ASEAN must do more to protect children from online sexual abuse

September 24, 2024

DENPASAR – Across Southeast Asia, from Manila to Bangkok and Phnom Penh, police are struggling to keep children safe from sexual exploitation and abuse, particularly online. Every day, millions of images and videos of children are shared on the internet, while authorities are increasingly at a loss of what to do.

Behind these numbers are real girls and boys whose lives may never be the same again. Governments and law enforcement in ASEAN countries both can and must do more to stem this tide of abuse. Child sexual exploitation is rising alarmingly in the region; we need urgent action now.

A meeting in Bali this week presents an opportunity to do just that. On Sept. 25-27, representatives from government, law enforcement, the private sector and others gather for the third annual ASEAN ICT Forum on Child Online Protection.

The discussions must focus on new strategies to counter the exponential increase in online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA) in Southeast Asia and on the role of law enforcement in particular. Police and other authorities should reaffirm commitment to work more closely with NGOs, tech companies and community groups to build a united front against child sexual exploitation.

The summit in Bali comes on the back of some encouraging initiatives in the region. In 2019, for example, ASEAN member states adopted the Declaration on the Protection of Children from All Forms of Online Exploitation and Abuse. While we have seen some positive developments since, there is still much more that can be done.

OCSEA is a particular issue in Asia, which is home to the highest rate of child internet users in the world. A major study in 2022, coled by rights group ECPAT, UNICEF and Interpol with