South Asia Citizens Web

Dawn, 30 March 2009
Lawyers’ struggle: another view
THE successful movement for the reinstatement of Iftikhar Chaudhry is being billed as a historic watershed event that has redefined the politics of the country and, in particular, the relationship between citizen and state.
Whether this conclusion turns out to be an illusion or reality will be tested in due course of time. In the meantime, however, an examination of the composition of the movement raises some disturbing questions. (…)

sacw.net
We are appalled at reports of mass deaths of Sri Lankan Tamils trapped in a small area of the Vanni region in northern Sri Lanka.
Both electronic and print media have reported the death of over 700 Tamils in the last couple days, with only a section of them being identified as Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE, or "Tamil Tigers") cadres, meaning therefore that a vast number of those killed are civilians trapped in the area. There are serious apprehensions that a thermobaric (…)

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Citizens For Justice and Peace
Mumbai, April 14, 2009
CJP’s Rebuttal on Media Coverage of Supreme Court Proceedings, April 13, 2009
The report in sections of the national media dated April 14, 2009, alleging that NGOs, Teesta etc misled the apex court and exaggerated the violence in Gujarat in 2002 are clear example of irresponsible reportage. Intentionally or otherwise, the distorted report damages the reputation of a citizens’ group that has been recognized nationally and (…)

Amnesty International, USA
Press Release
Nepal’s government fails to protect women human rights activists
10 April 2009
Uma Singh, a young woman journalist and activist, was murdered for raising the issue of violence against women in Nepal. Uma, who worked for Radio Today FM and the Women’s Human Rights Defender Network, was hacked to death by a gang of men on 11 January 2009.
On 10 April 2008, a new Constituent Assembly in Nepal was elected. The elections brought hope for placing (…)

It is clear from the recent record of the higher judiciary that the imperative of upholding civil liberties, socio-economic rights, and environmental protection has been subordinated to agendas such as the "war on terror", "development" and satisfying corporate interests. Far from remaining faithful to the motives that resulted in the institution of public interest litigation, the Supreme Court has tended to act against the interests of the socio-economically backward.