(Bangkok/Kathmandu, 1 June 2022) — The arrest of prominent Kashmiri journalist Fahad Shah under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) 1967 and the Public Safety Act (PSA) 1978 highlights the growing crackdown on press freedom and is the latest blow to freedom of expression in Indian-Administered Kashmir. This is Shah’s fifth arrest under the draconian [ 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 ]

49th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council Item 4: General Debate on human rights situations that require the Council’s attention Delivered by Ahmed Adam On behalf of Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) 21 March 2022   Mr. President, We draw the Council’s attention to the deteriorating human rights situations in [ Read more ]

49th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council Item 2: General Debate on the Oral Update by the High Commissioner Delivered by Ahmed Adam On behalf of Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) 8 March 2022 Mr. President, Madam High Commissioner, We remain concerned at the deepening human rights crisis in the [ Read more ]

Date: Tuesday, 8 March 2022 Time: 13:00 – 14:30 (CET, Geneva) / 19:00 – 20:30 (ICT, Bangkok) Register here: l.forum-asia.org/HRC48.HRD.Register Live via: Zoom, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Youtube Human rights defenders (HRDs) play a key role in upholding and advancing human rights. In response to their bold and tireless work, HRDs become targets of harassment and attacks by [ Read more ]

(Geneva, January 18, 2021) – The Indian government should immediately stop harassing the Centre for Promotion of Social Concerns and its program unit People’s Watch, ten human rights groups said today. The government should stop using the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act and other abusive laws to silence civil society in India. The groups are Amnesty [ Read more ]

(Bangkok/Kathmandu, 11 January 2022) ‒ The Central Bureau of Investigation’s registration of a case against human rights organisation People’s Watch under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act highlights the worsening situation of shrinking civic space in India, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) said. On 8 January, a team of nearly ten officers [ 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 ]

(Bangkok/Kathmandu, 23 November 2021) ‒ The arrest of prominent human rights defender Khurram Parvez by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and sedition charges highlights an alarming trend of harassment against defenders, particularly those in Kashmir, said the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA). In the [ Read more ]

FORUM-ASIA is proud to present its new publication, “Summary Report: 9th Asian Human Rights Defenders Forum”, an abridgement from an event that facilitates human rights defenders (HRDs) and women human rights defenders (WHRDs) to discuss work and advocacy efforts, and share the experiences and challenges they face. From 2019 to date, the situation of defenders [ Read more ]