In the latest data published by the Human Rights Measurement Initiative (HRMI), India scored 3.3 out of 10 for the right to freedom from arbitrary arrest. The low score is indicative of the fact that human rights advocates, journalists, and members of opposition parties in the country face arrests for expressing opposition to the government. It suggests that people in the country are not adequately protected from this violation. Bangladesh also performed poorly on this front, scoring 3.4 out of 10.
The HRMI report measures eight human rights themes, focusing on the level of protection provided by the State. The research analysed up to 14 internationally recognized human rights across 196 countries.
Kazakhstan also witnessed a significant decline in its freedom from arbitrary arrest score, dropping to 2.5 out of 10. This places the country among the worst scores in the study's sample size of 30 countries. Local rights experts highlighted the increased risk of arbitrary arrests faced by individuals who participated in the mass oil price protests in January 2022. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan performed worse than average in both empowerment rights and safety from the state.
South Korea and Taiwan have emerged as top performers in ensuring human rights safety and empowerment. According to Thalia Kehoe Rowden, HRMI Global Spokesperson, South Korea and Taiwan received high scores for Safety from the State, indicating effective protection of civil and political rights. These scores were the highest among the 30 countries included in the study. Notably, Taiwan excelled in the right to freedom of religion and belief, receiving a score of 9.5 out of 10 in HRMI's first-ever measurement of this right.
However, the report also highlighted existing inequities in both South Korea and Taiwan. Local human rights experts in Taiwan pointed out that individuals accused of crimes face vulnerability to torture and ill-treatment. In South Korea, labour union members were identified as being at risk of having their right to assembly and association violated.
China, Vietnam, and Hong Kong received poor scores in empowerment rights. These three regions have consistently fallen within the 'very bad' range for the past three years. Vietnam scored particularly low in the right to political participation, indicating limited freedom for individuals to engage in public affairs.
Michaelle Phoenix Yeo, HRMI East and Southeast Asia Lead, noted that human rights experts identified government critics and opponents as being particularly at risk of having their freedom of association violated in Vietnam. The targeting of this group also put them in danger of arbitrary arrest, forced disappearance, torture, and other violations. China's scores in safety from the State were also among the worst, with it scoring the lowest in the right to freedom from the death penalty.
HRMI's research methods track the progress of countries over time, highlighting improvements or deterioration in governments' respect for human rights. The data, collected directly from local human rights experts, serves as a vital supplement to incomplete official reporting.
Thalia Kehoe Rowden emphasised the importance of these findings as tools for human rights advocates, media, the private sector, and researchers. The evidence provided by HRMI supports calls from civil society across Asia to fulfil countries' international obligations in respecting civil and political rights. The complete set of HRMI's latest data is now available on the Rights Tracker.