FORUM-ASIA member from India, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) released a preliminary report of the fact finding mission conducted in Darjeeling and adjoining areas in May and June 2017. The mission assessed the situation in the area of the Darjeeling hills after the Gorkha Jana Mukti Morcha (GJMM) and other organisations demanded for separate statehood. [ Read more ]

(Bangkok/Kathmandu, 26 June 2017) The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) is deeply concerned about recent police hostility against human rights defenders in Murshidabad district, West Bengal. Human rights defenders from the respected human rights group Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) have been facing harassment and intimidation and are now at risk of [ Read more ]

Date: Wednesday, 14 June 2017 Time: 11:00-12:00 Venue: Room XXVII, Palais des Nations, Geneva Freedom of expression continues to be under threat in South Asia. Restrictive legislation, criminal defamation, abduction, digital surveillance, killings and threats from rising extremism are some of the trends that plagued have freedom of expression in South Asia. The side event will [ Read more ]

FORUM-ASIA member from India, Banglar Manabadhikar Surakksha Mancha (MASUM) published its monthly human rights report for May 2017. In May 2017, MASUM conducted 8 regular fact finding missions and made complaints before the relevant authorities and human rights institutions. During the month, 2 updates and 6 replies have been made to National Human Rights Commission. [ Read more ]

12 May 2017: SICHREM organised Mobile Human Rights Legal Clinic at R.S. Palya Slum, Bangalore on 10 May 2017. There were about 20 participants and 15 cases were handled at the clinic. Most of the cases were related to Domestic Violence, Birth Certificate & Property issues. Adv. Eunice Mercy & Adv. Shashikala gave legal counseling to the [ Read more ]

(Bangkok/Kathmandu, 8 May 2017) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) expresses deep concern over the recent ban on social media and instant messaging services, like Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp, along with nineteen other services by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir.[1] This ban is said to continue for a period of [ Read more ]

7 May 2017: PVCHR submitted its reports in UPR third cycle as individual and part of joint submission of 1 & 34. PVCHR urged India to immediately implement the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women following her 2013 mission. PVCHR, JS11 and JS1 reported on the alleged widespread use of torture.130 AI [ Read more ]

(Bangkok/Kathmandu, 5 May 2017) The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) strongly condemns the arrest of human rights defenders Soneswar Narah and Pranab Doley of Jeepal Krishak Shramik Sangha (JKSS), a loose organisation of local farmers and community members. FORUM-ASIA deplores the brutal attack carried out by the police force of Assam on [ Read more ]

India will undergo its third cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on 04 May 2017. Civil society has been an integral part of this process with 72 stakeholders’ submissions, and the web cast of the proceedings will be viewed in more than 50 areas across the country. During the second cycle of the UPR, [ Read more ]

Asian NGO Network on National Human Rights Institutions (ANNI), along with All India Network of NGOs and Individuals working with National and State Human Rights Institutions (AiNNI) have submitted a joint report to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at 27th Session of UPR Working Group on India. For the PDF version of the report click [ Read more ]