In response to the crackdown on peaceful demonstrations outside of the Prime Minister Oli’s official residence in Kathmandu on 9 June 2020 against Government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, FORUM-ASIA Executive Director Shamini Darshni Kaliemuthu said: What was clearly a peaceful demonstration adhering to physical distancing protocols turned violent when police cracked down on protestors, [ Read more ]

(Bangkok/Kathmandu, 9 June 2020) – The upcoming intra-Afghan peace talks with the Taliban must seek to bring an end to conflict and impunity in the country. Following the Afghan government’s announcement on the upcoming intra-Afghan talks,[1] the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) and its member organisation in Afghanistan said that the peace [ Read more ]

COVID-19: Protection of human rights defenders must no longer be ignored (Bangkok/London, 5 June 2020) – The COVID-19 pandemic must not serve as an excuse to vilify human rights defenders who champion rights-based approaches in business practices. Asian civil society and defenders met yesterday warning that opportunistic governments in Asia are expanding their power under [ Read more ]

(Bangkok, 5 June 2020) – The UN Human Rights Council should take a stronger stance by adopting a resolution mandating an international investigative mechanism into the human rights situation in the Philippines, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) said today. Following the release of a UNOHCHR’s report on the human rights situation [ Read more ]

Re: The request made to the People’s Majlis (Parliament), to investigate and take adequate action against the freezing of accounts and unauthorised seizure of MVR 866,620.35 (US$ 56,201.06) from the State Bank of India accounts held by Maldivian Democracy Network in the Maldives. 03rd June 2020 The undersigned organisations have jointly submitted a petition to [ 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 ]

(Bangkok, 27 May 2020) – China’s planned imposition of a national security law in Hong Kong will have a detrimental effect on the rule of law and leave an adverse impact on the rights of the city state’s peoples, the Asian Forum for Human Rights Development (FORUM-ASIA) said today. Excessive use of force by the [ Read more ]

Pakistan: Investigate Killings of Human Rights Defender Arif Wazir and Journalist Sajid Hussain (Bangkok/Kathmandu, 13 May 2020) – Justice and security continue to fall short for Pakistani human rights defenders, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) says today. Following the targeted killing of political activist Arif Wazir on 3 May, ten days [ Read more ]

Reacting to threats of arrests by the Philippine State officials towards individuals joining the Anti-Terrorism Law protests tomorrow, Shamini Darshni Kaliemuthu, FORUM-ASIA’s Executive Director said: Threats of arrests by the police and the Interior Secretary only serve to illustrate the increasing authoritarianism by the Philippine Government. Its arrests and detention of peaceful protesters in recent [ Read more ]

States’ reaction to COVID-19 will shape the discourse on human rights for years to come (Bangkok, 8 May 2020) – As COVID-19 intensifies inequalities, the way Governments respond to the pandemic now will alter and shape the human rights discourse for the years to come, experts and civil society leaders said in a webinar today. [ Read more ]