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The aspects of the ASEAN Charter dealing with rights and democracy have been largely ignored.

By Khoo Ying Hooi for The Diplomat

May 03, 2017

The 30thASEAN Summitjust successfully concluded in Manila. Hosted by the Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, the summits themewas Partnering for Change, Engaging the World. Yet while ASEAN has made some remarkable achievements over the last five decades, there remain some doubts on the future prospect of this regional organization and the region as a whole.

The Southeast Asia region is diversified in many ways. For one thing, itis marked by a fragmented state of democratic development, which could probably be explained by looking at the regions different political values in regards to governance systems.

Since the 2007 ASEAN Charter, ASEAN has been pursuing political and democratic reforms, albeit at a slow pace, under the umbrella of the ASEAN Community. Some principles of the Charter, however, have not been adequately implemented and to some extent, are almost neglected by some ASEAN member states. Thats particularly true when it comes to issues concerning human rights, democracy, fundamental freedoms, good governance, and the rule of law.

Now, as the regional organization celebrates its 50thanniversary and its promise tobring about a rules-based, people-oriented, and people-centered ASEAN, there is increasing concern over the stagnant and, at times, regressive process of democratization in the region.

In the Philippines for example, thehost country of the recent summit, Dutertes controversial war on illegal drugs is a major part of a worrying assault on democracy values across the region. Doubts are growing over democracy in the Philippines due to Dutertes approach. Human rights groups particularly have spoken out loudly about his crimes against humanity.

At the same time, Indonesia, the worlds third largest democracy, is currentlybeing tested bythe growing role of religion as a political tool. The Ahok incident, where the popular Chinese Christian governor of Jakarta lost hisre-election bid due to blasphemy accusations, was taken by many as an indication of the uncertain future of the countrys secular democracy. In 2014, Jokowis presidential election victory was seen as a healthy sign for Indonesias democratic institutions;however, the growing influence of the Islamist groups could be a potentially destabilizing factor in Indonesias democracy.

In Malaysia, the growing suppression of dissent has reachedan alarming rate in the midst of the countrys massive 1MDB corruption scandal, allegedly involving high-level politicians. With rumors that elections might be held this year, the sense of political uncertainty spells a gloomy outlook forMalaysias flawed democracy.

Meanwhile, the frequent military coups in Thailand have continued to destroy the democratic process in the country. The countrys newly promulgated constitution is expectedto possibly lead to more political imbalance. And Myanmar started along a positive trajectory with amajor victory bydemocracy leader Aung San Suu Kyis party markingthe end of half-a-century of dominance by the military. But the celebration of democracyis tarnished when Suu Kyiis heavily criticized for not speaking out against discrimination and violencetargeting Rohingya Muslims.

On the other hand,Timor-Lestes application to ASEAN membership has been delayed for another round, despite being geographically located in Southeast Asia.According to Dutertes full chairmans statement, issued after the summit, Timor-Lestes application to become an ASEAN Member is still under study by the relevant senior officials. He added, To prepare Timor-Leste for membership in ASEAN, we reiterated our commitment to provide assistance to Timor-Leste for its capacity-building, in accordance with the elements and procedures agreed to by the ASEAN Coordinating Council Working Group (ACCWF) on Timor-Lestes ASEAN Membership Application.

As Southeast Asias youngest country, Timor-Lestes bid for ASEAN membership remains a complicated case, particularly when the countryscored the highest of any Southeast Asian state in the latest democracy index released by theEconomist Intelligence Unit (EIU). There are constant questions abouthow would Timor-Lestes democratic values would fit with the ASEAN framework, which is based on consensus and non-interference.

2017 is a particularly critical year for ASEAN and Southeast Asia to prove itself as a region that emphasizes putting ASEANs people first. At this juncture, the path to democracy is rocky for the Southeast Asia region. It is especially dangerouswhen the newgenerations emerging to take power in the region might not be instilled with democratic values, which could pose a challenge for their ability to accept or initiate democratic reforms.

Khoo Ying Hooi (PhD) is Senior Lecturer at the Department of International and Strategic Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya.

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ASEAN at 50: A New Test for Democracy in Southeast Asia - The Diplomat