Amnesty says ASEAN's consensus principle may undermine rights body

By Puy Kea

PHUKET, Thailand, July 21 KYODO

Amnesty International said Tuesday the ''consensus'' principle adopted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations may paralyze or weaken the 10-member organization's human rights body, due to be launched later this year.

According to Amnesty, the body's newly adopted terms of reference, which allow for decisions by consensus only, would mean each ASEAN member could reject any criticism of its own human rights record by veto.

This ''could lead either to paralysis or to the adoption of weak positions based on the lowest common denominator,'' the London-based group said in a statement. It suggested that the ASEAN human rights body be empowered to investigate human rights abuses and receive complaints of abuses, saying, ''Without such powers the body will not be able to address serious human rights situations in the region, for example in Myanmar.''

The statement was released one day after ASEAN's foreign ministers decided by consensus to set up an intergovernmental commission on human rights later this year to promote and protect human rights in a region that includes military-ruled Myanmar .

Amnesty said its other key concerns include the body's lack of a clear protection mandate, lack of binding requirements for independence and expertise of its members, and an emphasis on ''regional particularities'' and ''noninterference'' in internal affairs, which it said could undermine respect for universal human rights standards.

ASEAN was urged to ensure a transparent mechanism to select independent expert members to the human rights body with representatives from civil society.

On Sunday, Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, who is the current ASEAN chair, said that after a review period of five years from the time the human rights body comes into operation, its terms of reference will be amended to strengthen its mandate and function on the promotion and protection of the human rights.

ASEAN groups Brunei , Cambodia , Laos , Indonesia , Malaysia , Myanmar , the Philippines , Singapore , Thailand and Vietnam .

Kyodo