Today, we mark a year since the arrest of human rights defender and lawyer Chow Hang Tung. CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, Asia Democracy Network (ADN), and Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) call for her immediate and unconditional release. We also call for the release of other activists in detention and [ Read more ]

FORUM-ASIA is proud to present its new publication, “Summary Report: 9th Asian Human Rights Defenders Forum”, an abridgement from an event that facilitates human rights defenders (HRDs) and women human rights defenders (WHRDs) to discuss work and advocacy efforts, and share the experiences and challenges they face. From 2019 to date, the situation of defenders [ Read more ]

Hong Kong: Hong Kongers’ defiance against authoritarianism an inspiration for democracy, two years on (Bangkok, 11 June 2021) – Two years since the protests against proposed extradition laws, Hong Kongers have continued to relentlessly advocate for their fundamental freedoms, amidst systematic repression from an authoritarian regime, said the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development [ Read more ]

(Bangkok, 7 May 2021) ‒ The international community must take a strong, principled stand against the escalating repression and reprisals against human rights activists and civil society in Hong Kong, said the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), Asia Democracy Network (ADN), and CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation. ‘Authorities in China and [ Read more ]

(Bangkok, 15 March 2021) – ‘We urge the UN Human Rights Council to call on Hong Kong and Chinese authorities to ensure the protection of fundamental human rights in Hong Kong in line with international human rights law,’ panellists said at a civil society side event[1] at the 46th regular session of the United Nations [ Read more ]

  Date: Monday, 8 March, 2021 Time: 7 PM – 8.30 PM (ICT)/ 1 – 2.30 PM(CET) Venue: Zoom / Facebook Live and Twitter Live via FORUM-ASIA Registration: http://bit.ly/UNHRCHK **** Democracy in Hong Kong is on the edge of collapse as Beijing increased suppression through the passing of the National Security Law (NSL) leading to aggressive [ Read more ]

(Bangkok, 26 January 2021) ‒ We, 23 organisations in Asia stand in solidarity with the human rights defenders and the pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong as they continue to face escalating repression from China and the Hong Kong authorities. Over the past few years, we have witnessed the sustained and escalating attacks against democracy and [ Read more ]

Free Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow and Ivan Lam, repeal Hong Kong’s undemocratic Laws   Joint Statement December 10, 2020 On December 2, Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts sentenced pro-democracy activists Agnes Chow, Joshua Wong, and Ivan Lam to jail for their alleged role in a demonstration outside the police headquarters during the 2019 anti-extradition [ Read more ]

Global call for international human rights monitoring mechanisms on China An open letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, UN Member States.   We, the undersigned organisations, join together to call for an international mechanism to address the Chinese government’s human rights violations, and urge you to take [ Read more ]

In response to the approval of the national security law affecting Hong Kong by China’s Parliament, FORUM-ASIA Executive Director Shamini Darshni Kaliemuthu said: The approval of China’s national security legislation over Hong Kong today should worry us all, as it poses significant risks to the protection of people’s rights not just in Hong Kong, but [ Read more ]