Criminalization
Indonesia: Activist reported to police for defamation after comparing former president Megawati with Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi
September 22, 2017On 6 September 2017, Dandhy Dwi Laksono has been reported to the police for online defamation after he compared former president and current PDI-P Chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri with Burmese politician Aung San Suu Kyi amid rising concerns in Indonesia about the plight of the Rohingya people in Myanmar.
Vietnam: Nguyen Van Oai and Tran Thi Nga Arrested
September 22, 2017On 21 January 2017 human rights defender Ms Tran Thi Nga was arrested in Ha Nam province on charges of anti-state propaganda. Two days earlier, fellow Mr Nguyen Van Oai was arrested in Nghe An province on charges of ‘resisting officials on duty’ and violating his probation.
Vietnam: Jailed Viet Dissident is Latest in Rising Crackdown
September 22, 2017On 18, September 2017, Nguyen Van Oai, a citizen journalist and human rights defender, was sentenced to five years in prison and four additional years of house arrest for “resisting persons in the performance of their official duties” and failing to execute judgments” while on parole for “attempting to overthrow the government” in 2013.
China: Chinese Police Detain Associate of Poet Who Tried to Commemorate Liu Xiaobo
September 5, 2017On 4 September 2017, Authorities in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong have detained a second person linked to a poetry anthology in honor of late political prisoner and Nobel peace laureate Liu Xiaobo.
Cambodia: harassment of free media and civil society organisations
August 25, 2017The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) condemns recent attacks by the Cambodian Government against civil society organisations and free media in the country. These repressive measures come at a critical juncture for Cambodia, and severely compromise the legitimacy and fairness of next year’s election.
China: Poet held in Southern China over planned poetry anthology remembering Liu Xiaobo
August 23, 2017On 18 August 2017, authorities in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong have criminally detained a poet after he compiled an anthology to commemorate late Nobel peace laureate and dissident Liu Xiaobo, who died last month of liver cancer in police custody.
China: Joshua Wong and 2 others jailed in Hong Kong over pro-democracy protest
August 17, 2017On 17 August 2017, three prominent young leaders of Hong Kong’s democracy movement were sentenced to six to eight months in prison, a severe setback for the semiautonomous Chinese city in its struggle for greater political freedom under Communist Party rule.
Thailand: Academics, students accused of violating junta’s ban on gatherings
August 17, 2017On 15 August 2017, the police have summoned academics and students accused of breaching the junta’s ban on political gatherings for participating in an academic forum.
Thailand: ‘Pai Dao Din’ to serve 2½ years
August 17, 2017On 15 August 2017, Jatupat “Pai Dao Din” Boonyapatraksa has been sentenced to five years in jail, commuted by half due to his confession.
Pakistan: Grave concern over the recent cases of systematic harassment, arrests and serial abductions of HRDs
August 11, 2017On 10 August 2017, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) and its member Bytes for All, Pakistan (B4A) express grave concern over the recent cases of systematic harassment, arrests and serial abductions of human rights defenders (HRDs) by security forces in Pakistan.