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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 (Sri Lanka): The police threatened the victims of the police attack in Baddegama village, Madahapola

Urgent Appeal Update | Sri Lanka | | January 28, 2004

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned about the police intimidation against the victims of the police attack in Baddegama village, Madahapola. On 31 December 2003...

INDIA: A young man fighting against police corruption received death threats and his sister was kidnapped

Urgent Appeal Case | India | | January 27, 2004

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned with the death threats received by Mr. James T. Godwin in Mahim, Mumbai, India.  Mr. Godwin, a person who has been challengi...

UPDATE (Thailand/Cambodia): Sok Yoeun won’t be extradited to Cambodia

Urgent Appeal Update | Thailand | | January 26, 2004

Dear Friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is very happy to give you good news that Mr. Sok Yoeun, 67, who is a political prisoner and prisoner of conscience, won’t be extradited to C...

SRI LANKA: Torture by pouring boiling water on the victim’s genitals by the officers of the Matale Police Station in Kandy

Urgent Appeal Case | Sri Lanka | | January 25, 2004

Dear friends Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned of brutal torture of Jayasekara Vithanage Saman Priyankara, 32, at the Matale Police Station. The officers poured boiling water o...

SRI LANKA: A gang rape victim suffers from police inaction

Urgent Appeal Case | Sri Lanka | | January 20, 2004

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned about the gang rape case of a 16 year old girl Miss. X (Name withheld).  She was abducted by a wealthy man David Kaiser (21...

SRI LANKA: 73 workers are on the street while the company director ignores the law

Urgent Appeal Case | Sri Lanka | | January 18, 2004

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned about the situation of 73 workers of the Jewelarts International in Maithree Mawatha, Ekala, Sri Lanka. According to the info...

UPDATE (Sri Lanka): A young man is in remand prison for over one year on fabricated charges by the police

Urgent Appeal Update | Sri Lanka | | January 17, 2004

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) would like to draw your attention on the case of Kebbeduwa Gamage Prabhath Neel Chaminda, 28, who is arbitrarily arrested and tortured by the pol...

UPDATE (India): An AHRC letter to the president of the India regarding eviction of Untouchables

Urgent Appeal Update | India | | January 15, 2004

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) reproduces below the letter written by the AHRC to the president of India regarding the eviction of 7,000 Untouchables in West Bengal. In the ope...

UPDATE (SRI LANKA): Delayed inquiries on alleged torture, illegal arrest and detention

Urgent Appeal Update | Sri Lanka | | January 14, 2004

Dear Friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is referring you to two cases of torture, illegal arrest and illegal detention about which complaints have been made to the National Human Rights ...

SRI LANKA: Man tortured by drunk policemen from the Mahiyanganaya Police Station

Urgent Appeal Case | | January 12, 2004

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the torture of Mr. Tennakoon Mudiyanselage Gunesekera by six policemen from the Mahiyanganaya Police Station on...

SRI LANKA: A man who gave up illicit liquor sale was tortured by police from the Katugastota Police Station

Urgent Appeal Case | Sri Lanka | | January 11, 2004

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that one man was tortured by the police on 8 January 2004 because he gave up illegal liquor business. In the past the AHR...

UPDATE (South Korea): Two deported Bangladesh activists face prosecution in Bangladesh and the migrant workers’ trade union is targeted by the Korean government

Urgent Appeal Update | South Korea | | January 8, 2004

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Korean House for International Solidarity (KHIS) that two Bangladesh activists, Khademul Islam Bidduth, and Jama...

SRI LANKA: Brutal attack of the police on the people in Baddegama village in Madahapola who campaigned against crime

Urgent Appeal Case | | January 8, 2004

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned about the brutal attack by the police on the people of Baddegama village, Madahapola on 31 December 2003. When the torture v...

NEPAL: A young human rights defender was killed in Banke District

Urgent Appeal Case | Nepal | | January 5, 2004

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC) in Nepal that a young human rights activist, Mr. Chet Prakash Khatri, was...

INDIA: List of medical items required urgently in Chennai, Tamil Nadu state to deal with tsunami aftermath

Urgent Appeal Case | India | | January 3, 2004

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply grieved about the vast amount of destruction and the many thousands of people who either died, have been missing or have in some way be...

INDIA: Almost 75,000 people are homeless after being forcibly evicted by the West Bengal government and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation

Urgent Appeal Case | India | | December 22, 2003

INDIA: Almost 75,000 people are homeless after being forcibly evicted by the West Bengal government and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation  INDIA: Forced eviction of the urban poor; Right to housing; ...

NEPAL: Three student leaders arbitrarily arrested by the police for shouting slogans against the monarchy

Urgent Appeal Case | Nepal | | December 22, 2003

Three student leaders arbitrarily arrested by the police for shouting slogans against the monarchy NEPAL: Political right; Freedom of opinion; Arbitrary detention —————&#...

SRI LANKA: A 15 year old boy tortured by officers from the Department of Excise and falsely charged

Urgent Appeal Case | Sri Lanka | | December 18, 2003

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about the torture and false charges against a 15 year old boy in Sri Lanka. This is another example of brutal custom of t...

NEPAL: An 8 year old boy is in critical situation after being shot by army security personnel in Sunsari District

Urgent Appeal Case | Nepal | | December 18, 2003

NEPAL: An 8 year old boy is in critical situation after being shot by army security personnel in Sunsari District NEPAL: Right of Children; Ill treatment of Children ————̵...

UPDATE (INDIA): 3 year old eviction victim died due to starvation in West Bengal

Urgent Appeal Update | India | | December 17, 2003

Dear Friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that 3 year old E. M. Shiva died due to starvation today morning (18 December 2003). His family is one of 7,000 Untouchab...

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