ASIA: States should commit to ensure adequate resources for Special Procedure mandates to function effectively

An Oral Statement to the 34th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council from the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) Mr. President, It takes sustained efforts and resources for organisations like the ALRC to report to the Special Procedures mandates, cases of human rights violations. The expectation is, that when cases are reported, mandate holders are in a position to promptly act. Unfortunately, our experience is that all Special Procedure mandate holders face acute paucity in resources, sufficient staff members, and other facilities for them to effectively act upon the information and complaints they receive. Two concerns arise out of the current situation are: (i) despite their earnestness to […]

ASIA: Upholding Truth and Justice or Protecting Religious Freedom is impossible without capable justice institutions

An Oral Statement to the 34th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council from the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) Clustered Interactive Dialogue with Special Rapporteurs on Truth Justice Reconciliation and Freedom of Religion Mr. President. The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) wishes to bring to the attention of this Council that irrespective of the international documents a state is party to, truth, justice, reparation and guarantee of non-recurrence is impossible at the domestic level, without functioning national justice institutions that are equipped, independent and willing to be the first line of defence to human rights violations. This principle, of having domestic institutions, also applies to guarantee freedom of […]

ASIA: Council needs to make itself effective in protecting rights

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

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: Situation of human rights defenders in China, Thailand, and Bangladesh

A Written Submission to the 31st Regular Session of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre The Asian Legal Resource Centre wishes to direct the attention of the Human Rights Council to the critical situation of human rights defenders in China, Bangladesh, and Thailand. While this Council is holding its 31st Regular Session, human rights defenders in these three countries are facing dire threats to their person and profession. Members of the Council, at least 290 lawyers are currently being held in detention in China, for nothing more than undertaking their professional responsibilities. Many have had their licences revoked. Almost all of them have been […]

ASIA: Parallel event on Rule of Law in Bangladesh

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ALRC-ANM-002-2014 June 17, 2014 An Announcement by the Asian Legal Resource Centre ASIA:Parallel event on Rule of Law in Bangladesh Parallel Event: UN Human Rights Council 26th Session ‘Rule of Law in Bangladesh’ Thursday 19 June 2014, 16:00-18:00 Room XXIII, Palais des Nations The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) and CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation along with the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and Human Rights Watch (HRW) invite you to a parallel event on “The Rule of Law in Bangladesh.” The event is scheduled for 19 June 2014 from 16:00 to 18:00 along-side the 26th session of the Human […]

ASIA: Human Rights Council alerted to grave violations in Nepal and Indonesia’s Papuan regions

date: June 28, 2012 document id: ALRC-COS-20-13-2012 HRC section: Item 4, General Debate Speaker: Ms. Juliette Thibaud An Oral Statement to the 20th Session of the UN Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC), a non-governmental organization in general consultative status ASIA: Human Rights Council alerted to grave violations in Nepal and Indonesia’s Papuan regions Thank you Madam President, In Nepal, the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly without having produced a new constitution and growing political instability, threaten security gains and human rights, as noted by the High Commissioner this session. Serious human rights violations, notably caste-based and gender-motivated violence, continue to be documented and are insufficiently […]

ASIA: Human Rights Council alerted to gender-motivated violations in Nepal, Pakistan and Indonesia

date: June 26, 2012 document id: ALRC-COS-20-11-2012 HRC section: Item 3, General Debate Speaker: Ms. Juliette Thibaud An Oral Statement to the 20th Session of the UN Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC), a non-governmental organization in general consultative status ASIA: Human Rights Council alerted to gender-motivated violations in Nepal, Pakistan and Indonesia Thank you Madam President, The ALRC is gravely concerned by widespread gender-based discrimination and violence in Asia. In Nepal, the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly risks greatly undermining efforts to increase protection of women’s rights, by weakening the accountability of law enforcement agencies in dealing with gender-motivated violence, and delaying the adoption of […]

ASIA: Business enterprises and attacks on human rights defenders and protestors

date: June 21, 2012 document id: ALRC-COS-20-12-2012 HRC section: Item 3: Interactive Dialogue with the Working Group on the Issue of Human Rights and Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises A Joint Oral Statement to the 20th Session of the UN Human Rights Council from Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada (LRWC), a non-governmental organization in special consultative status, and Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC), a non-governmental organization in general consultative status ASIA: Business enterprises and attacks on human rights defenders and protestors President, Members of the Working Group: LRWC and ALRC welcome your report, including your comment that ASEAN’s Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights plans a thematic study towards an ASEAN […]

ASIA: Violations of freedom of expression and extra-judicial killings denounced in Thailand, Pakistan, Indonesia and the Philippines

date: June 19, 2012 document id: ALRC-COS-20-10-2012 HRC section: Item 3, Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteurs on freedom of expression and extra-judicial killings speaker: Ms. Tyrell Haberkorn An Oral Statement to the 20th Session of the UN Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC), a non-governmental organization in general consultative status ASIA: Violations of freedom of expression and extra-judicial killings denounced in Thailand, Pakistan, Indonesia and the Philippines Thank you Madam President, The ALRC welcomes the work and reports of the Rapporteurs on freedom of expression and extra-judicial killings. We welcome the Pakistani government’s agreement to a visit by the mandate on freedom of expression. As […]