FORUM-ASIA and CIVICUS express deep concern over Singapore’s new Online Criminal Harms Act, warning it could stifle freedom of expression and violate international human rights laws. The organizations urge the Singaporean government to withdraw the act, fearing further erosion of civic freedoms.
Cambodia’s National Election Committee’s disqualification of the main opposition Candlelight Party from the 2023 general elections has drawn global criticism. Human rights groups FORUM-ASIA and CIVICUS argue this undermines democratic rights, suggesting the move is part of an ongoing campaign of bureaucratic intimidation to silence dissent.
A new CIVICUS Monitor report reveals that restrictions and attacks on activists and civil society persist across Asia.
Out of 26 countries, seven are rated ‘closed,’ eight ‘repressed,’ and seven ‘obstructed.’ In Singapore, freedom of expression and assembly continue to be stifled.
The study highlights that 28% of the global population, around 2 billion people, experience extreme levels of repression.
Cambodia is one of the countries that have seen a rapid decline in civic freedoms, according to the CIVICUS Monitor, an online platform that tracks the latest developments to civic freedoms across 197 countries and territories. Other countries included on the list are Iran, Peru, Sudan, and Zimbabwe. Repressive laws in Cambodia are routinely misused … Read more
Global civil society alliance, CIVICUS is urging United Nations Human Rights Council member states to do the right thing by voting in support of a resolution to debate the human rights situation in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). The vote is expected to take place this week. The resolution follows the release of a major UN report which affirms … Read more
The civic space in Singapore is “obstructed”, as rated by global civil society alliance CIVICUS. Its research tool, the CIVICUS Monitor, rates the conditions of civil society or civic spaces in countries across the world, providing ratings for 196 countries. According to the alliance, the rating of “obstructed” is given to countries where civic spaces … Read more
Human rights groups CIVICUS and FORUM-ASIA on Tuesday (27 Apr) called on United Nations (UN) member states to urge the Government of Singapore to protect civic freedoms as its human rights record is examined by the UN Human Rights Council on 12 May 2021 as part of the 38th session of the Universal Periodic Review … Read more
The Thai authorities must respect and abide by the principles of necessity and proportionality in handling protests, and must hold accountable police and plainclothes officers who have responded to protests with violence, said the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) and CIVICUS in a joint statement on Tuesday (23 Mar). Earlier on Saturday … Read more
In Asia, the assault on civil society and fundamental freedoms has persisted amid the global pandemic. Data released on Tuesday (8 Dec) by the CIVICUS Monitor shows that out of 25 countries in Asia, four – including China, Vietnam, Laos and North Korea – are rated ‘closed’, nine ‘repressed’, and nine ‘obstructed’. Civic space in … Read more
Philippines — In a statement on Wednesday (19 Aug), CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance, denounces the tragic killing of human rights activist Zara Alvarez. According to the international non-profit organisation, Zara Alvarez’s murder highlights a wider pattern of attacks against human rights defenders, journalists, and critics that has increased under the Duterte administration, and … Read more