Asia’s shaky commitment to human rights
Recent violence shows scant concern for rights defenders
By Renato Mabunga

Recent events in Asia have highlighted the sorry character of many states in their supposed commitment to human rights. The silence and failure of Asian governments to act on rights abuses erode the façade of witty rhetoric, and expose the true nature of their administrations.

On May 15, six armed men tried to abduct Mohammad Nur Khan, director of the non-government Ain O Salish Kendra of Bangladesh. The attempt on Khan was linked to his campaign against involuntary disappearances and extrajudicial executions allegedly perpetrated by the government’s Rapid Action Battalion.

Khan had received death threats and appealed to the courts for protection prior to his abduction, but to no avail.

On May 7, Rashid Rehman, a prominent lawyer and human rights defender in Pakistan, was killed for defending people wrongfully accused of blasphemy. He received threats from accusers even during court hearings.

Despite making appeals, Rehman was denied any protection by the state, even from the court that witnessed the mockery to the country’s supposed democratic institution.

Rehman’s case is just the latest in a chain of violent acts against lawyers, journalists and activists promoting human rights and democracy in Pakistan.

On May 13, the Punjab police filed blasphemy charges against 68 lawyers at the request of a Sunni leader in connection with protest actions calling for the arrest of a senior police official. The lawyers were protesting against the beating and detention of one of their colleagues following an argument with the police official.

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