Sweden on ML: Don’t set aside rights

Adherence to human rights and the rule of law should not be set aside even under martial law, a Swedish official said yesterday, citing her message to Philippine officials at a briefing on the Mindanao situation.

“My message was that rule of law is a principle that needs to be upheld in order for society to thrive, for judiciary to be strong, for there to be transparent and accountable institutions,” Annika Ben David, Sweden’s ambassador for

human rights, democracy and the rule of law, told The STAR.

“Of course under martial law or any time of state of emergency it is also important to make sure that rule of law is upheld,” she said.

Ben David and other representatives of the international community met recently with the Commission on Human Rights Ben David (CHR) and representatives of civil society groups.

She warned of the dangers of “extending martial law that opens up to such a risk when it comes to upholding the principle of rule of law.”

Swedish Ambassador Harald Fries said he is hopeful the martial law declared by President Duterte would be “temporary.”

“It is fair to say that everyone is hoping that the current martial law will be temporary and local so let us hope that that is also the government’s ambition. Let us hope it will stay that way,” Fries said.

Fries added the Swedish embassy in Manila would also monitor the consequences of martial law.

“One of the many tasks of the embassy is to follow the political developments, human rights developments, economic developments, and of course what the consequences would be of martial law, obviously one of the many things we follow here,” he said.