Int’l body on human rights opens in South East Asian region
CHA-AM, Huahin, Thailand/23 October 2009 by Frencie Carreon—Despite the Philippines’ having rejected its supposed own representative for the ASEAN Civil Society Conference here, the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) inaugurated today the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights.
The AICHR, the first intergovernmental body in the region focused on human rights issues, is regarded as a “fifteen-year dream” that has “come true” as it “will generate momentum in an effort to promote and protect human rights in the region.”
Thus said Thailand Prime MInister Abhisit Vejjajiva as he spoke before the delegates of the 15th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits” at the opening ceremony here, in Dusit Thani Resort.
“It will also increase the ‘comfort level’ of all ASEAN member-States to be able to accept a more enhanced role of this body in the future,” Vejjajiva said.
“All these developments demonstrate the recognition that ASEAN has gained from the world community over the past one-and-a-half year as arules-based and people-centered organization which is committed to establishing a fully integrated community by 2015,” the Thai prime minister also said.
The AIHCR was inaugurated this noon and it is expected that South East Asia’s leaders will establish the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children by next year.
“The task ahead of us will not be easy, as governments alone cannot make it happen. It is the responsibility of all sectors in the civil society, as well as each and every one of us, to move forward our ASEAN community. Considering the changing dynamics of the region and of the world, we must work to sustain the efforts to achieve our goals. With sheer determination and in a spirit of cooperation, I am confident that we can collectively achieve a true ASEAN Community,” he concluded.
3 country reps walk out
Representatives of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia today walked out as five of the ten civil society representatives were rejected from the interface meeting with heads of government of the ten ASEAN member-countries.
Among those rejected was Siser Crescencia Lucero, who would have represented the Philippines today. The others are Khin Ohmar of Myanmar, Nay Vanda of Cambodia, Manichanh Philaphanh of Lao PDR, and Sinapan Samydorai of Singapore.
Five others were included but were not allowed to speak at the ASEAN People’s Forum cum ASEAN Civil Society Conference held here today. These are Yuyun Wahyuningrum of Indonesia, Moon Hui Tah, campaign coordinator of the Malaysia-based Suaran, Sawart Pramoonsilp of Thailand, Tran Thi Thu Thuy of Vietnam, and Dato Paduka Zainal Momir of Brunei.
As an expression of disgust, Wahyuningrum, Pramoonsilp, and Moon walked out of the conference.
In a statement following the dramatic exit of the three representatives, the organizers of said forum said, ”We feel strongly that the rejection of our democratically-selected representatives is a rejection of both civil society and the democratic process…The governments concerned are fundamentally undermining the spirit and content of the ASEAN Charter that they ratified a year ago.”
“The behaviour of the governments of Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, Philippines and Burma in rejecting their civil society representatives sabotages the credbility of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) which is being inaugurated today,” the APF organizers said.
“We plead with these leaders to stop trying to kill the spirit for an ASEAN community. Such moves not only hurt the development of the region but also the credibility of individual member states and ASEAN as a whole,” they stressed.
However, the Philippines’ official representative to the AICHR Rosario Manalo, speaking before the press said, “Civil society cannot dictate upon governments on how to do these things. Sorry na lang kasi governments are also not happy with what they do. They should use their brains.”
“We are talking of 10 countries here that have different systems,” she emphasized. ”It doesn’t follow that what the black monkey has to follow what the white monkey did. They are not using their heads. Sometimes and they just keep on talking that is why they are oftentimes not considered serious,” Manalo said.
“The problem with NGOs is, they want the sauce for the gander to be sauce for the goose as well,” the Philippine government representative said.
“As much as you want the ideal, you can only approximate it because of these constraints. I think some of these civil society groups understand this, or if they don’t understand this, they still choose to ignore these realities,” Manalo said, adding, “If you can change the nature of governments then the mechanism of inspection can be implemented.”
Framework for Human Rights Court hoped
Meanwhile, Yap Swee Seng of the Civic People’s Forum, speaking at a press conference for InWEnt media re-affirmed the appeal of the Solidarity for Asian People’s Advocacy (SAPA) for the creation of a human rights court.
“This has been the call of civil society to establish a human rights court,” Yap said, as he admitted that since SAPA’s release of a statement in August 25 this year which called for the setting up of said court, “nothing has been taken up since then”.
Among the civic society representatives, he said, it was admitted that it is “unrealistic at the moment to set up a human rights court in the ASEAN region,” as he looked at the “lack of political will” as a factor.
“However, if it can’t be set up now, at least there should be a political will to put it in the framework,” he stressed, referring to the Political Declaration made by the ASEAN leaders which, he added, “would include the 3 C’s on Human Rights. Otherwise a lot of decision wouldn’t be enforced.”
“We are actually calling for the 3 C’s: the Convention of Human Rights, the Commission on Human Rights, and the Court on Human Rights,” Yap said.
Yap opined that setting up a time frame would be vital, as what has been done for the ASEAN Commission on Women and Children, which had a time framework from 2004 to 2010.
“Similarly, ASEAN governments should work on a time frame otherwise nothing will happen because it is all dependent on political will,” Yap said.
The 15th ASEAN and Related Summits is set to conclude on the 25th of this month. Its official theme is, “Enhancing Connectivity, Empowering Peoples,” which is meant to underline the importance attached to the improvement of connectivity, both physically and spiritually, as well as the betterment of the lives of all ASEAN people. (Frencie Carreon, The PhilSouth Angle)
