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 […]

EGYPT: Dissolution Ultimatum for Independent Groups

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ALRC-STM-004-2014 August 30, 2014 A Joint Statement by the Asian Legal Resource Centre EGYPT:Dissolution Ultimatum for Independent Groups September 2 Deadline to Comply with Draconian 84/2002 Law (London, August 30, 2014) – Independent organizations in Egypt face a looming crackdown, 45 international and national human rights groups from across the globe said today in a joint statement. The Egyptian Social Solidarity Ministry placed an advertisement in leading state newspaper Al-Ahram on July 18, 2014, giving all Egyptian and international nongovernmental organizations until September 2 to register under Law 84/2002, a restrictive measure passed during the Mubarak rule. This law empowers the government to shut down any group […]

PAKISTAN: Appeal to end enforced disappearances and safe recovery of student leaders

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ALRC-STM-003-2014 June 16, 2014 A Statement by the Asian Legal Resource Centre PAKISTAN: Appeal to end enforced disappearances and safe recovery of student leaders The Asian Legal Resources Centre (ALRC) has on numerous previous occasions alerted the Human Rights Council (HRC) of the large numbers of missing persons in Pakistan. The country is continuously beset by widespread, grave human rights violations perpetrated by the various State-agencies and institutions, notably more so by the infamous Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)[1] and the military. Hundreds of students are reported missing as the result of enforced disappearances taking place across the country – particularly in the conflict – affected areas, mainly in […]

BANGLADESH: Big Brother Law for NGOs on the anvil

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ALRC-STM-002-2014 June 13, 2014 A Statement by the Asian Legal Resource Centre BANGLADESH: Big Brother Law for NGOs on the anvil The Bangladesh government wants to quash human rights activism. The cabinet has approved the “Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Regulations Bill, 2014”, which will likely become law soon. The Bill empowers bureaucrats to decide the fate of NGOs and voluntary activities. All individuals or collectives, from NGO’s to volunteer groups, receiving foreign funds for implementing projects will be under constant surveillance under this law. The law will usher even more arbitrary executive actions in Bangladesh. The Bill, in its current form, empowers bureaucrats to grant registration to […]

BANGLADESH: Incommensurable with the rule of law

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ALRC-STM-001-2014 May 22, 2014 A Statement by the Asian Legal Resource Centre BANGLADESH: Incommensurable with the rule of law The international community continues to invest effort in developing governance systems in countries like Bangladesh. Understanding the dynamics of the country where resources are invested thus remains a quest. Human rights experts hailing from countries with mature democracies and functioning rule of law institutions tend to be well-versed in the behaviour of their country’s institutions. But, such prisms can have little meaning elsewhere. The realities for a citizen in a rule of law nation and realities for a citizen in a country like Bangladesh are incommensurable. In a […]