<p>Manushya Foundation, CIVICUS and the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) call on the Government of Lao PDR to remove all unwarranted restrictions on civic space in the country ahead of its human rights review to be held at the United Nations (UN) in January-February 2020. The review will mark five years since UN member states made 33 recommendations to the Lao government that directly relate to barriers to open civic space. As of today, the government has partially implemented only three recommendations.</p>

<p>Former National Human Rights Commissioner and activist Angkhana Neelapaijit has been named one of the five recipients of the 2019 Ramon Magsaysay Awards, which will be presented on 9 September 2019 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Manila.</p>

<p>Manushya Foundation and the Thai Business &amp; Human Rights Network call on Thai authorities to remedy the harm caused to the 14 villagers of Sab Wai village by dropping all charges against them, and by restoring their lost rights related to land, livelihood, food, housing and due process.</p>

<p><a href="https://apwld.org/press-release-drop-all-charges-against-land-and-human-rights-defenders-from-ban-sapwai-thailand/">The Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development</a> (APWLD) and Indigenous Women&rsquo;s Network of Thailand (IWNT) express our concerns over the charges against land and human rights defenders from Ban Sapwai, Chaiyaphum province. &nbsp;</p>

<div> <div id=":16t" tabindex="-1">24 February 2016</div> <div id=":15f"> <div id=":15g"> <p align="CENTER"><strong>Harassment</strong><strong>&nbsp;of human rights defender&nbsp;</strong><strong>Anchana Heemmina</strong></p> <p align="JUSTIFY">On 19 February 2016, a group of ten men claiming to be border police officers came to the house of human rights defender Ms&nbsp;<strong>Anchana Heemmina</strong>&nbsp;in the Songkhla province of southern Thailand and questioned and photographed the human rights defender's mother without presenting a warrant.</p> </div></div></div>

<div>August 26, 2014</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On 24 August 2014, Pornpen Khongkachonkiet, a long-time human rights defender and director of the Cross Cultural Foundation (CrCF), received a warrant summoning her to report to the Yala police station by 25 August 2014. She has postponed her reporting to the Yala police station until later in September. The warrant was in relation to an investigation carried out pursuant to a legal complaint of libel and defamation filed against her by Army Task Force 41. </div>