Civil society organisations and human rights in ASEAN: the case of Indonesia

Abstract

ASEAN’s progress in human rights has been a puzzling issue, especially given the Association’s rapid transformation after the Cold War. While seemingly demonstrating a formal institutionalisation of human rights, ASEAN progress does not entail any real regional mechanism for guaranteeing human rights protection, signalling a significant gap in its rhetoric and action. In understanding this empirical puzzle, many scholars often focus on evaluating the process of diffusion of norms that originate from outside the region to ASEAN member states. Often underplayed in these accounts are the political dynamics from wider relevant actors within the region that influence norms institutionalisation pr..