TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Confronting impunity crisis in Southeast Asia
In Southeast Asia, impunity not only silences dissent and erodes public trust, but also perpetuates cycles of repression and inequality.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
A Laos policeman looks on during the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits in Vientiane, Laos on Oct. 11, 2024. (AFP/Nhac Nguyen)
T
he 2024 theme of International Human Rights Day, “Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now,” highlights the essential role of human rights in addressing global challenges. For me, central to the realization of this vision is a dismantling of impunity.
Impunity, the persistent evasion of accountability, undermines the rule of law and emboldens perpetrators of human rights violations. It thrives in environments where governance is authoritarian, judicial systems are compromised and laws are weaponized against dissent.
Failure to address impunity, therefore, makes rights-based solutions lose credibility and impact, rendering hollow the global aspirations for a just future.
In Southeast Asia, impunity not only silences dissent and erodes public trust, but also perpetuates cycles of repression and inequality.
The Philippines has starkly illustrated the devastating consequences of impunity. Former president Rodrigo Duterte’s “war on drugs” resulted in thousands of extrajudicial killings, predominantly targeting the poor. Justice remains elusive for victims and systemic failures ensure that those responsible remain free.
The 2009 Ampatuan Massacre, where 58 people, including journalists, were brutally murdered, exemplifies how accountability was consistently obstructed. Such cases normalize violence and erode public trust in governance.
Myanmar is an even-graver manifestation of impunity. Since the military coup in 2021, the junta has unleashed mass atrocities, including killings, torture and arbitrary detentions.
