07/20/2009, 00.00
ASIA
Send to a friend

ASEAN to protect human rights but only with consent of violating nation

The 42nd ASEAN foreign ministers summit is underway in Phuket. The regional association has decided to set up a human rights commission. Experts note that the proposal is flawed because to intervene the new organisation will need the unanimous consent of all member states. Economy, trade and the fight against terrorism are also on the table of discussion.
Bangkok (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Foreign ministers from the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) have agreed to boost trade, fight terrorism and set up a commission to monitor human rights in member states.

The proposal has however met with widespread scepticism because ASEAN (Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam) has always refrained from interfering in the domestic affairs of its member states, which include a military dictatorship (Myanmar) and regimes (Vietnam) that have been accused of human rights violations.

What powers such a commission will exercise remains unclear, but ASEAN officials said the group had agreed to take into account the “special circumstances” of the ten members.

For experts such an organisation will not be very useful since it will have no independent authority to investigate member states and any action it might undertake is conditional on the unanimous agreement of member states.

Still “it is better to make a start than leave this hanging with no purpose at all," Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejiajiva said. “We want to establish a body that begins with the issue of promotion (of rights). Once that is put into place, there will be more teeth for the body in terms of protection.”

At the same meeting ASEAN members agreed to resist protectionism and boost economic growth in a region with a total population of 570 million people and an annual economic output of US$ 1.1 trillion.

The worldwide economic downturn has left ASEAN economies reeling. Foreign direct investment into the region fell 13 per cent last year to US$ 60.1 billion.

Export-dependent countries like Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia are all facing a sharp decline in exports.

The group, along with China, Japan and South Korea which have been present as observers at ASEAN summits for some years, was working on making an emergency rice reserve a permanent fixture.

US Secretary of state Hillary Clinton is also scheduled to attend the summit to discuss terrorism, the North Korean nuclear issue and border disputes between ASEAN member states.

TAGs
Send to a friend
Printable version
CLOSE X
See also
ASEAN members fear Chinese juggernaut
15/01/2007
Growing unemployment in the Philippines, also due to corruption and waste
04/01/2010
ASEAN eyes European model
25/11/2004
Myanmar might forgo ASEAN chairmanship
25/07/2005
Suspense growing as 14th ASEAN summit approaches
24/02/2009


Newsletter

Subscribe to Asia News updates or change your preferences

Subscribe now
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”