(Bangkok/Kathmandu, 26 December 2018) – Kishorechandra Wangkhem, a journalist from Manipur was sentenced to one year in prison for posting a video on social media criticising the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP)-led Government. The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) strongly denounces the unlawful sentencing of Wangkhem under the preventive detention clauses treating the journalist as [ Read more ]

(Bangkok/Kathmandu, 26 December 2018) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) is gravely concerned about the ongoing crackdown on political opponents and increasing violence over electioneering ahead of Bangladesh national election on 30 December 2018. FORUM-ASIA calls on the Government of Bangladesh and its law enforcement authorities to enable a conducive environment [ Read more ]

(Bangkok/Kathmandu, 16 November 2018) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM ASIA) strongly denounces the ongoing attack and harassment of Odhikar, a human rights organisation in Bangladesh. It has recently been a target of false and fabricated accusations. On 11 November, Janakantha, a pro-government newspaper published an article titled “The controversial organization [ Read more ]

(Bangladesh/Kathmandu, 13 November 2018) – The Asian forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) strongly denounces the continued detention of Shahidul Alam, a well-known photographer and human rights activist from Bangladesh. Alam, who founded the Drik Photo Gallery, was arrested shortly after he posted on Facebook about the protests for road safety in Dhaka in [ Read more ]

(Bangkok/Kathmandu, 9 November, 2018): The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) expresses serious concern over brutal attack on the well-known Right to Information and anti-corruption activist and the president of Civil Society Women’s Organization (CSWO) Agnes Kharshiing and her associate Amita Sangma on 8 November 2018.  They were on a field visit to [ Read more ]

JOINT STATEMENT: CSOs call on authorities to step up the fight against endemic impunity in Cambodia Phnom Penh, 1 November 2018 – On the occasion of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, we, the undersigned civil society groups and communities, condemn the ongoing impunity enjoyed by perpetrators of crimes against journalists [ Read more ]

(Kathmandu/Bangkok, 30 October 2018) – The Asian Forum for Human Right and Development (FORUM-ASIA) condemns the rejection of bail plea from human rights defenders Sudha Bharadwaj, Arun Ferreira, and Vernon Gonsalves. The Pune Sessions Court rejected the plea on 26 October. FORUM-ASIA believes that the rejection is an unreasoned reaction merely based on the accusation [ Read more ]

We have noted through social media that an allegation of sexual harassment has been raised against a staff member associated with People’s Watch, of Centre for the Promotion of Social Concern, a member organisation of FORUM-ASIA, based in Madurai, India. We appreciate that People’s Watch has taken immediate cognisance of the allegation by swiftly initiating [ Read more ]

The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) denounces the Indonesian authorities’ disruption of several civil society-led events parallel to the Annual Meeting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group (WBG) in Indonesia last week. Those events were aimed at highlighting the negative impacts of International Financial Institutions on the communities [ Read more ]

We, the undersigned civil society organizations, applaud the AICHR for convening the AICHR and CSOs interface meeting within the “AICHR Training/Symposium” in Chiang Rai, Thailand, on 13 – 15 October 2018, as a follow up to the CSOs, AICHR and relevant bodies’ interface meeting in November 2017. We note AICHR’s effort to provide updates in [ Read more ]