Gomez, James, and Robin Ramcharan (2014), Evaluating Competing “Democratic” Discourses: The Impact on Human Rights Protection in Southeast Asia, in: Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, 33, 3, 49–77. Abstract This paper evaluates the impact of competing “democratic” discourses on human rights protection in Southeast Asia. The authors identify three key discourses emanating from a set of national governmental policies, advocacy positions promoted by both global and local civil society and international standards and procedures adopted by members of inter-governmental organisations. These discourses, the authors argue, are collectively shaping the emerging ASEAN inter-governmental human rights regime. The political impact of…

Gomez, James, and Robin Ramcharan (2014), Introduction: Democracy and Human Rights in Southeast Asia, in: Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, 33, 3, 3–17. Abstract Southeast Asia has been undergoing a transition to more democratic forms of governance over the last two decades. The 2007 Charter of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) stated that henceforth ASEAN would pursue democratic forms of governance, the rule of law and the attendant fundamental human rights, which are the hallmark of liberal democratic states. This major normative evolution is one chapter of ASEAN’s post-Cold War efforts to deepen its members’ interactions in…

James Gomez & Robin Ramcharan, The Protection of Human Rights in Southeast Asia, Improving the Effectiveness of Civil Society. Asia-Pacific Journal on Human Rights and the Law (2) (2012) 27-43 1. Introduction A nascent human rights regime is emerging in Southeast Asia, one equipped with an institutional body, the ASEAN Inter-governmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) and a normative framework enshrined in the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD). While advocacy Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are playing a vital shadowing role that confronts ASEAN governments with the need to craft a credible protection mechanism, the lack of formal consultation with the current…