Human rights without tears

BEHIND THE HEADLINES By BUNN NAGARA Malaysia may, in effect, lead Asean countries to more realistic and progressive human rights practices. OBSERVERS at Asean’s Ministerial Meeting in Singapore over the week might have sensed the huge double challenges to the region from the very start of the gathering. With Singapore as host, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in his opening speech that Asean would soon start work on two key areas of its landmark charter – an Asean human rights body and a dispute settlement mechanism – when both objectives seem more remote than ever. These are highly charged, predictably controversial and inevitably convoluted issues at the best of times. For Asean to dive into them now shows either courage or foolhardiness, but most of all a pained sense of necessity. Even as delegates spoke, an implacable... [read full story]