Death Penalty on the decline in Southeast Asia

"From Vietnam to Malaysia and Indonesia, Southeast Asian governments are narrowing the use of the death penalty and edging, often cautiously, toward abolition. At present, eight of the 11 Southeast Asian countries retain the death penalty. Only Cambodia, the Philippines and Timor-Leste have abolished it in law. But recent years have seen most of the retentionist states abide by de facto moratoriums on executions and pass new legislation so death is no longer the mandatory punishment for certain crimes."

"In 2025, Vietnam's National Assembly voted to remove the death penalty for eight offences, taking the list of death-eligible crimes from 18 down to 10. The reforms also provided for existing death sentences for those offenses to be commuted to life imprisonment. The move was framed domestically as part of an overhaul that would also make it easier to cooperate internationally in corruption and extradition cases, though Vietnam continues to treat data on death sentences and executions as a state secret."

Eight of 11 Southeast Asian countries retain the death penalty; Cambodia, the Philippines and Timor-Leste have abolished it in law. Many retentionist states now observe de facto moratoriums on executions and have passed legislation removing mandatory capital punishment for certain crimes. The European Union promotes abolition through diplomacy, backing UN moratorium resolutions, raising the issue in political dialogues and supporting civil-society advocacy while noting progress is uneven and sometimes reversible. Vietnam's 2025 reforms reduced death-eligible offences from 18 to 10 and provided for commutation to life imprisonment; Malaysia abolished the mandatory death penalty in 2023.

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