Southeast Asian MPs call for international community to embrace localized approaches at Thai-Myanmar border to ensure humanitarian aid reaches the most vulnerable

Southeast Asian MPs call for international community to embrace localized approaches at Thai-Myanmar border to ensure humanitarian aid reaches the most vulnerable

BANGKOK – ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) calls on Thailand, ASEAN, and the wider international community to turn their attention to the plight of internally-displaced people (IDPs) and refugees at the Thai-Myanmar border and to support localized pathways, including cross-border aid. 

During the four-day fact-finding mission from 13-16 November, parliamentarians from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand visited the border towns of Mae Hong Son and Mae Sariang in Northern Thailand to speak with local organizations, displaced communities and first responders to hear about their situation and challenges  as well as to consult with community-based organizations to better understand what solutions must be immediately advocated for. 

We are deeply concerned about the situation faced by IDPs and refugees from Myanmar at the Thai Border. They do not have sufficient access to healthcare, food, or even shelter. We can and must do more for them,” APHR Chair and member of the Indonesian House of Representatives Mercy Barends said today,

The mission delegation found that border clinics urgently need  medicine and warm clothing for patients.  Meanwhile, IDP and refugee children have severely limited  access to education: schools have been targeted for airstrikes by the military junta, there is a lack of books and other learning materials, and those who wish to continue with higher education find it difficult to apply to universities abroad due to a lack of documentation.

The growing IDP population near the Thai border – which is set to reach 300,000 due to continued junta airstrikes and military operations – relies heavily on local community-based organizations for support. But these organizations are continually blocked from accessing humanitarian aid by the illegal Myanmar junta,” APHR member and Malaysian member of parliament Kelvin Yii said. “APHR stands in solidarity with the community-based organizations and echoes their calls for increased cross-border aid.”

The challenges faced by refugees on the Thai side of the border are made worse by the precarity of their legal status – human rights groups have repeatedly criticized Thai border authorities for sending those seeking refuge back across the border to Myanmar, where they are at risk of indiscriminate airstrikes, arbitrary arrest, torture, and worse.

We urge the Thai government to enact policies that ensure refugees are granted safe passage and humanitarian assistance, starting by instructing Thai border authorities to immediately halt the forced return of Myanmar refugees,” said Yii.

APHR also highlights that the conditions of IDPs and refugees can only be genuinely  resolved with a peaceful, democratic, and inclusive Myanmar. 

We therefore reiterate our calls to ASEAN and the international community to take firm action against the illegal Myanmar junta, including by suspending any military or diplomatic cooperation, and to recognize the National Unity Government as the legitimate representatives of the Myanmar people,” said Barends. “As long as the junta remains in power, the suffering of IDPs and refugees will only increase, leading to an unsafe Thai border as well as wider regional instability.”

Joint Statement with Greenpeace Southeast Asia: Renewed calls for ASEAN to prioritize and protect citizens’ rights to clean air from transboundary haze

Joint Statement with Greenpeace Southeast Asia: Renewed calls for ASEAN to prioritize and protect citizens’ rights to clean air from transboundary haze

KUALA LUMPUR – More cases of dangerous haze pollution have been observed in the last few weeks, particularly in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. Today, civil society organizations in the region are calling on member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to protect and uphold citizens’ rights to clean air from the recurring haze by enacting a Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA) as a concrete first step.

In time for the Asia-Pacific Climate Week (APCW 2023) held from 13-17 November in Johor, Malaysia, Greenpeace Southeast Asia (GPSEA) and ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) reminded governments of their commitments to implement the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP).  Past pronouncements to stop the haze first began with the 2002 ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution but since then, very little progress has been made. With the combined reality of a positive Indian Ocean Dipole and El Niño, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia governments have started warning their citizens to prepare for possible transboundary haze. But warnings are not enough, especially with an ongoing climate emergency. Current climate temperatures are increasing the intensity and frequency of forest and land fires resulting in more cases of haze that has disrupted people’s lives, even causing a massive public health crisis in the regions.

Mercy Barends, Chairperson, ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) said: 

“The right to clean air is a basic human right that should be protected. The haze that has plagued Sumatra, Kalimantan, Chiang Mai, Kuala Lumpur, and other Southeast Asian areas in the past few months is a clear demonstration of the need for regional cooperation to combat pollution. Parliamentarians across Southeast Asia should advocate for the passing of a domestic Transboundary Haze Act in their respective countries and show their commitment to ensuring that everyone in the region can breathe easily.”

Heng Kiah Chun, Regional Campaign Strategist for Greenpeace Southeast Asia said:

“Southeast Asians have had to deal with toxic haze for decades now due to ASEAN’s lack of political will to stop the haze even in their own backyard. It has impacted entire generations who have been forced to live with seasonal haze, some have suffered from health issues because their basic rights to clean air were not met. ASEAN pronouncements are useless if people continue to suffer and are forced to bear toxic air pollution. It’s time for ASEAN to act, put their citizens’ health and well-being first and put an end to Transboundary Haze.”

Both groups lauded the Establishment Agreement of the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control (ACC THPC) and look forward to the full operationalization of the Centre which aims to facilitate faster and effective implementation of all aspects of the AATHP to address transboundary haze pollution in the ASEAN region and to endorse revisions to the Standard Operating Procedures for Monitoring, Evaluation and Joint Emergency Response (SOP MAJER).

They also noted that diplomatic cooperation among ASEAN governments can coexist with action-oriented laws to ensure accountability and strengthen governments’ strategies in dealing with the long-term haze issues. For Malaysia, ASEAN regional diplomatic cooperation should not be an excuse used to delay enforceable laws such as a THPA, which was tabled in Malaysia in 2019 but scrapped in August 2020 despite many Malaysian-owned companies being linked to forest fires in Indonesia.

In particular, Greenpeace Southeast Asia and ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights demand ASEAN states to:

1. Develop a regional legal framework to hold corporate entities accountable for forest fires due to peatland drainage, and commodity-driven deforestation and agricultural residue burning 

2. Mandate all plantation companies with concession areas in flammable landscapes including peatland or forestland  to publicly disclose and publish concession maps to be shared across all ASEAN member states to improve transparency in their supply chains.

3. Regulate traceability requirements at every step of the supply chain of agribusiness and food industry to identify the origin of commodities and mitigate risks of deforestation, crop residue burning and transboundary haze at the source.

4. Agree on a standardised air quality indicator to be used in all ASEAN member states to monitor and track air pollution based on a common methodology and act accordingly.

Prison sentences for opposition members demonstrate that Hun Manet is following in his father’s footsteps, Southeast Asian MPs say

Prison sentences for opposition members demonstrate that Hun Manet is following in his father’s footsteps, Southeast Asian MPs say

JAKARTA – Lawmakers from Southeast Asia strongly condemn the recent sentencing of Cambodian opposition leaders and activists to up to eight years imprisonment for posting comments criticizing the government on social media and urge the international community to take action against the continuing repression of the Cambodian people.

Hun Manet has attempted to portray himself as a new start for Cambodia. These most recent sentences against members of the opposition for making comments on social media prove that his regime is just as draconian and anti-democratic as his father’s was,” ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) Co-Chair and former Malaysian MP Charles Santiago said today.

On 18 October, Candlelight Party vice president Thach Setha was sentenced to three years imprisonment for alleged incitement to commit a felony and incitement to discriminate on the basis of race, religion or nationality, based on social media comments he made that criticized the Cambodian government’s policy on Vietnam. 

On 24 October, four former opposition parliamentarians in exile, Sam Rainsy, Mu Sochua, Eng Chhai Eang, and Ho Vann – the latter three of whom are APHR members – were sentenced to eight years imprisonment and a five-year ban from running for office for alleged incitement and conspiracy to commit treason. They were charged in relation to a series of Facebook comments about whether Cambodians should temporarily stop paying loans during COVID-19 as well as another set of Facebook comments about high-ranking Cambodian officials buying citizenships in Cyprus. Eight other opposition activists were also found guilty in the same case and sentenced to five years imprisonment.

The charges brought against these opposition members are patently absurd and do not bear scrutiny. These clearly politically-motivated prosecutions reveal a government that is determined to stamp out even the mildest of critics,” said Santiago.

The sentences are a continuation of the repressive policies of former prime minister Hun Sen, the father of current Prime Minister Hun Manet. This year alone, Hun Sen has openly threatened opposition supporters with legal and physical violence, while his regime has shut down one of the country’s last remaining independent media outlets Voice of Democracy (VOD) and sentenced former CNRP leader Kem Sokha to 27 years of house arrest on trumped-up treason charges.

Shortly before the general elections in July, the Cambodian National Election Commission (NEC) rejected the registration of the main opposition Candlelight Party on administrative grounds, in what was clearly a manufactured bureaucratic obstacle designed to block the Candlelight Party from competing in the elections by any means possible. 

We stand in solidarity with APHR members and all other members of the opposition that have been the targets for baseless prosecution and harassment simply for peacefully expressing their political beliefs,” said Santiago. 

APHR is deeply concerned that if these attacks against opposing voices are allowed to continue unabated, any real opposition that may stand against the regime in the upcoming Senatorial Elections in 2024 will be completely decimated and any remaining hope for democracy in Cambodia will be fully snuffed out.

These sentences should shatter any illusions that the international community might have had about Hun Manet,” said Santiago. “We urge parliamentarians in Southeast Asia and worldwide to take legislative action, through a bill or resolution, condemning the human rights abuses of the Hun Sen and Hun Manet regimes and send a clear message to the Cambodian government that its actions are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

Malaysia’s diversity should be celebrated, not used as a political weapon, Southeast Asian MPs say

Malaysia’s diversity should be celebrated, not used as a political weapon, Southeast Asian MPs say

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia must foster the unity of its rich multicultural society and turn away from using divisive rhetoric for political gain, ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights said today at a press conference following a fact-finding mission on peace and harmony after the country’s recent elections.

During the fact-finding mission from 7 to 10 October, APHR’s delegation, consisting of current and former members of parliament from the Philippines, Singapore, and Timor-Leste, met with the Minister of Communications and Digital, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM), the Election Commission (SPR), the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), members of the Malaysian parliament as well as with representatives of civil society, the media, religious leaders, and interfaith groups.

We are pleased to see that, despite years of political instability, Malaysians have been able to express their political choices through the ballot box in November 2022 and August 2023, resulting in a peaceful transition of power at both the federal and state levels,” said APHR member and former Singapore member of parliament Mohamed Irshad. 

We also appreciate the Unity Government’s Malaysia Madani policy framework, particularly its focus on good governance and social harmony. However, several observers have highlighted certain worrying trends regarding religious and racial polarization that must be addressed before they reach a breaking point,” said Irshad. 

During the elections, discriminatory and hateful campaign rhetoric flooded various social media platforms, with TikTok even saying that it was on “high-alert.” These kinds of narratives have caused division in Malaysian society and results in the further marginalization of vulnerable and minority groups. Freedom House has also rated Malaysia’s freedom of religion with its lowest score of one out of four.

We are deeply concerned by the proliferation of hate speech, particularly in online spaces. The lack of trust between different communities that is the basis of some of these narratives is something that needs to be addressed through open and frank discussions in order to get to the root cause of the problems. If not, these issues will only recur in the future,” said Irshad.

APHR also notes with concern that the spread of divisive narratives is further exacerbated by the reach of social media platforms. The lack of suitable safeguards and appropriate oversight mechanism allows for the creation of echo-chambers and the spread of disinformation, divisiveness, and hate. In Malaysia, and globally, these phenomena are undermining democracy, public institutions, social cohesion, and stability.

We believe that governments throughout the region, including Malaysia, must be firm in holding social media companies to act more responsibly and take ownership for their role in facilitating the spread of hate and division,” said Irshad.  

But we must also recognize that politicians and community leaders play a pivotal role in promoting responsible speech and curtailing inflammatory remarks, particularly during elections. We urge our fellow parliamentarians to resist exploiting religious and racial divides for political gains,” continued Irshad.

To address these issues, APHR has compiled several preliminary recommendations, including establishing a preventative strategy to preempt the spread of hate speech during election periods. Collaborative efforts among institutions like the Election Commission (SPR), the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), and the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) are vital in this regard.

Parliamentarians and government officials should speak out firmly and promptly against intolerance, discriminatory stereotyping, and instances of hate speech,” said APHR member and Timor-Leste member of parliament Maria Terezinha da Silva Viegas. “We also reiterate our call for the Malaysian parliament to urgently review laws that have been used to repress freedom of expression – such as the Communication and Multimedia Act – as they also hinder candid religious discussion.”

APHR also recommends a national mechanism for a meaningful, genuine, open, and honest interfaith dialogue, as a way to bridge gaps and promote mutual respect among different religious communities.

As with all peoples, there is more that unites Malaysians than divides them. The challenges that Malaysia – and the rest of Southeast Asia – faces in the next five to ten years, such as climate change, food security, technological advances, are ones that must be faced together, regardless of race and religion,” said Maria.

Timor-Leste must stay true to democratic, human rights underpinnings when expanding digital rights framework, Southeast Asian MPs say

Timor-Leste must stay true to democratic, human rights underpinnings when expanding digital rights framework, Southeast Asian MPs say

DILI – Timor-Leste’s admirable commitment to democratic and human rights principles in its 20 years of independence must be maintained and strengthened as its internet access, and online expression, expands, ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) said today at the conclusion of a fact-finding mission to assess the state of internet freedoms in the country.

During the fact-finding mission from 30 September to 2 October, APHR’s delegation, which consisted of current and former lawmakers from Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines met with Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos Horta, the Ombudsman for Human Rights and Justice (PDHJ), the National Press Council, the National Communications Authority (ANC), the National Parliament, as well as with representatives of civil society and media organizations.

“Timor-Leste has consistently punched above its weight when it comes to democracy and human rights, and we are inspired by how far the country and its vibrant civil society has come following its long struggle against colonialism and dictatorship,” said APHR member and Penang State Legislative Assembly member Gooi Hsiao Leung. “While there are issues that need to be addressed, especially in the face of growing internet access and availability, we are confident that Timor-Leste can overcome them if it remains true to the ideals that underlie the country’s foundations.”

Timor-Leste’s fervor to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms is evident in its 2002 Constitution, and is further proven by having the distinction of being the only Southeast Asian country to be categorized as “free” in Freedom House’s Global Freedom Index. Nevertheless, the country also faces challenges that must be attended to in order to maintain its status as the most democratic and rights-respecting country in the region. 

Chief among them is the limited information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure in the country, which has resulted in internet connectivity that is among the slowest and yet also the most expensive in the world. 

“We applaud the Timorese government’s initiative to expand internet speed and availability through submarine as well as terrestrial fiber optic cables. In this digital age, equitable access to the internet must be a priority , as it also significantly affects basic rights such as access to information and education,” said APHR Member and member of the Philippines House of Representatives Raoul Manuel. 

And while freedom of the press in Timor-Leste is highly-rated by global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders, journalists and civil society members have raised concerns about looming threats towards freedom of expression online. While so far no journalists or ordinary citizens have faced prison sentences for peaceful expression, some have faced prosecution, as well as intimidation and harassment from law enforcement authorities.

The previous government has also attempted to reintroduce articles criminalizing defamation into Timor-Leste’s Penal Code, and a draft Cybercrime Bill tabled in 2021 included vaguely-worded provisions that could potentially be used to silence political dissent.

“We understand that increased internet availability and online expression may require more regulation and monitoring. However, our experiences in our own countries have shown how such regulations, if not accompanied by the necessary safeguards, can result in abuse of power and repression of critical voices,” said Manuel.

The Communications and Multimedia Act in Malaysia, the Cybercrime Prevention Act in Philippines, and the Cybersecurity Act and Computer-related Crimes Act in Thailand have all been used to criminalize and silence peaceful expressions of political opinions online.

“We therefore call on the Timorese government and parliament to ensure that any legislation that regulates online behaviors does not violate the freedom of expression and freedom of the press that is enshrined in Timor-Leste’s constitution and international human rights law,” said APHR Member and former Thailand member of parliament Kunthida Rungruengkiat. 

Apart from legislation, the APHR delegation also noted the importance of promoting digital literacy among both the general public as well as in state institutions and law enforcement agencies. 

“While regulations can sometimes be necessary, one of the most effective ways to ensure that the public is protected from the adverse effects of the internet is by building their capacity to recognize and understand the different types of content that can be found online, including fake news and hoaxes,” said Rungruengkiat.

“We also urge all parliamentarians and government officials in Timor-Leste to be open to criticism and to stand up for those who are harassed and prosecuted by state actors for peacefully expressing their political opinions. Though online criticism can at times be unnecessarily harsh, we must recognize that as public figures, our decisions affect the public interest and therefore must be subject to public comment and, at times, public disapproval,” said Gooi Hsiao Leung.

Click hear to read this statement in Tetum.

ASEAN’s ‘review and decision’ on Five Point Consensus falls short of what is needed to resolve Myanmar crisis, Southeast Asian MPs say

ASEAN’s ‘review and decision’ on Five Point Consensus falls short of what is needed to resolve Myanmar crisis, Southeast Asian MPs say

JAKARTA – The Review and Decision on the Implementation of the Five Point Consensus agreed to by ASEAN leaders at the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta falls short of the steps necessary to resolve the Myanmar crisis and restore democracy in the country, ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) said today.

When President Jokowi opened the ASEAN Summit retreat session, he said that ASEAN needed more ‘tactical and extraordinary’ efforts to implement the Five Point Consensus,” said APHR Chair and member of Indonesian House of Representatives Mercy Barends. “Unfortunately, the ‘review and decision’ document does not reflect that need for extraordinary and urgent measures.”

The document states that ASEAN will continue to use the Five Point Consensus as the ‘main reference point’ to address the crisis in Myanmar and once again urged the Myanmar junta to ‘de-escalate violence and stop targeted attacks against  civilians.’ The document also notes that ASEAN leaders have agreed that Myanmar will not chair ASEAN in 2026.

We appreciate that ASEAN leaders have condemned the violence perpetrated by the junta; however, words of condemnation are not enough to stop these acts from happening. And while ASEAN reaffirmed its commitment to assisting Myanmar in finding a peaceful solution – it does not indicate how or what steps will be taken,” said Barends. “ASEAN has also failed to acknowledge and recognize the efforts and leadership of the pro-democracy movement in their various capacities.” 

Since the illegal coup in February 2021, at least 4,000 civilians have been killed, while nearly two million others have been forced to flee their homes. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) estimates that the junta has arrested over 24,000 political prisoners since the coup, over 19,800 of which remain in detention.

It has been almost three years since the coup, during which millions of people have had their lives irrevocably shattered by the junta’s atrocities. And yet ASEAN seems content to continue to act as if the Myanmar crisis was some bureaucratic mix-up that can be periodically ‘reviewed’ and not an ongoing armed conflict where lives are on the line every day,” said Barends.

The Myanmar junta’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a statement rejecting the ‘review and decision’ claiming that it was ‘not objective’ and ‘one-sided.”

If there was not already enough proof, the Myanmar junta’s response to ASEAN’s review and decision further shows that the junta is a bad-faith actor that has no interest in pursuing the peaceful, democratic, and inclusive resolution that the people of Myanmar deserve. ASEAN leaders must open their eyes to this reality and stop acting as if the junta can be counted on to uphold and protect human rights, ” said Barends. “ASEAN must take a much harder line and detail enforcement mechanisms that will genuinely hold the junta to account, otherwise it is merely prolonging the status quo.”

We urge ASEAN to take strong and meaningful actions – including openly recognizing and supporting pro-democracy forces, and creating concrete accountability mechanisms for the junta – so that it is remembered as an organization that helped ease that suffering, rather than one that compounded it,” said Barends.