‘Morality’ clause still worries rights group
A coalition of women’s groups have lashed out at Malaysia for continuing to endorse a “public morality” clause in the draft ASEAN Declaration on Human Rights. They claim the clause is subjective and discriminates against women and sexual minorities and should be ditched. Currently being drafted by the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) behind closed doors, the ADHR is set to be adopted in November, yet at the AICHR’s Second Regional Consultation with Civil Society Organizations, which wrapped up in Manilla yesterday, Malaysia’s representative, Dato’ Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, defended the clause as instrumental in his country’s legislative framework. In a statement released by the coalition, the Southeast Asia Women’s Caucus on ASEAN declared public morality had not been defined in international human rights standards and its interpretation in daily life had been largely based on dominant political, cultural and religious regimes.
