The submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on the Maldives is prepared by FORUM-ASIA, CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation (CIVICUS), and the Voice of Women. The submission examines the Government of the Republic of the Maldives’ compliance with its international human rights obligations to create and maintain a safe and enabling environment for [ Read more ]
25 Years of Resilience: Statement from Odhikar on its 25th Anniversary Dhaka, 09 October 2019: Odhikar was established on 10 October 1994, as an organisation of human rights defenders, by some activists who participated in the struggle against the autocratic regime of Lieutenant General Hussein Mohammad Ershad. Bangladesh gained independence after huge sacrifices and equality, [ Read more ]
PRESS RELEASE 9 October 2019 The Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN) was established in response to the mass arrest of approximately 300 people on 12 and 13 August 2004, to assist the families of those who were arbitrarily detained and tortured. Since MDN’s inception, this organisation works on issues of public concern, in light of its [ Read more ]
Odhikar strongly condemns the killing of BUET student Abrar Fahad In the night of 6 October 2019, Abrar Fahad, a second-year student of Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department in Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), was murdered by being beaten to death, by a group of Awami League backed Chhatra League activists, led by [ Read more ]
Phnom Penh, 04 October 2019 – We, the undersigned civil society organizations strongly condemn the decision by the Municipal Court judge to continue the investigation into unsubstantiated espionage charges against Yeang Sothearin and Uon Chhin. The pair were arbitrarily arrested, detained and charged for the peaceful exercise of their freedom of expression and for their [ Read more ]
India: End communication blockade in Jammu and Kashmir without further delay Kathmandu/Bangkok/Paris/Geneva, 4 October 2019: Today completes two months of the unprecedented communication blockade in Jammu and Kashmir, India. The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), CIVICUS, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) urge [ Read more ]
(Bangkok, 3 October 2019) – The Asian NGO Network on National Human Rights Institutions (ANNI) and its members deplore the flawed selection process for the appointment of new commissioners for the National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh (NHRCB). The lack of a participatory, transparent and merit-based selection process has resulted in the selection of commissioners with [ Read more ]
Myanmar: Promote press freedom, and end reprisals against Development Media Group (Bangkok, 3 October 2019) The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) strongly condemns the harassment of the Development Media Group (DMG) and its Chief Editor, Aung Marm Oo. We call on the authorities of Myanmar to put an end to the reprisals [ Read more ]
