The United Nations Human Rights Council elections will be held tomorrow in New York, Tuesday, 9 May 2006, at 10am (GST – 5.00). FORUM-ASIA is urging all Member States of the UN to consider the specificity of the pledges issued by the Asian candidates, to see if they are qualified to be in the Council. [ Read more ]

FORUM-ASIA released updates on the ratification record of key international human rights instruments of Asian governments on 10 December, Human Rights Day. The updates this year show that the ratification record of Asian governments remains dismal. Today, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) released updates on the ratification record of key international [ Read more ]

FORUM-ASIA strongly condemns the use of excessive force unleashed by Korean riot police and military troops on more than 700 farmers, human rights and peace activists protesting against US military bases expansion in Daeuchuri Village, Pyungtaek, 40 miles South of Seoul, on 4 May 2006. The incident has left more than 130 farmers and human [ Read more ]

Peasant leaders have been demanding for genuine agrarian reform from successive Philippine governments, but instead of addressing these grievances, the peasant leaders are being murdered, and the perpetrators are still free. Since 15 April, another three peasant leadershad been killed. FORUM-ASIA has condemned the killings and impunity and demand that the perpetrators be held responsible.FORUM-ASIA [ Read more ]

The Asian Forum for Human Rights (FORUM-ASIA), jointly with its national members and partners, is officially launching today a new website for the Asian Campaign on the Human Rights Council, available at hrc.forum-asia.org. The campaign will monitor and assess the Asian candidates’ suitability as potential members of the Human Rights Council. The website currently provides [ Read more ]

FORUM-ASIA expresses deep concern about the escalating violence in Sri Lanka, including the recent suicide bombing in Colombo and retaliatory aerial bombings in the East. War inevitably violates human rights and destroys human lives and this must be avoided at all costs. FORUM-ASIA callS on the Sri Lankan Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil [ Read more ]

The announcement by King Gyanendra of Nepal to reinstate the dissolved House of Representatives is a significant victory for the Nepalese people’s struggle for the restoration of democracy and human rights, and signals a crucial leap towards the end of the monarchy’s autocratic and repressive rule in Nepal. FORUM-ASIA salutes the Nepalese people for their [ Read more ]

The Nepalese Security Agencies have gone beyond their jurisdiction and opened fire on peaceful demonstrators, killing some and injuring many, who demanded the king to return power to the people. FORUM-ASIA executive committee has condemned the atrocities committed by the agencies, calling for the perpetrators of the violence “not to obey” orders of the government [ Read more ]

The police and local authorities in Bangladesh are taking “violent” actions against peaceful protesters demanding for the right to uninterrupted power supply as their rice cultivation (Boro) season is around the corner. They are also protesting against the corruption and mismanagement of the Rural Electricity Board in their District – Kansat area of the Chapai [ Read more ]

There is another major crackdown on human rights in Nepal today, following a peaceful assembly by the people on the streets of Kathmandu. In view of this latest incident, FORUM-ASIA demands immediate release of all the political activists, students, and professionals, including journalists, lawyers, doctors, litterateurs, artists and social activists in Nepal; and lift all [ Read more ]