(Bangkok, 26 February 2019) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) and its Filipino member organisations, Balaod Mindanaw, Karapatan Alliance Philippines, Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP), and Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), express their utmost concern over the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Memorandum Circular No. 15 (s. [ Read more ]

Philippines: Outspoken Senator Arbitrarily Detained Two Years Drop Politically Motivated Charges against Leila de Lima (Manila/Bangkok, 22 February 2019) – The Philippine government should drop the politically-motivated charges against Senator Leila de Lima, a prominent critic of President Rodrigo Duterte’s abusive “war on drugs,” Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and FORUM-ASIA said today. De Lima [ Read more ]

Statement on Maria Ressa and Rappler Feb 2019 (6 February 2019, Bangkok) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) condemns the indictment of the founder of online news site Rappler, Maria Ressa and one of its former reporters, Reynaldo Santos Jr. The two were indicted for cyber-libel under Section 4(c)(4) of the [ Read more ]

(11 January 2019, Bangkok) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) and its member organisations in the Philippines strongly condemn Philippine President Duterte’s recent tirades against human rights groups. In a speech delivered on 9 January 2019, he accused human rights groups of being ‘enemies of the Government’.[1] Such comments only distort [ Read more ]

For this month’s e-newsletter, FORUM-ASIA talked to Dr Nymia Pimentel Simbulan, one of the newly elected Executive Committee Members of FORUM-ASIA and the Chairperson of Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), a member of FORUM-ASIA in the Philippines. As a human rights defender, Nymia shared with us her experiences working for political prisoners and their families, and the obstacles [ Read more ]

TO: Hon. Deloso-Montalla, Chairperson CC: Ms. Fely D. Parcon, Committee Secretary   House of Representatives Committee on Human Rights in the Philippines, 3/F RVM Building, House of Representatives, Quezon City, the Philippines 30 November 2018, Bangkok   RE: Enacting Domestic Law on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) in the Philippines   Dear Honourable [ Read more ]

39th Session of the UN Human Rights Council Side Event HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE PHILIPPINES 13.00-14.00, Thursday 13 September 2018 Room XXVII, Palais des Nations The Philippines is a current member of the Human Rights Council and assuming the Vice Presidency. It also seeks to be re-elected for the second term. Sadly, The Philippines fails [ Read more ]

38thRegular Session of the UN Human Rights Council Item 2: General Debate on the oral update of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Oral Statement Delivered by Ellecer Carlos on behalf of Franciscans International, Amnesty International, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), International Commission of Jurists, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), International [ Read more ]

  ‘War on Drugs’ and Declining Democracy in the Philippines Side event at the 38th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council Thursday, 21 June 2018, 12:00-13:30, room XXIII, Palais des Nations   Since the ‘war on drugs’ in the Philippines began in June 2016, the human rights situation in the country has continued [ Read more ]

President Duterte must stop the extra-judicial killings and repression against the Philippines civil society. Korean government must purse New Southern Policy(NSP) based on the principles of democracy and human rights. Korea NGO’s stance on the visit to Republic of Korea by President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte who ignores democracy and human rights. 4 June [ Read more ]