In Geneva, at the 60th Session of the Human Rights Council, a powerful event called ‘Voices from the Margins: Protecting Minority Rights in South Asia’ spotlighted the tough realities facing minorities across the region. Organizers focused on religious persecution in Pakistan, attacks on Hindus and indigenous groups in Bangladesh, curbs on cultural and religious freedoms in Tibet, and the ongoing struggles of Tamils in Sri Lanka.
The Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD), along with its partners, put together this gathering. It drew over 50 people from civil society, diplomatic missions, and permanent representations, including those from Greece, Denmark, China, India, and Bangladesh. Human rights activists and minority community reps from South Asia came together to expose deep-rooted discrimination, violence, and exclusion.
“Protecting minority rights isn’t just charity—it’s about justice, equality, and dignity. It’s key to creating peaceful, inclusive societies,” said Charlotte Zehrer, a Human Rights Officer at GHRD, kicking off the discussions.
Mehmmod ur Rehman Anwar, an international consultant on human and development rights and PR officer for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Switzerland, shared heartbreaking stories of atrocities against Ahmadis in Pakistan. He explained how discriminatory laws there strip them of the right to call themselves Muslims or practice their faith freely. “Even simple religious expressions can land Ahmadis in jail,” he noted, pushing the global community to crack down on Pakistan’s blasphemy laws and state-backed persecution.
Farhan Kaghzi, General Secretary of the World Sindhi Congress, turned the spotlight on the Sindhi community in Pakistan. He talked about the rising crisis of forced conversions targeting Sindhi Hindu women and girls, often involving coercion, violence, and no consequences for the culprits. Kaghzi urged the Human Rights Council to label these acts as major human rights violations and demand better protections for vulnerable groups in Sindh.
From Bangladesh, Rahman Khalilur Mamun, Executive President of the International Forum for Secular Bangladesh, highlighted the violence hitting Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, and indigenous peoples. He pointed out how attackers often escape punishment and called for worldwide help to safeguard secularism, minority rights, and democracy in the country.
Speakers agreed that these minority rights violations in South Asia aren’t one-off problems—they’re part of bigger patterns of exclusion and harm that need the Human Rights Council’s immediate focus. A GHRD statement summed it up: Boosting UN tools like Special Procedures and accountability measures is crucial to amplify and act on minority voices.
The event wrapped up with a strong push for more UN attention to these issues, tougher global rules to hold failing governments accountable, and better links between local communities and international leaders.
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