Asean’s declaration of human rights is only the beginning

WHEN the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) endorsed its declaration on human rights over the weekend, they deemed it a landmark pact that would help protect the 600 million citizens of the group’s member-states.

This is fine in theory, but it remains to be seen if the agreement can ever be fully implemented. For one, “human rights” is a broad term that can be subject to many interpretations.

The right to free speech, for one, is viewed differently in the West, where it is treated as almost absolute. Not so in this part of the world. In our own country, for example, this right is considered sacred, yet the Philippines is one of the few nations in the world where libel is considered a criminal offence.

Therefore, while anyone can say anything he or she wants, the possibility of landing in prison for voicing an opinion is not impossible. This is especially true if a negative opinion is expressed against an incumbent public official.

Even as the Philippine Constitution guarantees a free press —a necessary partner to free speech—local media is hampered in the performance of its duties by the absence of a Freedom of Information bill. This bill has been in the works for some time, yet its chances of being passed are not too high, given the present government’s half-hearted support for the bill pending in Congress.

Worst of all, the killings of mediamen practicing their right to free speech continue to occur with alarming regularity in the country which prides itself with having the freest press in Asia, if not the world.

Critics say the Asean’s landmark declaration of human rights is full of loopholes. If the true situation on the ground is far from ideal in the Philippines, it is actually much worse in other Asean countries.

The authoritarian governments of Laos and Vietnam, for example, do not leave much room for their citizens to practice free speech. Government censorship is still practiced in the two states to a high degree, and in other Asean member-nations to lesser extents.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario says the Asean pact is a “legacy for our children.”

It may very well be, but only the agreement it is fully realized. Not until all 10 Asean member-states give their full support to their declaration on human rights will it be worth more than the paper it is written on.