who kidnap naughty children.65 Although the ban has not been fully implemented, it has become a tool of humiliation used against Muslim women. RISING FUNDAMENTALISMS AND WOMEN HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS IN NORTHEAST SRI LANKA, WHERE HINDU SUPREMACY HAS SYSTEMATICALLY MARGINALIZED MUSLIMS, IN 2022 A SCHOOL TEACHER IN THE TOWN OF TRINCOMALEE WAS BARRED FROM ENTERING HER WORKPLACE (HINDU LADIES’ COLLEGE) ON THE GROUNDS THAT SHE WORE A HIJAB. In South Asia and Southeast Asia, the intersection of militarization and state power has created a dangerous environment for women human rights defenders and activists. Governments in the region, often under the influence of fascist and fundamentalist ideologies, have increasingly used legal instruments to expand their surveillance and suppress dissent. In India, for example, the Modi government has weaponized sedition charges, filing over 800 cases against more than 13,000 people since 2010.66 Similarly, in Sri Lanka, the Prevention of Terrorism Act remains a tool of state repression, leading to widespread torture and arbitrary detention. The expansion of state power under the guise of law and order has led to a climate of fear and intimidation, particularly for those who challenge the status quo.67 This context of violence and militarization has had devastating effects on the rights and freedoms of women human rights defenders. In countries like Thailand and Indonesia, the state’s use of draconian laws to target activists has resulted in severe consequences, including death in custody, as seen in the case of the Thai anti-monarchy activist Bung.68 In Indonesia, the sweeping amendments to the criminal code in 2022, which criminalize extramarital sex, cohabitation, and same-sex relationships, 65 Pundir, P. (2019). The Aftermath of the Sri Lanka Attacks Continues for South Asia’s Young Minorities. VICE World News, 3 May. https://www.vice.com/en/article/5dp7ga/sri-lanka-burqa-ban-women-muslim 66 Article 14 Sedition Database: https://sedition.article-14.com/ 67 Human Rights Watch. (2022). Sri Lanka: End Use of Terrorism Law Against Protesters. Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/08/31/sri-lanka-end-use-terrorism-law-against-protesters 68 Thai Lawyers for Human Rights. (2024). Pro-democracy activist “Bung” passed away while in the custody of the Department of Corrections. Thai Lawyers for Human Rights. https://tlhr2014.com/en/archives/67007 28