This week’s episode of Just Asia focuses on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. June 26 is marked around the world to speak out against the heinous crime of torture and to stand in support of torture victims and survivors. Torture is absolutely prohibited under international law and is binding on all members of the international community, whether or not they are party to particular conventions against torture.
Despite this absolute prohibition, and despite numerous local laws preventing torture, the practice is widespread in Asia. Acts of torture are frequently committed by police and military officers, usually against marginalized and vulnerable communities. Most importantly however, torture in Asia speaks about the quality of a country’s criminal justice system, the absence of social responsibility and respect for law.
Just Asia speaks to the Asian Human Rights Commission’s various country experts to learn more about the nature and practice of torture in various Asian countries.
Torture in Asia does not manifest in isolated incidents, but rather as a general system of social control. Eliminating torture therefore cannot be limited to individual legislations against acts of torture, but requires the overhaul of the entire justice and legal framework.
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