Blogging in South Asia can be a dangerous enterprise. In the last year, 4 bloggers have been killed in Bangladesh, while a number of others have been targeted across the region in various ways simply for expressing their views online. Both state and non-state actors share responsibility for this climate of fear and intimidation. A [ Read more ]

(Bangkok, 10 August 2015) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) strongly condemns the killing of online activist and blogger Niladri Chattopadhyay, pen name Niloy Neel. The regional human rights organisation urges the Government of Bangladesh to protect bloggers and online activists from the systemic targeted attacks and killings and take immediate [ Read more ]

29th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council Item 4: Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention Oral Statement Delivered by R. Iniyan Ilango On behalf of the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) Wednesday, 24 June 2015 Mr President, FORUM-ASIA expresses concern over the deteriorating human rights situation in several [ Read more ]

29th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council Item 2: Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on the Human Rights of Migrants Oral Statement Delivered by R. Iniyan Ilango on behalf of Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) Monday, 15 June 2015 Thank you Mr. President, FORUM-ASIA expresses concern at the situation of the thousands [ Read more ]

(Bangkok/Dhaka, 10 February 2015) – The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) and the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), express deep concern over the extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances by the security forces of Bangladesh, centering on the current confrontations between the ruling Awami League (and its 14-party Alliance) and the BNP-led [ Read more ]

Today, 10 October 2014, is the 20th anniversary of Odhikar.  Odhikar was established by a group of young people who  strongly believed in democracy, human rights and rule of law; who protested and fought against the autocratic regime of Lieutenant General Hussain Muhammad Ershad. Ershad was toppled by a mass movement in December 1990, mainly [ Read more ]

(Bangkok, 8 August 2014) – The Bangladeshi security force’s violent dispersal of a hunger strike by over a thousand workers at the Tuba group of factories on 6 August 2014 has been slammed by the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) as the latest in a long list of recent violations of the [ Read more ]

Oral Statement Delivered by Gayathry Venkiteswaran on behalf of Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)   Wednesday, 11 June 2014   Thank you Mr. President. FORUM-ASIA welcomes the reports of the two Special Rapporteurs. Concerns identified by the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and [ Read more ]

The UN Human Rights Council will hold its 26th regular session from 10 to 27 June 2014 in Geneva, Switzerland. FORUM-ASIA interventions, statements and events during this session will appear on this page.   Oral Statements Panel Discussion on the safety of journalists (Human Rights Council decision 24/116) (11 June 2014) Item 3: Interactive Dialogue with [ Read more ]

FORUM-ASIA Statement:  18 May 2014  FORUM-ASIA Executive Committee Member Adilur Rahman Khan, Recipient of 2014 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights  A Testament to the Indomitable Spirit of Human Rights Defenders The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) extends its heartfelt congratulations to long-time human rights defender Adilur Rahman Khan, Secretary of Odhikar, FORUM-ASIA’s [ Read more ]