(Bangkok/Kathmandu – 13 December 2022) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) expresses deep concern over the violent confrontation between the protestors and over 200 security forces during the recent landless squatter protests in Nepal on the banks of the Bagmati River at Thapathali. The landless squatters have been protesting against being [ Read more ]

(Jakarta, 7 December 2022) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) and its members in Indonesia condemn the inclusion of problematic provisions to the new Indonesian Criminal Code enacted yesterday. The Code was passed despite the massive and widespread public protest and criticism over the articles that could disregard gross human rights [ Read more ]

Kuala Lumpur/ Hong Kong/ Manila/ Bangkok/ Paris/Dhaka /Geneva /Johannesburg /Washington DC, 09 December 2022: The undersigned human rights organisations commemorate all victims of human rights violations and stand in solidarity with the victims’ families in Bangladesh and across the world. This year’s International Human Rights Day’s slogan is “Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All”. International [ Read more ]

We, the undersigned organisations, express our utmost concern over the ongoing criminalization of ten human rights defenders and members of Karapatan, GABRIELA and the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) in retaliation for their legitimate human rights work. Elisa Tita Lubi, Karapatan Chairperson; Cristina Palabay, Karapatan Secretary General; Roneo Clamor, Karapatan Deputy Secretary General; Gabriela [ Read more ]

CIVICUS and Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) condemn the recent arbitrary arrest of labour activist, Chhim Sithar, and call for her immediate and unconditional release. The government of Cambodia must also stop the judicial harassment against her and other trade union activists in the country. Chhim Sithar is the recently re-elected President [ Read more ]

The undersigned organisations call for the immediate and unconditional release of Kashmiri human rights defender Khurram Parvez, who was arrested one year ago on November 22, 2021 on politically motivated terrorism and other charges. Parvez, the Coordinator of the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) and Chairperson of the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances [ Read more ]

(Jakarta, 16 November 2022) — ASEAN and the UN Security Council (UNSC) must move beyond the Five-Point Consensus and immediately join forces to take coordinated actions to cease the Myanmar military junta’s ongoing atrocity crimes, said Progressive Voice (PV), Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (ALTSEAN-Burma), and the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA). [ Read more ]

Amidst the current turmoil caused by social, economic, political, and climate crisis in the region and at global levels, more than 500 participants with gender balance, from a diversity of civil society, ethnic minorities and groups, Indigenous Peoples, LGBTQIA+, Women, Persons with Disabilities, elderly, Buddhist monks, faith- based, migrant workers, informal workers, trade unions, farmers [ Read more ]

(Jakarta, 9 November 2022) — ASEAN must stop aiding and abetting the Myanmar military’s atrocity crimes and take concrete action to exclude all political and non-political representatives of the Myanmar military junta from attending ASEAN summits, meetings and activities, said Progressive Voice (PV) and the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA). Justice For [ Read more ]

(Bangkok/Kathmandu – 8 November 2022) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) is deeply concerned over Nepal’s Election Commission’s policy to monitor social media content for the upcoming nationwide elections on 20 November 2022. Mobilising security forces to regulate the content on social media is a disturbing precedent since it heavily tramples [ Read more ]