Asia Centre Leads Discussion on Human Rights and Conflict Prevention at ICIRD 2017
Applying human rights principles in the development of early warning systems and indicators can bolster internal – conflict prevention processes and mechanisms. This was the key discussion point at the Asia Centre-Thammasat University panel on internal conflict held at the International Conference on International Relations and Development (ICIRD) on 24 June 2017. The panel entitled, Human Rights Violations and Internal-Conflict in Southeast Asia: Identifying Conflict Prevention Processes and Mechanisms, looked at the challenges and opportunities for internal conflict prevention from conceptual and practical perspectives. Asia Centre’s Executive Director Dr Robin Ramcharan’s paper Human Rights and Conflict Prevention in Southeast Asia: The Protection Gap considered the degree to which violations of economic, social and cultural rights trigger conflict and how to identify those triggers. Dr Kenneth Houston, a lecturer with Webster University and Asia Centre Associate adopted a methodological perspective looking at how qualitative data analysis can provide monitor attitudes and thoughts that shape perceptions and consequently policies. The Proto-policy Domain as an Early Warning Resource: Options for Quantitative Data Analysis in Human Rights Monitoring in Southeast Asia considered how data can be used to take practical steps to institutionalise a more focused early warning system. Dr James Gomez, Regional Director of Amnesty International Southeast Asia and the Pacific and Asia Centre Advisory Board Member offered a practical perspective in his paper Human Rights Violations and Political Conflict in Southeast Asia: The UPR as a prevention mechanism? Dr Gomez presentation considered how human rights violations and conflict are inherently linked to conflict and considered how the UPR can address protection gaps. The panel was chaired by the Centre’s Programme Coordinator Michelle D’cruz who facilitated the ensuing discussion that covered the role of the media, integrating conflict prevention indicators into existing human rights mechanisms and processes as well as challenge in developing an early warning system. The panel attracted an audience of academics, NGO representatives and journalists who were keen to engage on the role of human rights in conflict prevention. The session builds on Asia Centre’s Human Rights Programme which focuses on evidence- based research on human rights mechanisms in Southeast Asia. The Centre is also developing a Conflict Prevention Programme.
Violations by Businesses Against Human Rights Defenders An Emerging Trend
In addition to States, increasingly the office of the UN Special Rapporteur for the situation of human rights defenders (HRDs) is using its mandate to hold businesses accountable for human rights violations. States no longer are the only violators, around the world violations against HRDs are also being committed by companies in the areas of mining and forestry as well as other sectors. This was one of the key trends affecting the situation of human rights defenders Mr. Michel Forst highlighted during his public lecture at the Asia Centre. Over 70 people turned up to hear Mr. Michel Forst that included participants from academia, civil society, the UN, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Thailand) as well as Thai Human Rights Commissioner Mrs. Angkhana Neelapaijit. Mr Forst told the packed room that around the world human rights defenders face the following challenges: Judicial harassment through the passing of laws that criminalises the work of HRDs Non-state harassment by private security companies, religious groups, hate groups Vilification of HRDs over state-owned media and social media Harassment of women through gender specific attacks Surveillance and harassment of family members, friends and supporters of HRDs During the Q and A session moderated by Dr. James Gomez, Executive Director of the Asia Centre, members from the audience raised the issues of China’s influence on human rights in the region, the funding crunch faced by NGOs and the plight of human rights defenders working on refugee issues. Given the range of issues raised, Mr. Forst invited members of the audience to consult the reports submitted by reports of the Special Rapporteur on HRD for ideas. He also welcomed those in the region to be part of the 20th anniversary of HRD declaration in 2018 meetings to strategise a way forward for Southeast Asia. The Mandate for the situation of the human rights defender was established in 2000 following the Human Rights Defenders declaration in 1998. The role of the Rapporteur is to present Annual Reports to the Human Rights Council and General Assembly, undertake country visit and take up with States complaints of human rights violations Mr Forst has held the post of UN Special Rapporteur for the situation of human rights defenders since June 2014 and was travelling unofficially through Thailand on his way to Cambodia. His public lecture was jointed hosted by Forum-Asia and Asia Centre.
Asia Centre Human Rights Briefing for Georgia Tech, USA
Asia Centre held a briefing session on 22 May 2017, in Bangkok, for visitors from the Southeast Asia Study Abroad Program of the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs of Georgia Tech, which is based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Dr. Robin Ramcharan and Dr. James Gomez led the briefing and discussions. Dr. Katja Weber led the group from Georgia Tech. The session focused on challenges facing human rights protection and democratic transitions in ASEAN, and on contemporary governance challenges that affect human security including the difficulties of providing social protection. Institutional differences between ASEAN and other regional bodies were highlighted. The value of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the UN Human Rights Council to human rights protection in the region was emphasized and appraised. The critical role and impact of civil society organizations highlighted. It was noted that their formal exclusion from ASEAN regional mechanisms rendered the UPR even more appealing since CSOs and other stakeholders are consulted in the UPR peer-review process. The study group were apprised of the capacity and need for the UPR dialogue process to tackle hard civil and political issues. One of those is the shrinking space for freedom of expression (FOE) across the region, which faces threats from the criminalization of political opposition, restrictive cyber and telecommunications laws, restrictions on social media and presidential decrees in one-man or one-party authoritarian States. Participants from the study group engaged in discussion on FOE challenges, ethnic conflict and problems of social inequality. The study group, which was touring several countries in Southeast Asia, stopped by Asia Centre to exchange views on challenges facing the region and to share their insights on the same. Asia Centre looks forward to continued interaction and future collaboration with the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs.
IFC #1: Asia Centre Launches International Faculty Club
On 12 May 2017, Asia Centre launched the International Faculty Club (IFC) with some 40 academics, researchers and graduate students in attendance. The event filled a gap in the Bangkok social landscape that brought together people across different tertiary institutions allowing those from diverse academic disciplines to dialogue, share innovative ideas and forge friendships in a convivial setting. The evening turned out to be an engrossing academic networking event as the inaugural gathering saw a series of speakers taking to the floor to share their ongoing research and interests. These included: Evgeniia Sidorova, Thammasat University, who made a visual presentation about urban space and the importance of incorporating the human element in design. Mike Raomanachai, Voice TV, who spoke about press freedom and hands-on opportunities in New.Next.Now Media Conference on May 19-21 in Hong Kong. Jennie Williams, a human rights researcher and legal consultant, discussed the issue of consent and its implication on sex worker’s rights and women’s rights. Those present had plenty of questions and comments for the presentations, this was followed by an impromptu open mic session that saw several more speakers sharing their views. The next IFC gathering is on 4 August 2017 at 6pm at the Asia Centre and it welcomes participants and speakers. For those interested, the format of the event is very simple, you just need to prepare a short presentation and appear on the stated date at the Asia Centre’s premises to speak, meet and greet. Do not miss out – book your spot! Sign up for the next event here or email contact@asiacentre.co.th. Do tell your friends and colleagues about it. We look forward to seeing you at the next IFC!
Civil Society Needs to Innovate to Combat Shrinking Space in Southeast Asia
Civil society needs to innovate if it wants to step up to the challenges of shrinking space, this was the crux of Dr James Gomez’s vision for the future of human rights in Southeast Asia. Dr Gomez shared his perspective at a public lecture hosted by the Saw Swee Hock Southeast Asia Centre, London School of Economics and Political Science on 3 May 2017. Titled Civil Society and Shrinking Political Space: the future of human rights in Southeast Asia, the lecture attracted some 30 participants who were interested in the trajectory of human rights in a region that is slipping back into authoritarianism. In this presentation, Dr. Gomez outlined four key challenges facing civil society which stem from: pressures imposed by the state in the form of legislation and reporting measures to monitor and control civil society activities and funding sources; problems within civil society’s rank and file such as organisational structures, internal political divisions within organisations and cross organisational competition for limited grant resources; emerging trend in donor and grant funding adjusting their priorities to more politically conservative environments, both back home and in target countries in the region; and the impact of China on national governments in Southeast on human rights issues connected to Chinese engagement in the region. To illustrate the impact of these key challenges, Dr Gomez highlighted the workings of human rights mechanisms such as the UN’s Universal Periodic Review, ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, national human rights institutions and cause lawyering in the region. Drawing from his years of experience working for international organisations as well as a well published human rights researcher, Dr Gomez argued that civil society needs to innovate if it wants to rise above these four key challenges. The counter-measures he proposed are as follows: engage with conservative governments in the region while at the same time advocating publicly for human right issues; operate civil society initiatives through new organisational structures and approaches that see smaller boards, more decentralisation and being closer to the ground; approach funding with an entrepreneurial vision where civil society goes beyond donor funding and grants, and generates income through consultancy and services; and build coalitions across national, regional and international lines to withstand and seek support against Chinese interference into regional human rights issues. To sum up, Dr Gomez emphasised that approaches to human rights advocacy needs to constantly be calibrated without compromising on principles. Innovation is especially needed at present times in Southeast Asia as countries in the region regress towards authoritarianism. A podcast of the full speech can be accessed here.
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 the Asia-Pacific region and for ASEAN in particular? Ambassador Barsky’s keynote presentation on the pillars of Russian foreign policy and its respect for international law and the principles of the UN Charter set the context. He went on to expound that Russia sought better economic and trade relations with ASEAN in order to cater to its domestic economic transformation. Ambassador Barsky noted that Russia’s ties with Southeast Asia preceded the formation ASEAN, as Cold War Russia supported various national movements in the region and provided security assurances at that time. Post-Cold War, he pointed out Russia has been engaged in a dialogue relationship with ASEAN over the past 20 years and seeks to expand its connectivity with the region. Dr Peter Shearman, an expert on Russian foreign policy from the Institute of International and Security Studies at Chulalongkorn University spoke on Russia’s role in light of an emerging multipolar structure and as a possible balancer between China and the USA. Dr Pavel Slutsky, Associate Professor at Chulalongkorn University, characterised the Russia-ASEAN relationship as unpredictable, lacking a clear strategy and largely shaped by external forces. Dr Takashi Tsukamoto, Associate Dean (International Affairs) Faculty of Political Science, Thammasat University provided insights into Russia’s role in shaping Japanese foreign policy on ASEAN. Collectively, the panel of experts raised a number of salient points, namely: the current ‘soft’ geopolitical footprint of Russia on Southeast Asia as countries continued to look to the American security umbrella; the modest economic engagement with the region – principally on military, energy (nuclear) and fossil fuels; a lack of clear strategy towards the region and a confusing articulation of the place that ASEAN occupies in Russian foreign policy; and the emerging diplomatic friendship between Japan and Russia that has emerged in light of structural realities: competition between China and the USA. The roundtable attracted an audience of 40 participants including representatives from the diplomatic corps. An active question and answer between the audience and speakers followed the presentation. It was an event that lasted well over two hours and Asia Centre was pleased to convene this public articulation of Russia’s long term goals in the region.
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 a busy day at the fair as many students gathered at the Centre’s desk to collect information. Starting the next day, several Webster University students applied for internships at the Asia Centre.
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 female legal professionals. Celebrating Women in Law featured Emi Rowse, an Of Counsel at Herbert Smith Freehills; Sheila Varadan, a barrister/solicitor with over 12 years experience; Chayanich Thamparipattra, a social entrepreneur and a labour rights lawyer and Wipanan (Eve) Prasompluem, a Senior Associate at Allen & Overy and adjunct lecturer at Chulalongkorn University. The discussion was led by Emma Day, a human rights lawyer and co-founder of the International Child Redress Project (ICRP), a new startup non-profit organisation which is aiming to improve access to remedies for child victims of sexual exploitation The panelists discussed access to justice in the context of the domestic courts system and the international human rights framework. They shared their personal experience as well as expert opinion during the lively Q&A. The discussion touched on a range of issues including: Challenges to rule of law and a culture of impunity in many parts of Southeast Asia Alternative dispute resolution mechanisms Transitional justice Creating a culture where the notion of justice and the rights of the victim are valued Improvements in the law to enable access to justice The Q&A was followed by a networking session in which participants were able to interact with the panelists and further their discussions. Celebrating Women in Law was a platform to engage on critical issues impacting the region and showcase the role that women play advocating for justice. Asia Centre has organised a number of activities related to women’s rights such as Entering Femininity: Reporting Rituals and Violations and women’s political participation in A Political Utopia Called Singapore. The Centre will continue to convene activities on the role of women in law, human rights and development as a prelude to developing an Asia Centre gender programme.
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 alia, State engagement on human rights issues through the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). He highlighted the need for more effective engagement with the UPR and a better understanding of how it can impact developments at the national and regional level, He pointed to Asia Centre’s forthcoming book on The Universal Periodic Review of Southeast Asia: Civil Society Perspectives which reviews civil society’s engagement with the UPR across two cycles, as an example of research that is filling a gap and supporting the work of civil society. Joining Dr Ramcharan on the panel were Dr. Seree Nonthasoot, Thailand’s representative to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), Ms Maita Chan-Gonzaga from Ateneo Law School Philippines, Dr Patricia Rinwigati Waagstein from Indonesia and Dr. Sriprapha Petcharamesree,Chair of the SHAPE-SEA programme. Programme Coordinator Michelle D’cruz and Research Intern Francesco Franzoi also represented the Centre at the event to introduce Asia Centre’s work, harness opportunities for collaboration with other institutions and organisations and raise awareness of upcoming projects such as the July 2017 International Conference on National Human Rights Institutions in Southeast Asia: Challenges of Protection, which builds on and extends the Centre’s research into the UPR.
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.