(Bangkok, 22 February 2024) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) and CIVICUS are deeply concerned over the intensifying regression of Thailand’s civic space. We are calling on the Thai Government to do more in upholding fundamental freedoms including freedom of expression, press freedom, and freedom of peaceful assembly. On 8 February [ Read more ]

(Bangkok, 5 February 2024) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) is deeply concerned over the arrest of three Cambodian activists–alongside their families –in Thailand. On 2 February 2024, Lem Sokha, Phan Phana, and Kung Raiya were arrested for planning to organise a protest on 7 February which coincided with Cambodian Prime [ Read more ]

(Bangkok, 25 January 2023) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, and Asia Democracy Network (ADN) strongly condemn the conviction of Mongkorn ‘BusBas’ Thirakot, a 30-year-old activist and online clothing retailer from Chiang Rai. BusBas has been sentenced to an unprecedented 50 years in prison–the longest [ Read more ]

(Bangkok, 28 September 2023) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) condemns the conviction of Arnon Nampa, a prominent Thai human rights lawyer and pro-democracy activist. He is sentenced to four years in prison without parole for violating Article 112 of the Thai Criminal Code or lèse-majesté law. FORUM-ASIA is in solidarity [ Read more ]

The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) welcomes the acquittal of Thai pro-democracy human rights defenders Ekachai Hongkangwan, Boonkueanun Paothong, Suranat Paenprasert and two others, including a minor, of blocking traffic during pro-democracy demonstrations in 2020. The case dates back to 14 October 2020, concerning a rally in Bangkok calling for democratic reforms, [ Read more ]

On the evening of 10 May, a group of young activists–including Tantawan ‘Tawan’ Tuatulanon and Orawan Phupong–gathered at the Samranrat police station to protest against the police’s decision to impose additional charges on Yok, a 15-year-old student who had been detained for violating the lèse majesté law or Section 112 of Thailand’s Criminal Code, which [ Read more ]

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), and Asia Democracy Network (ADN) are deeply concerned about the condition of youth pro-democracy activists who have been on hunger-strike from prison for more than a week.   The activists are protesting against their unjust pre-trial detention and are acting in support [ Read more ]

Dear Honorable Ambassador, We, the undersigned non-governmental organizations, are writing to express our serious concern regarding the ongoing impact of the implementation of the Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situation B.E. 2548 (“Emergency Decree”) in response to the Covid-19 pandemic in Thailand. We are troubled by reports of the continuing prosecution of individuals [ Read more ]

May 12, 2022 President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. The White House Washington, DC   Re: Thailand’s abusive draft law on not-for-profit organizations Dear President Biden, We, the undersigned non-profit organizations, are writing to express our serious concerns regarding Thailand’s Draft Act on the Operations of Not-for-Profit Organizations, which the Thai Cabinet approved in principle on [ Read more ]

April 4, 2022 – We, the undersigned organisations, remain deeply concerned about Cambodia’s failure to conduct a thorough, independent, transparent, and effective investigation into the suspected enforced disappearance of Thai activist Wanchalearm Satsaksit and the resulting impunity. As the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED) prepares for a preliminary review of the situation of enforced disappearances in [ Read more ]