Public trust and democracy: Human rights during the pandemic in Southeast Asia
1
Issued Date
2023-07-20
Resource Type
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85167657033
Journal Title
Pandemic, Politics, and a Fairer Society in Southeast Asia: A Malaysian Perspective
Start Page
21
End Page
37
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Pandemic, Politics, and a Fairer Society in Southeast Asia: A Malaysian Perspective (2023) , 21-37
Suggested Citation
Gomez J., Ramcharan R. Public trust and democracy: Human rights during the pandemic in Southeast Asia. Pandemic, Politics, and a Fairer Society in Southeast Asia: A Malaysian Perspective (2023) , 21-37. 37. doi:10.1108/978-1-80455-588-020231003 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/88384
Title
Public trust and democracy: Human rights during the pandemic in Southeast Asia
Author(s)
Author's Affiliation
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Governments in Southeast Asia have introduced and enforced harsh legal measures to stem the spread of COVID-19. These measures are disproportionate to the crisis and disregard fundamental human rights. Against this backdrop, public trust in government among Southeast Asians nevertheless remains relatively high - paradoxically, people living in authoritarian regimes tend to trust their governments more compared to people living in democratic regimes. The chapter examines the impacts that anti-COVID-19 legal measures have left on the protection of human rights and the seemingly paradoxical divorce between public trust and the diminished respect for fundamental human rights. Based on this examination, this chapter also proposes elements that any global treaty for future pandemic response must include in order to ensure the protection of human rights.