Regional mechanism for rights issue planned<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Human rights officials from Indonesia, the
\nPhilippines and Thailand will explore the possibility of
\nestablishing a regional mechanism to deal with rights issues.<\/p>\n
Marzuki Darusman, the deputy chairman of Indonesia's National
\nCommission on Human Rights, said yesterday the rights activists
\nwill discuss the plan with officials of the Association of
\nSoutheast Asian Nations (ASEAN) today.<\/p>\n
Speaking on the sidelines of the on-going 29th ASEAN
\nMinisterial Meeting, Marzuki said the meeting will also identify
\nthe agencies in each ASEAN member country with whom the human
\nrights commissions can cooperate.<\/p>\n
\"We also hope to see how far the idea of establishing this
\nregional human rights mechanism can be carried out. This way, we
\ncan accommodate the issues that have become public concern,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Marzuki said that in its early development, the mechanism is
\nlikely to be in the form of a consultation forum on human rights
\nunder the ASEAN secretariat.<\/p>\n
At ASEAN ministerial meeting in Singapore in 1994, Marzuki
\nsaid, the governments of ASEAN made mention of the establishment
\nof a regional human rights mechanism.<\/p>\n
\"But after three years, nothing has happened, except for one
\nor two governments moving on their own,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Marzuki said now is \"the right moment\" to go ahead with the
\nplan at the government level, as the issue has already been
\ndiscussed \"from time to time\" on the non-governmental side.<\/p>\n
\"Now relations between government and non-governmental
\nagencies in all ASEAN countries are good, so it is a good time to
\nstart a new process where everyone will feel comfortable to talk
\nabout human rights openly,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said he
\nwould meet with the representatives of the human rights
\ncommission, but acknowledged that the meeting was not part of the
\nministerial agenda.<\/p>\n
He said the officials who will meet with the commission will
\nbe from Indonesia, the current ministerial meeting chairman,
\nBrunei Darussalam, the ongoing chairman and Malaysia, the up-
\ncoming chairman.<\/p>\n
\"We will meet them ... and listen to their suggestions,\"
\nAlatas said.<\/p>\n
Marzuki said yesterday the meeting will not discuss specific
\ncases facing each ASEAN member country, as there are currently
\nissues faced by all members alike, such as on migrant workers,
\nwomen's rights and child rights.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that the establishment of such a mechanism was
\nstill a long process.<\/p>\n
\"What's important is that ASEAN will consider talking about
\nthe commitment again. Even that can already be considered a
\npositive development,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Marzuki said the process should remain a \"comfortable\" one,
\npossibly consisting of several confidence building measures which
\nwill enable the governments of all ASEAN member countries to \"sit
\ntogether and talk about (human rights) in a natural way\".<\/p>\n
Marzuki said Malaysia and Singapore are among the countries
\nwhich do not have a human rights commission yet, while Thailand
\nmay have one next year. (pwn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/regional-mechanism-for-rights-issue-planned-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}