Horizon of Habibah

Where the sky meets the earth

Menu
  • About Me
  • Sample Page
  • Sample Page
  • Sitemap
Menu

Death Penalty and ASEAN Sovereignty

Posted on May 8, 2015 by umihabibah

Following execution of eight drugs dealers in Indonesia (29/04/15), the world again put their attention on South East Asia, and how death penalty still prevail in this region. Among ten ASEAN members, only two countries have officially removed capital punishment from their law. Cambodia and Philippines abolished death penalty for all crimes in 1989 and 2006 respectively. Brunei Darussalam, Laos and Myanmar are de facto abolitionists since they haven’t carried out any executions for decades. Still, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand remain retentionists of death penalty with executions method ranged from hanging, firing squad, to lethal injection.

International pressure on ASEAN countries to abolish its so-called barbaric death executions had been consistently occured. Seems like it becomes regular headline every few years when one of ASEAN countries is about to execute their death-accused convicts, notably when it involved foreigners. Nevertheless, death penalty opposition activism also sparked within the region, especially from retentionist ASEAN countries. Thailand activists and experts had called for end to death penalty in regional seminar Thammasat University in Bangkok (12/12/2012). Recently, during ASEAN People’s Forum 2015 in Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia (24/04/2015), civil society organisations from ASEAN countries gathered and urged governments to cease death penalty practice.

It is true that global trend shows positive favor toward capital punishment abolition. South East Asia is, arguably, one of the regions with eminent death execution rate. Singapore is in fact had the second highest per-capita execution rate in the world between 1994 and 1999. In Malaysia, there was an estimated 992 people on death row by the end of 2013. While in Indonesia, there are about ten new death sentences imposed annually.

Even though many other countries still enforce capital punishment, including US and Japan, South East Asia is continually becoming an object of condemnation regarding death sentence. The raised issue is allegedly associated with its adjudgement on drug trafficking crimes, which are seen by the condemning countries as, probably, not that dreadful to deserve life-repealing sentence.

However, ASEAN retentionists do have their own considerations of applying harsh punishment toward drug traffickers. Illicit drug trade is indeed an intensely serious issue in this region. Currently, Golden Triangle between Myanmar, Laos and Thailand remains producer of a quarter of the world’s heroin. Drug gangs, drug-related diseases and drug-influenced violence have harmed the regions’ young generation and overall society. Showing this strong intention to combat narcotic drugs’ abuse, the ASEAN leaders even signed joint declaration for a drug-free ASEAN in 1998.

ASEAN is very serious in tackling drugs problem.
ASEAN is very serious in tackling drugs problem.

This firm attitude toward drug abuse crimes has actually ignited salute expression. U.S. presidential candidate Newt Gingrich once praised Singapore for its ‘very draconian’ rules toward drug crimes. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg even stated that U.S. could learn from Singapore’s harsh drug laws.

Nevertheless, pressure to remove death penalty is generally increasing. Some ASEAN countries have responded to this by steadily reduce the scale of death penalty strictness. Vietnam, for instance, have changed the execution method from firing squad into lethal injection in 2011, with consideration of ‘more humane’ approach. In 2013, Singapore has removed the mandatory death penalty for special drug cases.

Despite all the continuing pressure and condemnation, apparently it’s not a prominent agenda for ASEAN countries to fully abolish death penalty. As Joko Widodo, president of Indonesia stated regarding his rejection to Australia clemency petition, his country is in the drugs-emergency state that the government should take assertive move to combat it.

Eventually, every country has its own considerations of applying its current law. There are philosophical and sociological circumstance differences that underlie law enforcement in different countries. ASEAN governments are, of course, possess their own right and sovereignty to enforce law that is considered most effective to their own situation. And this sovereignty, by all means, should be protected and not threatened by any external power.

Written at 30 April 2015 for The Diplomat…but not published I guess :p

Category: Career, Indonesia

3 thoughts on “Death Penalty and ASEAN Sovereignty”

  1. Graha Nurdian says:
    May 10, 2015 at 6:00 pm

    Well written article and analytic nice!

    btw, from my view, I’m disagree with death sentence though, even it’s seems to be so harsh and pointed to scare the other about how wrong drugs is, but life sentenced prison seems to be fair to me. More humane approach, also it gave deterrent effect which more painful in a other way, to live in prison for their life.

    1. misiyu says:
      May 14, 2015 at 8:31 am

      hi graha!
      well yeah discussing pro vs contra of death penalty is such a lifelong debate haha but anyway thanks for dropping your view! 😉

  2. Pingback: The death penalty in ASEAN: Could people be stronger than politics? – ASEAN-Australia Strategic Youth Partnership

Comments are closed.

    • Business Management
    • Career
    • Competition
    • Family & Friends
    • Featured
    • God and Religion
    • Indonesia
    • Life's Diary
    • Ma Chung University
    • Progressive Believer
    • Random Thoughts
    • Renungan Ramadhan
    • Travel
    • Uncategorized
    • Works
    • June 2025
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • August 2023
    • July 2023
    • June 2023
    • April 2023
    • February 2023
    • January 2023
    • December 2022
    • March 2021
    • August 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • September 2019
    • March 2019
    • December 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • July 2018
    • May 2018
    • January 2018
    • August 2017
    • April 2016
    • January 2016
    • December 2015
    • November 2015
    • October 2015
    • September 2015
    • August 2015
    • June 2015
    • May 2015
    • April 2015
    • March 2015
    • February 2015
    • January 2015
    • December 2014
    • November 2014
    • September 2014
    • August 2014
    • July 2014
    • June 2014
    • May 2014
    • April 2014
    • March 2014
    • February 2014
    • January 2014
    • December 2013
    • November 2013
    • October 2013
    • September 2013
    • August 2013
    • July 2013
    • June 2013
    • May 2013
    • April 2013
    • January 2013
    • December 2012
    • November 2012
    • October 2012
    • September 2012
    • August 2012
    • July 2012
    • June 2012
    • May 2012
    • April 2012
    • March 2012
    • February 2012
    • January 2012
    • December 2011
    • November 2011
    • October 2011
    • August 2011
    • April 2011
    • February 2011
    • January 2011
    • December 2010
    • November 2010
    • October 2010
    • September 2010
    • August 2010
    • July 2010
    • June 2010
    • April 2010
    • March 2010
    • January 2010
    • October 2009
    • July 2009
    • June 2009
    • May 2009
    • April 2009
    • March 2009
    • February 2009
    • January 2009
    • December 2008
    • November 2008
    • October 2008
    • September 2008
    © 2025 Horizon of Habibah | Powered by Minimalist Blog WordPress Theme