LGBT+ rights to association in Southeast Asia by Ryan

LGBT+ rights to association in Southeast Asia by Ryan

Note taking: Doris Yang / Editing: Leah Lin

ACFA (Asia Citizen Future Association) is honor to invite Ryan Silverio from ASEAN SOGIE Caucus to talk about LGBT+ rights in Southeast Asia having a focus on the rights to association in the Philippines. This is the record of the sharing of Ryan Silverio on ACFA's report launch forum on 22 August,"Exploring Taiwan's Roles Amid The Crisis of Closing Civic Space in the Southeast Asia" during the ACFA 2023 Taiwan and Southeast Asia Civil Society Week.

Speaker

Ryan Silverio (they/them) is a gender queer human rights defender with more than 20 years experience in the non-profit sector. They worked in the intersections of human rights, child rights, and LGBTQIA+ rights in various capacities. Since 2014, Ryan has served as the Executive Director of ASEAN SOGIE Caucus (ASC), a regional human rights organization.


Under Ryan's leadership, ASC achieved key milestones, including transformation from a loose network into a registered non-government organization whose mission is to expand spaces for leadership and advocacy among LGBTQIA+ activists in Southeast Asia; sustained funding for a period of 9 years; and being granted with special consultative status by the UN ECOSOC.

ASEAN SOGIE Caucus (ASC)

ASEAN SOGIE Caucus (ASC) is a regional human rights organization and a networl focusing on LGBT+ issues. Its work covers 11 countries in Southeast Asia region.

When the ASC was trying to register in the Philippines, they ran into some challenges. The name, 'ASEAN SOGIE Caucus', was refused because 'ASEAN' was trademarked and 'SOGIE' is an acronym for 'sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression'.

The process of ASC's registration thus entailed a huge number of discussion by members from countries in ASEAN to come up with a name. Finally, the ASC decided to register as 'Southeast Asia Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression Caucus (ASC), Inc'.

Besides challenges during the registration process, the ASC also had to ensure that over half of the board members are Filipinos, which is in avoidance of being accused with the 'Anti-Dummy Law'. Anti-Dummy Law has been used to attack other civil society organizations in the Philippines.

ASC focuses on supporting LGBT+ groups to have access to the regional and international human rights mechanism, including the UPR processes and special procedures. It has supported more than 80 local initiatives of local organizations.

Encountering the trend of shrinking civic space in recent years, the ASC has to give priority to supporting emergency situation of activists as LGBT+ community have been targeted by many repressive governments among the region.

As a regional human rights organization, the ASC tried to get CSO accreditation from the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), but it failed because Brunei vetoed ASC's application. Such rejection can be seen as an indication of the difficulties LGBT+ rights organizations face among Southeast Asia.


SOGIESC in Southeast Asia


The recognition of SOGIESC (sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics) as an inherent element of human rights obligation within ASEAN is very low.

Indonesia and Malaysia are two of the countries that have objected various Human Rights Council resolutions related to LGBT+ rights. Furthermore, state and non-state actors usually justify their harassment against LGBT+ rights as defending national security or protecting public morals.

Many Southeast Asian countries consider LGBT+ rights as Western agenda. In recent years, atacks against LGBT+ rights have been fueled by right-wing and conservative religious groups using rights-based principles. For example, freedom of religion, narrow interpretation of democracy, and the majority-minority dynamics have been used by such groups to claim that LGBT+ groups are minority, therefore they should not be recognized.

At the same time, criminalization of LGBT+ persons remain in Southeast Asia. Brunei, Myanmar, and Malaysia still enforce the British colonial position of the anti-sodomy law with the Section 377A of the Penal Code. Besides, there is a lack of legislation to protect LGBT+ persons from discrimination.

In the Philippines, for example, people have been advocating for an anti-discrimination bill for 20 years, but such bill has not been approved until today.
Furthermore, many LGBT+ persons, including a member of the ASC, have found themselves red-tagged and accused of being members of the communist party; therefore in need of protecting themselves from further repression.

Anti-LGBT+ attacks from Indonesia

Few months ago, the ASC has confronted a wave of anti-LGBT+ attacks. The ASC has been organizing the ASEAN Queer Advocacy Week (AAW) since 2016. The AAW is a capacity-building event involving LGBT+ activists around Southeast Asia to learn about ASEAN human rights mechanisms in Jakarta. The reason why the ASC hold the events in Jakarta is because Jakarta is ASEAN's political center; activists around the region get to meet various stakeholders in Jakarta.

Unfortunately, information about the AAW was leaked through a social media post of an influencer before the AAW in 2023. A wave of anti-LGBT sentiments has then been triggered, and reprisals happened against the ASC and other LGBT+ organizations and communities. The Islamic Brotherhood Front (Front Persaudaraan Islam) imposed a threat that they will call for Jihad if the AAW takes place; furthermore, the Indonesian Love Family Alliance, a conservative group supported by some parliamentarians, have issued a statement against the ASC saying that homosexuality can still be cured, and that it is a threat that has become widespread in Indonesia. Besides, the Indonesian Ulama Council's (Majelis Ulama Indonesia) chairperson condemned the event on national media, and accused the ASC as riot instigators. To make it worse, police have been mobilized to search all the hotels and event venues in Jakarta to make sure that no LGBT+ events will take place. There have been more than 300 online articles posted during the week when this wave of anti-LGBT sentiments took place to attack the ASC and the AAW.

There has been an escalating hate against the LGBT+ persons as the Indonesian Ulama Council signed an agreement with the local police in Riau to collectively ban LGBT activists and narcotics.

Despite the attack and anti-LGBT+ sentiments, there were no politicians taking stances to support LGBT+ rights; and the national human rights institution of Indonesia did not make any statement on the incidents.

Amid the crisis, however, solidarity is civil society's strength. A lot of human rights and pro-democracy organizations took a stance to support the ASC and LGBT+ groups. It is with the support that ASC is navigating through how to re-strategize their work in the region.

Read more:

Asia Citizen Future Association stands in solidarity with ASEAN SOGIE Caucus and LGBTQIA+ community in Indonesia
ACFA aims to connect civil society between Southeast Asia and Taiwan in order to confront the trend of the closing of civic space. We learn that ASEAN Queer Advocacy Week (AAW), which is organised by a Philippines-based rights group ASEAN SOGIE Caucus and Indonesia-based Arus Pelangi and other activ…

Read more

【招聘】即日起開放招聘一名國際交流專案專員

【招聘】即日起開放招聘一名國際交流專案專員

ACFA的宗旨是連結台灣與東南亞公民社會,一起發展抵禦公民空間緊縮的策略。透過研究出版、區域論壇、國際交流等方式,探索台灣在東南亞公民空間緊縮下的潛在角色。國際交流專案專員將會與專案經理與執行長緊密合作,這是一份充滿挑戰的工作,適合具備衝勁、有責任感且熱愛團隊合作的你加入。 職缺及申請方式 型態:正職人員,每週工作40小時。 地點:台北市,需要每日至辦公室上班。可能有出差需求。 薪資:38,000元以上,面議。 直屬主管:專案經理。 招聘截止日期:2025年5月15日(先到先審)。 開始工作時間:2025年5月1日起。 申請文書:中英文履歷、推薦信一封(不限長度)、自我陳述信一封(不限長度)、最高文憑pdf檔(敬請加註「僅供ACFA單次求職使用」)。 申請方式:請將上述文件寄信director@acfa.tw 面試流程:(一)筆試:攜帶筆電至辦公室完成筆試,大約需要三至四小時(二)第一階段面試(可以與筆試同一天進行)

By 亞洲公民未來協會 Asia Citizen Future Association
台北講座|當緬甸震災真相被噤聲,我們該如何發聲?——台灣獨立記者在緬甸戰地的視角

台北講座|當緬甸震災真相被噤聲,我們該如何發聲?——台灣獨立記者在緬甸戰地的視角

講座資訊 時間:4月29日 (二) 19:00-21:00 地點:台北市區捷運站附近,實際地點將註明於報名成功信 現場繳交 NTD.300,全數支持緬甸籍獨立記者災後生活 本座談為實體座談。應觀眾要求將增開線上座談,敬請完成報名以確保收到確認信與會議室連結。 報名連結:https://forms.gle/CQLST6KJ1SWqn7Uu 座談主題 2025年3月28日,緬甸發生芮氏規模8.2的大地震,死亡人數已超過3,000人;然而,這場災難的真實情況卻難以傳達至國際社會。在緬甸軍方政權的嚴密控制下,當地災民難以傳訊、外國媒體難以進入災區,新聞自由受到嚴重限制,導致災情與援助資訊無法有效傳遞——此刻,扮演關鍵角色的其中一群人,是那些冒著風險聯繫外界的緬甸獨立記者,以及願意為緬甸發聲的國際社會。 在這場講座中,我們將邀請長期深入緬甸議題的獨立記者楊智強,分享他近幾年在緬甸戰地的實地經歷。在嚴厲的新聞封鎖與網路管制下,緬甸人民如何努力讓世界聽見他們的呼聲,而身在台灣的我們,又可以如何支持他們發聲,並讓更多人聽見? 報名連結 https:/

By 亞洲公民未來協會 Asia Citizen Future Association
【緬甸強震】透過捐款給獨立、在地與受信賴的緬甸社區來賑災和支持緬甸人民

【緬甸強震】透過捐款給獨立、在地與受信賴的緬甸社區來賑災和支持緬甸人民

#緬甸人民不等於獨裁統治的緬甸軍方 #緬甸人民不等於電信詐騙園區 #緬甸人民是在自然災害與軍事政變夾縫間求生的鬥士 ❓在過去的幾天當中,你是否也曾經問過這些問題? 3月28日,緬甸發生芮氏規模8.2大地震,罹難人數持續增加,美國地質調查局(US Geological Survey)預測,罹難人數可能攀升至一萬人,國際特赦組織則警告,2025年將有三分之一的緬甸人口需要人道協助。然而,一向以愛心著稱的台灣,卻因近年國際詐騙犯罪猖獗、針對緬甸軍方的疑慮,以及緬甸軍方不接受台灣官方派駐的救災隊等因素,紛紛出現反對捐款給緬甸民間賑災的相關輿論,社群間一時被這些問題淹沒:「捐款給緬甸有用嗎?」「緬甸都是詐騙園區,這次地震是活該,不要捐款!」「你捐給緬甸地震的資源都會被軍政府拿走,不會到災民手上的。」「緬甸不讓我們的救災隊進去,算了,不用捐了啦!」 🇲🇲人民是最大的受災戶 自2021年緬甸軍方政變以來,大部分人民都在軍方高壓統治下生活,人民除了必須為生存奮鬥,也持續組織反抗軍事統治,因而面對法律與法外的鎮壓和報復。這次強震,對緬甸人民和人民的反抗運動來說無疑是雪上加霜,地震後緬甸軍方持

By 亞洲公民未來協會 Asia Citizen Future Association
全球數位人權大會ACFA圓桌| ACFA roundtable at RightsCon 2025 (English below)

全球數位人權大會ACFA圓桌| ACFA roundtable at RightsCon 2025 (English below)

我們將在 #RightsCon2025 舉行一場圓桌會議【探索公民社會組織與人權捍衛者在監控時代中旅行的安全政策】!(English Below) 活動資訊 Event information *需購買 RightsCon 2025 門票才能參加,講座以英文進行 時間:2月26日 (三) 9:00 AM 地點:RightsCon 2025 會場(台北國際會議中心-202B) Attendance is limited to RightsCon ticket holders Date: February 26, 2025 Time: 9:00 AM Location: RightsCon Venue (202B) 全球最大的數位人權會議「全球數位人權大會(RightsCon)」今年將在 #台灣 舉行!

By 亞洲公民未來協會 Asia Citizen Future Association