36th ASEAN Community Virtual Summit

Media Advisory – Digital Press Conference 36th ASEAN Summit, 2020: Protecting Human Rights and Democracy During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed major weaknesses in ASEAN’s capacity to respond to a global pandemic. ASEAN failed to take measures to protect those in the most vulnerable situations and to prevent a surge in restrictions on freedom of expression and in hateful rhetoric against marginalized groups. Despite the magnitude...

Diplomatic Briefing. Human Rights in Peril: the Impact of COVID-19 on Civic Space, Refugee Rights, Business and Human Rights in ASEAN.

Providing information to diplomatic missions in ASEAN on the impact of COVID-19 on democracy and human rights in the region. Key issues to be address will include: the rising of xenophobia, in particular anti-migrants and anti-refugees narrative, translated into harmful practices in the region against Rohingya and other ethnic...

Town Hall Meeting. ASEAN Member State’s Accountability on Human Rights: During and Post COVID-19

Despite of more than 90,000 COVID-19 cases in the region, ASEAN has yet to take any action to halt the virus spread, or act to prevent the suppression of freedoms that should be universally enjoyed. Furthermore, ASEAN’s principle of non-interference remains an insurmountable obstacle blocking efforts to effectively address...