United Nations Press Release Commission on Human Rights 57th session 26 March 2001 Evening A series of non-governmental organzations (NGOs) spoke before the Commission on Human Rights this evening on issues of racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia, lamenting that such problems continued around the world and offering suggestions and in some cases criticism of the upcoming World Conference against Racism. AISHYA PRAKASH, of Lutheran World Federation [in a joint statment with the Asian Legal Resource Centre] [addition by ALRC], said that already in 1996, while commenting on India’s report, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) had made it clear that the term “descent” mentioned in article 1 […]
Category: documents
Lack of legal and institutional remedies for violence against women in Asia
Item 12(a): INTEGRATION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF WOMEN AND THE GENDER PERSPECTIVE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN Lack of legal and institutional remedies for violence against women in Asia (E/CN.4/2001/NGO/72) Link to UNCHR (E/CN.4/2001/NGO/72) COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-seventh Session Item 12 (a) of the Provisional Agenda INTEGRATION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF WOMEN AND THE GENDER PERSPECTIVE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN Written statement submitted by the Asian Legal Resource Centre a non-governmental organization with general consultative status Lack of legal and institutional remedies for violence against women in Asia 1. The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (1993) recognised violence against women as constituting “a violation of the rights […]
Religious Intolerance in Asia
Item 11(e): CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS THE QUESTION OF RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE Religious Intolerance in Asia (E/CN.4/2001/NGO/71) Link to UNCHR (E/CN.4/2001/NGO/71) COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-seventh session Item 11 (e) of the provisional agenda CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS THE QUESTION OF RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE Religious Intolerance in Asia 1. Freedom of religion is guaranteed by article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Notwithstanding, the Asian Legal Resource Centre concurs with the Special Rapporteur that “the situation with regard to intolerance and discrimination based on religion or belief is alarming” (A/55/280, paragraph 133). In the last year, Asia has witnessed a marked increase in the level of religious intolerance and overt […]
Sri Lanka: the Bindunuwewa Massacre
Item 11(d): CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS THE QUESTION OF INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUDICIARY, ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, IMPUNITY Sri Lanka: the Bindunuwewa Massacre (E/CN.4/2001/NGO/70) Link to UNCHR (E/CN.4/2001/NGO/70) COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-seventh session Item 11 (d) of the provisional agenda CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS THE QUESTION OF INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUDICIARY, ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, IMPUNITY Sri Lanka: the Bindunuwewa Massacre 1. On October 25, 2000, twenty-six persons (twenty-nine by some estimates), were chopped to death, while about fourteen others were seriously injured, in a rehabilitation detention centre at Bindunuwewa, Badulla, Sri Lanka. According to the National Human Rights Commission, which inquired into the incident, “the police officers, approximately 60 in […]
Harassment of sex workers in Hong Kong SAR
Item 11(d): CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS THE QUESTION OF INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUDICIARY, ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, IMPUNITY Harassment of sex workers in Hong Kong SAR (E/CN.4/2001/NGO/69) Link to UNCHR (E/CN.4/2001/NGO/69) COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-seventh Session Item 11(d) of the Provisional Agenda CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS THE QUESTION OF INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUDICIARY, ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, IMPUNITY Written statement submitted by the Asian Legal Resource Centre a non-governmental organization with general consultative status Harassment of sex workers in Hong Kong SAR 1. In Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China, sex work is not technically illegal and existing laws claim to stop exploitation and control […]
Police abuses in Cambodia
Item 11(d): CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS THE QUESTION OF INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUDICIARY, ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, IMPUNITY Police abuses in Cambodia (E/CN.4/2001/NGO/68) Link to UNCHR (E/CN.4/2001/NGO/68) COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-seventh Session Item 11 (d) of the Provisional Agenda CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS THE QUESTION OF INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUDICIARY, ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, IMPUNITY Written statement submitted by the Asian Legal Resource Centre, a non-governmental organization with general consultative status Police abuses in Cambodia 1. Basic principles of international law and fair trial are often violated in Cambodia’s criminal justice system. Impunity, torture, forced confessions, illegal arrests and detention are frequently reported by the news media and monitoring non-government organisations. […]
Freedom of assembly, the Public Order Ordinance and academic freedom in Hong Kong SAR
Item 11(c): CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS THE QUESTION OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION Freedom of assembly, the Public Order Ordinance and academic freedom in Hong Kong SAR (E/CN.4/2001/NGO/67) Link to UNCHR (E/CN.4/2001/NGO/67) COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-seventh Session Item 11(c) of the Provisional Agenda CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS THE QUESTION OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION Written statement submitted by the Asian Legal Resource Centre a non-governmental organization with general consultative status Freedom of assembly, the Public Order Ordinance and academic freedom in Hong Kong SAR 1. On August 15, 2000, five university students in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hong Kong SAR) of the People’s Republic of China were arrested under the […]
Beatings of alleged criminals to death expose fatal flaws of the criminal justice system in Cambodia
Item 11(b): CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS THE QUESTION OF DISAPPEARANCES AND SUMMARY EXECUTIONS Beatings of alleged criminals to death expose fatal flaws of the criminal justice system in Cambodia (E/CN.4/2001/NGO/66) Link to UNCHR (E/CN.4/2001/NGO/66) COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-seventh Session Item 11 (b) of the Provisional Agenda CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS THE QUESTION OF DISAPPEARANCES AND SUMMARY EXECUTIONS Written statement submitted by the Asian Legal Resource Centre, a non-governmental organization with general consultative status Beatings of alleged criminals to death expose fatal flaws of the criminal justice system in Cambodia 1. Group killing of alleged criminals has become frequent practice in Cambodia. Pictures in newspapers publishing details of street executions […]
Item 11(b): CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS THE QUESTION OF DISAPPEARANCES AND SUMMARY EXECUTIONS : Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances in Sri Lanka (E/CN.4/2001/NGO/65)
Link to UNCHR (E/CN.4/2001/NGO/65) COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-seventh Session Item 11 (b) of the Provisional Agenda CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS THE QUESTION OF DISAPPEARANCES AND SUMMARY EXECUTIONS Written statement submitted by the Asian Legal Resource Centre, a non-governmental organisation with general consultative status Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances in Sri Lanka 1. Sri Lanka’s disappearance cases are an outstanding issue of gross human rights abuse. The Government of Sri Lanka has clearly ignored international efforts to address this concern. The time has come for the establishment of an international tribunal or similar body to press the matter. 2. The Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances made the following recommendations […]
Item 11(a): CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS THE QUESTION OF TORTURE AND DETENTION: Chaining and shackling of prisoners in Thailand (E/CN.4/2001/NGO/64)
Link to UNCHR E/CN.4/2001/NGO/64) COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-seventh Session Item 11 (a) of the Provisional Agenda CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS THE QUESTION OF TORTURE AND DETENTION Written statement submitted by the Asian Legal Resource Centre a non-governmental organization with general consultative status Chaining and shackling of prisoners in Thailand 1. According to article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Further, article 16 of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) determines that each State Party shall undertake to prevent – in […]






