Southeast Asian lawmakers urge Thailand’s new government to fulfill promise of change, pave the way for genuine democracy that respects rights of all

Southeast Asian lawmakers urge Thailand’s new government to fulfill promise of change, pave the way for genuine democracy that respects rights of all

JAKARTA – Southeast Asian Parliamentarians welcome the appointment of Thailand’s 30th Prime Minister, Srettha Thavisin, after an extended period of delays following the country’s general elections in May 2023 and urge his leadership to fulfill his promise of change after years of democratic deterioration and human rights violations. 

ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) remains deeply concerned with the systemic problems that are entrenched within Thailand’s current political and legal  frameworks. These problems not only hinder the full representation of the people’s will but they have been used time and again to curtail fundamental freedoms.

“It is concerning that the current system in Thailand permitted the largest winning political party in the elections to be excluded from the ruling coalition. The lopsidedness of the system appears to be the biggest factor and therefore comprehensive reforms need to take place to change the status quo. Crucial to this is the full review of the current junta-drafted constitution wherein any  amendments made should be towards paving the way for Thailand to fully embody democracy, one that actively champions and safeguards human rights for all.”said Charles Santiago, APHR Co-Chairperson and Former Member of Malaysia’s Parliament. 

In its present form, the Thai constitution has a bicameral parliament, with a 250-person Senate that is effectively appointed by the Royal Thai Military. Any attempt to amend the constitution requires the backing of at least one-third of all senators. Regrettably, the military’s prominent role and influence in Thai politics eroded the nation’s democratic fabric. Thailand has experienced numerous coups in the past decades, disrupting elected governments to the detriment of its people. Under military rule for five years  from 2014 to 2019 and a military-dominated government thereafter, draconian measures have been used to suppress freedoms of expression, assembly, and association. These lead to massive demonstrations from 2020 to 2021. 

Clearly in the recent polls, an overwhelming majority of voters voiced their disapproval of the military through the ballots.

“The new government should not waste time in instituting reforms to realize the aspirations of the people. Key on the agenda should be the restoration and rebuilding of democracy and its institutions, putting an end to the role of military in politics, addressing economic inequalities, and providing redress to all injustices committed against the people,” 

We have consistently advocated a people-centered governance where processes are participatory and citizens are empowered. For Thailand, a pivotal reform is the need to decentralize power to local governments. This way, government services are going to be more attuned to the needs, and within reach, of the people.”  Santiago said.

Thailand faces a myriad of challenges. The years of political instability in the country has directly impacted the expansion of the wealth gap in Southeast Asia’s second largest economy with concentration of wealth remaining at the hands of the few and powerful, further marginalizing the already disadvantaged. It is therefore imperative for the incoming government to take immediate action to usher in a new era of progress, one that is inclusive, promotes social cohesion, and respects all human rights.

Click here to read Statement in Thai

Indonesia must use the last months of its ASEAN chairmanship to cement a lasting positive legacy for Myanmar, Southeast Asian MPs say

Indonesia must use the last months of its ASEAN chairmanship to cement a lasting positive legacy for Myanmar, Southeast Asian MPs say

JAKARTA – Indonesia must use the time it has left as chair of ASEAN to leave a lasting legacy for the Myanmar pro-democracy movement, the region, and for Indonesia itself, ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights said today.

In his annual speech in front of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) on 16 August, Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said that international trust in Indonesia was high due to, among other things, the country’s chairmanship of ASEAN as well as its “consistency in upholding human rights, humanity, equality.. 

We congratulate Indonesia on its 78th Independence Day and we commend President Jokowi’s recognition that consistently upholding human rights is the key to gaining international credibility,” said APHR Board Member and Malaysian member of parliament Wong Chen. “Unfortunately, so far Indonesia has failed to uphold ‘human rights, humanity, and equality’ as ASEAN chair, particularly with regards to Myanmar.”

As chair of ASEAN, Indonesia has openly adopted a “soft diplomacy” approach, with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi saying in May that Indonesian diplomats had more than 60 “engagements” with all the parties involved in the Myanmar crisis, including the junta’s self-styled State Administrative Council (SAC), the National Unity Government (NUG), as well as ethnic revolutionary organizations. However, these meetings have lacked transparency and have done little, if any, to stop the illegal Myanmar junta from continuing to commit gross human rights violations against its own people.

The lack of firm action on Myanmar on Indonesia’s part has emboldened diplomatic friends of the junta to take steps to undermine ASEAN’s role in responding to the Myanmar crisis, as can be seen in the outgoing Thai government’s “Track 1.5” meetings.

If President Jokowi is truly sincere in his stated desire for Indonesia to maintain its international trust and standing, then he must ensure that Indonesia takes actions that leave a legacy of progress and forward momentum on Myanmar, rather than one of stagnation and missed opportunities,” said Wong Chen.

Firstly, Indonesia must make it clear that ASEAN member states engaging bilaterally with the Myanmar military junta is unacceptable and undermines ASEAN’s role in resolving the crisis. Secondly, as APHR and Myanmar civil society organizations have repeatedly called for, Indonesia must initiate a thorough and inclusive review of the Five Point Consensus to create an agreement that the Myanmar junta must abide by. 

APHR also calls on Indonesia to engage in an open and formal dialogue on a solution to Myanmar with the National Unity Government, the Committed Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw and the National Consultative Council, as well as with like-minded figures committed to peace and democracy, including ethnic armed revolution organizations, community-based organizations and human rights defenders.

Indonesia must also strongly encourage the engagement of local organizations, primarily those working along the Thai-Myanmar border, who have shared an urgent need for cross-border humanitarian assistance. The military junta is not a trusted partner in facilitating and coordinating support and has, on multiple occasions, weaponized its delivery. 

Indonesia was formed with high-minded ideals embedded into the country’s foundation. The Preamble to the 1945 Constitution, for instance, says that Indonesia must strive for ‘the establishment of a world order based on freedom, perpetual peace and social justice,’” said Wong Chen. “We urge President Jokowi to live up to these ideals by helping lay the foundation for a meaningful and lasting democratic future in Myanmar.” 

Indonesia must set example for ASEAN as ‘epicentrum of harmony’, starting with interfaith marriage, Southeast Asian MPs say

Indonesia must set example for ASEAN as ‘epicentrum of harmony’, starting with interfaith marriage, Southeast Asian MPs say

JAKARTA – Parliamentarians from Southeast Asia commend Indonesia’s efforts as ASEAN chair to organize the bloc’s first major interreligious dialogue conference, an important step in advancing freedom of religion or belief in the region. ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) also call on the Indonesian government to follow up this conference by setting an example for its fellow ASEAN member states in ending all forms of religious discrimination, including obstacles for interfaith marriage.

The first ASEAN Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue Conference was held in Jakarta on Monday, 7 August. Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo opened the conference with a speech saying that ASEAN should not just be an epicentrum of growth, but also “an epicentrum of harmony, that safeguards the stability of the region as well as world peace.” He also said that ASEAN countries, including Indonesia, “have succeeded in maintaining a strong tradition of tolerance.”

We share President Jokowi’s admirable sentiments about making ASEAN a bastion of religious tolerance and harmony,” APHR Board Member and former member of the Indonesian House of Representatives Eva Kusuma Sundari said today. “However, in order to achieve this, Indonesia as ASEAN chair must keep up the momentum from this conference by taking concrete actions.”

Article 22 of the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration states: “Every person has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. All forms of intolerance, discrimination and incitement of hatred based on religion and beliefs shall be eliminated.” Unfortunately, this article has yet to be fully implemented in many of ASEAN’s member countries. Research conducted by APHR last year found that many laws that inhibit, restrict, and repress religious freedoms remain on the books and are enforced throughout Southeast Asia.

Even Indonesia, despite its reputation for religious tolerance and diversity, has several improvements to make on this front. Only last month, Indonesia’s Supreme Court issued a circular that forbids judges from approving requests for the recognition of interfaith marriages. The circular makes interfaith marriage, which was already difficult due to differing interpretations of the 1974 Marriage Law, nearly impossible without resorting to complicated legal maneuvering.

The Supreme Court circular banning the recognition of interfaith marriage is a grave violation of the freedom of religion or belief in Indonesia. It is undeniably discriminatory and stands in flagrant violation of the principle of equality before the law enshrined in the 1945 Constitution as well as internationally recognized legal instruments ratified by Indonesia, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. What’s more, secular courts do not have the authority to say what marriages are religiously allowed or not,” said Eva. “How can we claim to be an example of tolerance when we deprive our citizens of the right to marry the person they love, simply because they have different beliefs?”

The Supreme Court must demonstrate their commitment to upholding the national constitution and international human rights law by canceling the circular,” said Eva. “We also call on the Indonesian House of Representatives to amend the 1974 Marriage Law to promote non-discrimination and safeguard the freedom of religion or belief, allowing all citizens to exercise their rights and choices in marriage without hindrance. Without this, we cannot move forward on President Jokowi’s ambition to become an ‘epicentrum of harmony’.”

AIPA must take strong stance on Myanmar, Southeast Asian MPs say

AIPA must take strong stance on Myanmar, Southeast Asian MPs say

JAKARTA – Parliamentarians from Southeast Asia call on fellow lawmakers attending the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) General Assembly in Jakarta to advocate for strong, concrete actions rooted in human rights principles to ensure a proactive and coordinated response to the worsening Myanmar crisis. 

The AIPA General Assembly is an important forum in which lawmakers from across the region can come together and work together on key issues, including the ongoing crisis in Myanmar,” ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights Board Member and Malaysian member of parliament Wong Chen said today. “Representatives joining the assembly can play a key role in pushing their governments to ensure that the suffering and loss of life that occurs daily in Myanmar is not allowed to go on with impunity.”

The AIPA General Assembly is taking place between 5-11 August in Jakarta, Indonesia, with the theme “Responsive Parliaments for a Stable and Prosperous ASEAN.” The first plenary session will be held on 7 August, while committee meetings will be held on 8 August, with the final plenary session on 9 August.

AIPA representatives must recognize that the Myanmar junta cannot be relied on, as shown by its continued disregard for the Five-Point Consensus. Therefore, they should urge their respective governments to engage with the National Unity Government, ethnic revolution organizations and civil society groups,” said Wong Chen.

In July, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated that he and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. agreed that Southeast Asian countries should be able to engage bilaterally with the Myanmar junta. Before that, Thailand had initiated Track 1.5 meetings with junta representatives, which were also attended by Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.

We reiterate our concerns that an increasing number of ASEAN leaders have indicated their openness to engaging with the junta. This would be a terrible mistake; such ‘engagement’ would only be used as military propaganda and will help the junta paint the pro-democracy movement as an obstacle to peace, when in fact, establishing an inclusive and human rights-respecting  democracy,  is the only way to ensure lasting solutions in Myanmar,” said Wong Chen. “We, therefore, urge lawmakers to call on their governments to continue to work towards holding the junta accountable for its widespread and systematic crimes against its own people.” 

We also once again call on Indonesian lawmakers to urge Indonesia, as chair of ASEAN, to initiate a thorough and inclusive review of the Five Point Consensus while there is still time remaining in its chairmanship. The Consensus has so far failed to help resolve the Myanmar crisis. Time is running out for Indonesia to make a real impact on the fate of Myanmar and leave a lasting legacy for its chairmanship.

ASEAN must exclude Myanmar junta from all joint military exercises, Southeast Asian MPs say

ASEAN must exclude Myanmar junta from all joint military exercises, Southeast Asian MPs say

JAKARTA – Parliamentarians from Southeast Asia expressed their grave concern today  that ASEAN countries are still scheduled to hold counter-terrorism military exercises with the Myanmar junta in August and September.  They called on ASEAN to exclude the illegal junta from all joint military exercises held by the regional bloc.

It would be utterly absurd for ASEAN countries to join the Myanmar junta in military exercises when the junta has consistently shown a lack of political will or interest in abiding by the Five-Point Consensus, notably ‘the immediate cessation of violence’,” ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) Chair and member of the Indonesian House of Representatives Mercy Barends said today. 

It is especially galling that these exercises are purportedly for counter-terrorism purposes as the junta has branded the democratically-elected National Unity Government and the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, as well as the People’s Defense Forces and various other pro-democracy entities, as terrorists,” said Barends.

According to statements from the Russian Ministry of Defense as well as documents from ASEAN’s website, the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM+) Experts Working Group on Counter Terrorism is planning to hold a tabletop exercise in Myanmar in August as well as a field exercise in Russia in September. Myanmar and Russia have chaired this working group since 2021, following their appointment in 2020.

These exercises would only serve to increase the junta’s capacity to continue its campaign of murder and terror against the people of Myanmar. ASEAN must be unified in their condemnation of the escalating human rights situation and take action which makes clear that the Myanmar junta’s atrocities are unacceptable. One way to do this is by canceling these exercises and excluding the junta from all future joint military exercises and defense meetings,” said Barends. 

If ASEAN as a bloc refuses to do this, then we call on ASEAN and ADMM+ countries to follow the example of the United States, Australia and New Zealand and boycott the training.”

Southeast Asian MPs and international CSOs denounce undemocratic elections in Cambodia, urge international community not to lend legitimacy to Hun Sen’s regime

Southeast Asian MPs and international CSOs denounce undemocratic elections in Cambodia, urge international community not to lend legitimacy to Hun Sen’s regime

JAKARTA – The farcical elections held in Cambodia must not be legitimized by the international community, Southeast Asian parliamentarians said in a press conference today, decrying the Hun Sen regime’s relentless attacks against human rights defenders and opposition parties prior to election day.

This year alone, Hun Sen and his regime have publicly threatened opposition supporters with legal action and physical violence, shuttered one of the country’s last independent media outlets, sentenced an opposition leader to 27 years imprisonment on ridiculous charges, and banned the sole viable opposition party,” said ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Right Co-Chairperson and former Malaysian member of parliament Charles Santiago. 

Given all these blatant efforts to undermine free and fair polls, what happened yesterday in Cambodia can only be called ‘elections’ in the loosest sense of the word,” said Santiago. “In effect, it was yet another coronation for Hun Sen and his cronies.”

The Cambodian general elections were held on Sunday, 23 July, with three parties participating in the vote. However, the country’s largest opposition party, the Candlelight Party, was barred from participating in the election on dubious administrative grounds in May. Human Rights Watch reported that numerous Candlelight Party members and supporters have been arbitrarily arrested and harassed in the run-up to the elections. After the polls closed, Hun Sen said that voter turnout reached 84 percent and state-affiliated media has claimed that the ruling Cambodian People’s Party is on course to win 120 out of 125 seats in the National Assembly.

“These types of so-called ‘elections’ have increasingly become the tools of authoritarian leaders to consolidate their power, undermining elections as one of the core pillars of democracy,” said APHR Board Member and former member of the Indonesian House of Representatives Eva Kusuma Sundari. “The international community must not fall into the trap of legitimizing this pantomime.”

In its pre-election assessment mission report, Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) noted that the clear bias of the National Election Commission (NEC) combined with a deteriorating political situation has compromised “the integrity and credibility of the electoral process.” Its initial findings from monitoring election day were no different.

There is a serious question on the genuineness and electoral competitiveness of yesterday’s elections with the whole process from pre-elections to election day respecting any of internationally accepted election standards,” said ANFREL Executive Director Chandanie Watawala.

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) also raised its grave concerns about the judicial harassment of opposition supporters and activists.

Whether the general election  was free and fair has to be seen within the human rights and rule of law crisis in Cambodia. This crisis is being further entrenched by the intensified assaults against the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, association and political participation. In the lead-up to the elections, there were mass convictions of opposition party leaders on spurious charges, weaponization of laws that are non-compliant with human rights law and standards against human rights defenders, and acts of violence and incitement of violence against perceived political opponents with impunity,” said ICJ Associate International Legal Adviser Daron Tan.

At every step of the way, PM Hun Sen has violated the rights of civil society activists, independent media, political opposition figures while ensuring the full weight of the Cambodian state backs his party,” said Human Rights Watch Asia Deputy Director Phil Robertson. “This entire election was a charade designed solely to give Hun Sen and the CPP a justification to say that they are democratic when in reality they are presiding over a deepening dictatorship.”

We call on parliamentarians of democratic countries across the world to use their legislative mandate in parliament to unequivocally denounce the 2023 electoral exercise in Cambodia as undemocratic,” said Sundari. “We must pressure the Cambodian government to end all forms of political persecution and immediately and unconditionally release political prisoners. There must also be an independent investigation into human rights violations and electoral irregularities, with the aim of ensuring accountability.