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What is SEAPFoRB?

Southeast Asia Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief (SEAPFoRB) is a working group of current and former parliamentarians working to advance Freedom of Religion of Belief (FORB)  in Southeast Asia.  

SEAPFoRB has undertaken fact-finding missions in the region, and implemented activities related to lessening religious tensions, tackling hate speech, legislating for religious freedom, and abolishing blasphemy laws. It has also issued advocacy letters to heads of state to address issues related to persecution of religious minorities and hate speech.

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FoRB Toolkits for MPs

A guide for parliamentarians promoting freedom of religion or belief

FoRB Organizations & Networks

Find out about FoRB organizations and networks from around the world

FoRB Working Group

Working Group of former & current members of parliament in Asia

Prisoners of Conscience

Support people who are imprisoned for exercizing freedom of religion or belief.

 
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MPs in Action 

MPs in Action
MPs pledge to protect freedom of religion or belief and combat rise in hateful narratives
MPs pledge to protect freedom of religion or belief and combat rise in hateful narratives

Click here for a Bahasa Indonesian translation of this statement

Click here for a Bahasa Indonesian translation of the Sentul Declaration for Peace Building and Freedom of Religion or Belief

JAKARTA – Parliamentarians and religious leaders from Indonesia have signed the “Sentul Declaration for Peace Building and Freedom of Religion or Belief”. The Declaration enshrines moral commitments to promote and strengthen the protection of freedom of religion or belief (FORB) for all, and to counter the rise of hate speech in West Java. Further, on the occasion of Pancasila Day, which falls on June 1, they agreed to participate in Caucus Pancasila, a multi-parties platform for Indonesian parliamentarians to contribute in reviving the values of Pancasila.

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Ramadhan Dialogue: “The Future of Freedom of Religion in Malaysia Post-GE 15”
Ramadhan Dialogue: “The Future of Freedom of Religion in Malaysia Post-GE 15”

On 8 May 2021, Southeast Asia Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief (SEAPForB), in collaboration with Komuniti Muslim Universal Malaysia (KMU) and Sisters In Islam (SIS) organised a Ramadhan Dialogue aimed at fostering collaboration between parliamentarians, faith and CSO leaders to strengthen the protection of FoRB in Malaysia. The Dialogue was undertaken as part of a follow-up to APHR-IPPFoRB Fact-Finding Mission to Kuala Lumpur in January 2019 to assess FoRB situation, and how the political climate has changed since Pakatan Harapan government took office in 2018.

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 Join us for our Ramadhan Dialogue!
 Join us for our Ramadhan Dialogue!

SEAPForB, in collaboration with Komuniti Muslim Universal Malaysia (KMU) and Sisters In Islam (SIS) will organise a Ramadhan Dialogue aimed at fostering collaboration between parliamentarians, faith and CSO leaders to strengthen the protection of FoRB in Malaysia.

Please register at: http://bit.ly/RamadhanDialogue

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Kasthuri Patto's Quotes on on the suspected suicide bombing at a church in Makassar, Indonesia, today.
Kasthuri Patto's Quotes on on the suspected suicide bombing at a church in Makassar, Indonesia, today.

QUOTES: From Kasthuri Patto, a member of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), on the suspected suicide bombing at a church in Makassar, Indonesia, today.

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Women Parliamentarians as Peacebuilders: Displacing Hate Speech with the discourse of respect
Hate Speech
Women Parliamentarians as Peacebuilders: Displacing Hate Speech with the discourse of respect
Hate Speech

Experience during the pandemic confirms that the deployment by political actors of hate speech in the digital space exponentially promotes real-time political violence, particularly in countries with populist or authoritarian leanings. It acts as a powerful gender-based disincentive to political participation, activism, and leadership at precisely the time when more diversity and inclusion is needed. In response, women champions of peace and inclusion within parliaments - and their male allies - are creating their own modalities for online engagement, brokering new partnerships for inclusive public debate to displace hate speech with the discourse of respect.

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Hate Speech
[Joint Statement] Myanmar military should end its use of violence and respect democracy
[Joint Statement] Myanmar military should end its use of violence and respect democracy

The undersigned groups today denounced an apparent coup in Myanmar, and associated violence, which has suspended civilian government and effectively returned full power to the military.

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Quotes from Charles Santiago, chair of APHR and a Malaysian MP on Myanmar
Quotes from Charles Santiago, chair of APHR and a Malaysian MP on Myanmar

QUOTES: From Charles Santiago, chair of APHR and a Malaysian MP regarding overnight developments in Myanmar, of the military arresting senior figures from the ruling National League for Democracy, including Aung San Suu Kyi.

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Amid ongoing concerns, MPs call for ASEAN's joint action in protecting FoRB in SE Asia
Amid ongoing concerns, MPs call for ASEAN's joint action in protecting FoRB in SE Asia

Lawmakers from across Southeast Asia called for ASEAN's joint action in ensuring freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all people in the region, amid ongoing inter-communal tensions, religious intolerance, as well as discrimination and persecution based on religion or belief.

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