ALRC-CWS-28-006-2015 March 04, 2015 A written submission to the UN Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre BANGLADESH: Freedom of expression, assembly, and human rights activism under serious threat 1. The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) brings matters related to the freedom of expression and opinion, the freedom of peaceful assembly, and the freedom of human rights activism in Bangladesh to the notice of the UN Human Rights Council. The government of Bangladesh has clamped down on these fundamental freedoms to silence dissent in the country. As a member of the Human Rights Council, Bangladesh is undermining universal human rights at home against its own people and is […]
Category: documents
PAKISTAN: An attack on independence of judiciary and right to fair trial
ALRC-CWS-28-004-2015 March 03, 2015 A written submission to the UN Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre PAKISTAN: An attack on independence of judiciary and right to fair trial 1. The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) wishes to bring to the attention of the UN Human Rights Council the supra-constitutional arrangement that has established military courts and is depriving the people of Pakistan their right to fair trial. 2. Following the gruesome massacre of children at the Army Public School in Peshawar on 16th December 2014, under military pressure, the government lifted the moratorium on death sentences and rapidly pushed through the 21st Constitution Amendment, establishing military courts […]
INDIA: Criminal justice reforms elementary to control violence against women
ALRC-CWS-28-003-2015 March 03, 2015 A written submission to the UN Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre INDIA: Criminal justice reforms elementary to control violence against women 1. After the infamous New Delhi rape case of 2012, and other cases of gender based violence subsequently reported by the media, the Government of India initiated a series of measures to curb violence against women. The government’s initiatives have, however, been limited to sensitising communities and instructing the local police to register complaints upon receipt. Amendments were made in 2013 to the Indian Penal Code 1860, The Code of Criminal Procedure 1973, The Indian Evidence Act 1872, and to The […]
BANGLADESH: Government promotes extrajudicial executions to silence political dissent
ALRC-CWS-28-002-2015 March 03, 2015 A written submission to the UN Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre BANGLADESH: Government promotes extrajudicial executions to silence political dissent 1. The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) requests the UN Human Rights Council to pay attention to the ongoing pattern of gross human rights violations in Bangladesh. The government of Bangladesh is promoting extrajudicial executions and declaring impunity for the perpetrators in public amidst the political crisis that centres on peaceful and credible handover of power. 2. Bangladesh’s citizens are being forced to pay the price with blood for the country’s continuing dictatorial system, introduced in 1975 in presidential form in the […]
ASIA PACIFIC: Action required to protect human rights defenders at risk for protecting migrants’ rights
ALRC-CWS-28-001-2015 March 03, 2015 A written submission to the UN Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre ASIA PACIFIC: Action required to protect human rights defenders at risk for protecting migrants’ rights 1. The Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM) and the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) would like to draw the attention of the Human Rights Council to the increasing trend of harassment, intimidation, and threats on human rights defenders advocating for or protecting the rights of migrants in Asia and the Pacific. 2. The General Assembly Resolution (A/RES/68/181, para. 6) has “recognize the valuable work of human rights defenders” and reiterates the obligations of States to […]
PHILIPPINES: Failure to investigate and prevent widespread attacks on human rights defenders
ALRC-CWS-28-005-2015 March 03, 2015 A written submission to the UN Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre PHILIPPINES: Failure to investigate and prevent widespread attacks on human rights defenders 1. The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) welcomes the report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders (A/HRC/28/63). We take note of the Special Rapporteur’s emphasis on the importance of “preventing violations against defenders (para. 6).” In General Assembly Resolution (A/RES/68/181 para. 9), states are called upon to “exercise due diligence in preventing violations and abuses” against defenders in line with their primary responsibility to promote and protect rights. 2. The ALRC takes note of […]
PAKISTAN: An attack on independence of judiciary and right to fair trial
ALRC-CWS-28-004-2015 March 03, 2015 A written submission to the UN Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre PAKISTAN: An attack on independence of judiciary and right to fair trial 1. The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) wishes to bring to the attention of the UN Human Rights Council the supra-constitutional arrangement that has established military courts and is depriving the people of Pakistan their right to fair trial. 2. Following the gruesome massacre of children at the Army Public School in Peshawar on 16th December 2014, under military pressure, the government lifted the moratorium on death sentences and rapidly pushed through the 21st Constitution Amendment, establishing military courts […]
INDIA: Criminal justice reforms elementary to control violence against women
ALRC-CWS-28-003-2015 March 03, 2015 A written submission to the UN Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre INDIA: Criminal justice reforms elementary to control violence against women 1. After the infamous New Delhi rape case of 2012, and other cases of gender based violence subsequently reported by the media, the Government of India initiated a series of measures to curb violence against women. The government’s initiatives have, however, been limited to sensitising communities and instructing the local police to register complaints upon receipt. Amendments were made in 2013 to the Indian Penal Code 1860, The Code of Criminal Procedure 1973, The Indian Evidence Act 1872, and to The […]
WORLD: Council members must reject procedural tactics that foreclose substantive debate
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ALRC-STM-005-2014 September 29, 2014 A Joint Statement by the Asian Legal Resource Centre WORLD: Council members must reject procedural tactics that foreclose substantive debate Excellency, We write to express our concern about a worrying development in the Human Rights Council in the use of procedural tactics to silence important and legitimate debate on critical human rights issues and situations. At the Council’s 26th session in June 2014, we witnessed the use of a ‘no-action motion’ to prevent the consideration of an amendment proposed to the resolution on the ‘Protection of the family and all its members’, thereby preventing substantive debate. A ‘no-action motion’ is a procedural motion […]
WORLD: Council members must reject procedural tactics that foreclose substantive debate
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ALRC-STM-005-2014 September 29, 2014 A Joint Statement by the Asian Legal Resource Centre WORLD: Council members must reject procedural tactics that foreclose substantive debate Excellency, We write to express our concern about a worrying development in the Human Rights Council in the use of procedural tactics to silence important and legitimate debate on critical human rights issues and situations. At the Council’s 26th session in June 2014, we witnessed the use of a ‘no-action motion’ to prevent the consideration of an amendment proposed to the resolution on the ‘Protection of the family and all its members’, thereby preventing substantive debate. A ‘no-action motion’ is a procedural motion […]