Odhikar: Human Rights Monitoring Report, January 2016

Odhikar believes that ‘democracy’ is a form of the State and that freedom and human rights are its foundations. Democracy is not merely a process of electing a ruler; it is the result of the peoples’ struggle for inalienable rights, which become the fundamental premise to constitute the State. Therefore, the individual freedoms and democratic aspirations of the citizens – and consequently, peoples’ collective rights and responsibilities - must be the foundational principles of the State.

AFAD CONDEMNS TIMOR-LESTE GOVERNMENT’S HARRASSMENT AGAINST ASOSIASAUN HAK MEMBERS

27 January 2016, Manila, Philippines — The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) strongly condemns the deplorable harassment of Timor-Leste State agents against Adelio da Costa Fernandes, a human rights activist working for Asosiasaun HAK, a member organization of AFAD, that took place on 26th January 2016.

On the occasion of the visit of the Indonesian President Mr. Joko Widodo in Timor-Leste, the Timor-Leste Defence Force (F-FDTL) went to HAK’s office asking to use the venue as a “security base” given its proximity to the Indonesian Embassy. Upon seeing that one member of HAK staff, Adelio da Costa Fernandes, was wearing a t-shirt with “Free West Papua" printed on the front, one F-FDTL forced said staff to take it off because of the statement.

AFAD Strongly Condemns Deportation of Council Member by Malaysia Gov’t

Manila, Philippines—The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) strongly condemns the deportation of its Council Member and former Chairperson, Mugiyanto, by Malaysian authorities last January 7, 2016. Mugiyanto, an Indonesian human rights defender and co-founder of the Indonesian Association of the Families of the Disappeared (IKOHI), arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport that day at around 11:30 AM where he was then held and interrogated by three police officers, including one anti-terror unit. Mugiyanto was travelling to Kuala Lumpur on invitation to speak at the #YellowMania forum organized by Malaysian electoral rights group, Bersih.

SC Orders Judicial Custody to the Perpetrator in Conflict-era Case

Kathmandu, 21 December 2015. Revoking an order of the Hetauda Appellate Court, the Supreme Court on Monday ordered to remand Chhabilal Paudel into judicial custody. However, the Court has upheld the order of Chitwan District Court and Hetauda Appellate Court in relation to the other perpetrators pinpointed in the FIR. Paudel is identified as one of the main alleged perpetrators in the killings of Krishna Prasad Adhikari of Gorkha District.

A division bench of honorable Justices Girish Chandra Lal Das and Deepak Raj Joshi have found the decision of Hetauda Appellate Court to release him on bail is erroneous and ordered to proceed trial remanding him in judicial custody. Nanda Prasad Adhikari, deceased’s father died in September last year while staging fast –unto- death demanding justice for his son, Krishna Prasad’s murderer. Ganga Maya, a wife of Nanda Prasad, refused to perform his last rites demanding the punishment to the murderer of her son and has been staging hunger strike at Trauma Centre since June 2015.