FORUM-ASIA called on the Malaysian government to respect the right to freedom of assembly and allow the mass rally against the draconian Internal Security Act (ISA), scheduled in Kuala Lumpur on 1 August by the Abolish ISA Movement. (Bangkok, 30 July 2009) The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) called on the Malaysian [ Read more ]

As the world awaits for the Burmese court's verdict of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's two-month trial, solidarity activists under the Free Burma Coalition-Philippines and Asia Pacific Solidarity Coalition (APSOC) will hold a protest action tomorrow to further denounce the continued detention of Burma's democracy icon by the military regime of Burma. (Source: Free Burma [ Read more ]

FORUM-ASIA condemns the crackdown on the striking workers of the Ssangyong Motor Company. This statement calls for tripartite negotiations between the workers, the government and the company and an end to the repressive measures being used against the striking workers. (29 July 2009, Bangkok) Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) strongly condemns the [ Read more ]

The draft for the ASEAN human rights body is to be submitted on 18 July, during the 42nd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM). Civil society organisations called on ASEAN Foreign Ministers to establish a "strong, credible, and independent" body. (Phuket, July 17, 2009) This 42nd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) will be a milestone for the development [ Read more ]

Numerous people are showing their grave concern with retreat of human rights and democracy in the Korean society since the inauguration of President Lee Myungbak in 2008 through a public statement. (Source: People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD), 6 July 2009) Numerous people are showing their grave concern with retreat of human rights and democracy [ Read more ]

On 1 July 2009 the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) condemned the attack of Muslims on Christians' houses in the district of Kasur, which took place on the day before. The commission urged the government to take a "strict action" on the case. On 1 July 2009 the National Commission for Justice and [ Read more ]

Civil society organisations in Cambodia, including FORUM-ASIA member LICADHO, condemned the lifting of parliamentary immunity of two members of the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) and lack of transparency of the event to the public. This lifting enabled the Prime Minister's defamation lawsuit proceed, attacking "democratically elected representatives of the people". Below is the organisations' statement [ Read more ]

Odhikar, FORUM-ASIA member in Bangladesh, issued its "Half-Year Report" on 2 July 2009, focusing on human rights issues of the country. The organisation expressed its concerns over continuing extrajudicial killing and its justification by the government. "There is no such thing called crossfire in this country", said the State Minister for Home Affairs in June. [ Read more ]

On 2 July 2009, the Delhi High Court made a judgment by legalising same-sex relationship between consenting adults. This is a great step forward against discrimination, bigotry and intolerance against this community. Homosexuality is not only criminalised but also marginalised in the region. Both the 148-old British colonial law and the Indian Penal Code provide [ Read more ]

Since 2007, the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Centre (LGBT Centre), a non-governmental and non-profit organisation, has been denied official registration by the State Registration Authority of Mongolia since 2007. In a letter on 10 July 2009 (below), FORUM-ASIA urged the chief commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission of Mongolia to conduct an investigation [ Read more ]