Summit in Thailand Launches Human Rights Group

By Megan E. Dodge
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

CHA-AM, Thailand – Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) are meeting under heavy security at a beach resort in Cha-Am. Representatives at this regional summit announced their official effort to engage in a new human rights watchdog.

The East Asian Summit group – is made up of member countries: Burma, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Talks at this summit seek to integrally include India, Australia, New Zealand, China, South Korea and Japan.

After the opening ceremony marking the convened national figureheads, leaders convened to discuss the economy, climate change, disaster management – and human rights. Some say the commission is in part a response to criticism that the region is weak on its efforts to curb human rights abuses by member nations such as Burma. Speculators, however, question whether it will have sufficient powers to make a real difference. Those who are weary on the effort have expressed that they believe the body will do little to deter human rights violators, because it has no power to punish members, according to one source.

Previously, Burma blocked activity by the Asean summit which attempted to call for an amnesty on behalf of detained Burmese democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. Furthermore, the organization’s Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, one of the central elements of the legally binding ASEAN Charter signed last year, was a disappointment to many rights advocates when it was limited to the promotion rather than the protection of human rights. Efforts this year have continued to hamper the endeavor. Back in April, Asian leaders were scheduled to hold the summit and propel the human rights initiative, however, anti-government protesters forced the meeting to cancel. Now, five member states -Burma, Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines and Singapore – refused to meet the five individuals chosen by civil rights groups to represent their countries.

Sister Crescencia Lucero, the Franciscan nun who was to have been the Philippines representative, stated, “I am very disappointed, and I see this as not only a rejection of me personally and the organization I represent, but as a rejection of the democratic process in the region.”

Regional politicians sometimes cite the European Union as their model, but their ambitions risk running aground on the vast political and social differences between the states, which range from the absolute monarchy of Brunei to the communist governments of Vietnam and Laos. Debbie Stothard, a human rights activist from Malaysia comments, “the commission has not been designed to be effective and impartial.” It It must be recognized though, the commission is still a considerable milestone for a region ruled by governments as diverse as the thriving democracy in Indonesia, the hermetic communist regime in Laos and the repressive military dictatorship in Myanmar.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Asian leaders launch rights group – October 23, 2009

Wall Street Journal – Summit to Test Japan-China Supremacy  – October 21, 2009

Cambodia News – Thailand Mounts Large Security Operation at Asian Summit – October 22, 2009   

Associated Press – Southeast Asia to have rights monitor – October 23, 2009

Author: Impunity Watch Archive