Asia
We work alongside local and international organizations and human rights defenders to protect civic space and promote accountability for serious human rights violations in South and South East Asia. From advocating for freedom of expression and the right to protest to an end to the use of torture, enforced disappearance, and arbitrary detention, we support international justice efforts.
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Inquiry on Crimes Against Humanity in North Korean Political Prisons
Tags Share Since 1948, a succession of family leaders—Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, and Kim Jong-un—have designed and perpetuated a brutal, totalitarian regime in North Korea, a signature feature of which is a network of political prisons that has no parallel in the world today. To date, hundreds of thousands of people are estimated to have…
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Training Manual on Human Rights for Former Political Prisoners of Myanmar
Tags Share Over the course of Myanmar’s long and repressive recent political history, thousands of Myanmar citizens were arrested and jailed, simply for exercising their fundamental human rights. From the 88 Generation Protests to the Saffron Revolution, protesters, activists, journalists, lawyers, students and peaceful citizens of all stripes have paid for their dissent with their…
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RFK Human Rights Calls for Investigation Into Killing of Bangladeshi Journalist
Journalist Abdul Hakim Shimul was covering a violent clash between factions of the Awami League political party when he was shot and killed.
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Bangladesh High Court Resumes Trial Against Odhikar Members
Tags Share (January 18, 2017 | Washington, D.C.) Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights condemns the decision by the Bangladesh High Court Division of the Supreme Court to allow the case against Adilur Rahman Khan and Nasiruddin Elan to go forward. Mr. Khan is the Secretary of Odhikar, one of the most respected human rights organizations…
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RFK Human Rights Welcomes Release of Kashmiri Activist Khurram Parvez
Tags Share (November 30, 2016 | Washington, D.C.) Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights welcomed the release today of Khurram Parvez, a prominent Kashmiri human rights activist who had been arbitrarily and illegally detained since September 16, 2016. In an order issued November 25, 2016 by Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar of the High Court of Jammu…
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RFK Human Rights Calls for Khurram Parvez to Be Released
Tags Share (October 25, 2016 | Washington, D.C.) In a letter addressed to India’s Home Affairs Minister today, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights called for the immediate release of Kashmiri human rights defender Khurram Parvez, who has been arbitrarily detained since September 16, 2016. He is the coordinator of the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil…
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New NGO Law in Bangladesh Will Significantly Restrict Civic Space
Tags Share (October 7, 2016 | Washington, D.C.) Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights condemned the passage on October 5th of the Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activity) Regulation Act 2016 in Bangladesh. The law provides for a series of highly restrictive measures that will significantly limit the ability of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to operate in the country,…
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Bangladesh: Vague Provisions in Digital Security Act Ripe for Abuse
Tags Share (September 8, 2016 | Washington D.C.) Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights calls Bangladesh’s legislature to reject elements of The Digital Security Act of 2016, a draft cyber-security law that contains a number of vague and problematic provisions that can be used to restrict freedom of expression and legitimate human rights work. The law…
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Bangladesh Abandons Baseless Investigation Into Odhikar
Tags Share (June 22, 2016 | Washington, D.C.) Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights welcomes the decision by the Bangladesh Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to abandon its groundless investigation into Odhikar, one of the most prominent, independent human rights organizations in Bangladesh. Last month, the ACC made completely untrue allegations against Odhikar and opened an investigation into…
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RFK Human Rights Condemns Harassment of Adilur Rahman Khan
Tags Share (May 31, 2016 | Washington, D.C.) Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights strongly condemns Bangladesh’s most recent harassment of 2014 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award Laureate Adilur Rahman Khan and his organization Odhikar. The Anti-Corruption Commission of Bangladesh (ACC) is baselessly accusing Odhikar of money laundering. Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights believes that…
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Monitoring LGBTQ+ Rights in India and Bangladesh
Tags Share Developments regarding LGBT rights in India and Bangladesh appear to be taking divergent paths within the two neighboring countries. In India, there has been a recent move toward a potentially more open society of social inclusion and increased civil liberties. Particularly, within the last decade there have been calls for the government to…
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Influential Indian Organization Appears to Shift Its Stance on Homosexuality
Tags Share LGBT activists in India have long called for the repeal of the country’s colonial-era law banning homosexuality, known in India as Section 377 of the criminal code. In 2009, the Delhi High Court, which exercises jurisdiction over the national capital territory of Delhi, overturned the law, finding it unconstitutional. The victory was short-lived:…
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