ASEAN and Supranational Human Rights Governance

On March 17, 2026, K.S. Park of Open Net discussed the status of digital rights and human rights in ASEAN as seen through Open Net and Korea University’s joint experience in Myanmar, Indonesia, Vietnam before Human Rights Committee and Vietnam before Human Rights Council, and the possibility of ASEAN becoming active in human rights governance, especially in relation to ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission for Human Rights (AICHR). He discussed the experience of Open Net and Korea University International Human Rights Clinic in advocating for the respective ASEAN countries’ human rights before UN Human Rights Committee, UN Human Rights Council, and a Korean court of law, and analyzed the limitations and promise of AICHR. His presentation was followed by Xavier Groussot’s presentation on the challenges of coordinating European Court of Human Rights and European Court of Justice arising out of EU’s failure to accede to the European Convention of Human Rights contrary to EU Charter’s provision. Finally, Jae Hyeok Shin discussed the curious case of Timor Leste where the traditional positive correlation between democracy and development unlike other countries in the ASEAN region did not hold (It was pointed out during the ensuing discussion that Timor Leste did not have indigenous power elites that used colonialism, military rule, and religion as the tool for building dictatorship).