Category: 33rd Session – 2016 September

ASIA: Council needs to make itself effective in protecting rights

33rd Session - 2016 September, ALRC AT THE UN, Asia, Commission on Human Rights, Oral Statements September 21, 2016January 16, 2017 Admin 0 Comments

An Oral Statement to the 33rd Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council from the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) Mr. Vice President. The ALRC wishes to bring to the attention of this Council that the situation of human rights has become alarming in most Asian States. The institutionalised coercive methods of law-enforcement coupled with dysfunctional judicial systems and the violent political culture are contributing to the process of gross violations of human rights. Bangladesh is an ideal example where protection of rights is pretty much a joke. 296 persons have disappeared since January 2009, of which 61 are between January and August this year. This is continuing without […]

ASIA: Criminal Justice Process needs fundamental reforms to address gross human rights abuses

33rd Session - 2016 September, ALRC AT THE UN, Asia, Commission on Human Rights, Oral Statements September 17, 2016January 16, 2017 Admin 0 Comments

An Oral Statement to the 33rd Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council from the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) Mr. Vice President. The ALRC wishes to bring to the attention of this Council that with the exceptions of Hong Kong, South Korea, and Japan, arbitrary arrest is the norm and by state design in Asia, and the judiciary in these countries are ineffective to prevent it. Crime investigation in Asia begins and ends with statements of the person in custody and not on the basis of evidence of guilt. To facilitate this process, the practice of arbitrary arrest is widely exercised in the region. This is because Asian […]

ASIA: OHCHR must invest in justice institution reengineering to improve human rights situations

33rd Session - 2016 September, ALRC AT THE UN, Asia, Commission on Human Rights, Oral Statements September 15, 2016January 16, 2017 Admin 0 Comments

An Oral Statement to the 33rd Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council from the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) Mr. Vice President. We thank the High Commissioner for Human Rights, for the update on the global human rights scenario, drawing upon the realities from the countries. As we meet, human rights defenders are prevented by some countries to travel to attend this august meeting, of which Mr. Khurram Parvez from India is one of the latest victims. The High Commissioner has reflected in his speech about the abuse of the process of law. In all countries in Asia, perhaps with the exception of Hong Kong, South Korea and […]

THAILAND: End Arbitrary Arrest and Arbitrary Detention against pro-democracy activists

33rd Session - 2016 September, ALRC AT THE UN, Commission on Human Rights, Thailand September 2, 2016January 16, 2017 Admin 0 Comments

The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) wishes to draw the attention of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to the fact that on 11 May 2016, in response to expressed concerns about freedom of expression and opinion, Thailand’s delegation to the Universal Periodic Review stated to the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) that the Government “encourages exchanging of views including through public hearings, about national reform and drafting of the new Constitution by all sectors of the society, both at national and international level.”.

INDONESIA: Truth, justice, reparation & guarantees of non-repetition remain elusive

33rd Session - 2016 September, ALRC AT THE UN, Commission on Human Rights, Indonesia September 1, 2016January 16, 2017 Admin 0 Comments

The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) wishes to inform the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) about the stagnation of transitional justice in Indonesia. Despite 18 years of political reform, marked by the resignation of President Suharto, gross violations of human rights that occurred during President Suharto’s administration have not yet been investigated and redressed.

BANGLADESH: UN can assist government reform justice institutions to protecting people from arbitrary detention

33rd Session - 2016 September, ALRC AT THE UN, Bangladesh, Commission on Human Rights September 1, 2016January 16, 2017 Admin 0 Comments

The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) directs the attention of the United Nations Human Rights Council UNHRC) and the Special Procedures to the epidemic of arbitrary detention in Bangladesh, requesting the UNHRC and the Special Procedures to engage actively to protect the people of the country.

PAKISTAN: Peasants continue to face violence by landlords and the Military establishment

33rd Session - 2016 September, ALRC AT THE UN, Commission on Human Rights, Pakistan August 31, 2016January 16, 2017 Admin 0 Comments

The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) would like to draw the UN Human Rights Council’s attention to the general status of the poor and landless peasants of Pakistan. Due to the injustice meted out to farmers across Pakistan, many clashes have occurred between peasants and landlords on various issues related to tenancy, share crops, eviction from lands and other related problems faced by the peasantry.

BANGLADESH: Enforced Disappearances should not be taken for granted

33rd Session - 2016 September, ALRC AT THE UN, Bangladesh, Commission on Human Rights August 29, 2016January 16, 2017 Admin 0 Comments

The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) brings the continuing enforced and involuntary disappearances in Bangladesh to the attention of the United Nations Human Rights Council, seeking active effort to facilitate redress to victims and to the families of the disappeared. The ALRC is reiterating its grave concern for the reality of enforced disappearances in Bangladesh. The global human rights community is aware of the fact that enforced disappearance is a “crime against humanity” and thus, is not subject to a statute of limitations. Sadly, there is hardly any visible initiative from the international community to address the situation of enforced disappearances. The ALRC is not urging the Human Rights Council […]

INDONESIA: President Widodo has made no effort to find disappeared victims

33rd Session - 2016 September, ALRC AT THE UN, Commission on Human Rights, Indonesia, Written Submissions August 29, 2016January 16, 2017 Admin 0 Comments

The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) wishes to inform the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) about the stagnation of cases of enforced disappearance that have occurred under the New Order era of former President Suharto, as well as similar cases that occurred later. Indonesia has yet to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. The law enforcement and justice system is largely ineffective in resolving cases of disappearance. Most importantly, Indonesia has no national law that punishes the crime of disappearances. In the previous written submission, the ALRC provided detailed information regarding enforced disappearances in Indonesia. One case that has received considerable public attention […]