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8th International Conference – Democracy and Elections in Asia

Overview Amidst the growing climate of authoritarianism throughout the world, Asia continues to grapple with various challenges related to democratisation and political change. As countries in the region get into a post-pandemic election cycle, political party laws, election advertising laws, fake news laws and laws governing political donations continue to have a problematic impact on the goal of holding free and fair elections. 2022 marks a series of elections across Asia as countries begin to open up. Elections were held or set to be held at the national (India, Japan, Nepal, Philippines, South Korea, Timor Leste and Turkmenistan), state or provincial (India, Malaysia) or communal/municipal levels (Cambodia/Thailand). In national elections held thus far (South Korea, Japan and the Philippines), with some exceptions, one sees the return or advent of authoritarian tendencies and elites with highly problematic records of governance that adversely affect the emergence or transitions to substantive democracy. A major contributing factor to this outcome was the role of hybrid regimes maintaining dynastic control over media, election process and the country’s overall politics. Anti-democratic populist movements, using disinformation campaigns over social media also drowned out the much-needed civic participation in politics. Additionally, women candidates faced harassment over the online space and physical threats during campaigns; while opposition party members faced threats and legal repercussions on accusations of foreign interference. Fear of a military coup d’etat, regime change uprising or election annulment by partial election commissions all worked to suppress elections. Recognizing the wide variety of questions and issues to be explored, this conference examines the relations between democracy and elections in Asian countries. Despite the plethora of elections at multiple levels, why do they often lead to illiberal outcomes? Does the new social media environment enable/facilitate such outcomes? The conference will probe whether electoral systems in the region are a force for democracy or a force for authoritarian consolidation. Themes Impact of COVID-19 on Elections, Campaigning and Voting Rise of Electoral Authoritarianism/Illiberal Democracy Role of Asian Political Dynasties Populism and Patronage in Elections Annulling Election Results: Legal Cases, Political Party Dissolution and Coups Media versus Social Media in Election Campaigning Harassments and Violence Against Women Candidates Youth Participation: Voters, Candidates, Political Parties Foreign Interference and Manipulation of Elections Independence and Professionalism of Election Management Bodies Role of Ethnic Groups and Minority Groups Or any other related themes Objectives The conference aims to achieve the following objectives Convene researchers and advocates for free and fair elections Analyse laws and disinformation campaigns that influence elections outcomes Evaluate how elections impact the rise of authoritarianism in Asia Assess the future of democracy in the region Conference Structure The conference will consist of short remarks, keynote speeches, plenary discussions and breakout sessions made of thematic panels, region and country-specific panels. Conference Participants Registration is open to all presenters and participants from academic institutions, media outlets and journalist associations, businesses, national and regional civil society organisations, international NGOs, political parties, parliaments, government agencies and intergovernmental organisations to facilitate knowledge sharing and networking. Conference Publications Following the international conference, Asia Centre will undertake the following publishing efforts: Conference Proceedings Guidelines for the Conference Proceedings can be found here. (Please refer to the Style Sheet Guidelines) Programme Outline DAY 1: 23 August 202318:30-20:00 | Welcome Reception and Evening Panel  DAY 2: 24 August 20239:30-17:00 | Morning & Afternoon Panels DAY 3: 25 August 20239:30-17:00 | Morning & Afternoon Panels Submission Guidelines Paper Presentations and Speeches Researchers and practitioners wishing to present papers or share their experiences are invited to submit a title and abstract of 300-340 words in English, together with a biographical paragraph of 100 words, here. For those submitting papers, full papers should be 5,000 words (Please refer to the Style Sheet Guidelines). Conference Fee This is a self-funded conference, hence a flat, base fee of USD300 will be charged to all presenters, participants and drop-in visitors. This will go towards covering the cost of the venue, equipment and logistics, coffee breaks on all days, certificates for participants, conference communications and staff. Conference fee (USD300) does NOT cover a flight ticket, accommodation, and any other expenses related to travel advisory. Conference Partnerships Asia Centre welcomes organisations and individuals to be conference partners and sponsors by co-convening the event, panels, keynote speakers and participants. This will provide partners an opportunity to network and forge linkages with academia, businesses, civil society, governments and international organisations in the region and beyond; and can promote their organisation and activities. Partner Benefits Logo on all publicity materials online and at the conference venue. Social media and mailing list promotion through Asia Centre’s networks. Display and distribute promotional materials from partner organisations to the participants. Develop expertise on the issues covered by the conference themes. Additional Options Sponsor participants by buying conference tickets. Sponsor a keynote speaker by providing a financial grant to the conference. Provide corporate sponsorship (in-kind and/or financial grants) and be featured on promotional materials. Panel Partner Requirements Purchase minimum 4 tickets (USD300 x 4 = USD1,200). Market the conference within their networks. Partners can also buy additional conference tickets. Enquiries and Registration Please contact us at contact@asiacentre.org  Register here Pay your conference fee online  **Please be aware that all fees are not refundable.**

Featured

The Rohingya Crisis: A Multidimensional Tragedy

Asia Centre 128/183, Phayathai Plaza Building, 17th Floor, Phayathai Road, Thung-Phayathai, Rachatewi, 10400, Bangkok

The Rohingya Crisis sparked by the 25 August 2017 attacks on Government forces by Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) in Rakhine State, Myanmar, triggered one of the worst humanitarian crises in contemporary history – “a textbook case of ethnic cleansing”. In a matter of a few months over 750,000 Rohingya people, mostly women and children, fled to Bangladesh. Five months later, as of 23 January 2018, the Rohingya were subjected to a repatriation agreement between Bangladesh and Myanmar that was postponed. The current human rights discourse centers on pointing out the discrimination practices against the Rohingyas, the failure of moral leadership previously embodied in Aung San Suu Kyi, the impotence of ASEAN, the need for accountability for atrocities committed by the Myanmar military and the determination of voluntariness when the Rohingya refugees are repatriated. This call invites contributions that go beyond and delve deeper into this multidimensional tragedy. It is an opportunity for researchers who have been investigating different aspects of the crisis to highlight their work.  Researchers of selected papers will be invited to participate in a 1 day conference in Bangkok, to mark the anniversary of one of the largest humanitarian catastrophes in Southeast Asia. Selected papers will be compiled and published as an edited volume.   Key Themes Papers will address critical issues spanning the following themes: ARSA : Unpack ARSA’s role in the crisis Development: Evaluate economic growth’s role for values change Elites: Dissect the elites’ conflicting interests Fake News: Examine the role of misinformation in generating violence Geopolitics: Capture the external global and regional power dimensions Hosts: Examine the role of Bangladesh and other destination countries Human Trafficking: Identify illicit networks and their exploitative practices Identity:  Sketch the competing ethnic and religious political positions Prejudice: Explain the inflexible attitudes against the Rohingyas Rakhine Perspective: Articulate the majority-minority dimensions SGBV: Analyse the different sexual and gender based violence   Project Coordination As part of this project, a coordination meeting with selected authors is scheduled at Asia Centre, Bangkok, for 24 August 2018, marking the one year anniversary of the attacks by ARSA in Rakhine State. The meeting shall take stock of the latest developments and finalize the selected papers. Authors will thereafter revise their papers, which shall be submitted to the publisher on 1 October 2018. The event poster is available for download here.   Conference Fee This is a self-funded project. Hence, each participant is requested to contribute US$ 300 net, which will cover the costs of the meeting, catering, communication as well as editorial costs. Authors shall secure their own funds for travel, daily subsistence and accommodation while in Bangkok.   Make a payment for Conference Fee Conference Fee Regular $300.00 USD *Please be aware that all conference fees are not refundable. **All costs regarding the transfer of the registration fee (Transfer fees) are to be covered by the applicant. *** Please note that, in the event that confirmed participation is insufficient, the conference may be postponed indefinitely.   Submission Guidelines Researchers wishing to present papers are invited to submit an abstract in English of 300-350 words along with a short biographical paragraph of 100 words to contact@asiacentre.org Full papers should be 5000 words.   Registration Form All keynote speakers, presenters and participants are required to complete the Conference Registration Form and submit at the time of abstract submission and/or application to participate.   Important Dates Abstract Submission: 16 August 2018 Abstract Acceptance: notification within three days of submission Payment of conference fees: upon acceptance of abstract Full paper submission: 16 August 2018 Please contact the Programme Coordinator at contact@asiacentre.org if you need an extension or are not able to produce a full paper in time for the conference   Conference Partnership Asia Centre invites expressions of interests for partnerships to convene the The Rohingya Crisis: A Multidimensional Tragedy. Please email contact@asiacentre.org for more information.   Convener: Asia Centre 128/183 Phayathai Plaza Building (17th Floor), Phayathai Road, Thung-Phayathai, Rachatewi Bangkok 10400 Thailand.   Contact: Matt Yutthaworakool, Programme Coordinator contact@asiacentre.org

International Conference on Business and Human Rights: Holding Governments Accountable in Asia

With increasing attention to business and human rights, this conference takes a critical look at the standards and practices on business and human rights in Asia. In particular it seeks to examine if this current interest in business and human rights conveniently ignores the civil and political violations by the State and its responsibility to guarantee human rights protection. This dimension is critical in the context of a region that seems giddy with numerous business and human rights initiatives undertaken by governments, who themselves are human rights violators, and human rights organisations and others that find it easy to engage with businesses rather than  governments. While many businesses have begun to speak to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, endorsed by the Human Rights Council in 2011, the larger concern is whether the focus on business and human rights removes the spotlight from the State. Hence the conference seeks to examine these key questions: What are the human rights duties of business entities, both domestically and when engaged in business activities abroad? Is the voluntary adoption of human rights standards through corporate social responsibility for branding purposes enough? In a world where business organizations now rival the power of many states as actors in international relations, should such entities have obligations under international human rights law? Is the increasing attention to business and human rights merely a facade for governments to gain protective cover or is there a genuine desire to regulate business entities from a rights perspective?   Themes The key themes that will be examined are as follows: Application of international standards on business and human rights in Asia Capacity of national and regional institutions to address  business and human rights concerns in Asia Challenges faced by business entities in meeting human rights standards Role civil society organisations in advocating for business and human rights issues in Asia Other related themes   Objectives The conference aims to achieve the following objectives: Convene members of academia, civil society and businesses working on human rights in Asia Exchange information and best practices for human rights standards in Asia Disseminate the findings through online and offline channels Contribute to advocacy for the protection of human rights in Asia   Conference Structure  The conference will consist of thematic panels, country-specific discussions and a final plenary session which will be open to civil society groups, international organisations, government officials and the academic community to facilitate knowledge sharing and networking opportunities. Conference Fee - Presenters This is a self-funded conference, hence a fee of USD$250 that will be charged to all keynote, paper and poster presenters. This will go towards covering the cost of the venue, equipment and logistics, coffee breaks on all days, certificates for participants, and conference communications. Students will be charged a flat fee of USD$180. Conference Fee Regular $250.00 USD Student $180.00 USD     Conference Fee – General Attendance Interested in attending the conference to engage with the research being presented, participate in Q&A/panel discussions and network? A limited number of conference tickets are available for single day and two day attendance. Student rates are applicable to current, full-time, non-waged students. Please fill out the General Attendance Registration Form and make payment of conference fees at the links below. If you will attend for only one day, please email contact@asiacentre.co.th to specify which day of the conference you wish to attend. BHR Conference Fee (General Attendance) One Day (Regular) $150.00 USD One Day (Student) $100.00 USD Two Days (Regular) $250.00 USD Two Days (Student) $180.00 USD The general attendance fee for two day includes attendance to the welcome dinner. Single day attendance rates do not include attendance to the welcome dinner. *Please be aware that all conference fees are not refundable. **All costs regarding the transfer of the registration fee (Transfer fees) are to be covered by the applicant.   Submission Guidelines Researchers wishing to present papers are invited to submit an abstract in English of 300-350 words along with a short biographical paragraph of 100 words to contact@asiacentre.co.th Full papers should be 5000 words.   Poster Presentations Limited space is available for 4 to 5 poster presentations. Your presentation may be submitted in word / pdf format to the Asia Centre for consideration. A 60×80 cm poster will be printed and displayed during the conference. Full conference fees apply.   Online Participation We welcome presentations and participation via Skype. Full conference fees apply.   Registration Form All keynote speakers, paper and poster presenters and participants are required to complete the Conference Registration Form at the time of abstract submission and/or application to participate.   Target Audience The conference is open to participants from academic institutions, businesses, national and regional civil society organisations, international NGOs and intergovernmental organisations to facilitate knowledge sharing and networking opportunities.   Deadlines Abstract Submission: Accepting on a rolling basis Abstract Acceptance: notification within three days of submission Payment of conference fees: upon acceptance of abstract Full paper submission: latest 30 June 2018 (please contact the Events Coordinator at research@asiacentre.co.th if you need an extension or are not able to produce a full paper in time for the conference) Programme Outline - Draft programme will be released 15 June Day 1 (12 July 2018): 9am to 5pm (Paper Presentations) Day 2 (13 July 2018): 9am to 5pm (Paper Presentations)   Conference Partnership Asia Centre invites expressions of interests for partnerships to convene the 2018 International Conference on Business and Human Rights:  Holding Governments Accountable in Asia. More details here.   Convener: Asia Centre 128/183 Phayathai Plaza Building (17th Floor), Phayathai Road, Thung-Phayathai, Rachatewi Bangkok 10400 Thailand.   Contact: Elise Schuster, Events Coordinator contact@asiacentre.co.th Conference Poster available for download here.