Online Resource Centre Report of the Justice D.P. Wadhwa Commission of Inquiry: Judicial Commission or Injudicious Cover up? (25 August 1999) On 5 August 1999, the Government of India released the Report of the Justice D.P. Wadhwa Commission of Inquiry into the killing of the Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons in the Indian state of Orissa in January 1999. In its findings, the Commission despite a preponderence of evidence to the contrary, vindicated Hindu Fundamentalist organisations of involvement in the killings, blaming an individual--Dara Singh--for instigating and perpetrating the attack. Furthermore, the Commission did not locate the Staines' killings in the context of a year of unprecedented violence against Christians--choosing instead to cast attacks against Christians as a media fabrication. This Report provides a detailed critique of the findings of the Commission in light of the evidence, the Written Submission of Counsel for the Commission and the national context of the killings. Alternate Report and Commentary to the U.N. Human Rights Committee on India's 3rd Periodic Report under Article 40 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (July 1997) SAHRDC hopes that this report and commentary would assist the Honourable members of the Human Rights Committee to effectively examine the observance of India's obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and to make recommendations to strengthen democratic institutions and fortify the rule of law in India. |
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Armed Forces Special Powers Act: A study in National Security tyranny (November 1995) An essay and legal analysis of The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act of 1958 (AFSPA) - one of the more draconian legislations that the Indian Parliament has passed in its 45 years of Parliamentary history. The enforcement of the AFSPA has resulted in innumerable incidents of arbitrary detention, torture, rape, and looting by security personnel. |
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Confronting the Violence Committed by Armed Opposition Groups by Ravi Nair (1998) In many nations of the world the state is only one among several actors that perpetrates abuses against innocent civilians. Should human rights organizations move to criticize the activities of non-state groups? Is it important that only states have signed international human rights conventions, and how would human rights organizations avoid taking political sides? In addressing these questions the author argues that any such criticism should be exercised with care, but sometimes is necessary if human rights organizations are to help create a more humane society. |
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| Country Report on the Refugee Situation in India Though India has not ratified the 1951 United Nations (UN) and 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, it provides shelter to over 300,000 refugees from neighboring countries. This brief report documents conditions experienced by Jumma, Sri Lankan, Tibetan, Bhutanese, Burmese and Tribal Refugees, as well as internally displaced persons, in India. |
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| Human Rights & Human Rights Instruments in India Examination of the nature and application of human rights and human rights instruments in India in different areas, including: international human rights instruments; political murders, disappearances and torture; torture; death penalty; discrimination based on race, sex, color, ethnic origin, political or religious belief; the status of women; bonded and child labour; and, the treatment of human rights groups by the state. |
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| Refugee Protection in India (October 1997) This article aims to inform the world about the condition of South Asian refugees in India and draw the Indian Government's attention to the need for legislation to protect refugees and asylum seekers. Moreover, this article will examine the role of inter-governmental organizations such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and domestic NGOs such as the South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre (SAHRDC) in New Delhi. |
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| Return of the Maoists: Midnight knocks and extrajudicial killings in Nepal This report documents the first-hand testimonies of victims, relatives and eyewitnesses of human rights abuses by Nepalese Police and Maoist cadres in the Rapti region of mid-Western Nepal. The testimonies were collected by a SAHRDC research associate who visited Nepal, including the Rolpa and Dang districts in the Rapti region, between April 12 and 22, 1996. |
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| The Situation of Burmese Refugees in Asia: Special Focus on India Brief report on SAHRDC's close monitoring of the situation of Burmese refugees in Asia, with special focus on India. The Burmese refugees have either been pressurized to stop their pro-democracy activities or been asked to return to their country. The death sentence that awaits them in Yangoon does not count in geo-politics. |
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| The State of Refugees under the Protection of UNHCR in New Delhi (September 1994) This study examines the services offered by the New Delhi office of the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR) to the refugee population in the Union Territory of Delhi, India. Specifically, the report examines: the nature, relevance and accessibility of services offered by the Delhi office of the UNHCR to refugees in Delhi; it examines such services in the light of Refugee Rights and Human Rights; and it identifies problems faced by refugees in Delhi. |
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| The Stateless Chakmas and Hajongs of the Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh: A study of systematic repression (October 1997) Part I of this Report traces the history of international law on stateless persons. Part II examines the particular circumstances of the Chakmas and Hajongs of Arunachal Pradesh and assesses their claims to Indian citizenship under both international and Indian law. Finally, Part III documents the numerous human rights abuses suffered by the Chakmas and Hajongs of Arunachal Pradesh as a result of their stateless condition. |
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| Survival, Dignity and Democracy: Burmese Refugees in India, 1997 (October 1997) Approximately 55,000 Burmese nationals are currently in India, however, of that number, only about 467 are recognized and protected refugees of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in India. This report focuses on the plight of Burmese refugees in India, in particular, the predicament of Burmese nationals who remain unrecognized and unassisted in the North Eastern frontier, and the situation of the refugee population in Delhi. |
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| Willing Suspension of Disbelief - Parliamentary Elections in Jammu and Kashmir (June 1996) Analysis of the electoral history of Jammu and Kashmir which evidences the need for an international supervisory mechanism that eliminates intimidation, enforces human rights, and inspires confidence in potential voters. Statistical data for parliamentary elections from 1967 to 1989 is provided. |
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