur Rahman Shohel and his younger brother Atiquer Rahman Jewel by the Boalia police in Rajsahi Dist...

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