SAHR – Page 22 – South Asians for Human Rights

Nepal: Indigenous rights activist briefly ‘held’ for protesting against arrest of persons charged of cow slaughter

SAHR June 27, 2011

Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NFIN) general secretary Ang Kazi Sherpa was briefly “held” at the Boudha police station in the capital where he had gone to learn about the condition of four persons arrested on charges of slaughtering a cow.

Although Boudha police later denied that Sherpa was detained and said he returned few hours after meeting the DSP at the police station, a statement circulated by the NFIN this afternoon said that Sherpa was indeed held when he reached the police station to inquire about the four persons arrested by police for slaughtering cow at Jorpati.

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Nepal: NHRC chair expresses serious concern over govt apathy towards checking impunity

SAHR June 27, 2011

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chairman Kedar Nath Upadhyay on Sunday complained that impunity has risen significantly in the country as the recommendation made by rights organisations to take action against rights violators went largely unnoticed or were never implemented.

Speaking at a programme organised by NHRC in the capital on the occasion of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture today, he expressed grave concern over the government’s sheer apathy towards taking stringent action against individuals involved in serious rights violations.

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Bangladesh: Muhith opposes proposed changes

SAHR June 27, 2011

Finance Minister AMA Muhith has strongly opposed the proposed changes to the Anti-Corruption Commission Act that make it mandatory for the anti-graft body to take government permission before filing cases against civil servants.

Hinting at a possible outcome of the changes, the minister said only a Pakistani customs official named Zakir was convicted in the subcontinent’s history in a case filed with prior permission of the government.

Muhith was quoted as saying this at a meeting of the parliamentary standing committee on law ministry yesterday.

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“Indian Media – Politically Free, Prisoners of Profit” – P.Sainath

SAHR June 24, 2011

Eminent commentator and rural affairs editor of The Hindu newspaper, P.Sainath speaks to Newsclick on media discourse and other issues related to the “Fourth Estate”. The video can be accessed at http://newsclick.in/international/indian-media-politically-free-prisoners-profit-psainath

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SAHR worried at govt support for Rab action

SAHR June 22, 2011

The South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) has expressed concern over government’s continued statements defending the Rab shooting of college student Limon Hossain into disability.

“We believe such statements of advisers and ministers of the government only serve to provide continuing patronage and protection to Rab from the legal consequences of its extrajudicial and indiscriminate shooting at ordinary people of the country,” a SAHR press release said yesterday.

It also mentioned people in the government repeatedly termed Limon a criminal without giving any evidence extracted through any “acceptable and credible” investigation.

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SAHR express concern over the government’s statements on the shooting of Limon Hossain

SAHR June 21, 2011

We express our concern over the Bangladesh government’s continuous statements in defense of its Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) shooting of college student Limon Hossain. In their statements given at various times, they have termed him as a criminal without having demonstrated evidence in any acceptable or credible investigation. We believe such statements of the advisers and ministers of the government only serves at providing continuing patronage and protection to RAB from the legal consequence of their extra judicial and indiscriminate shooting at ordinary people of the country.

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India – Keep Promises on Human Rights: HRW

SAHR June 21, 2011

(New York) – India should immediately implement its laws and policies to strengthen its human rights protections as a new member of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Human Rights Watch said last week in a letter to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. When it presented its candidacy to the Human Rights Council, India pledged to uphold the highest standards to promote and protect human rights.

“India has made significant promises outlining its human rights record and commitments,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Now it’s time for India to keep those promises.”

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India Turns Down Second Mercy Petition

SAHR June 21, 2011

Devender Pal Singh is at risk of imminent execution in New Delhi, India, after the President of India rejected his mercy petition in May. This is the second petition rejected in the same month.

Devender Pal Singh (also known as Davinder Pal Singh Bhullar) was sentenced to death in August 2001 after being found guilty of involvement in bomb attack in New Delhi in 1993 that killed nine. He was found guilty solely on the basis of an unsubstantiated confession he made to police and later retracted as being made under police pressure. He was arrested under the subsequently-lapsed Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) at New Delhi Airport in January 1995, after being deported from Germany where he had sought political asylum. TADA is recognised as containing provisions that are incompatible with international standards for fair trial.

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India: The discreet charm of civil society

SAHR June 21, 2011

P. SAINATH

There is nothing wrong in having advisory groups. But there is a problem when groups not constituted legally cross the line of demands, advice and rights-based, democratic agitation.

The 1990s saw marketing whiz kids at the largest English daily in the world steal a term then in vogue among sexually discriminated minorities: PLUs — or People Like Us. Media content would henceforth be for People Like Us. This served advertisers’ needs and also helped shut out unwanted content. As the daily advised its reporters: dying farmers don’t buy newspapers. South Mumbaikars do. So the suicide deaths of a couple of fashion models in that city grabbed more space in days than those of over 40,000 farmers in Maharashtra did in a decade.

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India: Teenager at Risk of Repeat Detention

SAHR June 21, 2011

Nineteen year old Zaffar Shafi Hakeem was taken into custody by police immediately after being released from administrative detention on 10 June , and is at risk of a repeat administrative detention order.

Zaffar Shafi Hakeem had been arrested on 28 January by police in Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir, India. He was held in administrative detention under the Public Safety Act (PSA) from 29 January till 10 June.

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Author page: SAHR

Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NFIN) general secretary Ang Kazi Sherpa was briefly “held” at the Boudha police station in the capital where he had gone to learn about the condition of four persons arrested on charges of slaughtering a cow.

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chairman Kedar Nath Upadhyay on Sunday complained that impunity has risen significantly in the country as the recommendation made by rights organisations to take action against rights violators went largely unnoticed or were never implemented.

Speaking at a programme organised by NHRC in the capital on the occasion of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture today, he expressed grave concern over the government’s sheer apathy towards taking stringent action against individuals involved in serious rights violations.

The South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) has expressed concern over government’s continued statements defending the Rab shooting of college student Limon Hossain into disability.

“We believe such statements of advisers and ministers of the government only serve to provide continuing patronage and protection to Rab from the legal consequences of its extrajudicial and indiscriminate shooting at ordinary people of the country,” a SAHR press release said yesterday.

It also mentioned people in the government repeatedly termed Limon a criminal without giving any evidence extracted through any “acceptable and credible” investigation.

“India has made significant promises outlining its human rights record and commitments,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Now it’s time for India to keep those promises.”

Devender Pal Singh is at risk of imminent execution in New Delhi, India, after the President of India rejected his mercy petition in May. This is the second petition rejected in the same month.

P. SAINATH

There is nothing wrong in having advisory groups. But there is a problem when groups not constituted legally cross the line of demands, advice and rights-based, democratic agitation.

Nineteen year old Zaffar Shafi Hakeem was taken into custody by police immediately after being released from administrative detention on 10 June , and is at risk of a repeat administrative detention order.

Zaffar Shafi Hakeem had been arrested on 28 January by police in Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir, India. He was held in administrative detention under the Public Safety Act (PSA) from 29 January till 10 June.