From the ASEAN People's Assembly to the ASEAN Civil Society Conference: the boundaries of civil society advocacy

Abstract

Civil society organisations (CSOs) have asserted their claim for participation in regional governance in Southeast Asia through multiple forums held since the late-1990s. The two most enduring are the ASEAN People's Assembly (APA), organised by ASEAN-ISIS and held seven times from 2000 to 2009, and the ASEAN Civil Society Conference (ACSC), organised by the Solidarity for Asian People's Advocacy network and held nine times from 2005 to the present. Through comparative analysis of the boundaries of CSO participation in these two events, this article explains why the APA was superseded by the ACSC, and it highlights states' growing intrusions into the ACSC. It argues that states' expanding repertoire of tactics to direct the ACSC has seen the structure of CSO participation in this event recast, challenging the view of the ACSC as an independent space for advocacy and indicating the hollowness of ASEAN's commitments to creating a ‘people-oriented’ Association.

Keywords:

• ASEAN
• civil society
• Solidarity for Asian People's Advocacy
• participation
• regionalism

Notes

1. ASEAN originally embraced the term ‘people-centred’, and when the Charter came into force on 15 December 2008, this was revised to ‘people-oriented’, signifying a subtle weakening of ASEAN's proclaimed people-focus (see Chandra 2009). Nonetheless, consulting with civil society became a consistent part of ASEAN rhetoric.

2. The ACSC has been held under various titles over its seven-year existence, including the ‘ASEAN People's Forum’ and the ‘ASEAN Civil Society Conference/ASEAN People's Forum’; however, this article refers to these events using their original title, namely the ‘ASEAN Civil Society Conference’ (ACSC).

3. Interview with Indonesian human rights activist, Jakarta, 19 October 2011; interview with Indonesian gender equality activist, Jakarta, 18 October 2011.

4. The ASEAN chairmanship rotates annually between member states, generally moving in alphabetical order. The ASEAN chair serves as the host government and manager of key meetings, including the Leaders' Summits.

5. Interview with Indonesian human rights activist, Jakarta, 19 October 2011.

6. Interview with Indonesian human rights activist, Jakarta, 19 October 2011.

7. This issue is not unique to the ACSC, and mirrors challenges seen in other civil society forums. From the UN system of consultative status for civil society to international thematic conferences on human rights, women and climate change, GONGOs from authoritarian states have increased their profile. International forums are often attended by GONGOs and grassroots CSOs from the same countries, which has proved challenging for both independent transnational social movements and governance institutions. For a discussion of GONGOs' interactions with governance institutions, see Chen (2006, 2010).

8. Interview with Indonesian human rights activist, Jakarta, 19 October 2011.