Impact of Economic Downturn on Child Labor in Vietnam

The economic recession led to the economic downturn, loss of jobs and income, and the risk of falling back into the poverty of near-poor and poor households. This recession caused an increase in child labor. This study aimed to analyze the concept of child and child labor under a regulatory framework and assess how the economic downturn affects child labor in Vietnam. This study used analytical research methods through synthesis, comparison, and legal analysis, emphasizing literary research based on secondary research data. This study showed that the economic downturn increased the proportion of child labor because the parents and the family's breadwinner are unemployed or cut down on their income. Children were out of school to help household businesses or look for work for extra income. The economic downturn increased the number of children working in unsafe working conditions. It increased the risk of children being forced into illegal jobs prohibited and exposing children to labor to risk forced labor. It resulted in difficulties preventing and eliminating child labor, especially in a developing country like Vietnam, due to the high number of employees working in the informal sector, who were often unsupported by social security policies such as unemployment insurance and social insurance. This study suggested that the Government should establish policies to promote sustainable economic development and promulgate appropriate social security policies to promptly support workers and their families out of difficulties caused by job loss. Also, it should organize the effective implementation of regulations on eliminating child labor and raise social awareness in preventing and eliminating child labor. KEYWORDS: Economic Downturn, Child Labor, COVID-19 Pandemic.

Economic Democracy and the Quest of Net Neutrality in Indonesia

Net neutrality has played critical issues in internet-based businesses, as it may stop Internet Service Providers (ISPs) from discriminating against certain legal internet contents, platforms, or services. This study argued that net neutrality has a strong relationship with economic democracy as the constitutional basis of the Indonesian economy. This study examined net neutrality and considered its possible adoption in Indonesia under economic democracy by justifying economic democracy required the state to build an inclusive economy as per political economy theory. It used a socio-legal method through an interdisciplinary study of law and political economy with conceptual and comparative approaches. The study showed that the idea of the internet as a level playing field was founding net neutrality. For instance, in the United States and across different Global South countries, net neutrality relied on three orders of no blocking, no throttling, and no paid prioritization, which provided equal access for everyone to create their opportunities. At this point, economic democracy and net neutrality made their cross-cut. Like net neutrality, a discriminatory action against a content provider violated economic democracy, where policy-makers formulated economic policies to enable a level playing field for economic actors. Minimum barriers to entering the market might create such a level playing field. Without net neutrality, ISPs could carry out arbitrary actions and abuse of power for business interests. This study concluded that the adoption of net neutrality into formal regulation created a positive climate of innovation in the digital business ecosystem in Indonesia. KEYWORDS: Economic Democracy, Net Neutrality, Digital Economy.

Trash Trade and Environmental Regulations: An Assessment

Following China's decision to ban trash import in 2018, some countries in Southeast Asia are at the forefront of banning and imposing stringent measures to crackdown trash trade. The new trend in trash trade regulations had further impacted weaker countries and made a haven for dumping waste unless they adopt a uniform mechanism to regulate or completely ban trash trade within the region. This study aimed to analyze the recent response of some developing countries to the trash trade and how likely this response impact other countries in the same region, taking into account the impact of the trash trade on the environment and health and waste handling capacity. This study adopted doctrinal analysis that combined descriptive and analytical approaches to analyze trash trade and regulation impacts in developing countries and arrived at a need for a holistic approach and national waste management policy to encourage the recycling industry in trash receiving states. This study found that although developing countries had a perfect set of rules and norms regarding sustainable waste management and protecting illicit trash trade, most of them had shortages due to internal and external factors. Solid waste management in developing and least developed countries was a never-ending problem due to the low technological requirements and economic investments. KEYWORDS: Trash Trade, Developing Countries, Environmental Justice.

International Legal Instruments in Responding to Human Trafficking

Human trafficking grows and develops rapidly, with various motives and types of crimes. Various obstacles are faced in handling human trafficking cases, ranging from inadequate legal instruments to weak law enforcement. This study overviewed the international legal instrument on human trafficking cases, following the identification of the recent forms and issues in enquiring how international legal instruments deal with human trafficking. This study used legal research method by referring to international laws as the source of law in compiling this human trafficking research. This study found that various instruments and international cooperation have dealt with human trafficking cases. However, in various related studies, these different legal instruments did not have a clear and binding force when the issue occurs in the domestic state. In addition, human trafficking in various legal instruments also had many types, and all of them are interrelated. This study highlighted and concluded that in making various international legal instruments effective in this case, more intensive international cooperation was needed, both regionally and globally. KEYWORDS: Human Trafficking, Labor Human Rights, Criminal Law.

Child Labor and Poverty Reduction in Vietnam: Issues and Policy Implications

There is a relationship between child labor and poverty. The unaffordable financial state of households is the main reason to force children to become workers at an early age. One of the main points to respond to eliminating and preventing child labor is how to reduce poverty. Accordingly, many legal tools are designed and applied, such as forming regulations in finance supports and vocational training programs. This study provided practical evidence on the link between child labor and poverty in Vietnam as well as analysis on which legal measures the Vietnamese Government has done to tackle child labor based on the poverty approach. It was followed by some recommendations to eliminate child labor, especially in the context that negative impacts of COVID-19 pandemic push children to fall into poverty again and force them to continue to work in early-stage in most countries, including Vietnam. The study used a qualitative approach, including on desk review and a second-date analysis on regulations on child labor and poverty reduction policies in Vietnam. This study found that there existed a gap between policies on poverty to reduce child labor and practices. Comprehensive approaches in making policies, as well as law enforcement, are the core reasons. The gap should be overcome by providing unified action plans with an effective governmental authority system. KEYWORDS: Child Labor, Children Rights, Poverty Reduction.

Legal Aspects of Cooperatives’ Issuance of Products to Non-Member Communities in Indonesia

Regulations in the business activities of savings and loan cooperatives that allow cooperatives to collect funds from prospective members result in the possibility of issuing product to non-member communities. This study analyzed that the practice of issuing products to non-member communities is a deviation of cooperative’s business activity based on the laws and regulations in the cooperative sector and eliminates the identity of the cooperative in the form of the principle of membership, which is the specialty of the cooperative and the purpose of a cooperative business entity for the welfare of its members. The study used a normative approach, which aimed to examine existing regulations and relate to legal principles and theories. This study was descriptive-analytical by explaining, describing, and correlating legal rules and theories with the problems regarding the raise funds business from prospective members. It accounted the cooperative regulations, objectives, and principles of membership in cooperatives to the practice of issuing products to non-member communities that deviate from statutory regulations does not arise. This study showed that the practice of publishing products to non-member communities is a deviation from statutory regulations, objectives, and membership principles in cooperatives. In the meantime, the implementation of cooperatives while maintaining cooperatives' identity requires the role of all cooperative actors, the government, and the general public in preventing and following up on savings and loan cooperative practices that eliminate membership rights for service users. KEYWORDS: Cooperative Law, Cooperatives in Indonesia, Economic Democracy.

Arguments to Apply Constitutional Guarantees in the Private Sector

Constitutional guarantees are such a body of interests or basic human rights which are inevitable for each human being. These rights are principally inherent, inalienable, and universal, and therefore, irrespective of race, sex, caste, color, or religion, everyone can enjoy them. Constitutional guarantees are distinct from all other rights and privileges because of at least two unique characteristics, such as intrinsic in nature, and inalienability. These guarantees are crucial in the state-individual relations, and recognized by major laws of the civilized nations, and often enshrined in the national constitutions. For instance, the US Constitution signifies the essence of these rights through the expression of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Nonetheless, very often, many citizens across the globe are deprived of these rights on numerous pretends and grounds, and mostly, on the public-private dichotomy. This study examined contemporary legal and philosophical discourses as to whether the constitutional guarantees of human rights apply in the private sectors in Malaysia, India, and the United States. This study used doctrinal legal research methodology with a qualitative approach based on library resources. The findings of this study showed that constitutional guarantees, primarily human rights, are presumed to have been neither created nor made but originated like organic growth. Accordingly, no authority can take them away. By examining various logics from theological to socio-historical points of view and the theory of international law, this study concluded that constitutional guarantees, particularly the equal protection of the law, should apply horizontally to cover both public and private sectors. KEYWORDS: Constitutional Guarantees, Human Rights, Public-Private Sectors.

Our Right to Share, Their Right to Know: An Analysis of Public Interest Defense to Defamation

The defamation reports have increased and shifted under online-based technology through social media. This study considered the defamation issue in Indonesia that alleged Richard Lee, a doctor who shared a beneficial publication through social media about the dangerous skincare product. Richard's audience believed that his content helped them know the hidden truth behind skincare products available in the market. Consequently, the public questioned whether he was liable because he was regarded to share helpful information under the public interest. This study aimed to analyze Indonesia’s defamation laws, especially in public interest defense under Article 310(3) of the Indonesian Criminal Code. However, the interpretation for public interest as a crime abolition is unclear, resulting in various courts' decisions that lead to criminalizing internet users. This study used legal research with statutory and comparative approaches. It examined legal norms and practices in Indonesia and compared those in the United Kingdom, Canada, and New Zealand. These three countries adapted defamation law to develop cases, including those alleged defamations for the public interest. While the freedom of expression is enshrined in the constitution, its practice has contradicted defamation provisions outlined in derivative regulations. By comparison, these three countries have precise boundaries and public interest defense is explicit. Those countries have specific rules and lists that needed to be fulfilled for those who use public interest defense. The lists based on previous precedents show how they learn and adapt to the development of public interest defense in many cases. This study concluded that Indonesia does not have specific standards or rules to determine cases categorized as the public interest. KEYWORDS: Public Interest Defense, Online Defamation, Freedom of Expression.

Preventive Measures of Cyberbullying on Adolescents in Indonesia: A Legal Analysis

The increasing internet penetration in Indonesia has provided adolescents to expose pornographic content advertently. It inevitably includes other adverse impacts like fraud and violence, which begin with cyberspace. Also, cyberbullies on the internet have become a serious concern on how the government has anticipated it to prevent more practices in this cross-border experience. This study aimed to address the causes and impacts of online-based media on adolescents with the following preventive measures to reduce increasing cases of cyberbullying in Indonesia. This study used legal research in assessing the issue by sourcing primary data from statutory regulations and secondary data from academic resources. This study showed that cyberbullying continues to become an annoying issue among children, adolescents, and adults. The existing regulations provide insufficient protection preventing these practices because it does not specifically regulate its types and forms at defining cyberbullying. It suggested introducing a more specific regulation that outlines cyberbullying in ensuring the protection amidst the more borderless communication to prevent more adverse impacts on victims. KEYWORDS: Cyberbullying, Information and Technology Law, Child Protection.

Competition Law in Asia: The Interplay of Power Dynamics in the Digital Market

The digital economy and multi-faceted markets have significantly contributed to the efficacy of most transactions governing modern humankind. Digital platforms have become an irreplaceable cross-border asset that has acclimatized with technological advancements. However, there is obscurity in the methods of accommodation of digital economy in competition laws of most jurisdictions globally. Consequently, there are ascertainable issues in competition laws of such jurisdictions. Such issues remain unaddressed due to the absence of evaluation parameters of digital platforms in the conventional market system and culminate into an Implicit and undetected abuse of dominance. This study used the doctrinal method by highlighting the distinctness of contemporary digital markets and their consequential issues. This study explicated the issues in the competition that need to be independently addressed, considering the intricacies of digital platforms. The presence of non-price factors, multi-faceted markets, and data-driven networks being the primary source of such novel issues have been particularly explicated. The established premise was substantiated by way of case studies of major events involving factors such as predation, deep discounting, and data privacy. Elucidation of the competition system in most jurisdictions in Asia and the accommodation of digital platforms in the same was also sufficiently enunciated to present a holistic insight to the established premise. Finally, the authors suggested ways to sufficiently address the issues arising from the distinctness of digital platforms, thereby giving rise to a dynamic and all-inclusive competition. KEYWORDS: Digital Markets, Competition Law, Data Privacy.