BLASPHEMY LAWS AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND EXPRESSION: A TRI-COUNTRY SOUTHEAST ASIAN PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Blasphemy laws, while deemed important by some in protecting religious beliefs and practices, can have implications for conflicts with human rights. This research aims to analyze the possible human rights conflicts from blasphemy laws in Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. This study combines the normative legal research method with the theoretical framework of human rights law, particularly focusing on the interplay between religious freedom, freedom of expression, and state regulation of religious discourse. This study reveals that certain legal frameworks in Indonesia and Thailand have implications of conflicts with freedom of expression and religion. Indonesia presents the most complex conflict between these human rights, while Thailand, despite offering greater freedom of expression, normatively falls short in religious freedom due to its preferential treatment of Buddhism and its clergy. Vietnam has the least implication of conflicts, as it only governs the prohibition against profaning religion and normatively allows little to no room for multi-interpretation.