For more than two decades, the Kumtor Gold Mine has been at the centre of Kyrgyzstan’s ambition to mineral wealth and economic growth. This has long caused friction between proponents of prioritising the economy on the one hand, and the generations bearing the brunt of the ecological impacts of the mine on the other. Justice [ Read more ]

Threats against free expression and artistic freedom in Asia continue to rise, with artists becoming increasingly vulnerable to violent attacks, censorship, and persecution. Artists throughout the region have been particularly impacted by a recent spate of legislative efforts that seek to encroach on digital security rights, curb “fake news,” and suppress criticism against the government [ Read more ]

FORUM-ASIA is proud to present its 2021 Annual Report. In light of the constantly changing COVID-19 environment, from hardships to improvements, FORUM-ASIA has continued to adapt to meet the evolving demands within our organisation to help and contribute to our members as they work toward the ultimate objective of promoting and protecting human rights throughout [ Read more ]

For the PDF version of this publication, click here ** As human rights defenders (HRDs) of Asia work relentlessly to advance and uphold human rights in the region, they also face strong backlash and harassment from both State and non-State actors. On 8 March 2022, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), with [ Read more ]

The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), as the Secretariat of the Asian NGO Network on National Human Rights Institutions (ANNI), and the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions (APF) are proud to present the new publication, ‘Making Institutions Count: Strengthening Support for WHRDs in Asia by NHRIS.’ Across Asia, women [ Read more ]

Civic space is under attack in South Asia. Across the region, increasingly authoritarian governments are relying on a wide range of repressive laws and other tactics to silence criticism, a trend that only intensified in 2021. While the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan is the starkest example of this, almost all other countries saw alarming restrictions [ Read more ]

The Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and other resources A booklet for defenders FORUM-ASIA recognises the need to address the ongoing trends of violations against human rights defenders (HRDs) in Asia, and their key role in ensuring that everyone’s human rights are protected and fulfilled. To this end, FORUM-ASIA has produced a booklet explanatory of [ Read more ]

FORUM-ASIA and the Indonesia Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) are proud to present Going Nowhere: Fact-finding Mission Report on Indigenous Communities, Fisherfolk: Harassment, Poverty and Climate Change in Indonesia. This report is a continuation of FORUM-ASIA’s exploratory research designed to deepen its understanding of the interconnections between climate change, poverty, and human rights. Focusing on three [ Read more ]

The Asian NGO Network on National Human Rights Institutions (ANNI) launched the ANNI Report 2020 on the Performance of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), that critically assesses the performance of NHRIs against the Paris Principles in 2020. The Paris Principles are the minimum international standards for ensuring independent, effective, and credible NHRIs for the promotion [ Read more ]

Over the past two years, human rights defenders (HRDs) have faced unprecedented challenges in Asia, where existing risks were exacerbated, while new threats have emerged. Governments enacted and used repressive laws, online harassment became widespread, and Asian HRDs have seen their families and loved ones increasingly subjected to harassment and threats. The COVID-19 pandemic has [ Read more ]