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Protection of Human Rights in East and Southeast Asian Countries After World War II: A Short Comment on the Keynote Speech of Vice-President Judge Nußberger

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Europe and Asia as a Legal Area for Fundamental Rights

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Abstract

This short article was written based on the comment made by the author to the keynote speech by professor Angelika Nussberger, vice president of the European Court of Human Rights in the symposium held at Ritsumeikan University in 2019. Professor Nussberger asked whether or not the European model is inspiring for Asian countries if they want to institutionalize a legal area of freedom, fundamental rights and rule of law. Agreeing with her remark that “it is helpful not to have utopian visions, but to see reality as it is,” the author of this article tried to ansewer her question from the perspective of a Japanese academic specializing in international human rights law, by referring to the general circumstances of the countries in East and Southeast Asia after World War II; new trends which may improve the human situation in the region; the backgrounds of their contextual approaches; and potential of this region to institutionalize its legal area of freedom, fundamental rights, and rule of law.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Final Communiqué of the Asian-African conference of Bandung (24 April 1955), “G. Declaration on the promotion of world peace and co-operation”, http://www.cvce.eu/obj/final_communique_of_the_asian_african_conference_of_bandung_24_april_1955-en-676237bd-72f7-471f-949a-88b6ae513585.html. In addition to five sponsoring countries (Burma, Ceylon, India, Indonesia and Pakistan), twenty-four Asian and African countries participated in the Conference. From East Asia and Southeast Asia region eight more countries (Cambodia, People’s Republic of China, Japan, Laos, Philippines, Thailand, Democratic Republic of Vietnam and Republic of Vietnam) attended the Conference.

  2. 2.

    The ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) Bangkok, 8 August 1967, available at https://asean.org/the-asean-declaration-bangkok-declaration-bangkok-8-august-1967/.

  3. 3.

    Supra note 1, “C. Human rights and self-determination”.

  4. 4.

    African Commission on Human and People’s Rights, “History,” available at https://www.achpr.org/history.

  5. 5.

    Ibid. See G. Naldi, “The African Union and the Regional Human Rights System,” M. Evans & R. Murray, The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights: The System in Practice, 1986–2006, 2nd ed. (2008, Cambridge), pp. 20–48.

  6. 6.

    Treaty of Peace with Japan, paragraph 2 of preamble, UN Treaty Series, No. 1832 (1952), p. 46. Fifty-one Allied Powers took part on the San Francisco Conference, but the USSR, Poland and Czechoslovakia did not sign the Treaty.

  7. 7.

    Joint Communique of the Twenty-Sixth ASEAN Ministerial Meeting Singapore, 23–24 July 1993, paras. 16–18. Available at https://humanrightsinasean.info/wp-content/uploads/files/documents/ASEAN%20Joint%20Communique%2026th%20ASEAN%20Ministerial%20Meeting%201993.pdf.

  8. 8.

    Revised Implementation Plan of the Vision Statement on ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation: Shared Vision, Shared Identity, Shared Future, 6 August 2017, Manila, paras. 1.11–1.13. Available at https://asean.org/storage/2017/08/Revised-IP-of-ASEAN-Japan-Vision-Statement-Final.pdf.

  9. 9.

    Para. 8 of the Declaration adopted on 2 April 1993, in the Report of the regional meeting for Asia of the World Conference on Human Rights, Bangkok, 29 March–2 April 1993, A/CONF.157/ASRM/8; A/CONF.157/PC/59, p. 5. Among thirty-five Asian countries that took part in the Regional Meeting there were fourteen E + SE Asian countries except Cambodia (KHM). Timor-Leste (TLS) was not yet an independent country until 2003.

  10. 10.

    Para. 5 of the Declaration adopted on 25 June 1993, in the World Conference on Human Rights, Vienna, 14–25 June 1993, Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, Note by a Secretariat, U.N. Doc. A/CONF.157/23, p. 5.

  11. 11.

    See Li-ann Thio, “Implementing Human Rights in ASEAN Countries: “Promises to Keep and Miles to Go before I Sleep”,” Yale Human Rights and Development Journal, Vol. 2 (1999), pp. 22–29; Suzannah Linton, “ASEAN States, Their Reservations to Human Rights Treaties and the Proposed ASEAN Commission on Women and Children”, Human Rights Quarterly, Vol. 30 (2008), pp. 437–441; Jun Zhao, “China and the Uneasy Case for Universal Human Rights,” Human Rights Quarterly, Vol. 37 (2015), pp. 45–46.

  12. 12.

    Bangkok Declaration, supra note 9, pp. 4–5.

  13. 13.

    Jun Zhao, supra note 11, p. 45; see also Li-ann Thio, supra note 11, pp. 25–29.

  14. 14.

    Supra note 7, para. 17.

  15. 15.

    ASEAN Charter, Articles 2 & 14. Available at https://asean.org/storage/2012/05/The-ASEAN-Charter-14042020-final.pdf.

  16. 16.

    TOR of the AICHR, “2 Principles” and “4 Mandate and Functions”. Available at https://aichr.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/TOR-of-AICHR.pdf.

  17. 17.

    With regard to the purpose, principles and mandate and functions of the ACWC, see TOR of the ACWC. Available at https://www.asean.org/wp-content/uploads/images/2012/Social_cultural/ACW/TOR-ACWC.pdf.

  18. 18.

    ASEAN Human Rights Declaration, adopted at the 21st ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, 18 November 2012. Available at https://asean.org/asean-human-rights-declaration/ and Convention Against Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children concluded in 2015. Available at http://agreement.asean.org/media/download/20160303122945.pdf.

    With regard to the history, backgrounds and contents of these documents see John D. Ciorciari, “Institutionalizing Human Rights in Southeast Asia,” Human Rights Quarterly, Vol. 34 (2012), pp. 695–725; Catherine Shanahan Renshaw, “The ASEAN Human Rights Declaration 2012,” Human Rights Law Review, Vol. 13 (2013), pp. 557–579; Gerard Clarke, “The Evolving ASEAN Human Rights System: the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration of 2012,” Northwestern Journal of International Human Right, Vol. 11 (2012), pp. 1–27; Hien Bui, “The ASEAN Human Rights System: A Critical Analysis,” Asian Journal of Comparative Law, Vol. 11 (2016), pp. 111–140; Robin Ramcharan, “ASEAN’s Human Rights Commission: Policy Considerations for Enhancing Its Capacity to Protect Human Rights,” UCL Human Rights Review, Vol. 3 (2010), pp. 199–235; Deborah Basham-Jones, “ASEAN’s Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights: A Pale Shadow of What It Could Have Been,” Asia–Pacific Journal on Human Rights and the Law, Vol. 13, Issue 2 (2012), pp. 1–26.

  19. 19.

    The AICHR Annual Report 2019, “10 Years of the AICHR: An Overview,” p. 7. Available at https://aichr.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/AICHR-Annual-Report-2019.pdf.

  20. 20.

    See, e.g., Forum-Asia, A Decade in Review: Assessing the Performance of the AICHR to Uphold the Protection Mandates, pp. 3–13; Forum-Asia, Joint Statement: ASEAN needs a stronger Human Rights Mechanism. Available at https://www.forum-asia.org/?p=28741.

  21. 21.

    Para 26 of the Vienna Declaration and para. 4 of the Vienna Programme of Action A/CONF.157/23, pp. 5 and 13; Para. 21 of the Vienna Declaration and para. 39 of the Vienna Programme of Action, ibid., pp. 8 and 19.

  22. 22.

    Hereinafter the names of the E + SE Asian countries are abbreviated as follows: CHN (China), PRK (the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea), JPN (Japan), MNG (Mongolia), KOR (the Republic of Korea), BRN (Brunei Darussalam), KHM (Cambodia), IDN (Indonesia), LAO (the Lao People’s democratic Republic), MYS (Malaysia), MMR (Myanmar), PHL (the Philippines), SGP (Singapore), THA (Thailand), TLS (Timor-Leste), VNM (Vietnam).

  23. 23.

    Typical examples are as follows: IDN ratified CRPD (2011), ICRMW (2012), OP-CRC-AC and OP-CRC-SC (2012); Malaysia ratified CRPD (2010), OP-CRC-AC, and OP-CRC-SC (2012); Myanmar ratified CPRD (2011), OP-CRC-SC (2012), and ICESCR (2017); MNG ratified and acceded to CPRD (2009), ICCPR-OP2 (2012), OP-CAT (2015), and CPED (2015).

  24. 24.

    A/HRC/40/6/Add.1, para. 2, reply to 28.3.

  25. 25.

    A/HRC/41/7, para. 38, 38.38 and A/HRC/41/7/Add.1, para. 15, No. 38.

  26. 26.

    A/HRC/36/7, para. 141, 141.1–141.3 and A.HRC/36/7/Add.1, para. 10.

  27. 27.

    A/HRC/WG.6/28/JPN/1, para.83.

  28. 28.

    Angelika Nußberger, The European Union and the Council of Europe as Legal Area of Freedom, Fundamental Rights and Rule of Law, in this book, pp. 4–5.

  29. 29.

    Ibid., pp. 5–11.

  30. 30.

    See, https://asean.org/asean-political-security-community/; https://asean.org/asean-economic-community/; https://asean.org/asean-socio-cultural/.

  31. 31.

    UPR national rep. (CHN, 2nd, 2013), A/HRC/WG.6/17/CHN/1, para. 4; HRC Rep. 25th session (2014), supra note 20, paras. 844–845. See also UPR national rep. (CHN, 1st, 2008), A/HRC/WG.6/4/CHN/1, para. 6–7. HRC Rep. 25th session (2014), A/HRC/25/10/Add.1, paras. 844–845.

  32. 32.

    UPR national rep. (CHN, 3rd, 2018), A/HRC/WG.6/31/CHN, paras. 5–9.

  33. 33.

    Ibid., paras. 6 & 8.

  34. 34.

    UPR national rep. (CHN, 2nd, 2013), supra note 28, paras. 90–91 and 93; A/HRC/40/6 (2018), paras. 9–10.

  35. 35.

    UPR national rep. (CHN, 3rd, 2018), supra note 29, para. 4 & 10.

  36. 36.

    A/HRC/40/6 (2018), paras. 28.22 & 28.27, (recommendations by UK & Denmark); A/HRC/40/6/Add.1, para. 2, 28.22 & 28.27 (reply by CHN).

  37. 37.

    A/HRC/40/6 (2018), paras. 28.175 thru 177 (recommendations by Australia, Switzerland, & US); A/HRC/40/6/Add.1, para. 2, 28.175 thru 28.177 (reply by CHN). CHN has also refused to establish an independent national human rights institution in accordance with the Paris Principles since many government agencies in China has already assume similar responsibilities. A/HRC/40/6 (2018), paras. 28.66 (recommendations by Liechtenstein, Poland, Togo, Uruguay, Seychelles, Mali); A/HRC/40/6/Add.1, para. 2, 28.66 (reply by CHN). See also, Wim Muller, Chinese practice in UN treaty monitoring bodies: principled sovereignty and slow appreciation, H. Nasu and B. Saul eds., Human Rights in the Asia–Pacific Region: Towards Institution Building (Routledge, 2013), pp. 87–104.

  38. 38.

    UPR national rep. (VNM, 1st, 2009), A/HRC/WG.6/5/VNM/1, paras. 6, 11–12, and 61–63. See also UPR national rep. (VNM, 2nd, 2013), A/HRC/WG.6/18/VNM/1, paras. 75–85.

  39. 39.

    UPR national rep. (VNM, 3rd, 2018), A/HRC/WG.6/32/VNM/1, para. 97.

  40. 40.

    A/HRC/41/7 (2019), such paras. as para. 38, 38.167, 38.193, 38.204, 38.208; A/HRC/41/7/Add.1 (2019), para. 11.

  41. 41.

    UPR national rep. (DPRK, 3rd, 2019), A/HRC/WG.6/33/PRK, paras. 85–86, 89, 91; A/HCR/42/10/Add.1 (2019), para. 3.

  42. 42.

    A/HRC/42/10 (2019), para. 127, 127.1 thru 127.63.

  43. 43.

    See, Li-ann Thio, supra note 11, p. 22; John D. Ciorciari, supra note 18, pp. 702–703. See also L. Avonius & D. Kingsbury eds., Human Rights in Asia: Reassessment of the Asian Values Debate (Palgrave Macmillan, 2008); H. Nasu & B. Saul eds., Human Rights in the Asia–Pacific Region: Towards Institution Building (Routledge, 2011).

  44. 44.

    UPR national rep. (MYS, 1st, 2008), A/HRC/WG.6/4/MYS/1/Rev.1, para. 114.

  45. 45.

    UPR national rep. (MYS, 2nd, 2013), A/HRC/WG.6/17/MYS/1, paras. 50–51. See also UPR WG rep. add (MYS, 2nd, 2014), A/HRC/25/10/Add.1, paras. 5 and 9; and HRC Rep. 25th session (2014), U.N. Doc. A/HRC/25/2, para. 675.

  46. 46.

    A/HRC/40/Add.1 (2019), p. 3, sub-title 1, and p. 4, sub-title 1.

  47. 47.

    UPR national rep. (SGP, 2nd, 2015), A/HRC/WG.6/24/SGP/1, paras. 4–6. See also UPR national rep. (SGP, 1st, 2011), A/HRC/WG.6/11/SGP/1, paras. 4–9.

  48. 48.

    A/69/375 (2014), para. 10; CCPR/C/IDN/1 (2012), para. 247.

  49. 49.

    UPR national rep. (IDN, 1st, 2008), A/HRC/WG.6/1/IDN/1, para.7; UPR national rep. (IDN, 2nd, 2012), A/HRC/WG.6/13/IDN/1, paras. 124–130; (IDN, 3rd, 2017), A/HRC/WG.6/27/IDN/1, paras. 6–14.

  50. 50.

    A/HRC/WG.6/13/IDN/1, para. 60; A/HRC/WG.6/27/IDN/1, para. 177.

  51. 51.

    A/HRC/36/7 (2017), para. 141, 141.16–17, 141.26–33, 141.36, 141.42–51, 141.53, 141.57, 141.59, 141.62, 141.64–75; A/HRC/37/7/Sdd.1; A/HRC/WG.6/27/IDN/1, paras. 11, 178.

  52. 52.

    UPR national rep. (MMR, 2nd, 2015), A/HRC/WG.6/23/MMR/1, para. 144; A/HRC/31/13/Add.1 (2016), para. 14.

  53. 53.

    A/HRC/31/13, para. 145, 145.39–66.

  54. 54.

    A/HRC/42/50 (2019), para. 114. See also, Report of the detailed findings of the Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, A/HRC/39/CRP.2, pp. 421–432.

  55. 55.

    A/HRC/8/28 (2008), paras. 5–12; see also UPR national rep. (PHI, 1st, 2008), A/HRC/WG.6/1/PHI/1, paras. 6–22. A/HRC/21/12 (2012), paras. 6–32.

  56. 56.

    UPR national rep. (PHI, 3rd, 2017), A/HRC/WG.6/27/PHI/1, paras. 3–5; see also A/HRC/36/12 (2017), paras. 5–13 & 122–132.

  57. 57.

    A/HRC/36/12, para. 132.

  58. 58.

    A/HRC/42/50 (2019), paras. 116–117, see also A.HRC/39/CRP.2, paras. 81–83.

  59. 59.

    Ibid., paras. 1678–1682.

  60. 60.

    CCPR/C/THA/CO/2 (2017), paras. 5–6, 21–22, 25–26, 31–32, 35–36.

  61. 61.

    UPR national rep. (KOR, 1st, 2008), A/HRC/WG.6/2/KOR/1, para. 1; A/HRC/37/11 (2017), para. 128, para. 132, 132.25, 132.94–132.132.106, 132.109–132.111; A/HRC/37/11/Add.1 (2018), paras. 32–33.

  62. 62.

    UPR national rep. (JPN, 3rd, 2017), A/HRC/WG.6/28/JPN/1, para. 1.

  63. 63.

    As to JPN position on this issue, see A/HRC/WG.6/28/JPN/1, paras. 72–75; A/HRC/37/15 (2018), para. 149.

  64. 64.

    A/HRC/37/15 (2018), para.161, 161.4–161.8, 161.84–161.85, 161.95–161.110, 161.116–161.124,

  65. 65.

    Ibid., para. 147. See also A/HRC/37/15/Add.1 (2018), replies to 161.99, 161.107 and 161.108.

  66. 66.

    UPR national rep. (JPN, 3rd, 2017), A/HRC/WG.6/28/JPN/1, paras. 95–100.

  67. 67.

    A. Nußberger, supra note 28, p. 14.

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  1. Emeritus Professor of Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan

    Kimio Yakushiji

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  1. Faculty of Law, Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan

    Masahisa Deguchi

  2. School of Law, Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan

    Kimio Yakushiji

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Yakushiji, K. (2023). Protection of Human Rights in East and Southeast Asian Countries After World War II: A Short Comment on the Keynote Speech of Vice-President Judge Nußberger. In: Deguchi, M., Yakushiji, K. (eds) Europe and Asia as a Legal Area for Fundamental Rights. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-7542-4_2

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