The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), created in 2009, will be reviewed in 2014 in order to strengthen its mandate to protect and promote human rights, Rafendi Djamin, Indonesia's representative and Chair of AICHR told a civil society workshop in Jakarta.
According to The Nation, Mr Djamin admitted many flaws existed and said some national representatives to AICHR don't want to meet with civil society organisations - except those that think like them - and that only he and Thailand's representative Sripapha Petchmesri had been trying to make AICHR more effective and credible.
"Until now, AICHR has never [held a] conference. Why? I cannot impose on AICHR members to meet the media [and will] leave it for others to judge," Mr Djamin reportedly said.
Some states, he added, do not want to hear AICHR use the term "female domestic workers" and insisted that AICHR look at them as part of a larger vulnerable group in order not to call attention to the issue.
According to The Nation, Mr Djamin admitted many flaws existed and said some national representatives to AICHR don't want to meet with civil society organisations - except those that think like them - and that only he and Thailand's representative Sripapha Petchmesri had been trying to make AICHR more effective and credible.
"Until now, AICHR has never [held a] conference. Why? I cannot impose on AICHR members to meet the media [and will] leave it for others to judge," Mr Djamin reportedly said.
Some states, he added, do not want to hear AICHR use the term "female domestic workers" and insisted that AICHR look at them as part of a larger vulnerable group in order not to call attention to the issue.