Southeast Asian MPs renew their unwavering solidarity with the victims of enforced disappearances and their families

JAKARTA, 30 August 2024 – On the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, we, the members of the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), renew our unwavering solidarity with the victims of enforced disappearances and their families, and reaffirm our shared commitment to seek truth, justice, and reparation.

“We recognise that despite ongoing efforts and existing frameworks, impunity continues to prevail. We stand firmly with the victims, human rights defenders, and lawyers who work tirelessly, often in hostile conditions, to seek justice and bring the disappeared home,” said Mercy Barends, Chairperson of APHR, and member of Indonesian House of Representative.

Mercy Barends, APHR Chairperson

Enforced disappearances continue to plague Southeast Asia, with unresolved cases and government inaction reflecting a disturbing trend across the region, and we remember each individual whose absence is a profound loss.

In Malaysia, figures like Pastor Raymond Koh, Amri Che Mat, and Joshua Hilmi remain missing, while in Laos, the fates of Sombath Somphone and Phetphouthone Philachanh remain unknown after more than a decade. The Philippines adds to this grim picture with ongoing disappearances, including Jonas Burgos and indigenous rights defenders Dexter Capuyan and Gene Roz Jamil “Bazoo” de Jesus. In Indonesia, the families of 13 activists who disappeared in the late 1990s continue their decades-long fight for justice. Despite the ratification international conventions designed to protect against enforced disappearances, by countries like Thailand, dozens of cases remain unresolved.

A relative takes pictures during a gathering to remember victims of alleged enforced disappearance cases, known as Desaparecidos (The Disappeared), during a gathering of relatives and supporters in observance of All Souls Day in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, 02 November 2023. EPA-EFE/ROLEX DELA PENA

“These are not just names and numbers—they are humans whose lives have been torn away, leaving families in unrelenting grief, searching for answers that never come. We call on governments and authorities to immediately end the cycle of enforced disappearances and impunity once and for all, and provide the long-overdue answers their families deserve,” said Francisca L. Castro, member of the Philippines House of Representative.

Many of these disappearances are marked by the chilling reality of transnational repression, where individuals are abducted or go missing across borders, often with little to no action taken by the host country to investigate or hold perpetrators accountable.

Thuzar Maung, a Myanmar pro-democracy and refugee activist, along with her family, was kidnapped from their home in Kuala Lumpur. Meanwhile, Cambodian authorities have closed the investigation into missing Thai pro-democracy activist Wanchalearm Satsaksit, who was allegedly abducted in Phnom Penh four years ago. Od Sayavong, a Laotian activist, went missing while residing in Bangkok as a refugee.

Protesters carrying photos of their missing family members, 31 May 2002, came to the State Palace in Jakarta. They demanded that President Megawati Soekarnoputri’s government seriously handle the cases of enforced disappearances that occur in Indonesia. (Kompas/Danu Kusworo)

“This is a stark reminder of the impunity that persists, as governments not only fail to protect those who seek refuge within their borders but also turn a blind eye to their plight. To end the culture of impunity that allows critics and rivals to disappear so easily, true political commitment across the region is required,” said Thai member of Parliament Chonthicha Jangrew. “We must ensure that the rights and obligations under any legal instruments become a reality for all,” added Jangrew.

Every enforced disappearance is an offence to a person’s inalienable rights—their security, and dignity. It strips away the right to be free from torture, the right to humane treatment, the right to legal recognition, a fair trial, family life, and ultimately, the right to life itself, whether through death or the haunting uncertainty of an unknown fate.

In our global efforts to combat enforced disappearances, we reaffirm our support for the work of the United Nations’ Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. We also call for universal ratification and robust implementation of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICCPED)  and urge enhanced cooperation to ensure that the rights of the disappeared and their families are at the forefront of every action taken.