FORUM-ASIA celebrates International Women’s Day on 8 March in solidarity with all women all over the world. In its press statement issued today, FORUM-ASIA stands up and joins all women in the world to defend, reclaim, promote and protect women’s rights as human rights, not only today but all the days of our lives. FORUM-ASIA [ Read more ]

In conjunction with International Death Penalty Abolition Day on 1 March, FORUM-ASIA joins all human rights organisations and defenders to remind the governments in Asia to respect their citizen’s right to life by abolishing the death penalty. Despite an existing global moratorium on the use of the death penalty adopted by the United National General [ Read more ]

The new Prime Minister of Thailand Samak Suntoravej plans to revive the anti-drug campaign, which reportedly killed 2,500 people in the past. FORUM-ASIA asks the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions Philip Alston to raise this issue to the government to prevent another extrajudicial killing. Mr. Philip Alston UN Special Rapporteur on [ Read more ]

Through its new constitution, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) of Burma plans to exclude pro-democratic leaders from the 2010 election. In a letter on 29 February, Burma Partnership urged leaders of ASEAN countries “not only to condemn the Burmese government on its decision, but also to reject its illegitimate constitution”. OPEN LETTER ASEAN [ Read more ]

A key Burmese political leader, Phado Mahn Sha, was assassinated on 14 February near the Thai-Burma border. In a letter to Thai prime minister Samak Suntoravej, FORUM-ASIA called on the government to "conduct a thorough examination and investigation into the case". H.E. Samak Suntoravej Prime Minister Excellency, We would like to bring your attention to [ Read more ]

FORUM-ASIA has urged Indonesia president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to stop execution of a man condemned to death in accordance with United Nations General Assembly’s resolution on global moratorium on the use of death penalty. This punishment also "violates the right to life". H.E. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono Your Excellency, We would like to express our deep [ Read more ]

In a letter sent on 18 February, FORUM-ASIA asked Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf, to stop execution of a man condemned to death. The letter also calls for him to have a “fair trial and access to lawyers”. Pakistan must follow the resolution for a Global Moratorium on the death penalty adopted at UN General Assembly. [ Read more ]

In a press statement issued on 18 February, FORUM-ASIA joins two national human rights NGOs to condemn the Malaysian government for increasing use of “brute force” against peaceful assemblies, such as the “Rally of Roses” organised by Hindu Rights Action Force on 16 February.   The use of force to deny Malaysians’ fundamental rights must [ Read more ]

For most Asian dictators, death seems to be the most convenient escape route out of prosecution for past misdeed. It was no different for Indonesia when former President Suharto died on 27 January; but was Suharto a great leader and a hero to the people of Indonesia? What does his death mean to the whole [ Read more ]

During the second meeting of the Solidarity for Asian’s People Advocacy (SAPA) Working Group on ASEAN in Bangkok recently, civil society groups agreed that the ASEAN Charter must be popularised, and the process of drafting the terms of reference for the human rights body must be transparent. (Bangkok) Civil society has welcomed the inclusion of [ Read more ]