Dec 3, 2020 | DFF, Reports
Report, August 2019
Following two Fact-Finding missions to Thailand and ongoing monitoring of the human rights situation, APHR finds that elections held in March 2019 were critically flawed and failed to satisfy the military junta’s commitment to a return to democracy. Based on its findings, APHR presents. ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) presents the following recommendations to the Government of Thailand as necessary measures that must be implemented to ensure the full restoration of democracy and respect for fundamental freedoms.
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Dec 3, 2020 | DFF, Reports
Report, June 2019
The Philippine government under President Rodrigo Duterte has launched an unprecedented crackdown on political opponents in Congress. Through interviews with Senators and Representatives, APHR has documented that at least eight lawmakers have faced trumped-up criminal charges under the Duterte government – those who oppose the “war on drugs” have been targeted in particular. The President and allies have relied on threats and harassment to undermine the opposition. Lawmakers said this has created a climate of fear and stifled debate in Congress.
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Dec 3, 2020 | DFF, Reports
Report, March 2017
In this report APHR describes how the Cambodia’s Parliament approved a set of new amendments to the Law on Political Parties marked a culmination of nearly two years of escalating persecution of Cambodian lawmakers. These attacks have come in the context of a renewed, broader crackdown on dissent, which has targeted nearly all segments of Cambodian civic life, as well as similar growing threats to other legislators across Southeast Asia.
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Nov 9, 2020 | DFF, Statements
Click here for a Thai translation of this statement
Click here for a Khmer translation of this statement
JAKARTA – On International Day of Democracy, Southeast Asian lawmakers called on governments in the region to end all forms of threats and harassment against opposition MPs, following the publication of a new report that documents such reprisals. ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) also called for solidarity among lawmakers from across the political spectrum.
“The targeting of opposition MPs merely for exercising their right to freedom of expression is a clear attempt to silence them and remove checks on the executive to attain unchecked power,” said Mu Sochua, an APHR Board Member and former Cambodian MP.
“Parliamentarians play a pivotal role in protecting human rights and democracy, and reprisals against them threaten the entire democratic process,” Mu added.
The research, Parliamentarians at Risk: Reprisals against opposition MPs in Southeast Asia, reveals that in the Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia, authorities are using a range of tactics to harass and intimidate opposition MPs. These include filing politically-motivated cases, arbitrarily stripping MPs of their status, threatening or surveilling them, and organizing campaigns of disinformation. Female MPs also spoke of their experiences of sexual vilification, which posed an additional challenge for them to conduct their work.
APHR found that since 2018, at least 27 opposition MPs have had investigations or trumped-up criminal charges opened against them, many of which were initiated by the authorities or government allies. This includes cases against members of the now-defunct Future Forward Party (FWP) in Thailand, as well as politicians in the Philippines who have been critical of President Rodrigo Duterte’s atrocious human rights record, notably his war on drugs. In Malaysia, those targeted appear to be lawmakers who were ministers in the former Pakatan Harapan government, which was ousted through back-door maneuvering in March.
The weaponization of laws – a tactic known as “lawfare” – has also been used to remove opponents from parliament entirely. Through the dissolution of political parties, lawmakers were arbitrarily deprived of their parliamentary status. This was the case for 12 MPs from Thailand’s FWP, less than a year after its strong performance in the 2019 election, as well as for members of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) in 2017.
Other tactics used against opposition MPs include online and offline intimidation, including threats, such as “red-tagging” in the Philippines, surveillance and government-backed disinformation campaigns, while female parliamentarians routinely faced misogynistic attacks aimed at both intimidating and discrediting them.
The pattern of intimidation faced by MPs were found to be similar to those used against human rights defenders, the media, and other pro-democracy activists, and form part of a broader attempt to silence all forms of dissent in those countries.
APHR calls for the governments of Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines to urgently drop all politically-motivated investigations and charges, as well as all forms of threats and harassment against opposition MPs. Parliamentary speakers should also ensure that all lawmakers are able to speak freely and discharge their duties without retaliation.
“We call on our colleagues in the region to show solidarity with their fellow MPs,” said Mu. “Whether from the ruling or opposition coalitions, reprisals against MPs have an impact on the ability of all of us to effectively do our jobs and enjoy democratic freedoms. Parliamentarians throughout Southeast Asia must use their mandates to promote and protect the human rights of their colleagues.”
Nov 9, 2020 | DFF, Statements
JAKARTA – Today, on the occasion of International Day of Parliamentarism, regional lawmakers urged Southeast Asian governments to end all politically motivated attacks against opposition MPs, and ensure that parliaments can effectively act as a genuine representation of the people.
“An effective and representative parliament is a vital sign of a healthy democracy. When parliaments’ roles and functions are protected, lawmakers are able to better advance human rights, promote sustainable development for all, and improve the lives of those they represent. But legislative bodies in Southeast Asia are under threat, undermining their ability to exercise oversight of the executive and provide a balance of power,” said Maria Angelina Lopes Sarmento, a Board Member of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), and a Member of Parliament (MP) in Timor-Leste.
Parliaments in Southeast Asia face a range of challenges that have undermined their functions, and in some cases, left them with little to no role to play, said APHR.
Most recently, emergency measures taken by governments to combat the spread of COVID-19 either bypassed or severely limited parliamentary scrutiny, at a time when major policy decisions with long lasting consequences on the lives of people were made.
Electoral systems, which are crucial in safeguarding parliamentary representation through the popular will of the people, are often manipulated to allow leaders to remain in power and weaken parliamentary scrutiny. Recent examples include Cambodia’s 2018 vote that saw Prime Minister Hun Sen’s party win all seats of the National Assembly following the dissolution of its main opponent, the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), while Thailand’s 2019 election failed to restore fundamental freedoms, and instead saw the military cement its role in politics. The third most popular party in that vote, the Future Forward Party (FWP), has since been dissolved on questionable charges. A new report by APHR also revealed Singapore’s flawed electoral system that has allowed the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) to win every single election since 1959.
In addition, lawmakers across the region are increasingly facing reprisals for criticising government policies or raising matters inherent to public interests. APHR has documented parliamentarians facing politically-motivated trumped-up charges, online harassment, threats and other forms of intimidation in the Philippines, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Thailand. These attacks have subverted democracy and have had a chilling effect on parliamentarians, preventing them from freely exercising their mandate.
“One cannot expect parliament to effectively hold their respective governments to account when lawmakers are being dragged to court for peacefully carrying out their mandate,” Sarmento said. “Parliamentarians need to be able to do their job without fear of reprisals if they are to have open debates or call out potential human rights abuses.”
Furthermore, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), women continue to be significantly underrepresented in Southeast Asian parliaments. As of January 2020, Timor-Leste (38.5%) recorded the highest percentage of female lawmakers in the region, while Brunei Darussalam (9.1%) had the lowest.
“A democratic parliament should not only reflect the people’s aspirations, but also the social diversity of its population. When there is genuine and equitable participation for women in politics, decision-making will be more inclusive and supportive of a vibrant democracy. It is thus crucial that we double down on efforts to close the gender gap and remove barriers to women’s access to meaningful and equal political participation,” said Sarah Elago, an APHR member and Philippine MP.
