Launch of the Report ‘Desecrating Expression – An Account of Freedom of Expression and Religion in Asia’
An event co-organised by the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development(FORUM-ASIA) and Bytes for All, Pakistan
Tuesday 20 December 2016, 10:30-12:00 at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand – FCCT, Bangkok
*Free Admission – Refreshement will be provided at the end of the event*
Speakers:
– Shazhad Ahmad is the Director of Bytes for All, Pakistan, a human rights organisation and research think tank focusing on Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) (Via SkyPe)
– Debbie Stothard, Founder and Coordinator of ALTSEAN-Burma and Secretary General of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH – International Federation for Human Rights)
– Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch Asia division, oversees the organisation’s work throughout Asia, especially in Southeast Asia, North Korea and Japan
About the event:
The rights to freedom of expression and religion are often portrayed as being in opposition with each other. Across Asia people increasingly find themselves under attack for expressing their religious – or non-religious – belief. Although most Governments in the region formally support for the right to free expression, in practice many minority religious groups or those whose religious belief are not that of the majority find themselves under attack, including violently.
During this event a new report, ‘Desecrating Expression – An Account of Freedom of Expression and Religion in Asia’ will be launched. Drawing from the global discourse around the intersection between the right to freedom of expression and the right to freedom of religion, the report reflects on ground realities in Asia. Based on regional trends recorded from experiences in nine countries – Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Vietnam – recommendations are made to ensure the better protection of these rights.
About the organisers:
FORUM-ASIA is a network of human rights organisations across Asia. FORUM-ASIA works to promote and protect human rights, including the right to development, through collaboration and cooperation among human rights organisations and defenders in Asia and beyond.
Bytes for All, Pakistan, conducts research for evidence-based policy advocacy and capacity building of human rights defenders on their digital security, online safety & privacy. Bytes for All, Pakistan is a member of FORUM-ASIA.
The report is accessible here: http://l.forum-asia.org/
For more information, please contact [email protected]
