SE Asia 'moving away' from death penalty: OHCHR

JAKARTA: -- Southeast Asia appears to follow global trends in "moving away" from capital punishment while facing complex challenges, according to the latest publication on this matter by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for Southeast Asia, as reported by The Jakarta Post.

The challenges include the application of the death penalty for drug-related crimes and pressure to return to executions after a period of moratorium.

“Fundamentally, it is a positive picture of progress and one consistent with the worldwide trend. The continuation of this trajectory should be encouraged so this region may eventually be free of capital punishment,” William Schabas said regarding the publication on Friday.

Some states, namely Cambodia, the Philippines and Timor Leste, are fully abolitionist while others, comprising Brunei Darussalam, Laos and Myanmar, are abolitionist in practice. Thailand is named as a country with an unofficial moratorium in place.

Malaysia and Singapore are two countries still undertaking efforts to reduce the numbers of executions and other reforms. Meanwhile, Indonesia and Vietnam are countries still applying the death penalty whose direction seems more uncertain.

The report provides an extensive review of global trends in the application of the death penalty, a summary of the applicable international legal standards, and the current status of legislative reform related to the death penalty in the region.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/se-asia-moving-away-from-death-penalty-ohchr

-- Thai PBS 2015-03-30

Jed Cooper !!!!!

Ah, the UN. 'So fortunate we are to have the benefit of such time-proven wisdom.

I actually think there's a debate going on currently in the Philippines about reinstating it. (Or maybe just with respect to that U.S. Marine...)