54th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council Item 2: Interactive dialogue on the report of OHCHR on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka Oral statement delivered by Swasthika Arulingam On behalf of Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) 11 September 2023   Mr. President, The High Commissioner’s report [ Read more ]

Amnesty International, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation and Front Line Defenders, stand in solidarity with community leaders and human rights defenders from the Malaiyaha Tamil community that are participating in a symbolic walk from Thalaimannar to Matale, Sri Lanka from 28 July to 12 August 2023. [ Read more ]

In response to the proposal of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) by the government of Sri Lanka, FORUM-ASIA says: FORUM-ASIA is alarmed by the newly proposed Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), an anti-terror legislation to replace the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) of 1979. Although the bill is being introduced to do away with provisions of the [ Read more ]

  Sri Lanka’s apparel sector has experienced rapid growth, with 44 per cent of the country’s total exports consisting of apparels. Approximately 15 per cent of the country’s labour force is employed in the apparel sector. And yet, they receive unfair wages and are made to endure unsafe and discriminatory working conditions. FORUM-ASIA and LST [ Read more ]

Date: Wednesday, 15 March 2023 Time: 09.00 AM (CMB) Venue:  Golden Star Hotel, Negombo, Sri Lanka / Livestream on YouTube   The poor working conditions faced by garment workers in Sri Lanka’s Export Processing Zones (EPZs) is concerning. Various human rights violations and safety concerns is faced by workers, particularly female and transgender workers, who [ Read more ]

(Bangkok/Kathmandu – 1 March 2023) –  The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) strongly condemns the crackdown on peaceful protests in Sri Lanka. “The present regime led by President Wickremesinghe has started a systemic clampdown on protests starting from the Aragalaya movement and has repeatedly invoked repressive Prevention of Terror Act (PTA) against protest [ Read more ]

The Sri Lankan government should immediately end the arbitrary detention of Wasantha Mudalige, a student activist who was arrested on August 18, 2022, 7 human rights organizations said today. Since August 21, Mudalige, 29, has been held on orders signed by President Ranil Wickremesinghe under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), a draconian law that [ Read more ]

  51st regular session of the UN Human Rights Council Item 2: Interactive dialogue on the report of OHCHR on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka   Delivered by Nuwan Sanjeewa Bopege On behalf of Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)  12 September 2022   Mr. President, Sri Lanka is [ Read more ]

To Permanent Representatives of Member and Observer States of the United Nations Human Rights Council September 12, 2022 Sri Lanka – Adopt a Strong Resolution on Human Rights in Sri Lanka Excellencies, As you prepare for the 51st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) we, as a group of four international human [ Read more ]

To:   H.E President Ranil Wickremesinghe Hon. Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena   25 August 2022   Re: Crackdown on human rights defenders and peaceful protests in Sri Lanka   Your Excellencies, We, the undersigned organisations, are gravely concerned by the rapidly deteriorating human rights situation in Sri Lanka as evidenced by the series of crackdown [ Read more ]