For Immediate Release (Dhaka, August 28, 2020) – Bangladesh security forces and law-enforcement agencies continuously commit enforced disappearances with impunity, targeting journalists, activists, and government critics, 12 human rights groups said today ahead of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. The groups remember the victims of enforced disappearances and
On August 5, over 16 million Sri Lankan voters are invited to cast their ballots in South Asia’s first major elections since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially scheduled for April 25, the polls had to be postponed twice. On the eve of this exercise in democracy, the Asian Network for
21 July 2020 Your excellency, We, the undersigned 33 civil society organizations, urge the Governments of Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, India, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America to echo the European Union (EU) in its call for the
We, the undersigned 27 civil society organisations, are deeply concerned with the introduction of the National Security Law in Hong Kong. We call on the Governments of China and Hong Kong to repeal this law, which severely clamps down on the rights of the Hong Kong people. A year after protests against
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) is alarmed by the quickly deteriorating election environment in the run-up to the Hong Kong Legislative Council elections scheduled for 6 September 2020. The new National Security Law that came into effect on 30 June has exacerbated a climate of fear in Hong Kong’s electoral
Today, on the fourth anniversary of the killing of prominent political commentator and human rights defender Kem Ley, we, the 30 undersigned organizations, call on the Cambodian authorities to create an independent Commission of Inquiry to conduct an effective and impartial investigation that is long overdue into Kem Ley’s death. We further
This is a joint statement signed by various organizations and individuals. See endorsers here. The COVID-19 pandemic threatens more than the lives and the livelihoods of people throughout the world. It is also a political crisis that threatens the future of liberal democracy. Authoritarian regimes, not surprisingly, are using the crisis to
27 March 2020 As the world continues to face the severe outbreak of COVID-19, states across Asia are taking measures to tackle the epidemic and protect the health of their population, which is obviously the foremost concern. At the same time, while everyday life is disrupted, elections and democratic processes are also
It has been 10 long years since the Ampatuan Massacre happened in Ampatuan town of Maguindanao, south of the Philippines where 58 people were killed, including 32 journalists and media workers, in one of the most brutal election-related violence recorded. On November 23, 2009, Genalin Mangudadatu, her sisters-in-law, and other relatives made
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) condemns the murder of an election observer in Afghanistan and urges the authorities to bring perpetrators to justice. Shaheed Ali Naqi, a youth member of the Afghan Civil Society Forum Organization (ACSFo), was reported to have been abducted by the Taliban a few days after
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
To Members and Observer States of the United Nations Human Rights Council 30 August 2019 Re: UN Human Rights Council should address human rights crisis in Cambodia at its 42nd session Dear Excellency, The undersigned civil society organizations, representing groups working within and outside Cambodia to advance human rights, rule of law,
[Joint Statement] (Bangkok, 16 August 2019) – We, the undersigned civil society organisations, express our deep concerns on the escalating violence in Hong Kong, and urge the authorities to ensure conditions for peaceful assembly and association are present, and the protestors to exercise their rights to protest peacefully. We call on the
PDF Version: Open_Letter_-_Kashmir_-_August_2019_Final-WITH SIGNATORIES-Updated 13.08 (1) Prime Minister Narendra Modi New Delhi 12 August 2019 Dear Prime Minister Modi, We, the undersigned civil society activists and organizations, human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, and academics from around the globe, write to express our deep concern regarding the recent actions your government has taken over
[JOINT STATEMENT] 9 July 2019 (Bangkok, Thailand) --- Today, on the third anniversary of the killing of prominent political commentator and human rights defender Kem Ley, the 24 undersigned organizations renew calls on the Cambodian government to establish an independent and impartial Commission of Inquiry to conduct a thorough and effective investigation
For Immediate release Bangkok, Thailand May 24, 2019 The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) condemns the recent rounds of violence on May 22 in Jakarta, Indonesia. ANFREL and its membership in the region call for all election stakeholders to exercise sobriety, especially in this period of reflection and contemplation for our
For Immediate Release Bangkok, Thailand May 17, 2019 The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) congratulates the people of the Philippines for the generally peaceful elections and their continued participation in exercising their universal rights last May 13, 2019. The voter turnout was encouraging and will surely be within the 78 %
For immediate release Bangkok, Thailand In a remarkable expression of their faith in democracy, eighty-seven percent of Thai voters registered for advance voting turned out to vote. Advance Voting Day remained peaceful and orderly but punctuated by instances of mismanagement, inconsistencies in the application of electoral rules by polling staff, and complaints
For Immediate Release December 29, 2018 We, the undersigned organizations, as advocates of human rights and democracy, express our concern regarding the restrictive electoral environment surrounding the 11th General Election in Bangladesh, set to be held on December 30, 2018. Ever since the election was announced, the government of Bangladesh has embarked
Bangkok, Thailand December 23, 2018 The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) expresses dismay with the manner in which the Bangladesh authorities have handled the accreditation application process for domestic and international election observers in Bangladesh’s 11th General Elections (Jatiya Sangsad) to occur on December 30, 2018. While the Bangladesh Election Commission
Bangkok, 20 December 2018 As the date set for the Thai general election looms closer, there is growing debate as to whether international poll observers should be allowed to monitor the ballot on February 24. To defuse any controversy, the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) wishes to explain why it believes
Bangkok/Colombo, 22 September 2018 The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) denounces recent developments in the island nation of Maldives, which ensure that the upcoming presidential election of September 23 cannot be considered free and fair. Among others, intimidation of local civil society organizations, media, and members of the opposition, the lack
The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), with the participation of the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), conducted a fact-finding mission in Dhaka, Bangladesh from 7-10 September 2018. In light of the testimonies and data gathered during the mission, we express our utmost concern about the deterioration of human
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), after careful assessment, has determined that the conduct of the 2018 Cambodian Elections was anything but free or fair. Having observed more than 50 elections over the past two decades, ANFREL believes that this one was more bereft of truly democratic political processes than almost
We, as domestic and international election monitors, denounce the attempt by the Government and the National Election Committee (NEC) of Cambodia to legitimize the upcoming July 29 general election by accrediting large numbers of biased election monitors. It is our opinion that the 80,000 domestic observers authorized by the NEC show neither
As legislative elections will take place in Cambodia on July 29, ANFREL will not deploy observers in the country, since we believe the repressive political environment prejudicial to a truly democratic electoral process. In doing so, we stand in solidarity with our members NICFEC and COMFREL, as well as other Cambodian civil
Bangkok, 10 May 2018 – The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) congratulates the people of Malaysia for actively participating in the country’s 14th general elections. It is commendable that the Malaysian people were able to overcome all obstacles that could have prevented them from exercising their democratic right to vote. Civil
For Immediate Release April 25, 2018 For the PDF copy of the letter, please click link: Joint Letter on Cambodia's Political Instability Bangkok, Thailand – On the occasion of the 32nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, seven international non-government organizations wrote a letter to H.E. Dr. Vivian Balakrishan, Foreign Minister
Bangkok, Thailand -- The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) wishes to correct and clarify the information included in articles published by Swiftnews Daily and Freshnews Asia regarding ANFREL activities as they relate to the July 28, 2018 Cambodian National Assembly Elections. The two media portals published information which inaccurately portrayed ANFREL
For Immediate Release On August 23, 2017, the Cambodian Foreign Ministry released an order for the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in Phnom Penh to cease its activities and repatriate its foreign members. After the June 2017 elections, domestic civil society organizations and independent media institutions have also faced hostility from the Cambodian
