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Indonesia Wants to Make Human Rights a Priority for ASEAN

   Brian Padden | Jakarta 07 January 2011

   Indonesia's  foreign  minister  says  his  government  will make human
   rights a priority for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
   This  year, Indonesia serves as the chairman of ASEAN. At a news event
   Friday,   Indonesian  Foreign  Minister  Marty  Natalegawa  said  that
   Indonesia  plans  to make human rights a top priority for the regional
   group.
   He says Indonesia hopes that in 2011 the ASEAN human rights commission
   will  be  more  effective  in  fulfilling  its  mandate to demonstrate
   ASEAN's commitment to respect human rights.
   ASEAN rotates the leadership role among its members yearly.
   Pavin  Chachavalpongpun  an  analyst  with  the Institute of Southeast
   Asian  Studies in Singapore, says an emphasis on human rights in ASEAN
   is a major change from the past.
   The  regional  organization, he says, has been successful on issues of
   broad  agreement  such  as  promoting free trade and regional security
   matters.
   But,  he says, bringing up contentious issues such human rights may be
   seen by some as a violation of ASEAN's principle of not interfering in
   the internal affairs of it members.
   "Members  are  happy  to  talk  about it as long as it does not affect
   certain interests of their own countries,â Chachavalpongpun said. âBut
   when  it comes to tough issues like democracy and human rights we have
   to admit that not all countries in ASEAN are democratic."
   Among the 10 ASEAN states, Laos and Vietnam are one-party governments,
   led  by  the Communist Party. And human rights groups consider Burmaâs
   military government among the worldâs most repressive.
   Last yearâs election in Burma, also know as Myanmar, brought the issue
   of  human  rights  within  ASEAN  to  the  forefront.  Critics  of the
   government  say  it  stage-managed  the  vote  to  ensure the military
   remains in power.
   Human  rights organizations criticized ASEAN for not confronting Burma
   about the abuses there.
   If   Indonesia   wants  ASEAN  to  get  serious  about  human  rights,
   Chachavalpongpun   says,   it   needs  to  abolish  its  principle  of
   non-interference.

   âI  also think that maybe it is time for ASEAN to talk about some sort
   of punishment, maybe not to the point of expulsion [of member states].
   There has to be some sort of compliance and what kind of punishment to
   be caused to certain members in the case that that member obviously do
   not comply," Chachavalpongpun said.
   Natalegawa says the situation in Burma last year did contribute to his
   country's  commitment  to  emphasize  human  rights  in  ASEAN. But he
   stopped  short of recommending specific actions and said the situation
   there has improved since the election.
   He  noted,  for  instance, that opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was
   freed from detention after the vote.
   "Of  course,  over  the  past  several weeks there have been important
   developments  in Myanmar. The elections are notable,â Natalegawa said.
   âBut  on  top  of that we have had the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. So
   all  these  two  important  developments  must  be  digested,  must be
   absorbed,  for  ASEAN to be able to think ahead. How we can insure the
   issue of Myanmar or development in Myanmar can have a sense of closure
   in 2011."
   Rather than punish offenders, Natalegawa says Indonesia intends to use
   quiet  diplomacy  and  consensus building to persuade ASEAN members to
   respect human rights.

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