The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) would like to congratulate our outgoing Chair, Henri Tiphagne on being awarded the 8th Human Rights Award by Amnesty International Germany. It is a more than well-deserved recognition for a human rights defender, who has dedicated his life to promoting and protecting human rights in India [ Read more ]

(Bangkok, 25 January 2016) – Perpetrators of the deadly attack on Bacha Khan University in Pakistan that resulted in at least 19 deaths and several injuries must be swiftly brought to justice, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) said today. Armed militants attacked the Bacha Khan University in Charsadda of north-western Pakistan [ Read more ]

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Maina Kiai, has released his second annual report, “2015: The Year in Assembly & Association Rights.” The report summarises the Special Rapporteur’s work in 2015, providing an overview of last year’s events from the perspective of assembly and association [ Read more ]

(Bangkok, 10 December 2015) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) joins the national and international community in celebrating today the 67th anniversary of the International Human Rights Day. Today, more than ever, FORUM-ASIA stands in firm solidarity with all human rights groups and movements that are restlessly striving for better promotion [ Read more ]

End of Mission Statement on the International Human Rights Monitoring to the Republic of Korea: Freedom of Peaceful Assembly (Seoul, 9 December 2015) – An international human rights monitoring team led by the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) conducted an investigation and monitoring mission from 4-9 December 2015.  The mission looked into [ Read more ]

(Bangkok/Geneva 2 December 2015) – Despite several counter-productive interventions, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) Third Committee voted to adopt a resolution that calls upon Member States to protect Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) and facilitate an enabling environment for their work. FORUM-ASIA urges Asian states in particular as well as all other UN Member States to [ Read more ]

Today, 25 November, is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The United Nations (UN) has designated the day to increase awareness about common forms of violence disproportionately committed against women. On this day, the Asian Forum of Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) reiterates its condemnation of all forms of violence against [ Read more ]

A joint fact-finding mission conducted from 16-18 November 2015 by the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), as secretariat of the Asian NGO Network on NHRIs (ANNI), and Burma Partnership to inquire into the impact and effectiveness of the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MNHRC) was completed today. The mission team comprised of [ Read more ]

(Kathmandu, 7 November 2015) – We, the undersigned human rights organisations from South Asia who gathered in Kathmandu on 5th of November 2015 to participate in the South Asian Members’ Meeting of the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), welcome the new Constitution adopted by Nepal’s Constituent Assembly on 20th of September 2015. [ Read more ]

(Bangkok, 5 November 2015) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) is deeply concerned and anguished over the attack on the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) that led to death of staff members and injured six others. On 26 October 2015, a bus carrying AIHRC staff was struck by an explosive [ Read more ]