40th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council Item 3: General Debate on the promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights, including the right to development                              Oral Statement Delivered by Shanna Priangka Ramadhanti [ Read more ]

Civil society organisations from across South Asia, see full list of signatories below, are deeply concerned about the recent tensions between Pakistan and India. We call up on the Governments of the two countries to take immediate steps to further de-escalate the tension, to create an enabling environment for peace dialogue, and to protect human [ Read more ]

40th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council Item 3: Clustered Interactive Dialogue, Special Rapporteurs on the situation of human rights defenders and torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment Oral Statement Delivered by Omaima Najjar Thursday, 28 February 2019 Thank you, Mr President. I am here with women human rights defenders from across [ Read more ]

(Bangkok, 27 February 2019) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) is deeply concerned over the rapid escalation of the tension between Pakistan and India, and urges both Governments to show restraint and caution to assure recent incidents do not accelerate into a full-out confrontation. No one benefits from renewed violent conflict [ Read more ]

(Bangkok, 27 February 2019) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) stands in solidarity with human rights defender Jolovan Wham, as he faces a sentence of sixteen days of imprisonment for violating the Public Order Act. His sentencing highlights Singapore’s tightening grip on civil society and its refusal to heed continuous calls [ Read more ]

Philippines: Outspoken Senator Arbitrarily Detained Two Years Drop Politically Motivated Charges against Leila de Lima (Manila/Bangkok, 22 February 2019) – The Philippine government should drop the politically-motivated charges against Senator Leila de Lima, a prominent critic of President Rodrigo Duterte’s abusive “war on drugs,” Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and FORUM-ASIA said today. De Lima [ Read more ]

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha Office of the Permanent Secretary, Prime Minister’s Office Royal Thai Government Government House 1 Pitsanulok Road Dusit, Bangkok 10300 Thailand   14 February 2019 RE: New Lawsuits Brought by Thammakaset Company Limited Against Human Rights Defenders   Dear Prime Minister Prayut, The 89 undersigned organizations write to express our deep concern [ Read more ]

(Kathmandu/Bangkok, 30 January 2019) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) is deeply concerned over the threat, intimidation and verbal abuse of women human rights defender Shila Bewa, 28 years old. Shila is an active member of Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), a member of FORUM-ASIA, which works on human rights issues [ Read more ]

(Bangkok/Jakarta, 18 January 2019) – While the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ (AMM) Retreat is taking place on 17 – 18 January 2019 in Chiang Mai, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) calls on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to urgently address human rights violations in the region. A first step to [ Read more ]

(11 January 2019, Bangkok) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) and its member organisations in the Philippines strongly condemn Philippine President Duterte’s recent tirades against human rights groups. In a speech delivered on 9 January 2019, he accused human rights groups of being ‘enemies of the Government’.[1] Such comments only distort [ Read more ]