(Bangkok/Kathmandu, 6 February 2022) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) strongly condemns the Indian government’s ban on the BBC documentary “The Modi Question.” The film explores Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role during the 2002 Gujarat Riots. This ban is a continuation of the unprecedented attacks on the freedom of speech and [ Read more ]

Two years after the Myanmar military launched a coup on 1 February 2021, civil society organizations strongly condemn the ongoing human rights violations, and call for accountability and the restoration of a legitimate government. The attempted coup breached Myanmar’s constitution and international law, and was met with massive and largely spontaneous protests that illustrated the [ Read more ]

On the 2nd anniversary of Myanmar’s attempted coup, we, the undersigned, call on Indonesia as the Chair of ASEAN to not legitimise the Myanmar junta at any cost. This shall include a commitment to disinvite junta representatives from ASEAN meetings at all levels. Earlier this week, a programme of the upcoming ASEAN Tourism Ministers & Related [ Read more ]

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), and Asia Democracy Network (ADN) are deeply concerned about the condition of youth pro-democracy activists who have been on hunger-strike from prison for more than a week.   The activists are protesting against their unjust pre-trial detention and are acting in support [ Read more ]

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), and Asia Democracy Network (ADN) are appalled that the Cambodian authorities have ordered for a music video by a rapper that recounts a deadly government crackdown on a workers’ protest nine years ago to be removed from a social media page. [ Read more ]

The Sri Lankan government should immediately end the arbitrary detention of Wasantha Mudalige, a student activist who was arrested on August 18, 2022, 7 human rights organizations said today. Since August 21, Mudalige, 29, has been held on orders signed by President Ranil Wickremesinghe under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), a draconian law that [ Read more ]

(Bangkok/Kathmandu – 16 January 2023) –  The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), and 30 of its member organisations strongly condemn the Taliban’s recent ban on women and girls from higher education and employment in non-governmental organisations (NGOs). “The Taliban’s complete exclusion of women from public life, denying them their human rights and [ Read more ]

(Bangkok/Kathmandu – 19 December 2022) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) is gravely concerned about crackdowns against opposition political parties by the government of Bangladesh as the country prepares for its 2023 national elections. The Bangladeshi government has intensified their crackdown on opposition parties, specifically the largest opposition group, Bangladesh Nationalist [ Read more ]

Joint Communiqué FORUM-ASIA 10th General Assembly, Bangkok, 29 September 2022 Members of the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) convened at Holiday Inn, Bangkok, Thailand from 26 – 29 September 2022 for the organization’s 10th General Assembly. The in-person gathering was a follow-up to the first part of the Assembly which was held [ Read more ]

13 December 2022: Ahead of the 10-year anniversary of the enforced disappearance of Lao civil society leader Sombath Somphone, we, the undersigned civil society organizations and individuals, renew calls on the Lao government to determine his fate and whereabouts and deliver justice, truth, and reparation to his family. We deplore the Lao authorities’ repeated failure [ Read more ]