We, the following 32 human rights organizations, call on the Cambodian authorities to revoke the Sub-Decree on the Establishment of the National Internet Gateway (NIG). Since passage of the sub-decree on February 16, 2021, the government has yet to address the serious human rights concerns raised by civil society groups and tech companies. At the [ Read more ]

April 4, 2022 – We, the undersigned organisations, remain deeply concerned about Cambodia’s failure to conduct a thorough, independent, transparent, and effective investigation into the suspected enforced disappearance of Thai activist Wanchalearm Satsaksit and the resulting impunity. As the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED) prepares for a preliminary review of the situation of enforced disappearances in [ Read more ]

49th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council Item 10: Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia (oral update) Delivered by Ahmed Adam On behalf of Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) 29 March 2022    Madam Vice President, We welcome the Special Rapporteur’s [ Read more ]

Abolish Slave Compounds in Cambodia 10 March 2022 We are deeply disturbed by reports of widespread human trafficking into Cambodia leading to forced labour, slavery and torture at compounds across the country. Dozens of media reports and numerous victim accounts collected by local and international organisations suggest that thousands of people, mostly foreign nationals, are [ 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 ]

ASEAN must block Myanmar’s military junta participation from all its platforms In response to the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting taking place this week, FORUM-ASIA Executive Director Shamini Darshni Kaliemuthu said: FORUM-ASIA welcomes the exclusion of the Myanmar military junta’s Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin from the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Retreat, and reiterates its call to ensure [ Read more ]

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation and the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) are gravely concerned about the escalation of harassment against the NagaWorld union members and further arrests this week by the Phnom Penh police under the pretext of violating a pandemic law. We urge the government to release the detained [ Read more ]

(Bangkok/Johannesburg, 2 December 2021) ‒ Under the Chairmanship of Cambodia in 2022, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) must meaningfully address the regressive human rights crisis in the region, including the rapidly deteriorating situation in Myanmar, said rights groups at a webinar today. The webinar titled ‘Cambodia as ASEAN Chair: Prospects for Human Rights [ Read more ]

We, the undersigned organisations, call on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to increase its effort to address the ongoing human rights crisis in Myanmar, which was triggered by the attempted coup in February 2021. Under the incoming chairmanship of Cambodia in 2022, ASEAN needs to align its endeavours with the international efforts of [ Read more ]

Date: Friday, 15 October 2021 Time: 1.00 – 2.15 PM (GMT+7) Register here: l.forum-asia.org/ACSCAPF21 Live via: Zoom   This year’s ASEAN Civil Society Conference / ASEAN Peoples’ Forum eclipses a challenging era for the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) as it deals with the spillover effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the worsening crisis in Myanmar. Eight [ Read more ]