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Call for Asian countries to end the death penalty, respect right to life

The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (Forum-Asia) and 22 civil society organisations in Asia condemn the recent imposition of the death penalty by the Singaporean authorities on Abdul Wahid Ismail, Mohsen Na’im, and Zainudin Mohamed.

All three were convicted of drug-related offences and were executed on Oct 5. As a network of human rights organisations, Forum-Asia sees the death penalty as a grave violation of the right to life – the most fundamental and essential human right for other rights to be realised. It serves no purpose for the state and its people in their pursuit of justice.

We therefore call on the government of Singapore, and other governments in Asia that retain the death penalty to immediately impose a moratorium on the death penalty, as a first step towards its abolition.

The use of the death penalty has seen a global decline in the recent years, signifying a movement towards more effective ways of deterring crimes. Despite this global trend, several governments in Asia continue to use the death penalty.

Just this year, India expanded the scope of crimes covered by the death penalty. The numbers of those sentenced to capital punishment in Bangladesh yearly remains unabated. The region has also seen an increased tendency to use the death penalty for drug-related offences. Indonesia has been executing primarily those convicted of drug trafficking in recent years.

It is estimated that China executes hundreds to thousands yearly for drug trafficking or murder, although exact figures are hard to find.

The Sri Lankan cabinet recently approved the president’s proposal to take steps towards implementing capital punishment on those sentenced to death for drug offences and who continue to operate ‘drug rackets’ while in prison.

In the Philippines, several state officials continue to push for the revival of the death penalty, despite the country having previously committed itself to its abolition.

Governments continue to retain the death penalty despite troubling concerns. There is no convincing evidence to support the claim that the death penalty deters crime.

In Mongolia, the death penalty was abolished after it was recognised that the threat of execution did not have a deterrent effect.

Arguments for its use are based more on public opinion rather than on solid scientific evidence. The effect of the death penalty disproportionately affects those who are often the poor and the most marginalised, as they have limited access to resource and power.

Judicial systems worldwide are all susceptible to abuse. In Vietnam, the cases of Ho Duy Hai and Le Van Manh, who were sentenced to death despite gaps in evidence and allegations of police impunity, cast strong doubts on the credibility of the judicial system.

Capital punishment is irreversible; it violates the right to life and the right to live free from cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment – fundamental rights of all human beings. It goes against our goals of promoting rehabilitation for the convicted, and the values and standards and universal human rights we all stand for.

On the “World Day against the Death Penalty”, we express our grave concern on the continuing use of the death penalty in Asia.

We call on all governments to work for the abolition of the death penalty and to create a justice system that can respect human rights for all, including the perpetrators and the victims. Only when we respect the right to life and dignity of all can we move towards a global humane society.

The statement is endorsed by:

  • Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (Masum), India
  • Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (Adhoc), Cambodia
  • Community Resource Centre, Thailand
  • Community Self Reliance Centre (CSRC), Nepal
  • Equality Myanmar, Myanmar
  • Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Pakistan
  • Human Rights Alert, India
  • Inform, Sri Lanka
  • Law & Society Trust, Sri Lanka
  • National (Catholic) Commission for Justice and Peace
  • Madaripur Legal Aid Association (MLAA), Bangladesh
  • Maldivian Democracy Network, Maldives
  • Odhikar, Bangladesh
  • People’s Watch, India
  • Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (Pahra), Philippines
  • Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU), University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
  • South India Cell for Human Rights Education and Monitoring (SICHREM), India
  • Suara Rakyat Malaysia, Malaysia
  • Taiwan Association for Human Rights, Taiwan
  • Task Force Detainees of the Philippines, Philippines
  • Think Centre, Singapore
  • Vietnamese Women for Human Rights, Vietnam
  • Yayasan Lembaga Bantuan Hukum Indonesia
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