(Geneva, 15 March 2016) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) is dismayed by the decision of the Wiang Sa Court in Surat Thani today to acquit the sole suspect in the killing of land rights activist Chai Bunthonglek. FORUM-ASIA believes that the investigation on which this decision was based was incomplete [ Read more ]

(Geneva, 11 March 2016) – Tomorrow – 12 March 2016 – marks 12 years since Somchai Neelapaijit, a prominent human rights lawyer disappeared. The failure of the Thai authorities to unearth exactly what happened to him and where he is today, and the inability or unwillingness to bring those responsible to justice is a disgrace [ Read more ]

(Geneva/London/Paris/Brussels, 11 February 2016) – On the first anniversary of the death of land rights activist Chai Bunthonglek, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM- ASIA), Amnesty International (AI), FIDH and OMCT within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Protection International (PI) renew calls on the [ Read more ]

(Geneva, 8 February 2016) – Authorities in Thailand should drop all criminal charges and immediately end the judicial harassment of human rights lawyer Sirikan Charoensiri for carrying out her legitimate work, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) said today. Sirikan Charoensiri, a lawyer working with Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), received [ Read more ]

(Geneva, 22 January 2016) – The arrest and detention of 4 democracy activists in Bangkok is a crude attempt at muffling dissent, striking fear and infringing basic freedoms including the freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) said today. Four student activists [ Read more ]

On Wednesday, 14 October 2015, FORUM-ASIA, together with the People’s Empowerment Foundation (PEF), will hold a meeting in Bangkok, Thailand to present one of its most recent reports, the “Future of Human Rights in ASEAN: Calling for Independence and Protection Mandates”. It will be presented to the Thai representatives of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on [ Read more ]

30th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council Item 4: Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention – General Debate Oral Statement Delivered by R. Iniyan Ilango On behalf of the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) Tuesday, 22 September 2015 Mr. Vice President. FORUM-ASIA draws the Council’s attention to the [ Read more ]

(Bangkok, 3 September 2015) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) welcomes the verdict of Phuket Provincial Court on Tuesday, clearing Phuketwan journalists, Alan Morison and Chutima Sidasathian, of defamation charges under articles 326 (defamation) and 328 (libel) of the Thai Criminal Code in conjunction with article 14(1) of the 2007 Computer [ Read more ]

On Sunday 26 July 2015, FORUM-ASIA and some of its members from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal and the Philippines had an informal meeting in Bangkok with activists and students from Patani, a region located in the southern part of Thailand. The former Sultanate of Patani, which nowadays comprises the three Thai provinces of Pattani, Yala [ Read more ]

(Bangkok, 28 July 2015) – The Asian NGO Network on National Human Rights Institutions (ANNI) deplores the flawed selection process that has led to the nomination of seven new candidates for the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRCT). The lack of a participatory, transparent and merit-based selection process has even resulted in the nomination of [ Read more ]