ASEAN countries to set up ‘evolutionary’ human rights panel
July 19th, 2009 - 8:47 pm ICT by IANSPhuket (Thailand), July 19 (DPA) South-East Asian foreign ministers Sunday agreed to set up a regional human rights commission, even as they noted that some members’ coolness to the idea meant it would start off lacking the ability to investigate or monitor abuses by members.
The new commission would thus initially be tasked with raising awareness of human rights and engaging with civil society while seeking regional solutions to problems.
However, the panel would also be “evolutionary”, with plans to revisit and strengthen its makeup every five years.
“The draft terms of reference reflect the maximum consensus among ASEAN countries at this time,” Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said after the new commission was broadly agreed to at a briefing with the foreign ministers of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Phuket.
ASEAN includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar, notorious for its human rights abuses.
Objections from Myanmar and other of ASEAN’s less progressive members meant the commission would have to start life without the right to investigate and monitor reports of human rights abuses in member countries, sources said.
But Kasit stressed that the every five-year updates mean that powers can be added as members’ stances change.
“It is a legal document that would provide an evolutionary framework for further measures for the promotion and protection of human rights,” the Thai foreign minister said.
He added that Myanmar’s Foreign Minister Nyan Win had agreed to the terms of the new commission.
Myanmar’s poor human rights performance and its failure to introduce democratic reforms is a constant embarrassment for ASEAN, which Myanmar joined in 1997.
But under ASEAN’s new charter, that went into effect Dec 15, 2008, all member states have acknowledged the importance of promoting human rights in the region.
The ASEAN ministers are expected to officially approve the terms of reference Monday and launch the ASEAN Inter-regional Commission on Human Rights in October at the 15th ASEAN Summit, also to be held on Phuket Island, 600 km south of Bangkok.
- South-East Asia to get `toothless' human rights commission - Oct 23, 2009
- ASEAN summit shies away from Thai veg fest, piercings - Aug 14, 2009
- India calls for greater connectivity with ASEAN (Lead) - Mar 04, 2011
- Thailand and Cambodia agree to ceasefire - Apr 28, 2011
- Civil society questions mandate of ASEAN human rights body - Feb 19, 2009
- Thai-Cambodia border clashes enter 11th day - May 02, 2011
- Thai-Cambodia peace talks postponed as clashes continue - Apr 27, 2011
- Japan calls for tough ASEAN stance on North Korea - Jul 22, 2009
- EU: we cannot lose sight of Thai refugee camps - Mar 11, 2011
- Thai prince's impounded jet released after government posts bond - Aug 11, 2011
- ASEAN ministers talk tough on terrorism, show little action - Jul 20, 2009
- Thailand PM to visit India Monday - Apr 03, 2011
- Thai soldier killed less than one day after ceasefire agreed with Cambodia - Apr 29, 2011
- ASEAN inaugurates human rights body (Lead) - Oct 23, 2009
- Thai-Cambodia clashes continue into fifth day - Apr 26, 2011
Tags: asean countries, association of south east asian nations, coolness, democratic reforms, draft terms, east asian nations, evolutionary framework, foreign minister, foreign ministers, human rights abuses, human rights commission, human rights performance, kasit, legal document, member countries, progressive members, regional human rights, regional solutions, south east asian, terms of reference