The purpose of screening the documentary at the UN is to encourage women across the world facing similar situations to find means to recover from trauma, to build a solidarity network of women survivors to work towards ending such violence, and to encourage them to seek legitimate justice processes to redress grievances, as the EEVFAM has sought to do in India.
Torture victims Babul Akhtar and Junayed Hossain Leon shared their painful experiences of sustaining torture by law-enforcement agencies while in detention. Wife and daughter of Mr. Mahmudur Rahman Manna, a civil society activist, who remains arbitrarily detained, and has been tortured in custody, shared their dreadful experiences regarding the excruciating law-enforcement system in Bangladesh.
The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) and Franciscans International wish to bring to the immediate attention of this council that the judges, prosecutors, and lawyers in Asia face acute forms of suppression of their freedom to engage in their profession independently. Perhaps Hong Kong, South Korea, India, and Japan are exception to this general category.
The government is also curtailing the freedom of peaceful assembly and association of civil society organisations and the political opposition. There is a tangible fear that, in the absence of space for liberal voices, radical groups will proliferate.
The police and military have been involved in many conflicts to facilitate mining and plantation. They invariably stand on the side of the company. For instance, in March 2015, in Ramunia Village, Pantai Labu Sub-district, North Sumatera Province, the Military attacked peasants at the time of grabbing their land.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ALRC-STM-005-2015 May 2, 2015 A Joint Statement by the Asian Legal Resource Centre, and Odhikar BANGLADESH: Freedom of press stifled, and democracy in the decline May 3 is the World Press Freedom Day. This day is an opportunity to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom; to assess the state of press freedom throughout the world; to defend the media from attacks on their independence; and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty. In Bangladesh, however, the day will be observed as yet another day, where scribes will continue to face physical threat and other harassment, falsely implicated in […]
A Statement by the Asian Legal Resource Centre Further to our comments on the Government’s periodic report to the UN Committee against Torture, herein we will look into the case of RahmanTotoh. In its communications (UN Doc. CAT/C/PHL/Q/3, para. 5), the Committee requested the Government to comment on “no investigations” into Totoh’s claim of torture, in addition tothe medical examination he received not meeting“the standards required by the Anti-Torture Act”. In a letter to Mr. Juan Mendez, UN Special Rapporteur on torture, dated September 23, 2011, the Asian Human Rights Commission, ALRC’s sister organisation, urged the Rapporteur to intervene to ensure that an impartial and prompt investigation is conducted in […]
A Press Release by the Asian Legal Resource Centre (Hong Kong, March 17, 2015) For “failing to provide reparations to survivors and their families,” Mr. Juan E. Mendez, UN Special Rapporteur on torture, concluded: the government violated the rights of witnesses, survivors and families of the Maguindanao massacre, to be free from “cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.” Mendez’s report (UN Doc. A/HRC/28/68/Add.1, para. 433-434) refers to the government’s obligations under article 16 of the Convention against Torture (CAT) to prevent “other acts of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment” that do not amount to torture. In his report on the Philippines presented to the 28th Session of the UN Human Rights […]
Date of issue: March 17, 2015 Date of submission: March 10, 2015 Document ID: ALRC-COS-28-08-2015 Speaker: Unread for lack of time HRC Session: 28 Agenda Item No. 3 Debate Type: Interactive Dialogue An Oral Statement to the 28th Session of the UN Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC), a non-governmental organization in general consultative status, and Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM), a regional non-governmental institution working on and with migrants. ASIA: Intimidation and threats on human rights defenders advocating protection for rights of migrant workers Thank you Mr. Vice President, The ALRC and the Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants would like to draw the attention […]
ALRC-CWS-07-007-2015 March 04, 2015 A written submission to the UN Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre PAKISTAN: Government must guarantee fundamental right of freedom of religion to all 1. The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) wishes to bring to the attention of the UN Human Rights Council the deteriorating state of freedom of religion, belief, and faith in Pakistan. An increasing number of minority families are being forced to flee Pakistan. Minorities, especially Christians, Hindus, and Ahmadis, are being subjected to mass violence, terrorist acts, and abuse of blasphemy laws. 2. While fleeing Christians, Ahmadis, and even Shias have ended up in various states of South and […]
