The trial of Sheikh Hasina: International community fails to ensure due process, 27 March 2008
Across South Asia, the Supreme Courts bend and vow to supremacy of the executive especially during state of emergency. In contrast, the High Courts of Bangladesh under the current State of emergency have shown remarkable courage to uphold human rights, fundamental freedoms and most importantly, the due process of law as reflected in the judgment on 17 February 2008 on the trial of Sheikh Hasina under the Emergency Power Rules, 2007. The Supreme Court of Bangladesh has once again bowed to the supremacy of the quasi-military dictatorship. But international community too has failed to voice its concerns against the denial of the due process of law to the detainees.
Also read:
The trial of Sheikh Hasina: A case of intervention by IPU, 06 October 2007
UPR and Asia
The United Nations Human Rights Council is scheduled to start its Universal Periodic Review in April 2008. Asian Centre for Human Rights has been making stakeholders' submission on a number of countries as given below.
Pakistan: Pakistan: Army as the Judge, Jury and Executioner, 8 February 2008
Sri Lanka: A test for the UPR mechanism, 6 February 2008
India: Stakeholders’ Report under the UPR, 20 November 2007 (pdf / html )
Bahrain: Stakeholders’ Report, 20 November 2007 (pdf / html )
The Naxals get lethal, 03 October 2007
At least 384 persons including 129 civilians, 162 security forces and 93 alleged Naxalites have been killed in the Naxal conflict during January to September 2007. The highest number of killings were reported from Chhattisgarh (208), followed by Andhra Pradesh (59), Jharkhand (44) and Bihar (28). The Naxal conflict has serious implications on the enjoyment of human rights.
Chhattisgarh government clarifies on the MSF's expulsion, 11 August 2007
In response to the news reports and press release of Asian Centre for Human Rights of 11 August 2007 on the reported expulsion of "Medicins Sans Frontiers" from Dantewada district, the State Government of Chhattisgarh clarified that "the State government has not even contemplated on barring the NGO from working in any part of the State. The Government is sensitive to the humanitarian medical aid that has been provided by the Medicins Sans Frontiers across the Globe and in India". ACHR welcomes the clarification. Read the clarification....
Need for a National Law for Prevention of Torture, 25 June 2007
The National Conference on Prevention of Torture in India organised by ACHR was among others addressed by representatives of National Human Rights Commission (Mr P C Sharma, Member of NHRC), Delegation of the European Commission to India (Mr Parimal Bardan, Senior Advisor), International Committee of the Red Cross (Mr Larry Maybee, Regional Legal Advisor and Dr Christopher Daniel, Medical Delegate). >>> More
Custodial Death of Rohtas Singh of Haryana:
A Fact-Finding Report, 13 June 2007
On 17 April 2007, Rohtas Singh of Banchari village of Hodal sub-division, Faridabad district of Haryana died in police custody. The Post Mortem Report (PMR) recorded ante-mortem injuries “caused by blunt force”. Though the PMR recorded “death by hanging”, it failed to indicate whether it was a case of suicide or homicide. ACHR's investigation found strong evidence to suggest that the victim died as a result of torture.
India Human Rights Report 2007
US clarifications on the Bhutanese refugees:
Following the ACHR WEEKLY REVIEW titled “Communists in Bhutan? The contribution of the US, UNHCR, India and et all” of 16 May 2007, the United States has clarified to the Asian Centre for Human Rights that the “Core Working Group on Bhutanese Refugees in Nepal ” is committed to find “a comprehensive and sustainable resolution” for each and every Bhutanese refugee sheltered in Nepal. The process of resolution of the Bhutanese refugee crisis must start with Bhutan complying with its commitments made in 2003 to take back certain number of refugees ....
OHCHR and Special Procedures fail Bangladesh
Maldives: Judiciary under the President's thumb
A submission to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Leandro Despouy who visited Maldives from 25 February to 1 March 2007 “to assist the authorities in implementing judicial reforms” as part of the "Roadmap for the Reform Agenda". Read more...
Naxal Conflict in 2006
10 January 2007The Naxal Conflict in 2006, the first such report prepared by any organisation in India that documents human rights violations and analyses the main trends of the Naxal conflict. A total of 749 persons were killed in 2006 which included 285 civilians, 135 security personnel and 329 alleged Naxalites and Chhattisgarh accounted for 48.5% of the total killings as a direct consequence of the anti-Naxalite Salwa Judum campaign.>>> read more
SAARC Human Rights Report 2006
The first report on the situation of human rights in SAARC countries. According ACHR's SAARC Human Rights Violators Index, Bangladesh was No 1 human rights violator in the region followed by Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India. It also covers human rights violations in Afghanistan. Access the full report in PDF