In commemorating the thirteen years after the killing of human rights defender Munir Said Thalib, 7th of September 2017, the undersigned regional and international human rights organizations call on the Indonesian President Joko Widodo to take decisive and concrete action to ensure those responsible – including those at the highest levels – are brought to [ Read more ]

(Bangkok, 5 September 2017) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) strongly condemns the latest outbreak of violence in Northern Rakhine State in Burma/Myanmar. The latest attacks have seriously endangered the Rohingya community. FORUM-ASIA calls on the international community, including the UN Human Rights Council, to urgently take all action possible to [ Read more ]

(Bangkok, 4 September 2017) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) expresses deep concern on the forced closure of the independent newspaper the Cambodia Daily, which has published its final edition today after 24 years of unbiased and fearless news reporting. The Cambodia Daily’s shut down by the Cambodian Government constitutes a [ Read more ]

The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) condemns recent attacks by the Cambodian Government against civil society organisations and free media in the country. These repressive measures come at a critical juncture for Cambodia, and severely compromise the legitimacy and fairness of next year’s election. On 19 August 2017, the Cambodia Daily was [ Read more ]

21 August, 2017 Chiang Mai, Thailand We, the undersigned organizations, call on the Thai authorities to immediately drop all charges against academics and participants who attended a recent conference in Chiang Mai, and to uphold academic freedom in line with Thailand’s human rights obligations. This week, Professor (in Thai, Ajarn) Chayan Vaddhanaphuti and five other academics [ Read more ]

(Bangkok, 15 August 2017) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) strongly condemns the detention of the Cambodian human rights activist Tep Vanny, who completes one year in jail today. Tep Vanny, who participated in a peaceful protest in 2013, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years’ in prison by the Phnom Penh Municipal [ Read more ]

(Bangkok/Kathmandu, 10 August 2017): The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) and its member Bytes for All, Pakistan (B4A) express grave concern over the recent cases of systematic harassment, arrests and serial abductions of human rights defenders (HRDs) by security forces in Pakistan. HRDs in Pakistan are operating in increasingly precarious conditions. They [ Read more ]

(Bangkok/Kathmandu, 7 August 2017) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) expresses deep concern over the lack of a credible investigation into the disappearance of Ahmed Rilwan. The inaction of the Government of the Maldives to pursue justice and legitimately address the matter contributes to a worsening environment for human rights defenders [ Read more ]

We the undersigned civil society strongly condemn the detention and subsequent deportation of Adilur Rahman Khan on 20 July 2017 and express our grave concerns on the growing trend in Malaysia where local activists are not allowed to leave the country while activists from other countries are not allowed to enter into Malaysia. Adilur Rahman [ Read more ]

Phnom Penh, 26 July 2017 – We, the undersigned, call on the Court of Appeal to overturn the unjust conviction of Ms. Tep Vanny on charges of intentional violence with aggravating circumstances based on her peaceful activism at a 2013 protest, for which she received a draconian sentence of two years and six months’ imprisonment [ Read more ]