TANGERANG, 25 August 2026 - ASEAN has validated two new regional tools designed to help authorities identify and protect victims of trafficking who have been compelled to engage in unlawful activities. The tools aim to prevent victims of trafficking for forced criminality from being wrongly treated, prosecuted, or punished as offenders for acts committed as a direct consequence of their exploitation.

The Validation Workshop of the ASEAN Indicators on Trafficking for Forced Criminality and Training Materials on the Application of the Non-Punishment Principle was convened by the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), represented by Indonesia, and the Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC), represented by the Philippines, on 24-25 August 2026 in Tangerang, Indonesia.

Supported by Australia through the ASEAN-Australia Counter Trafficking (ASEAN-ACT) programme, the initiative reflects growing cross-sectoral cooperation across ASEAN's human rights, criminal justice, and law enforcement sectors.

As criminal networks increasingly exploit people in online scam operations and other forms of forced criminality across Southeast Asia, victims often come to the attention of authorities as suspected offenders rather than people needing of protection. Subjected to coercion, deception, violence, or abuse of vulnerability, victims risk being detained or prosecuted while traffickers escape accountability without appropriate screening.

Speaking at the workshop, Anita Ashvini Wahid, Representative of Indonesia to AICHR, highlighted the importance of strengthening regional cooperation and developing practical tools to support frontline responses.

"No single country can address trafficking for forced criminality alone. These tools will help ASEAN Member States strengthen rights-based, gender-responsive and inclusive responses while advancing a common regional understanding of trafficking for forced criminality."

Furthermore, "if we look only at the offence and fail to examine the exploitation behind it, we risk punishing victims for the crimes of their traffickers. These tools are intended to help practitioners identify victims early, protect their rights, and direct accountability towards those who controlled and profited from their exploitation," said Anita.

The ASEAN Indicators on Trafficking for Forced Criminality aim to support law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, judges, victim support services and other practitioners in identifying potential victims more accurately and consistently strengthening victim identification, referral and protection mechanisms across ASEAN Member States. The accompanying training materials support implementation of the ASEAN Guidelines on the Implementation of the Non-Punishment Principle for Protection of Victims of Trafficking in Persons. The materials are designed to assist practitioners in recognising circumstances where victims may have committed unlawful acts as a direct consequence of being trafficked and should therefore not be penalised.

Bringing together representatives from ASEAN Member States, law enforcement, civil society, disability rights organisations, survivor leaders, and regional experts, the workshop underscores ASEAN's commitment to developing victim-centered, trauma-informed, and regionally owned solutions to complex trafficking challenges.

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Related Resource

ASEAN Guidelines on the Implementation of the Non-Punishment Principle for Protection of Victims of Trafficking in Persons https://www.aseanact.org/resources/asean-guideline-npp/

About AICHR

The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) is the overarching human rights institution in ASEAN. Established in 2009, AICHR is mandated to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms of the peoples of ASEAN.

About SOMTC

The Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC) is ASEAN's principal policy-making mechanism for cooperation on transnational crime, including trafficking in persons, and works to strengthen regional coordination and collective responses to evolving crime threats.

About ASEAN-ACT

Australia through the ASEAN-Australia Counter Trafficking (ASEAN-ACT) program continues more than 20 years of support to ASEAN to counter trafficking in persons. The program (2018-2028) supports ASEAN and ASEAN Member States to implement and report on their obligations under the ASEAN Convention against Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (ACTIP).

Photo credit: AICHR Indonesia