For the sake of a better Thailand, we must put our differences aside
Twe Bunnag - As a Thai I have dreamed of democracy since becoming politically aware in my teens; a corruption free society, respect for human rights, free and fair elections, economic justice, care for the environment…basic qualities of a decent society that none of the string of governments we...
Thailand: Human rights defenders and journalists, Mr Alan Morrison and Ms Chutima Sidasathian, charged under Computer Crime Act
23 December 2013
On 18 December 2013, human rights defenders, Mr Alan Morrison and Ms Chutima Sidasathian, appeared at the Wichit police station in Phuket province relating to charges brought under section 14 (1) of the Computer Crime Act. The two human rights defenders are accused of libel and violating the Computer...
Call to Set up Asean Human Rights Court
Indonesia’s representative to Asean’s human rights body has called on the 10-member bloc to establish a regional human rights court within the next ten years.
Rafendi Djamin, who sits on the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), said it is the next step in developing Asean’s rights mechanism.
“The current...
Can Myanmar Be a Game Changer in Asean?
BANGKOK — As the new chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), Myanmar has to face challenges emanating both from home and from the grouping’s agenda. How the chair handles these issues—both in terms of agenda-setting and narratives—will determine the status of Myanmar within the region and...
People-Centered ASEAN – Between Rhetoric and Reality
Jakarta (Antara News) - Over the last several years, ASEAN has proclaimed the rhetoric of becoming "people-oriented" or "people-centered" in a number of documents, speeches and meetings.
After 46 years, ASEAN leaders have now started talking about shifting the focus from state-centric to people-centric activities that would benefit people in...
ASEAN to consult on human rights
Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei Times/ ANN) -- The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) will seek more consultation with civil society organisations (CSO) in 2014, said a representative of the grouping.
Human rights should never be a state-driven process, it should always be a participatory process,” said Rafendi Djamin, Indonesia’s representative to AICHR.
Since its establishment in 2009, AICHR has been...
Myanmar people’s forum underway in Yangon
A Myanmar People's Forum is underway here in preparation for hosting the ASEAN People's Forum as Myanmar is to serve as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2014.
The three-day forum, which began on Saturday and attended by more than 150 civil societies, aims to ensure...
President lambasted for ignoring Indonesia’s migrant workers
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has failed to implement sufficient measures to protect the country’s migrant workers, said activists during a protest to mark International Migrants Day on Wednesday.
Data from Migrant Care shows that 1,249 Indonesian migrant workers have died so far this year – up from 1,012 last...
The Philippines: Journalists rage on media killings, call on Black Friday
ILIGAN CITY -- Media practitioners in various parts of the country observe a “Black Friday” today to protest the recent wave of attacks on members of the press.
The campaign, spearheaded by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), aims “to show a solid front against the spate...
Indian Migrant Workers Rioting in Singapore: Revisiting Acculturation Paradigms
A bus accident that killed an Indian migrant worker in Singapore triggered a riot in a busy region of the city-state recently, prodding authorities once again to immediately attend to the migrant problems here. The riot, the first the city-state has witnessed in more than four decades, was nevertheless...
