Russia’s Grand Strategy in the Asia-Pacific revealed at Asia Centre

Russia’s Grand Strategy in the Asia-Pacific revealed at Asia Centre

A rare public articulation of Russia’s grand strategy in the Asia-Pacific was expounded at Asia Centre by H.E. Kirill Barsky, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Kingdom of Thailand on 30 March 2017. Entitled “Russian Grand Strategy in the Asia Pacific: What Role for ASEAN?”, Asia Centre convened the roundtable to discuss Russia’s dramatic resurgence in international politics and explore its foreign policy goals in the region.   Asia Centre’s moderator, Ms. Alexandria Demetrianova posed a key question to kick start the roundtable - Does Russia, a great power of the past few centuries, have a clear strategy for…

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Asia Centre at Webster University’s Career Fair

Asia Centre at Webster University’s Career Fair

Asia Centre promoted its internship opportunities at Webster University's Career Fair held on 29th March 2017. Asia Centre’s internships, which have been popular, attracted a flow of interested students from International Relations as well as from communication and business studies.    Dr Robin Ramcharan and research intern Francesco Franzoi from Switzerland represented Asia Center at the Fair to introduce Asia Centre’s work, projects and activities. For example, our current interns assist with the preparation, research and marketing of the Centre's upcoming International Conference on National Human Rights Institutions in Southeast Asia: Challenges of Protection in July 2017.   Asia Centre’s had…

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Celebrating Women in Law: Discussions on Access to Justice

Celebrating Women in Law: Discussions on Access to Justice

A discussion on access to justice in Southeast Asia was undertaken by a panel of women lawyers on 29 March 2017 at the Asia Centre. The session, jointly organised by Asia Centre and Akin Asia, offered the opportunity to understand some of the systemic problems with regards to rule of law and access to justice that affect women in the region. It was also an opportunity to better understand the roles that different players in the legal process play. The event was attended by over 30 participants, many with a legal background, keen to engage with the panel of top…

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Asia Centre at FCCT discussion on Human Rights in Southeast Asia

Asia Centre at FCCT discussion on Human Rights in Southeast Asia

Asia Centre’s Dr Robin Ramcharan was part of panel discussion on the topic                            Human Rights in Southeast Asia: Retrospect and Prospect at the launch of SHAPE SEA’s Human Rights Outlook in Southeast Asia 2014-2015. Held on the evening of 9 March at the Foreign Correspondents Club Thailand, the event attracted about 40 participants from international and regional organisations, members of civil society, journalists, academics and students.   Dr Ramcharan’s address focused on the positive trajectories for the future of human rights in the region, pointing to, inter…

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Evaluating Competing “Democratic” Discourses: The Impact on Human Rights Protection in Southeast Asia

Evaluating Competing “Democratic” Discourses: The Impact on Human Rights Protection in Southeast Asia

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…

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Introduction: Democracy and Human Rights in Southeast Asia

Introduction: Democracy and Human Rights in Southeast Asia

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…

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The Protection of Human Rights in Southeast Asia, Improving the Effectiveness of Civil Society. Asia-Pacific Journal on Human Rights and the Law

The Protection of Human Rights in Southeast Asia, Improving the Effectiveness of Civil Society. Asia-Pacific Journal on Human Rights and the Law

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…

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Asia Centre at the Asia Pacific Youth Exchange Career Fair 2017

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Asia Centre at the Asia Pacific Youth Exchange Career Fair 2017

Asia Centre’s operations as a social enterprise and its programmatic focus on education and human rights attracted considerable attention at the Asia Pacific Youth Exchange (APYE) Career Fair held on 20th January 2017 at Bangkok University. The fair was part of the 3rd APYE organised by the Urban Youth Academy in conjunction with the Asian Development Bangkok and multiple UN agencies, with the objective of empowering youth to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.The career fair attracted some 130 international APYE delegates along with students from Bangkok based universities, keen to explore internship and career opportunities.

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Briefing on ASEAN to Korea University Students

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Briefing on ASEAN to Korea University Students

Students from Korea University received a briefing at Asia Centre on Tuesday, 17 January 2017, on contemporary challenges facing ASEAN. Dr. Robin Ramcharan lectured the undergraduates on regional geopolitical affairs, on ASEAN integration challenges and on the regional human rights mechanisms. The students were keenly interested in China's engagement with ASEAN and in Thaland's history, culture and political system. The students were accompanied Dr. Park Bun Soon of Korea University. Asia Centre welcomes such exchanges and looks forward to further exchanges with students and academics from Korea.

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2nd Benedict Anderson Memorial Roundtable: Nationalism, Citizenship and Statelessness

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2nd Benedict Anderson Memorial Roundtable: Nationalism, Citizenship and Statelessness

The Benedict Anderson 1st Anniversary Memorial Roundtable was a tribute to the life and legacy of the late professor. Centring on the topic Nationalism, Citizenship and Statelessness: Current Issues and Developments in Asia, the discussion attracted an audience of some 65 people, and featured a panel of diverse expertise. This event follows our inaugural memorial Debating Imagined Communities: A Tribute to Benedict Anderson held on 30 January 2016, and will be an annual feature in the Asia Centre calendar. Professor Kenneth Christie of Royal Roads University in British Columbia, Canada, and an expert on peace, development and security, provided an…

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