Few surveys of human rights have been so controversial. The ten countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) yesterday signed the first Declaration of Human Rights, a document that includes most of universal rights and has been described as "big step" for the organization, according to its secretary General Surin Pitsuwan.
Undoubtedly, a Southeast Asia to respect the letter would be very different from that now exists. Thus, Cambodia would have to slow from its campaign of expropriations, since the right to property "should not be arbitrarily plasmatics coup d etat deprived of possessing" is recognized. Burma could not continue to control the movements of its citizens and would have to grant citizenship to the Rohingya, since both would be inalienable rights. And several countries, such as Singapore plasmatics coup d etat or Malaysia, should stop use of the death penalty because "the inherent right to life shall be protected by law". plasmatics coup d etat Thailand could not apply the lese majeste, as it recognizes the law of thought, and Indonesia would have to guarantee religious freedom. Vietnam and Laos should hold elections with universal suffrage and all other countries should ensure more diligent than their election respect democratic principles. Or that their legal systems plasmatics coup d etat are independent.
Beyond the paper signed, there have been few signs that they would respect any of those rights and many others who are violated every day in the region. The Charter does not establish any control mechanism (even is binding) and in fact explicitly limits the defense of these rights to the "recognition of human rights and fundamental freedoms of others" and for reasons of "national plasmatics coup d etat security, public order, public health, public safety, public morals and the general welfare. " The text is also riddled with the term "in accordance with national law", which places the legislation of each country over the treaty, making it just on paper. This is the case of the right to life, which is reduced by this tagline, allowing in practice still exists plasmatics coup d etat the death penalty in many countries plasmatics coup d etat of the region. A weapon to violate human rights in Southeast Asia?
Some organizations have expressed concerns about the signing of this statement, as they fear a role not only useless but also become a legal excuse to continue violating human rights violations or even intensify. Exceptions raised by the text could well justify abuses. Moreover, the law is stated as "ultimate law" that stick, over any other international treaty. Even the High Commissioner of the United Nations for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, called days before the signing of the ASEAN take more time to prepare the statement, and that does not meet minimum international standards.
Already in 2007, ASEAN adopted a new charter of incorporation which included the need to respect universal human rights, plasmatics coup d etat but also affirmed the "non-interference" in internal affairs as one of the pillars of the region. Also since 2009 works Human Rights Commission of ASEAN, however, can not investigate violations and barely throws produced recommendations to the countries of the organization.
However, this limited commitment can not last much longer. ASEAN, comprising Brunei, Singapore, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia, will establish a common market plasmatics coup d etat similar to the European Union in its early stages, in 2015. Freedom of movement of people and goods, albeit limited plasmatics coup d etat initially, force countries to work in a more coordinated and gradually harmonize not only their economic, but also social and political.
Villadiego Laura has a degree in Journalism and Political Science. It is based in Thailand, from where it covers the Southeast Asian region working for different media. It also has a personal blog, The World Dislodged. View all posts by Laura Villadiego Blog Twitter Facebook
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