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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: Fourteen-year-old child tortured by Moratuwa Police

Urgent Appeal Case | Sri Lanka | | October 20, 2017

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information regarding the case of 14-year-old Kahingala Waduge Kanidu Minsara Silva, who was illegally arrested, detained and tortured by t...

INDIA/PAKISTAN: Stop shelling the Dharamsal village and other areas on the Line of Control in Jammu Kashmir

Urgent Appeal Case | India | | October 20, 2017

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information that around 500 residents in Dharamsal village, a small village on the Line of Control (dividing the State of Ja...

SRI LANKA: Police attempt to extra-judicially kill an innocent man

Urgent Appeal Case | Sri Lanka | | October 20, 2017

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about the extra-judicial attempt to kill Mr. Pathirana Champika Kumara Jayatunga (28), a resident of Biyagama Police div...

SRI LANKA: Innocent man abducted by Blue Police Van in the heart of Colombo

Urgent Appeal Case | Sri Lanka | | October 19, 2017

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information regarding Mr. Nalaka Danushka Kumara (33) of Moragasmulla, Rajagiriya. He is a resident in the Rajagiriya Police Division. He w...

SRI LANKA: Innocent man fired on by Police in broad daylight in Negombo

Urgent Appeal Case | Sri Lanka | | October 19, 2017

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about the attempt to extra-judicially kill Mr. Ranhotigedara Vajira Kumara (41), at the Negombo Police Division in Gampa...

SRI LANKA: Innocent man arrested, detained, produced before the Courts on fabricated charges

Urgent Appeal Case | Sri Lanka | | October 18, 2017

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding Mr. Alawaththa Kamkanamge Tharindu Madusha (31) a resident of the Ragama Police Division. Madusha was illegall...

SRI LANKA: Inmate extra-judicially murdered inside Polonnaruwa Remand Prison

Urgent Appeal Case | Sri Lanka | | October 18, 2017

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information regarding Pitawalagedara Chandrarathna (47), resident of Bakamuna Police Division. Chandrarathna was arrested on 4 May 2017 ch...

INDONESIA: Further investigation needed in the case of burning Bibles, excessive use of force and firing in Papua

Urgent Appeal Update | Indonesia | | October 18, 2017

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information from our local partner in Papua, that the Military Court III-19 sentenced a defendant for burning Bibles to 30 m...

SRI LANKA: Innocent man tortured to death by Police of Colombo North Division

Urgent Appeal Case | Sri Lanka | | October 17, 2017

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about the extra-judicial killing of Mr. D P Premasiri (65) of Stace Road, Grandpass, Colombo 14 in the Colombo District....

SRI LANKA: Young man illegally arrested by Ragama Police

Urgent Appeal Case | Sri Lanka | | October 17, 2017

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding Mr. Randeer Kaushalya (22), resident of Ragama Police Division, Gampaha District. On 15 August 2017, Randeer w...

SRI LANKA: Attempt to abduct student leader in white van

Urgent Appeal Case | Sri Lanka | | October 16, 2017

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information regarding the case of Mr. Rayan Jayalath, Convener of the Medical Faculty Students Action Committee (MFSAC) of Sri Lanka. Rayan...

PAKISTAN: Prosecute ruling party legislator for spreading religious hatred

Urgent Appeal Case | Pakistan | | October 16, 2017

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information. It regards the hate speech against a religious minority group, the Ahmadi Muslims. It was delivered by a member...

INDONESIA: Six months later still no perpetrators found in acid attack against Novel Baswedan

Urgent Appeal Update | Indonesia | | October 16, 2017

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the stagnant investigation of the acid attack case against Mr. Novel Baswedan, a senior investigator o...

SRI LANKA: Innocent man illegally arrested by Negombo Police

Urgent Appeal Case | Sri Lanka | | October 16, 2017

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding Mr. Vedamahagedara Janaka Aruna Shantha (40) of Udispaththuwa, Theldeniya a resident of Theldeniya Police Divi...

INDIA: Custodial torture of a day labourer in West Bengal and failure by police to follow due process of law

Urgent Appeal Case | India | | October 13, 2017

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information from our partner organization MASUM in West Bengal regarding the custodial torture of a daily wage labourer from...

SRI LANKA: The disappearance of a 32-year-old man in Uragasmanhanditya

Urgent Appeal Case | Sri Lanka | | October 13, 2017

Dear Friends, Mr. S H Pushpakumara (32) of Uragasmanhandiya Police Division was a resident of Galle District. He went missing on 12 August 2017. He was a regular soldier attached to the Gajaba Regimen...

SRI LANKA: 31 Rohingya refugees harassed, threatened, warned by unruly mob and Police

Urgent Appeal Case | Sri Lanka | | October 12, 2017

Dear Friends, Asian Human Rights Commission has received information regarding the case of 31 Rohingya refugees. They were harassed, threatened and warned with more violent assaults unless they left t...

INDONESIA: Innocent Surabaya man wrongfully arrested entitled to adequate compensation

Urgent Appeal Case | Indonesia | | October 12, 2017

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from our partner in East Java province, the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS), Surabaya o...

SRI LANKA: Innocent man tortured to death by Divulapitiya Police

Urgent Appeal Case | Sri Lanka | | October 12, 2017

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about the extra-judicial killing of Mr. Naiwala Appuhamilage Gamini Edwad (50) resident of Divulapitiya Police Division....

SRI LANKA: Innocent man illegally arrested and charged by Kantale Police

Urgent Appeal Case | Sri Lanka | | October 11, 2017

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding Mr. Andige Lakshitha Piyumal Peiris (26), a permanent resident of the Trincomalee District. On 6 July 2017, Pi...

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