Human Rights Situation in ASEAN
• Human rights is one of the sensitive issues in ASEAN.
• General perceptions: Human Right is a western idea
and incompatible with cultures and values in ASEAN
countries.
• Constitutions of ASEAN countries guarantee human
rights protection at different level:
– Constitutions with extensive human rights guarantee (the
Philippines, Cambodia, Laos)
– Constitutions with various restrictions (Malaysia,
Singapore, Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand*)
– Constitutions with only a few guarantees (Brunei)