New Delhi:
India is the best human rights performer in South Asia, while Sri Lanka
has the worst human rights record, according to a report released by
human rights watchdog Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) on Friday.

The South Asia Human Rights Index 2008
finds that under the ACHR's index scoring system, Sri Lanka with 52
points was the worst human rights violator in South Asia followed by
Bangladesh (45), Bhutan (43), Pakistan (41), Maldives (23), Nepal (24)
and India (24).

“India
is the best human rights performer in the South Asian region because of
the existence of institutional mechanisms. However, its record on human
rights continued to be poor,” said ACHR Director, Suhas Chakma.

India
continues to fail to ensure political freedom and inclusion to
vulnerable groups like Dalits, Sikhs who migrated from Pakistan to
Jammu and Kashmir in 1947 and the Chakmas and Hajongs of Arunachal
Pradesh, the report said.

“India
records high number of cases of blatant violations of the right to life
due to custodial deaths, fake encounter killings, torture and killings
through the disproportionate use of fire-arms. From April 1, 2007 to
Dec 31, 2007, a total of 1,459 cases of custodial deaths were
registered. It implies over five persons were killed in custody every
day."