On 22 May 2018, about 500 citizens of Thailand gathered at Thammasat University in Bangkok and marched peacefully towards Government House, demanding an end to martial law and return to democratization and civilian rule, starting with elections by the end of 2018.
(May 23, 2018/Manila) – “Identity, ancestral domain, protection of their rights as non-Moro Indigenous Peoples – these are the issues that I have heard from our Lumad leaders, and I will bring these to the plenary debates on the BBL (Bangsamoro Basic Law),” says Senator Joel Villanueva.
[REPOST FROM THE REAL NEWS NETWORK]
Last month, Walden Bello, Focus' co-founder was interviewed by The Real News Network. In his exchange with producer and reporter Ben Norton, he discusses how the middle class is the social base for far-right movements.
[REPOST FROM THE REAL NEWS NETWORK]
Last month, Walden Bello, Focus' co-founder was interviewed by The Real News Network. In his exchange with producer and reporter Ben Norton, he explains how Duterte's government and politics are a threat to Democracy.
(May 21, 2018/Manila) – “To include non-Moro indigenous peoples rights in the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) means inclusive peace, and a more lasting one,” says Titay Bleyen Santos Unsad, a Teduray leader from Upi, Maguindanao.
Laws and policies have not always been on the side of the people. For the basic masses—workers, farmers, indigenous peoples, urban poor, especially the women from these basic sectors—the country’s legal and justice systems have also often times failed to protect their rights and interests.
A conversation with Dorothy Guerrero and Kolya Ambramsky.
“P-move (Peoples Movement for a Just Society) wishes to affirm that we are not only poor people who are troubled or abused, but we are also groups of people with our own concrete development models to solve our problems. We have savings groups, community banks, community welfare systems for building houses, building communities, waste dispo
3 May 2018, Singapore: Trade officials from 16 countries that are negotiating the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) are meeting in Singapore this week to advance this ambitious mega-Free Trade Agreement (FTA), however civil society has been shut out.
For Immediate release
On the day of his birthday, 17th September, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Sardar Sarovar Dam, and dedicated this act to the nation.
Malolos, Bulacan— Around 150 farmers, women, senior citizens, and children who were part of a "Lakbayan" (march) from Bataan to Malacanang to request President Rodrigo Duterte to help get the lands
Civil society organizations from Indonesia, Philippines, and Europe criticized the European Union’s Multilateral Investment Court proposal as an attempt to multilateralise the investor-State disput
22 February 2017, Manila, Philippines - Civil society and grassroots organizations from across Asia gathered in Manila for a two-day strategy meeting, February 21 and 22, to discuss a global campai
Manila, 16 January 2017:
Jakarta, December 8th: The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is being negotiated in Jakarta, Indonesia this week (December 2-10)[i].
Press Conference
Organised by: The Sombath Initiative
11am, Wednesday 31 August, 2016, Bangkok
New digital publication OUT NOW!!
This new publication compiles articles, songs, videos and visual contents created and gathered for the International Day of Peasants'Struggles 2018.
To read it online, please click here.
This paper summarizes the discussions that took place in a meeting of representatives from peasant, fisher folk, indigenous peoples and rural women’s organizations, and civil society organizations (CSOs), in Bangkok Thailand, 26-28 September 2017.
ឯកសារនេះបង្ហាញពីទិដ្ឋភាពទូទៅនៃនិន្នាការវិនិយោគនៅក្នុងតំបន់ទន្លេមេគង្គ ពីការផ្លាស់ប្តូរច្បាប់ និងគោលនយោបាយ ដែលបានធ្វើឡើងដើម្បីសម្របសម្រួលដល់ការវិនិយោគខ្នាតធំរបស់អន្តរជាតិ និងក្នុងស្រុក និងបង្ហាញពីផលប៉ះពាល់នៃការវិនិយោគបែបនេះ ទៅលើតំបន់សេដ្ឋកិច្ចពិសេស (SEZs) ជាពិសេសទៅលើលក្ខខណ្ឌរស់នៅ និងលក្ខខណ្ឌការងាររបស់កម្មករ នៅក្នុងតំបន់សេដ្ឋកិច្ចពិសេសទាំងនេះ។ ឯកសារនេះ ផ្តល់ជូននៅការវិភាគបែបស៊ីជម្រៅមួយទៅលើទំហំ និង
របាយការណ៍សិក្សាស្រាវជ្រាវស្តីពី "តំបន់សេដ្ឋកិច្ចពិសេស (SEZs) និងការទាញយកតម្លៃពីតំបន់មេគង្គ ករណីសិក្សាមួយលើការគ្រប់គ្រង និងការកេងប្រវ័ញ្ចដីធ្លី និងកម្លាំងពលកម្មក្នុងតំបន់សេដ្ឋកិច្ចពិសេសកម្ពុជា និងមីយ៉ាន់ម៉ា" បានធ្វើការសិក្សាលើករណីសិក្សាចំនួនពីរលើតំបន់សេដ្ឋកិច្ចពិសេសក្នុងប្រទេសកម្ពុជា និងប្រទេសមីយ៉ាន់ម៉ាពាក់ព័ន្ធនឹងការលើកទឹកចិត្ត និងការធានាដែលផ្
ECO -FRIENDLY PRINTABLE VERSION WITH NO PICTURES (text only)!
In many countries in Asia, new forms of authoritarianism are on the rise. In the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte—a former mayor accused of organizing death squads and who promised to make the fish of Manila Bay grow fat from the bodies of drug dealers—won the presidential elections in 2016.
Agriculture has been the driving force for India’s economy. At one point farming was even considered to be one of the most respectable job an individual could have. However, with the shift from zero budget farming to the rapid commercialisation of agriculture, many farmers have found themselves displaced or stuck in a vicious circle of debt trap.
For majority of peasants and indigenous people in India and around the world, climate change is a dreadful reality that has drastically altered their and rendered them vulnerable to hunger, poverty and deprivation. Even at the best of times, millions of them live on the edge, surviving on paltry income.
Focus in 2016 initiated and engaged more vigorously in endeavors that challenged the impunity of state and non-state actors in the region. One of the main approaches in doing this was working closely with human rights organizations and networks of rights defenders and activists.
Pages
On 22 May 2018, about 500 citizens of Thailand gathered at Thammasat University in Bangkok and marched peacefully towards Government House, demanding an end to martial law and return to democratization and civilian rule, starting with elections by the end of 2018.
Laws and policies have not always been on the side of the people. For the basic masses—workers, farmers, indigenous peoples, urban poor, especially the women from these basic sectors—the country’s legal and justice systems have also often times failed to protect their rights and interests.
A conversation with Dorothy Guerrero and Kolya Ambramsky.
3 May 2018, Singapore: Trade officials from 16 countries that are negotiating the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) are meeting in Singapore this week to advance this ambitious mega-Free Trade Agreement (FTA), however civil society has been shut out.
Statement from the Free Jonas Burgos Movement
The following open letter has been issued and signed by scholars, academics, and civil society members from across the world in support of the five academics and researchers who have been summoned by the military following the International Conference of Thai Studies (ICTS13), and to object to attempts by the state to control spaces of learning.
We the undersigned express our alarm and dismay at the Summons issued by Col Suebsakul Buarawong, deputy commander of the 33rd Military Circle in Chiang Mai, to Dr Chayan Vaddhanaphuti, Pakawadee Veerapatpong, Chaipong Samnieng, Nontawat Machai, and Thiramon Bua-ngam. They are accused of violating the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) chief's Order No.3/2015, Thailand’s military regime's ban on political gatherings of five or more persons. Conviction on the charges issued against these five scholars carries a potential six months in prison.
Statement from iDEFEND on the declaration of martial law in Mindanao, the Philippines
On Tuesday night, President Rodrigo Duterte declared Martial Law on the entire Mindanao Island while on a state visit in Russia, following the fighting between the military and the Maute group.
It has to be clarified that the clashes were triggered by law enforcement operation in Marawi. This is a situation started by the government itself. Similarly, the Maute group is a local terrorist group, and not ISIS, even as the former tries to ally itself with ISIS.
It’s been over a year since the late afternoon on 16 April 2016 when Den Kamlae went missing on his way to collect forest items. Material evidence was later discovered between 23-25 March 2017. Today, these important materials are still under examination by forensic scientists and the Central Institute of Forensic Science (CIFS).
On 14 March 2017, the International Day of Action for Rivers, we, the Save the Mekong Coalition along with civil society and community partners from Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, make this statement to express our gratitude to the Mekong River and the way of life she supports. The Mekong is our mother river, home to unique biodiversity and a lifeline for millions of people throughout the river basin. We recognize the efforts of Mekong communities who are working to protect and preserve the unique ecosystems and resources of the river for future generations.
Joint Organizations
July 11, 2016 - We, the undersigned Cambodian civil society groups, are outraged at the brutal murder of independent political analyst and grassroots organiser Kem Ley yesterday morning, and call for a prompt, thorough and independent inquiry into his death.
Kem Ley, 46, was shot twice, in his chest and his head, in a heavily-frequented Caltex petrol station cafe in central Phnom Penh shortly before 9.00 on Sunday morning.
Secretariat: c/o NFBM #1066-B, Emerald St., Taglesville Subd., Balanga City, Bataan
Email: [email protected]
5th July 2016
Dear Friends,
5th July 2016
Translated from Filipino
Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya (KILUSAN) strongly condemns the treacherous murder of our comrade Gloria Capitan of Mariveles, Bataan!
Labor Day statement of Independent Senatorial Candidate Walden Bello
Today, I march side by side with our workers to affirm their struggle for labor rights and continue the fight for dignity for our working class.
Labor day is a celebration of what the labor movement has won over decades of struggle.
Not many people know this but the fact that it is illegal to force workers to work for more than 8 hours and that they have to be paid more if they work beyond that is something that workers—through collective action—achieved.
You may sign this statement by clicking here
Suffering the brunt of the ongoing El Nino, more than 6 thousand farmers converged along a national highway in Kidapawan in the island of Mindanao in the Philippines on March 30 to demand 15,000 sacks of rice and financial subsidy promised to them six months earlier by the provincial government. They urgently need this assistance to tide them over until they are able to plant and harvest rice again.
