Wednesday, August 01, 2007 Editorials: Philippines’ human rights drive
THE Philippines, taking the lead in the drive to include a human rights provision in the draft charter of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), has claimed success in its efforts.
During the opening day of the 40th Asean Ministers Meeting in Manila the other day, Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo said a consensus was arrived at “calling for the creation of a human rights commission.”
President Arroyo, who chairs Asean, said in her keynote speech at the Philippine International Convention Center that at a time “of uncertainty in the world, Asean took a bold step forward by endorsing an Asean charter that will expand and strengthen Asean.”
Human rights body
It is indeed a signal honor to the Philippines to successfully sell the idea to the 10-member Asean considering that the only other nations initially warm to the proposal were Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.
Newer Asean members—Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam—earlier said they were not yet ready for the creation of such a body. Myanmar (Burma) openly balked at its formation.
Burma’s ruling junta had drawn criticism in and outside the region for its dismal human rights record.
Eventually, though, it acceded in principle to the creation of a human rights body.
Romulo’s plea
From the start, the Philippines felt that a provision on a human rights body should be included in the Asean charter, one that is “functional and operational.”
Thus, Secretary Romulo took extra time to plead with Burma to promote democracy “in keeping with the spirit of Asean.”
The spirited undertaking added strength to the challenge for Asean “to influence the course of events in the Asia-Pacific region.”
Cleansing process
But the Philippines’ effort may come out as a “mea culpa” from the republic, if one considers the country’s popularity (or notoriety, if you may) as a human rights violator.
It may look like it is designed to generate a “cleansing process” to our country.
When the draft charter will be signed in Singapore in November, the Philippines shall have come down in the history of Asean as having engineered the setting up of the human rights commission.
