NGOs urge Asean to defend democracy, civic rights

Summary

• Civil society groups from six Asean countries urge Malaysia, as Asean chair, to lead efforts to strengthen democratic norms and civic space in the region.

• Their eight-point resolution calls for embedding democracy in Asean’s 2045 vision, creating a regional democracy dialogue, reforming institutions, and protecting human rights defenders.

Civil society groups from several Asean countries have urged the regional group to act decisively to push back against the backsliding of democratic rights and protect civic space.

In particular, it urged the current chair, Malaysia, to lead by example and take “bold, enforceable steps” to institutionalise democratic norms and civic participation across Southeast Asia.

The groups said this is the joint resolution they adopted following the two-day Asean Peoples Roundtable held in Kuala Lumpur since May 24, in conjunction with the Asean Summit.

“Together, they addressed growing threats to democracy in the region: declining electoral integrity, repression of dissent, shrinking civic space, and the targeting of independent media and human rights defenders.

“In response, civil society organisations issued an eight-point resolution outlining urgent priorities for collective action.

“These include strengthening democratic resilience, expanding civic and digital spaces, advancing institutional reform, empowering youth and marginalised communities, and pushing back against authoritarianism,” they said in a joint press release today.

Among others, the resolution urges Asean to embed democracy and human rights as part of the core principles of its Asean Community Vision 2045, which is set to be unveiled during this year’s Asean Summit.

It also calls for the creation of an “Asean democracy dialogue” and a regional framework for democratic governance and electoral integrity.

Additional demands

Additional demands include strengthening the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), repealing repressive laws, protecting human rights defenders and civic actors, and ensuring digital freedoms.

The resolution is endorsed by several regional NGOs, such as the Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights, and the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development.

It is also endorsed by NGOs from six of the 10 Asean nations, including 21 groups from Malaysia. These include Bersih, Tindak Malaysia, Undi 18, Suaram, Justice for Sisters, and Klima Action Malaysia.

The NGOs from the other five countries are from Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, and Singapore.

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