Between the Dragon and the Eagle: ASEAN and Human Rights in the Era of Great Power Competition
Keywords:
ASEAN, ASEAN Human rights, Multipolarity, Great power competition, Weak statesAbstract
The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, which was established in 2009 after the promulgation of the ASEAN Charter, was the end of human rights regionalism in ASEAN. The process which began officially in 1993 with the first official mention of human rights in ASEAN officialdom culminated with commentary that was both celebratory and derogatory. The 15 years since AICHR’s establishment have seen little progress towards human rights protection or broad advocacy emanating from AICHR. With the rise of a multipolar world the question of human rights in ASEAN is an important one to thought to reflect upon. This article argues that the AICHR’s establishment was due to the effects of the ‘Unipolar Period’ of international affairs. Furthermore, since the world has moved to multipolarity with the rise of China in international and East Asian affairs, human rights in Southeast Asia are moving into a period of stagnation or retreat.
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